Rifle charge in Ark, but without a mount

"What's wrong with you, No. 3? You almost attracted the target's attention."

"Captain, I stepped on a trap and my leg was pierced by a wooden thorn. Now I can't move."

"...You stay where you are and don't get in the way. Let the others keep moving forward." After a slight hesitation, greed for the huge bounty drove him to make the decision to continue.

Finally, the encirclement was completely formed. After making sure that no one could escape, the captain aimed the crossbow in his hand at the knight sitting by the campfire. The other party's armor looked very sophisticated, but the captain was very confident in his skills. At this distance, he could accurately shoot at the gap in his armor, not to mention that this latest product produced by Thor Industries was definitely not something that ordinary armor could block.

The captain aimed the crosshairs at the gap in the helmet and held his breath. His finger seemed to press the trigger accidentally.

Just as he expected, the blow hit the gap in the armor accurately, sending the helmet flying. But underneath was not a pierced head, but nothing.

The entire suit of armor collapsed at once and rolled to the ground, revealing the dead branches tied together underneath.

In an instant, the captain felt a cold chill that made his hair stand on end.

Because I have an exam tomorrow, I really don’t have time today. I will update after the exam tomorrow.

A New Beginning: Chapter 43: Hunting

There was no sound in the dark forest at this moment, even the ubiquitous insects did not dare to make a sound. The captain finally woke up, looking at the empty camp, he conveyed the order to retreat without hesitation, but it turned out that he woke up too late. The moment they turned around, black arrows and javelins cut through the night and pierced the two easily. Their armor did not play any role.

The two men were not dead yet, and were wailing miserably. The silence in the forest was completely broken, and the captain shouted and called on the team members to fight back. But no one could see clearly where the black death came from, and they could only fly around like headless flies. But they still maintained basic tactical qualities and did not throw their arrows randomly.

This calmness could not last long, because in the night, deadly arrows and javelins flew out continuously, and they never missed. Every time they attacked, someone would die. They tried to shoot arrows, but they didn't hit anything except trees. This experience was a devastating blow to morale. Just now they thought they were hunters, but now everyone understood that they were just prey, prey who stepped into a trap without knowing it.

Some people tried to lie on the ground to avoid the arrows, but they were soon nailed to the ground by the sharp arrows shot from the top of their heads. In the blink of an eye, they suffered heavy losses, and the 30-man team was now reduced to only 19 people. When they were about to collapse, there was a change that Claude did not expect.

The captain of the mercenaries was clearly the one who was giving orders loudly. Following his orders, the rest of the people gathered together. A few shields were placed outside to block the arrows. The crossbows in their hands no longer fired individually, but instead covered the suspicious areas under the captain's orders. A small number of explosive crossbow arrows were mixed in, creating groups of fire and fragments in the woods. The entire formation began to move slowly towards the edge of the forest.

Under the cover of this effective method, Claude and the other man had to retreat first to avoid being fired upon.

It looked like the remaining enemies were about to escape, but there was no trace of anxiety on Claude's face. From the moment they stepped into the forest, in Claude's eyes, they were already dead.

He was not disappointed. Just as these people were about to leave the forest, a figure wrapped in a gray cloak crashed into them. Along with a strange energy fluctuation, a crackling sound of some hard substance growing was heard. Grayish-white calcium covered the figure, blocking the sword that was slashing towards her.

A mercenary holding a shield tried to block her, but in an instant, the fist covered with calcium hit his shield, and then sank deeply into it, bending the entire shield inwards, until it hit his chest, sending him flying.

Like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, a pair of fists actually beat these fully armed mercenaries to pieces. The sounds of shields being smashed and weapons being broken were endless. Just when the captain wanted to command the remaining people to surround and kill this target, the sword light from behind him made his consciousness completely fall into darkness.

The other mercenaries watched with their own eyes as their captain was cut in half from head to toe by a vicious beheading sword. His fine armor was torn apart like a piece of paper. Then a black shadow rushed into their midst, and with a flash of sword light, two heads fell. A large amount of blood mist emerged from the fallen body, surrounding the figure. It was as hideous and terrifying as a demon seeking a blood sacrifice in the world.

A huge blood mist was sucked into the sword, making the blade red and bleeding. The fallen figure emitted a steady stream of blood mist and entered the sword. Swinging the heavy beheading sword, he cut the body in front of him as easily as a hot knife into butter. The gap created by the hard armor would return to its original state in an instant.

In a flash, these mercenaries who pursued wealth more than life turned into corpses all over the ground, but there was no smell of blood. All the corpses were as pale as paper. The evil spirit emanating from Claude at this time made his companions afraid to approach him.

The blade turned into a mercury-like fluid again, and after several turns, it returned to its original state. Claude put away the sword with a serious look on his face. This weapon that he got by chance seemed to have countless secrets. Just when they were fighting, a fierce anger suddenly surged in his heart, although he suppressed it in just a moment. But this inexplicable malice still aroused his vigilance. In his life of fighting, Claude himself had never had such emotions, and it was almost certain that it was the problem of this sword.

If it was held by someone with a weak will, the vicious malice would be enough to turn him into a murderous madman. But for Claude, who had experienced a sea of ​​blood and corpses, he could only feel a moment of loss of composure before regaining consciousness.

Looking at the mess on the ground, Claude sighed. It seemed that he would not be able to sleep tonight.

It was not until the next morning that all the bodies were disposed of. The identities of these people were nowhere to be found, and they did not carry anything related to this. But no matter who they came for last night, they would not let others go, and it was expected that they would end up like this.

After a brief discussion, they decided to hurry on while it was still cool in the morning. They filled up their drinking water at the pond and marked the forest on the map as a resting place. Then they drove away in the still cool morning wind.

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Two days later, a dusty off-road vehicle stopped at the gate of Rustwater Town.

Rustwater Town is just as its name suggests. The whole town is surrounded by a stinking bay, and colorful lights are flashing on the green rusty water. It makes people feel nauseous. The smell of domestic garbage mixed with industrial wastewater and animal carcasses fills the nose. But in such a harsh environment, this place seems very lively.

Everywhere you can see traveling merchants leading pack animals, fully armed mercenaries, women in simple and ragged clothes, and large and small manual machine workshops scattered throughout the streets and alleys. The reason why they are called manual machine workshops is because of the way people work here.

Xiushui Town is the largest producer of mechanical products in this wasteland, and their production method is to buy various garbage picked up by scavengers and piece them together into new products. Basically, they do not rely on machines, but rely on manual tools for processing. Although the efficiency is low, the huge number of them has increased the output. For the surrounding predators, scavengers and gangs, such cheap things are of course a good choice.

"Okay ma'am, we've arrived at Rustwater. What are your plans next?"

"Mr. Claude, Ms. Xinteleya, thank you for your care over the past few days. My current situation is not suitable for me to be too deeply involved with you. Let's say goodbye now."

"Well, I wish you a safe journey, ma'am." Claude and the other man waved to her and said goodbye to their companion of the past few days. In their opinion, there might be no chance of meeting them again.

…………

They didn't delay for too long, and after buying enough food and water, they were ready to set off again. But Claude was always worried about the drinking water here, especially after seeing the terrible bay, but at present they had no other choice, and this was the only place nearby where they could replenish food and water.

The world-weary bricks are rising up in groups, and the suspicion has been stopped.

Claude was fine, but as a girl, Cintrea had long hated this place. After dealing with these things, she kept urging Claude to leave. Claude himself didn't want to stay any longer, so he started the car and left.

Camel excrement was everywhere on the roadside, and the sweat of the animals was mixed with the sun to create a pungent and strong stench. The noise of people shouting and horses neighing made people extremely irritated. However, the crowded road moved very slowly, and Claude and his companions could only continue to endure this terrible situation.

Just as they were about to reach the end of the road, a group of smelly livestock suddenly squeezed out of the lane next to them, blocking the way for the vehicles again. Claude immediately understood the drivers in modern society who honked their horns in traffic jams, because he had the same impulse at this time. He waited patiently for the livestock to pass by, and Claude clearly saw the regretful expression on the shepherd's face.

He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly. This place is really a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery.

Without paying any attention to the guy who had failed in his blackmail attempt, he stepped on the accelerator and drove out, rushing into the sun-scorched wasteland, heading for their final destination. They still had half a month of journey to go.

On the other side, Saria was looking at the smug shop owner. There were several vicious men with sticks surrounding the store door, and she couldn't help but sigh.

"Bite your teeth."

"What?"

Seeing the shop owner's puzzled look, Saria added.

"If you still want your teeth and tongue"

…………group

Saria picked up a key from the broken teeth on the ground and looked at the shop owner who had bitten off half of his tongue. He was so scared that he kept backing away. She ignored him and found a car in good condition in the backyard of the shop. She started the car with the key and rushed out of the town. She didn't have time to buy anything else because she knew that the place would be fenced off soon, which would bring countless troubles.

However, the direction she left was a little strange, which was exactly where her companions who had just said goodbye were.

ps: There is another chapter later. It is really uncomfortable to type in the car →)ini)8

A New Beginning: Chapter 3: An Unexpected Reunion

After a week of continuous driving, they finally crossed the hot zone. Claude immediately put on his armor and looked relieved. This made Cinderella next to him look very subtle. Since she met Claude, he seemed to have been wearing armor all the time, as if he was wearing it as clothes.

At this moment, Claude was in a very happy mood as he faced the cold wind blowing from Ursus. He had gained a lot from this trip. Not only did he have a drug supply channel, but he also gained a reliable ally for his organization. As the saying goes, once a person has no worries, what is the difference between being worry-free? Claude is in this state now.

"Do you really have to wear armor? It would be uncomfortable to wear something so hard all day."8

Hearing the question raised by his companion, Claude answered casually.

"Because I'm used to wearing it. I've worn it for too long in the past and can't take it off for a while. In fact, you can also try it. It can give you a strong sense of security." 0

"Forget it. I probably won't be able to jump if I wear this." Cintria rolled her eyes and refused. Her fighting style was totally unsuitable for wearing armor, and she also knew that Claude's suggestion was just a joke.

"Minion, is there anything you would like to do?"

Hearing Claude's question, she answered subconsciously.

"Haven't I already been following your lead? Or do you want to shirk your responsibility?"

"I mean, do you have something you want to do? Like an ideal you want to perfect, something you want to get, an achievement you want to achieve, etc.?"

"I don't have that kind of thing yet. I'm generally a person who lives from day to day. As long as I can get by for now, I won't think too far ahead."

Hearing Xintlia's reply, Claude showed a teasing smile.

"Really? I see you're not just muddling along, but you didn't have the conditions to do so before?"

"So what if it is? Is it available now?" Sintrea suddenly fell down on the chair, but her tone was unexpectedly hasty.

"Of course you can. You are my friend now. If you want to do something, I will help you. Our life span is limited. We should always do something that we can talk about with our friends when we are old." Claude turned his head and looked at her very seriously.

"Even if you say so, it's not there now." Her tone suddenly became a little low.

"It doesn't matter. There's plenty of time to think about it. If you've thought of it, just tell me and we can complete it together." Claude kept moving his feet. After stopping the car, he opened the hood, took out the coolant from the trunk and added it in. A large amount of water vapor immediately obscured his figure.

"Okay, don't regret it then." New Traya said to Claude.

"Of course, I'll never break my oath." Claude was busy taming the damn engine, and only the sun in the sky was watching this scene.

The weather was great, perhaps too great.

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Passing through Leba Town, the weather was getting colder and colder. After driving a few hundred kilometers, they saw snow on the roadside. Although it was very thin and could not even cover the leaves, it also meant that they were about to enter Ursus. As usual, Xinteleya sat in the passenger seat wrapped in a blanket. Although this kind of cold did not have much impact on her, she still hated this damp and cold feeling.

The snow is very thin now, this is the summer of the snowfield. But this summer is pitifully short, always fleeting, rarely seen, and then it is as cold and barren as ever. Vehicles driving in such places have to be equipped with anti-skid devices, and the poor road conditions also make such things indispensable.

The iron spikes on the tires pierced into the soil, scraping away the ice and snow, allowing the car to move forward. The Originium engine has an obvious advantage. Its fuel volume is very small. Only a small amount of fuel is needed to support a long-term journey. The extra energy can even allow them to turn on the air conditioner.

Enjoying the hot air from the air conditioner, although the temperature did not rise much, looking at the light snow falling outside the window, I actually felt a rare sense of comfort.

"If we use these drugs sparingly, they should be enough for us for half a year. By then, we can send some trusted members to help us complete this task. After all, we have important work to do and we can't be running around all the time."

"It would be great if we also had a landship like Rhodes Island. Then we could take the entire organization with us and avoid all the trouble."

"You are too cautious. In the future, our number of members will increase. How can one land ship be enough? If there is a chance in the future, we still need a mobile city as our base. Many things will become easier to handle."

"Building a mobile city requires an astronomical amount of money."

“I never said I wanted to buy it.”

“…I knew it was like that.”

The two chatted casually, but neither of them relaxed. They knew what kind of place the snowfield of Ursus was, and their weapons were always placed in a place where they could easily get them.

The same sunlight here seemed especially warm and pleasing. But the sun would always set, and they had to find a place to rest at night. Claude, who was standing beside a cedar tree in a daze, suddenly remembered something and turned around to look through his package. After a while, he took out a ball that seemed to be woven with gold wire.

There was a very thin black gas inside, as if it would dissipate at any time. This self-proclaimed immortal black snake, the soul that had once harbored ill intentions towards Claude, was not completely destroyed by Claude. At that time, he just considered that this guy was very clear about Ursus's situation and thought that he might be useful in the future, so he kept him for the time being, and never thought about it again.

It was not until I saw the familiar sight of Ursus that I remembered the guy I had captured.

"Hey, it hasn't dissipated yet?"

He shook the cage formed by the power of the runes in his hand, and the thin black gas inside became lighter. But Claude showed a regretful expression.

"Looks like he's useless now, so let's just destroy him."

As he spoke, he was about to crush the cage made of runes in his hand, along with the soul inside. Then, under his expected gaze, the black energy inside quickly struggled, and it was completely different from the dying look just now.

"It's just a trace of soul. You can fool some people who don't understand you in that state, but how can you fool me?"

World-weary

"Okay, I won't waste my time talking to you. I have a question for you. You can choose to lie to me or not tell me. But how I treat you is my business."

"You...what do you want to know?" Koschei now felt great sadness and shame. As the Duke of Ursus, a world-famous immortal, this was the biggest setback he had ever encountered. Not only was he cut off from other souls, he couldn't even commit suicide and could only be trapped in this small cage.

The information he knew could not be passed on at all, and he knew nothing about the situation in the Ursus Empire. He had never encountered such a dilemma, but this was both a dilemma and a huge opportunity. The power used by this man named Claude had never appeared on this land before, and it showed great potential.

'If I could only get it...'

With this glimmer of hope, Koschei did not commit self-destruction. He believed that this power would help Ursus become great again. As long as he could escape successfully...

"Tell me about the current situation of the upper echelons of the Ursus Empire. Oh, and your duchy."

"What do you want to do?" The immortal black snake was a little confused.

"The location of your territory is interesting and important to us."

"Oh, what a stupid idea! Do you think you can threaten me by grabbing a wisp of my soul?" Upon hearing this, Kosice did not take it seriously. To him, his greatest strength was his immortality in a certain sense, which enabled him to always have the capital to make a comeback. So, Claude's words seemed to him like pure nonsense.

"I'm not trying to blackmail you. I'm just letting you know that I'm going to take it. And do you really think I can't do anything with your other souls?"

"........."

"It seems you know it yourself."

………………

"that's it?"

"that's it."

"It was a little unexpected and indeed a bit tricky."

"Okay, I don't need you anymore, go back now."

Without waiting for the sinister black snake to say anything, Claude threw it back into the package. Seeing that it was almost dark, Xinteleya woke up on time to take night duty. He quickly lay down in the sleeping bag and soon began to breathe evenly.

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The off-road vehicle passed through a cedar forest, leaving a conspicuous black track. This place was very close to their final destination, and they should be able to reach it in four or five hours, so they relaxed their vigilance a little. Until another car suddenly turned out from the side road.

Claude hurriedly turned the steering wheel, and the vehicle left a dangerous mark on the road, almost flipping over. But in the end, it stopped safely.

Claude got out of the car and saw another car that had crashed into a tree, with the trunk deeply embedded in the car. The trees here were always very hard because of the cold weather, but to Claude's surprise, the person who got out of the car was a very familiar figure.

A New Beginning: Chapter 45: A Campsite in Rapid Change

Claude looked at this unexpected figure. He had thought that the other party would go about his own business after parting in Rustwater Town, but he did not expect that they would meet again by chance, and in this way. Looking at the wreckage that was smoking in the light snow, both of them did not know what to say for a moment.

Saria was also very surprised. She didn't expect that she would run into these two people again when she drove around aimlessly to avoid the pursuers. She did have important things to do, but the continuous pursuit of the pursuers made her a little annoyed. In order to prevent the other party from figuring out her true purpose, she deliberately deviated from her original route, trying to temporarily divert the pursuers and then walk to her real destination.