Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but he still had some doubts—his offensive had indeed been too successful, encountering almost no decent resistance until he reached the city… Up until now, he had not seen any real resistance from the Hols, nor any real support from them.

What do they intend to use to resist the iron hooves of their own army? Do they really plan to force them to retreat through attrition? Don't they know that with their military strength, they can easily divide their cities one by one, and then, like cracking open a conch shell to extract its flesh, leisurely take their spoils?

He didn't think the current Holsian king was a fool... at least based on the intelligence he had gathered, the other party was shrewd, capable, and ambitious, and he found it hard to believe that such a person would use such a passive and negative method to fight against him.

Now, they have amassed a massive military force in this city, forcing themselves to not ignore this important city—it looks more like they intend to stay here until they destroy it and take control of the position.

Therefore, they must have an effective measure to deal with it; otherwise, such an action would only be a waste of a significant part of their country's strength, like gathering crabs from the beach, making them into canned crab meat, and sending them to him.

What exactly is this measure? ...Tesolius pondered in silence, while keenly sensing a hint of danger.

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The veteran was thankful for his foresight; the stone bricks before him were covered in a sticky mass of flesh and blood, still steaming, interspersed with tattered pieces of cloth and scattered iron rings, with crushed and torn internal organs everywhere. It was known that anyone even slightly weak would go mad at the sight.

Even he dared not look anymore, forcing himself to turn away from the nausea.

He knew which places were the most secure, the safest, and the least likely to be targeted. His judgment proved correct; several unlucky men were crushed nearby, but he was unharmed. However, this good luck also brought him enormous psychological pressure—he had no idea whether this good luck would continue or whether he would live to see tomorrow.

It was a terrible torture, a sharp blade aimed at the mind, which would cut you to pieces if you relaxed even slightly... When it was his turn to be on duty later, he had to drink his fill first, which was something he and many of his comrades would do, just to relieve the terrible pressure of war.

Now, the recruits who hadn't been crushed had mostly learned to take cover in sturdy, reliable places, just like the veterans, which significantly reduced their losses. But he knew very well that this was only temporary—the Imperial catapults had an extremely long range and immense power. These heavy stone projectiles were meant to break through city defenses, not to kill people…

Once those horrible oil slicks and flying pebbles appear here, the death toll will be much higher than this...

And this was only the first day... The enemy arrived this morning and launched an attack in the afternoon. By evening, some people were screaming in terror.

The rotting flesh and blood on the city wall were quickly cleared away. Laborers and slaves would sprinkle lime on it and then clean it up with shovels and other tools. Leaving these horrific and cruel things here would only have a continuous negative impact.

When the new unit rotated him out, the veteran returned to his barracks without stopping. He pulled out a ceramic bottle with a wooden stopper from the corner under his bed, and without even taking a deep breath, he took a big gulp to relax.

Every time a boulder falls into the city, it brings screams and shrieks... Not everyone gets hit directly, but there are always terrified people screaming at the top of their lungs. These sounds usually stop quickly, mostly driven by whips. A few particularly foolish ones are taught by swords, making them understand that they cannot vent their fear indiscriminately.

The situation should be better tomorrow. He scratched his face impatiently, then jolted at the bloody welts from the whip, cursed, and took another big gulp, completely oblivious to what was happening outside.

………………

Eerie sounds emanated from the dark dungeon. If you listened carefully, you could hear the sloshing of slimy skin rubbing against damp moss, the scraping of bony claws against hard stone bricks, the constant slapping of tentacles, and a low, strange murmur hidden in the darkness—enough to keep any sane person away from this place.

A soldier pushed a wooden cart into the dungeon. The cart was filled with fresh flesh and blood, and the wheels were reinforced with iron parts to ensure they could bear greater weight.

The scent of blood immediately caused a stir in the darkness. Something struck the iron fence with a clanging sound, but it was impossible to see what it was. A look of panic appeared on the soldiers' faces.

Threatened by this eerie atmosphere, he decided to finish what he was doing as soon as possible and leave.

His tool was a long, three-pronged fork, which allowed him to easily throw large chunks of flesh, cut into pieces, from the cart through the gaps in the dungeon's iron doors. He threw three pieces into each cell, once a day.

He was quick and efficient, finishing everything in no time. Then, without looking back, he pushed his cart away, leaving behind the horrifying sounds of chewing, tearing, and slimy wriggling.

Not long after, the dungeon door opened again, and light shone into the dark area covered by moss—this was definitely not a place suitable for human habitation. It was dark and damp, and no matter how strong a person was, living here for a long time would definitely have an effect. Even the soldiers in the past would just throw prisoners here to be gnawed by insects and rats, while they themselves lived in the dry and comfortable barracks outside.

But now, the climate here is considered suitable for new residents.

The short, black-robed man walked in slowly, his footsteps barely audible. His black robe covered most of his body, revealing only his withered fingers and yellowed nails.

He slowly walked to the first cell and gently tapped the iron bars with his fingers. In the darkness, a pale white figure crawled up in front of him, its face covered with black tentacles that clung to the bars, revealing sharp, dense teeth.

He examined it carefully for a while, his gaze sweeping over the areas with stitches. After confirming there were no abnormalities, he nodded, seemingly satisfied…

Chapter 249 Siege (3)

He examined them one by one, carefully admiring these masterpieces sculpted from flesh and blood. No creature in nature could be so agile, so deadly, like an unassuming leaf with sharp barbs on its underside…

Apart from the necessary parts, most of the cumbersome parts were removed, and more flexible and agile limbs were added. The shape of the skeleton was adjusted to make each part more coordinated and perfect, so that these creations could easily climb through various complex terrains like the most flexible and agile spiders, and even hang themselves upside down from the roof.

What helps them accomplish their mission are their deadly bone blades and tentacles, as well as their terrifying, blood-sucking venom.

These things might be ineffective against the Empire's renowned and excellent armor, but everyone has moments of weakness. Even the most distinguished generals will remove their armor and rest in their tents. At that point, all it takes to kill them is a drop of poison or a sharp blade piercing their throat and heart.

Fortunately, to get these creatures to track, the target doesn't need to be identified by a specific scent like a hunting dog. With certain sophisticated techniques, they still retain basic cognitive abilities, making target identification and tracking much simpler.

Now he needs to make the final preparations for these guys, to keep them at their peak...

After confirming that all the suture sites and mutated limbs were in good condition, and that his perception of these things remained stable as always, with no signs of physical or psychological collapse, he began to prepare what he would need next.

Two huge wooden barrels were brought in, and the stench of blood emanating from them disgusted the soldiers who were helping. They threw them down and left immediately. They felt a strong aversion to the contents of the barrels, and although they didn't know what they were, it was better to stay away.

It must be said that their premonition was quite accurate. When the knife was inserted into the lid of the wooden barrel and pried it open, what was exposed to the dim light of the dungeon was a pile of organs squeezed together, with smooth grooves, protrusions and patterns, blood red with a hint of paleness, soft and elastic... the most developed organ in the human body.

These organs all looked quite fresh, with no signs of decay. The entire brain and cerebellum, along with a portion of the brainstem, had been removed. They contained a large amount of fat and nutrients and were gleaming with a sticky sheen in the dimly lit dungeon.

Any sane person would find this sight repulsive, yet he took a deep breath, as if the stench were a fragrant flower, and a look of ecstasy appeared on his face.

"...Ah, where wisdom lies..."

Immediately afterwards, he pulled out a small, semi-transparent bottle from his pocket. The outer surface was rough, and only the blue liquid inside could be vaguely seen.

He opened the small bottle sealed with a special soft, leathery substance and carefully dripped out a small portion of the liquid inside. His expression was extremely conflicted, as if he were pouring gold into a river, unwilling to waste a single drop. He hesitated for a long time before finally finishing, and then carefully put it away.

After doing all this, he turned around and opened the iron door of the cell, letting the pale, twisted creature inside come out and gather around the two wooden barrels, attracted by a certain smell.

"Eat up, eat up, this is the last time... Whether it succeeds or not depends on you..."

........................

What day is it now? ...I think it's the third day.

The old soldier idly munched on a piece of jerky when a deadly whistle echoed from the sky. A powerful stone projectile slammed into the city wall, sending stones flying everywhere and rattling against shields. Some even pierced through the oak shields, while those that hit people were either killed or maimed, leaving them unable to move and only able to lie on the ground groaning.

There used to be a small catapult on the tower next to him, but now the tower has collapsed halfway, the broken bricks have piled up into a small mountain, and the catapult on top has become a pile of scrap wood, lying everywhere.

This was the place where he was hiding, and the facts proved that his judgment was quite correct—the area that had been destroyed was not likely to be targeted by the enemy again, and the large number of stones piled up here also formed a thicker and more reliable defense, allowing him to sit on the ground and relax.

Several nearby soldiers also noticed this and gathered with him there, secretly alarmed by the screams and the deafening crashes of live ammunition hitting the city walls that were coming from other places.

"When will this ever end?... Six people have died right next to me today alone, and our catapults have been almost completely dismantled. I reckon that one over there will collapse today too..."

Before the words were finished, a huge solid shot slammed into the tower beside it with a scream of terror. The already cracked and riddled stone bricks shattered completely, unable to support the weight of the tower. It collapsed amidst the soldiers' terrified screams. The soldiers operating the catapults were lucky enough to tumble down, while the unlucky ones were buried in the pile of stones along with the catapults.

Several people fell silent for a moment. After a long while, the soldier who had spoken earlier finally said dryly:

"See, I told you so..."

"We're no match for the Imperials' catapults!" A soldier nearby slammed his fist into a rock, then grimaced and rubbed his fist.

"Those big guys can throw such heavy stones so far and so hard... To be honest, if we don't find a way to get rid of those things, our city will fall sooner or later!"

The veteran's expression changed. He glared fiercely at the outspoken fellow, then listened intently for a while before calming down slightly.

"You idiot, you should have your tongue cut out! Do you even know what time it is? How dare you say such a thing? Be careful, or you'll be hung on that pole too!"

The soldier knew he had spoken out of turn, and at the same time subconsciously glanced back at a long pole inside the city wall—that was used to execute those who undermined morale and deserters. Sometimes they would be beheaded and hung up there, and sometimes they would be hanged directly from it.

Based on what he just said, if anyone reports him, even the best outcome would be a beating that leaves him half-dead. The city is under very strict control these days, and anyone who says anything discouraging could be in trouble...

"But you're absolutely right..."

The old soldier sighed and took another sip of water—he couldn't drink alcohol while standing on the city wall, but he subconsciously wanted to find something to drink, so he often drank water from his water bag.

"If no one is holding them back outside the city... but we are already struggling to defend Chengdu, who would dare to engage the Imperials in open battle? This is just how it is... if anyone dares to go out, they will probably be crushed by their cavalry in a single encounter."

"How about a nighttime raid?"

A soldier with a youthful face asked the question, and the others all wore expressions of bewilderment, not knowing whether to laugh or cry:

"To evade the light cavalry's searches and patrols at night, to reach the heavily guarded catapults, and then to set them on fire... all without alerting any of those tens of thousands of people, is something no human could do? If you really had that kind of skill, wouldn't it be better to just assassinate their governor? Wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?"

The young soldier realized that what he had said was too naive, so he awkwardly shut his mouth and stopped speaking, simply listening to the others talk.

"Hey you over there, keep an eye on things. Don't let us all get caught, or none of us will be able to escape."

"Okay, I've been keeping an eye on him. I'll remind you when he gets here."

"That guy" refers to the Holstein officer in charge of this section of the city wall. He was a minor nobleman without territory. Although he was nothing to those of high status, he was still an unapproachable figure to them.

Moreover, the other party was extremely harsh on them, verbally abusing and whipping them whenever they had a chance. Although the soldiers hated this guy, they didn't have the guts to kill him, so they could only try to avoid him.

Of course, if things continue like this, and the soldiers, who are under increasing pressure, are further abused and oppressed, who knows what will happen next? After all, stones flying from the city wall won't spare anyone just because they are of higher status; they will all be crushed into mincemeat without discrimination... and if they end up mixed together, who will know what happened?

"I don't know what to do next... The original plan was to exhaust the Empire's money and supplies here, so that they would give up and retreat on their own, but now it seems that we might be the ones who give up first."

"I wonder if they can really exhaust all their resources... The wealth of that country is well-known even in my remote hometown. Who knows how much they've prepared for this war?!"

"I heard that Assele in the south will also send troops to support us. We should be saved then, right?"

"You're being too optimistic. The Assele people might not take such a big risk to send their army to help us."

A large bird with white feathers and black claws flew slowly across the sky, emitting a harsh, hoarse cry that made one's heart sink.

Several soldiers were talking with worried expressions behind the collapsed tower, while the catapults in the distance continued to fire heavy stone projectiles at the city wall.

………………

"Hmm, what are the results of the investigation?"

He reached out and scratched the hound's chin, causing the long-limbed, slender hound to squint and rub against his palm. Then he stroked the dark brown fur on its forehead. Tersolius turned to look at Talina and asked her this question.

His lead dog, unlike the other dogs, was not overly enthusiastic and always maintained a certain level of restraint in managing his hounds. He also often fed the hounds as he would Moss.

"We have indeed found something, sir."

Tarina lifted her skirt and walked over, making sure the hem was away from the mud on the ground. She carefully avoided the trampled areas and walked briskly to Tersolius's side.

The hunting dogs also recognized the girl, wagging their tails and making friendly noises. Two of them even came up to her and nuzzled her knees with their heads.

Tarina smiled and stroked the rather elastic ears of the large dog in front of her. These dogs had scattered scars on their bodies, left from fighting fierce prey such as lions and wild boars, demonstrating the bravery of these agile creatures.

"First of all, the remains that have been confirmed as 'sinsin'—this ancient and mysterious creature—I've only ever seen in my teacher's books. The climate and environment in which this creature lives are also very different from here. Based on this alone, we can deduce that what this place looked like in the past was definitely very different from what it is now..."

"Let's get to the point first, Doctor," Tersolius said with a smile. "No matter where this guy liked to live or what he liked to eat when he was alive, he's just a skeleton now."

Tarina coughed, her cheeks slightly flushed, and used her left hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing:

"After these few days of research, I can now confirm that the essence in that land was gathered from this skeleton. Because of this, the large amount of essence greatly increased the strength of the bones and also changed their color, which is why they have not decayed for so long and have a hardness comparable to wrought iron."

"The reason why a skeleton can accumulate toxins... I guess it's because something is attracting and collecting them... but there are no traces of it yet, so we can't be sure if it happened naturally or by human intervention."

“These bones should only have been affected by the ripples. This is quite rare for skeletal remains. I checked them repeatedly but found nothing special. I guess it’s just because they were buried underground and spent a long time in a place rich in serotonin that they were affected like this. The smooth, hard ground there should also have been affected, which is why it was so difficult to dig with a pickaxe.”

"So...those bones are useless?"

"It's not that it's useless," Talina shook her head slightly, then nodded quickly.

"No, I was too vague. I should say it's extremely useful! Those bones contain a lot of elements, far more than what's found in the soil and air. If this continues, I suspect they might even crystallize inside the bones. It's a rare find for me, and it will come in handy in many places in the future. It will also help me make more progress in some of my experiments."

"Even the crudest usage can greatly speed up the progress of the ritual, which is absolutely a good thing for people like us."