Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

73. Chaos (3)

The red of blood is a very unique color, looking so heavy and suffocating, especially the bottomless pool of blood in front of you, which has a murky black hue. Looking at it for a long time makes you feel like you are going to fall in as well.

The pungent, fishy stench is strangely confined to this cave; once you step outside, you can't smell any other odors, or rather, you simply can't smell them...

The flies of the entire mountain were attracted to this feast. They keenly captured the subtle scent molecules in the air, then fluttered their two transparent wings and gathered towards this area. However, once they entered the cold cave, the extremely low temperature immediately caused them to lose the vitality they had outside. They began to slow down and eventually had to lie dormant in the crevices of the stone walls.

To date, over 1000 slaves have been beheaded. The blood flowing from their bodies should have been enough to overflow the pool long ago, but since it was full, the pool has not risen an inch. No matter how much blood is injected, it remains the same, yet the blood always moves on its own, as if it has a life of its own, spreading towards the surrounding stone walls.

The headless corpses of these slaves were piled up in a huge pit dug next to the cave. Every day after killing someone, the guards would cover the corpses with a layer of soil, and then put a new corpse on top the next day... In this way, the extremely deep pit was already showing signs of being filled.

The newly arrived slaves were ordered to dig another large pit on a flat piece of land. This was extremely arduous physical labor, and the tools used were always stained with human blood. However, the slaves had become accustomed to enduring and obeying, and they still gritted their teeth and persevered with this heavy work with their emaciated bodies.

Little did they know that the enormous pit they were digging would eventually be used to bury their bodies...

………………

The gaunt man in the black robe had an extremely strange nose. To be precise, it was too high and too long, like a radish stuck to his face. Even with a hood that covered half of his face, his nose still stubbornly stuck out.

Such a nose is obviously impossible for a normal person to grow, so it looks extremely strange, making people wonder if it would break off if it accidentally bumped into a wall.

The nostrils on his nose are also very different from those of ordinary people. They look like two narrow and long slits under his pointed nose. His entire nose is covered with black spots and grime, and there are layers of white flakes at the base.

This disgusting long nose stretched out in front of the boiling pool of blood, then its nostrils widened and it took a deep breath:

"Almost there! Almost there!! Hehe! It's almost done, just two more days! Just two more days..."

He couldn't help but dance with joy. His expensive velvet boots, now stained with the victim's blood, were stained and stained. Even the hem of his robe was torn in many places. The light from outside the cave shone on his back and illuminated the damaged fibers of his clothes.

In just a few days, this once brand-new and expensive outfit looks like it has been worn for more than ten years, covered with signs of wear and tear.

A fly suddenly released its foot and fell from the top of the hole. Even the smallest limbs stopped trembling as it landed on the incredibly hard ground, until a large foot stepped on it. With a crisp crack, the fly turned into a small pile of dust, as if it had been frozen stiff in the snow.

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A pair of bright, piercing eyes slowly opened. The mountain man wiped the dirt off his beard and pricked up an ear to listen carefully.

A red deer with long, slender limbs walked past him, occasionally lowering its head to nibble on the tender grass on the ground and the tender leaves on the nearby bushes. Its flexible ears twitched constantly, collecting suspicious sounds from the surroundings, but it did not notice the mountain hunter who was so close at hand.

If he wanted, Kochkin could have pierced the deer's chest with his hunting knife from this distance. His eyes were sharp, and his hand was steady, able to firmly pierce the small pit behind the deer's forelegs, the blade reaching the heart without damaging the precious fur.

Even with just one kill, he could boast about killing a deer to all the young people for days, showing off his power and prestige. Then he could send the deer hide and antlers to the towns of the empire in exchange for precious salt and ironware.

If he were still in the village, he certainly wouldn't have let this golden opportunity slip by. But now he let the deer waddle past him with its long, powerful limbs, showing no sign of moving, patiently and quietly waiting.

Mountain people cover themselves with a thick layer of leaves, the stems of which are glued to a cloth. As long as they cover themselves, they can hide in the jungle, and even the most skilled hunters will have a hard time finding them.

A faint, mosquito-like sound suddenly came from beside him, but he remained motionless, only his lips moving slightly as he answered in an equally faint voice:

"Don't worry, boss, don't worry. We already scouted it out yesterday, didn't we? There are so many transactions on this road, they'll definitely pass through here... We'll just follow them quietly and find out what they're up to."

He paused for a moment, then continued:

"Boss, why did you come along? Aren't the few of us enough? You have to keep an eye on the others, things will fall apart if you leave."

A small leaf-covered bundle, a whole section smaller than him, suddenly trembled, and Colin's soft voice came through:

"You guys are so clumsy, I can't trust you... And look what this is?"

A piece of yellow parchment flashed through the other person's hand and was quickly put back, but Kochkin still recognized part of the piece of paper that was placed on the general's table in this display.

He almost jumped up from the ground, a panicked voice escaping his lips, yet still barely audible:

"Boss, are you crazy? You dare steal the general's things! Even if the flower drawing on this paper is pretty, you don't need to pick this one! Oh no, oh no, we're watching here, you'd better return it right now, maybe the general hasn't noticed yet..."

He immediately shut his mouth. Colin's eyes were as fierce as a hungry wolf's, as if she would pounce on him and tear his mouth apart at any moment. The girl's long-standing fear had terrified him so much that he dared not move.

Then, the other person's eyes suddenly turned somewhat smug:

“You’re obviously a country bumpkin, you can’t even read a map! This piece of paper shows all the places around here. With this paper, even if we’ve never been to this mountain before, we won’t get lost… None of you know how to read this map, so it’s my turn in the end… Lie down!”

The two of them immediately stopped moving, just like a small pile of dead leaves in the jungle, without anything unusual about it.

The clatter of armor rings against each other echoed as a troop of fully armored Holstein soldiers, leading a group of ragged slaves, strutting along the road. Startled, several rabbits hiding in the grass scattered in panic. A few were quickly impaled by the swift Holstein soldiers with their spears, eliciting cheers and laughter.

The birds in the treetops were startled, their clear chirping and the sound of feathers flapping echoing in succession. After the procession passed, and quite some time later, the small mounds on the ground slowly began to move, retreating into the depths of the jungle...

Several men picked up their short swords and longbows, and painted mud marks on their faces. This was a traditional practice among mountain people when hunting, which not only masked their scent but also made their faces less noticeable.

Cloaks made of leaves, they moved more lightly than cats among the bushes and shrubs, making little noise, as they chased after the noisy group of Hols soldiers in the distance.

74. Chaos (4)

This is a rough wooden pole, looking like a thick branch casually cut from the forest, with the bark still intact, before being buried in the ground. As time goes by, it loses moisture, and the bark separates from the wood.

The withered yellow bark remained undisturbed; it cracked and peeled away, but never fell to the ground, maintaining a state of elusive distance.

Two wooden plaques were nailed to the top of the pole with rusty iron nails. On them were written in dark red liquid, with marks that looked like maggots twisting. These marks were hard to call a kind of writing because their changes were completely irregular, like the marks left on dry ground by the wet fluid of an earthworm that had been cut in half and was writhing in pain.

It will only evoke an instinctive aversion in those who see it, as if such marks will bring them harm.

At the very tip lay a deadly object: a skeleton, its flesh stripped away, was fixed to the wooden pole with thick nails driven through its skull. Thick, red bloodstains were scattered across its surface, and the fair, dense bone was clearly not something that could be found on a skeleton dug from the ground.

The skull's jaw was slightly open, and its ears were secured with wire to prevent them from falling down. Its dark eye sockets stared directly out of the cave, carrying a blatant warning.

A tall, thin man in black robes stood next to the sign. The last batch of slaves had been disposed of, and enough blood had accumulated here... It was time to proceed with the final step!

They're all a bunch of idiots, a bunch of arrogant fools... They think they can control others with money and power, but these people will never know how great their pursuit truly is!

But all of this will change, today! The whole world will be amazed by their masterpiece!

His fingernails were long and withered, filled with black blood. The skin on his hands was dry and parched, and now he was holding up the blood in the pool, watching the blood, which showed no signs of clotting, flow through his fingers.

A blood-red fly suddenly flew up from outside the hole. This fly was definitely not red from blood, but a scarlet color from the inside out, even the fine hairs were completely red, with a dark tone and variations in light and shadow.

The chill of the cave had no effect on it; it nimbly flapped its wings and flew to the black-robed man's shoulder, then crawled all the way into his ear.

The long nose suddenly wrinkled and trembled with distress...

"This is bad! This is bad! This is the crucial moment. If a few little bugs sneak in, I'm finished... Let those guys do their job, that's right. Yes, yes... it's time for them to make a difference..."

…………

A dozen minutes later, the garrison on the entire mountain began to stir. They hadn't been affected, so they maintained their own rationality and weren't even aware of what was happening in the army's camp. From the moment they arrived near Alpert, they had been continuously transferring slaves from the rear.

Now, new orders have been issued: they must quickly locate the uninvited guests who have infiltrated this mountain and eliminate them to prevent them from hindering His Majesty's great cause.

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The falcon's wings sliced ​​through the damp, cold air, its sharp eyes scanning the city lights. It found its target with incredible speed, then folded its wings and swooped down. At the end of its dive, it flapped its wings to slow down steadily, and then landed comfortably on the leather-covered wooden pole.

The blood-stained meat was placed in a small bowl beside it. Its long head reached in, accurately picked up its food, then tilted its neck back, opened its mouth, and swallowed repeatedly. Its jaw and neck trembled constantly with this action.

A series of heavy footsteps suddenly approached, and a tall figure emerged from the tower and stood atop it. The raptor suddenly flinched and took a step back; it had recognized the creature before it…

He deftly removed the necessary copper tube from its claws, the map encased within. By the light of the tower's top, Thesolius squinted to check the location, and quickly obtained the result he needed…

A minute later, the messenger cavalryman spurred his horse across the city's central square and several main streets, arriving at their camp.

A while later, a troop of cavalry charged out of the camp. They rode relentlessly through the side gate next to the city and disappeared into the vast forest in the distance in the blink of an eye. As they passed by, there was no sound of heavy armor scraping against each other.

In the darkness, many people began to take action.

…………

A few clear bird calls echoed from the dense canopy. A moment later, a similarly tall tree nearby responded in kind. It sounded like two birds had chosen each other and were preparing for the important task of reproduction in this spring season.

But in reality, the crisp sound came from the mouths of two burly mountain men, their eyes were very wary, and they used their disguised leaf cloaks to hide themselves in the dense foliage.

The birdsong rang out a few more times, then naturally ceased, as if the two birds had gotten the answer they wanted.

Kochkin took out dried meat from his pack and began to tear it apart. The dried meat, which was salted and then baked and dried, was not easy to chew and sometimes even tortured their teeth, but it was a very precious and delicious food. The correct way to cook it was to put it in soup and simmer it together.

But he didn't have the time right now. The mountain was full of people looking for them. Although they were the most clever and cunning hunters and had managed to hide in time, they couldn't leave now and could only wait for reinforcements to arrive.

General Tersolius would lead his cavalry into the mountain, kill anything suspicious, and then lead them away. Their job was to find those suspicious individuals and save as much time as possible while the cavalry moved...

No one doubted whether the general would come here, nor did anyone worry about being abandoned... Such thoughts had long been crushed by the iron hooves of those cavalrymen; they only needed to focus on doing their own thing.

The jerky was delicious, though a bit salty and very chewy. He used his tongue to pick at the stubborn bits of meat stuck between his teeth, almost half of his attention was drawn to the stubborn meat, but the other half of his attention never left the rustling of the grass in the jungle.

His longbow was already strung, and in this dense jungle, nothing would escape his hunt. His finely crafted arrowheads, forged from fine steel, could easily pierce through inferior armor, and his skill allowed him to pinpoint the gaps in the enemy's armor with precision.

Two creatures with magnificent feathers on their heads suddenly burst in. The bright feathers on their heads trembled with each step they took, and the exquisite scales and chainmail on their bodies rustled against each other.

Even in the thickets full of bushes, they were unwilling to give up their exquisite cloaks, even if they would occasionally curse when their cloaks got caught on thorns or branches.

The soldiers, though constantly complaining, meticulously examined every suspicious corner, their spears occasionally shoving through the grass.

Kochkin cautiously stopped all his movements and carefully lay down on a thick tree branch. The best outcome would be for the two men to find nothing and leave without him noticing, which would be beneficial for both of them.

But such a choice, which has advantages, is often not the one that happens... Camus was too perceptive; he noticed a few inconspicuous scratches on the bark, and then found a few strands of cloth fibers on it. He immediately realized something and looked up.

Kochkin swooped down from the treetop like a falcon, his knee slamming into the other man's shoulder and knocking him to the ground. Almost simultaneously with the fall, he reached for the collar guard and plunged the dagger in his hand into the man's neck.

At the same moment he stabbed, he slashed to the side, cutting half of his neck open, and the gushing blood immediately soaked his clothes and the ground around him.

Several bowstring twangs came from the distant treetops, and another Camus fell to the ground without a sound. Several arrows pierced his Adam's apple and came out from his back. They didn't even have time to give a warning.

Several mountain people covered in leaves jumped down from the treetops, quickly dragged the corpse away, and threw it into a huge crevice in the cliff next to them. Their fine armor did not arouse the mountain people's covetousness at all, and they fell into the deep crevice along with the corpse.

Having done all this, each of them plucked a handful of leaves from a plant with yellow flowers, rubbed them all over their bodies, nodded to each other, and climbed back to the treetop...

This wasn't the best option, and Colin knew it very well... These two missing guys would eventually attract more searchers, making them easier to expose... But if they hadn't dealt with those two soldiers earlier, they would have been exposed immediately.

Fortunately, they don't have to hide forever. Just like every time before, as long as they wait for the heavy hoofbeats to sound here, everything will fall into place.

…………

The soldiers' search yielded nothing. They practically turned the entire mountain upside down, but still couldn't find the rumored uninvited guests. Several hunting dogs conscripted from the villages and their owners were driven into the jungle, where, under the threat of swords, they began searching for any clues.

But the mountain people are experienced and cunning hunters. They would not easily reveal their tracks and become prey. After dealing with the two soldiers, they immediately moved their hiding place and acted even more carefully, leaving not even much of their scent behind.

In the midst of this tedious search, the enraged soldiers chopped off the heads of two hunters, but still made no progress. As a result, the initially tense soldiers gradually relaxed. They figured that the scurrying insects were already terrified and wouldn't dare to jump out and cause any more trouble, so relaxing a little shouldn't be a problem...

This slackness lasted for a long time until that annoying man in black robes suddenly jumped out and berated them. Under the king's orders, they had to obey this disgusting fellow's orders, so the soldiers were mobilized again, no longer staying within their defensive lines, and began searching all over the mountains and fields once more.

But how much could they find in the darkness with only torches for illumination? That should have been the case, but unexpectedly, they headed towards a specific area with a clear objective, as if they had been given prior information.

The Holsian king stood before the cave... his expression was so solemn and conflicted. Julius's operation had failed. Ever since the imperial reinforcements arrived, they had no chance of taking the city... at least from a general perspective, that was certainly the case.

His kingdom and empire were at war for years, and the two countries seemed to be mortal enemies, but there are no absolute enemies in this world... At least he had enough friends in the empire. As long as there is enough money and benefits, anyone can become a friend.

These friends gave him a guarantee... that no more reinforcements from the empire would arrive in the city. His generals and commanders were all extremely disheartened, thinking that the empire would continue to increase its strength. But as the king of all, he knew that they still had a chance of victory...

To call it a victory simply by reclaiming the city that originally belonged to him sounds too meager and cowardly... But he had no other desires. This country originally did not have the national strength to confront the empire. It could only rely on the rugged mountains that grew naturally to block the empire's iron cavalry.

He was unwilling to accept this situation and had been trying to make changes since he took the throne... but it was too late. If he lost the city, he would never have another chance to change the country.

He knew why the northern nation was so powerful, and what its strengths were. His ambition was to make the Hols a nation of equal strength. He was willing to pay a far greater price for this than his enemies could imagine.

Even more so than any of his commanders, his nobles, his family could have imagined.

Just give him a little more time, just a little more time... He's willing to give so much for that...

75 Swift Horse and Light Knife (1)

Light footsteps sounded behind him, and a thin, dark figure, as long as a wooden pole, appeared behind him. Camus drew his blade, causing the figure to stop abruptly as if struck by lightning, and then stand awkwardly five steps away from him.

The gleaming, sharp swords were pointed at every part of his body. These experienced soldiers would not hesitate to dismember the man if the king gave the slightest nod... They were more than willing to do so. Everything this tall, thin man did seemed to provoke the disgust of others, or rather, every part of him and every word he spoke seemed to be designed for this purpose.

Even the most sociable person would find him utterly repulsive after just two days. More than one person wanted to kill him, but the king's orders allowed this guy to boss them around, making him increasingly unscrupulous and fully unleashing his vile nature.

Sensing the undisguised malice around him, the tall, thin man in the black robe revealed a fawning smile beneath his hood, while cautiously lowering his head. But a deep, venomous resentment flickered in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I have come here to report on the progress of the ceremony. It has now entered its final stage, and soon we will achieve our most glorious victory..."

"I'm willing to trust you, my advisor."

Julius's neatly trimmed beard twitched, stained with smudged wine and food scraps. His face was also covered in grime, making him look utterly unkempt—a stark contrast to his impeccably groomed appearance just two days prior.

"Your achievements during this period have been evident to all. You have made so many contributions, so how should I repay your loyalty? Or do you need nothing at all?"

"Of course I don't need anything... To be honest, in this world, apart from Your Majesty, there probably isn't any other great figure willing to let me fulfill my long-cherished wish. Just for that alone, I've already gotten everything I wanted... Hehehe!..."

The thin man's shoulders were trembling, and his whole body was like a writhing snake. Extreme madness and excitement flowed in his eyes, and glistening snot and saline dripped down his chin. His hands and feet were also waving incessantly, as if he had the words "I am a madman" engraved on his forehead.

Seeing that the soldiers around him were looking at him with increasingly hostile eyes, and were about to rush up and cut him to pieces, the man in black robes finally calmed down and stopped acting crazy.

"It seems we both got what we wanted, which is great. This is the foundation upon which we can trust each other. I will continue to seek your help, and I hope we can continue to cooperate like this."

King Julius gazed coldly at the distant lights, the city that once belonged to the Hols, now illuminated the soldiers of the Empire. He had to change this, and he was willing to pay a heavy price for it.