Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

"...You are as proud as ever, but thankfully, this time we are not facing an internal challenger, but a powerful external opponent."

…………

On the scorching charcoal fire, a large, skinned snake is roasting until it's dripping with oil, its sweet and rich aroma whetting the appetite. In the huge copper vats around it, the blue sand exudes a cool fragrance, keeping the temperature here consistently comfortable.

Fossala did not answer the old man's question, but instead turned his gaze to the large snake that was being roasted. His servant then cut off the roasted parts for him.

"The Turlu people certainly know how to eat. I heard that they just presented this kind of thing to the emperor of the empire last year, and now it's already on our table... It's just a pity that only one of the three that were brought here survived, and the other two have been roasted to a crisp."

"Before seeing it, I didn't believe that anyone would eat snakes... There are only dry and venomous snakes in the desert, where would you find such fat things that are raised and oozing oil... But now it seems pretty good."

"The Turlu people sent three to the emperor of the empire, and then sent three to us. Their land is fertile, but their people are weak and submissive, so their nobles have a lot of free time to study these things. However, they dare not disobey the will of the great power, and in the end, they still have to send them to us."

"Have you made a decision yet?"

The old man sighed, and the question he asked seemed completely unrelated. Fossala nodded slightly.

“I’ve made up my mind, old man… If those guys hadn’t been holding me back, this would have been decided much sooner. We have to get involved. We can’t just rely on a few bland diplomatic words to deal with any country anymore… Rather, when did we become so weak? Facing an opponent, we don’t even dare to try, and we’re already thinking of backing down?”

"Are you planning to come from the east or the west?"

"In the east, the army has already begun to assemble there. Only there can support our large army, and we can also get naval cover. We don't have to worry about supplies, which is much more convenient than for the Empire."

"The Hols are too incompetent. At the current rate, this country will be recorded in history books in a few months at most... We cannot risk exposing the coastal oasis to them. The situation has developed to this point and it was unavoidable."

Snake oil dripped continuously from the charcoal fire, and conversations continued beside it. The sun outside the window was setting in the west, and night was about to fall, destined to paint the sky with a clear, somber hue.

--------

Warhorses that run at high speeds expend a great deal of energy and are more likely to trip over potholes and obstacles. Their unique physical structure also means that once they fall, they are unlikely to get up again.

A horse that can't stand up has significantly reduced value to humans. It's also a terrible waste. So, under normal circumstances, riders in such complex terrain will try to control their speed and maintain a smooth and stable ride to minimize the possibility of falling.

Of course, there are exceptions—for example, when fleeing for their lives, no one cares about their own, so naturally no one cares about the life of their warhorse. They might even wish they could detach their own legs and attach them to the warhorse's belly to increase its speed and help it escape faster.

As dusk fell, the sun gradually sank below the western horizon, soon to disappear behind the mountains, casting its crimson light across every corner. For the fleeing refugees, however, tonight would be even longer and more agonizing…

Chapter 274 Escape (3)

The fugitives were exhausted, about to drain their last bit of strength... Contrary to popular belief, horseback riding is also an activity that consumes physical energy. It's not that you can sit on the horse and relax. Controlling a horse to run or walk for a long time can also make you feel exhausted... especially when there may be enemies chasing you from behind.

Whenever their warhorses became unusable and exhausted, unable to move forward, they would not hesitate to replace them with another one—this was also a result of their foresight in preparing a large number of spare horses in areas accessible by nearby tunnels, so that they could escape as quickly as possible in case the situation collapsed.

They fled from the bright sunshine of midday until the cold, damp midday evening. Because they dared not keep the torches lit for long, many people fell and were injured, and several horses were crippled in the flickering firelight. Finally, the fleeing people, who could no longer move forward on the dark road, were allowed by their leader to rest for a while.

After tying their horses up, they didn't care about the ground being wet from the melting snow. Everyone sat down with a thud. Under the immense psychological pressure, their physical strength was being depleted very quickly, and some people were so weak that they couldn't get up after sitting down.

When they first escaped, in order to avoid being hunted down, they even deliberately chose those remote and difficult paths... Now they are finally reaping the bitter fruit, feeling their bones ache and go weak.

The servants and soldiers were also responsible for feeding the horses and ensuring that these vital vehicles would not break down due to fatigue. The nobles and officers had begun to consciously gather to discuss their next steps.

The Holstein nobleman with short blond hair also looked exhausted, but he forced himself to maintain the composure and dignity befitting a superior. Sweat clung to his slightly curly blond hair. A gust of cold wind in the early winter chilled his head, and he shivered involuntarily.

Upon seeing this, a middle-aged man who had lost most of his hair quickly pulled a thick, plush blanket from behind his horse's saddlebag and draped it over the Holstein nobleman's body, protecting his master from the cold and damp weather.

Seeing this, those who had blankets immediately followed suit, while those who didn't squeezed together with their companions and began to recover their strength with dry, hard bread and cold stream water fetched from nearby. After a brief silence, the oppressive meeting finally began.

"Fodoros, have you counted the number of people? Has anyone fallen behind?"

The nobleman spoke first, turning to look at the bald, middle-aged man beside him, who unsurprisingly replied:

"Sir, there were 32 of us who escaped with us. 22 of them are still here. The others have disappeared without a trace, especially after dark, when several people went missing all at once."

"It's much better than I expected..."

The nobleman's face was grim, and although he said that, his expression showed no sign of relief... After all, since escaping from his castle, he was extremely insecure and wished he could hide among tens of thousands of troops. How could he be indifferent to the disappearance of his guards?

“Alright, let’s take this opportunity to sort things out. We can’t keep running around like headless flies. Tory Porter, go and gather all our horses together. Don’t let these beasts run away. Let’s move in a little further in. There’s a hollow there where the wind won’t blow. We can rest there until dawn.”

Everyone perked up and quickly finished tidying up before continuing their conversation.

"Our entire army was wiped out this time. Even those who survived became prisoners of war of the Empire and are now forced to build bridges and roads for them... What should we do next? The entire northern duchy has been cleared out by the Empire's army. If we want to retreat, we can only retreat into our own territory."

The nobleman's mood sombered as soon as he spoke, though he quickly composed himself. Yet, his words still evoked a sense of unease in everyone, and a feeling of despair for the future of the country was palpable.

"Forgive my bluntness, but it's not a good idea for us to continue retreating towards Duke Padori. After all, if we can't even hold this place, it will be even harder to hold that place. After Toracasi fell, the Imperial army can use our roads to attack any place they want to conquer. Isn't that how our castle fell? They brought the engineering equipment to our doorstep in just a few days. Even their most arrogant and careless commander wouldn't have done that before."

A burly Hols officer spoke in his dry voice, as if he were rubbing his tongue with a mouthful of burning coals. Upon hearing his words, the others froze, a hint of annoyance creeping into their expressions—it was as if someone had suddenly ripped out a vital point that everyone had been subconsciously ignoring, and the bloody reality was once again laid bare before them.

"So, according to you, what room is there for our vast kingdom to resist? In any case, no city can possibly withstand the Imperial army—"

"Gentlemen, may I have a word to say?"

A clear voice suddenly interrupted one of them, drawing everyone's attention. They instinctively turned their heads and saw the black-robed man who had escaped with them and was personally sent by His Majesty the King.

This guy was short and had been very low-key since his arrival. He spent most of his time hiding in the castle's dungeon. Apart from a few people, no one else knew what he was doing there. When they heard him say such a thing, they were all at a loss and dismissive, and fell silent for a moment.

“Of course you can say that, Mr. Sof.”

The nobleman who knew the inside story dared not be negligent and quickly signaled that the other party could express his thoughts. Several of his confidants also looked unnatural and even secretly wary.

"We can head southwest."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's expression changed instantly, staring at him as if he were a fool. But before they could speak, the man in black robes added:

"I'm not saying this to put us in a deadly situation, but because..."

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

Winters in the Kingdom of Hols are not as harsh as in the north. Even when it snows, it's only a thin, scattered layer of snow. Instead, there's a deep, bone-chilling dampness that seems to freeze your blood into ice. The damp mud seeps into your boots, causing unbearable discomfort. Especially after a freezing rain, you don't want to step outside at all.

"I wonder how much effort this will take."

The slender strip of metal plates, joined together by the knuckles, was as supple yet strong as a large, sturdy snake. Each piece was intricately carved, with gold inlay outlining magnificent lines. Eight leather straps hung down from the back to hang knives, staffs, and quivers. The most exquisite and ornate fastenings were at the head and tail, where two intertwined dragons were carved, their fierce power palpable and lifelike.

This was an extremely rare belt for its time—the entire belt was made of metal plates the length of a knuckle, which were interlocked by interlocking hinges, and the tightness was adjusted by mechanisms at both ends, reminding Tersolius of the metal bracelets of mechanical watches... equally meticulous, equally exquisite, but with the productivity of this era, it was hard to imagine how much effort it would take to achieve this level...

The advantages of using such metal to make belts are obvious—ordinary swords and knives cannot affect such a belt. Apart from being expensive and difficult to manufacture with complicated processes, it is hard to find any other drawbacks, and it also has excellent functionality.

even……

Tersolius weighed the belt in his hand, feeling the solid metal plate that was at least half a finger's width behind it. He was even more certain that this was not just a simple decoration, but a heavy piece of metal that could smash a person's head. If used as a whip, it could tear off large pieces of flesh.

Of course, he didn't order the craftsmen to make this. After all, with war raging, he didn't have the time to do such things. This was a find from the treasure room of a Holstein nobleman. He was so excited by the sight that he simply took it.

After untying his original leather belt, Tersolius put on the exquisite metal belt and adjusted it to fit properly.

"Click!"

With a crisp metallic clang, the belt wrapped perfectly around his waist, fastening the excess end into the slot at the back without any slack. It was crisp and sturdy, exuding the cold, metallic feel of steel.

Finally, after securing all his swords, leather pouches, quiver, and other belongings, he looked down and examined them. He was even more satisfied, nodded, pushed open the door, and went out, only to be met with a cacophony of noise outside.

Soldiers were busy at work, and strong warriors wearing only red jackets could be seen everywhere carrying things that were either huge or precious. They carefully moved their loads on their backs amidst the admonitions of some scholars and doctors. The surging crowd filled the entire castle.

Tersolius glanced around, then turned left with a clear purpose. Surrounded by his guards, he passed through officers and soldiers bowing, crossed column after column, descended a staircase to the basement, walked through a passage paved with moss-covered stone slabs, made two left turns and one right turn, and finally arrived at a tall wooden door of a high-speed rail.

He reached out and gently tapped it twice... This wasn't for the sake of etiquette, but to make sure there was nothing unusual inside. Otherwise, someone as clueless as him could easily cause trouble.

"Please come in, sir. The door is unlocked."

A crisp sound rang out from above. Tersolius looked up slightly and saw a round, plump bird gripping a lamppost protruding from the stone wall with its two tender yellow claws, staring at him with its bright amber eyes. The sound he had just heard came from the mouth of this little creature.

"This is really interesting..."

He shook his head, somewhat surprised and delighted, and then pushed the door open and walked in.

------

"Wait a moment, sir, I'm dealing with this... I need to concentrate."

If several people lived there, this house wouldn't be considered particularly large, but if it were just for one person to move around in, it would seem too spacious... Now, it was filled with all sorts of tables, chairs, bottles, and jars of various sizes. Apart from the passageway that was deliberately left in the middle, there was no room to move around. Everywhere you looked, there were fragile items and liquids of various colors, as well as things soaking inside that were enough to make one's hair stand on end.

Tarina was busy at one of the tables. In front of her, on a slightly concave plate, was a pale, white thing covered with blue veins and red streaks of blood, which was still wriggling slightly. The bulging muscles were reminiscent of a skinned rabbit.

Tersolius chose an open road and walked a few steps further before he could see clearly what was in the basin—it looked like a strange worm or an undercooked beef tendon. He couldn't see any other organs; it was just a large, slightly twitching muscle. One might mistake it for a sharp knife that had just been cut from a large, healthy body.

Tarina used her silver tweezers and knife to work on this thing, cutting open the outer layer of fascia that was indistinguishable from muscle and slowly peeling it off to reveal the blood-red muscle fibers and the still throbbing blood vessels inside. Then she took a small hook knife from the table next to her, used the sharp tip to hook into two intersecting blood vessels, hooked it backward and pulled it upward, and pulled out a black, still twitching thing inside.

This thing looked familiar to Teresolus—he had seen it more than once. Its familiar segments and slimy, black appearance were very distinctive; it was difficult to find a creature that looked like this in nature.

After removing the parasite, the girl quickly grabbed a long, round-capped needle from the side and accurately pierced it into the parasite's body at about two-thirds of its length. She then picked up another needle and placed it about two centimeters from the end of the head, fixing it to a piece of cedar wood next to her.

The large mass of muscle that was just writhing now appeared to be moving much slower, as if something that sustained it had been taken away and it was rapidly turning into a pile of dead flesh.

Talina took a breath, tossed the tools aside, and then carefully immersed her hands in a small glass pot beside her. She turned to look at Tersolius:

"You've come at the perfect time, sir, I was just about to look for you..."

Chapter 275 Firelight (1)

"It seems you've almost finished studying what's left here."

Tarina nodded slightly, washing her fingers with a basin of clear water. However, the transparent liquid had a slightly pungent, volatile odor, clearly indicating it wasn't ordinary water.

"A basic summary has been completed... Please come here, sir."

Tersolius took two steps forward, carefully avoiding the obviously fragile bottles and jars to prevent his armor plates from damaging the area, and approached the plate.

"This is a whole piece of muscle from an adult male's upper arm. It was just soaking in this jar, where it was nourished and kept active by a special liquid. More accurately, it was nourished by the worms inside, which in turn kept the muscle active. Otherwise, it would just be a dead piece of flesh."

The meat on the plate still retained a trace of life, twitching slightly right before their eyes. Half of the outer white fascia had been peeled away, and the fine muscle fibers, though not a drop of blood seeped out, remained incredibly bright red.

"By analyzing and summarizing all the samples we collected, we can now basically confirm that this parasite has a significant characteristic—in addition to supplementing itself with blood and flesh, it also needs to regularly supplement itself with a special substance, which is a component contained in those slender nematodes. This component is also found in small amounts in the human brain. If this biological requirement cannot be met in time, it will ingest it itself..."

"Of course, this characteristic is limited to adult insects that have undergone special mutations after hatching. The most ordinary eggs and adults do not show this need. They will only hatch under certain conditions and then instinctively begin to gnaw on the host's brain."

"Although our prisoner has told us everything he knows, unfortunately he is not the insect master responsible for cultivating the parasites. His relationship with those insect masters is more like that of a soldier using weapons and a craftsman forging weapons. Although he knows how to oil swords and remove rust to keep them in optimal condition, he does not understand the principles behind it, so it is difficult for us to know anything about this."

"And the whereabouts of those insect masters are also very difficult to find. The other side has taken very strict secrecy measures. Each person in each link can only know what they should know, and they know nothing else. They are not allowed to take the initiative to explore, so as to ensure that if any link falls into the enemy's hands, it will not implicate others."

"Since we touched their tentacles, we've taken quite a few prisoners, but the intelligence we've gathered has remained very limited..."

Tesolius's face was somewhat gloomy. He couldn't believe that even with the immense power of an entire nation, they still couldn't eradicate such an organization completely. Although they had caught them by the skin of their teeth many times, they had never been able to strike at their core. He simply couldn't imagine how deeply they were involved and how well they had hidden themselves to achieve this level of success...

"Their methods of controlling their subordinates are subtle and cumbersome, making me feel that trying to uncover more is as troublesome and difficult as digging into the roots of a towering tree. Every time I thought I had found an important root cluster, I found only some superficial roots no thicker than a finger. This time, we have only barely grasped the general structure of this tree."

"No matter how extensive and deep the roots of a tree are, as long as you follow the vines, there will always be a day when you pull it all out of the soil... Sir, this discovery also means something."

"Um?"

Thesolius raised his eyebrows with interest, revealing an expectant look, and became a quiet listener.

Tarina was indeed somewhat smug. As she took off her pure white protective suit, she said: