章節 19: Chapter 19: Field Test of Wolfbane
At the outskirts of the Peter family castle, knight squire Warren Pasha led a troop consisting of thirty well-trained soldiers raised by the Pasha family and thirty well-equipped but poorly disciplined militiamen from Maple Leaf Town. Accompanying them was the town militia captain, whose apprehension was evident.
The militia captain glanced at Warren Pasha and hesitated. "Ahead lies Baron Peter's castle. According to protocol, we vassals must seek the baron's permission before entering the castle grounds. Officially, we are still subjects of Baron Su Nan."
Warren Pasha, brother to Gus Pasha, sat atop his mighty steed with a predatory smile. "Ah, the Peter family—it's been years since their name carried any weight." He drew his bow and released an arrow, which struck the wooden gate of the castle's perimeter fence with a sharp thud. The gatekeeper, visibly shaken, retreated in haste to inform Su Nan of the attack.
Though Warren had remained a knight squire for over a decade, his extensive training in the way of the Storm Knight endowed him with physical prowess far beyond the average squire and a remarkable aptitude for archery. He chuckled. "Consider that our formal greeting. My brother Gus suspects that those fleeing merchants might seek refuge under the protection of another knight who opposes our family. But to our surprise, they fled to the boy baron instead. How delightful!"
Turning to the castle, Warren declared, "By nightfall, this castle will belong to the Pasha family."
The militia captain muttered under his breath, "The Storm Church won't condone this. They value rules and order above all. Perhaps we should demand the boy baron hand over the fugitives instead of resorting to outright violence."
Before the captain could finish, the horse beneath him whinnied and pawed nervously at the ground. Warren's own mount mirrored the behavior. His eyes narrowed as he spotted a shadow flitting through the forest ahead. "Who's there? Stop this charade and show yourself!"
Warren released a volley of arrows, six of which the figure effortlessly evaded. The seventh struck its target—a glancing hit to the figure's arm. Warren grinned but soon realized that the injury hadn't slowed the figure down at all. Its movements remained unnervingly fast and unnatural. "A squire? Perhaps that Robert fellow serving the boy baron. After him!" Warren barked, urging his horse forward. His soldiers and the reluctant militia had no choice but to follow.
The chase led them roughly a kilometer deep into the forest. At this point, the landscape transformed into dense woods and undergrowth. Warren halted, realizing he had lost sight of the figure. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air behind him.
Spinning around, he saw one of his elite soldiers clutching his heavily bleeding arm. It looked as though an animal's claws had ripped through the man's armor, though the injury was not life-threatening.
Warren laughed. "It seems we've found the culprit behind the Maple Leaf Town raids. Relax! The wounds are superficial and won't impair mobility. This proves their attacks lack lethality. Form a defensive formation! Tonight, I'll drag this so-called 'Wolf Demon' into the light!"
The soldiers quickly formed a rectangular infantry phalanx, ten soldiers per row in six ranks. This classic formation was particularly effective in narrow terrains, where mutual support minimized vulnerabilities. However, the militia's poor discipline caused gaps in the formation, relegating them to the rear ranks.
Warren scanned the surroundings for any sign of the enemy, confident that the phalanx would deter further ambushes. Yet moments later, another scream broke the silence. One of the elite soldiers, previously injured, had gone berserk. His eyes glowed red, and coarse hair sprouted unnaturally from his body. Without warning, he turned on his comrades, slashing wildly with his sword. In the ensuing chaos, he killed two soldiers and severely wounded a third before being put down.
Warren's confidence wavered. "What's happening?" Another shadow darted from the underbrush, injuring three more soldiers before disappearing again. This time, none of the wounds were fatal, but the pattern was clear—injuries induced madness.
A chilling realization struck Warren: the creature was deliberately toying with them. It inflicted only minor wounds to maximize disorder within their ranks. Even more unsettling was the sight of the arrow he had previously shot lying on the forest floor, its target completely unscathed. Warren's mind raced. This isn't a human… It's a monster.
"Kill the injured men!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "Do it before they turn feral!"
But hesitation gripped the soldiers. The thought of killing their comrades was too much for many to bear. Warren's orders went largely unheeded as chaos spread through the ranks. The militia captain, observing the disarray, realized the phalanx was effectively neutralized. Their cohesion was shattered.
High above in the castle's tower, Su Nan watched the unfolding scene with calm detachment. Through the Wolf Pack Effect, he remotely directed the lone Wolf Messenger orchestrating the ambush. Its enhanced agility and the hallucinogenic effects of Wolfbane proved devastatingly effective in this hit-and-run strategy.
"AI," Su Nan commanded, "record all relevant combat data under Wolf Pack File #4."
Satisfied with the results thus far, Su Nan decided to escalate the test. Through the Wolf Pack Effect, he issued a command to the Wolf Messenger: summon the local wolf packs.
The Messenger howled, its voice resonating through the forest. From the shadows, glowing green eyes emerged. Ordinary wolves, drawn by the Messenger's control, stepped forward in eerie unison. They bared their fangs a
nd advanced on the disarrayed soldiers.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票