Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

But before she could speak, the girl finally realized the meaning behind the other person's words. Her fair face quickly flushed red, and she stammered, unable to speak, appearing extremely guilty.

"A fuller figure is good, but if this continues, you'll become bloated... Don't eat too many desserts either; once you start, you can't stop. You have to control yourself..."

Whether nobles or commoners, the empire particularly admired women who were tall, voluptuous, healthy, and fair-skinned. This was the most common aesthetic standard in the country, while a beautiful and delicate face was not the primary standard.

On the one hand, such women were healthier and more likely to give birth to healthy children. On the other hand, the men of the empire often had to participate in military training, and women inevitably had to bear some of the burden, so those who were healthy were naturally more favored.

"If you have some free time, you can train with Colin and learn some self-defense skills... You're a doctor, you should know more about these things than I do."

At this point, Thesolius suddenly paused for a moment, then an idea struck him, his eyes lit up, and he suddenly had a new plan...

Talina blushed as she heard what Tersolius said, realizing that everything he said was true and she was completely flustered.

The girl didn't know why she suddenly felt panicked, as if she had messed up something very important. The chaotic emotions almost overwhelmed her, giving her an urge to cover her face and run away.

But upon closer reflection, my panic seemed to stem from... not wanting to show my bad side to this person?

Just then, Thesolius's words suddenly stopped, and then rang out again:

"Doctor, how about I teach you martial arts?"

"ah?!"

Talina turned her gaze back with some confusion.

Thessalius, however, smacked his hand excitedly as if he had discovered a new continent:

"I'm quite skilled myself. It just so happens that we still have many parts to finish compiling the detailed record of military skills. I've heard people say that teaching others is the best way to learn and summarize, so we can give it a try!"

The more he thought about it, the more feasible the method seemed. He even broadened his thinking and continued to expand on the idea:

"We've recruited quite a few new soldiers this time. We can select elite and brave warriors from the army and focus on training them. In the process, they can also collect what we want."

"It's decided. Doctor, come see me early tomorrow. Remember to wear light and comfortable clothes. I'll teach you some useful things!"

Tarina stared blankly at the elated Tersolius. This usually stern and dignified adult seemed much more approachable, making her heart beat faster for no apparent reason.

In the end, he just nodded vaguely.

"it is good……"

………………

Imperial prisons are generally not overcrowded to the point of not being able to accommodate new prisoners, because prisoners who have committed serious crimes are executed swiftly and severely after their crimes are determined, freeing up their cells for new inmates. There have also been no major prisons in recent years, so prisons are mostly in a relatively vacant state.

The prisoners inside rarely died from disease or hunger. Although the food was terrible, at least they were full. Moreover, there were few snakes, insects, or rodents in their living quarters. Although they were still subject to punishment, their lives were rarely threatened outside of formal penalties.

To prevent anyone from having any improper thoughts and attempting to escape, important prisoners were all shackled with heavy iron balls attached to their bodies. Their daily activity range was limited to only half of their cell, and they couldn't even turn over in their sleep or stretch their bodies out, which was a kind of heavy torture.

Arich watched silently as a wooden barrel was thrown in through the doorway. The aroma of the roughly cooked grains and wild vegetables inside made him swallow hard. He couldn't wait to drag the iron chains off his feet over and pull the barrel over.

This was unimaginable in the past. He lived a life of unparalleled wealth and extravagance as a merchant in disguise. He associated with high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants and nobles every day, and ate fresh fruit, whole roasted lamb, crispy roasted peacock, top-quality dried fruit and candied fruit, and rich lamb cheese... He almost never deprived his taste buds. He used to not even have the heart to feed the contents of this wooden barrel to his dog.

But now he ate these coarse foods with great relish, like a hungry beggar who had received alms.

The Imperials were unlikely to kindly offer him any tableware, only a small wooden bucket filled with boiled grains and vegetables, steaming warm, which he could only reach out and grab.

After the brain was removed, Alejandro González no longer had any will to die; in fact, he developed an unparalleled will to live. Now, he had no other desires; as long as he could live, he would accept living a miserable life.

Without any hesitation, he used his oily hands to scoop food from the bucket and stuff it into his mouth, chewing on the hunger in his stomach, which drove him to eat every single vegetable leaf and grain, not even letting go of the soup inside.

He even added some precious salt to the food, which made him eat with even more gusto until the entire bucket was clean. Only then did he reluctantly throw the bucket back to the door, and then leisurely returned to his bed, rolled over, crossed one leg, and began to hum a song contentedly.

Although the meals were terrible, they were enough to fill him up. The lack of oil and fat made him crave food, but he knew he had no right to make any demands, so he stayed obediently. He ate whatever was given to him, lived wherever was provided, and did whatever was asked of him.

He didn't know what his fate would be, but cooperating honestly was his best option for now.

Time passed slowly. He was half-asleep, his eyes closed, feeling somewhat drowsy, when he suddenly heard knocking coming from next door… five short knocks followed by one long knock, five short knocks followed by one long knock…

Arich sat bolt upright in his bed, his eyes filled with panic...

185 Under the Tide

The crescent-bladed longsword swept through the air with gusts of fierce wind, its sharp and sturdy blade gleaming with a blinding cold light, eager to cut into flesh and cleave bone. This heavy weapon, with its center of gravity positioned forward, now moved with the lightness and swiftness of a dagger, gliding in a breathtaking arc, roaring out with the force of splitting mountains and cleaving the earth.

This attack was so terrifying that even a heavily armored soldier would not dare to take it head-on. His sturdy helmet would be dented by the impact. The best way to deal with it was to dodge it and take advantage of his inconvenience and stiffness.

That's what Carila did.

Although the double axes in his hands are heavy and powerful, swift and agile, they can always catch the enemy off guard and gain the upper hand. However, they are difficult to parry when facing the opponent's fierce and swift attacks, and most of the time he can only deflect or dodge.

With a steady push from her nimble and powerful ankles, she shifted her lithe and tall body to the side, narrowly avoiding the heavy and sharp axe. Her left foot swiftly rose and slammed down heavily on the back of the axe, trying to stomp the weapon to the ground to create an opportunity for her attack.

But the axe blade, which seemed about to slam into the ground, stopped with effortless ease, then swiftly veered to the side, the chuck behind the blade hooking directly onto her right foot, which was standing on one leg...

With a dizzying sensation, an irresistible force sent her tumbling through the air. Despite her desperate attempts to defend herself, she was still struck mid-air and crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Her robust physique allowed her to withstand a blow that would have knocked an ordinary person unconscious. As soon as she landed, she slammed her elbow into the ground, causing herself to roll twice to the left. Like an antelope, she swiftly bent and leaped to her feet, raising her double axes in a ready stance.

Then... she found her opponent standing in front of her. The hard touch on her chest made her look down in a daze, and then she saw that the tip of the Moonblade Axe was pressed against her heart.

This was undoubtedly her defeat, but her inherent wildness had long made her forget the so-called rules. With blood rushing to her head, she instinctively swung her axe to counterattack and cut off the opponent's axe handle.

The axe blade suddenly retracted a short distance in an instant, then thrust forward heavily—the extremely short distance unleashed a terrifying impact, slamming heavily against the two layers of heavy armor and transmitting the force precisely.

Karila's mouth gaped open, feeling like she couldn't breathe. Her chest went numb, and her body felt like a punctured balloon, completely drained of strength. She staggered back two steps uncontrollably, then bent her knees and squatted down, planting the two axes in the ground for support, managing not to fall.

"They attacked too hastily."

The heavy axe spun in a long, powerful hand, the counterweight at the end of the handle striking the ground and scattering a few stones. Tersolius placed both hands on the tip of the axe, holding it upright in front of him, standing as straight as a spear.

"By the tenth move, your mind was already in disarray. Why were you in such a hurry? Towards the end, you completely lost your rhythm. All that I said just went out the other ear, didn't it?"

"Or do you think you can defeat me just by going crazy?! I've told you so many times, but you just won't listen... That flaw was deliberately exposed by me. If you had paid a little attention, you would have noticed that I only used six-tenths of my strength. You, on the other hand, dared to stand on one leg in front of me like a peacock!"

"He can't even stand firmly on his own two legs, yet he dares to use such a risky move. I wonder how many arrogant guys have died like this."

Like a strict teacher scolding his student, Karila, defeated, was so overwhelmed by the harsh reprimand that she couldn't lift her head. Although she seemed somewhat unconvinced, she dared not interrupt.

"A risky move is a risky move because most people who use it die. Only those who survive are considered to have made a risky move. Those who die are just fools."

"If I had chopped off your head just now, you wouldn't even be able to touch your own neck right now!"

………………

After a long scolding, Tersolius finally stopped. Karila was finally able to speak, giving Tersolius a rather resentful look:

"Wait... I feel like you're getting stronger and stronger! This can't be my imagination, right?! You wield your long axe even better than mine!"

"Isn't this just common sense?"

With a calm expression, Thessalius reached out and pulled her up from the ground.

“I’m not stupid. With careful study, I will definitely make further progress. If you rely solely on your talent and intuition without careful thought and your skills are rough, you will naturally become increasingly powerless. Anything can happen on the battlefield, and you can’t solve everything just by relying on your courage.”

Karila lowered her head thoughtfully, seriously considering Tersolius's words.

Seeing that she had taken his words to heart, Tersolius nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at Talina, who was writing furiously beside him:

"Well? Did you write it down?"

"I have memorized the basic points, but relying solely on the text still feels too thin and difficult to understand."

Tarina tapped her chin with a brass pen, checking the text on the paper to make sure there were no omissions or errors.

"It's alright. I never expected to train every soldier to be able to take on a hundred men. I just wanted to make a start. It doesn't have to be perfect."

"We can also conduct on-site supervision and inspection at that time; there are always quite a few methods we can use."

Tarina nodded, confirming that her notes were correct, then closed the parchment notebook and put it into the small lion-skin pouch at her waist.

"Alright, it's your turn, doctor. We can't forget the important business we're discussing today."

The girl's expression stiffened slightly, then she looked up and saw two eager-looking guys...

"We'll pick out a suitable weapon for you first. Let's familiarize yourselves with it today, and you'll definitely have the chance to practice it properly in the future."

"That's right, that's right! A woman as weak as you would be looked down upon where we're from. Even the skinniest old wolf could carry your child away!"

Karila spoke eloquently like some kind of authoritative expert, making Talina frown and desperately want to refute her inappropriate remarks—not all places are so harsh and cold! And not all women have to fight wolves to protect their children.

But after holding it in for a long time, she still didn't say anything, pretending that this loud and boisterous woman didn't exist.

………………

Talina's physical abilities are only at the level of an average girl, and cannot be compared with the exceptionally talented Karila and Colin. Moreover, Tersolius's purpose is only to let her train and learn some self-defense skills, so that she doesn't have to charge into battle like those two.

The long spears, halberds, long axes, and sharp blades commonly used in the army were too cumbersome and inconvenient for her. Her choices were actually quite limited, basically limited to short swords, short axes, hammers, and the like that could be used with one hand.

However, the axes and hammers have too far forward in terms of center of gravity, requiring more force than swords and knives to use them flexibly...

After searching through the armory for quite some time, he still couldn't find anything suitable. Only the light and agile scimitar and short sword were decent... but they didn't meet Tersolius's expectations.

He walked around several shelves full of weapons, and his right foot accidentally kicked a box. The crisp clanging sound inside caught his attention... He looked down and saw that it was filled with two-foot-long, sharp and fine objects.

A thought struck him, and he reached out and took out a weapon. He then discovered that what he held in his hand was an exquisitely crafted armor-piercing awl. Its extremely long and sharp tip presented a slender triangle with straight lines, composed of three rounded, recessed tile surfaces. It was sharp and unbreakable.

The handle is made of fine brass with delicate, non-slip textures. At the junction of the cone and the handle, there is an exquisite cross guard, which is not meant to stop swords, but rather to prevent the hand from slipping forward during piercing, so that the force is completely transferred to the armor to be pierced.

What's even more ingenious is that, although it's made entirely of metal, the weight is just right due to the blood groove and tiled surface. It's so light that you can easily hold it with just two fingers, and it can be twirled between your fingers like a pen.

This design appears to be specifically designed for chainmail, intended to penetrate the armor rings and break through the enemy's defenses; it is truly an excellent and ingenious design.

The only odd thing is that these armor-piercing spikes are too intricate, with simple patterns even carved in many places. They can hardly be called sturdy and durable, and such creations are rarely seen in armies that value practicality and durability.

Perhaps because they were not sturdy or durable enough and lacked practicality, there were only a dozen or so of these armor-piercing darts. Moreover, they were placed in a small box in the corner, seemingly untouched for a long time. Perhaps the official in charge of the city's armory had even forgotten that there was such a box of these things here.

But this gave him an advantage, allowing him to twirl the weapon in his hand and unleash a sharp thrust.

With a crisp sound of the awl piercing the wood, the piercing awl in his hand had already pierced through the wooden frame next to him, which was at least three fingers thick, and the sharp tip looked completely undamaged.

Tersolius nodded in satisfaction—this was exactly what he was looking for: light and swift yet with considerable lethality, effective even against armored opponents, and capable of being concealed in a sleeve—it was practically tailor-made for an assassin.

Moreover, these quantities are just enough to distribute to Talina's deputies in the medical camp, which can be used for self-defense.

…………

"Okay, try this, doctor, I think it should be perfect for you."

Tarina took the two-foot-long armor-piercing cone with some curiosity. The handle, made of bronze, was still warm to the touch, carrying the body heat of the previous user. Its rounded shape fit her hand perfectly and felt comfortable to hold, so she subconsciously swung it a couple of times.

"This thing isn't something you can just wave around."

Thesolius smiled naturally and took her hand, guiding her to point the sharp cone forward as if teaching a child to hold a spoon:

"This weapon has no blade and its center of gravity is far back. If you swing it, its killing power is very limited. It's not as useful as a stick you pick up off the ground."

As he pulled his hand back, the armor-piercing spike in Tarina's slender hand also retracted with him, its sharp tip poised to strike, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.

"Having abandoned other attack methods, it has perfected the art of close-range piercing. Slightly inferior armor is no more durable than parchment to it... As long as you aim accurately and use the right technique..."

Before he finished speaking, his palm thrust forward heavily, the sharp tip of the armor-piercing spike tearing through the air without making a sound. He silently moved his position forward three feet, and the somewhat confused Talina, unprepared, was pulled forward and stumbled a step.

"Just like this, straight and unbiased, channeling the force to the very tip. Don't let your hand shift or lose force; just focus on penetrating."

"Moreover, it weighs only 1/3 of a regular sword, so even an old woman with frail health can use it. If she can't win a fight and has to run away, it won't be a problem at all. She can just put it in her sleeve. There's no cumbersome part to it."

"Of course, if you want to deal with an opponent who has some skills, you need more variety, more techniques and moves. If you encounter someone with a long weapon, try to stay away, that's not an opponent that can be dealt with by that kind of thing. If you encounter someone with a shield, just turn around and run, that's also difficult to deal with... These are things we'll discuss later, today we'll just practice a little bit."

"Of course, if it gets stuck in the bones and armor when you stab it into the enemy's body, just throw it away. Don't try to pull it out, as that will give other enemies an opportunity to take advantage."

After overcoming her initial shyness and panic, the earnest Hols girl focused her attention on the weapon in her hand, her pretty face flushed as she tried to ignore other distractions. She quickly demonstrated her innate learning ability, memorizing what she had learned at lightning speed.

Although the techniques for using this thing were unique and he hadn't learned them, years of fighting had given him a wealth of experience. By drawing inferences from one instance to another, he was able to execute them quite well, leading Talina to swiftly attack the vital points of the imagined enemy.

Throat, heart, armpits, waist, lower abdomen, groin, sides of thighs... these areas are difficult to fully protect. Unfortunately, they are either important blood vessels or vital points that can be fatal if touched. A frontal attack is almost always fatal, so it is always a one-hit kill, never a delay.

…………

Kari stretched out his hand and broke off a sharp thorn from the orange tree next to him. Bored, he picked at his fangs and rolled his eyes at the two people gesturing wildly in the center of the field.

"A couple who are such a nagging wife, and they just happen to be my bosses..."

186 In the Dark (2)

Prisons, no matter where they are, are rarely associated with spaciousness and brightness. Criminals rarely receive any special treatment. Generally speaking, it is already difficult enough for them to survive, and they cannot ask for anything more.

To prevent prisoners from escaping, all the cells were built to be sturdy and small, with very few windows, allowing only a beam of light to illuminate a small area in front of the door, while the rest remained in darkness all day long.

In this damp and dark environment, insects and moss easily breed, and it is also a paradise for various blood-sucking mosquitoes. Fleas are also difficult to eradicate, making the prisoners living there suffer greatly.

Of course, over time, even these tough and vicious guys can tolerate it. After all, some notorious bandits have similar conditions when hiding in deserts and deep forests.

But what's even more distressing is the food conditions here. No one would allow a group of vicious criminals to be well-fed and energetic, as that would inevitably bring huge hidden dangers. So their daily food is not only mediocre in taste, but the portion size is also just right, leaving them with no energy or strength to do anything else, nor any extra thoughts.