Chapter 49: 21 Medieval Halloween

Chapter 49: 21. Medieval Halloween

After settling the Cold Lizard, Dakus finally managed to get a good night's sleep, even though a faint stench lingered in the room.

In the morning, a knocking sound came from outside the door. Baine shouted, "My Lord, stop sleeping! Get up and practice your martial arts."

Pushing the door open against the biting wind, Dakus saw Flanes, Rain, and Voart practicing martial arts in the clearing, bare-chested. Alisha was also practicing with a noble's scimitar; of course, she was clothed and had a white lion skin draped over her shoulders, a clashing black-and-white look. Baine stood nearby, instructing the four nobles.

"Progress is like rowing upstream; if you do not advance, you retreat."

Having said that, Dakus shook his head and closed the door again, pretending not to see anything, intending to go back to sleep.

A short while later, Dakus emerged, walking ostentatiously with a bare chest, a girdle tied around his waist, a Messer hanging at his side, a vulture-shaped pattern steel pine shield in hand, and a Druchi halberd slung over his shoulder.

The moment he stepped out, the cold made Dakus's teeth chatter and his body tremble; he wanted nothing more than to turn around and go back. After a moment, once he had adapted, he began to run to warm up. Once he was moving, it wasn't as cold. He even performed a few somersaults; the physique of a Druchi was indeed superior.

This practice lasted all day.

Edmund continued to lead the soldiers and slaves in digging cellars. Once finished, they began deepening the trenches outside the fort. As the Twilight Tide approached, the soldiers began equipping themselves with armor-piercing weapons like leaf hammers and armor-piercing spikes. Reaper ballistae were being deployed on the fort walls, capable of firing outward or swiveling to shoot into the plaza.

God only knew if Chaos would spawn this time.

The wilderness caves and underground fissures in the Black Ridge Mountains were inhabited by Beastmen, possessing a distinct Nagashiz style. They were roughly the same height as the Druchi, between 1.9 and 2.2 meters, walking upright on two legs. They were covered from head to toe in coarse scales and possessed a primitive, savage, and bloodthirsty nature, wielding stone axes or clubs.

They were known to the Druchi of Krakalond as the most evil entities in Nagashiz.

On the eve of the End Times, Krakalond lacked sufficient military strength, and its eventual fall and conquest were partly due to their efforts.

Over the past few days, Dakus had learned through conversation that the situation in Krakalond varied with every Twilight Tide.

Long ago, records indicated that giants from the Black Ridge Mountains had descended several times, destroying several logging camps before vanishing.

At that time, Krakalond was still ruled by the joint governance of the three Night Wardens. The massive footprints vanished once they entered the Black Ridge Mountains; despite deploying manpower, resources, and divination, they could never find them. However, since then, no giant had descended, and beast-taming trappers in the mountains had never encountered one. Everyone simply assumed the giants were dead.

In the city of Krakalond, Slaaneshi Daemons would spawn in the plaza every so often during the Twilight Tide.

Two hundred and sixty years ago, a Greater Daemon of Slaanesh even spawned in the gardens of the Night Warden Castle. The poor daemon, without having tasted any delicious elven souls, was forcibly sent away by the family guards and sorcerer circles led by Annasara, Nyukel, and Kessley.

Sometimes, those Beastmen would surge in like a tide.

Other times, one could wait all night and nothing would happen, as unpredictable as a roll of the dice.

Northern Nagashiz was different; Chaos warbands, Men, and the Ogur Hun warbands were a constant presence, their performance always remarkably stable.

"What 'Medieval Halloween'? Monster siege?"

Three days later, the Twilight Tide arrived as scheduled.

There were no morning drills today; the nobles and soldiers slept until noon.

In the afternoon, the plaza was filled with delicacies and fine food, and the soldiers stood in formation, fully equipped.

Following old custom, three hundred of the old, weak, sick, and disabled were pulled from the slaves to be sacrificed to Khorne, praying for his blessing.

Moray Heg disliked Khorne, but the necessary procedures still had to be followed.

At four o'clock, the meal began in the plaza on schedule, and every soldier was allotted a cup of wine.

Dakus raised his cup and shouted, "In the witness of the gods, we drink this wine! May we welcome the dawn of tomorrow, and may we meet again tomorrow! Cheers!"

With that, Dakus drank the wine amidst the cold wind and the scent of blood.

The nobles and soldiers also drank their wine and cheered.

The food had long since grown cold in the biting wind, but the Druchi ate with great relish.

The Cold Lizard was also feasting heavily, gnawing on the sacrificed corpses.

At six o'clock, darkness fell. The Morslib was gradually becoming full, pouring a eerie green light upon the earth—greener than that night in Leonis, making it feel as if one were wearing night-vision goggles. No torches were lit on the fort walls; there was no need.

Dakus stood on the wall, watching Flanes guarding beside him. The green light reflecting off Flanes's helmet was exceptionally dazzling. The atmosphere was tense; he wasn't joking around, and besides, the Druchi wouldn't understand such a bad joke.

He had not sent out Dark Pegasus for reconnaissance; the Harpies and Manticore in these Black Ridge Mountains were essentially free kills if encountered.

A Manticore was a massive lion-like beast with sturdy wings that allowed it to fly. The mutating powers of Chaos gave them varied forms; some had manes like snakes, others had skin like iron scales, and many had venomous stingers on their tails that would cause a person's blood to boil instantly upon being stung. Regardless, all Manticores were violent killers filled with primitive rage. They were extremely ferocious, serving as incarnations of Khorne, the God of Slaughter.

Bonfires were lit in the plaza, and two dinosaurs leaned nearby for warmth, lazily chewing on soybean meal, alfalfa, and corpses while wagging their tails.

A howl echoed from the distance. Kallyon shouted directly, "In the sky! Wild Manticores! Prepare the Reaper ballistae! There are Harpies behind them!"

Dakus shook his head, took out the Echo Drum, and began to beat it rhythmically.

Kallyon listened intently and shouted again, "They're closer! Prepare! Reaper ballistae, fire at the wild Manticores! Harpoon crossbows and repeater crossbows, fire at the Harpies!"

Professional matters were left to the professionals, especially when lives were at stake. Dakus did not act as a Dread Lord; the centurions were under the unified command of Edmund. Dakus wanted to see his capability; he would simply provide the buffs.

The beast-tamer's harpoon crossbows and the Black-Sharp repeater crossbowmen's weapons were ready.

The breathing of the Reaper ballistae crews grew rapid, synchronized with the drumbeat.

They were getting closer; Dakus could also hear the whistling sound of flight.

"They didn't hibernate; they just had to come down and seek death."

The drumbeat became slow and heavy.

A wild Manticore led the way, bursting out from above the forest and diving toward the fort walls.

Kallyon roared loudly, "Fire!"

The breathing of the Reaper ballistae crews slowed down in sync with the drumbeat. They pulled the triggers, and a bolt flew out, accurately delivering itself into the Manticore's mouth. The Reaper ballistae in adjacent positions also successively struck the Manticore's body.

That wild Manticore was like a dive bomber whose pilot had been shot down; it struck the fort wall directly in a parabolic trajectory.