Global Lords: The Undead's Mobile Fortress

Li Ziyu: (ಥ_ಥ)

’Xingxing, this is my fault. If I’d known your fortress could be this effective, I would have given you more resources to develop it.’

It was like a nimble little guy chasing and pummeling a big, clumsy oaf. The big guy couldn’t land a single hit, allowing the little one to relentlessly attack with his agility. But the oaf was just too tough; his hide was too thick. The little guy could chip away and gain small advantages, but actually knocking the big man down? That was next to impossible. This was exactly the situation Liu Xingxing found himself in.

The Jackal Wolfman Fortress was powerless to retaliate, so battered by the Treasure-Hunting Catman Fortress it couldn’t tell which way was up. But a beating was just a beating; it didn’t stop the fortress from fleeing. It was already picking up speed.

The Kobolds, locked in a life-or-death struggle with the Skeleton Undead, were the first to realize something was wrong. A glance over their shoulders confirmed their fears: disaster was imminent. ’Why the hell are we still fighting?’ The fortress was getting away! They shrieked, abandoned the Undead before them, and turned to chase their Mobile Fortress.

With the Kobolds gone, the Jackal Wolfmen couldn’t hold their ground. With the Kobolds’ damage output, the Jackal Wolfmen had been able to hold the line. Now, they were overwhelmed. Forced back step by step by the Undead, they were completely unable to retaliate. It was only a matter of time before they were submerged by the Sea of the Dead.

The Treasure-Hunting Catman Fortress continued to pursue and pummel the Jackal Wolfman Fortress until its mechanical arm, unable to bear the strain, snapped with a loud CRACK. The iron fist crashed to the ground. In the control room, Liu Xingxing sighed in resignation. ’The opportunity was there, but I couldn’t seize it.’

"So damn tough," Liu Xingxing said, shaking his head in lament.

"City Lord, should we keep chasing?" the Catman who had been operating the arm asked, turning his head.

"No. There’s no point in catching up to them now. I’ve vented my anger after pounding on them for so long. Let’s pull back." Liu Xingxing shook his head. Without the mechanical arm, he had no way to attack. Why chase them? To serve themselves up on a platter? It was better to keep a safe distance. He had done his best.

Inside the Jackal Wolfman Fortress, Benjamin also breathed a sigh of relief. ’That little fortress is finally turning back. I was honestly afraid it could keep attacking forever. No wall, no matter how thick, can withstand a constant barrage. Thank goodness, thank goodness its mechanical arm broke. The heavens are on my side!’

’Still, I’ll remember you. Just you wait!’

Hatred welled up in Benjamin’s heart. Beside him, Percy was completely despondent. ’My Kobolds... they’re gone. All gone... What do I do now? My future is bleak...’

The Skeleton Undead finally broke through the Jackal Wolfmen’s line of defense. A massive tide of Undead swamped the Jackal Wolves and Wanderers, who only had time for a few wretched howls before vanishing into the Sea of the Dead. The Undead horde continued its advance, slaughtering its way forward in pursuit of the Kobolds.

The Jackal Wolfman Fortress was now moving at full Speed. Watching the Skeleton Undead recede into the distance, Benjamin finally began to relax. He wasn’t worried about the Ox Demons and Skeleton Undead stationed on the roof. When the small fortress had been attacking, the Undead on top had already begun to retreat. The Ox Demons, in particular, had leaped off one after another. The few Skeleton Undead that remained were nothing to fear.

Just as Benjamin felt he was in the clear, certain he could make a clean getaway, the fortress suddenly shuddered. The violent, unexpected jolt threw him from his seat. He was knocked silly, and he staggered back to his feet, clutching his throbbing head.

"What happened!?" he demanded.

"City Lord, our fortress is sinking into the ground! We’re stuck!" a Jackal Wolfman reported, rushing over.

The Jackal Wolfman had barely finished speaking when another one came running and screaming, "Undead! There are Undead underground! They’re attacking the fortress!"

’What?!’

Benjamin’s eyes flew wide. ’How can there be Undead here? I’m already so far from the Undead Fortress!’

He frantically pulled up the system interface. Sure enough, there were Undead. Not only that, but they had already crawled into the fortress through the holes hammered open by that small fortress. They were now locked in combat with his Jackal Wolfmen.

He looked closer and breathed a small sigh of relief. ’Good, they aren’t those Minotaur Skeletons, just some common Undead. This should be manageable. But... why did they come from underground?’

Benjamin scrambled to the roof and peered down. He saw that one corner of the fortress had fallen into a large pit. The Undead were pouring out of that very pit, scaling the walls and continuously streaming into the fortress.

’Damn it, it’s an Undead ambush!’

"Benjamin, what do we do?" Percy, who had also scrambled onto the roof, asked Benjamin nervously.

Benjamin looked back into the distance. White figures swayed in the haze—the pursuing Sea of the Dead. The fortress was stuck in a pit, immobilized, with an army at its back.

"We’re abandoning the outer shell!" Benjamin declared, his voice grim.

He made his decision in an instant: jettison the fortress’s outer shell!

The outer plating of the Jackal Wolfman Fortress was a protective shell that Benjamin had spent considerable resources to build, and it boasted a decent Defense Power. The true fortress, however, was what lay within. Now, with the outer shell trapped, he wouldn’t be able to escape unless he made the painful decision to abandon it.

Thick, Beast Hide-covered panels began to fall away from the Jackal Wolfman Fortress, revealing the main tower and platform within—a structure that was several sizes smaller and looked much cruder.

BOOM—

With a deafening roar, flames erupted. Pre-planted explosive charges ignited, and the concussive force launched the Jackal Wolfman Fortress and the Kobold Fortress out from the outer shell. They landed a short distance away and sped off without a moment’s hesitation.

It had to be said, without the weight of the outer shell, the Jackal Wolfman Mobile Fortress’s Speed increased considerably.

Just as they escaped, the ground trembled violently. A hole was bored up from below the abandoned chassis. A train-like fortress burst from the massive opening, soaring into the air before crashing down with a tremendous BOOM, smashing the discarded shell to pieces.