Cataphracts, surviving in a world full of mods

Chapter 433 Schemes (3)

The pain medication had begun to take effect, easing the excruciating pain of his limbs being torn apart and gradually making his steps more steady, preventing him from staggering. As he moved forward, he began to change his appearance and his attire.

He applied a thick, white ointment to his arms and neck, and his originally smooth brown skin immediately began to wrinkle and darken, giving him the complexion of a weathered old man in the blink of an eye. Then he pressed his palms onto the bones of his shoulders and used a special force to repeatedly rub and squeeze, causing one shoulder blade to bulge high, making him look like a disabled person with a physical deformity. Finally, he took out a soft, slippery, skin-like object from a carefully preserved cloth bag and carefully applied it to his face with a special adhesive.

Finally, he was dressed in tattered clothes and had messy hair. He had prepared for the former, and for the latter, he only needed to rub the dust, ants, and leaves piled up in the corner onto his head... After all this was done, he was completely a different person.

This guy was a beggar living near the sewers. He noticed the other man's lowliness and contempt early on, so he killed him, peeled off his face, and used this to prepare his third identity. He could switch identities whenever he needed to, and he was confident that he could make himself indistinguishable from a lowly beggar.

Now all he had to do was follow this path to escape into the sewers, and keep moving forward toward the sewer exit, where many beggars gathered, using the towering city sewers for shelter from the wind and rain. Only they could endure the dampness and filth there.

As his feet touched the damp ground of the sewer, a group of fat rats, as big as cats, scurried past him, chattering. Their gray-black fur was stained with sewage and looked like tattered cotton. Their thick tails were covered with a thin layer of down, like worms the thickness of a little finger. As they ran, they kept wriggling on the ground, leaving behind winding, linear tracks.

These creatures live by eating garbage from the sewers. The residents of the empire's capital are wealthy and live extravagantly, and only the sewers here can feed so many fat rats. With such a large number, they are not even afraid of people. Beggars in the vicinity often catch them and roast them for meat.

The sewers were very dark, with the only light source being the torch he held in his hand. The roof was supported by an arch made of stone bricks. The middle two-quarters of the road was a deep ditch filled with sewage and garbage from the city, while the narrow paths on both sides were for walking, allowing workers and laborers to deal with the accumulated garbage in a timely manner.

The torchlight flickered and danced as he moved. The damp moss on the ground kept making his shoes slip, but fortunately, the old shoes he was wearing allowed his toes to stick out from the front, increasing his grip a little. His speed was still acceptable, and soon he could vaguely see a white light ahead.

Dirty, foul-smelling black sludge was squeezed out between his toes. After walking only a short distance in the sewer, he already looked more like a beggar than a beggar, enough to make any decent person shun him.

There was only one bend in the road left. Before he saw the sun, he threw the torch in his hand into the sewage next to him, extinguishing the last bit of light. Then he grabbed a handful of moss and mud from the wall next to him and smeared it on his masked face.

He has now successfully escaped halfway. The next step is to sneak out before the city gates are sealed off, and he must do so as quickly as possible. Only by escaping this vortex that will soon tear flesh apart will he have a chance to survive.

Thinking this, he quickened his pace, his movements becoming somewhat flustered. He absolutely did not want to be caught... Whether caught by those black crows or by that strange and terrifying woman who was his former boss, neither outcome was likely to be good.

The light ahead grew increasingly bright, seemingly carrying the grandeur of the sun, causing his expression to relax slightly. He urged his leg muscles to quicken their pace, and just then, a thought, like a fish swimming, flashed through his mind, stirring ripples and waves—was the sewer really that short? Had he already seen the sun?

He immediately sensed something was wrong, his whole body went cold, his hair stood on end, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his hair, but his feet still took two steps forward due to inertia... and it was those two steps that made him freeze in place.

A brilliant, bright light illuminated a section of the sewer, revealing the sewage on the ground. Even the rats, accustomed to the darkness, squeaked and fled in terror. But this light was not from the sun; it emanated from a beautiful crystal flower that resembled a work of art.

It was a lotus flower made of transparent crystal, and the center of the flower emitted a bright orange-yellow light like a hot iron block, illuminating every corner around it. The handle at the bottom was firmly held by a hand wearing a leather glove. The slightly tattered black robe absorbed the excess light, and a green dagger curved like a snake's fang was being turned in the fingers.

"Ah, you've finally arrived. You're a bit slower than I expected. I guess treating your wound took you quite a while. You even got yourself a prosthetic arm. You certainly know how to plan..."

The blade he was flipping in his hand was gently sheathed at his waist. The other person calmly placed the crystal lamp in his hand on a protruding stone platform next to him, speaking with a sense of ease and amusement.

"How did you find out where I was?"

Sosgorya asked the question expressionlessly, pressing his hand down on his shoulder. With a crisp sound of bones returning to their place, his shoulder returned to normal, and a wooden arm was torn off and thrown to the ground.

He knew he had failed, that he was finished, but he still wanted to die knowing why the other party was able to capture him... After all, he had done his best and dealt with all the clues left behind along the way, even dissolving the blood from his wounds with medicinal powder.

He was unwilling to accept defeat, but he already knew he had no other choice... The last struggle he could make was to ask for a reason, so that he could die knowing everything.

The other person seemed to be in a good mood and readily granted his wish, pointing a finger at his shoulder:

"Did you think my blades were just poisonous? Anyone wounded by these blades, even if they survive by sheer luck, cannot escape my pursuit. From the moment I cut off your arm, you had no chance of escape, so I was waiting for you on your path... It's just that you put on quite a show, making me wait a little longer."

"There's one more question."

He drew a dagger from his lower back, hooked his thumb into the iron ring at the end of the dagger, and at the same time secretly engaged the trigger of the crossbow in his sleeve:

"Who exactly are you? Or rather, what is your name?"

That eerie silvery-green light shone again, and two curved blades, like the fangs of a viper, twirled in his fingers before slowly carving a groove into the stone bricks of the wall.

“I have no name. I am the most terrifying shadow in the darkness of sinners like you, the ominous presence lurking in death, and the most painful and agonizing torment… You only need to know this.”

The moment the words left his mouth, the crossbow bolt flew straight for the opponent's throat, but the dagger in his hand did not follow suit and thrust forward. Instead, it plunged into his own heart. He did not expect the crossbow bolt to hurt the opponent. From beginning to end, he only hoped to buy himself even a moment's time to have a chance to end things quickly.

Death had become a relief for him at this moment. With no other way out, he would rather end his own life than fall into this guy's hands and suffer terrible torture and an unknown fate.

Ding! Sizzle! —

The crossbow bolt struck the stone bricks on the wall, broke off against the hard granite, and fell to the ground. Just as his dagger was about to pierce his heart, a slight pain from his back caused a terrible numbness to surge into his head in an instant. His messy hair was suddenly grabbed by a glove, and he was pulled backward like a dead pig.

The fingers, completely exhausted, were unable to hold the dagger steady. The sharp steel fell to the ground, rolled twice, and landed directly in the sewage... From then on, it was destined to rust. Even the beggars who had lived here for so long probably wouldn't realize what was buried in that murky, foul-smelling sewage and garbage.

In the end, everything he knew was shrouded in darkness, and he sank completely into a terrible abyss.

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

The dry horse feed was ignited by a spark and then burned rapidly... The fodder, which had already been chopped and dried, was an excellent accelerant, and in the blink of an eye, flames soared into the sky, like a vicious wolf baring its fangs at the night sky.

The terrifying fire immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding residents. As the bronze bell in the center of the town rang, the stables were hurriedly opened, and all the livestock were driven out. People took turns working together to fetch bucket after bucket of well water from outside. They passed the water to the fire, where the tallest and strongest man in front poured it out in an attempt to extinguish the growing flames.

Of course, that was far from enough. The villagers who had gathered together began to move away the surrounding debris, use tools to beat out the scattered flames, or use hooks to pry apart the rapidly burning fires, doing their best to stop the fire from spreading.

No matter the era, fire is never a trivial matter... Flames bring civilization and warmth to people, dispel the cold darkness, melt steel, fire pottery, and cook food, leaving a deep mark on human civilization. But they can also wreak havoc and burn everything people have created in the blink of an eye, leaving only charred remains and ashes.

Especially in densely populated areas, if a fire is not controlled in time, it can easily spread and burn out a large area, completely destroying people's homes... Therefore, any rational person would not allow a fire to occur and spread in front of them.

Bucket after bucket of well water was splashed out by the man's strong wrist, spreading out in a fan shape in mid-air to cover as many of the burning areas as possible, constantly suppressing the gradually spreading fire—and they were not the ones actually fighting the fire.

The people clearing away the debris were working feverishly. Soon, they had cleared the area around the stables, moving all flammable materials to the other side of the yard. Then, those who had been using water to start a fire quickly followed.

They stepped back and allowed the flames to engulf the building in front of them.

At this point, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, believing that they had brought the fire under control—the stable was already beyond saving, and even if the fire were extinguished, it would be burned to a crisp, so it was better to just leave it alone and let the fire burn away the surrounding flammable materials to minimize the damage.

However, this was an absolute disaster for the innkeeper, because the smell of meat and burning stench coming from inside indicated that livestock must have been burned to death inside. He didn't know if it was the horse of a guest staying there, but he not only had to bear the original loss, but also had to compensate the other party.

At this moment, the innkeeper was pacing around the courtyard with a gloomy expression, kicking the ashes that had been burned to ashes while cursing and swearing. He watched with agitation as his stables slowly burned to ashes and the sturdy wooden frame gradually collapsed, endlessly cursing the guy who started the fire.

Regardless of whether there was any real evidence, he immediately confirmed that someone was definitely up to something... After all, how could a fire suddenly break out in the stable in the middle of the night?! There was no one living there, only a group of large animals. Could it be that the horses started the fire with their hooves?

The people who came to help gradually dispersed, and at this moment, it was still a dark night with bright moonlight and twinkling stars. People needed to rest well and prepare for the work of the next day. Finally, someone knocked on the door of a room on the second floor.

The guards on both sides of the house, clad in full armor, stared expressionlessly at the man knocking on the door until he received permission. Only then did they open the door and let him in. The passengers in the surrounding rooms were too frightened to come out, trembling and hiding in their rooms. Some even crawled under their beds, silently praying that they would get through the night safely.

But in any case, at least tonight, this otherwise unremarkable post station is destined to leave its mark on history... only now no one knows exactly what that mark will be.

Chapter 434 Counterattack (1)

The atmosphere in the room was terrifyingly heavy, as if the air itself had turned into a substance harder than steel, driven by some force, crushing him into dust and meat patties, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

The small room could only accommodate three people at most, but it was crammed with more than ten soldiers clad in iron armor. Although they only carried short weapons and bows and arrows, they were all sharp and fierce, and their eyes never left his vital points. As soon as they received the order, they could take him down immediately.

In the very center of the room stood the esteemed figure he was about to meet, clad in gilded iron armor and holding a winged helmet at his waist. He too was scrutinizing him with a playful expression, while his trusted confidants waited around him, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent.

He could certainly understand why... and he also understood his dangerous situation; if he couldn't explain himself clearly, he could easily be executed on the spot as an assassin...

Tersolius looked up and sized up the man who had been sent to his room… somewhat anticipating what he would say—this was undoubtedly the captain of the henchmen, and only he was qualified to come and explain at this time; anyone else would be considered unreasonable and offensive, and would never be allowed to see the general.

He easily noticed the large bloodstains on the other person's clothes, which had stained the gray bodysuit with a wet black color. The two short swords he had given to the guards when he entered the room were also stained with blood that had not been wiped off, indicating that someone's throat had just been slit.

And so he watched as the man approached, until he was about three meters away, at which point the guards' blades crossed in front of him, preventing him from taking another step. The other three stood silently behind him, ready to strike with swords and axes at the slightest movement and cut him to the ground.

Without hesitation, the moment they were stopped, the captain of the hawk-hounds immediately took a step back, then knelt on one knee and bowed, pressing his forehead to his knee.

"My lord, I beg your forgiveness. I, an incompetent and foolish man, failed to notice the traitors in the ranks! They attempted to set fire to the houses to burn you alive, but fortunately, my negligence did not last. I discovered their intentions in time, and they have all been executed! There were six in total, and repeated interrogations have confirmed their identities."

“Our whereabouts have been exposed, and it is no longer safe here. There may be other assassins following us. Please allow us to escort you in another direction.”

The room echoed with the scraping sound of armor plates, and the gleaming blades scattered tiny spots of light throughout the room under the moonlight. Everyone awaited the judgment of the only person in the room with the right to decide... whether to believe him or to order the guards to cut off his head.

Captain Hawkhound also didn't know what his fate would be... but if he were in Tersolius's position, he would execute everyone without leaving any hidden dangers.

"Grab him."

A chill ran through him as his bodyguards pounced on him without hesitation, grabbing his arm, pressing down on his shoulder with one hand and lifting his arm high with the other. They forced him to kneel on the ground, unable to move, while simultaneously pressing down on the back of his knees.

"I don't know if you're telling the truth or not, but luckily I have a way to verify it. I'll leave it to you, doctor."

A girl with long, light blue hair stepped forward, took a glass bottle from her small bag, carefully sprinkled the green powder inside into her palm, poured out a small amount about the size of a fingernail, and then, to his alarm, splashed it all over his face.

………………

"Has any of you betrayed us?"

Looking at Captain Tersolius, whose mask had been removed and who appeared to be in a state of confusion and relaxation, he asked the question. After a slight pause to think, Tersolius replied:

"Yes, someone betrayed us. They set fire to the stables near the house, hoping to burn Lord Tersolius alive or force him out of the house so they could shoot him with crossbow bolts from a distance..."

"How many traitors were there in total? Who were they?"

"There were six people in total, a small team transferred from the capital. The leader was named Pulkins. We didn't capture them alive; they committed suicide by poisoning themselves after realizing they had been exposed..."

What do you want to do now?

The other person maintained that unwavering yet slow speaking pace, like watching a video slowed down by two times; there were no obvious pauses between sentences, but it was always difficult to understand.

"We must get Lord Tersolius away. Our location has been exposed, and more assassins may come to kill us. We need to change our direction and route to complete the mission quickly..."

He then asked a few more questions, and the other person answered them all, though there were noticeable hesitations and pauses on the more pointed parts, but the answers were all fine.

After confirming that the henchman captain was trustworthy, he turned to look at Talina beside him. The girl nodded slightly and took two steps forward, once again sprinkling the powder in her palm onto his face. After a few pauses in breathing, the lean, wiry man took a deep breath as if he had just popped his head out of the deep sea, then collapsed to the ground, convulsing and gasping for air. It took him a while to calm down.

"Thank you for your kindness and tolerance, sir... If you can still trust me, a sinner, please allow us to protect you as you leave. We cannot stay here any longer... No one knows if an army will surround this place, and then we will be powerless to help."

After catching his breath, the captain of the hounds struggled to his feet and again pleaded with Tersolius, earnestly requesting that the lord leave with them. He was frantic, fearing that his men would burst in at any moment to tell him that an army had appeared in sight.

"No need, just have your men keep watch around."

"But sir!—"

He was truly panicked now, and even jumped up from the ground—he simply couldn't imagine what the consequences would be if something happened to the adult in front of him! He really didn't dare to even think about it; any rational person with normal intelligence could realize that.

But Thesolius simply raised his hand to stop him from continuing, and then went on to repeat his command:

"Have your men keep watch around the area. Don't worry about it. Before dawn, you will see an army in sight. Their banners will be black with a golden double-headed eagle embroidered on them and golden tassels. You should be the first to see and greet them. That's what you need to do next."

The moonlight in the sky remained bright. Thales slowly raised his right hand, causing the iron armor covering his fingers to collide and rub against each other with the contraction of his muscles.

“I will not be manipulated by petty villains and flee like a stray dog, nor will I put myself in a passive position. I am here to destroy the rebels, so why would I hide under their conspiracy?”

“They are the ones who should be afraid, they are the ones who should be terrified. Their sins can only be washed away by bloodshed, and I will make their blood flow like a river.”

The captain of the hawk-hounds trembled violently, as if enveloped by cold steel. Under that oppressive and terrifying majesty, even breathing became difficult. He dared not utter any more objections and could only bow his head in agreement and go to make the arrangements.

Tesolis walked slowly to the window, put on his helmet, gazed at the bright moon in the sky, and began to tap his fingers lightly on the windowsill.

He wasn't in a great mood at the moment... but not because he had been assassinated. After all, he had faced many assassination attempts, and this time the assassin hadn't even seen him before being dealt with. It was just a minor, uneventful incident.

The real reason for his deep depression at this moment was that the rebellion had indeed broken out as he had predicted. He had long realized that there was bound to be a bloody conflict between them and the old aristocratic forces of the emperor and the empire. This was an irreconcilable and fundamental contradiction that could not be concealed by wealth and land, and would ultimately be resolved by swords and bloodshed.

Because he had anticipated this long ago, he separated a portion of his elite Golden Legion and left it within the Empire, along with his brother's elite cavalry and the forces cultivated by the Emperor... all so that if such a situation arose, he could quickly return to the Empire, take control of a trustworthy elite force, and, in the event that the main legion was unable to turn back, swiftly crush any signs of rebellion with overwhelming force.

Based on the intelligence sent from the emperor, he astutely judged the most likely intention of the rebels—the capital's garrison was no longer trustworthy, yet they controlled the defense of the capital and could genuinely threaten the emperor's safety…

Once the emperor falls into the hands of rebels or dies in the midst of war, the power they have built up over the years will immediately fall into division and turmoil, plunging the entire country into instability and unrest, thus providing the enemy with countless opportunities to exploit.