Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

But now, this sturdy hardwood table looks as if it has been weathered by wind and rain for hundreds of years. Countless white mycelia grow along the tabletop, penetrating every tiny crack and hole, absorbing the limited nutrients from the wood itself.

Simply by gently removing the other items from the table, it became shaky and splintered, with splinters of wood falling to the ground one after another. It was not impossible that it would shatter into a pile of wood chips in the next instant.

Taking the silver staff from her bag, Talina pointed it at the giant mushroom with a serious expression:

"ko.ui!"

A flash of blue light appeared, and the scattered yellow powdery spores on the table instantly gathered into a small clump. With a few light taps of the short staff, a continuous stream of yellow powder fell from under the huge umbrella like rain, and then gathered in mid-air as if falling into a funnel. The small pile quickly grew from the size of a walnut to the size of an adult's fist.

After doing all that, he took out his knife from his bag and carefully extracted a portion from each part of the huge bacterial strain, placed it in a flat glass container, put it on the intact table next to him, and began a series of dazzling operations.

After adding various powders and potions, and purifying and filtering them, a blue light flashed, numbers appeared, and Talina let out a long sigh of relief, immediately removing her mask.

"Don't worry, this is just a regular Passaro red mushroom, just an extra robust individual..."

"Huh!? I remember this name. Could it be the one I accidentally drank?"

Carila suddenly appeared, eagerly asserting her presence, and brazenly perched on Colin's head, making Colin, who suddenly felt his head being completely covered, furious and raising his hand to elbow her from behind.

This attack seemed to be completely unrestrained; it appeared that even a strong man would have his ribs broken by such astonishing force. However, Carila remained completely unfazed, simply extending her hand downwards to steadily catch the blow without even a tremor in her wrist.

“That’s true, but the average Passaro red mushroom only grows to about 10 centimeters, and some exceptionally well-developed individuals are at most 20 centimeters... But this strain has reached a height of about 130 centimeters, which can no longer be explained by reasons such as exceptional talent or excellent environment.”

Because of Tersolius's presence, the two, though pushing and shoving each other, ultimately did not come to blows. Karila, on the other hand, had clearly shifted her interest to another area, even though she had been tormented by the residual extract from this mushroom just yesterday.

Tersolius could tell that the two were playing around rather than fighting, so he didn't even bother to turn his head to look at them. He continued to sip his grape juice slowly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Meanwhile, Tarina continued her commotion around the room, racking her brains to find the cause. She was now checking the remaining quantities of each potion ingredient and sample, trying to figure out if she had accidentally mixed something together.

"Huh, that's strange. Where did the Beast Cup extraction potion I put here go? I remember it was in the same place..."

Tersolius suddenly stopped laughing, and the two who had been making a ruckus beside him froze instantly, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on them, freezing them into ice sculptures... Only now did the three of them realize that they hadn't asked Talina before taking the potion to feed the sheep...

After a moment of stunned silence, Tersolius coughed lightly:

"Ahem! About that medicine... Doctor, we took it."

"Oh, sir, what are you doing with that?"

"It should be said that it satisfied our curiosity... to be precise, it was mine, fed to the sheep we ate today."

Even Tersolius was somewhat embarrassed at this moment, since Tarina was in charge of all matters related to potions, medicine, and mysticism, and he really shouldn't have brought the other two along to mess around.

"Oh, how were the results? Did you keep detailed records?"

Talina continued packing the rest of the things without changing her expression, and Tersolius replied without changing his expression as well.

"Although there's no record of it, I remember it very clearly..."

As he spoke, he tapped his temple:

"The effect came quickly. After about 10 normal breaths, the sheep became excited and soon showed strong aggression. Most importantly, it was stronger than an average ram."

“I know very well how strong a sheep, especially a goat like this, is. If we were to evaluate it in terms of precise numbers, it would be an increase of 5%. Moreover, because it is lighter than a human, the effect is more intense and the stimulating effect is more obvious.”

"Oh, I see. It is indeed very valuable..."

Talina, no longer bothering to pack her things, pulled out her parchment booklet from her bosom and began to write and draw, which raised new questions for Tersolis:

"Tarina?"

"Um?"

"I often see you taking notes, but that little booklet looks so thin, can you really remember everything?"

The parchment booklet looked to be only a few dozen pages long, about the size of two palms, just like the student notebooks he used when he was a child. It was hard to imagine how much experimental data such a thing could record.

"Oh, this? I actually have quite a few of these, look..."

Tarina reached out and pulled open a drawer next to her, revealing a stack of parchment booklets, each one clean and neatly arranged with not a single curled corner.

Tersolius fell silent. The scene before him gave him a strong sense of déjà vu—it reminded him of the girls' desks he had seen at school… A rascal like him would get his books curled and dirty within two days of being handed them out, while only girls would carefully preserve their books, even neatly putting away their completed homework.

He rarely holds a pen anymore; swords and bowstrings are more familiar to his fingers, and the reins of warhorses and the handle of spears are more at his disposal. In most cases, writing documents and issuing orders are done by Talina or other scholars.

He didn't intend to lament the changes in things, but he still smiled heartily. The sweet and sour grape juice in his glass seemed to exude a wine-like aroma, and the winter wind was just right... making the sharp sword at his waist smell of iron.

"Take your time looking, doctor. I might have to stay here a little longer, as long as we don't disturb you."

Tarina paused for a moment, but only gave a gentle smile before continuing to study the giant mushroom.

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

For any farmer, livestock is an important asset comparable to their life. These strong cattle, horses, mules, and donkeys possess physical strength and power far exceeding that of humans, and can easily complete many tasks that even strong men find difficult to undertake, greatly relieving the burden on an entire family.

Therefore, once farmers have saved up money, in addition to considering buying land for themselves, they often consider buying a strong animal to increase their efficiency in cultivating the land and working. Especially when the family is still poor, such an animal has a higher status in the family than a person. Sometimes, when there is food and water, they are provided first, except for the men, to ensure that this pillar will not collapse during the busiest times.

Winter is the only time of year when people and livestock can rest. During this season, the fields, which have just been loosened, don't require much care, and livestock that have worked hard all year can also rest and recuperate in their pens. But for farmers, there are many times when they still can't relax...

A strong ox can fetch a good price anywhere, and even the worst horse can carry far more loads than a person. Even if the house is a dilapidated shed, as long as there is an ox in the house, it is a worthwhile business for thieves. With just a few transactions, they can easily make a large sum of money.

Therefore, even the laziest man will keep a hoe and a machete by his bedside when he sleeps, ready to defend his important property at any time.

Hazara was also worried about this. Although his family was extremely poor, they at least had a usable cow. He didn't even dare to put it in the cowshed, but moved it directly to his house to sleep with his family, fearing that he would wake up to find only the broken cow rope and the footprints covered by last night's heavy snow...

When that time really comes, he'll probably have no choice but to get some poison, and his whole family will eat it and leave this world early...

He didn't open his eyes until the chickens raised by the Ha family in the village crowed loudly. The first thing he did was check on his black and white spotted cow in the center of the house. Only after confirming that everything was alright did he breathe a sigh of relief. Then, he threw off his tattered bedding, grumbled as he dressed, and jumped out of bed.

His wife was up even earlier and was already busy feeding their chickens. He put on his worn-out shoes, crawled out of the door, took a deep breath, and pondered what he should do today.

The distant rumbling sound made him instinctively look up, and with just one glance, his face turned pale. Without hesitation, he turned and scrambled into the house.

"Where did these Assele people come from!"

Chapter 294 The Eve of Destruction (2)

Warhorses, with their immense weight, hard hooves, and horseshoes, are difficult creatures to conceal. Even on damp, soft dirt roads, the friction and collision of their hooves against stones creates a loud noise. The commotion caused by large cavalry formations is almost as loud as thunder, kicking up clouds of dust. They can be seen from a great distance, and in large numbers, you can even feel the ground vibrating with each gallop.

This is an ordinary village. Although the land here is fertile and the abundant rainfall and sunshine bring a fairly good harvest, the lords will take most of it, leaving the villagers with only enough to make them live such a tight and poor life. In the whole village, there are only eight working livestock, including the skinny donkey that is about to die of old age. A villager who owns livestock is considered one of the wealthiest families in the village.

For them, after using their cattle and horses to cultivate their land each year, they can rent it out to other villagers to earn some grain and other agricultural products, improve their family's life, and even save some money. In this way, families with livestock will always become richer and richer, accumulating more wealth through their own strong livestock.

That's why the cow in the house was even more important to the man than his woman. When he saw the Assele cavalry coming from afar, he didn't hesitate at all. He turned around and went into the house, grabbed the reins that were tied to the cow's nose ring, and desperately pulled on the strong spotted cow, trying to lead it out through the back door.

I don't know what those soldiers are here for, but it's definitely not for anything good. Ever since his grandfather, whenever these guys in iron armor approached their homes, they always took something from them... maybe money, maybe their chickens, pigs, or sheep, maybe their women... or even their lives.

He wouldn't hesitate to assume the worst about the soldiers, especially since they weren't from his country, but from Assele in the south... Foreigners were even less trustworthy! He had to find a way to hide his cattle. As long as the cattle were there, they could survive. Even if their houses burned down, they could rebuild them as long as the cattle were there!

Today, the cow seemed to be working against him. No matter how hard he pulled, it moved very slowly. He could only grit his teeth and gradually increase the strength in his hands until the cow's nose ring was pulled too hard and caused pain. Only then did he make the huge animal move a little faster. He dragged and kicked it all the way to the back of the house, and then followed a small path behind the village into the woods next to it.

He knew exactly where he could hide his cow nearby—behind three forked beech trees was a patch of broken rocks with a small hole in the middle, big enough to hide his family of three and the cow together… When he came out, he called to his wife, telling her to quickly pack up their son and hide the family's money behind the rocks; he wanted to hide their most valuable possessions there first.

The sound of hooves behind him grew louder and louder. He gritted his teeth and pulled forward with all his might. He didn't even care about the feelings of his ox anymore, pulling so hard that its nose bled. The torn nose exposed the flesh inside, and the blood stained the nose ring, dripping into the mud at his feet.

The pain finally enraged the behemoth. Cows like this are generally docile creatures, but they can get angry... and when they do, they can toss a strong, adult man away like a rag doll.

After he tumbled twice in the air and crashed headfirst into a clump of nettles, the excruciating pain in his body and the scorching stings on his head and face made him scream in agony. He instinctively used his hands and feet to get up from the ground, but the sharp pain in his lower back made him collapse helplessly to the ground again.

With an almost desperate expression, he reached out to touch his back. When he touched the indentation in his waist, he immediately let out a terrible howl. The horrible numbness in his lower body made him grind his teeth to pieces, and he was plunged into utter despair and fear... Even if you threw a slave into a lion's cage, you couldn't hear a more miserable sound than this.

He knew he was finished... He could no longer support his family or accumulate wealth... That beast's blow had broken his back, and he would be crippled from now on.

"What a pitiful person."

A rough, sand-like voice sounded from above him. He looked up cautiously and saw chainmail inlaid with brass plates, desert leopard fur wrapped around his shoulders, a thick black beard, and deep eyes beneath a helmet.

This was a burly Assele officer with a rough face and black paint drawn under his eyes to protect him from the sun. He looked like a shepherd who had walked through a sandstorm, if you ignored his iron armor and the brass hilt inlaid with emeralds at his waist...

"My lord, please, please..."

“You’ve really run into some bad luck. This cow has ruined the rest of your life… Like those unlucky guys whose legs have been broken by camels, you’ll be forced to beg for a living from now on, even more miserable than a worm in the mud.”

The officer continued speaking to himself, while the man's ominous premonition grew stronger, causing his lips to tremble. He shook his head helplessly, tears streaming down his face, but he could only shake his head stiffly.

"Fortunately, the kind-hearted Lord Bayedo is willing to help you out. How about selling this cow to me? We need such strong livestock to deal with the imperialists from the north. You can use the money to redeem the cow after the war is over."

Although he shook his head desperately, the officer acted as if he didn't see it, reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of silver coins, then threw them on the ground in front of him... There were no more than 10 coins in total.

"Alright, the money and goods are settled. This is a good deal."

A tremendous rage was building within the man, making his eyes bloodshot and red. With the look of a cornered wolf, he raised his head and glared fiercely at the Assele man—no one would think that such a strong ox was only worth 10 silver coins; even the lowest fool wouldn't be wrong about that! That money wouldn't even buy a cow's leg!

But just seeing the curved knife at the other man's waist caused his anger and courage to drain away as quickly as a punctured water bag... He knew that knife could cut him in two with a single stroke, and also shred his woman and child to pieces...

The officer sneered, then led the ox away, leaving the man lying face down in the mud like a statue, clutching the handful of silver coins tightly in his hand.

…………

Cries and wails echoed through the village as soldiers dragged out one animal after another. The farmers who followed behind were unwilling to leave but dared not get too close. They could only follow their animals step by step, gesturing wildly and pleading in the most pitiful and humble voices for the soldiers to release their livestock, trying to stop the transaction...

Each person received a paltry few coins as a reward, not even enough to buy a healthy animal or much food... The only effect was to make the scene look less like a robbery, but it did nothing to lessen the cries and desperate wails.

Annoyed to no end by the nagging woman beside him, a soldier finally lost his already meager patience. He grabbed his spear and struck the poor woman on the head, knocking her to the ground. Then, stepping on the shoes and broken teeth scattered on the ground, he continued walking, leaving the strong, stubborn donkey beside him with him.

The other soldiers who had been entangled followed suit, swinging their scabbards and smashing things everywhere, their spear shafts shattering teeth and cracking heads, causing the villagers to scream and retreat. They quickly finished their task, mounted their horses, and led their large herds of livestock back along the road they had come from.

………………

"Sir, why should we give money to these ignorant and weak farmers? Why don't we just take their livestock from their homes?"

A trusted aide leaned close to the officer and asked his question. Their horses' hooves kicked up dust from the ground, maintaining a slow pace so that slower-moving livestock could keep up.

The officer shook his beard with a hint of exasperation, letting the unpleasant dust fall off.

"Don't forget why we came here."

"Of course, it's for the fertile lands of the Hols... and to stop the Empire's ambitions, so they won't set their sights on our lands."

“That’s true, but don’t forget our stated slogan and purpose… We’re here to stop the empire’s invasion and save the country, so spending a little extra money is totally worth it. Besides, we’re not buying their livestock, we’re conscripting them. If it’s conscription, then this amount of money is very reasonable, isn’t it? And it’s not even a price to pay for us. It’s you who’s been nitpicking about this, which makes you look foolish and stingy.”

Amidst rising dust, the cavalry, carrying the spoils they had "collected" that day, quickly disappeared below the distant horizon.

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

Hundreds of bugles were blown with all their might by strong soldiers. The powerful lung capacity of the robust soldiers made the loud and far-reaching sound extremely long and far-reaching, replacing the crowing of the rooster every morning, waking up everyone who was sleeping in the city, and also making the military camp noisy.

The soldiers rose early and began packing their bags. After the victory celebration, the legion would set off immediately to continue their offensive, ravaging the remaining lands and cities of the Hols, destroying their legions, and trampling their armies, until the country was completely under the Empire's control, until the people and nobles of this land were completely subjugated under the wings of the double-headed eagle.

Theolys' helmet shimmered with a magnificent golden light in the sunlight, and his full suit of armor was dazzling against the backdrop of the golden-white lion's fur. A large number of officers and generals surrounded him, watching the fleet set sail.

Amidst the sounds of horns and drums, the order to depart was given. Dense oars plunged into the water, propelling the empire's sturdy and massive warships into the river, where they swiftly moved away in neat formations.

The first contingent has already set off, and the massive legion gathered around the city will continue its advance, tolling the death knell for the Hols, a kingdom with no defensible terrain. Under his will, the destruction of a kingdom is already foreseeable in the blink of an eye.

The imperial soldiers were brimming with confidence. They believed that under Tersolius's command, victory would be as simple and natural as picking fruit from a tree. They almost arrogantly despised their impending adversaries, mocking their incompetence and weakness, and wholeheartedly believed in their glorious impending triumph.