Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

With a snap, he forcefully slapped the claw away, then spun the blade downwards, cutting into the opponent's side ribs—human ribs grow diagonally downwards, making it easier to cut into the gaps between bones at this angle.

But this thing is not hindered by pain, so he had to take the hit. In the instant he withdrew his sword and retreated, he was stabbed hard in the chest by the opponent's claws. The lacquered leather armor was torn open with a small tear, the clothes were ripped, and finally a bloody mark was left on his chest.

This was nothing, and it didn't even pause his movements for a moment. The blade spun as it cut into the other man's shoulder from top to bottom, making a teeth-grinding sound, prying at the gaps in the bones, and then he skillfully pulled it out without damaging the most delicate tip of the blade.

He continued sword strike after sword strike, without anger, fear, or any other chaotic emotions. He simply chopped at the thing as if it were a wooden stake, almost instinctively using the simplest footwork to dodge its wild tearing and grabbing.

He had already struck three potentially fatal blows, but the thing was still moving, so he was now slowly severing its tendons and bones, dismembering its limbs.

slam-la-

A sword ripped open his belly from bottom to top, and slimy internal organs and juices splattered everywhere, but they had already cooled down, bringing a cool, room-temperature sensation when they splashed onto his face.

This person is dead! — In an instant, he realized that this person was dead, and something else was supporting this body and fighting against him.

A long string of intestines dragged on the ground, quickly covered in dust, and became a burden, making the monster's movements slightly sluggish. His eyes also keenly spotted the black flesh wriggling inside the torn belly.

Lydos took a light step back, his movements as swift as if he were dancing with a girl, but his sword was resting on his shoulder, his whole body taut like a drawn bow. Then, the moment the thing rushed at him, he slashed down with all his might, the hilt of the sword creaking under his grip.

The pale blade continued to penetrate deeper into the cut. This time, with one less bone to obstruct it, it directly severed the shoulder and half of the chest. The monster finally collapsed to the ground as if its power had been cut off, with only its sword still dripping blood that was almost congealed.

He finally breathed a long sigh of relief, and at the same time, he dared not be careless and reversed his grip on the sword to stab the corpse forcefully. He stabbed it more than a dozen times before he felt at ease and put the sword back. He didn't even bother to wipe it before he sat down on the well next to him, panting heavily.

He's an old man... not to mention, he's never had a healthy body, it's a miracle he's still alive.

But at least he hadn't forgotten how to use a sword. This was perhaps the only thing he had left after a lifetime of wandering and toil, and it had come in handy today—truly useful—to kill a monster that intended to harm people.

He didn't know what it was, but he decided to report it the next day and leave it to the big shots above him to worry about. He was only responsible for this town.

"Uh... um... ah?! Ouch! Ah!!—"

With a thud, the young man on the ground finally woke up. After rubbing his head for a while, he finally regained his senses and the first thing he saw was the bloody head covered in dust. As expected, he opened his mouth and screamed.

Chapter 378 Surge (1)

Blood and bits of flesh were splattered all over the ground around the well—Lydos had practically chopped it to pieces with his sword, and some fascia and muscle were still stuck to his blade, which he was too lazy to clean up anytime soon.

What happened tonight was truly breathtaking, probably unique in the whole world... He didn't know how long it had been since he had engaged in such strenuous exercise, let alone a life-or-death battle requiring intense concentration. Even a strong young man would easily be exhausted after such an event.

At this moment, he was too lazy to even speak. He just stared blankly at the tower in front of him, his eyes unfocused, looking like a walking corpse. You might even wonder if he would fall to the ground if you pushed him.

Just then, the young man who had just been knocked unconscious on the ground finally struggled to wake up... and then he saw the most shocking scene he had ever witnessed—a bloody, wide-open mouth and eyes, covered in dust, head that was only about three inches away from his face.

At this distance, he could even see the eyelashes stuck together with blood on the head, and two ants covered in blood, with every detail clearly visible, every hair distinct.

The terrifying impact left him momentarily stunned. In a state of confusion and disorientation, he let out a few strange gasps before fear and panic overwhelmed his reason, causing him to scream in terror.

"Cato, stop yelling and shut your mouth!"

The veteran was so annoyed by the noise that he couldn't bear to see a grown man being frightened like a little girl. He mustered his strength and kicked the other man, which brought the boy back to his senses. The boy turned around and stared at him blankly, his eyes even glistening with tears.

"It's just a dead man's head! Haven't you ever seen a dead person before?! You're screaming like a little girl, aren't you ashamed of yourself!"

Faced with the other party's harsh reprimand, Cato pouted somewhat unconvinced—of course he had seen dead people, and quite a few at that. Not to mention that these past two years hadn't been peaceful, even in normal times he often saw unfortunate souls killed by bandits or wild beasts around him... But no matter what, that was definitely quite different from opening his eyes and seeing a head right in front of him; the impact was on a completely different level.

Without any preparation, even a soldier who has killed countless people would be startled, let alone an ordinary kid who has never seen human blood on his hands.

He ultimately didn't dare to argue with the other party, not only because the old man usually held a lot of authority among them, but also because the other party's current appearance was truly terrifying to him.

This old man, who was usually drunk, now had his eyes wide open, gleaming with a bright light that carried an indescribable meaning in the darkness, calm yet cruel... Add to that the bloodstains that had stained almost half of his body, the scattered pieces of flesh all around, and even the sharp sword still covered in bits of meat.

All I can say is that if anyone dares to argue with this old man in this state, then I truly admire them.

"Alright, stop standing there in a daze. Go to the wooden tower and sound the alarm. Someone has put something in our well. We need to clean the well right away."

Finally catching his breath, Lydos propped himself up and sat up. He also used the black rag from the corpse next to him to wipe his sword... He had always cherished this old sword since he got it. If he hadn't been dizzy and exhausted just now, he would have immediately found something to sharpen it if it had even been bumped or scratched, let alone let the blood rot and stink on the sword.

Cato wasted no time. Why did this young man rush to the wooden tower without even taking a torch? He nimbly scrambled up the tower, picked up a wooden mallet, and began to vigorously strike the iron plate?

The sharp, clear sound of metal clashing pierced the darkness, quickly spreading like lightning and shattering the stillness of the night, instantly stirring the entire town into a frenzy.

Soon, torches were lit from all directions... Not everyone had the spare money to make oil lamps, but every household had to prepare a torch covered with cloth and soaked in oil. According to the laws of the empire, whenever a warning was issued in the dark, the able-bodied men of the household had to immediately go out and gather together to capture the thieves. At that time, they would use torches to mark their positions and illuminate the surroundings to facilitate meeting and making arrangements.

Cato didn't stop banging; instead, he continued to make noise, guiding everyone to converge on the center of the town. Soon, a variety of flames gathered there, eventually spreading into a small sea of ​​fire.

Knowing that there was no time to lose, Lydos jumped onto the well platform and shouted out what had just happened, causing chaos.

As mentioned before, this well is the only water source in the entire town. It has always had a sufficient water supply and is usable. It was dug by the townspeople through collective fundraising decades ago. They even hired a night watchman to guard it, just in case something went wrong with the well and everyone had to travel dozens of miles to fetch water again.

But after the veteran explained everything, everyone was helpless. After all, even the night watchman had been knocked unconscious, and a monster had appeared. What could they do? Now they could only try to clean the area quickly, hoping that the possible toxins hadn't contaminated the groundwater.

So no one dared to delay any longer. With a shout, the men scattered to find buckets and ropes. They quickly lit a circle of torches around the well, found a nimble, strong, and relatively thin man, tied a rope around his waist, and lowered him down.

Soon, bucket after bucket of well water was filled and carried up by the people below, and then poured into the mud without hesitation. The group worked together quickly, and soon the water at the bottom of the well, which was several feet deep, was almost gone, leaving only a layer that could submerge the ankles.

At this point, there was no point in Lydos staying. The others knew what to do, and he prepared to take care of another important matter.

"Rosta, where's your carriage? Bring it out quickly, we need to use it."

"The cart was unloaded a long time ago, and the livestock are still asleep. What would we need it for now?"

The veteran rushed to the corpse, wrapped it in his tattered black linen robe, stuffed the dusty intestines back into his stomach, and then told the boy, Cato, to pick up the dusty head as well.

“This thing is really strange. We need to report it immediately. If there are any problems, let the big shots above us worry about it. The sooner this is done, the better. I’ll take the kid with me and go tonight. You get the livestock and cart ready.”

His head was sticky and cold, the half-dried blood on it like a gel-like lubricant, making it hard to hold. He could only dig his fingers deep into his hair. And this guy hadn't washed his hair in who knows how long. He could even feel the greasy, thick texture, and almost wanted to vomit. But a stubborn, unyielding spirit made him grit his teeth and stand up straight, trying his best to hold onto the sticky head without changing his expression.

Several of his fellow members of the security team glanced at him as they passed by, which gave him a strange sense of pride and made him a little bolder. He persisted until the men loaded the carriage and pulled it over.

With their combined efforts, the body was thrown onto the carriage. Because it had been chopped up so gruesomely, several of them turned pale. One of them even accidentally touched the sticky, bulging intestines, and his face immediately turned blue as he rushed to the side and began to vomit. Soon, a sour and foul odor wafted up.

"Alright, let's go together and try to be back by noon tomorrow. Maybe we'll even have time to buy some things and leave that head here."

Pulling the still-dazed Cato along, the veteran hurriedly sat in the front of the carriage. After confirming the small character in the composition, he gave the reins a sharp tug, striking the horse's rump and causing the heavy carriage to begin moving slowly forward.

The night was filled with noise and commotion; at least tonight, this small town was destined to be anything but peaceful.

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

A mosquito is persistently hovering, this vicious and greedy pest thirsting for warm blood to fill its belly, and it is unlikely to give up until it gets its fill.

Finally, the flying insect seized an opportunity, hovering and landing on the smooth skin. Its sharp proboscis quickly found a suitable pore, ready to probe inside and suck blood, while secreting clotting substances to have a full meal.

Soon, the insect's abdomen swelled up at a visible speed, the gap between the skin and the carapace was stretched open, and a hazy red color began to spread underneath, like a goji berry soaking in water, and it was still stretching.

This insatiable greed ultimately killed it—a large, broad hand seized the opportunity and swiftly swung down, crushing it, flesh and blood, onto its skin with a snap. The fingernails scratched irritably where it had sucked, quickly causing a small bump to swell up.

The persistent itching finally woke Yak from his drowsy state—along with the bloating and pain in his lower abdomen, he realized he needed to take care of some personal matters.

Too lazy to light a lamp in the darkness, he groped his way to the door and breathed a sigh of relief at the bright moonlight outside. He then walked around the wall to the toilet at the back of the house.

This toilet was also newly built, using several hundred bricks, and is much cleaner than the original one. However, it also cost a lot of money, but he has some savings now, so he is happy to tidy up his house.

After relieving himself, he shivered, pulled up his pants, and prepared to go back. At that moment, drowsiness washed over him, making his eyes blurry.

Without realizing it, he had dozed off against the wall, and woke up when his head hit it. He shook his head and prepared to go back to the room to sleep, but just as he took three or four steps, something cold suddenly rolled up from the back of his head.

Why hasn't the patrol team gone yet? So much time has passed...

His sleepiness vanished instantly, and he immediately became alert. A strange sense of anxiety and unease welled up inside him. After hesitating for a moment, he made up his mind, hurriedly went inside, and after exchanging a few words with his wife, he dressed and picked up the torch that had been extinguished in the house.

Just before leaving, he hesitated again and stopped. In the end, he picked up the short sword that was on the stool and hung it on his shoulder. As he walked, he kicked the ground with his toes, so that the boots he was wearing halfway were completely on his feet.

He struck sparks with a flint and steel at the doorway to ignite the torch in his hand. He didn't even need to discern directions to know where he should go. The night wind made his torch sway constantly, causing the flame and his shadow to leap.

After crossing two streets and turning past a house that had praised him halfway, he bumped into a group of people carrying torches.

"Who goes there?! -- Ark, why are you awake? Wasn't it your turn to rest today?"

The leader was a middle-aged man with a large nose and short, curly, reddish-brown hair. He held a torch in his left hand and a hunting knife at his waist with his right.

"I heard something's not right. Have you seen Poyasa and the others?"

The middle-aged man frowned:

"I just switched shifts, but I didn't run into any of them in the previous two laps, so I thought I had just missed them."

"...Something might have happened. Let's go check it out...I should be able to hear them walking past in my backyard, but there's been no sound at all today."

After the two men talked for a while, a tense atmosphere inexplicably spread. The four men on patrol subconsciously gripped their weapons and became more vigilant. Then they followed Ark in a hurry in one direction.

The city was not entirely safe, especially after the Imperial Legion continued south. Without the soldiers' suppression and deterrence, strange individuals would occasionally appear. Although their numbers were small, they still had to be guarded against.

They were all very familiar with the roads here, and could find their way even without torches. So it didn't take long for them to reach the patrol area and see the empty streets.

This was clearly not normal, so they became even more silent. After exchanging a few words, they split into two teams and began to search along the houses and streets... After all, there were four living people. Even if something had happened, the traces would certainly not be small. It was obviously not safe to search alone at this moment.

I just hope I'm worrying unnecessarily... that's what I really think.

Chapter 379 Surge (2)

Late at night, most of the city's residents are fast asleep. They usually have to get up early for work the next day, so they go to bed very early. At this time, apart from the night watchmen, few people are on the streets, making the place seem particularly deserted and lonely.

Nowadays, the streets are no longer safe for petty thieves. In the past, they could move around freely in the dark with the cover of shadows, but now even in the dead of night, there are still patrol teams taking turns to patrol the streets, and if they are not careful, they will be arrested and beaten.

As for those thieves who want to commit crimes under the cover of night, there is no need to say more—as soon as there is the slightest clue, a copper whistle will be blown, instantly summoning patrol teams from several surrounding streets to either beat or arrest them. At that point, even escape will be a luxury, and they will only be blocked in the alley by patrolmen familiar with the terrain.

For this reason, people no longer have to worry when they go to sleep. Apart from preparing fire-fighting tools such as buckets and forks in the house, they can sleep peacefully all night without worrying about people fighting in the middle of the night or breaking in and committing crimes at night.

Meanwhile, the once quiet streets gradually began to echo with scattered footsteps. Patrol teams carrying torches began to move between the streets, searching and investigating one place after another, but they could not find any relevant traces. As time passed, their expressions became more and more anxious, and they would occasionally whisper to each other.

"Something's probably really happened, Ark. We can't find any trace of those people anywhere, it's like they never even came out today... Should we report this immediately and get the legionary soldiers living in the city to take over?"

The middle-aged man with the big nose made a slightly uneasy suggestion to Ark, and Ark immediately understood his unspoken thoughts—if those people had already been harmed by spies or traitors, they would certainly not fare well if they encountered them. It would be better to report it now and let the professionals deal with those guys.

This was indeed a very safe approach. Not only would it not bring them any punishment, but it would also avoid any potential danger. The other three were also interested and clearly shared the same idea.

Even he hesitated for a moment, but after a while, he firmly shook his head:

“Let’s look around some more. They might have been delayed by something. Let’s not make a scene right now… Brady, you stay here with Casado and wait. If things get chaotic where we’re going, go find the officers and have them send troops…”

At this point, his expression suddenly hardened, and he gritted his teeth in final apology:

“If we don’t come back for a long time, you guys go too… Remember to be smart.”

Upon hearing these words, the faces of several people turned pale instantly. The middle-aged man with the big nose and curly hair trembled and quickly reached out to grab Ark's shoulder.

"Why are you doing this? There's no need to take such a risk. We should play it safe..."

"Don't worry, there's a high chance we'll be fine. The imperial army has already swept through the entire south. Even if some villains have managed to infiltrate, they certainly won't be targeting people like us. It should be safe to go there now."

At this point, Yak suddenly reached out and pulled the other person's head close, while waving to the others to come closer.

"...And even if there's a possibility of being threatened, this is also an opportunity. Don't forget that the city will be selecting officials in a few days. We failed to be selected before because we weren't prepared enough. If we can make a contribution now, will anyone else be able to get those positions? If we want to live a good life, we have to take a little risk... Otherwise, how can we stand out?"