Chapter 182: Battlefield Situation

While Richard was comfortably unlocking treasure chests in Amadeus City, things were far from comfortable on the battlefield. The Black Tide advanced at a steady, albeit slow, pace toward Amadeus' territory.

It was like an insurmountable wall, intimidating at mere sight.

Along the way, smaller Black Knight contingents split off, possibly scouting or clearing nightmare creatures near the main army.

At the army's center, a particularly tall Black Knight fixed his blood-red gaze on Amadeus City.

He was the Black Knight commander, the strongest among them.

Suddenly, the commander began forming a lance in his hand. Simultaneously, all Black Knights in the army did the same.

At the edge of the commander's vision, a black dot rapidly expanded.

Silently, he commanded:

"Charge!"

In an instant, the Black Tide surged forward like a breaking dam.

At this moment, whether a mountain or sea blocked them, nothing could halt their charge.

Mountains would be cleaved, seas would be bridged.

Once the Black Knights charged, there were only two outcomes: crush the enemy or be crushed.

…

Far from the main army, Amadeus halted his march.

"Stop."

He gazed into the distance, his black helmet revealing blood-red eyes that exuded a chilling intimidation.

The nightmare army halted, awaiting Amadeus' command.

Amadeus glanced at his numerous nightmares, then ordered the Administrative Officer:

"Release your pages. The Black Knights have detected us."

The officer opened his book, and white pages transformed into nightmare spirits, causing his own aura to wane.

Soon, tens of thousands of nightmare spirits were unleashed. This was the officer's innate ability: each devoured nightmare creature became a corresponding book page.

When needed, these pages could briefly become nightmare spirits, diverting attention.

This talent wasn't particularly useful ordinarily, neither offensive nor defensive.

But during a Black Tide, it was invaluable.

If the Black Knights' charge struck a nightmare creature, its momentum dissipated. Proper use of the officer's ability could devastate the Black Knight army.

This was Amadeus' confidence in this campaign.

As long as the Black Knights' charge was thwarted, they posed no threat.

The book pages were skillfully maneuvered across the landscape, evidently not the officer's first time.

Besides the officer, Amadeus ordered several nightmares with abilities to alter terrain en masse to prepare the battlefield.

In minutes, Richard's area became an isolated island surrounded by swamp.

The swamp emitted a pungent stench. Within, a treant-like Great Nightmare used Nightmare Power to create a dense forest, each tree resembling itself.

These treants had thorny branches coated with venom, ready to dispatch any Black Knight trapped in the swamp.

In addition to treants, various deadly nightmare creations lurked in the swamp.

Richard stood by Puppet Billy, watching as bloody, sinister puppets emerged from him.

Each puppet wielded a blood-stained dagger, resembling malevolent spirits from horror films.

Richard seized a puppet, snatching its dagger.

"Hey, Black Robe Charlie, what are you doing?" Puppet Billy complained.

"Nothing," Richard replied, examining the blade imbued with nightmare rules, causing endless bleeding.

"This dagger's inadequate. How can it pierce a Black Knight's armor?"

Richard pocketed the dagger, conjuring an alloy one, handing it to the puppet.

"Try this. It's superior."

Puppet Billy manipulated the puppet to swing the dagger, finding Richard's indeed better.

"Not bad. Didn't know you had this skill," Billy remarked, surprised.

Richard smiled. The dagger's material was apprentice-grade alchemical alloy, stronger than Billy's steel blades.

Richard steadily conjured alloy daggers: "Let's split the Nightmare Power nine to one.

You take nine, I take one."

Puppet Billy agreed after brief consideration.

Soon, all Billy's killer puppets were equipped with Richard's alloy daggers. The discarded steel ones were mostly reabsorbed into Nightmare Power, with three kept by Richard for study.

While Richard's side prepared, the Black Knight army advanced.

Their thundering hooves echoed for miles, forming a "V" formation, an arrow poised to pierce Richard's defenses.

The Administrative Officer's faux nightmare spirits began luring the Black Knights.

These spirits, running wild, provoked the Black Knights' vanguard.

Soon, the first Black Knight broke formation, spearing a nightmare spirit.

More followed, scattering the vanguard into chaos.

"Seems the Black Tide isn't so tough," Richard said to Puppet Billy, fishing for information.

As expected, Billy scoffed, "This is nothing. You'll see the difference between the Black Tide and Black Knights soon."

Shortly after, the Black Knight commander issued a second command.

"Charge."

This time, scattered Black Knights hindered the army's advance. Under orders, charging Black Knights aimed their lances at obstructing comrades.

The Black Knights' charge had to either crush the enemy or be crushed.

Tear!

Two lances lifted a Black Knight, ripping him apart.

This brutal command reformed the vanguard, now entering the swamp.

The fetid swamp ensnared the lead Black Knights, causing a cascade of falls.

Nightmare creations seized the opportunity, attacking.

The treant skewered a Black Knight, standing like a gallows. Nearby, a shadow creature swallowed one whole.

Nightmare creations had diverse methods, but soon found trouble.

More Black Knights entered the swamp, their hooves cloaked in mist-like Nightmare Power.

Their swamp became useless, the Black Knights walking on water!

"With a commander, Black Knights gain strategy. Some surpass lord-level figures in Nightmare Power use," Billy said gravely.

He doubted their victory.

Despite early successes, the losses were insufficient.

Without intervention, the Black Knights would soon breach their defenses.

As if confirming Billy's fears, a Black Knight in the swamp speared a greedy Little Nightmare. More Black Knights followed, their lances aflame with black-red fire, turning treants to burning stumps.

As the swamp's strongest obstacle, losing the treants meant the line's collapse.

In the sky, Magic Sword Amadeus watched the faltering line, feeling irritated.

The Black Knights adapted too quickly, minimizing damage.

He eyed the distant Black Knight army, focusing on the towering commander.

"Hold the line."

Amadeus commanded, pointing his sword at the commander.

The meaning was clear.

The commander hefted his lance, charging Amadeus on a nightmare steed rivaling the black dragon.

The steed's flaming hooves left burning footprints in the void.

As it charged, a flaming path appeared, leading straight to Amadeus!

Amadeus' sword awakened, blood-red eyes opening along its length. With each opening eye, Amadeus' aura intensified, becoming godlike as the last eye opened.

Even the sky changed in response.

Amadeus swung his sword, seemingly moving heaven and earth with it.

The Black Knight beneath charged skyward, his lance poised to pierce the heavens.