Chapter 143
Gordon newa brimd with excitent.
Leading an elite judiciary squad of ten, including five knights, two at the sixth level, and himself, a ninth-level knight
On the opposing side, though numbering 20, only three reached knightly stature, with the mightiest barbarian at the seventh level.
More crucially, within the pagan group were two spellcasters!
rits!
rits served to him on a silver platter!
The judiciary highly prized pagan spellcasters. If he captured both alive, whether coercing conversion or binding them to the pyre, the rits could secure his promotion, aided by the judiciary, to the coveted tenth level!
The leap from ninth to tenth was monuntal. Crossing it would elevate him to a grand knight, significantly boosting his combat prowess and church standing.
The more Gordon ruminated, the more his heart kindled. Urging the team to quicken, the substantial rits neared his grasp, yet the pagans ahead suddenly veered, vanishing behind the mountain bend.
"llen! Fechi! Pick up the pace!"
Gordon urged the front runners. The situation ahead blurred, and if not closely pursued, those pagansespecially the spellcastersmight slip away, shattering his rits and promotion dreams!
Yet, llen in the lead abruptly pulled his horse's reins, halting it. Fechi, caught off guard, swiftly halted his mount, narrowly avoiding a collision.
The horses neighed incessantly, circling in place. Were it not for the cliff on one side and a gentle slope on the other, the two knights and their steeds might have tumbled.
"Why the halt!" Gordon fud. Yet, llen, undeterred by his anger, not only refrained from advancing but dismounted, proceeding on foot.
"Captain, up ahead... it's blocked!"
"Then clear it! All of you, move up!"
Gordon answered without hesitation. llen, Fechi, and the two knight squires in the front advanced to clear the road. llen casually hung his greatsword on the saddle, muttering, "Block the road by killing these horses? Ridiculous, as if they can't be moved..."
Horse corpses?
Horse corpses!
Gordon shuddered, every hair on his body standing on end. Instinct trumped reason, and the knight captain bellowed:
"Back! Retreat!"
Boom!
A deafening explosion.
Horse corpses, dragged out by the knights, simultaneously erupted.
Dry branches and leaves rustled down, loose rocks on the cliff fell with a rattle, shaking the ground.
Even Gordon, about ten ters away, couldn't escape. The shockwave pushed him back, causing a montary lean.
Limbs, flesh, and strange fluids burst open, flying in all directions. Gordon raised his round shield to shield his face, blocking the blood rain. llen and Fechi in the front were less fortunate, the two knights squires scread:
"Ah"
"Eyes, my eyes"
"My face"
Corpse explosion?
How could it be a corpse explosion?!
Gordon's head buzzed.
There were only two spellcasters on the other side, one with an oak staff, a nature god devotee; the other, by attire and spell traces, likely an elental magenot a necromancer!
Could there be a third spellcaster?
Could he have misjudged, and a necromancer lurked among them?
"Attention, everyone! Another necromancer!"
He warned loudly. Checking, llen and Fechi weren't severely injured, just splashed with corpse fluid, quite tricky. Gordon excelled in combat, his healing spells lacking. The two knight squires...
Sadly, no rescue was needed.
Linde Ferrell's mage ring given to Garrett for corpse explosion proved top-notch, no discounts.
Gordon helplessly faced his subordinates' injuries. Giving them a brief cleaning and helping them onto their horses, he instructed Vilbo, his scolded squire:
"You take them back, take good care!"
Only four killed? Garrett glanced back at the barbarians with regret. Corpse explosion couldn't alter the outco. Soon, the judiciary knights, fierce, caught up.
Garrett's team fell, soldiers without horses running. Finally, Blake, youngest and lowest-level, tumbled, holding an ankle.
"Captain!" The boy's voice hinted at tears. He struggled, trying to shake off Captain Barnes's hand:
"Don't worry about ! Run, run quickly!"
Twisted ankle?
Ruptured Achilles?
Fracture?
Garrett wanted to heal but was carried by Bernard, running forward, unreachable.
Urgent, pursuers with bows. Barbarians no longer carried him on their backs but in front, broad backs shielding him. Garrett couldn't break free, so he threw a potion:
"Healing potion! Use it!"
The fallen disappeared. Soon, Captain Barnes caught up, eyes red, running with head down.
Later, a distant scream ca from the mountain road.
"...We can't go on like this." Captain Barnes resolved. He stopped, took off his bow, lovingly stroked it:
"We stop! Let's fight them!"
"Fight!" Shield warrior York responded first. Falling from his horse, he'd wanted this, but the captain stopped him. Hearing Captain Barnes, he turned, erecting his steel shield:
"I'll be at the front! Barnes, you go behind go up!"
Warriors silently ford a formation. Killing five horses, they piled them at the mountain bend, forming cover. York in front, two low-level shield warriors behind horse corpses, shields raised. Captain Barnes and another archer climbed higher. Remaining warriors with spears and knives ford a small killing formation behind the shields.
Daniel the mage abstained. He stood aside, looking at comrades in life and death, face flushed:
"My magic's almost used up... give
a knife..."
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