Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

The sounds of wind, rain, the rustling of armor, the panting of warhorses, the rapid thud of hooves, the shouts and cries of cavalrymen… all of this was laid bare before him, completely unobstructed. He had never felt the world so vibrant, life so unique. He could even hear the beating of each person's heart, their panting behind their chainmail visors, hear people praying to the gods for victory, and hear others praying for their souls to find peace after death.

Suddenly, he was no longer afraid or flustered. He listened and observed with great interest... Everything in the world seemed to slow down in his eyes. He could hear more and more sounds. He could clearly see every blade of grass rubbing against each other. With each breath, the chainmail rings vibrated...

"Riding skill requirement: 105"

Riding skill level: 277

The test has been passed.

"?!...What was that sound?"

Xu Ning looked around in a panic. A cold, mechanical voice had suddenly rang in his ears, and the information it conveyed...

"grown ups!!……"

Akar's panicked voice suddenly rang out from the side. A rabbit hole, hidden by weeds in the grass, suddenly appeared at very close range, but they didn't have time to turn their horses around. With both men and horses heavily armored, a single fall could have devastating consequences for the heavy cavalry, and that rabbit hole was now right under his horse's hooves...

Almost instinctively, he suddenly tightened his grip on the horse's belly, and with his right hand holding the spear, he slightly tugged at the right rein. At the same time, he adjusted his center of gravity slightly. The magnificent warhorse seemed to understand his will, and with its four hooves slightly crossed, it bypassed the dangerous hole and continued galloping forward.

He immediately adjusted his posture, returning to his previous state, leaving Akar speechless and forced to remain silent as he continued to follow.

Xu Ning involuntarily gripped his spear tighter, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him—joy, anger, relief, and above all, a sense of peace. He had indeed received help, but he hadn't noticed it until just now, in that peculiar state he was in, when he finally heard the sound he had been ignoring, the sound drowned out by the noise of the battlefield.

And now, he finally has some confidence...

04 Fight to the death (2)

Banners, obscuring the sky, emerged from the ranks of soldiers like withered arms reaching out from the dark sea. Banners fell to the ground, only to be picked up again, stained with blood and mud. The enemy, clad in dark green armor, did not use banners to identify their ranks. Instead, their formations were marked by feathered flagpoles, the feathers of various colors pieced together into unique patterns, guiding their warriors in the charge.

Xu Ning led his troops to wander along the edge of the battlefield. He didn't know what to do. He was told to destroy the enemy's archers... but those guys who were drawing their longbows and firing continuously were clearly in the center of the army formation, surrounded by a thick infantry formation protecting them. Could he, with only a thousand men, break through?

So he approached the enemy lines again and again, turning his horse around and circling amidst the rain of arrows. Several arrows struck his armor, most failing to penetrate and bouncing off. A few that managed to embed themselves remained lodged in his body, but the impact of the heavy arrows still made him grimace. Yet, without raising his head, he kept his eyes fixed on the enemy lines, searching for any possible opening.

As time passed, he grew increasingly anxious. He knew that the horses had limited stamina, and if things continued like this, he would have to force them to run too early. Otherwise, once the horses ran out of energy, they would be unable to do anything.

Where are they? Where exactly is their weakness?!

He seemed to be one with his warhorse, paying no attention to the road, yet encountering no hindrance. The massive, agile steed skillfully led the cavalry formation, soaring across the grasslands like eagles. But everyone knew that these thousand-plus heavy cavalrymen could transform into enraged lions at any moment, tearing the infantry and archers' ranks to shreds.

As they completed another maneuver, the enemy formation suddenly parted to the sides, clearing a path—but not for them, but for the Horus' own cavalry…

Tactical requirements: 98

Tactical Level: 199

The test has been passed.

Xu Ning paused slightly, then with a single thought, he led everyone towards the opening. A cavalry force of similar numbers was charging, but they didn't have time to increase their speed. The heavily armored cavalrymen, their horses and riders clad in armor, covered the 200-meter distance in the blink of an eye, slamming themselves and their massive horses into the opening with their weight. Without any hesitation, he made the decision decisively, and the others did not hesitate either, entrusting their lives to him.

Several soldiers who hastily thrust out their spears were immediately trampled into a bloody pulp by the horses' hooves. The spears, hastily thrust out, also broke in two against the heavy armor. With the help of this foolish decision made by the enemy commander, they pierced into the infantry formation almost without any resistance. The light cavalry, who had not had time to accelerate, were not wearing armor on their horses and were only wearing light leather armor and helmets covering their torsos. When they collided with them, they were like porcelain thrown into a pile of stones, shattering in the blink of an eye.

In the instant of impact, he instinctively thrust out his spear. The finely forged spearhead tore through the hard leather armor without resistance, lifting the slender enemy off his horse. The two tabs beneath the spearhead prevented it from penetrating too deeply, and as if discarding trash, he twisted the spearhead downwards and tossed the corpse to the ground.

Proficiency level for long-handled thrusting weapons: 298

Thrust speed bonus: 789

Damage bonus: 564.

Inspection complete.

………………

With each thrust of his spear, he seemed to have been a lancer for decades, precisely timing his thrusts and using the correct grip to reduce the impact on the spear shaft, preventing it from breaking. He deftly moved the shield in his left hand to block every arrow and blade, swooping down like a hawk to strike its prey, felling one cavalryman and infantryman after another.

The galloping warhorses trampled one soldier after another who tried to stop them. Their spears couldn't halt the rampaging armored steeds; they could only watch helplessly as this steel torrent crushed their formation. The soldiers at the forefront had already discarded their spears, using only the powerful momentum of their horses to break into the enemy ranks. They then brandished their chain maces and iron clubs, smashing the heads of infantrymen while simultaneously spurring their comrades with their spurs. They forcefully pushed through the dense crowd, squeezing themselves into the fray.

It was truly astonishing. Just moments ago, he was terrified and even wanted to flee this horrific battlefield without a care in the world. But when he actually charged into the enemy ranks, his heart was as calm as ice. No negative emotions could spread through him. It was like running his fingertips through a blade of grass without stirring any ripples in his heart.

When piercing an enemy with a spear, the sharp blade cutting through flesh and scraping against bone could be clearly felt through the shaft of the spear. It was as if he were personally touching the slippery internal organs and bones as he plunged his hand into the enemy's abdomen, experiencing the satisfaction of a skilled doctor removing a lesion. He relentlessly stabbed down enemies one after another with his spear; everyone's movements seemed as sluggish as wooden stakes to him, easily within reach of his spear.

Killing more than a dozen people didn't evoke any negative emotions in him. Hearing their dying cries, he even felt a bloodthirsty pleasure. His thrusts became increasingly precise and sharp. The semi-congealed, viscous blood flowed down the spearhead onto his hand, where it was absorbed by the leather straps, preventing the spear from slipping out of his grasp.

Using the momentum of the horse, he thrust out with force, pinning an enemy wearing heavy armor to the ground. The spear shaft could no longer withstand such torment and broke off directly from a barely noticeable crack in the middle. He threw away the half of the spear shaft he was holding and reached for the iron staff at his waist.

Using the speed of a galloping horse, as he passed by one disoriented infantryman after another, the iron staff in his hand smashed their heads one by one like whack-a-mole, deforming and denting their heavy metal helmets. The sharp edges of the hammer ensured that it would not cut through the smooth surface of the armor, and the force of the shock was absorbed by the thick leather handle.

"Single-handed blunt weapon proficiency level: 256"

Swing speed bonus: 704

Swing damage bonus: 503

………………

The entire infantry square collapsed. The disoriented Hols fled in all directions, and even the execution of deserters by the supervisory team could not stop their rout. They even disrupted the surrounding formations, causing the soldiers who had been holding their ground to curse them loudly. Several adjacent infantry squares became chaotic.

The armored cavalrymen shouted and brandished their short hammers and long swords, driving the infantry blocking their way like herds of livestock. In just a few minutes, they had broken through three infantry squares as smoothly as a hot knife through butter. Hot blood throbbed in their veins, making them cheer loudly and boosting their confidence.

The enemy soldiers screamed in despair. Even though the terrible weapons and ferocious cavalry had not yet reached them, just looking at those people whose armor was covered in blood from afar made their legs tremble and they could not even hold their spears.

The area was filled with various noises of men shouting and horses neighing, but Xu Ning ignored them and kept urging his warhorse forward with his spurs, once again charging into the enemy's formation. The other cavalrymen quickly followed, and the panicked heavy infantry could not form a spear formation in time. They did not even know where these cavalrymen came from. It seemed that in the blink of an eye, the troops in front of them had collapsed and they had rushed in front of them.

In the blink of an eye, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and screams filled the air. Those who were knocked down were immediately trampled by countless feet and hooves, never to rise again. The infantry, their courage waning, scattered to the sides like sheep fleeing a tiger. Suddenly, there was no resistance in front of him. After his warhorse had galloped a few steps, he saw the archers standing in scattered formation in the open space…

"kill!!……"

05 Striking the Enemy (1)

A tall, slender Holstein let out a sharp cry, crouched down, and then straightened his legs, leaping high into the air. His spear thrust straight at the fearsome, heavily armored enemy. The attack was lightning fast; the enemy's unexpected agility almost caught Xu Ning off guard. However, he still raised his shield, letting the sharp spear tip glide across the smooth surface. Then, like a nimble snake, he leaped upwards and pierced the enemy's cheek, knocking away several chainmail rings.

The impact sent a numbing pain through his cheek, his teeth seemed to loosen, but no blood flowed. His iron staff, propelled by the slow trot of his warhorse, swung out with the momentum. The Holsman hastily retracted his spear, attempting to block with the shaft. But the sharp edges of the modern alloy steel hammerhead offered no resistance to the wooden shaft. With a crisp snapping sound, the iron staff slammed irresistibly into the Holsman's arm. The arm guard, woven from slender plates, caved in and bent, the bones inside breaking with a numbing crack. The force of the blow knocked the Holsman to the ground. Before he could even rise, the next armored cavalryman, wielding his spear, thrust it downwards, easily pinning him to the ground.

An archer drew back his enormous bow, which was fitted with arrows as thick as a thumb. The arrows were pointed at Xu Ning at the front, the arrowheads gleaming with a blinding light. With a gentle release of his fingers, a sharp whistle accompanied a slender black shadow flying toward Xu Ning's thinly armored neck.

He immediately raised his shield, a shield made of thick oak covered with double-layered hardened cowhide, which could perfectly defend against both sword slashes and spear thrusts, but it was almost completely pierced by the heavy arrow in front of him. The thin, sharp arrowhead pierced through the entire shield by several centimeters, grazed the armor on his arm, and got stuck on it.

A layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back, only to be absorbed by his heavy clothes. He immediately turned his horse around and charged at the archer. As the archer drew his bow again, caught off guard, he smashed the archer's head with a blow. Just as the large bow, almost as tall as a man, was about to fall to the ground, he reached out and grabbed it, then hung it on his saddle.

The armored cavalry were wreaking havoc among the archers. At this distance, the archers rarely had a chance to draw their bows before the cavalry charged into their formation. This weapon was extremely powerful; even the armored cavalry in double layers of heavy armor could not withstand many blows. However, it took a very long time to draw the bow. Often, by the time the archers released their arrows, the cavalry had already moved on to the next location, and the heavy arrows could only drift out from behind them.

The armored cavalry, wielding longswords, chain maces, and iron clubs, could easily kill these lightly armored archers. Using the momentum of their slow-moving horses, they could even cleave them in two. Within minutes, most of the archers were dead or wounded; their mutilated corpses piled up on the ground, their stench-filled entrails trampled into the mud by the horses' hooves. The wounded but not yet dead soldiers suffered the most horrific fate; their screams were deafening.

The last squad of archers finally succumbed to the terrible casualties. They let out a pitiful wail and turned to flee back to the rest of the column. They desperately pushed their comrades aside, trying to make way for them, but all that awaited these deserters was a hail of swords and axes. They did not die under the cavalry's hooves, but were killed by their own soldiers.

The commotion in the surrounding area subsided immediately, and layer upon layer of heavy infantry began to converge on the area. They planted their spears in the ground and stood them upright, forming a dense array of spears. The sharp spear tips gleamed coldly in the rain, like a hedgehog with its feathers ruffled, exuding a chilling danger.

The area where the crossbowmen had stood was gradually compressed, and the mangled corpses were mercilessly trampled underfoot. A commander wearing a tightly fitted helmet watched grimly as the steel torrent raged at their center. His helmet had a streamlined design, with a brim extending from the back of his head, completely obscuring most of his face, leaving only a Y-shaped slit revealing his eyes and nose. The armor he wore was extremely tight and secure, a thick layer of densely woven chainmail covered by hardened leather armor, yet it did not feel bulky or heavy at all. Instead, it fit his body perfectly, giving him an agility that heavy armor should not possess.

The feathered flagpoles shifted patterns in the rain, each feather seemingly possessing its own life, rising and falling, opening and closing, arranging the colored and colorless sides to form symbols. Meanwhile, the heavy infantry converged towards the center, compressing the cavalry's space for acceleration and diminishing the initial power of the rampaging armored cavalry.

It seemed that it wouldn't be long before those terrifying cavalrymen were doomed... but the commander showed no positive emotion. On the contrary, his face remained gloomy, his thin lips were tightly pursed together, and his long, upturned eyes flashed with a sinister light.

Two heavily armored guards dragged a richly dressed man forward. This high-ranking Holstein was treated with utter disrespect; the guards escorted him like a fat pig being dragged from a sty, quickly covering his once-splendid clothes with a thick layer of mud and grime. They also frequently beat him with their halberds until he arrived here in a wretched state, looking just like a pig wallowing in the mud.

“T. Losfin… I don’t want to call you by your full name, because it would feel insulting.”

The commander turned around expressionlessly. He looked at the man who was lying on the ground, trembling all over. Suddenly, he raised his foot and kicked out hard, ripping open the man's nose and letting blood soak his toes. The man trembled all over and rolled on the ground, letting out miserable howls.

“Because of your foolish decision, you swine, we have lost all our archers and light cavalry… They could have been of much greater value, but because of you, they were easily crushed by human armored cavalry… I swear to Ephas, even skinning you alive wouldn’t quell my rage! Tell me, what should I do with you?”

The commander gritted his teeth and ripped off the man's helmet, revealing short flaxen hair and two long, pointed ears. He reached out and grabbed the slightly curly hair, then ripped it hard, causing the man to raise his head and reveal a face covered in snot, tears, and blood.

"My lord! My lord! Please have mercy... spare my life, I am willing to give everything to atone for my mistakes, I am willing to give up all my property and rights..."

The commander swung his hand forcefully, and with a scream, a clump of flaxen hair was already in his grasp. Blood began to seep rapidly from the man's scalp. He then reached out and grabbed the man's long, pointed ear, and with a slight force, he broke the cartilage and tore the flesh, pulling it into his hand with a spray of blood.

"Your stupidity has exceeded my imagination. Do you really think you can still keep your wealth, you disgusting creature like a maggot in rotting flesh?!"

The commander's hand reached for the hilt of his sword, but he suddenly stopped... because he had already thought of a better way to handle the situation:

“Guards! Strip this guy of his armor, give him a pitchfork, and send him to the front row! ... If you survive today, I will forgive your sins.”

As the Hols man cried out loudly, the guards ruthlessly stripped him of all his armor and clothes, leaving him only in a pair of white trousers. Just as his bare feet touched the muddy ground, a rusty pitchfork was thrown in front of him...

06 Striking the Enemy (2)

They don't have enough space anymore...

After once again trampling the enemy's infantry formation on horseback, Xu Ning retreated with a few minor wounds from where his chainmail had been breached. The weak point they had attacked had become a living hell, with broken limbs and torn internal organs piled up like a small mountain. Three armored warhorses, their bodies riddled with broken spears, lay on the ground groaning in agony, while their masters had long since been swallowed up by the dense army formation.

The heavy infantry, having successfully formed their ranks, used their shields and spears to repeatedly withstand their attacks, leaving them less and less room to maneuver. If this continued, they would be like butterflies caught in a spider's web, completely losing their chance to escape...

Xu Ning, known as Tersolius, didn't know why he understood these things, but he could always find the inconsistencies and weaknesses in the enemy's formation, and time and time again he would lead his cavalry to charge, relying on the heavy armor they wore to inflict huge losses on the enemy time and time again.

But they could no longer act with the same impunity as before. He didn't know why the other troops weren't drawing the enemy's forces away. The heavy infantry surrounding them numbered in the thousands, and their erected, hard spears posed a huge threat to their assault. If they couldn't pull their troops out in time, a few unlucky and slow-witted guys would be left there forever.

The reason they still had the confidence to fight was because they had perfectly completed their mission. The Holsian archers had been wiped out, and they had defeated at least three times their number of infantry. This was enough to give them a huge advantage. As long as the governor wasn't a complete fool, he should launch a full-scale attack. The Hols would definitely not be able to hold out, and then they could easily win by coordinating with their own forces from the inside and outside.

And they are waiting for that moment...

But what unsettled Xu Ning was that the sounds of battle that had filled the entire world suddenly began to weaken. Now, almost only their area was still emitting the distinctive noise of the battlefield; elsewhere, a chilling silence had descended... This was certainly not a good sign, and it made his heart leap once more. He once again spurred his armored cavalry, who had formed a wedge formation, to penetrate an infantry array. Under their onslaught, the area showed clear signs of wavering, and Xu Ning sensed this opportunity.

As expected, this formation was its weakest link. After losing over a dozen cavalrymen, the Holsteins could no longer withstand the terrible casualties. Under the cavalry's deliberate intimidation and charge, they began to retreat gradually. Their once orderly lines became chaotic, and their spears became crooked and unable to form a threatening spear formation. They quickly became corpses trampled under the hooves of horses. The entire formation collapsed, and they fled in all directions.

Any Hols officer with a modicum of common sense knew that if these armored cavalry maintained their formation and advanced slowly and methodically, they would eventually be annihilated here. After all, they were already heavily surrounded and could no longer utilize the excellent mobility of cavalry.

But the charge of armored cavalry was truly terrifying! ... Even with a charge distance of only a few hundred meters, each time they broke through the infantry's formation, flesh and blood flew everywhere, lives ended swiftly in the cheapest way, and the enormous sound they made was terrifying. Those heavy infantrymen were thrown out like rag dolls, and then trampled underfoot by the ton-high warhorses, never to have a chance to stand up again.

Under these relentless, hammer-like assaults, their encirclement was extremely slow. Whenever a unit moved even slightly faster, it would immediately become a target, and the enemy would gather their most elite forces to deliver a crushing blow. Each breach in the infantry formation was like a short dagger piercing into a person's flesh, taking away bits of blood and flesh while simultaneously causing morale and courage to drain away as quickly as blood.

Upon witnessing this horrific sight, the other Hols naturally shrank back in fear. Even with their commanders shouting and cursing, they advanced at the slowest possible pace. The complete scattering of the infantry phalanx had dire consequences, with the fleeing infantry crowding the other formations and dealing a severe blow to morale. Although these deserters were quickly captured and executed, the human armored cavalry had managed to break through their encirclement to a dangerous position. Just as the enemy regrouped, their gleaming spears, soaked through by the rain, chilled the hearts of the surrounding Hols to the bone.

Every Holstein soldier prayed that the other side wouldn't choose them, but as the horns sounded, the black banner once again rushed towards the corner where the defeat had just occurred. The cavalry, gleaming with steel, charged in like heavy steel chariots, almost unstoppable. In an instant, screams of agony filled the air, causing at least a hundred casualties.

All the commanders watched the area with bated breath until the terrifying cavalry retreated once again. Almost everyone let out a sigh of relief. Although these cavalry were extremely elite, their numbers were too small. Now they only had about seven or eight hundred men left. Although their own losses were much heavier, with at least several thousand archers, infantry, and light cavalry trampled and crushed by the enemy, as long as they could keep them, it was not a complete failure, or even a great success.

May Aphrodite bless us!

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

Xu Ning's face was ashen. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. The scene he had just witnessed had been a complete shock to him, although he managed to remain calm and composed out of some instinct.

But he himself, filled with intense anger and humiliation, gripped the reins so tightly they creaked… Just now, after they had advanced to that distance, they saw that the army that had fought these Holsteins had retreated a gallon away, the two armies completely separated, allowing the Holsteins to use all their strength to encircle and annihilate them… It was a shameful betrayal!!! They had been utterly abandoned!!

Xu Ning understood perfectly well that he had been outmaneuvered from the very beginning... Perhaps the moment he charged into the enemy lines, the governor had already reached an agreement with the Hels general, leading his army to slowly retreat and leaving him and his armored cavalry completely trapped in the enemy's formation! They were part of the abandoned force from the start.

Worse still, news of what he had just witnessed was already spreading among his cavalry. They were on the verge of breaking through the formation and escaping, but at the very last moment, all their efforts were in vain! A surge of intense rage made him want to grind his teeth to powder…

Seeing his formation beginning to falter, and his cavalrymen starting to panic at the thought of being abandoned, Xu Ning knew he had to do something…

07 Breaking the Formation (1)

The rain continued to fall from the sky, soaking the heavy armor and seeping in through the gaps in the chainmail. Even though it was a season of continuous spring rain, it sent chills down one's spine, as if icy snow water had flowed into one's armor.

But the colder his body became, the hotter his heart grew, and the burning rage almost dried up his blood. He had suddenly appeared here without any explanation, led a group of people to fight to the death without any explanation, and was framed and put in a deadly situation without any explanation... All of this had happened in just two short hours... leaving him little time to think.

But now he was at a critical juncture of life and death. He was like a piece of ice that was burning, his blood rushing to his head while his heart was as cold as ice. He knew he had to do something, or he would die here today.

The cavalrymen began to stir. Although their faces were covered by heavy chainmail, Xu Ning could sense their fear and panic. No one could remain calm after being abandoned on the battlefield. Even these heavily armored cavalrymen, who had been trained since childhood and had experienced countless battles, were not immune to fear. Fear made their spears hesitate, panic made their swords dull, and they dared not swing their chain maces and iron clubs at the enemy.

Although they maintained their formation, they began whispering among themselves about what they had just seen, trying to verify with their comrades whether they were the only ones seeing things. As the information spread, they began to waver, and some even looked at him frequently, hoping that their commander would make the final decision for them.

And now, he has to make that decision.

————————————————————————————————————————

His chainmail gloves, soaked by the rain, had grown cold, and the spear in his hand seemed heavy now. He was breathing heavily; after an hour of continuous fighting, his strength was greatly depleted. Although his excellent physical condition, honed from childhood training, would allow him to sustain himself for a long time, what truly panicked him now was the sight of the massive army that had vanished from the plains…

"Marcus, have I gone blind? Why haven't our troops appeared on the plains?!"

The cavalryman to his left suddenly reached out his chainmail glove and grabbed his left hand. Although he couldn't see the other man's face, he knew it was his friend Publius. They came from the same town, had gone through the same training and war, and could entrust their lives to each other.

“…I don’t know, Publius, I really don’t know…maybe we…”

"Perhaps we've already been abandoned!! That cursed Aristotle!! I should tear his tongue out!"

His friend immediately interrupted him, clearly indicating that he already had his own guess and was just looking for him to provide proof for it, and his friend's attitude was undoubtedly the best proof.

They had been abandoned, abandoned in the enemy's ranks... Nothing in the world could be more disheartening and despondent than this. Marcus felt little anger, only sorrow for his fate... Perhaps his destiny was to die here, and at the hands of the Hols.

Numerous complaints and curses also emanated from the surrounding queues. Everyone was frustrated and angry. If the governor were to appear before them now, each of them would not hesitate to spur their horses and trample him into a pulp to avenge the humiliation and deception they had suffered.

The group began to stir, and their horses, as if sensing their masters' mood, started stamping their hooves restlessly.

A rhythmic sound suddenly came from ahead—the gentle trotting of warhorses on the grass. Marcus's eyes widened in surprise. He quickly looked ahead; without their general's orders, no one dared to act on their own, so the only explanation was that someone had deserted.

Then he saw their general, Tersolius, holding his banner high, riding his horse from left to right. As he rode, his gaze swept across every face... so silent and composed. He controlled the reins of his warhorse without trembling in the chaos, his eyes, sharp as blades, scanning each face and watching each person's movements.