At this most critical juncture, the Hall of the Dark Source served as an essential bulwark. Once the Ghost Legion entered its hundred-meter vicinity, they would completely lose control—or perhaps, they would scramble about like headless flies, even turning on their own allies. Of course, outside that range, they remained utterly devastating!

Not only that, but the interior of the Hall of the Dark Source also provided immensely powerful bonuses: As long as warriors remained within the Hall of the Dark Source, it was absolutely indestructible. Furthermore, any warrior fighting inside the Hall would be sheltered by the Power of Sauron, granting them a 200 increase to Health Points, a 30 boost to Attack and Defense, and a 40 reduction to all incoming ranged damage. Moreover, any damage sustained inside the Hall would trigger an additional recovery effect; the heavier the damage taken, the stronger the restorative effect of the Dark Wind became. Calculations based on testing showed that a warrior on the brink of death, if placed inside the Hall without taking any medicine, would recover from their near-death state within ten minutes, and be at full strength an hour later. (This applied only to the Contract Holders' recovery rate; NPC creatures were calculated separately.) However, the Hall of the Dark Source could accommodate at most a hundred individuals. Despite having only one entrance, the gate was quite wide. Even without entering the hall, ranged fire from various angles outside could cover most of the area. In the end, less than a quarter of the space could be considered a blind spot—a spot unreachable unless the enemy charged right up to the threshold.

Faced with the overwhelming tide of the Ghost Legion's assault, the Dark Faction truly crumbled, routed beyond recognition. In the face of such terrifying collapse, it was nearly impossible to discern direction or target amidst the chaos; for many, the only thing they could do was be swept away in the panicked retreat against their will.

Thus, Fang Senyan’s previous worry—that the Dark Hall would be overcrowded, leaving the Ace Team locked out—did not materialize. On the contrary, thanks to the deliberate obstruction and misdirection by the opposing Contract Holders, long after the slaughter on the battlefield had largely subsided, the Hall of the Dark Source, capable of holding several hundred people, contained only the Ace Team, less than half of Skull's contingent, and a scattering of broken-off Contract Holders—certainly no more than thirty people in total!

It seemed teams like the Blue Light Team, the Sea Alliance, and Zeus’s Glory Team had not entered the Hall of the Dark Source. Why? The answer was obvious: once trapped inside, while they received extra buffs, it meant being caught like turtles in a jar with no escape route. Without reinforcements outside, they might hold the position for a time due to the terrain, but could they hold it forever? One had to remember that although sheltering inside the Hall offered certain advantages, if the enemy sealed the only exit, there would be no thought of breaking out. More crucially, while the Ghost Legion feared Sauron's magic, that did not mean other key NPCs did! The main heroes—Aragorn, the Dwarf Gimli, and the Elven Prince—could easily serve as spearheads to forcibly break through! Once the gate was breached, the purchased NPC troops could swarm in and crush them through sheer attrition!

Although it had been mentioned previously that failure of the main quest after upgrading meant death, it was presumed those three teams possessed powerful, team-wide artifacts capable of exempting them from the penalty of mission failure. Therefore, as soon as the Ghost Legion appeared, they began watching for an opportunity to flee, and upon realizing the situation was dire, they used the Haradrim from the south as cannon fodder, escaping faster than anyone else!

Facing those now cornered and forced into a siege within the Hall of the Dark Source, the opposing Contract Holders attempted an attack twice. Finding Skull and Reef defending tightly, they merely sent personnel to maintain the blockade, trapping the defenders inside while they themselves joined the Ghost Legion in their rampages, fully reaping contribution points. ---The Contract Holders on the Human side were not fools; there was no reason to charge headlong into the hard bone that was the Hall of the Dark Source when easy pickings were everywhere else! Since those inside couldn't escape, it was best to save them for last and divide the spoils together.

Time slipped by rapidly. As the sounds of battle on the field faded, they were replaced by groans, weeping, and the occasional sharp cry. This was the common soundtrack during battlefield cleanup: groans signaled the discovery of a wounded comrade; weeping meant finding a dead ally; and sharp cries naturally came from spotting a surviving Dark Faction member and delivering the finishing blow through gritted teeth.

Observing the massive numbers of the Ghost Legion completely routing the enemy forces, they now began gathering from all directions. While maintaining the hundred-meter boundary, tens of thousands of the Legion surrounded the Hall of the Dark Source so tightly that escape was impossible. These eerie, dark-green specters snarled and roared, their sound, set against the backdrop of the bloody carnage, was truly vicious, terrifying, and hair-raising.

Seeing this scene, everyone in the Ace Team’s faces darkened, and they exchanged worried glances. This was because, according to Fang Senyan’s calculations, the Ghost Legion was not truly loyal; they were not Aragorn’s private soldiers! Tracing their origins, the Ghost Legion was a massive mountain tribe from three thousand years ago, sworn to Isildur, King of Gondor—Aragorn’s ancestor. This tribe’s leader had promised the King of Gondor to fight alongside Gondor against Sauron, but they broke their word and failed to appear, leading to the King of Gondor’s defeat and death. In his wrath, the King of Gondor cursed them, condemning them to be tormented by this broken oath for all eternity, unless they fulfilled their vow and received forgiveness from the King of Gondor! Since then, this tribe had been entangled by the curse for millennia, unable to find release even in death. They were, in essence, immortal monsters bound by an oath they failed to keep and a curse from Gondor spanning thousands of years. In other words, they only fought for Aragorn because of the oath; without it, these beings would raise their blades against anyone. Therefore, expecting them to display any initiative or motivation was out of the question; their oath only covered a single battle. Fang Senyan had deduced that once victory in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields was secured, having endured three thousand years of suffering, they would inevitably demand Aragorn fulfill the oath and grant them release! Fang Senyan's analysis was well-founded and perfectly aligned with the original storyline. But now, clearly, victory on the Pelennor Fields was cemented—the Orc legions numbering two hundred thousand and the Haradrim legions numbering thirty thousand were almost entirely annihilated—so why hadn't the Ghost Legion disbanded yet?

However, just as everyone exchanged bewildered looks, a calm voice echoed in the team channel: “Immediately check the Hall of the Dark Source and see if there are any special individuals inside.” This voice instantly injected new vitality into the bewildered Ace Team. A chorus of surprised shouts erupted: “Boss!” “Brother Yan!” “Captain!” “……” Fang Senyan smiled faintly: “My business over there is concluded. I managed to sneak close during the chaos just now. Regrettably, they are watching too closely. It’s not that I couldn't break through, but the cost of doing so immediately would be too great. So, I decided to lie low for now. Right, go check!” The results of the check came back quickly. As mentioned before, the rear of the Hall of the Dark Source abutted Gothmog’s quarters. There, they found Gothmog, severely wounded and unconscious—to be precise, half his head was crushed—along with one elite Orc guard who had died. Clearly, this loyal guard had sacrificed his life to get Gothmog back here, dying from his own severe injuries afterward. Although Gothmog was grievously wounded, his condition seemed stable; recovery was likely. Upon hearing the situation, Fang Senyan made a cold, immediate decision: “Throw Gothmog out.” “What!!!” Fang Senyan’s decision clearly shocked most of them. Zi couldn't help but protest: “But doing that will immediately cause the Orc legions to collapse.” Fang Senyan stated coldly: “The Orc legions have already collapsed.” Zi stared, her mouth open but unable to form a response. Aziz, however, showed a look of admiration; Fang Senyan's command was clearly to his taste. “If we could save Gothmog, the contribution points would be staggering…” Sanzai hesitated. Fang Senyan replied sharply: “Which is more important, contribution points, or life?” Finally, Zi used a Force Barrier: Impact to propel the heavily wounded Gothmog outward. Faced with this ‘grand gift,’ even the Human faction found it unbelievable! Legolas the Elven Prince took advantage of the situation, drawing his bow and arrow to fully demonstrate the immense advantage of ranged attacks—one arrow, a headshot! Instantly, with Gothmog’s death, the remaining scattered pockets of resistance among the Orcs around the battlefield scattered in disarray! Even Fang Senyan’s group received an urgent warning: Allied Commander Gothmog is slain! Orc Legion morale has collapsed and they can no longer fight!! The Dark Alliance forces’ morale is reduced, attack power lowered by 20. (This reduction will not apply to creatures purchased by Contract Holders using contribution points.) But, with Gothmog’s demise, the Ghost Legion also dispersed, proceeding under the lead of their King toward Aragorn, who held the Holy Sword. At this moment, there was no more fighting across the entire Pelennor Fields. The Ghost Legion, unable to interfere near the Hall of the Dark Source, and with the enemy commander dead, had earned distinguished merit, completely annihilating the enemy Haradrim forces and at least a quarter of the remaining Orc forces. By all rights and logic, the Ghost Legion had fulfilled their commitment and done their part! Within the Ghost King's empty eye sockets, two balls of pale-green flame burned. He stared fixedly at Aragorn, and the thousands of wraiths behind him gazed upon the powerful King with the same cold, burning intensity. “Fulfill your oath! King of Gondor, wielder of the Holy Sword Andúril! Heir of Isildur!” Aragorn, in his heart, was utterly unwilling to release this army—their terrifying combat power, their willingness to charge without fear of death, and the complete lack of logistical burden! However, now, under the gaze of everyone present, he could not show any sign of refusal! If he broke his word, there was no telling if the enraged Ghost Legion might even turn against him! He could only manage a strained smile: “Go, since you have fulfilled the oath made three thousand years ago, I, King of Gondor and wielder of the Holy Sword Andúril, shall remove the curse upon you and grant you release!” As Aragorn finished speaking, the Holy Sword Andúril in his hand emitted a soft radiance, shining upon the Ghost Legion. Bathed in this light, the hideous, fearsome soldiers dropped their weapons, looking heavenward with silent, relieved laughter. Their spectral flesh was seen rapidly repairing itself, transforming them finally into figures clad in the festive attire of the mountain tribes—appearing peaceful, happy, and serene—before being swept away by the wind! The most intractable enemy, the terrifying opponent they could not possibly defeat, had thus turned to dust!

However, it had to be recognized that the strength of the Human Alliance remaining was still considerable. Their main force was undoubtedly the defenders within Minas Tirith. These defenders, numbering seven thousand at the start, had lost more than half in the unbelievably brutal siege warfare, but still numbered around three thousand. The only legendary figure capable of fighting was Faramir, the Regent's son; Gandalf was still in the process of recovery. The Rohirrim cavalry reinforcements numbered seven to eight thousand, suffering grim casualties; only about two or three hundred remained capable of fighting. The legendary figures capable of fighting? None! Yes, history had taken a turn here. Théoden, King of Rohan, was supposed to have died at the hands of the Witch-king of Angmar, but he survived, the price being paralyzed legs. Conversely, the supposedly surviving Éomer was ambushed and killed by the Contract Holders. Only the Princess Éowyn survived, but by modern medical standards, she was suffering from severe intracranial hematoma and a major concussion, meaning it would likely be difficult for her to regain combat readiness anytime soon. Of course, the brightest stars remaining were the trio of Aragorn, Gimli, and the Elven Prince Legolas. If one also counted the few hundred remaining Contract Holders and the various soldiers they had exchanged for using contribution points, they still possessed a fighting force numbering in the tens of thousands. Setting aside the powerful legendary figures, this force of tens of thousands alone reached the threshold where quantity turns into quality, sufficient to easily crush any formidable team! Therefore, witnessing the Ghost Legion vanish into thin air, the members of the Human Alliance still felt victory was assured. And they knew the saying that delays breed trouble, so after a brief respite, the Contract Holders launched their most ferocious assault against the Hall of the Dark Source! In their eyes, there were at most thirty people inside. Even with powerful buffs, at best, their strength would double—so count them as sixty people! Sixty people could still be ground down through relentless attrition, given the overwhelming disparity in overall strength! RS