Along with Zheng Zha, the members of the Ranger cavalry and several other key plot characters, or perhaps members of the Central Continent team, awoke. Upon waking, every single one of them was ravenously hungry, wishing they could devour an entire ox. Thankfully, the Princess was sharp; while Aragorn and the others slept, she had already commanded servants to prepare cooked food. By the time everyone roused themselves together, platters of roasted meat and flatbread were already laid out nearby, and as they rose, they immediately began to feast.

Aragorn asked the Princess while eating, "What time is it? Has the Uruk-hai army arrived yet?" The Princess replied with a wry smile, "The Uruk-hai army is almost here, about an hour's journey away. But their numbers are truly massive—over fifteen thousand, it seems. And we only have a few hundred here. Oh, right, at dusk yesterday, three hundred Elven longbowmen arrived. They said they were reinforcements sent by Elrond of Rivendell, claiming they came for the honor of the Human and Elven Alliance. Other than them, we have no further aid whatsoever."

"Trust Gandalf. He will surely return with the troops. He said that when the first light of dawn broke today, he would return with his forces. I believe in Gandalf," Aragorn stated with certainty.

The six members of the Central Continent team, however, were not in such high spirits. Although, according to the original film plot, Gandalf indeed brought reinforcements that morning, and those reinforcements decisively defeated the Uruk-hai forces with thunderous might, this was not a movie. This was an entirely new world; anything could happen again. For instance, the Uruk-hai army's numbers already far exceeded what was in the original script.

Although the strength of the Rohirrim cavalry was much greater than in the original plot, comparing the two sides showed that despite the considerable improvement in the Rohirrim's power, the two thousand horsemen were still at a distinct disadvantage. It seemed everything now depended on how many Uruk-hai they could slay in this siege defense.

The Rebel was silent for a long moment before saying, "I plan to use the Bracelet of the Death God. With the current, ever-increasing total of my vampire energy, summoning at least a thousand, perhaps more, Death God Legion soldiers should be feasible. Moreover, the melee capabilities of the Death God Legion soldiers are quite formidable; as long as their heads remain intact, they won't die. Their three-meter stature also allows them to attack the Uruk-hai from above; one-on-one should not be an issue. The only concern is that after I use the Bracelet of the Death God, my vampire energy will be depleted. If any other teams attack us then, the outcome would be dire. My 'Annihilation' skill would certainly be affected. What do you all think?" Chu Xuan immediately shook his head in denial. "The effect of using the Bracelet of the Death God is practically negligible. These thousand Death God Legion monsters you cannot truly control, right? They are essentially summoned and then left to fight autonomously. Am I correct? And we are in a defensive battle right now, not an offensive one. Under these circumstances, archers or infantry who can follow orders would be far more useful. Those Death God Legion monsters will not only fail to aid in defending the city, but the more likely scenario is that they will disrupt the formations of our own soldiers, accelerating the castle's fall. We should not use the Bracelet of the Death God here; it would be far better saved for the battle at the capital of Isengard."

Zheng Zha sighed, "Then what should we do? I’m relatively fine; I can use my Skeleton Warhorse to support or attack anywhere. I’ve surveyed the defensive weak points of this castle; they are practically perfect. It will be very difficult for the Uruk-hai to break in. But what about the rest of you? This is war, after all; one moment of carelessness could cost you your life. Why don't you simply use the Green Goblin Skateboard to fly high above and attack? Zhang Heng can certainly do that. Chu Xuan, how many of your charged Gauss Pistol magazines etched with runes do you have left? How many Uruk-hai can they kill?" "No, my intention is not to engage those Uruk-hai head-on in direct combat," Chu Xuan stated flatly. "That is the most foolish approach. While the Bracelet of the Death God is almost useless in this siege defense, another item is incredibly useful in a defensive battle—something you can also deploy quite easily. The Annales Mortis."

The Annales Mortis contained many offensive spells, but Zheng Zha was unfamiliar with the incantation texts for many of them. Most of the magic he remembered were skills taught to him by Qi Tengyi.

Of course, by unlocking the third stage of the Gene Lock to simulate Qi Tengyi, he could also deduce the incantation methods for some of those spells based on the knowledge he had learned. Whether they would be accurate or not was uncertain.

One of the spells was one Qi Tengyi had personally translated; its effect was to alter the terrain! After everyone had eaten their fill, Aragorn and the others proceeded to the castle walls along with the six members of the Central Continent team. There, an Elf was speaking with Théoden. Hundreds of Elven longbowmen had been added to the ramparts. Seeing their black cloaks, the Elven Prince exclaimed in surprise, "Nightwings! This is the Royal Guard of Rivendell. Three hundred Nightwings—half of them have been dispatched here."

The group exchanged glances and approached the Elf. After exchanging brief words of thanks—the details of which would be set aside for now—they fell silent, waiting atop the battlements.

The six from the Central Continent team naturally positioned themselves away from the plot characters. They had some private matters they needed to discuss, things that were inconvenient to say in front of the narrative figures. For instance, Chu Xuan spoke to himself, "Judging by that reckless youth’s intentions today, they will likely participate in coordinated team action during the war at Isengard, and that time is not far off. There are several things we absolutely must accomplish. First, the influence of the 'Force' we released needs to be reclaimed. Haotian's strength is formidable, both in intellect and combat ability. The tracker modification fluid I gave him should also yield results; the specific return will depend on his capabilities. Second, the return of Ling Dian and the other three—their combat power is very useful when fighting against members of other reincarnation squads. Finally, the 'Force' we have already acquired; archers possessing the skill of Burst Arrows are naturally..." Zheng Zha interrupted Chu Xuan, "Why are you bringing this up now? It’s not like those melodramatic novels where you shield me from an arrow and die on a distant battlefield. Damn it, you sound like you’re delivering a last testament! You are my companion in battle! You shouldn't contemplate death so easily!" Chu Xuan tapped his forehead. He thought for a moment. "Understood. The necessary matters have mostly been covered. If there is anything you don't understand, ask Haotian. Although his wisdom is mortal, isn't using mortal wisdom to counter mortal wisdom also a path to becoming stronger?" Zheng Zha felt an increasing sense of foreboding in Chu Xuan’s words. He wanted to say something more, but just then, an incredibly deep thudding sound echoed from the distance. The sound of dense footsteps grew chaotic, and gradually, far beyond the castle walls, a mass of scarlet torches appeared. These torches formed a continuous line on the distant horizon, and slowly, they began to advance toward the castle. Though the Uruk-hai numbered only a little over ten thousand, when gathered, they covered the hills and plains entirely. Looking out, one saw nothing but endless firelight and the rhythmic sound of their measured steps—a sound that alone was enough to drive one to madness with oppression.

The Uruk-hai legion had arrived. The Battle of Helm's Deep had finally begun! Zheng Zha glanced at Chu Xuan. "You, who are always so rational, why do you suddenly have such a human-like premonition? Let the other things go, but you must strive to live yourself! If even you feel you might die, then you truly are doomed. Didn't you say you would strive until you unlocked the fourth stage of the Gene Lock? Don't you want to gain emotion and feeling? Don't you want to reclaim everything a person should have? Then fight to live first!" After giving his instructions, Zheng Zha stood up and walked directly to his Skeleton Warhorse, then vaulted onto the steed and, pulling the reins, leaped onto the castle battlement.

The Uruk-hai are the most ferocious race among Orcs, possessing savage and unpredictable temperaments and a love for bloody slaughter. Unlike the Orcs or Half-Orcs, they do not retreat when encountering a powerful enemy; on the contrary, strong foes send them into a frenzied ecstasy. This battle would therefore be exceptionally difficult. The Uruk-hai will rely on their numerical superiority to attack this fortress. Whether the walls of Helm's Deep can hold out until morning remains to be seen.

As the mass of torches drew nearer, the marching sounds of the Uruk-hai army grew heavier and more distinct. Only when they were close enough to be seen with the naked eye did the Uruk-hai army truly enter the group’s view. This was an Uruk-hai army armed to the teeth. Unlike the hordes of Orcs from Mordor who relied solely on quantity, this army’s armament surpassed even that of some levied soldiers of Rohan. The White Wizard Saruman was indeed extraordinary to have forged such an iron army.

These Uruk-hai stood about two meters tall, encased in dark metallic steel armor, their heads covered by iron helms. Most held long, three-meter-plus pikes, while some carried great cleavers and bows. The equipment and quality of this army were indeed remarkable.

Aragorn shouted words to the Elven longbowmen. Because he was speaking in Elvish, Zheng Zha and the others could not understand him, but they couldn't afford to listen to what he was saying anyway. Everyone gripped their weapons. As the Uruk-hai closed in, the army finally halted just beyond arrow range.

The war had begun.