Kapitel 31: Chapter 30: Collapse

"Is this a joke? How is this possible?"

Lucius's eyes widened, his body shivering, as he incredulously stared at the Black Tide slowly approaching from afar.

It wasn't completely dark yet, and with his keen senses, he could vaguely make out that the so-called Black Tide was very likely the regular army of the Rhea.

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

He knew how vast the East Coast was, how could this army have arrived here? And didn't they plunder other refugee groups or scour Nasir at all?

Moreover, there was more than one path from Nasir to Fein City, damn it! The appearance of those people was like an ant from Nasir precisely finding another ant!

"Just bad luck, or rather, fate?"

Lucius felt a bitter taste in his heart, vaguely sensing that there was some kind of "inevitable" factor in this gamble that led to their failure.

They "cheated" to find this fleeing group so accurately and quickly.

Lucius suddenly turned back and looked towards the pitch-black jungle not far away and yelled:

"All members of the Fischer family, abandon everything except your personal belongings, and run into the jungle right now!"

Due to certain issues with rifled guns yet to be addressed, the armies on the Ouden Continent were generally equipped with smoothbore flintlocks, with an effective range of about a hundred meters. Reloading took at least tens of seconds, hence the very important first volley of collective fire on the battlefield would not be fired lightly.

And the Nasir refugees had not entered the range of the Rhea army's bullet fire in the first place.

But in the world of Claud, extraordinary power existed, and aside from the soldiers equipped with flintlock rifles, the infantry retained other tactics based on the characteristics of their race.

At the command, the Rhea's unique half-orc units temporarily set down their flintlock guns and collectively threw a few short spears with extraordinary strength that ordinary humans could not match, from a great distance.

They rose into the dim sky and fell scattered over hundreds of meters into the fleeing crowd, followed by continuous screams and wails.

"Ahhhh! Run!"

"The Rhea are coming!"

"Help!"

A regular army might scatter in disarray, but the refugee group became like an anthill thrown with firecrackers upon being attacked, everyone went mad!

Everyone made a wild dash towards the jungle to the west, with many of the weak and even some adults being pushed down by others and ending up dead under the crush of the chaos.

The sparse throwing of spears stopped abruptly.

In the dim light, a detachment of Rhea's army resembling a black tide separated out, rapidly closing in. They were a well-trained cuirassier unit, charging towards the refugees on their fast horses.

Lucius, leading the Fischer family, didn't hesitate to rush towards the jungle. Encountering a regular cavalry unit in the wilderness left no chance of survival; they had to dive into the jungle right away.

Irene was clutching her dazed brother Chris, while Byrne kindly pulled Grandma Narda along as she ran; Grandma Narda let out a few wails trying to look for her sons but ultimately didn't go against the crowd to search for them.

A few strangers who weren't familiar blocked the way, begging and entangling, hoping to obtain the protection of the Fischer family, which had a high reputation and was well praised by everyone in Nasir.

"Get out of my way!"

Lucius roared loudly, cutting down anyone in his way without hesitation, tearing away the mask of the "Hero of Nasir" to reveal a ferocious and frantic face.

He knew it had to be done this way, as sheltering a few more would mean dozens more, even hundreds more. Having scared the shocked people away with his killing, Lucius led his family members into the edge of the jungle at the first opportunity.

The dark jungle was vast, more than enough for their purposes, and moreover, it would take the Rhea a long time to finish killing the majority of refugees and then proceed with the looting.

That's the logic, but for some reason, Lucius had a strong sense of fear deep inside.

It is coming!

All members of the Fischer family felt the hint given by the great Lord of the Lost!

Something even more terrifying is about to happen!

Suddenly, within the Black Tide, a silent blue rain rose into the sky, reaching tens of meters high before blooming into cold blue flowers, then falling like brilliant fireworks onto all the Rhea.

The spell's aura was extremely beautiful, yet Lucius and the others felt nothing but horror, and they immediately plunged into the jungle without hesitation.

It was a Ritual Spell cast by many, greatly enhancing the overall speed of the Rhea people. The cavalry, who were even faster, swept across the frozen river like winds of death, crossing it in record time!

The swiftest of the black-armored riders had already stood out from the pursuing cavalry!

The pitch-black warhorse beneath him galloped with lightning speed as if it possessed the terrifying bloodline of a mysterious creature, its hooves striking sparks of lightning that were extraordinarily visible against the dimming sky!

"He might be the Rhea people's commander!"

An Extraordinary knight from the Nasir knight family bellowed as he rode his warhorse, charging forward to intercept the black-armored rider breaking away from the main force. Killing him would surely deal a heavy blow to the enemy's morale.

In the instant they closed in on each other for close combat, the dazed people couldn't make out the details as the Nasir knight tumbled off his still galloping horse, body askew.

The black-armored rider quickly entered the rear of the fleeing group on his pitch-black warhorse. Anyone struck by him was instantly thrown aside, and soon the cavalry followed through the breach, swords raised high, relentlessly cutting down their foes.

——

The night had fallen completely dark, and in a few hours, it would be light again.

Surrounded by pitch darkness, the members of the Fischer family were utterly exhausted, but thankfully, the sounds of slaughter were no longer behind them.

Lucius exhaled and said, "Let's stop for a moment, count the numbers for the third time, and start with you, Byrne."

The original group of over a hundred people surrounding the Fischer family now numbered just over seventy, with more than thirty scattered. Fortunately, all the key members were still present, including Old Ramon.

He had been carried all the way by his son Hugh, who, large in stature, now lay on the ground panting, his face flushed and body trembling, unable to utter a single word.

Even with stamina far exceeding human limits, Lucius, fully armed, still felt exhausted and knew they had to rest.

Having already trekked for a day in the icy wilderness and then scrambling through the jungle for a long time, many had reached their limits. Grandma Narda had even fainted from exhaustion; fortunately, Irene's healing powers had saved her.

Lucius ordered everyone to hydrate and eat and then rise to continue marching in thirty minutes.

In the dark of the night, the resting group dared not to light any lamps, conversing in hushed tones, while subdued cries occasionally reached their ears.

Byrne approached Lucius and Irene, sipping water in small gulps, and said nervously,

"I looked at a rough map of this jungle yesterday. It's vast; we probably won't make it out until sunrise."

"Our current path leads to the southeast, it is less intuitive but safer."

Irene closed her eyes in ardent prayer, communing, then after pondering with her eyes reopened, she solemnly said,

"The great Lord of the Lost can bring misfortune upon our enemies, but He has not fully awakened yet, and His power should not be used lightly. The targets that can receive the Descending Divine Punishment are very few."

"We can implore the great Lord of the Lost to intervene if we offer up our lifespans as a sacrifice."

"I understand,"

Lucius nodded after listening, frowning deeply in thought.

He knew it was impossible to have the not-yet-awakened Lord of the Lost annihilate the enemy.

Like all gods of this world, they seldom interfere with worldly matters without extensive preparation and sacrifices.

Yet, His great power ensured that at least one or two, or slightly more, enemies would be slain if the chosen target was right, creating a surprising effect.

However, that was the worst-case scenario; the best outcome would be that they no longer encountered the Rhea army and made a safe escape.

In theory, it was nearly impossible for the Rhea to find them again.

Nevertheless, Lucius couldn't shake off an intense feeling of fear and unease from deep within.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in tremor, and he growled in a low voice,

"No, no, this is all wrong! Those Rhea are 'cheating' in the game!"

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Kapitel 32: Chapter 31 Fatal Gamble

The fleeing group rose to continue their journey, only this time everyone tacitly slowed their pace.

Most were at the limits of their physical and emotional endurance, and while they had managed to hold on without issue initially, a brief rest had almost instantaneously allowed exhaustion to overwhelm them.

Sighs, crying, and complaints intermittently arose from around, the jungle ahead completely dark and lightless, like a tunnel leading to a bottomless underground. The escapees could only move forward, guided by the memories in Byrne's head, silently hoping for light at the end of the darkness.

Chris, who kept moving forward, suddenly stopped and looked down at his feet where an insect, accidentally crushed underfoot, had its juices splattered all over the ground.

"What's wrong?" his sister Irene whispered gently beside him.

Chris shook his head, said nothing in response, and continued to follow the group.

"It's okay, we'll definitely be fine."

Irene took a deep breath, one hand tightly clutching a transparent bottle, while the other comforted her brother Chris.

She had thought Chris would be afraid, trembling just like the other children, but the young boy with silvery-white hair simply followed the group in silence, not uttering a word from the beginning to the end.

He seemed to be the only person in the fleeing group who wasn't nervous.

Irene always felt she knew her brother best, yet sometimes she thought Chris was a bit too "mature".

Some might even say that Chris seemed somewhat emotionally lacking, but Irene deeply despised such a statement—it was as if they were calling her brother handicapped.

He was just precocious and quiet.

"Irene."

Old Ramon came over. As the pace of the group had slowed, Old Ramon, who still had enough strength, insisted on walking on his own and didn't want to be carried by his son anymore.

He looked at Irene who had grown up, thinking that if his granddaughter could've grown up, she might have been just as beautiful as Irene.

"Irene, I know how cruel and terrifying the Rhea people can be. I've dealt with these bastards decades ago."

"Mhm."

Irene nodded. The once somewhat senile Old Ramon was now extraordinarily lucid.

His calm eyes gazing into the darkness held determination and weight as he continued, "But let's not kid ourselves, we Cyart people aren't exactly saints either. You must be careful."

"War is a game for the nobility; it's usually the poor folks' children who die while the nobles hardly ever kill each other."

"One day, if you want to transition from being a pawn in their game to a player, you must find a way to become a noble."

War is but a game for the nobles, and the children of the poor are the ones who die, Irene reflected thoughtfully.

Old Ramon fell silent for a while, then added, "Hugh actually has a son, my grandson, who was raised in his uncle's home in a nearby village."

Irene nodded again, initially thinking the old man would make some request about his grandson, but the conversation ended abruptly. Old Ramon fell silent and kept muttering to himself.

Lucius, leading the group, was deep in thought, desiring to know how the Rhea people had cheated, for only then could the Fischer family be entirely safe.

How exactly had they discovered our fleeing group? Did the Rhea troops target everyone or just a specific person or item?

Prophecy-type spells?

It was very possible. Lucius knew that prophecy-type spellcasters were extremely rare but they did exist, and perhaps the Rhea had used a prophecy-type spell to learn about the entire fleeing group.

But was that the answer?

He frowned tightly, not understanding the specific workings of prophecy-type spells and thus unable to fully assess the overall situation.

It seemed that everyone was gradually approaching the edge of the dark forest, and the sky was also slowly brightening, no longer the pitch-black path where one couldn't see their own hand in front of them.

Everyone's spirits lifted slightly—the most dangerous moment had completely passed.

Finally, the light of Dawn illuminated the jungle, and the reflection of the snow brightened the surroundings, filling everyone's heart with the joy of relief.

Lucius couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as he patted Byrne's shoulder and said,

"Let's not leave the jungle just yet, I'll go ahead and scout the situation. Let's rest here for thirty minutes."

The air around was still exceedingly cold, but the light had completely driven away the darkness, and deep in Lucius's heart, he couldn't suppress the feeling of joy at having escaped to safety!

We survived!

However, not long after Lucius had left, a warning from the great Lord of the Lost emerged in the deepest recesses of his mind.

The message contained within that great will was... not to move forward carelessly, there were enemies ahead!

Lucius was shocked as he gazed towards the bright exit of the jungle, falling into a long silence.

——

Karl's intangible consciousness rose high, centering on the transparent bottle in Irene's hand as he looked around, and quickly spotted an entire troop of Cyart cavalry waiting outside the jungle ahead.

Behind them, in several directions, hundreds of Cyart infantry were also advancing slowly, holding flintlocks and gradually enclosing on their position.

He was acutely aware that if things continued this way, the people of the Fischer family would be completely captured.

Karl's consciousness leapt a great distance to near the cavalry unit, which totaled only a hundred riders - not many - among which only three were Extraordinary Exponents who possessed different Knight Bequests.

The leader was none other than the black armored knight who had led the charge the day before.

Under the black helmet visor was the serious face of a middle-aged man, with a full head of red hair. His demeanor was entirely different from the surrounding cavalry, undoubtedly a true noble.

The entire situation was nearly hopeless.

They faced a blockage ahead and pursuers behind, and it seemed as if the Cyart could unpredictably pinpoint their location.

Karl immediately relayed the information back to the three members of the Fischer family.

"These Cyart people have really 'cheated' through and through."

Lucius took a deep breath, feeling an overwhelming sense of powerlessness as sweat slowly trickled down his back, even experiencing a sense of déjà vu.

The current predicament was like the one from years ago, when he had encountered that giant black dragon—a gamble at every step, where one wrong move could mean no burial for the dead.

The immense pressure felt like an invisible force, continuously and tightly constricting Lucius's mental and physical being, making it hard for him to breathe.

Lucius closed his eyes and bowed his head with genuine devotion, slowly speaking:

"Great Lord of the Lost, I pray to you."

"I sincerely ask that you protect all members of the Fischer family."

"Next, I will lead away the cavalry troop up ahead, please allow the rest of the family to immediately pass the road ahead, without the slightest delay."

Lucius seemed to be talking to himself, but in fact, he was speaking to the Lord of the Lost.

His speed of movement was undoubtedly the fastest among them all, with the most abundant stamina and combat ability that went without saying.

If that cavalry unit directly engaged the people of the Fischer family, it would be over for everyone, so he had to lead them away himself.

Lucius did not look back but went alone, sword in hand, actively seeking out the cavalry unit.

He believed the great Lord of the Lost was protecting the Fischer family and would definitely convey his thoughts to Byrne and Irene.

The next thing to do was to briefly distract the cavalry unit, then try to survive. Although it was undoubtedly an extremely difficult and dangerous action, Lucius knew it was another deadly gamble he couldn't escape, similar to the one from years ago.

Only this time, the "chips" on the perilous gamble were not just the important people beside him, but also himself!

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