At the very front were two trolls bound by chains, nearly ten meters tall. They were dragging a heavy wagon.
Behind the wagon were soldiers holding torches. Judging by their size, it was a squad of twenty, and a Cuckoo Knight holding a long spear and riding a warhorse was patrolling back and forth.
"The defensive strength is normal, but we must finish this quickly." Blaidd immediately set the tone for the upcoming battle, turning his head to say, "Leave the knight to me. Vira, Duke, you two prepare the Fire Pots and Oil Pots."
"Understood."
"Karin, use your bow to suppress them; don't let them form a battle formation. Laila, once the fire starts, cut the trolls' chains. These descendants of giants have no intelligence left; they will block for us for a while, and we can retreat in the chaos."
"Understood!" They were worthy of being the Princess of the Moon's personal guard; one look showed they were battle-hardened. The Caria soldiers were also elite, and they immediately began preparations after the tasks were assigned.
The rounded Fire Pots were placed on the ground, the quivers were opened, and red-feathered arrows were nocked on strings.
Just amidst the grim atmosphere, a voice sounded. "Lord Blaidd, what should I do?" Thorne asked, raising his hand.
"You?" The wolf-man glanced at him. He had only brought him along to test his stance, so he waved his hand. "Just don't hold us back; do as you please."
"Fine." Thorne didn't waste words. He held his Glintstone Staff in his left hand and gripped the sword hilt with his right, lying on the ground and holding his breath.
Seeing that the apprentice was not only not panicked but quite professional, Blaidd was slightly stunned.
However, the sound of the wheels was getting closer, so he didn't think much of it and simply turned his gaze back to the road. The 'creaking' sound of the turning wheels grew closer, and the chatter of the Cuckoo Soldiers became increasingly audible. They were talking about which village they had plundered today, accompanied by vulgar laughter.
Just as they reached a turn, the sound of an object cutting through the dark air came, followed by the sound of something shattering.
Bang! Bang!
With two loud bangs, the trolls pulling the cart stepped on the oil pots and slipped directly, their backsides slamming into the ground and creating two shallow pits. Amidst the 'clattering' sound of taut chains, the multi-ton wagon overturned, scattering white grain all over the ground.
"Now, kill!!" Blaidd leapt up and sprinted forward. Each of his steps spanned several meters. He stared fixedly at the knight turning his horse and drew the greatsword from his back.
Clang—
Pale, cold mist coiled around the blade.
He leapt up, landing right in front of the warhorse, and the Royal Greatsword was plunged into the earth before him.
Wolf Assault!
The ground exploded, and the erupting ice mist knocked the knight and his horse over, even covering his heavy armor in a thin layer of ice.
"'Half-Wolf' Blaidd?" The knight exclaimed, holding his massive shield over his head.
Relying on instinct, he thrust his spear forward.
Swish—
Blaidd dodged to the side, ignoring the spear that grazed his cheek. As Ranni's shadow, even a highly skilled knight couldn't last three moves against him.
With a twist of his wrist, the descending greatsword turned in mid-air.
Boom!
A Cuckoo Glintstone was shattered directly, and the sharp, icy current sliced open the newcomer's cloak, revealing the ornate plate armor underneath.
"Two Cuckoo Knights?"
The wolf-man remained expressionless, focused only on gripping his greatsword. "Caria is holed up in a lonely city; do you think it's hard to guess you'd use such low-handed tactics?"
The knight sneered, tearing off his cloak and raising his greatsword to strike.
"We all know what you're capable of, so why don't you try slaughtering hundreds of people!?"
The moment Blaidd charged out, the five-man squad also rose. Arrows shot accurately and ruthlessly into the crowd, pinning two soldiers right in the forehead. The warriors carrying Fire Pots rushed over quickly and set the grain scattered all over the ground ablaze.
The plan was going smoothly, and it was time to run.
However, Thorne felt something was wrong. The enemy hadn't collapsed in the panic but had instead begun to counterattack.
Looking back at the place filled with ice mist, he immediately understood. 'Have we been seen through?'
Three Cuckoo Knights were besieging the wolf-man. The latter was fierce, actually holding the upper hand firmly, but it was useless. The horn on the Four Belfries had already sounded, and there was chaos in the barracks at the foot of the mountain. There was no traitor; the Cuckoo hadn't predicted it would be today, but they were prepared for every day, and reinforcements would arrive soon.
"That's why I hate smart enemies."
Thorne raised an eyebrow, analyzing the situation in a fraction of a second. These people only wanted to kill Blaidd and were struggling to drag him down.
So, should he flee? If he were a magic apprentice, he wouldn't need to consider it at all. Likewise, as a Sword Demon, he didn't need to consider it either—help him break out, kill his way back!
"Cover me."
Thorne tossed out that sentence and charged forward with his staff, leaving behind a bewildered archer. The latter had received secret orders to shoot the magic apprentice on the spot if he fled.
This guy hadn't run. Shouldn't a mage be hiding in the back, dealing damage?
The wind whistled past Thorne's ears. He didn't have time to adapt to a mage's fighting style. His old methods were more useful. Tap, tap, tap... his footsteps measured the soil. Thorne saw the soldiers charging. Most were focused on the two sword-and-shield wielders, while some had been drawn toward the halberdiers cutting the chains.
Two soldiers on the outside heard the footsteps. They turned, and froze.
A man in a mage's robe was charging straight at them, short staff in hand. He looked like he was begging for death. As they raised their spears, the mage suddenly dropped. Thorne slid forward, feeling the chill of the spears brush his hair and kick up dust. He swept between the two soldiers, planted his staff to stop himself, and gripped his sword hilt.
Clang.
The straight sword was unsheathed.
The soldier on the right turned, felt a pain in his lower leg, and lost his balance. He fell. Before he could understand what was happening, he saw the staff pointed at his face, the Glintstone at its tip glowing blue. Glintstone Pebble! The light illuminated the surroundings. A fist-sized ball of light slammed into his face, and his head exploded like a watermelon. Red and white liquid splashed onto the side of the other soldier's face, and he blinked. Who casts spells like that?
He didn't have time to think about it. Thorne, who had been on the ground, leapt up. The straight sword stabbed from the chin, knocking the iron helmet off the soldier's head. Then, with a twist of his wrist, he sliced that bewildered face in two. The corpse swayed and fell heavily to the ground.
What is this? After ending their lives, Thorne was stunned for a moment. He felt power flowing into his body. Perhaps an illusion, but he felt his strength increase. He didn't have time to think.
He flicked the straight sword, shaking off a line of blood, and his pale blue eyes, filled with curiosity, scanned the nearby soldiers. Two corpses lay by him. His first kill in The Lands Between. Thorne realized: A sword plus magic is still swordsmanship, and the Ashina Style is still invincible! Chapter 3: The Sword Demon Doesn't Follow Martial Virtue
The moon was bright. The slightly unexpected ambush had been going on for a few minutes. The flames ignited by the Fire Pots made the night feel scorching, and the sound of weapons clashing made the lakeside even more clamorous.
Thorne had killed two in a row, wielding a staff in one hand and a sword in the other. He scanned the area, taking in the scene. Several corpses lay scattered by the firelight. This first battle had given him a preliminary impression of The Lands Between. Heavy armor and greatshields were truly hard to kill. Even if the Caria soldiers were slightly stronger, as long as they hunkered down behind their shields, they could stall for time. Blaidd's greatsword slashed out waves of cold ice, but it also couldn't instantly kill a knight holding a greatshield, either.
Of the three Cuckoo Knights, two held swords and shields, while the third wielded a long spear. They held their shields in front, thrusting with spears and greatswords. It truly was a shameless poke-and-stab style. The wolf-man's strength was on a higher level, and his movements were extremely agile, firmly suppressing the three of them. "Break this balance first!"
Thorne ignored his companions, who were close at hand. He hid his straight sword behind his back and charged straight toward the wolf-man.
At that moment, some soldiers noticed this strange mage and blocked his path, raising their swords to slash.
Whoosh, whoosh—
Arrows streaked through the air. One person was struck in the throat and collapsed softly. Another was struck in the chest, but fortunately, his fine chainmail blocked the arrow. He endured the pain and blocked with his kite shield, then felt something heavy step onto the surface of his shield, and he looked up. With the full moon as a backdrop, a wide mage's robe fluttered in the air.
A young man looked down, his blue eyes glowing, and the staff in his hand revealed the Academy's crest. "Glintstone Pebble!" Thorne half-crouched on the ground, listening to the sound of the corpse falling behind him. This flank attack had torn through the opponent's neck; ordinary chainmail couldn't block a point-blank magic shot. The instant the corpse hit the ground, Thorne pushed off with his toes, sprinting forward like a sprinter, his hands waving rapidly, and he actually slipped out of the chaotic battle.
The soldiers on the road didn't have time to stop him—not because Thorne was so fast, but because their heavy armor already made their movements slow. They just turned their heads and watched, seeing this mage head straight for the end of the line. "Is this guy crazy??" That was exactly where the wolf-man was battling the three Cuckoo Knights. In The Lands Between, the distinction in strength was very obvious. Not to mention the wolf-man, even a regular Cuckoo Knight could cut a person in half, armor and all, with one sword strike.
With an all-around advantage in strength, agility, and perception, the knight at the end had already sensed someone coming from behind. He turned his head to look, also somewhat astonished.
A mage was sprinting toward him, raising his staff as he ran. A low-level spell, Glintstone Pebble, flew from several meters away. Bang.
He didn't even think about it and blocked with his greatshield. With a light shake of his wrist, the pebble exploded into azure particles, completely unable to cause damage. The knight took a step forward and slammed his shield directly at him. Shield Bash.
Thorne stopped abruptly, feeling the gale roaring in his face. If that had slammed into him, he would have been sent flying several meters. However, as soon as the shield passed, the knight took another step, using his waist to power a spear thrust. Spear Thrust! This was the most basic combo spear technique. The spear was urgent and fast. Thorne subconsciously dodged to the right, blocking with his straight sword in front of his chest. Zzz...
The blade and the spear shaft rubbed together, creating a shower of sparks that briefly illuminated Thorne's face. 'The strength and speed are not on the same level, and the combat experience is also very rich!'
A gale attacked from the side of his face; without looking, he knew it was the left-hand shield bashing back. The edge of a shield made of pure steel was a weapon in itself. No need to think; instinct had already reacted. Thorne twisted his wrist, and the straight sword swept inward along the spear shaft. Snap. A light sound came from the iron gauntlet.
The straight sword struck the knight's hand holding the spear. This body's strength was not great, but it wasn't some cute girl either. It failed to cut through the steel gauntlet, but it still caused the finger bones to twist. In pain, the knight instantly loosened his grip. The long spear fell to the ground, and the shield bash was still on its way. Unfortunately, Thorne followed his sword, throwing himself into the knight's embrace as if falling into his arms. The two were almost pressed together, hiding in the blind spot of the shield bash.
The fully enclosed helmet made his field of vision narrow, but he still felt the enemy throw himself into his arms. As a former mercenary, he was battle-hardened, but he had never seen such a peculiar swordsmanship. How to exert force when pressed together? Could it be that he intended to smash open heavy armor with his fists? This doubt was shattered an instant later by an azure light. Thorne was pressed against the chest armor, his staff pointing to the ground, and the Caria crest appeared. Carian Slicer!
Just like a Jedi's lightsaber, energy poured from the staff. It gathered into a three-foot blade of light, stabbing into the gaps of the armor's joints.
"Ah!"
The knight screamed. The magic sword tore through bone and muscle, taking his balance. He fell backward, his lower leg still in place. Fortunately, he was battle-hardened and raised his hand to slam into the opponent's chest.
Clang!
Sparks erupted. The impact blasted the straight sword away, leaving a shallow fist mark on the opponent's chest. But the man didn't cry out in pain like a pampered mage. Instead, he met the fist with his body, leaning forward, a bloodthirsty smile on his face.
Swish.
The Carian Slicer slashed back, passing through the gap between the helmet and the shoulder armor, leaving an azure arc in the dark night.
Thud.
The knight finally fell to the ground. The helmet with the blue tassel rolled, and through the gap, one could still see an expression of disbelief.
The sword wasn't fast, but it was incredibly steady.
'Three ribs cracked.'
Thorne rubbed his chest, quickly assessing his injuries, then looked up, meeting Blaidd's stunned gaze. The wolf-man was stepping on a knight's corpse, the latter almost cut in half. Another knight had both hands severed and was crawling on the ground, wailing miserably. Facts proved that three Cuckoo Knights could barely stall him, while two couldn't last a few moves at all.
"You..." The wolf-man blinked, his brain unable to process the situation for a moment.
Even if the spear knight wasn't good at foot combat, how could he be killed in close-quarters combat by a mage? That confusion lasted for a moment, until Thorne stole the kill with Glintstone Pebble, and he immediately came back to his senses.
"Retreat!"
As a man of few words and a ruthless nature, Blaidd obviously knew the situation. The ground vibrated slightly, and the muffled sound of thunder came from afar; he didn't know how many cavalrymen were rushing over. He left as soon as he said so.
Thorne only felt a gust of wind scrape past his ears, and the sound of the greatsword cutting flesh reached his ears. Turning back, he saw two soldiers who had come to support were cut in half by the greatsword before they could even see the person clearly. The ice froze at the wounds, and since they couldn't die immediately, they screamed on the ground.
So fast! Thorne turned and followed his pace, stealing kills while admiring the slaughter that was like cutting melons and vegetables.
He thought it was no wonder Blaidd dared to come out for a night raid. His combat power was enough to fight a hundred alone. Skilled and bold, the roaring troll charged, but its sword strike missed. The wolf-man climbed up its forearm, and when he reached mid-air, he swept his greatsword. Flying ice crystals slashed the troll's eyeball.
Screams resounded through the night as the greatsword slashed and smashed wildly, leaving big pits on the ground. This strength is probably no less than the Guardian Ape!
Thorne also saw the destructive power, decisively supporting his injured companion and bypassing it, charging toward the lakeside. The thunderous sound was getting closer, and he could even judge the distance between the two sides. The distance was only two hundred meters! He carried this unknown sword-and-shield wielder, passed through the waist-high grass, and saw that the archer was shouting on the boat.