Chapter 471 - 471: Invasion [37]

But before the undead orc could reach Gobbo, another orc suddenly appeared in front of it.

Its axe swung in a single, powerful motion.

SHING!

The blade tore cleanly through the undead orc's neck, severing its head from its body before the creature could even react.

Veyra's eyes widened.

Then three more orcs appeared.

One immediately rushed toward the undead orc Veyra had been distracting, intercepting it before it could recover. The other two charged toward the battlefield, joining Dribb and the remaining goblins as they fought against the undead orcs.

"What the hell?"

Veyra gasped, staring at the scene in disbelief.

Gobbo was just as confused.

So were the other goblins.

Why had one of the orcs suddenly turned against its own kind?

The undead orcs had been fighting alongside them only moments ago, yet now their own forces were attacking them.

Veyra's mind raced as she tried to understand what had changed.

Were they enemies all along?

That didn't make sense.

They had been fighting together since the invasion began.

Before she could think any further, she suddenly heard something land behind her.

THUD!

Veyra's body tensed.

She spun around, bow already in hand.

Her expression changed when she saw who was standing behind her.

One of Raghul's Chosen. Specifically, the one Gork had been battling with.

Her gaze immediately shifted toward Gork.

He had been fighting this particular Chosen, so Veyra couldn't help wondering what had happened to him during the chaos. Her eyes quickly found his body lying motionless on the ground.

He had been defeated.

Veyra's expression tightened.

This Chosen is more dangerous than I thought.

The Chosen suddenly charged toward her.

Veyra reached for an arrow, but before she could even draw the string fully, the goblin abruptly stumbled, grabbing its head.

"What...?"

The Chosen dropped to one knee, clutching its skull as though something inside it was tearing him apart. A scream escaped his throat, raw and desperate, while blood began pouring from his eyes and nose.

His body convulsed.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, everything stopped.

The Chosen collapsed onto the ground. Dead.

Veyra's eyes widened.

She stood frozen for a moment, staring at the corpse.

What the hell was happening?

She hadn't attacked him. Nobody nearby had either.

Before she could make sense of it, she heard approaching footsteps.

Veyra turned.

Three figures were making their way toward her.

Zivra, riding atop an Inferno Wolf, was at the front, while the troll and the others followed behind.

She recognized Sheera and Doro among them.

Veyra's eyes narrowed.

Did they do this?

She quickly dismissed the thought.

She didn't remember either Doro or Sheera possessing abilities capable of killing someone like that from a distance.

Doro's ability was earth manipulation, while Sheera was a healer.

Neither ability explained what had just happened to the Chosen.

And she doubted it was the troll's work either.

That left only one possible candidate.

The female goblin who had arrived with them. Zivra.

Veyra narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched the group approach, still trying to piece together what she had just witnessed. Whatever had killed that Chosen, she had a strong suspicion Zivra had something to do with it.

Sheera immediately rushed toward Gobbo and began healing him.

Gobbo, confused by their sudden arrival, asked:

"Weren't you guys supposed to protect those in the shelter? What are you doing here?"

"There is nothing left to protect," Zivra replied calmly. "We've already gotten plenty of them into the shelter. Nira, Zonk, and the trio are helping with the evacuation, and the garnet and artillery should be enough to provide additional defense. So we decided to come help."

"But..."

Gobbo was about to argue, but Doro interrupted before he could finish.

"We couldn't possibly sit still knowing the clan was in danger when there's something we could actually do about it."

His voice carried a simple determination that left little room for argument.

"I came for Commander. Zarah. Is she here?" the troll asked, looking around the battlefield.

There was a noticeable concern in his voice.

The troll was particularly attached to Zarah, and despite everything happening around them, he clearly wanted to know whether she was safe.

But Zarah wasn't here.

Veyra stepped forward.

"While we appreciate the help, I doubt you'd be of much use against our opponents."

"What does that mean?" Zivra asked, her brows furrowing.

"Look at them."

Veyra pointed toward the battlefield, directing their attention to the undead orcs they had been struggling to put down.

The orcs Zivra had brought were tearing into the undead relentlessly, severing limbs and smashing their bodies apart, but the results were temporary. Even after suffering wounds that should have ended the fight, the undead continued to move.

Broken bones shifted back into place.

Severed flesh knitted itself together.

Bodies that had been reduced to little more than mangled corpses slowly began moving again.

"It doesn't matter what we do," Veyra said, her voice carrying a hint of frustration. "They keep coming back to life."

Doro's expression changed as he watched one of the undead orcs slowly pull itself back together.

"Is this Raghul's work?"

He had clearly recognized the energy signature surrounding the undead, and there was no mistaking the unease in his voice.

Veyra nodded.

"Yes. It's him."

Doro and Sheera's expressions immediately turned tense.

Doro stepped forward, his eyes moving across the battlefield as another undead orc began dragging itself back onto its feet.

"We should get rid of the bodies, then. Best not to risk Raghul getting in contact with them."

He hurried over to the nearest corpse and placed his hand against the ground. The earth beneath the body responded almost immediately, sinking inward as a hole opened beneath it.

The corpse dropped into the opening.

Doro then raised his hand, causing the surrounding earth to shift and close over the hole, burying the body beneath several layers of soil and stone.

He repeated the process with the other nearby corpses, making sure there was nothing left exposed for Raghul to use.

"So we have to get rid of the source if we want to stop the undead?" Zivra asked.

Veyra nodded.

"Yes. But Raghul is no ordinary foe."

The weight in her voice was intentional, to reinforce the truth that Raghul was dangerous. But Zivra, unshaken by it, asked like she was going to hunt him down herself.

"Where is he now? Where did he go?"