Beyond the Wall, Ghost Shadow Forest, by the Deer Horn River.
Two armies composed of corpses were engaged in a primal, brutal melee on the banks of this partially frozen lake. Biting, scratching, and clawing were the only means of attack for the Ghouls. Having lost their humanity, these undead could only rely on such methods.
The Ghouls under Mark's command had eyes that glowed purple. This, combined with the eerie blue light emanating from the White Walkers, created a scattering of indigo hues, giving the battlefield a haunting beauty.
Behind the army of Purple-Eyed Ghouls, four strange figures stood at the rear. Joman, the Mummy and former King of Beyond the Wall, was talking with a skeleton clad in a red robe.
Standing beside them was a middle-aged man wielding a sword, wearing a white cloak and magnificent armor. Although he looked no different from a human, his skin was a frighteningly pale white.
On the other side stood a giant humanoid creature, over two meters tall. It radiated a chilling, ghostly aura, its cold energy causing the surrounding air to freeze.
The massive Soul Reaper Scythe gleamed with an ominous, dark green light. In a way, this scythe seemed to be the Death Knight's true form, as the Death Knight would transform into the Soul Reaper Scythe upon disappearing in the game.
These were the Cemetery faction units summoned by Mark: Dracula, a level 4 Vampire Prince. His teleportation skill had transformed into a bat transformation, just like the vampires in the fourth generation of the game.
Level 5 Lich Master Sandru. Although his ranged attacks were canceled, the system increased his undead manipulation capabilities. After using the "Undead Overgrowth" spell, he commanded around 10,000 undead.
Furthermore, Lich Master Sandru possessed 100 mana points directly, and after absorbing the energy of the Vitality Magic Spring, his mana reached 200 points. His initial mana was even higher than Mark's.
Level 6 Death Knight Karl. As the strongest undead unit currently, he possessed the "Death Touch" skill and gained the additional skill "Wailing of the Dead," which was similar to a Banshee's Wail but with increased lethality.
Mummy Joman, after absorbing some of the Vitality Magic Spring's power, broke through to a new realm. His body transformed into something similar to a vampire. The dark magic he had mastered also leveled up accordingly.
Because they were both spellcasters, like Lich Master Sandru, the two felt a sense of camaraderie. Whenever they had the chance, they would engage in lengthy discussions.
The "Olympic Javelin Champion" Night King disappeared without a trace after several battles with Mark, leaving only the White Walker wielding two swords.
This White Walker leader was called the "Ice Prince" by the "Wolf Spirit" members. This name came from Aegon's former White Walker lover. The upper echelon of the Valyrian Empire knew this guy was the Night King's son.
Seeing the White Walker forces beginning to show signs of defeat, Vampire Prince Dracula interrupted the chattering Joman and Sandru, and said to them:
"Get those guys out of here! The next two groups of humans are waiting to negotiate. You can't mess up the master's plan. If Karl gets angry, I'm afraid you two won't be able to handle it."
"Master… orders… drive out… Deer Horn River…"
Before Dracula could finish, the Death Knight Karl's words cut in, each syllable seemingly imbued with a special magic, causing the other three to feel a pressure on their very souls.
This was the unique pressure of high-level undead creatures, and even Sandru and Joman, whose strength had greatly increased, were affected by it.
Seeing Karl's displeasure, Sandru and Joman immediately commanded the Ghoul troops to attack the White Walkers, while across the river, a White Walker codenamed "Ice Prince" watched the Ghouls, who were already showing signs of defeat.
But facing all of this, the "Ice Prince" was helpless. Moreover, the Night King had taken away a large number of White Walkers, preventing him from producing Ghoul troops in time.
And because of the appearance of many resistance forces in the Ghost Shadow Forest and the Frostfang, many White Walkers collecting "sacrifices" were ambushed, and the production of new White Walkers couldn't keep up with the "Ice Prince's" creation speed.
Seeing this, the "Ice Prince" let out a desperate roar, and then the White Walkers around him began to retreat. Although he still had many Ghouls at his disposal, staying here would only lead to further losses.
The "Ice Prince" had tangled with Karl and his group before, nearly falling to Karl's hands on several occasions. If it weren't for its formidable power, it likely would have been killed by Karl long ago.
The "Ice Prince" seemed to possess a peculiar ability. Whenever it neared death, it would unleash an immensely powerful surge, allowing it to escape difficult situations.
Watching the "Ice Prince" retreat, Dracula seemed eager to engage. However, after considering the creature's strange abilities, Dracula reconsidered.
Dracula's vampiric attacks, once manifested, took on two forms. Besides the traditional fangs for blood-sucking, he could also draw blood by wounding enemies with his personal weapon.
White Walkers weren't undead creatures, but rather resembled the Elders, being beings of semi-energy. They used humans as hosts. This was why they could be killed by Obsidian.
In Mark's later research, he discovered that Obsidian contained a large amount of life energy. This energy seemed to be the opposite of the energy within the White Walkers. Whenever the two energies clashed, the semi-energy bodies of the White Walkers would dissolve into puddles.
Therefore, to this day, Mark still hadn't figured out the ultimate purpose of the White Walkers' creation. Although the Three-Eyed Raven and the Children of the Forest of ancient times were powerful, they still couldn't reach the level of the Elders. Although he didn't know what the Elders were up to, Mark was certain that the White Walkers concealed some unknown secrets.
After the White Walkers' army retreated, Sandru and his forces commanded the Ghouls to retreat westward. The source of the Deer Horn River was where the Ghoul troops were stationed.
Mark was planning to establish a new stronghold there, using it as a base to rebuild a new defensive line, which was also part of Mark's Beyond the Wall Great Wall plan.
After Sandru and the others left, the two groups in the Ghost Shadow Forest finally had the opportunity to talk. The eastern force was composed of the Valyrian Empire army, led by the former "King Beyond the Wall," Mance Rayder.
Although only about 200 rioter soldiers were mixed in, the uniform weapons and armor of the entire force still gave off a sense of majesty and power.
Mance Rayder was wearing a set of ornate scale armor today, and the white cloak made him look very imposing, completely devoid of his previous grubby appearance.
The soldiers behind Mance Rayder also didn't have the unkempt look of ordinary wildlings. They wore thick cotton clothing and composite chainmail in a uniform style, making them look very imposing.
The sacred sun emblem on their kettle helmets seemed to have been painted with bright yellow paint, and the large emblems on the shields of the front-row warriors made the wildling warriors on the opposite side feel a bit displeased.
The western team consisted of Hollow Dwellers, Hardfoot People, Cannibal Tribes of the Great Glacier, Night Stalkers, and Native Inhabitants of the Frozen Coast. Not all the wildlings followed Mance Rayder. Some of them had defected to the White Walkers, while others formed a loose alliance.
These wildlings came from that alliance, calling themselves the "Blood Pact" because many of them had relatives and friends who had died at the hands of the White Walkers. They had inadvertently learned that obsidian could kill White Walkers.
They chose to stay and fight the White Walkers, considering Mance Rayder's group cowardly for fleeing. They looked down on these "South Runners," especially after learning Mance Rayder had defected to the Valyrian Empire.
Ramon III, a Hollow Dweller who proclaimed himself the King of Frost, claimed to be a direct descendant of the previous King Beyond the Wall, "Redbeard" Ramon, and thus held control of the Frostfang.
Ramon III was nearly 2 meters tall and looked incredibly strong. His face was painted with blue, purple, and green pigments, representing the three factions of the Hollow Dwellers he had united, making him their leader and mediator.
Mance Rayder had a force of 1,000 men, while Ramon III commanded around 3,000 warriors. It might seem like Ramon III had the upper hand, but in a real fight, his ragtag army wouldn't stand a chance against Mance Rayder.
The "Blood Pact" warriors were skilled in ambushes and assassinating White Walker units, but when it came to a straightforward, organized battle, they couldn't defeat the trained Valyrian wildling warriors.
"Mance Rayder the Kneeler, you coward, what are you doing here? Haven't you already sworn allegiance to those kneeling southerners? Why are you sullying our free folk lands?"
Ramon III slammed his obsidian mace to the ground, using it for support as he shouted at Mance Rayder. His tone was full of mockery, completely disregarding the murderous intent on the faces of the warriors behind Mance Rayder.
Ramon III had been a raider for a time and had stolen three wives from the North, so he spoke the Common Tongue fluently. Some of the wildling warriors nearby who understood his words also chuckled mockingly.
"Ramon, you idiot! I am still a proud free folk! I kneel only to the King of the Gods in the heavens, the leader of all gods, the one true god in this world. Moreover, this land belongs to us, the Valyrians, and has nothing to do with you!"
As Mance Rayder finished speaking, sharp icicles formed around his body. The warriors behind Ramon III were stunned, and the jeers and laughter instantly ceased.
"You fools! You don't even know what true power is, what it means for a god to descend! And I'm not even here for you today."
The icicles around Mance Rayder multiplied, and blue energy surged around him, illuminating the back of his neck.
"Respected Lord Mance Rayder, please, sheathe your power. My sisters and I have arrived. Although Ramon and his men are arrogant, they are still our free folk brothers, always at the forefront of the war against the false gods."
At that moment, a gentle, ethereal voice reached everyone's ears. Turning their heads, they saw several beautiful women standing on the Sentinel Tree.
As the girls appeared, more figures emerged from the tree, revealing numerous men and women hidden within the great Sentinel Tree.
They were slender, but exceptionally agile. They darted among the tall Sentinel Trees, wielding various weapons, mostly crossbows and bows.
Upon closer inspection, one could see they all possessed pointed, elongated ears, remarkably similar to the elves depicted in the movies and TV shows of the Blue Star. The only difference was their somewhat darker skin, lacking the breathtaking beauty of elves.
They were Dark Elves, a newly created race that Mark, under the guidance of the Old Gods, had brought into being. Mark, with the system's assistance, had utilized the Elders' energy collectors to create the Vitality Magic Spring.
With the help of the Vitality Magic Spring, the Old Gods had recovered a portion of their divine power, and with the aid of the weirwood network Beyond the Wall, they created this new race.
The newly born Dark Elves didn't possess the Children of the Forest's immortality or the innate magical abilities that everyone could use. However, at Mark's suggestion, they possessed strength and speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.
Perhaps influenced by the system, the abilities of these Dark Elves were very similar to the "fleshy elves" of the Ashan world. Some gained the "Shadow Hide" trait, while others gained a talent for dark magic.
And so, under the attacks of the Blood Pact and the Dark Elves, the White Walkers in the Frostfang Mountains and Ghost Shadow Forest suffered heavy losses, indirectly supporting Mark's efforts to strike at the White Walkers.
"So, my dear lady, may I ask your name?"
Mance Rayder inquired in a very polite manner, appearing less like a wildling and more like a courteous nobleman.
"Lord Mance Rayder! I am Nissa, the current matriarch of the Dark Elves. It is a pleasure to meet you."
The Dark Elf girl, who introduced herself as Nissa, leaped down from a tall Sentinel Tree. She landed gracefully from a height of over ten meters, leaving only a shallow imprint in the snow, as if a feather had fallen.
Mance Rayder considered his control over magic to be perfect, yet he hadn't expected this girl to be so formidable.
Looking at the beautiful and alluring girl before him, Mance Rayder couldn't help but swallow. After dismissing the chaotic thoughts in his mind, he said:
"So, respected Lady Nissa, are you willing to follow the guidance of the gods and pledge your loyalty to the Valyrian Empire? To fight for the sake of our great Emperor Mark, to eliminate these White Walkers, and to build a beautiful and peaceful new home for all free folk brothers and sisters?"
"Respected Lord Mance Rayder! We have been waiting for this day. His Majesty's Ghoul army has already cleared the area around here, and all that remains is to eliminate the remaining human traitors and White Walkers."
Nissa said with a smile. The cold wind gently blew, lifting a corner of her cloak. At this moment, everyone present realized that she was only wearing a set of fitted leather armor.
Then, Nissa turned her head towards a somewhat dumbfounded Ramon III and said calmly:
"Esteemed Lord Ramon, the reason I invited you here is to discuss pledging our allegiance to Emperor Mark. It's a shame, though! There are always those lowly insects who enjoy groveling before monsters, wouldn't you agree, Lord Bloodfang Jar?"
With those words, Nissa's expression turned cold. Dark purple energy gathered in her hand, and the old man standing behind Ramon III suddenly convulsed and fell to the ground.
His bizarre appearance startled everyone around him. Someone moved to help him, but a white-haired old woman stopped them. With a speed that surpassed human limits, the old woman swiftly snatched a thickly sewn cloth bag from Bloodfang Jar's waist. She then gently opened the bag and pulled out a blue crystal.
Upon seeing the spiral symbol on the crystal, everyone around them spat at the convulsing man on the ground. Some even prepared to raise their weapons and kill him.