Witch Troupe and the Undead

"Damn it, once the sun sets, I'll wipe you all out!" As a Nightmare Demon, not only is his combat power affected in broad daylight, but he also can't hide his presence.

However, once the sun sets and night falls, it doesn't need physical attacks. It can simply pull these people into the dream and send "Iron Fist of Love and Peace" to them one by one. Even if it doesn't pull them into the dream, it's much easier for a high-level nightmare demon to fight in the dark if it wants to hide its identity.

"Ah!!!!" A scream came from outside, followed by the sound of flesh being trampled by horses' hooves. "Girl, what kind of spell is that?" the Squirrel asked curiously. He couldn't see what spell Natalia had thrown out, but it didn't look like an exploding fireball.

"Uh, it looks like a water ball?" Why did the fireball spell turn into a water ball spell? Natalia is desperate. This is completely reversed! (Actually, it's a concentrated sulfuric acid ball.)

"Keep going, girl, don't stop!"

“I didn’t intend to stop!” Natalia decided. She wanted to be absolutely certain of her spellcasting success rate. She grabbed the material bag from the Squirrel and began chanting incantations, casting spells outwards.

The result was naturally pleasing. Out of more than twenty spells, only one mist spell worked normally; the rest produced strange and unusual effects.

"Dumb, retreat!" came the sound of a wild titmouse flapping its wings from the roof of the wagon. More cavalrymen had already drawn their grappling hooks and magic crossbows. If the two of them stayed in the open wagon, they would only be riddled with bullets.

"Okay!" Squirrel, clutching the wound on his shoulder, quickly followed Natalia through the livestock and third-class carriages to the second-class carriage, where they met up with Vilandella and the others who were stationed there.

"Clang!" Several cavalrymen jumped into the livestock wagons, glanced at the bloodstains on the ground, drew their weapons, drank enhancement potions, and headed towards the third-class wagons. The cavalryman at the back suddenly stopped, looked at the black horse chewing hay in the corner, and seemed to feel that something was not right, but under the urging of his companions, he could only put aside his doubts for the time being.

[PS] Imperial Jokes

The one-eyed old worker used a robotic arm to tap the fermentation tank: "Last week, the treasurer came to inspect, took a sip and cursed, 'Not spicy enough'—now every barrel of wine comes with a parliamentary speech notebook, guaranteeing that you'll be able to breathe fire after three drinks, just like a boiler before it was blown away by the magic core."

Chapter 198 Even Thieves Need Brains

On the train roof. "Something's not right with these cavalrymen!" Wild Sparrow ducked sharply to avoid a spinning throwing axe. "They don't look like border patrolmen!" Most of these cavalrymen are highly skilled horsemen and fearless, which is not the level of border patrolmen at all.

To put it bluntly, if the border patrols of Catherfield were of this caliber, the Shadow Ravens would not be able to dart back and forth across the border between Ryewood and Catherfield to evade pursuit and enemies, let alone complete any missions or commissions.

The main job of the so-called border patrol riders is to patrol the more remote areas of various regions, where monsters tend to form due to the presence of wild magic.

Even though the monsters in civilized areas are mostly at the level of ferocity to threat due to the suppression of the magic of order, special personnel are still needed to patrol and prevent any monsters from evolving into "disaster-level" monsters that would indeed threaten local security and production.

In addition to their duties, tracking down wanted criminals and capturing thieves are also part of their job. However, most of the patrolmen are just going through the motions. For slightly more powerful monsters, they directly hire adventurers to deal with them. And about 60% of the thieves and wanted criminals are bounty hunters attracted by the bounty.

However, it can't be said that these people are useless. After all, whether it's monsters, thieves, or criminals, relevant information is needed to issue bounties and hire adventurers to deal with them. In other words, the role of these patrol riders is similar to that of mounted police, which is different from the army. Moreover, even within the army, elite knightly orders (including infantry and squires) and town guards stationed in various places are two different things.

"These aren't patrol riders! Everyone be careful!" This was a shout from under the carriage. He realized something was wrong as soon as he exchanged blows with the patrol riders who rushed in through the rear passage. His steel short sword was almost cleaved in two by the opponent's hand axe, while the short spear in his left hand stabbed towards his side like a venomous snake.

Fortunately, the dud that retreated to this side managed to disrupt the attack with its crossbow, preventing immediate casualties, but it did leave a bloody gash on its side.

"Viper Strike?" Kanger's expression was one of surprise and uncertainty. These people's martial arts were not right. "Southerners!?" The masked patrol knight in front of him did not answer. He threw away his hook-shaped hand axe and continued to attack Kanger and Sylvie, who were at the front.

"Clang!" The third-class carriage wasn't very wide, but because there were no seats, it was enough for two or three people to fight side by side. If there were shields, they would have a considerable advantage, but unfortunately there were no shields or anything that could be used as shields.

On Earth, wooden planks, suitcases, and even disassembled luggage racks can be used as shields. But in this world, none of these things can be used as shields. A three-centimeter-thick wooden plank is no more sturdy than a few millimeters of plywood in front of these patrol riders' hand axes. One swing of the axe will cleave you and your shield together.

A shield must be forged from 2-3 millimeters of fine steel and reinforced with materials such as monster hides to be called a "shield". Otherwise, it's just a thin pot lid that can block daggers or arrows from a hunting bow, but expecting to set up a shield array here is wishful thinking.

"Whoosh!" Gray smoke billowed out of the carriage window, and a cavalryman who was grappling with a grappling hook fell to the ground with a scream. His face and neck were covered with small, burning holes from which melted fat oozed, along with smoldering sparks. It must be said that Vilandella's breath was not very effective against monsters and heavily armored knights, but it could only be described as brutal against lightly armored and unarmored targets.

"Cough cough cough~" Vivi coughed violently a few times. She felt a strange emptiness spreading from her diaphragm to her whole body. It meant that the "breath weapon" had been completely exhausted. To use it again, she would need to consume her own life force and dragon blood to temporarily switch to it.

During this stage, each time she changes her breath, the amount of life force and dragon blood she needs to overdraw increases, eventually exhausting herself to death.

Vivi reached into the small pocket at her lower back, only to find a row of cold medicine test tubes. "The breath potion is all used up..." Since Vivi was neither good at fighting nor swordsmanship, she had a solid foundation in alchemy, but that was all.

She only knows a child's version of arcane and dragon magic. Her most powerful weapons are the breath and claws of a dragon. Therefore, Livia created a batch of special potions for her to quickly restore the number of uses of her dragon breath weapon.

All of these potions have now been used up. After all, as a fledgling dragon, the number of times she can unleash her breath attack is very limited, and the breath attack weapon built up by taking potions won't have many uses either.

"Sorry, I can no longer use Ash Dragon Breath." Vivi took a step back and took a spare Shark Tooth Dagger from the thieves' hands.

"That's enough, girl!" The Squirrel managed a weak smile. The crossbow bolts were poisoned, and even after taking Shadow Raven's secret antidote pills, his face was frighteningly pale, and large beads of cold sweat kept streaming down his temples.

"Uncle Kanger, bow your head!" Kanger hurriedly dodged the oncoming short spear, lowering his head. He felt a tingling sensation on his scalp as golden arcs of electricity struck his enemy like arrows. The patrolman was about to take advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration to stab him in the face with a spear.

"Hoo~" Natalia's face was also very ugly. Witchcraft has higher requirements for the user. Unlike arcane magic, which comes from the outside and only requires the ritual circle to be activated without any additional consumption of physical strength and energy, witchcraft requires the wizard to pay the magic power of the wizard himself as a catalyst to communicate with the "witchcraft materials" and trigger the magic power in them.

Conversely, wizards can also use this method to extract magic from specific catalysts. The magical materials from which the magic is extracted will turn to ash, and the percentage extracted is not high. Theoretically speaking, as long as they stand on the ground, their usable magic is infinite.

However, in reality, due to limitations in absorption efficiency and output limits, the number and intensity of spells that wizards can use in a short period of time are still limited.

“One more time…” Natalia held the last magic medium in her hand. Theoretically, anything can be used as a magic medium, but in reality, there are requirements for the magic materials that are useful in actual combat. For example, she could grab a handful of soil as a material, but in that case, the power of the spell would be… less effective than grabbing a handful of sand and throwing it in the enemy’s face.

The azure magic crystal twisted in her palm, gradually drawing out the magic power within. The blue light illuminated Natalia's face, making her look like a hungry ghost.

"Stop her!" the patrolman shouted as he jumped onto the vehicle. Several crossbow bolts came flying toward Natalia. Sylvie managed to deflect one, while the dud tried to help but failed due to a wound on its shoulder and poisoning.

A crossbow bolt grazed the girl's cheek and embedded itself in the carriage door behind her, leaving a deep bloody mark. The rest of the bolts struck Vivi's half-dragon body, grayish-white scales extending down her neck. She expressionlessly pulled out the arrows hanging from her shoulders and arms, the venom mixed with a trace of dragon blood rising into a cloud of white mist.

The Ash Dragon's breath, fighting, and defense are not particularly impressive, but it is amazing in its resistance to abnormalities, especially its resistance to poison. The poison made Vivi's face turn a little blue, but she returned to normal after a while. Then she spat out a mouthful of grayish-black poisonous blood. This is how dragons expel damaged cells and body tissues through their spitting organs after breaking down the toxins.

"Explosive Impact!" Natalia clapped her hands together, and a blue light suddenly shot forward. Conger and Sylvie decisively abandoned the enemy and retreated, lying on the ground. The patrolmen also decisively chose to prepare for the impact. However, the blue light brushed past them like a breeze, and a layer of gray-blue shadow covered the entire interior of the carriage.

“Uh…” “Mass Stasis?” Natalia scratched her head. In terms of spell level, this spell was more difficult. It imprisoned the target in a spacetime illusion and could last for a long time as long as it was not subjected to a powerful external spell.

However, similarly, the frozen target cannot be damaged by physical attacks, such as fire or lightning. Only pure magical impact can break the spell and cause serious damage.

“Perfect timing, we can catch our breath.” Conger pulled out a bottle of healing potion, poured half of it onto the wound, and then tossed it to Sylvie. This potion wasn’t a magic potion, but rather an alchemical herbal preparation that could stop bleeding and relieve pain, though certainly not as immediately effective as a magic potion.

More cavalrymen approached from both sides of the carriage, some preparing to attack directly from the roof and windows, while others prepared to seize control of the front of the carriage.

"Hey!" A small foot wrapped in starlight stepped on the head of a patrolman, the starlight exploded, and the huge impact blew him away, crashing into the bushes on both sides of the railway.

"Boss, there's something up ahead!" Scarface was shoveling coal and broken magic crystals into the furnace, sweating profusely. In the blink of an eye, he saw several people standing by the overgrown railroad sluice gate, pulling hard on the rusty lever to swerve the railway onto another road.

They dared not and could not stop the train; they could only watch helplessly as it rushed through the junction and turned onto the eastbound side road, which was overgrown with shrubs and thorns, and the sound of the locomotive smashing through the wildly growing branches was incessant.

"Get down!" The wild tit grabbed Lulua and slammed her onto the roof of the carriage. A passing branch swept a patrolman who had climbed up down on the spot.

As the train entered the fork in the road, the patrol riders gradually slowed down and stopped their relentless pursuit. "Have they given up? Or is someone else helping us?" Rhine, still shaken, looked out the train window at the pursuers who were gradually disappearing from sight.

“No, they’re just not in a hurry,” Black Crow said in a deep voice. “We’re on the old railway now, a line that hasn’t been maintained in a long time. If we don’t want the train to derail, we have to slow down.”

"Not only that, this route is closer to Rye Valley County, so they can hire more thieves and bandits to wear down our strength. Besides bandits, there are also monsters and so on."

This railway line has been abandoned due to the rampant banditry on the border of Rye Valley County. Now that the train is passing through this area, it's hard to say whether the bandits and outlaws entrenched in the eastern mountains, as well as the knights and nobles who have become impoverished again because of the train's rerouting, will have any ulterior motives.

“And there’s one more crucial thing… the bridge,” Black Crow tapped the table. “The old bridge is just a wooden bridge, so if it were to be blown up, the noise and consequences would be much smaller than with the new bridge.”

It's even questionable whether the bridge is still usable. Without the bridge, one has to wade across the riverbed on foot. Similarly, no one has maintained or inspected it for so many years, and no one knows whether the riverbed is still passable.

After abandoning the train, there is still a long way to go after crossing the riverbed to reach Black Pine Valley.

To put it bluntly, the reason for building the railway on a detour was because of the lack of technology to build bridges over turbulent rivers. So, they chose to take a longer route to a calmer area to build a bridge with less technical difficulty. After the new bridge was completed, the trains could directly pass through the most turbulent part of the Greystone River, reducing the distance and time by at least half.

Furthermore, the old railway line passes through mostly forest, hilly, and mountainous areas. The rerouting and construction of new bridges were also due to frequent train robberies. In other words, the mastermind behind the scenes didn't need to make any special arrangements; they only needed to release some ambiguous information.

For example, a train transporting high-value goods from nobles in the southern swamps might choose to take an abandoned old route to Blackpine Valley to avoid tax collectors, which would attract a large group of outlaws.

As for the various flaws in this rumor, well, it's just a rumor, so how can you expect it to be logically sound? If this really happens, you should seriously consider whether this so-called "rumor" is a trap specifically designed for you.

The untrue parts of these messages, in fact, serve as evidence of the validity and authenticity of the rumors for the thieves. After all, it is fiction that needs to be logical, while reality does not.

"Even if we take a step back and assume they don't believe there's any tax on the train, such a well-hidden transport must contain valuables. Even if they don't make a move, they'll have people watching." Black Crow looked out the train window at the dense forest that had completely darkened. The train's speed was constantly decreasing, and the railway ahead was completely blocked by bushes and weeds. Scarface, a mediocre guy, wouldn't dare to speed along this road; otherwise, if the train derailed and overturned, it would truly become a laughing stock.

"And once they discovered that the train was real, and that there were guards and signs of fighting on board..."

“Then they won’t tolerate it,” Sylvie interjected. They were all from a thief gang, and no one knew their peers’ ways better than them. The signs of a fight on the vehicle meant that someone had tried to take it, but failed. This meant that there must be something on the vehicle that someone coveted, which was why this had happened.

This also indicates that the vehicle's defenses are insufficient, because if the defenses were adequate, no one would attempt to probe in this way. Although those who failed earlier did not succeed, each failed attempt would take away the vehicle's defenses and resources, meaning the success rate would increase.

"So, the closer we get to Black Pine Valley, the more likely we are to be attacked? Do you have any good ideas?" Roach looked at Black Crow, who was now in the same boat as him.

Even if they kidnap Roach and his group now, they will be silenced by the mastermind behind the scenes; and if Roach and his group die or are kidnapped by those bandits, they will also face certain death as scapegoats.

The only way for the Shadow Raven Thieves to survive is to act as witnesses, ensuring Roach and his group's safe arrival in Blackpine Town, or even the capital, and then have Rhine personally vouch for them to clear their names and reveal all the information they know.

Of course, they couldn't rule out the possibility that Rhine would squeeze all the information out of them and then get rid of them as well. However, they didn't have a better choice right now. Trusting Rhine and the royal family meant they still had a chance to escape. Trusting their employer... lol. They even arranged two groups of people to silence them. Could you really trust them?

“It’s simple. Slow down. There are many abandoned stations and small towns along the old line. We can use these places to rest and ambush the pursuing patrols.” Black Crow proposed his plan. Passive escape was no longer an option, so it was better to turn the tables, take advantage of the time difference and speed, occupy these abandoned stations, and set up traps.

"Most of the towns along the old railway line have been abandoned, and the few that haven't are no longer relying on the railway for their livelihood. In other words, the area around here has begun to turn into a dark forest." You can tell from the dark green, menacing trees that flash past the train window.

"These abandoned towns and the surrounding forests will become dens of wild beasts and even monsters. No matter what their true identities are, the patrol riders will not be able to enter in a large-scale and blatant manner."

For bandits, the arrival of a large number of patrol riders in this area is a signal of "encirclement and suppression," and they might suffer several times more attacks than the train.

For monsters, a train, being so large and noisy, and releasing high-intensity magical energy due to its magical core, is a deterrent to most low-level monsters. They will avoid areas where the train passes through and will certainly not attack it.

However, if dozens or even hundreds of living people rush in, it's a different story. If they don't want to trigger a large-scale monster attack, they either have to slow down and clear them out gradually, or they have to split up their teams. Either way, it would be advantageous for the current situation.

"The two most important people here are Miss Jasmine, Master Roach, and Miss Livia. We can use the station's tools to repair and modify the train, and then discard the last few carriages at the pass to block the road. This will buy us some time and increase the speed of the next train."

"Can the modification be completed in such a short time?" Leslie asked curiously.

"That depends on how much skill these two masters possess." Black Crow knew that this plan was not very reliable. It was questionable whether they could even repair the damage to the overloaded locomotive using the waste materials and simple tools left over from the abandoned station, let alone strengthen and modify it. However, he also frankly stated: This is the embodiment of your two master-level titles.

"Well, I can lend a hand too. Although I'm not good at forging, I am still a dwarf." Drinking, mining, and forging are like instincts for dwarves. It's just a matter of personal interest and how much effort one puts into it. In other words, Rhine also has forging skills, at least as good as an average human blacksmith.

"Modifying the front of the car? I do have an idea, but it's extremely dangerous," Roach said. He did have an idea, based on the reverse engineering results of the magic annihilation reactor he had previously obtained. "Besides, only I can drive it."

Because it requires the use of the Mystic Mage's Rune Disk as the control terminal, and because of certain "mystical factors," only he can operate it to activate the corresponding Mystic Item.

“No offense intended, but your value as a driver is higher than your value as a combatant,” Black Crow said with a slight bow. “That way, I can assign Scarface and Firefly to guard the carriage.” Roach shrugged, then looked at Livia, who paused for a second, a glint of light flashing in her emerald eyes, before nodding heavily—the little witch had never played with such a large “toy” before, and disregarding the occasion and environment, she was very interested in it.

“Then there’s no problem. We’ll use the old station to renovate and repair the trains so that we won’t seem so… tempting to those bandits. Then we’ll set traps to ambush those patrol cavalry. Once the masters have finished their work, we’ll ride straight over there.”

"What about the situation on the road?"

"We can only pray," Black Crow said mercilessly. If the road breaks or the bridge collapses, there will be no way to stop it. "However, if our ambush goes smoothly and there are no pursuers, we can consider repairing the bridge or simply reversing and taking the new route, which is also a viable option."

"Do you know how to adjust the car?" Roach asked, puzzled.

“I know, you think the reason Shadow Raven is the highest-paid thief group is because we never fight unprepared battles. We're not those reckless brutes who charge in with axes and daggers in a fit of rage. After receiving a commission, we have specific plans for the railway lines, train operations, the number of station guards, emergency response plans, how to clear out irrelevant people, and... how to use the environment, tools, and external conditions to limit your combat power. I even infiltrated the 'Forging Town' library to learn about trains.”

Black Crow's tone was full of sarcasm. "This is still the biggest setback we've suffered since we regrouped." He shook his head. "However, thank you for this failure. We will definitely learn from this experience next time."

“Thieves who rely on their brains go the distance,” Sylvie suddenly said. “It seems you really listened to the old commander’s words.”

"However, we are clearly still not smart enough..."

“After all, the most intelligent thieves are dancing in the palace dressed in formal attire, looking all high and mighty,” Roach added, drawing a strange look from Black Crow, but he nodded in agreement. “Indeed, in this respect, I can’t outdo those old foxes no matter how hard I try.”

"Then it's settled. We still have a few hours to rest before the next station."

[PS]

A revolutionary begging device invented by a beggar

"Press this valve, and the iron bowl will spew steam to form the character 'hungry'; pull this lever, and a blade will spring from the bottom of the bowl, forcing nobles to cut their fingers when they toss coins," the old beggar demonstrated. "The core technology is this severed hand—its former owner was a parliamentary stenographer, so it can still twitch and make the 'oppose' gesture."

(The nobles showered the nobles with gifts, supposedly to accumulate "immunity from charitable duels," making it easier to claim sainthood when killing strike leaders in the octagon.)

Chapter 199 As long as I keep thinking...

Iron Mine Station Town.

The town, located in the middle of the old railway line, transported locally mined iron ore to the ironworks town at the end of the old line for smelting, and prospered to reinforce and build the railway. After the iron ore was depleted, it continued to thrive for a period of time because of the train station. With the abandonment of the old line, the town also declined and eventually became a ghost town.

The train slowly came to a stop beside the stone platform. The town was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, without a single light. Only the dilapidated wooden roofs seemed to sob in the night wind.

The reason Black Crow chose this small station as its ambush position was that, for transporting heavy goods like iron ore, there were remnants of metal structures such as cranes, as well as various leftover handling and loading/unloading tools.

The platforms and many key buildings, such as the locomotive workshop for repairing locomotives, were constructed of stone and steel, making them more suitable as defensive positions than the wooden stations of other smaller stations along the route.

"Ugh~~~~" Livia stretched and yawned, then looked around the town while holding her staff. She raised her right hand, and the fog that enveloped the town immediately parted to the sides.

For the little witch, having enough time to set up a base and not having enough time to set up a base are two different things. She may seem to be just standing there in a daze, but in reality, in her world, everything from the roadside stones to the dilapidated houses is chattering away.

She needed to spend a lot of energy persuading these guys, or more accurately, making them understand her thoughts and will. Due to the withdrawal of humans, the chaotic and savage magic had re-invaded the town to some extent, and the abandoned buildings and things in the town also had a considerable amount of magic and soul remnants remaining.

Moreover, within her unrestrained perception, even the dark forest surrounding the town responded to the witch's call. The trees subtly bent and moved, and the branches and shrubs covered with sharp thorns tacitly concealed the original roads, leaving only the roads with the defensive entrances that Black Crow had set up.

With a clang, the locomotive, its carriages removed, slowly walked into the maintenance workshop and came to a stop.

“The crane here is still usable, and these toolboxes…” Scarface, sweating profusely, found a large pile of toolboxes. Most of the tools inside were rusty, but they were still barely usable.

"Now it's up to the two masters." Between having the little witch set up the position and modifying the front of the vehicle, Black Crow chose the latter. After all, no matter how perfectly the position was set up, it was impossible to stay in this remote place for too long. Without food and water, it was impossible to last long.

"Now the only entrances to this town are the train station and the eastern city gate. Because of the bandits in Black Rye Valley County, the walls are relatively sturdy, but don't have too high hopes. We can't defend all the walls, and it's inevitable that the enemy will invade the town. So, the point of attack is here." Black Crow pointed to the train station building, a church tower not far away, and a two-story stone guild building at the intersection.

“These three buildings are enough to block the passage to the maintenance workshop. We need to buy time for the two masters. Also… Miss Livia, could you perhaps set up some traps when you have a moment?” The little witch looked troubled. She could, but without her active intervention, the traps would simply become active…

She's no longer the naive, clueless, and reckless newcomer she once was.

However, considering the current situation and the fact that he had already used the method of soul-splitting, he figured a little more wouldn't make a difference, so he nodded weakly.

Then, the dilapidated houses collapsed with a roar without her having to lift a finger, and planks, stones, and tools flew merrily through the air, quickly forming new defensive lines and roadblocks.

As the witch's staff gently tapped the ground, the leyline magic mobilized by the ritual site flowed into these artifacts and remains. The nails on the wooden planks flipped outwards like hedgehogs. The paving stones on the ground also flipped, their worn and sharpened sides facing the sky, creating a trap path strewn with sharp stone knives.

The metal streetlights bent over, and a blue flame ignited above them, appearing like thin, ghostly figures under the cover of darkness. Finally, the witch opened her small bag, and a group of ginger-yellow cookie figures jumped to the ground hand in hand, quickly disappearing into the night.