Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

The voice continued to come from behind his head. He turned his head with difficulty and saw again the robe as black as the night sky, and a bronze face with raised eyebrows and furious eyes.

“He’s a bit smarter than you. If Bayas hadn’t noticed something amiss, he would have really been hiding here. It would have taken a lot of effort to catch him later.”

A bronze mask with downcast eyes, seemingly about to cry, emerged from the woods, but calmly stabbed its own companion first.

…………

More and more copper faces emerged from the woods, like mushrooms sprouting on bare tree trunks after a spring rain, silently yet with a chilling sense of dread.

They appeared like a group of ghosts, moving silently through the overgrown woods and shrubs, and had surrounded him without him even noticing.

Like friends chatting together, the jailers talked freely, eyeing their prey with mocking looks, without even reaching into their robes, maintaining a very weak encirclement in a completely relaxed manner.

Although it seemed like there was an opportunity, the young man was as afraid to move as if a knife were held to his throat. A strong intuition told him that if he made any move, the outcome would not be good.

"Alright, throw out all your stuff. You don't want us coming looking for it."

The jailer who spoke was their leader. Although the corners of his mouth were upturned, revealing his teeth, his eyes were drooping and dark with wounds, making it difficult to tell whether he was crying or laughing.

As he finished speaking, everyone fell silent. All the noise disappeared, and the forest became extremely quiet, with only the chirping of crickets and other insects remaining.

The young man's face turned deathly pale, even trembling slightly. Just as he was feeling lost and confused, he suddenly paused. Then, his expression changed drastically, before returning to calm in an instant.

"I think that's unnecessary. After all, you're all going to die here today. Let's give this dagger to the next person who comes after me!"

As his words fell, a fierce battle cry suddenly erupted from the surrounding forest. A dense thud of footsteps rustled through the bushes and leaves. Lighted torches illuminated the surrounding area.

Countless people appeared in the forest, all heading towards the clearing with a clear objective. The gleaming swords were conspicuous in the darkness, and the black-clad jailers were instantly surrounded.

Being trapped and surrounded should have been an extremely urgent and life-or-death situation. But the smug young man's expression quickly hardened, because he found that the men in black were completely unmoved, still moving their limbs in a relaxed manner, and some were even whistling.

"He's getting anxious! Look how anxious he is!"

The smiling jailer with the bronze mask on his face clapped his hands and laughed merrily.

"I just want to see that expression on your face. I'll never get tired of it, no matter how many times I see it. It's just so funny."

The jailer, his face contorted with rage, shrugged his shoulders like an excited viper.

"He's stunned, he's stunned now!"

The prison guard, with a sorrowful expression, patted the tree trunk beside him, laughing so hard he couldn't straighten up.

…………

The young man stared blankly at the chaotic scene before him, almost thinking that these people were all insane...

"Disperse."

Suddenly, a word came from beneath the leader's bronze mask. The black robes of the strangely shaped jailers suddenly came loose, spreading out like a cloud of black smoke. With a turn, they effortlessly disappeared into the bushes, as easily as dropping a drop of ink into clear water.

Just then, the noisy reinforcements arrived, and he could even see the burning torches and the ferocious faces; the firelight illuminated the surrounding area...

The next instant, with the whistling of crossbow bolts, all the torches fell to the ground, illuminating only the area below the knees.

A gleaming white blade exploded in the jungle, reflecting the moonlight, crisply slicing through flesh and severing bones. The sound of blood splattering was like someone dumping swill, and panicked screams and wails appeared like a downpour, then disappeared like a shower.

Crossbow bolts crisscrossed the forest, emitting deathly shrieks as they pierced bone and flesh, the sounds of bodies falling echoing endlessly. In the firelight, gleaming bronze faces flashed by, and black robes drifted away like clouds of mist…

The flying head still wore a bewildered expression, and the spilled internal organs emitted bursts of heat. Scattered limbs smashed through the surrounding grass, and the sound of bodies falling one after another, accompanied by the hissing sound of blood splattering, created a terrifying and bizarre symphony.

In the blink of an eye, the forest, which had just been filled with clamor and cries, fell silent. The torches on the ground were picked up by gloved hands, illuminating the blood-stained brass artifacts.

"A total of 32 people came."

The bronze-faced jailer emerged from the forest, blood still dripping from the scimitar in his hand, gradually revealing the smooth blade. But he still found it too slow, so he raised the blade above his head and swiftly swung it to the side, drawing blood lines on the surrounding grass, leaving the blade clean and spotless.

"They're a bunch of idiots, and they didn't have anything good on them, just a few silver coins and copper coins..."

A smiling copper-faced figure emerged from the forest, complaining in a disgruntled tone while tossing several money pouches in his hand.

…………

The men in black reappeared from the forest, just as they had left, and in exactly the same spot as before.

A dark figure swam lightly to him and, before the young man could make any move, deftly threw a punch to his chest and abdomen, causing him to go limp like a lump of mud. The hand that had been inside his clothes was now exposed, along with a sharp dagger.

Even after his hands and feet were bound, his mouth was gagged, and he was strapped to a horse, his expression remained stiff and numb.

"You're quite lucky. With what you've done, we wouldn't normally need to lift a finger... but since that lord specifically requested us to arrest you, you're just lucky."

"Do you think it's because we can't talk much normally? I feel like we talk a lot more whenever we're out together."

"I don't know, absolutely not! I'm always very careful with my words!"

"Come on, what were you whispering about with that mountain guy the other day? Do you really think we don't know? You've found a good student."

………………

Chapter 181 Black Crow (2)

Bloody corpses are destined not to last long on the grasslands. The carnivores here are always hungry, and the smell of blood will attract them in no time, leading them to join the feast in droves.

But the first to arrive will definitely be various snakes, insects, rodents and ants. These little creatures are everywhere and are an important part of the grassland food chain. They begin to appear as soon as the blood begins to coagulate, crawling on the corpse and trying to take away the nutrient-rich flesh and blood.

Next came the agile and swift little animals, whose burrows were in nearby earthen holes. Although their teeth could hardly tear through the huge flesh, these opportunists would not give up easily and would continue their efforts until the larger predators arrived.

The real main force is the wild wolves that can be seen everywhere here. These packs of beasts can devour a strong ox in a very short time, leaving only bones with bits of meat stuck to them to dry and rot here, buried in the thick weeds.

However, this natural cleansing has its limits. It only applies to creatures that die out naturally and to prey that has been hunted. Once a large-scale slaughter occurs that is not for food or is not natural, it becomes a paradise for bacteria and mosquitoes. The growth of decay also makes this place a hell that no normal person would want to approach.

A putrid stench emanated from the valley. This stench was unlike any other odor produced by the decay of an animal; it evoked an instinctive fear, making people realize that it was the smell of a fellow human dying, and causing them to instinctively distance themselves from the place.

A middle-aged man, his face pale, covered his nose, sighed, turned and rode away, leaving the horrible stench behind. His warhorse was extremely uncomfortable, shaking its head, snorting, and taking small, unsteady steps. It took him a lot of effort to calm it down.

The man's attire was extremely refined. Although rainfall was scarce on the grasslands, it was still present; otherwise, this place would have become like the desert next door. The recent light rains had brought a chill to the air, and he had donned a neat fur robe. The outer lining was made of sapphire-blue silk, embroidered with floral and white bird patterns—clearly not a cheap garment.

In addition, the gold ornaments inlaid with rubies and sapphires on his wrists and neck, and the hat on his head made of eight pieces of the finest fox fur, all indicated his noble status and abundant wealth.

However, this person of such noble status was riding a skinny horse, which looked out of place. There were no strong muscles on its four hooves, which looked like four wooden poles. Its ribs were protruding from its chest and abdomen, and its abdomen was severely concave inward. It could be described as skin and bones.

Logically speaking, such a thin horse could easily die from exhaustion and would not be able to withstand any disease, let alone drag a strong adult man... But this thin horse walked freely and calmly while carrying a strong man, and it seemed that it did it with very little effort.

Although it seemed somewhat timid, easily frightened by the stench of corpses, this horse still possessed a strange quality, with strength and stamina completely contrary to its appearance.

The pale-faced man had a neatly trimmed beard, and even his eyebrows, upon closer inspection, showed traces of careful trimming by the separated blades. His hair had also been carefully shaved, with only a short layer of stubble showing where it had been shaved. He didn't look like a nobleman from the Kurist tribe, but rather like a wealthy merchant who frequently visited noble mansions.

He did not come here alone; a sizable group was already waiting for him in the distance. No one objected to the pause, which clearly indicated that he held a high position here.

"Lord Tostayal, is it not here either?"

A strong-looking guard stepped forward, his leather armor, inlaid with iron plates, was of excellent quality and could be considered top-notch in the Kurist Grasslands at that time.

“You should have smelled it long ago, Bayas…”

The man sighed. From the very beginning, he had maintained a worried expression, as if he had a thousand thoughts and sorrows.

"I never expected it to be this bad..."

"They were destined to suffer like this..."

The man said dejectedly, then spurred his horse forward and joined the procession. As the order was given, the whip was raised, and the mules pulling the carts and the horses carrying people started moving at the same time. The noise of shouts and neighing filled the narrow dirt road, and the procession continued on its way.

"They only knew that their men died in the West, but they didn't know how horribly they died... nor did they know who gave them the 10-day deadline. They thought they could delay and procrastinate, wavering back and forth, but they didn't know that from the beginning they only had two choices—either die or live."

"So even if it's just to make us face reality, this blood has to be shed. They are the sacrifices that have their throats cut open, their heads chopped off, and their blood spilled out to show the other sheep."

"News came a couple of days ago—after the annihilation of 16 tribes, the Imperial army halted its advance. Apparently, that lord believes the sacrifices are sufficient, which is why he left this opportunity open. We absolutely cannot afford to be negligent! Otherwise, this will be our fate tomorrow!"

The voice was very loud, almost reaching half of the group, and it also made several men of obviously high status turn to look at him, nodding repeatedly with a sense of sympathy...

The convoy contained many large wagons, bulging with cargo. If a group of bandits were lucky enough to intercept these vehicles, and once they lifted the waterproof tarpaulin, they would see the greatest fortune they had ever witnessed in their lives…

Gold and silver are just the most common items. There are also precious furs as shiny and luxurious as silk, blood-red gems as big and clear as pigeon eggs, precious black steel swords from Asel, and magnificent saddles inlaid with gems, gold and jade... Just looking at them is enough to make one dizzy and breathless.

Under the terrifying pressure of the allied forces of the Imperial Legion and the southern tribes, and after the complete annihilation of more than a dozen tribes, the most influential tribes in the north finally could not sit still. After gathering together to discuss and argue, they finally sent an envoy team with precious treasures to submit to the Empire and bring an end to this terrible, exterminating war.

But not all the tribes from the north had gathered here... some of them followed an unexpected person and headed north.

No one expected that Tolidu Khan was still alive, not even his own tribesmen. After that crushing defeat, the Khan lost all his prestige, and even his former tribe became the target of everyone's hostility. Those tribes that had listened to his instigation and sent their precious male members to participate in the war wished they could skin him alive, pull out his tendons, and fry his flesh in oil to eat.

A former king may inspire fear, but a defeated and incompetent king who has caused great losses will only be despised and wanted dead. His equally devastated tribe can no longer protect this loser, and those ambitious tribal leaders will not let him go easily.

But the timing of this guy's appearance was too coincidental and just right... The arrival of the Imperial Legion made the tribes on the entire grassland panic. Everyone felt that a great disaster was about to happen. The situation was chaotic and disorderly, and no effective organization could be formed. Many people even missed the days when the Khan was still able to make decisions. Their resentment towards him also faded a lot.

At this time, he jumped out and returned to his tribe. Everyone was under even greater pressure and had no time to care about him. Instead, he was able to rebuild his network and prestige in some tribes. With the pressure from the empire, he actually accomplished what should have been an impossible task on his own!

When more than a dozen tribes were destroyed and forced to make a choice, many tribes felt it was safer to follow such a resolute leader. They also did not trust the Empire and did not believe that they would have a good ending after submitting.

The fiery and ruthless nature of the Imperials instilled fear in them and made them genuinely distrustful of the idea that accepting Imperial rule was a good thing. Rather than submitting, they preferred to try their luck in unknown places. After several days of chaos, a total of 13 tribes followed Torid northwards, and no one knows where they went so far.

Of course, the vast majority of people are still unwilling to travel far, dare not gamble on such a possibility, and prefer to follow the crowd and make the same choice as more people, staying on this land, and now anxiously waiting for news.

Although the team had many guards, everyone was still very nervous because their mission was so important. They sent out more than a dozen scouts to scout the surrounding roads, fearing that something unexpected might happen.

They didn't even dare to stop for a short rest at noon, only urging the horses on, trying to avoid any unforeseen complications and arrive as quickly as possible.

When the horses were sweating profusely and panting heavily, they finally caught sight of the massive camp in the distance. From afar, the flags were neatly arranged and the camp was well-organized. Every now and then, several pairs of patrolling scouts would return from their voyages.

Upon arriving at their destination, everyone hesitated and focused their attention on the pale-faced middle-aged man, hoping he would make the decision.

The man remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was already sighing: having come this far, what other choice did they have? They didn't have the courage to lead their tribe on a perilous journey of thousands of miles.

"Let's catch our breath and set off. Now that we're here, there's no need to worry too much. There's no way there will be any more bandits around."

The imperial people have strict laws. Wherever their army goes, they will spontaneously hunt down thieves and wipe out bandits. Any desperado with even a modicum of sense will stay away from the area before they arrive, not daring to cross the line.

The others understood this as well, and they relaxed and began to take out food and water from their saddlebags to rest briefly.

They hadn't even relaxed for long when they looked gravely in one direction again. The dense, rain-like sound of hooves and the billowing dust kicked up into the air were clearly signs of a large cavalry force approaching. And they had only just arrived, hadn't even had a chance to catch their breath, yet the enemy had already detected them?

Sure enough, as the distance closed, flowing red cloaks and gleaming silver chainmail came into view. Light cavalrymen, riding excellent warhorses with outstanding endurance, arrived nearby in an instant and spontaneously split into two groups to flank them from the rear.

This highly threatening action made them all tense. Many of them instinctively gripped the knife beside their saddles, the bow hanging behind them, and the reins of their horses, ready to turn and run away or fight to the death at any moment.

The encirclement was formed in an instant, and soon they had no chance of escape. If the enemy wanted, they could turn them into hedgehogs covered in arrows in the blink of an eye.

The tense atmosphere only dissipated after their leader, a pale-faced man, spurred his thin horse forward and exchanged a brief conversation with the approaching officer. The cavalrymen who had been preparing to surround them readily became their guards, escorting them to the main camp.

Seeing that the other party seemed to have been prepared and that their attitude wasn't too bad, many people breathed a sigh of relief and had a lot of hope for what was to come.

………………

Even as they left the military camp, the man's steps were light and airy, and everyone else had the same expression... They hadn't expected things to be so easy—they had only expressed their willingness to submit, and hadn't even presented any gifts yet, and the other side had already accepted them with great leniency. Moreover, there were none of the harsh conditions they had imagined, making it even better than the most optimistic outcome they had anticipated.

The group of people, who were under immense pressure, were like death row inmates who were granted a pardon at the last moment before their execution. They all felt relieved, as if their bones had loosened up. They even felt grateful to Tersolius, since in this place, the only way to deal with enemies was to exterminate them.