Chapter 14: Amidst the Mist (Part 2)

The batwoman's wings flapped, causing the rotting flesh on her chest to jiggle grotesquely, an utterly revolting sight. With a single dive, she grabbed a female slave. The poor humanoid slave struggled and screamed, but no one could save her. In moments, the batwoman tore the slave in half, blood splattering everywhere and eliciting gasps of horror. The batwoman let out a mocking laugh.

"Shoot that ugly thing down!" Field roared, his anger boiling over.

Without needing further instruction, the enraged archers lifted their crossbows and bows. A volley of bolts and arrows rained upon the batwoman. Unprepared for the humans' ranged attack, she took three or four arrows, crashing to the ground like a broken puppet.

"That ugly beast dared attack my people! Every person here cost me money!" Field, seething with fury, grabbed a halberd from the wagon, abandoning any semblance of noble decorum. With a powerful swing, he smashed the batwoman's head to a pulp.

In the chaos caused by the batwoman's attack, the flanks were left vulnerable. A swarm of zombies, no longer deterred by the archers, rushed in.

"Everyone, stand clear!"

Asheena quickly summoned her power. The black scales on the dragon-wolf's neck began to emit smoke, a terrifying energy causing the air to distort.

"Boom!"

A burst of blue flames erupted from the wolf's mouth, a wave of heat washing over them like a dam breaking. The blue fire consumed everything in its path, incinerating the twisted forms in seconds. Field even felt the surrounding mist dissipate slightly.

"So hot!" The guards, clad in armor, felt like they were on a hot griddle. They grimaced and yelped in pain, the dried zombie blood crusting on their armor.

"Sorry about that," Asheena said, sticking out her tongue.

The continuous flames wiped out a large number of zombies, leaving the rest manageable. The group successfully repelled the first wave of the undead horde.

They lost three slaves and one slave guard, which was acceptable.

"Rest here for half an hour. Women, go retrieve the arrows."

Field took a canteen from the steward, gulping down cold water. The chill cleared his mind, grounding him back in reality.

"Thank you, Asheena," Field said, patting her head. Asheena blushed, her wolf tail wagging like a propeller, almost lifting her off the ground.

Asheena shook her head, trying to be modest. "It's what I should do."

Her expression said otherwise: (❁´◡`❁)

Keep praising me, don't stop!

No wonder the Northern Province was called a cursed land. If it had been the original owner, no, even without Asheena's help, I wouldn't last long here, Field thought, a shiver running down his spine. He quickly dismissed his negative thoughts, focusing on the new markers approaching on his mini-map—red exclamation marks.

"Those markers, could they be more monsters? No, their formation is too orderly. Nineteen of them." Field furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment before calling Asheena over. "Go ahead and set up an ambush in the mist. Be ready for anything."

Captain Connor and his men advanced through the gray mist.

"This mist lamp looks like it's going out. Damn it, why is that brainless baron's lamp so big, and ours so small? The second miss is too stingy, wanting a donkey to work without giving it a carrot."

"Shut up, you fool! Watch your loud mouth or you'll attract the zombies," someone scolded nervously.

"I feel like something's behind us," a vigilant soldier said, gripping his lance uneasily. "We should have killed Baron Field before entering the Northern Province, not now."

Connor sighed. "You think I don't want to? But killing a noble openly would get us all hanged."

That's why they had circled back after saying goodbye to Field—to create an alibi.

Soon, Connor's men found Field's trail, fresh blood and corpses leading the way. There was no way to hide the tracks of over two hundred people.

"Brothers, prioritize killing Field. Then we'll charge the slaves, grab their mist lamps. The fog will soon kill everyone."

Connor's plan was flawless.

Forming a lance charge, the men set their horses to a trot.

"I can already see Field begging for mercy," Connor said, licking his lips, laughing recklessly.

However, his smile froze when he saw Field.

A thirty-man, fully armored guard stood with shields raised and spears ready, their armor still smeared with zombie blood and entrails. Field was behind the wagons, two rows of archers with loaded crossbows ready to fire on command. Even untrained, a child could shoot a crossbow and pierce a grown man's body.

"Damn it! We've been spotted." Connor felt like a fool.

"How is this possible? Field is supposed to be a cowardly nobody. Where did he get a guard?"

The riders grew restless. The surprise attack was now a joke.

Charge armored spear troops or crash into those wagons?

"Retreat!"

Connor yanked the reins, his horse whinnying and turning.

"Roar!"

A two-meter-tall, bear-sized black wolf appeared behind Connor's horse, causing it to stumble.

Connor was thrown off, terrified.

"Damn it!"

Before he could retrieve his weapon, a long spear was at his throat. A beautiful wolf humanoid stared at him with a mocking smile. Connor knew that if he moved, he would die. Worse, his mist lamp had been taken.

"This is that slave Field bought!"

Connor remembered the slave Field insisted on buying. She could move freely in the mist without a lamp.

The men were stunned. Goddess above! What misfortune led them to face The Chosen?

Who would have thought Field had The Chosen? If they knew, they wouldn't come for a thousand gold coins.

"Captain Connor, what a surprise! You scared me," Field said casually, not ordering their immediate execution. "Worried I wouldn't make it on time? Don't worry, expanding the family's territory is a noble's duty."

"Uh..." Connor was speechless, caught between life and death.