The two sides of the long table remained quiet, but Lin Feng noticed that when Isabella mentioned the name of the Undead King, Hel Shadow.
Suleiman tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the table twice and then stopped. Edmund picked up the teacup in front of him but did not drink it immediately.
No one spoke, but that silence itself spoke volumes: they all had firsthand knowledge of the Undead King's power.
After Isabella finished speaking, she turned her gaze to Lin Feng: "Lord Lin, do you have any questions or suggestions?"
Lin Feng didn't rush to answer. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down: "There are two things I'd like to know first."
First, the undead have caused plants to wither and water sources to become polluted wherever they go. White Tower City has now received refugees and conscripted soldiers from all over the country, and its population should have exceeded one million.
With so many people, and the water source potentially contaminated, and the city possibly besieged, how long can they hold out?
Isabella seemed to have anticipated this question and answered fluently: "In terms of food reserves, we have enough food to last more than a year for two million soldiers and civilians."
Regarding water resources, in addition to constructing four large reservoirs, Baitacheng has also dug several deep wells. Residents were notified three days ago to store water themselves. Even if the Jing River is polluted, the city's reserves can last for three months.
Lin Feng nodded; this answer was better than he had expected.
He then asked, "Secondly, has someone been chosen to restrain Hel Shadow?"
Isabella answered without hesitation: "The initial plan is for you and me to hold them off together. My wind-based ranged suppression can limit Hel Shadow's movement range, while your melee abilities will be responsible for frontal control."
"If the two of us work together, we should be able to create an effective suppression. Lord Lin, do you have any suggestions?"
Lin Feng didn't think for long: "It's not necessary to go through all that trouble. I'll deal with the Undead King all by myself."
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Edmund's hand holding the glass froze in mid-air, and Suleiman's brow relaxed and then furrowed again, as if he briefly doubted that he had misheard.
Although the other city lords did not speak, their gazes all focused on Lin Feng.
Lin Feng continued, "Some of White Tower City's high-end combat forces can be appropriately diverted to support Silver Shield City or Lionheart City. As long as one side gains an advantage first, they can return to White Tower City to join forces and encircle the main force of the undead."
Isabella's gaze lingered on Lin Feng's face for a moment, as if to confirm whether he was serious.
Then she asked to confirm, "Does Lord Lin mean that you are holding off the Undead King all by yourself?"
"right."
The silence in the hall lasted for another two seconds.
Edmund was the first to put down his cup and said, "Since Lord Lin has taken the initiative to offer this, he must be confident."
His tone was calmer than before, as if he were stating a fact that had already been established.
Suleiman laid his fingers flat on the table and said in a low voice, "If Lord Lin is confident... then he can indeed free up a lot of fighting force on our side."
Isabella looked at him for two more seconds, her gaze lingering for a moment on the nine golden halos surrounding him.
Nine golden rings symbolize a complete set of gold-quality equipment and accessories; such a configuration is unparalleled in all of Europe.
Her gaze paused for a moment, then shifted away: "Okay."
Just that one word, no further questions.
She turned to the right, her voice regaining its previous clarity and decisiveness: "Everyone heard that, Lord Lin is willing to take on the task of restraining Hel Shadow alone."
Then White Tower City will have more room to allocate its high-level combat power, and I will draw some of its third-tier combat power to support Lionheart City.
After she finished speaking, she turned to look at Lin Feng, a faint smile on her lips: "The undead army is expected to arrive in White Tower City tomorrow afternoon. Everyone, please get some rest tonight."
The group briefly confirmed the specific plans for the next few days, and then Isabella adjourned the meeting.
The sound of chairs being pushed back echoed throughout the council hall, and the low murmur of conversation returned.
Lin Feng and his two companions stood up and walked towards the gate. Isabella's voice came from behind them: "Lord Lin, if you need anything, please send someone to find me at any time."
Lin Feng turned around and glanced back: "Thank you."
As the three walked out of the council hall, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the white stone slabs of the square.
A young woman in a gray-blue short robe stood at the bottom of the steps, holding a roll of parchment in her hand. Seeing the three of them come out, she quickly stepped forward and bowed slightly: "Lord Lin, Deputy City Lord Jiang, Deputy City Lord Jiang."
I am Lucy, the guide assigned to you by Lord Isabella.
"I can first show you around White Tower City to familiarize you with the surroundings, and then I'll take you to your accommodations."
Her speech was neither too fast nor too slow, carrying the skill and tact of someone who had long been engaged in reception work.
Lin Feng nodded: "Let's take a look around first."
Lucy turned to the side and pointed to the east side of the square: "Let's start from the commercial district on the east side. There's an old tavern over there with dark red walls and a sign with a copper coin and an ear of wheat on it. It's one of the oldest taverns in White Tower City."
Lin Feng glanced in the direction she pointed and said, "Lead the way."
The three followed Lucy down the steps and walked eastward along the white stone path.
In the distance, the silvery-white flame atop the White Tower burned quietly in the afternoon light, casting a soft, warm glow over the entire city.
...
One hundred miles east of Graystone City lies the Morning Light Plain.
The afternoon sun peeked through the gaps in the clouds, and the plain, which should have been bathed in golden light, was now being swallowed up by another color.
From a high altitude, the land displays three distinct hues from west to east, with gray smoke in the far distance, pointing towards the ruins of Graystone City.
The middle section is a moving, gray-black tide that covers most of the area in sight.
Nearby, the remaining greenery is rapidly shrinking, like a piece of paper ignited from the edge, the green parts receding backward.
On the ground, 200,000 undead and 1.2 million skeletons are marching.
The front line advanced more than thirty miles in width and nearly twenty miles in depth, resembling a gray-black ocean slowly moving from west to east.
The skeleton soldiers were arranged in a dense square formation, the clattering of their bones creating a continuous, low grinding sound like a distant rumble.
The marching rhythm is maintained by unified commands, and the speed is constant and uniform, unaffected by terrain and obstacles.
The undead mingled among the gaps in the skeleton army, wearing tattered dark armor and wielding rusted weapons.
Occasionally, one can see a few undead knights riding skeletal warhorses, slowly patrolling along the edge of the column.
In the air, more than thirty bone dragons were circling.
Their wing membranes were dark gray, and the airflow they generated during flight created gusts of dry wind in the array below.
Several of the skeletal dragons occasionally lowered their altitude, skimming close to the top of the formation, their wingtips almost brushing against the skulls of the skeleton soldiers, before rising again, as if looking down undisguisedly at their lower, grayish-white counterparts on the ground.
When this dark gray tide swept over a sparse oak grove, the canopies withered from the edges the moment they touched it.
The leaves turn from green to grayish-brown, then curl and fall off, leaving only bare branches in just a few minutes.
The grass on the ground faded at the same time, turning from dark brown and yellowish to grayish-white, and finally crumbled into powder, which was kicked up and fell back by the footsteps of those who followed.
This area of the Morning Light Plain was transformed from a still-living land into a desolate wasteland within hours.
