For a long, suspended moment, the entire team stood frozen atop the hill, staring down at the horrifying spectacle unfolding within the valley below. Dozens upon dozens of reanimated corpses poured from the tree line like a dark, unstoppable tide, their hollow, glowing eyes fixed unnervingly upon the team's exact position."This isn't possible." Ryn Ashenfang immediately said, her voice trembling with disbelief as she stared down at the approaching horde. "I designed protective wards specifically to mask our movements. There is no conceivable way he should have been able to track us.""Clearly something went wrong." Commander Zach immediately said, his voice tight with alarm as he drew the Ember Judgment, its flames igniting instantly in response to the mounting threat.Sylra Ashwright's face had drained of all color, her hands trembling visibly as she stared down at the scene below. "My nightmare. This is exactly what I saw in my nightmare. The valley, the darkness, the walkers pouri

"Is that so, Wei Crossblade?" The corpse immediately said, turning its hollow gaze toward him with unsettling directness. "Formerly of the Crossblade lineage, exiled from your ancestral clan following an incident involving a betrothal you refused to honor, seeking purpose and redemption through service to this young star bearer's cause."Wei Crossblade's confident expression faltered slightly, genuine shock flickering across his features at the accuracy of the corpse's knowledge."How—" Wei Crossblade immediately began, but the corpse continued unrelentingly, its hollow gaze sweeping across the remainder of the gathered team."Ash Thornwood, once a member of a minor assassination guild before abandoning that path following the death of a mentor you failed to save in time." The corpse immediately continued, its voice carrying unmistakable satisfaction at the visible discomfort rippling through the team with each revelation. "Song Lianhua, youngest son of a prestigious water cultivation

The corpse's hollow gaze shifted toward Song Lianhua, an expression of cold, calculating patience crossing its decayed features, as though explaining something painfully obvious to a particularly slow student."The seers possessed a unique ability that few among the nine realms ever fully understood, myself included, until it was almost too late." The corpse immediately explained. "Their gift did not simply allow them to perceive potential futures. In moments of extreme necessity, gathered together in sufficient numbers, the ancient seers could actively influence and reshape the very threads of fate itself."Kaelen Ashwright's blood ran cold as the implications of this revelation settled over him. "They could have stopped you. Permanently.""Precisely, star bearer." The corpse immediately confirmed, its voice carrying grudging, bitter respect. "A gathering of seven or more powerful seers, working in perfect unison, theoretically possessed the ability to alter fate's design entirely

The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity, the team working in coordinated, practiced unison as they cut down wave after wave of the relentless horde. Kaelen Ashwright and Soren Ashwright fought side by side near the group's front line, their earlier playful competition from the previous day's battle now replaced with grim, focused determination."Eight!" Soren Ashwright immediately shouted, cutting down another cluster of walkers with a decisive sweep of the Thundercrest Blade."Ten!" Kaelen Ashwright immediately countered, the Convergence Blade carving a brutal path through the advancing horde.Despite the grim circumstances, the familiar exchange offered a small, welcome distraction from the overwhelming dread pressing down upon the entire team.Gradually, methodically, the team began thinning the horde's numbers, corpses falling in increasing numbers as their combined efforts began to turn the tide of the seemingly endless battle. Nearly an hour passed in brutal, exhausti

"I can feel the bindings weakening slightly faster with each resurrection!" Song Lianhua immediately called out, a glimmer of hope entering his strained voice. "I don't think he can maintain the same level of power indefinitely, regardless of what he claims!""That's something, at least!" Ryn Ashenfang immediately shouted back, cutting down a trio of walkers attempting to breach their defensive perimeter. "Keep weakening them! Every bit of disruption helps!"Old Moth, positioned protectively near Clara alongside Elena and Marcus, raised her hands, weaving intricate defensive wards around their small cluster, her weathered features tight with concentration despite her earlier claims of limited combat capability."Stay close to me, Clara." Old Moth immediately instructed, her voice carrying surprising steel despite her advanced age. "My wards should deflect anything that manages to slip past the others."Clara nodded, pressing closer against Old Moth's protective presence, her small han