"So what are we going to do then?" Someone asked after digesting what Ayden had said.

"Let's go confirm the state at the gate, and if they don't need our help we can continue to patrol." No one argued as this was a sensible plan, continuing to just patrol this area wouldn't do much. With this settled they set forth for the gate, this being the Western gate of the four on the side of the forest.

On their way, they met a few stragglers of the undead, no more than three or four at a time. Nothing much, barely slowing them down. They made it to the gate within ten minutes after choosing a target. Upon reaching the gate, everyone was shocked upon seeing the state of the gate.

The gate was blown wide open, hordes of undead trying to push through while the soldiers here fought desperately to stop them from making it through. What had blown the gates open was unknown, but it had to be something incredible as what remained of it was but scraps left in the buildings behind. Many unlucky defended having died in its hail there bodies hanging limply, pierced by the scraps of the gate.

"Let's go, no time to waste!" Ayden shouted, rushing forward and sending his holy ball of light out. This didn't do much, with there already being six such spells hanging in the air. Realizing this Ayden quickly shouted, "There's higher undead nearby, be careful!"

The others all rushed in while nodding, Eldrian stopped next to Ayden instead. "What's the plan?" Eldrian asked.

"Hope we can get help before..." Ayden was interrupted as a skeletal feline undead charged at them. Eldrian quickly stepped forward and blocked its claw attack with his spear. Ayden recovered quickly and sent a flame whip at the skeleton's head. Ripping it off and causing it to stutter, Eldrian quickly using that to destroy its spine, the other part that kept it alive in undeath.

"Well then, let's hope help comes," Eldrian said, rushing into the mess that was their defense. He tried to stay away from the zombies in the fray, and rather take on the skeletons. This was in contrast to what most others would do, and as such Eldrian didn't have a lack of targets. He became better and better at spotting the flow of this dark magic, realizing that it was not the dark element after some time. Rather it was something completely different.

The battle became grueling as minutes passed into hours. By the third, Eldrian knew that they would not last for another, even though that was all that was needed. Just one more hour and the sun would start to rise, along with hope.

From the original thousand or so soldiers who had fought at the gate, under a hundred remained. They could barely even keep the now half a thousand undead from passing them. All of them tired and wounded. The undead instead, while far less having lost over 80% of their horde, we're all still energetic.

"Just a little longer," Eldrian mumbled, long having stopped using magic as each spell would result in a massive headache from overuse. He relied solely on his body, but that was long since also past its capabilities. Each movement ached and each strike he received hurt. Still, he fought on, not wishing to give up.

At this moment, the one thing that Eldrian had dreaded the most, happened. A higher undead finally stepped forward. As soon as Eldrian saw it he used Observe to check if there was hope, the result telling him enough.

[Lich (Gradroz)]

[Tier 6 (Higher Undead), Level 35]

[???]

The lich was drapped in an old, ripped robe. Under which one could clearly see its skeletal body with dark shadows fluttering through them. Unlike normal skeletons it didn't have a small amount of these shadows covering its bones, instead, it almost seemed that the shadows were its flesh. Though it did not stay still, it constantly moved around and thus also clearly showing that there were nothing underneath but bones.

Fuck... Eldrian minds stopped momentarily, causing him to receive a nice cut in his side. Leaving him with just twenty HP. Double fuck. Eldrian thought as he fell to the side from the cut, his mind and body too slow to react at this point.

To his horror this higher undead didn't charge into them, nor did it blast them with spells. Instead, it turned to look around, at all the undead who had been slain and those who had died to kill them. Seemingly mocking everyone still alive the Lich turned to look at them. Even Eldrian who was now lying on the ground, the blood-soaked, rot-filled mess that the floor had become.

While doing this the other undead all stopped their assault, causing most of the people left to fall onto their knees from fatigue. No one had the energy left to move, not when their lives were not a direct threat. The only people holding out were those responsible for the holy lights, just two. Ayden and another Eldrian did not know, the others having died sometime in the fight.

Seemingly having enjoyed what it saw the lich turned to look at the sky and let out a high-pitched shriek of laughter. Incapable of normal speech without the use of magic, its shadows simply causing a shriek instead. After having its fill with laughing, it moved its arms to the side and slowly lifted them up. As it did all the dead started stirring, the shadows on the lich's body flowing along its arms and then into the dead in wisps of 'smoke'.

Triple fuck. Eldrian thought as he saw the dead all slowly standing up. "Everyone run!" A voice filled with energy suddenly shouted, most defenders listened as they saw no hope now that more than half the undead they had killed were revived. Along with their comrades.

That voice... Eldrian thought, his mind slowly working out that the keep must have come through. Rolling to his side he tried to get away... Luckily none of the undead chased.

The magic tower! Eldrian realized as he made it to his feet and hobbled as far as he could. Turning to look at the undead in confusion. Not understanding why they did not chase. The lich was enjoying this show. Where the living ran for their lives in fear. He savored it, feeling invigorated by the second. He looked at them in complete mockery, oblivious to the magic tower aimed at it.

That was until it actually activated, at that second the lich raised its head in shock, pulled out its staff from nowhere, and aimed it at the magic tower. A blast of dark shadows shot out from its staff, hitting a burning blue yet of holy flame directed at him.

What the fuck! They should be out of mana and crystals! The lich cursed as it saw its shadows being devoured.

They had not come into the fort for this precise reason, fearing that they would be targetted no matter the collateral damage it would cause. As such all the higher undead had tried to stay outside the fort until the defenders basically collapsed. At that time they could waltz in and simply enjoy the pain of the survivors.

They had sent The Unwilling over the walls to make sure the situation would reach such a critical level. While The Unwilling were weaker than the higher undead, the difference was not much. They were basically the same beings, but limited to under Tier 5 of undeath. Due to them not being willing to accept the gift handed to them.

Most higher undead saw them as ungrateful children who needed to be taught how to appreciate things. Hence this was also a trial for them, for if they accepted then they would instantly become much stronger. If not then their chances of dying would be high, but their loss not missed.

Losing The Unwilling was not a problem for the undead, as they could make more as long as they kill beings above Tier 5. In some cases, they even directly received a sibling; instead of a child.

The lich could not accept that these 'children' had failed at such a simple task. There were so many of them... How? How? The lich asked as the flames devoured him. Causing him excruciating pain beyond what beings could feel, its soul directly being devoured.

What the hell were they thinking? Eldrian wondered as he looked at the horde simply disappear. This attack from the magic tower was far stronger than those they had used before. Yet it was not over, just seconds after having melted the entire area into lava, another area of the fort received the same treatment. Those manning the tower trying their best to kill all the higher undead before they could react.

Eldrian was left without words as he saw the wall falling apart as it melted. Even the entire area they had fought on was not a crater with its walls flowing down. Where the gatehouse used to be, there was no just a massive burning hole.

Eldrian could undoubtedly understand why any commander would be hesitant to use this attack in their own fort or city. The result though, could not be argued. Nearly five thousand weaker undead killed, along with a Tier 6 lich. In but seconds...