Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

Therefore, the divination before going to war always yielded a result of victory, and the gods always accepted the offerings made by the general. He was already familiar with all of this and had always done a good job.

Even so, the sacrificial ceremony before this expedition was enough to leave a deep impression on him...

Thirty-six carefully selected, plump rams had their throats slit at the same time. They were all free of any other color, robust and fat, and six different coat colors were carefully chosen.

The heads of the 10 lions were preserved intact, with even their manes intact. They were still roaring angrily when they were beheaded, and their foul-smelling blood was still steaming hot.

The longest feather was carefully selected from the wings of 30 eagles, and the plumpest fruit from the autumn trees was picked... Such offerings were displayed in abundance, piled up on the wide altar, and the smell of fat and blood filled the air.

This was an indescribable extravagance and grandeur, and also a pact between mortals and gods—when a general returned victorious, he would offer the heads and battle flags he had collected to the temple to demonstrate his achievements and glory.

Now it seems certain that Commander Thesolius will fulfill his promise. His victory will surpass that of any glorious imperial general, and the lands he conquers and the enemies he defeats will reach new heights…

This made him secretly ponder some things—such a victory would inevitably bring about many changes, and it was also a good opportunity for him to gain more benefits, as long as he was careful enough and had enough self-awareness…

He had a premonition that something was going to happen in the empire, and that this change would be driven by the emperor and those around her. To him, this was both an unknown danger and a possible opportunity.

The high priest pondered in silence, while only a dozen or so priests were busy with their own affairs in the spacious temple. The servants had all been driven out, and he stood alone before the statue of the goddess, thinking silently, as always cautiously and carefully exploring his future path.

Unbeknownst to him, he hadn't even realized that the surroundings had become completely quiet. All the priests were silent, and none of them were even looking at the parchment scrolls in their hands... Their eyes were all focused on him, filled with indescribable surprise and panic.

His contemplation was broken by a subtle cracking sound—like cold water poured on red-hot stone, causing the hard, dense rock to crack and break, subtle yet hard to miss.

He was too close, and that's why he was the last to discover it...

The solemn goddess had been slightly pursing her lips, but now everyone could see the beautiful upward curve of the lines sculpted by the master—as natural as if it had always been sculpted that way, a gentle smile, as if she had seen something good to look forward to.

He was almost oblivious to how much time had passed, completely stunned and frozen in shock. The unimaginable and bizarre turn of events had left him utterly disoriented, and it took him a long time to force himself to regain some composure before turning his head away.

"The will of the gods, God has clearly revealed His will!!"

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

The blood of Thales was flowing, a vibrant and ruthless emotion swirling in his eyes. One command after another came from his mouth and were immediately relayed by messengers to the other generals, causing the entire army's formation to constantly adjust and change.

These orders were not very coherent; the vast majority of the formations were arranged by the general and his staff, and they did not disappoint him and did a very good job. However, there were some things that only he could see and only he could make the most targeted countermeasures.

Just like the preparations before two swordsmen duel, the direction of the sword tip implies countless dangerous intentions; the probing begins before the actual confrontation.

His opponents cleverly positioned their legions in a most challenging location—South of Hols lacked towering peaks, but still possessed numerous gently sloping hills and highlands, allowing armies occupying these areas to launch attacks more easily and gain the upper hand.

Often, the right to choose the battlefield lies with the defenders, and this time was no exception. They also had cavalry from various tribes covering the flanks of their army, and archers were densely arrayed on the high ground and slopes, blocking the road to continue south. They had been waiting here for the enemy to come to them.

At first glance, the densely packed and orderly army on the distant slope looked like a swarm of ants crawling on a tree, with colorful flags dotting the landscape, showcasing the glory and prestige of the lords and generals. Waves of cheers and various noises rolled in, reminiscent of a pond rippling in a storm.

Meanwhile, the imperial army calmly arrayed itself on the plain, a striking contrast of red uniforms and silver armor. The banners, all similar in design, were distinguished by different numbers and symbols, and the gleaming spears formed a dangerous, seemingly endless forest.

This is the battlefield where the iron cavalry can gallop freely without any obstacles. Every charge will tear up swathes of flesh and blood, trample the ranks, and destroy courage. And this sharpest sword, which belongs to him and the entire empire, is now arrayed on the flank and rear of the army.

The 2000 armored cavalrymen stood silently in the spring sunshine, but no one could ignore their powerful presence. Even during their assembly, some of the Asel people on the other side were shaken, prompting the nobles and officers to hastily suppress them.

Everything was unfolding smoothly, and the Imperial Legion's deployment of forces far exceeded the Aselans' expectations, even silencing the quarreling lords. As they returned to their troops, each of them wore a tense expression.

Both sides are making their final preparations... and at this moment, the sun is about to reach its zenith, the warmest, brightest, and clearest time of day. Before long, before the sun sets, this place will be a river of blood.

The craftsmen dragged the heavy war machines into the formation and began to assemble the catapults and ballistae with great speed—these massive machines with incredible range could wreak havoc on the enemy formation with terrifying power beyond the range of arrows. This time, he would show the Asel people what price they would have to pay for waiting in comfort.

Before long, he had completed all the arrangements. Looking at the generals and officers watching him, Tersolius lowered his head, stroked his horse's mane, brushed off the dust, and finally looked up at the dense black shadows in the distance:

"Prepare……"

A rapid clatter of hooves interrupted his command… and then Talina hurried over and handed him a small parchment scroll:

"My lord, we have new intelligence."

Tersolius raised an eyebrow and slowly unrolled the paper—he believed that Talina wouldn't have interrupted him at this moment if it weren't important enough… and the contents were indeed as he expected.

"It seems we need to change our strategy, Doctor. Let's proceed according to Plan 2..."

333 Engagement (1)

The empire's spies infiltrated places beyond many people's imagination. They often penetrated enemy territory before the empire's swords and spied on cities before the empire's iron hooves. Even when war was still in the preparation stage, they had already discovered the weaknesses of the enemy's land and spied on the secrets of the enemy's nobles.

This is extremely important, even as important as the logistics of an army. It is a key factor in determining the success or failure of a war, just as a warrior who does not understand his opponent is doomed to defeat.

Such infiltration requires a considerable amount of time and cost, and must be planned well in advance. It is necessary to silently extend deadly tentacles into the enemy's body. The infiltration of the southern kingdoms had already begun long before the Kurist people had completely submitted.

The most elite henchmen disguised themselves as various individuals and traveled south. They might be a charcoal burner, a fruit vendor, or even a beggar on the street... They gathered their own intelligence from different identities and perspectives, and by combining the information gathered from various important locations, they were able to draw crucial conclusions.

Other countries also have similar systems, but they lack the organized, planned, and efficient intelligence gathering and espionage capabilities of an empire. Many kings are unaware of the existence of their henchmen, much like a mole burrowing in the mud is unlikely to detect a falcon soaring in the sky.

Moreover, the hounds are happy to sever any tentacles that do not belong to the empire, regardless of which country they belong to... They always have the upper hand and are undoubtedly the apex predators in the dark battles.

This was also a rare and fortunate time for the hounds, who rarely had such opportunities during the empire's turbulent past. The hounds devoted more of their energy to capturing rebels and ambitious individuals within the empire.

Now is the time to forge ahead. No emperor or commander has ever brought such a feast to the empire, not even for them. The honors and achievements gained in this are far greater than ever before.

The Hols king thought he had been discreet enough, but unbeknownst to him, the empire's spies had already spread into his city, though they had not yet reached the darkest and most secretive parts—something that would require more practical management and infiltration, perhaps even longer than the country itself.

But they had already noticed the unique anomalies in the departing Holsian army. By combining various clues and known information, the analysts of the hounds reached a conclusion, and then delivered this conclusion, which contained their judgment and all the clues, into the hands of Tersolius…

—The disappearance of people from large villages and towns near the capital of the Hols, the abnormal number of scavengers, and the various rumors circulating in the capital... All of this was enough for Tersolius to believe one conclusion... Those sneaky people who had been quiet for a while began to stir again, and they were preparing new tricks to deal with him and his army.

He believed that it was definitely something that could work; otherwise, the king of the Hols would not have taken such a great risk to give him the opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop. If he had been caught off guard, he would likely have been caught completely off guard.

This was intolerable to him—it meant that all his plans had been completely ruined, and it could even put Alka and his men in an even more dangerous situation, like a deer that was almost cooked jumping out of the pot and splashing boiling water all over his face.

Transporting an army of 20,000 men by sea to a strategic location without the enemy's knowledge could have been risk-controlled. But now, Alka and his forces have been exposed. They have plunged their blades deep into the heart of the Asel people and will inevitably face the fiercest attacks and targeting. They no longer have the chance to slowly withdraw by fleet...

He would never allow that to happen, which made his resolve burn as fiercely as a flame—even though it was already fierce.

He didn't have much time, and he needed to come up with an absolutely effective method right now... Fortunately, Talina was able to give him enough confidence in this regard.

"So that's the situation, Doctor. I believe those rats' plan to deal with me involves monsters created through evil witchcraft, just like they did last time, which is what they do best."

"And I have to admit, they almost succeeded last time..."

Tarina frowned, still shaken.

"If you hadn't killed that ambushing creature in time... if I had died before you..."

The girl pursed her lips, almost afraid to say anything more, while Thesolius pointed out the worst-case scenario without hesitation:

"Then I won't survive either. I'll soon die from that terrible poison, and the situation will completely collapse."

The events of that night were truly earth-shattering for the entire army. For his guards, it was an indescribable shame and dereliction of duty, a shame that even the blood of the enemy could not wash away, nearly driving them into a frenzy of rage.

"So we need a countermeasure, one that works for all living things, or at least the vast majority of them. Even if we don't necessarily have to use it, we should still prepare for it before our army launches a formal attack. Do you have any ideas, Talina? I believe you can offer the best advice."

Tarina fell into deep thought—and after only two breaths, the girl had found a solution, though her expression became somewhat subtle:

"I think it must be highly poisonous, sir. Most creatures cannot tolerate highly poisonous substances, especially the most powerful ones among them. After some adjustments, they can achieve excellent results."

Tersolius smiled:

“I knew you’d have a way. I’ll have Colin and the military craftsmen work together. Now go and get it done, Doctor. I need to put some pressure on the Assele.”

Tersolius began to put on his helmet, and Talina believed that the pressure he was under was far more than just a little... it would be a terrifying crushing force, like a raging inferno, forcing his opponent to react.

She had no time to waste here any longer. A terrible recipe had surfaced in the girl's mind—a horrible toxin that could melt nerves and muscles, incredibly bitter, cruel, and causing extreme torment, instantly rendering a colossal creature powerless.

In the past, Tarina never imagined that she would one day be able to prepare such a terrible thing, but now, she doesn't even feel a little resistance. Like a fine soldier who has received an order, she only thinks about how to complete the task.

She needs some help, she needs an environment where she can temporarily escape the noise, because what she is about to deal with absolutely cannot afford to go wrong.

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

He surveyed his distant adversaries with a cruel gaze, secretly plotting how to destroy and crush them, how to torment their confidence and courage.

So, after the craftsmen finished their work, he passed on his will.

And so the instruments of war—horrible weapons forged from hardwood, steel, and brass—began to advance, and craftsmen began to measure distances, calculate angles, and load crossbow bolts as thick as javelins and stone projectiles bound with iron nets—which would send blood and flesh flying through the enemy ranks.

The cavalrymen immediately scattered, patrolling the area in units of a hundred to ensure that these powerful but relatively fragile war machines would not be threatened and could unleash their firepower on the enemy without restraint.

The empire's meticulously maintained ballistae and catapults had terrifying range, and today, a group of people will prove it with their blood and flesh, though they certainly don't want to be.

Finally, with everything ready, ten red and white triangular flags waved simultaneously, accompanied by the heavy thud of the composite crossbow arms pulling the thick bowstrings, and the sound of the catapult's mechanism being released. Death's sinister laugh accompanied the shadow flying overhead, and the first test firing was about to demonstrate its effects...

334 Engagement (2)

The massive crossbow bolts, hurtling past, easily ripped through shields and shattered iron armor, piercing two bodies together. The gushing blood, mixed with shattered metal fragments, tumbled and writhed in agony.

The massive damage to their internal organs in an instant sealed their fate. But the remaining life force was enough for the victims to scream for a while, thoroughly draining the morale of everyone around them.

Any commander could realize how terrible the consequences of such a thing would be, so in such situations, someone would often step in and swiftly end their suffering with a single blow, stopping the ear-piercing screams.

They were being attacked, and attacked without any chance of fighting back... No matter how much preparation they had made beforehand, they always found it difficult to make accurate judgments when facing an opponent they had never truly fought against. Before this, they could not have imagined that they would be suppressed to this extent, that the Imperial's engineering machinery could have such exaggerated range and power!

Their ballistae and catapults were far inferior to their opponents in terms of range, power, and even accuracy. They had already lost two within a short period of time at the start of the battle, and it was foreseeable that they would continue to lose more. They could only watch helplessly as their army was attacked, unable to provide much cover. They had fallen into a completely passive position.

Before the shrapnel from the sky even hit the ground, it caused a group of soldiers in a square formation to look up in panic. As the black dot approached them, they did not hesitate to scatter and scatter in all directions, even cursing and kicking each other in their attempts to escape.

And the facts proved that their actions were rational and prudent in a certain sense—as the black dot landed, the rubble flew everywhere under the terrible force, causing five or six soldiers who couldn't dodge in time to fall over, their bodies embedded with stones of various sizes. Some of the most unlucky ones had already started vomiting blood, and the unfortunate one who was hit squarely had his entire head, along with his helmet, twisted into a mess.

Death continued to come, but the Imperial craftsmen methodically manipulated the nation's most powerful weapons, constantly loading, adjusting, and calibrating them... then firing, showering deadly death upon the enemy, destroying their barriers and protection, with ample ammunition to squander until nightfall.

Just like workers in the city slaughtering chickens and ducks, cutting throats to bleed them, plucking feathers to remove flesh, everything is done in an orderly manner. As long as each action is done properly, life will die and blood and flesh will fly everywhere.

They held the advantage in range, and the enemy's crossbow counterattacks were too far away to be effective and posed little threat. Their organized and targeted precision suppression gained an unstoppable advantage, continuously destroying the enemy's war machines.

The Assele tribal cavalry had already set out, attempting to close in and suppress the formidable engineering weaponry with a hail of arrows. Their movements were swift and agile… but to no avail. The Imperial light cavalry easily intercepted them, driving them back in a bloody and organized ferocious assault.

If they recklessly approached any closer and entered the range of the archers in the infantry formation, they would immediately face a terrible catastrophe, being pierced and shot down by heavy arrows as fierce as raindrops. Even their warhorses would suffer the same fate, turning into convulsing corpses in the rain of arrows.

The Imperial offensive was extremely fierce from the start, with a terrifying suppressive force that made almost every commander feel a tremendous sense of oppression and suffocation, and the originally well-prepared formations began to fluctuate constantly.

The pre-installed wooden stake barriers were being systematically destroyed, and the arrow shields used to block arrows were being torn to shreds by huge crossbow bolts and stone projectiles, requiring craftsmen to risk their lives to repair them.

But these things still played a significant role. If it weren't for Samir's foresight, they would have suffered even greater losses, and the soldiers' wavering wouldn't have been so easily suppressed. Although they were suppressed, they didn't suffer any serious losses, at least not for now...

This is just an appetizer; we haven't even eaten it yet.

----------

A small vial of Green Palpitator venom, clear and transparent, appears almost imperceptible, yet it can easily kill even the strongest bull.

The pollen of the Salogo flower is so potent that it can melt your nerves just by smelling it; not even ants will be present around this plant.

The extract from the outer bark of *Deslothia suspensa* must be stored in clean glass due to its toxic corrosive properties.

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

Tarina manipulates a series of dangerous objects, her only protection being a white handkerchief covering her mouth and nose. It looks fragile, but the blue light flowing from it is enough to ward off these terrible poisons.

Through a series of processes such as distillation, mixing, and catalysis, the final product is gradually being produced. Amidst the crisp clinking of glass and metal, the terrible bitterness appears in this small wooden house.

Finally, the product was placed in a glass bottle no longer than a little finger. Inside, a beautiful liquid of alternating blue and red colors was slowly flowing, even shimmering with tiny sparkles, as if it had been cut from the Milky Way at the moment when dusk and night intertwined.

The deceptive nature of this liquid is almost unbelievable. Anyone who sees it for the first time would think it is some kind of magical and effective medicine or a precious and unique treasure, without realizing that even a tiny drop of this substance, invisible to the naked eye, can easily cause terrible consequences.

With a serious expression, Tarina picked up her staff and cast several blue flashes on the small glass bottle before putting it into her bag. Then she hurriedly pushed open the door and left the hunter's cabin in the forest.

Outside the gate stood dozens of fully armored cavalrymen guarding the area, while hundreds more spread out around to guard against any potential approachers. They swiftly departed, traversing hills and slopes, eventually merging once more into the rolling torrent of iron.

The only function of this liquid is to cause horrific destruction to living organisms. It can instantly end the life of any strong life form. Perhaps it won't be needed today, but its existence is ultimately necessary.

For the best archers, its role is self-evident; once it pierces a creature's body, even the strongest beast cannot resist.

Arrows were flying everywhere on the battlefield, and it was becoming increasingly unsafe for her. Of course, this was when she was close to the front line. The battle lines of both armies stretched for miles, and the rear was still relatively safe. Otherwise, Tersolius would not have allowed her to stay here.

Beneath the black double-headed eagle banner, Talina met up with the others and, amidst their curious gazes, pulled out the small bottle:

"This is the final product, sir... As far as I know, there is no poison in the world more potent than this. As long as they continue to use the same methods, it will definitely work."

Tesorius glanced at it with some curiosity:

"It's so beautiful it's almost eerie, but I believe it's threatening enough to match its beautiful texture. It shouldn't penetrate the skin, right?"

"No, sir. I have specially adjusted the proportions in the formula. Unless it comes into direct contact with flesh or mucous membranes, even a tiny pinhole can have terrible consequences. But otherwise, as long as it is not in contact for a long time, there will be no problem."

"Then there's no problem. Let's deal with the arrows as soon as possible..."

Thessalius looked up at the sun in the sky:

“I guess they should be making their next move soon, but it doesn’t matter if they aren’t. I still have plenty of patience to spare on this point.”

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

The heavy oak barrel was pried open, but instead of pickles, cured meats, or ale, it contained a luminous, pale purple liquid with tiny, wriggling things resembling corn silk.

The stench emanating from the iron cage beside them was overwhelming. That horrible smell would deter any normal person, or even without the smell, just a glance at it would be enough to make a brave warrior retreat.

The man in black dipped his wooden spoon into the bucket and stirred it slightly, like cooking porridge. He then stuck his fingers in and pulled out two wriggling white worms, which he then tossed into his mouth and chewed like noodles.