Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

Blood and bits of flesh were splattered all over the ground around the well—Lydos had practically chopped it to pieces with his sword, and some fascia and muscle were still stuck to his blade, which he was too lazy to clean up anytime soon.

What happened tonight was truly breathtaking, probably unique in the whole world... He didn't know how long it had been since he had engaged in such strenuous exercise, let alone a life-or-death battle requiring intense concentration. Even a strong young man would easily be exhausted after such an event.

At this moment, he was too lazy to even speak. He just stared blankly at the tower in front of him, his eyes unfocused, looking like a walking corpse. You might even wonder if he would fall to the ground if you pushed him.

Just then, the young man who had just been knocked unconscious on the ground finally struggled to wake up... and then he saw the most shocking scene he had ever witnessed—a bloody, wide-open mouth and eyes, covered in dust, head that was only about three inches away from his face.

At this distance, he could even see the eyelashes stuck together with blood on the head, and two ants covered in blood, with every detail clearly visible, every hair distinct.

The terrifying impact left him momentarily stunned. In a state of confusion and disorientation, he let out a few strange gasps before fear and panic overwhelmed his reason, causing him to scream in terror.

"Cato, stop yelling and shut your mouth!"

The veteran was so annoyed by the noise that he couldn't bear to see a grown man being frightened like a little girl. He mustered his strength and kicked the other man, which brought the boy back to his senses. The boy turned around and stared at him blankly, his eyes even glistening with tears.

"It's just a dead man's head! Haven't you ever seen a dead person before?! You're screaming like a little girl, aren't you ashamed of yourself!"

Faced with the other party's harsh reprimand, Cato pouted somewhat unconvinced—of course he had seen dead people, and quite a few at that. Not to mention that these past two years hadn't been peaceful, even in normal times he often saw unfortunate souls killed by bandits or wild beasts around him... But no matter what, that was definitely quite different from opening his eyes and seeing a head right in front of him; the impact was on a completely different level.

Without any preparation, even a soldier who has killed countless people would be startled, let alone an ordinary kid who has never seen human blood on his hands.

He ultimately didn't dare to argue with the other party, not only because the old man usually held a lot of authority among them, but also because the other party's current appearance was truly terrifying to him.

This old man, who was usually drunk, now had his eyes wide open, gleaming with a bright light that carried an indescribable meaning in the darkness, calm yet cruel... Add to that the bloodstains that had stained almost half of his body, the scattered pieces of flesh all around, and even the sharp sword still covered in bits of meat.

All I can say is that if anyone dares to argue with this old man in this state, then I truly admire them.

"Alright, stop standing there in a daze. Go to the wooden tower and sound the alarm. Someone has put something in our well. We need to clean the well right away."

Finally catching his breath, Lydos propped himself up and sat up. He also used the black rag from the corpse next to him to wipe his sword... He had always cherished this old sword since he got it. If he hadn't been dizzy and exhausted just now, he would have immediately found something to sharpen it if it had even been bumped or scratched, let alone let the blood rot and stink on the sword.

Cato wasted no time. Why did this young man rush to the wooden tower without even taking a torch? He nimbly scrambled up the tower, picked up a wooden mallet, and began to vigorously strike the iron plate?

The sharp, clear sound of metal clashing pierced the darkness, quickly spreading like lightning and shattering the stillness of the night, instantly stirring the entire town into a frenzy.

Soon, torches were lit from all directions... Not everyone had the spare money to make oil lamps, but every household had to prepare a torch covered with cloth and soaked in oil. According to the laws of the empire, whenever a warning was issued in the dark, the able-bodied men of the household had to immediately go out and gather together to capture the thieves. At that time, they would use torches to mark their positions and illuminate the surroundings to facilitate meeting and making arrangements.

Cato didn't stop banging; instead, he continued to make noise, guiding everyone to converge on the center of the town. Soon, a variety of flames gathered there, eventually spreading into a small sea of ​​fire.

Knowing that there was no time to lose, Lydos jumped onto the well platform and shouted out what had just happened, causing chaos.

As mentioned before, this well is the only water source in the entire town. It has always had a sufficient water supply and is usable. It was dug by the townspeople through collective fundraising decades ago. They even hired a night watchman to guard it, just in case something went wrong with the well and everyone had to travel dozens of miles to fetch water again.

But after the veteran explained everything, everyone was helpless. After all, even the night watchman had been knocked unconscious, and a monster had appeared. What could they do? Now they could only try to clean the area quickly, hoping that the possible toxins hadn't contaminated the groundwater.

So no one dared to delay any longer. With a shout, the men scattered to find buckets and ropes. They quickly lit a circle of torches around the well, found a nimble, strong, and relatively thin man, tied a rope around his waist, and lowered him down.

Soon, bucket after bucket of well water was filled and carried up by the people below, and then poured into the mud without hesitation. The group worked together quickly, and soon the water at the bottom of the well, which was several feet deep, was almost gone, leaving only a layer that could submerge the ankles.

At this point, there was no point in Lydos staying. The others knew what to do, and he prepared to take care of another important matter.

"Rosta, where's your carriage? Bring it out quickly, we need to use it."

"The cart was unloaded a long time ago, and the livestock are still asleep. What would we need it for now?"

The veteran rushed to the corpse, wrapped it in his tattered black linen robe, stuffed the dusty intestines back into his stomach, and then told the boy, Cato, to pick up the dusty head as well.

“This thing is really strange. We need to report it immediately. If there are any problems, let the big shots above us worry about it. The sooner this is done, the better. I’ll take the kid with me and go tonight. You get the livestock and cart ready.”

His head was sticky and cold, the half-dried blood on it like a gel-like lubricant, making it hard to hold. He could only dig his fingers deep into his hair. And this guy hadn't washed his hair in who knows how long. He could even feel the greasy, thick texture, and almost wanted to vomit. But a stubborn, unyielding spirit made him grit his teeth and stand up straight, trying his best to hold onto the sticky head without changing his expression.

Several of his fellow members of the security team glanced at him as they passed by, which gave him a strange sense of pride and made him a little bolder. He persisted until the men loaded the carriage and pulled it over.

With their combined efforts, the body was thrown onto the carriage. Because it had been chopped up so gruesomely, several of them turned pale. One of them even accidentally touched the sticky, bulging intestines, and his face immediately turned blue as he rushed to the side and began to vomit. Soon, a sour and foul odor wafted up.

"Alright, let's go together and try to be back by noon tomorrow. Maybe we'll even have time to buy some things and leave that head here."

Pulling the still-dazed Cato along, the veteran hurriedly sat in the front of the carriage. After confirming the small character in the composition, he gave the reins a sharp tug, striking the horse's rump and causing the heavy carriage to begin moving slowly forward.

The night was filled with noise and commotion; at least tonight, this small town was destined to be anything but peaceful.

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

A mosquito is persistently hovering, this vicious and greedy pest thirsting for warm blood to fill its belly, and it is unlikely to give up until it gets its fill.

Finally, the flying insect seized an opportunity, hovering and landing on the smooth skin. Its sharp proboscis quickly found a suitable pore, ready to probe inside and suck blood, while secreting clotting substances to have a full meal.

Soon, the insect's abdomen swelled up at a visible speed, the gap between the skin and the carapace was stretched open, and a hazy red color began to spread underneath, like a goji berry soaking in water, and it was still stretching.

This insatiable greed ultimately killed it—a large, broad hand seized the opportunity and swiftly swung down, crushing it, flesh and blood, onto its skin with a snap. The fingernails scratched irritably where it had sucked, quickly causing a small bump to swell up.

The persistent itching finally woke Yak from his drowsy state—along with the bloating and pain in his lower abdomen, he realized he needed to take care of some personal matters.

Too lazy to light a lamp in the darkness, he groped his way to the door and breathed a sigh of relief at the bright moonlight outside. He then walked around the wall to the toilet at the back of the house.

This toilet was also newly built, using several hundred bricks, and is much cleaner than the original one. However, it also cost a lot of money, but he has some savings now, so he is happy to tidy up his house.

After relieving himself, he shivered, pulled up his pants, and prepared to go back. At that moment, drowsiness washed over him, making his eyes blurry.

Without realizing it, he had dozed off against the wall, and woke up when his head hit it. He shook his head and prepared to go back to the room to sleep, but just as he took three or four steps, something cold suddenly rolled up from the back of his head.

Why hasn't the patrol team gone yet? So much time has passed...

His sleepiness vanished instantly, and he immediately became alert. A strange sense of anxiety and unease welled up inside him. After hesitating for a moment, he made up his mind, hurriedly went inside, and after exchanging a few words with his wife, he dressed and picked up the torch that had been extinguished in the house.

Just before leaving, he hesitated again and stopped. In the end, he picked up the short sword that was on the stool and hung it on his shoulder. As he walked, he kicked the ground with his toes, so that the boots he was wearing halfway were completely on his feet.

He struck sparks with a flint and steel at the doorway to ignite the torch in his hand. He didn't even need to discern directions to know where he should go. The night wind made his torch sway constantly, causing the flame and his shadow to leap.

After crossing two streets and turning past a house that had praised him halfway, he bumped into a group of people carrying torches.

"Who goes there?! -- Ark, why are you awake? Wasn't it your turn to rest today?"

The leader was a middle-aged man with a large nose and short, curly, reddish-brown hair. He held a torch in his left hand and a hunting knife at his waist with his right.

"I heard something's not right. Have you seen Poyasa and the others?"

The middle-aged man frowned:

"I just switched shifts, but I didn't run into any of them in the previous two laps, so I thought I had just missed them."

"...Something might have happened. Let's go check it out...I should be able to hear them walking past in my backyard, but there's been no sound at all today."

After the two men talked for a while, a tense atmosphere inexplicably spread. The four men on patrol subconsciously gripped their weapons and became more vigilant. Then they followed Ark in a hurry in one direction.

The city was not entirely safe, especially after the Imperial Legion continued south. Without the soldiers' suppression and deterrence, strange individuals would occasionally appear. Although their numbers were small, they still had to be guarded against.

They were all very familiar with the roads here, and could find their way even without torches. So it didn't take long for them to reach the patrol area and see the empty streets.

This was clearly not normal, so they became even more silent. After exchanging a few words, they split into two teams and began to search along the houses and streets... After all, there were four living people. Even if something had happened, the traces would certainly not be small. It was obviously not safe to search alone at this moment.

I just hope I'm worrying unnecessarily... that's what I really think.

379 Surge (2)

Late at night, most of the city's residents are fast asleep. They usually have to get up early for work the next day, so they go to bed very early. At this time, apart from the night watchmen, few people are on the streets, making the place seem particularly deserted and lonely.

Nowadays, the streets are no longer safe for petty thieves. In the past, they could move around freely in the dark with the cover of shadows, but now even in the dead of night, there are still patrol teams taking turns to patrol the streets, and if they are not careful, they will be arrested and beaten.

As for those thieves who want to commit crimes under the cover of night, there is no need to say more—as soon as there is the slightest clue, a copper whistle will be blown, instantly summoning patrol teams from several surrounding streets to either beat or arrest them. At that point, even escape will be a luxury, and they will only be blocked in the alley by patrolmen familiar with the terrain.

For this reason, people no longer have to worry when they go to sleep. Apart from preparing fire-fighting tools such as buckets and forks in the house, they can sleep peacefully all night without worrying about people fighting in the middle of the night or breaking in and committing crimes at night.

Meanwhile, the once quiet streets gradually began to echo with scattered footsteps. Patrol teams carrying torches began to move between the streets, searching and investigating one place after another, but they could not find any relevant traces. As time passed, their expressions became more and more anxious, and they would occasionally whisper to each other.

"Something's probably really happened, Ark. We can't find any trace of those people anywhere, it's like they never even came out today... Should we report this immediately and get the legionary soldiers living in the city to take over?"

The middle-aged man with the big nose made a slightly uneasy suggestion to Ark, and Ark immediately understood his unspoken thoughts—if those people had already been harmed by spies or traitors, they would certainly not fare well if they encountered them. It would be better to report it now and let the professionals deal with those guys.

This was indeed a very safe approach. Not only would it not bring them any punishment, but it would also avoid any potential danger. The other three were also interested and clearly shared the same idea.

Even he hesitated for a moment, but after a while, he firmly shook his head:

“Let’s look around some more. They might have been delayed by something. Let’s not make a scene right now… Brady, you stay here with Casado and wait. If things get chaotic where we’re going, go find the officers and have them send troops…”

At this point, his expression suddenly hardened, and he gritted his teeth in final apology:

“If we don’t come back for a long time, you guys go too… Remember to be smart.”

Upon hearing these words, the faces of several people turned pale instantly. The middle-aged man with the big nose and curly hair trembled and quickly reached out to grab Ark's shoulder.

"Why are you doing this? There's no need to take such a risk. We should play it safe..."

"Don't worry, there's a high chance we'll be fine. The imperial army has already swept through the entire south. Even if some villains have managed to infiltrate, they certainly won't be targeting people like us. It should be safe to go there now."

At this point, Yak suddenly reached out and pulled the other person's head close, while waving to the others to come closer.

"...And even if there's a possibility of being threatened, this is also an opportunity. Don't forget that the city will be selecting officials in a few days. We failed to be selected before because we weren't prepared enough. If we can make a contribution now, will anyone else be able to get those positions? If we want to live a good life, we have to take a little risk... Otherwise, how can we stand out?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. After a long while, they looked at each other and saw the determination in each other's eyes... Although this determination still seemed weak, it was quite unified at this moment.

The middle-aged man with the big nose nodded:

“You’re right, Ark. I agree to take the risk. Anyway, there’s a high chance we won’t run into any trouble… but you two need to be quick-witted. We’ll find a way to make a scene.”

Having settled their matter, they didn't linger any longer. Three people continued to explore forward, while the other two remained in the shadows to observe.

Having already explored the area quite thoroughly, they had a general idea of ​​what to expect. They all headed towards the last possible location, quickly searching the surrounding alleyways. After finding nothing, they finally focused their attention on the courtyard.

This courtyard has an owner, but the family has been busy doing business and purchasing goods in distant places, leaving the place empty for a long time. It is usually locked, but today it is clearly open.

Seeing the brass lock hanging on the door knocker, the three knew this was the place. Yak led the way, and they slowly crept inside... Then, in unison, they froze, exchanging glances.

What appeared before them was not some eerie, dark scene... to be precise, it was indeed quite eerie, but not dark. Upon entering the courtyard, the two houses in front of them were lit up, but there was not a sound coming from them, only the flickering light of the torches inside.

This scene was quite frightening, making one's mind involuntarily wander to guess where the person who lit these lights had gone... And once that thought started, it was hard to stop; even the lewd Ark's face turned pale. Finally, he licked his lips and forced himself to calm down.

"Slow down, I'll search the west room first. You two watch the east room... If anything happens, sound the alarm immediately."

After saying that, he gritted his teeth and walked first to the west room—this looked like the kitchen where they usually cooked and ate. Because the Zhu family was well-off, it was quite spacious. At this moment, there was a fire burning inside, and it was just as quiet.

He gently pushed open the door with the short sword in his hand, every movement extremely careful, as if his joints were frozen with frost. He moved forward haltingly, his face twitching with tension, his teeth clenched like pliers.

He's starting to regret not bringing his shield when he came out because he thought it was too bulky. With a shield, if someone inside really wanted to harm him, he could at least stop them for a while and not be knocked over all at once.

Fortunately, the big-nosed man behind him was holding a hunting bow, which he was also nervously drawing back, ready to support him at any moment.

Just as he guessed, this was the kitchen where they ate and cooked. At this moment, in addition to the smell of burning torches, there was also the smell of leftover oil from the food. On a low table were leftover bones and bowls, and on a large plate was a small knife on a half-eaten loaf of bread. Oily juices were dripping down the edges of the table, and there were five very messy glasses that smelled of alcohol.

It was clear that someone had just eaten and drunk there, as the room was now a mess of cups and plates. However, no one was lying drunk on the table. He cautiously peeked his head out from beside the table and quickly scanned the entire room. After finding no one, he slowly stood up and began to search carefully.

There was a cabinet in the room, but when he opened it, it only contained some bowls and plates. So he pushed open a side door again and entered the kitchen where the stove was located.

There were no lights on here, so he had to turn back to get a torch, but after illuminating the way, he still found nothing... The pot showed no signs of being used for cooking, and it was even rusty from water stains. The firewood next to it was covered with a thick layer of dust, indicating that no one had used it.

Yak scratched his head and searched carefully again, but in the end he could only helplessly walk out of the west room and call the other two to approach the east room together.

This time they were much bolder. They pushed the door open and rushed in, brandishing their knives, ready to shout threats. Whoever it was, they'd take them down first...

What came into their view was a low wooden bed, on which were four drunkards, but strangely, they were not snoring; only their chests and abdomens were rising and falling slightly.

The three men exchanged a glance, each seeing deep surprise in the other's eyes—weren't these the four guys they were looking for? What were they doing asleep here?!

Without hesitation, Yak hurriedly stepped forward, grabbed the leader of the group, and slapped him twice across the face, leaving red marks on his cheeks.

The two slaps were delivered without any restraint; normally, they would have been enough to leave someone feeling suffocated for a while. But at this moment, the man who had been slapped twice was still fast asleep, limp and boneless in the man's hands.

"Could it be that someone has drugged her?"

The big-nosed man who came with him also pulled up another person, and even pinched the soft skin on the other person's side with his fingernails, twisting it until a bruise appeared, but still couldn't wake the guy up. Then he said to him somewhat uneasily.

"We need to find a way to wake them up quickly and find out what happened, Dosa! Go fetch a bucket of water from the well outside!"

They went through a lot of trouble to drag the guys out of the house and into the yard, then drew cold water from the well and poured it over their heads without any hesitation.

This really worked. After one bucket went down, several people started to move. After all, the feeling of being soaked and icy cold was quite stimulating. They continued, going down the slope with several more buckets until one of them took two mouthfuls, suddenly got up and started coughing violently, and they finally stopped.

"Brother Taylor, what are you doing?!"

"What?! I'd like to ask you guys what's going on? You're in charge of patrolling this area tonight, what's with you all so drunk?!"

Before the drunkard could even regain his footing, Ark pounced on him, grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently, causing water droplets to splash all over the guy's hair, and finally letting the drunkard see what he looked like.

"Ah, Ark, what are you doing here..."

After catching his breath a couple more times, he was mostly out of his daze. He looked left and right with some confusion… When he finally saw the pitch-black night, he jumped up as if he'd been bitten by a dog, his face instantly contorted with panic.

"What time is it now? Damn it, how did it get dark in the blink of an eye!"

"It'll be almost dawn soon! Are you crazy? What exactly happened? Explain yourself. I didn't hear any of you patrolling around here tonight, so I came looking for you. When I got here, I found the four of you sleeping like logs on the bed, and you'd been drinking."

He was struck dumb, his face trembled, and he dared not hide anything.

“We did have a few drinks. A guy named Tyler Catos treated us. He said he was the older brother of the owner of this house and had the keys to the yard. We met at a bar and got along quite well, so…”

"You still have errands to run today, how dare you go drinking?!"