Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

Fortunately, he had a weapon with him and fought desperately at the moment when he was closest to death, which temporarily saved his life. However, he was also hit hard on the shoulder. In order to survive, he had no choice but to escape into this tunnel.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard a commotion behind him—assassins wouldn't shout like that; it could only be prison guards.

The shackles on his feet were just a smokescreen; he could remove them at any time if he wanted. They were also a precaution for escaping in a critical moment, because he, as bait, couldn't afford to get hurt before catching a big fish...

He only breathed a sigh of relief when the guards found him. He threw down his weapon almost without resistance, raised his hands, and squatted down.

He was kicked to the ground without resistance, punched and kicked, then chained again, lifted up, and driven back.

Surrounded, he actually felt relieved, thinking that he had escaped the danger tonight, and even his steps became lighter... until a sharp pain suddenly came from his chest, and he looked down in alarm.

A blood-stained sword tip emerged from his chest, and a stream of blood trickled down his chest, staining a large area of ​​his tattered linen clothes red. A feeling of weakness and exhaustion spread throughout his body, making him unable to stand steadily.

As the sword was drawn, Arich swayed twice and fell to the ground. A guard of medium build wiped the short sword in his hand on his sleeve, while the others stood silently around him watching.

"The perpetrator refused to surrender and even tried to break through the encirclement. In the ensuing desperate resistance, we were caught off guard..."

"Clap clap clap!"

A muffled clapping sound suddenly rang out in the small underground space, interrupting the guard's words. With a sinister laugh, a figure wearing a brass bird-beak mask emerged from one side of the tunnel, his black robe reflecting the smoothness of silk in the firelight.

"That's quite a move. We really underestimated your abilities..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the guard who had drawn his short sword charged at him without hesitation, the sword aimed directly at the black-robed man's heart. The others also rushed forward, their faces ruthless and resolute, a dense barrage of blades about to surround the black-robed man.

"That's interesting..."

The bird-beak mask gently stepped back, and in the next instant, the ground above its head collapsed, burying several guards who were caught off guard. Bright moonlight pierced through the smoke and dust, and countless crossbow bolts were loaded onto bowstrings, brewing a terrifying force.

"But it's only a little bit, it's still not quite there yet, you know what I mean?"

The brass mask tilted slightly, accompanied by a soft laugh. The densely packed men in black surrounding the area also laughed. A cloud of blue smoke drifted away with the shattered glass bottle. Amidst the noisy, panicked shouts, countless lassos, grappling hooks, and iron shackles fell.

………………

Meanwhile, countless people were arrested—they might be small merchants selling charcoal, chefs making bread, or vendors selling pickled vegetables… but at this very moment, they all met the same fate.

Some of them would draw their weapons to resist when their deeds were exposed, while others would simply attempt suicide. However, most of them were caught and overthrown in a hurry, their mouths were gagged, they were tied up, and they were taken out of the city by fast horses and headed towards the military camp outside the city.

Tonight, the city belongs to another group, to the hunters and waiters in the darkness, while the rats lurking in the shadows are facing annihilation...

Chapter 189 The Hunt (2)

Knights dressed in black moved through the city's streets and alleys, their black robes billowing in the air currents, with only the bronze surfaces beneath the black fabric occasionally gleaming with metallic light.

At the same time, a group of figures of varying heights, builds, and strengths were running and walking quickly on the surrounding alleyways, roof beams, and bricks. Despite their height and weight, they did not break the thin tiles under their feet, each of them as light as a swallow.

They were like a flock of ghosts flitting by, able to climb onto rooftops without disturbing the sleeping citizens, until they finally revealed their sharp fangs after spotting their target...

They accurately located seemingly ordinary places, then easily broke the bolts and rushed in to find their prey, taking down those who were either panicked, resolute, or fierce.

The long clamps used by the jailers were specially optimized for locking prisoners. Once the sturdy iron frame was around a prisoner's neck, the user holding the long handle could easily control the prisoner's life or death. They could break the cervical vertebrae with a little force at any time, or forcibly drag away a strong man with very little strength.

With close coordination and sudden attacks, the vast majority of targets were easily captured, their hands and feet bound, their mouths gagged, and they were thrown directly onto horses and tied up before being hurriedly moved to the next area.

……

In a small village near the city, a commotion startled the villagers from their sleep. Thinking that thieves had come to plunder the village, they immediately alerted their companions. The men of each household grabbed their spears and swords, lit torches, and hurried out of their homes, forming a small team with their neighbors and heading towards the center of the village.

When they arrived at the center of the village, they discovered that it was not a thief, but a woman who was clutching the hem of a man in black robes, crying and screaming loudly. Her tears and snot glistened in the torchlight, and her throat became hoarse from crying.

The notorious miser from their village, the charcoal burner, was already bound and strapped to a horse. He looked like he had suffered a lot before being tied up... Not only were his eye sockets bruised and swollen, but several of his fingers were even broken in the opposite direction. His head and face were covered in blood. If it weren't for the faint breathing sounds coming from him, he would have looked like a corpse.

Everyone recognized the woman; she was a resident of the village just like them. But the villagers were frozen in place, as if a snake had crawled down their necks, barely daring to move, even holding their breath. The only sound was the crackling of the torches…

The man in black, whose clothes were being tugged, turned to look at the persistent woman. His bronze mask, bearing a maniacal laugh, exuded a chilling, terrifying aura.

"You should thank us, woman. If we hadn't made sure you were alright, you wouldn't have had the chance to throw a tantrum here... Believe me, you'd be begging me to let you die..."

The disheveled woman suddenly shuddered, as if she had been plunged into ice water, and her legs involuntarily went weak, turning her into a limp mess. The corner of the robe she was tightly clutching in her hands also loosened naturally.

The man in black let out a sneer, turned and leaped onto his silent warhorse, leading his men away in a gallop. They disappeared into the night in no time, leaving only the silent villagers in the center of the village and a woman sobbing.

………………

The military camp was brightly lit tonight, with weapons on display everywhere and strict orders being given. Every now and then, a small group of knights dressed in black would come to the front of the camp, announce the order, and then enter the military camp, which resembled a bustling town, with their spoils.

One by one, prisoners of different backgrounds were thrown into sturdy cells made of thick hardwood. Before being thrown in, each person was pricked with a thin, black needle, and then they were immediately thrown into a state of unconsciousness, like a tattered sack filled with blood.

Watching the prepared cells quickly fill up, until eventually there weren't enough cells for one person per cell, and two or three people had to be locked up in one place, Thesolius couldn't help but sigh:

"This is truly a fruitful harvest... completely beyond my expectations. In other words, I guess I've had a 'jackpot' of good luck?"

What does 'baohu' mean?

"It means that someone caught so many fish that they filled his fish container... That's about right, I think it's quite fitting to describe the current situation."

Recalling the videos and posts he had come across as a cyber fishing enthusiast, Tersolius nodded affirmatively.

"It really suits you perfectly, it's quite fitting..."

Tarina scribbled and drew on the parchment. Ever since she received that appointment, the girl had always kept parchment and a brass pen on hand, so she could make notes and investigate at any time.

"The fish attracted by this 'bait' were quite large. Fortunately, we made ample preparations, which prevented the plan from getting out of control. In any case, it was a very fruitful harvest."

"According to the prison guards who went to the prison, the target who was originally under protection, Alic, has been confirmed dead. The other party was very precise and stabbed him directly in the heart. The sword was also coated with poison to ensure that there would be no mistake."

"It's pretty much what I expected."

Tersolius walked through the long, narrow cells on either side—a sturdy prison in the city would have been more suitable, but its reliability was now highly questionable, so they brought all their spoils to the camp.

The prisoners in the two cells on either side came from all walks of life. Some were guards in the city prison, some were small vendors from nearby villages, some were beggars begging on the streets and alleys... and there were even prostitutes who made a living by selling their bodies. They were a diverse and varied group.

"He has already said most of what he knows. For us, his only remaining value is to lure out more targets. Now that the fish has taken the bait, the quality of the bait is no longer important... He can only be considered unlucky and lacked the necessary luck."

"It was only a matter of time before this kind of guy, who could turn against his last friend and be abandoned by everyone, ended up like this."

After making a couple of remarks, Thessalius turned his head:

"Although we've had a good haul, we can't let these fresh fish turn into rotten ones. That's all up to you, Talina."

Tarina nodded, as if it were just a small matter, a confident and composed smile even on her face.

“Achieving our goal is now very simple. After accumulating enough information, we can now accurately pinpoint the location of the follicles. We no longer need to open their heads; we can just make a small hole and kill the parasites with venom… It’s very quick.”

"Oh, it's already quite mature?"

Tersolius looked surprised, which made Talina smirk with a hint of pride. Her soft cheeks made one want to pinch them.

"Yes, it is now basically certain that the parasitic follicles are located in the center of the brain, and their size is large enough to tolerate some errors, and the speed is also much faster."

"Then let's not delay any longer and get started quickly. Just tell me what kind of people or things you need. They're still waiting to get to work."

The men in black standing nearby stirred slightly; anyone could sense their eagerness. Meanwhile, everything was prepared inside the white tents set up nearby. They would soon be interrogated separately to prevent them from colluding with each other.

Talina couldn't help but feel sorry for these enemies—perhaps being killed on the spot during the resistance was the best outcome for them, otherwise they would be living a life worse than death.

………………

The screams that echoed through the military camp all night terrified many new recruits. Although they dared not cause a disturbance due to the strict discipline, many still did not get a good rest and went to ask other veterans for advice the next day with dark circles under their eyes.

Almost every veteran who was asked would casually tell them that the army was interrogating spies and they shouldn't worry too much. What they really needed to worry about was whether they could keep up with the march today... If they couldn't, the punishment they might face was what they should be wary of.

It was already past midnight, and the sky was beginning to lighten. Cooking camps everywhere were preparing food, and the soldiers were drinking hot soup and eating bread, getting ready for a whole day of marching.

At this moment, Thesolius did not intend to get up and leave immediately. Instead, he flipped through the parchment in his hand. The information recorded on it was unique in the entire country, and even the emperor knew about it later than him. In a sense, it was extremely precious.

"A special situation occurred with the parasites in prisoners No. 2, No. 5 and No. 7. Before the venom was injected, the parasites hatched prematurely, completely destroying the host's brain tissue and then dying together. It is suspected to be a new variant."

"The autopsy revealed a special organ the size of a grain of rice in their body structure, which may be the reason, but it is still difficult to analyze at present... I need a fully equipped research laboratory to do this."

"Everyone else is in good condition..."

At this point, Tarina's expression became somewhat strange:

"Those gentlemen were quite skilled. Although they inflicted extreme torture and caused great pain, they did not cause any fatal damage. As long as it was bandaged, the patient could recover through rest."

"They have all been handed over to the jailers and will return to the imperial capital with us this time."

Tersolius nodded slightly, tapped the neatly cut parchment on the table twice to straighten the protruding edges, and then handed it to Talina, who put it into the box of important documents.

"Yes, I feel very reassured leaving it to them."

"Although I knew the gains would be substantial, I never expected them to be this great. It's beyond my expectations... A bloody storm is inevitable, and the scope of the impact will be enormous."

"Of course, if any unscrupulous people think they can take advantage of this opportunity to do something, they will regret it... The South can't be delayed any longer, or it will be harder to resolve if it drags on any longer... You don't need to remember these things, Doctor, I'm just saying."

"There's still a lot to do. I'll have to deal with those guys when I get back... It's incredibly troublesome."

Thesolius covered his face and sighed... but at the same time, a strange sense of excitement suddenly welled up in his heart. He was so looking forward to what was about to happen—a new conquest, a new war, a new revenge... just like parched land waiting for rain. The fatigue of the past few days was swept away, and every part of his body was cheering.

Taking a deep breath, Tersolius stood up, ordered his guards to pack up all his belongings, then opened the door and walked out, with Talina following behind him.

“Do you know, Doctor… I always look forward to new wars, to the sight of our army destroying the enemy under my command, to the war machine destroying the city’s defenses… I even find peaceful days a bit boring, and it’s hard to prove my worth.”

"But at the same time, I am very clear that war is not a good thing, and I will use reason to control myself... It can only be a tool, not an end, otherwise it would be a catastrophe for anyone, a catastrophe made of blood and fire..."

"Our country was able to reach its current heights precisely because of war. Now, we cannot leave war any longer, or we will face the crisis of annihilation in an instant. The fervor of war is both a curse and a blessing for us... The empire must continue to grow stronger, or it will only be divided up and destroyed. Now it is a matter of life and death, with no room for maneuver."

"Perhaps the goddess Fusgrina really exists, and maybe she even glanced in our direction... What should we do next? Can we achieve this through our own will? I have no idea."

"But one thing I am clear about is that my war will not be aimed at destruction, and the Empire will not need a scorched earth. What I need to clear out are just some stupid, vicious, and cowardly obstacles."

"The road ahead is still difficult, so be careful not to fall behind."

………………

As the first rays of sunlight touched the earth, large armies were already advancing on the provincial roads. Soldiers marched in orderly formations, their banners fluttering endlessly, their gleaming steel shimmering, and the grand, heavy footsteps reverberating across the land.

This land, ravaged by war, is regaining its vitality. New forces are being nurtured in the ubiquitous farmlands and pastures, waiting for their time to be put to use, and that day is destined to come soon.

The fiery red sunrise was bright and clear, rising in the direction the army was advancing, casting its gentle light on the faces of every soldier. Amidst the shouts of men and the neighing of horses, it rose higher and higher, until at one moment it completely illuminated the entire land, making every corner bright.

Chapter 190 Return

Countless slaves and laborers were conscripted to the finest pastures of all of Cerisonas, and large quantities of building materials were transported by the army along the wide roads, and construction began immediately upon arrival.

Ordinary horse ranches don't need to be built too solidly and fortified, but this ranch is different. The warhorses raised there are the most valuable strategic resources of the entire empire—no warhorse can compare to the Passatria, even the Thoroughbreds of Asel are just inferior donkeys in comparison.

Such a precious breed of horse is under strict protection throughout the country. To prevent possible leaks and other accidents, the defense here is impenetrable. An elite legion has been deployed here, and even the workers and slaves who come here to work are blindfolded. Any slight abnormality will result in the immediate execution of the entire team.

This place was quickly transformed into something completely unlike a horse-breeding area. Fortresses, towers, and arrow towers surrounded the area, making it impenetrable. Elite soldiers patrolled everywhere, and light cavalry galloped back and forth incessantly. The area within a radius of dozens of miles was thoroughly patrolled. If any unidentified person dared to approach without authorization, the cavalry could execute them at will without any orders.

On the same day that Tersolius's legion left, a heavily guarded caravan also arrived from a wide road. Traveling by night and without regard for speed, they quickly delivered the important goods they were carrying to this excellent pasture.