CHAPTER 168: CHAPTER 67: THE FIRST KISS WAS LOST_2

But even if the gods descended directly, opening all cheats, the Golden Pansy Clan’s army could not withstand this terrifying wave. The towering Burrow Demon had been completely torn apart by the surging monsters, leaving on the ground only remnants and dark green fluids.

The Witch Demon exerted all efforts to maintain the front line, continuously pulling up the fallen undead, but the number of the army was still rapidly declining because a large number of undead had already been completely torn apart by the monsters, their bones swallowed into the stomachs.

It could be said the clan’s army was advancing step by step amid a terrifying rate of attrition.

After a long bloody battle, Audrey’s face was pale, sweat beads densely covering her forehead, and red-eyed she said to Lin Rui, "Lord, my Spiritual Energy is completely depleted; I can’t maintain it anymore. Just now, Silver Moon’s berserk state ended, and they were bitten into half a face by a monster and completely fell. More than half of the Death Knights have fallen, with less than two squads remaining. Also, Epeng the Ghoul has died in battle; we’ll never see him again. The Tier Two Elite units I’m maintaining have almost all died in battle, with only about one squad’s size left.

Epeng the Ghoul, Lin Rui remembered this ghoul, the first Elite-level unit Audrey summoned using the Soul Summoning Skill, and recalled how Audrey had excitedly cheered when she summoned it. He even used his Magic Staff to poke its skin, asking if the ghoul had thoughts. Audrey humorously steered the topic towards whether undead could feel, teasing him with Snow White.

After the grueling battle till now, Epeng the Ghoul had been torn apart, and most of Audrey’s troop types were dead in battle.

The scale of the military formation could no longer be maintained, once magnificent with a size of two thousand, now was sparse, with less than a thousand remaining.

But even these thousand were mostly undead newly pulled up by the Witch Demon, their quality significantly degraded, and more troubling, the time for the Key of the Spirit Realm was about to end, the undead pulled from the Spirit Realm soon to have their Soul Fire extinguished, collapsing instantly.

Once the Key of the Spirit Realm ended, with Audrey’s undead mostly dead and wounded, only a mere few dozen troops remained from the clan’s army, facing the boundless surge of monsters, whose strengths were growing ever stronger.

Humans persisted only because Lin Rui’s powerful battlefield management ability upheld them.

But should the undead fall, Lin Rui wondered how much longer he could endure.

Having Explorers resolve an abyssal invasion was indeed extraordinarily challenging.

Audrey held back tears, hugged Lin Rui tightly, and said, "Lord, having persisted thus far is already enough. With your abilities, you can completely leave with Terion and Lundestadte. You have vast wealth, you could certainly rise again, there’s no need to die here. I will lead the last of the undead to cover your retreat."

Lin Rui remained composed, commanding the battlefield, eyes locked onto it, unfaltering, directly saying: "Rest against me when you’re exhausted; I know what I’m doing. If it comes to the point of impossibility, I won’t just await death. But there’s no need for such defeatist talk until then."

Draining Spiritual Energy is an immensely painful experience. Audrey collapsed helplessly upon the filthy battlefield, resembling an abandoned child, curled up, arms helplessly clutching her shins, back resting on Lin Rui’s left leg.

She buried her head in her knees, sobbing softly, "Lord, I’m so scared."

"I’m not afraid of dying, but I’m afraid of being abandoned. Afraid I won’t see you again, afraid of being alone plunged into darkness, afraid no one’s beside me."

All around, battle was still fierce, with the clamor of metal clashing, swords piercing flesh, the warriors’ roars echoing everywhere.

Lin Rui glanced down at her once; this world was full of bizarre and grotesque, never counted as an idyllic life. But precisely because of these people in his territory, he felt this was a beautiful world, a new life he must cherish.

Thus, Lin Rui was unwavering, continuing to exert utmost effort, precisely controlling every corner of the battlefield, calmly ordering, "Terion, the Key of the Spirit Realm is about to expire; the undead are about to fall en masse instantly. Gather the troops while the undead still persist in the final moments, full force assault, strike outwards!"

"Understood, Lord!" Terion raised his Warhammer with his right arm, shouted once, released the last of his Spiritual Power, bestowing the army with a Song Blessing, then charged at the dense crowd of monsters ahead, swung his Warhammer mightily, sending three monsters flying back.

The battle was brutal and tense; as time passed, the golden blessing of the song gradually dimmed. On the other side, the Soul Fires within the dense undead heads extinguished instantly all together, across the battlefield a large number of undead collapsed, disassembled.

Lin Rui’s brows finally furrowed together; the situation had reached a critical moment. He instantly made a decision: "Leviathan Long forward, as the spearhead of the army, continue advancing."

Lord did not abandon hope, Audrey halted her tears, removed her bracelet, placed it into Lin Rui’s left hand, then closed his fingers over it, clutching the bracelet tightly.

Once everything was done, she forced a gentle smile, said to Lin Rui: "Lord, meeting you is the happiest, most fortunate thing in my life. Truly, since you’re with me till now, even if it means dying, it’ll be with a smile of bliss. Please, go quickly."

Lin Rui turned, gazed at her for a second, then looked towards the battlefield, lightly asked: "You’re facing death, yet your mouth can’t stop babbling?"

Audrey smiled warmly, unsure why hearing Lord speak of her in such a way before would’ve always made her mad, but now she felt no anger at all, found it very amusing.

She came up, gently embraced Lin Rui’s chest, tiptoed up lightly kissing Lin Rui’s lips, then leaned on Lin Rui’s shoulder, softly said, "Lord, meeting you is wonderful. The greatest regret is not fulfilling your desires. If I could do it over, I’d surely allow you to do whatever you wish."

Lin Rui slightly frowned, said: "That was my first kiss; you just took it? My fiancée is watching from the heavens; how could I explain to my partner I’ve never dated yet lost my first kiss? Wouldn’t that make me seem easygoing?"

Audrey gave a little smile, gently said: "That’s Lord’s business. I just want you to always remember me. I know this is selfish, but I’d rather be a selfish woman; I don’t want you, Lord, to forget me."

"Hmm~ It’s rare for your intelligence to coherently express these; seems like it’s genuine emotion." Lin Rui said while furrowing his brows towards the front, just now the Heroic Spirit Level Water Elemental Warrior Leviathan Long had fallen, being pierced through the chest by talons of a high-tier monster outside the abyss, having his neck bitten off by its jaws.

Audrey saw the seriousness on Lin Rui’s face, reluctantly pushed him away, took a deep breath, urged: "Lord, go quickly! If you don’t go, it’ll be too late."

Lin Rui paid no heed to Audrey, instead raised his head, scanned the surroundings, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, decisively instructed: "Terion, contract the formation, Knights switch to defensive stance, move to the front, hold firmly. Our turning point has arrived."

As if to prove Lin Rui’s claim, a dense cluster of Dark Energy Blades reappeared in the sky, indiscriminately striking all forces on the ground.

Terion showed joy on his face, excitedly shouted: "This monster still won’t let us leave the abyss. We’ve broken through to the abyss’s border; it couldn’t resist anymore."

Yes, Leviathan Long before falling exerted all efforts, had slain to the abyss’s edge, perishing at the hands of a high-tier monster outside the abyss. The clan’s army had only to push out further, to leave the Glacial Abyss. The monster lurking in the shadows finally couldn’t endure!

Lin Rui bypassed the joyful, incredulous Audrey and walked directly towards outside the abyss.

With his steps, the abyss echoed once more with the piercing roars of monsters.

A dense swarm of ghost shadows appeared beside Lin Rui, wielding daggers, and surrounded him, intending to hack him to pieces.

The next moment, one ghost shadow was pierced through by a frosty frost aura, flying out from the crowd of ghost shadows.

Lin Rui calmly walked out from the ghost shadow encirclement; at this moment, he stood with hands behind, layers of crystalline shields shielding impenetrably, a ring of deep blue frost aura spinning around, his expression calm, victory within grasp!

"