The mist gradually thinned, revealing the west coast of the Caspian Sea on the horizon.
Two small squads of hunting troops stood guard on the west coast, their eyes widened as they peered into the mysterious surroundings. However, all they could see was the pervasive white mist. Everything, including the cavalrymen and horses, was shrouded in this strange mist. They could only maintain communication through short commands to stay connected.
These two squads of hunting troops had crossed the lake on boats last night and stationed themselves here. To ensure nothing went wrong, Cyrus had made such arrangements. Yet, these dozens of well-trained cavalrymen never anticipated that, in the morning, the massive lake would freeze, followed by this expansive mist that covered the whole sky!
However, these dozens of disciplined cavalrymen steadfastly held their positions. Weapons drawn, they strained their eyes fruitlessly searching their surroundings. After an unknown amount of time, the mist began to dissipate slightly. The scenery on the west coast of the Caspian Sea faintly emerged, and the cavalrymen appeared ghostlike in the mist not far away. Everyone heightened their vigilance, if the Saintess managed to cross the lake from their position during this thick mist, their heads would roll before General Cyrus issued any orders! Unlike the east and south bank, which was essentially the core territory of the Great Persia, the west bank was the original land of the Armenia Kindom, had only been secured by the Persian in the past few years, and the Khazars from the north also reached to this area... Many regions had become self-reliant. Except for a few cities, Persia's control was quite weak. If they managed to slip through here, the thousands of hunting troops might not be able to find them! Who knew if Prince Farid had arranged support for the Saintess Princess in the west region close to the Roman, setting up strongholds for her?
Gradually, amid the faint sounds of their own horses, the leading officer heard the approaching hoofbeats on the ice. Glancing around, he gestured to a few nearby hunting troops, signaling them to come closer. They raised their bows and arrows, nervously aiming into the thinning mist.
Suddenly, the mist shifted, and a horse emerged before the hunting troops. Those with keen eyes could clearly see that the rider was Princess Ariana, the Saintess of the Great Persia! The hands of the hunting troops holding the bows and arrows involuntarily trembled. This unit had been personally led by Princess Ariana's father, Prince Farid. These hunting troops were the scions of the Persia nobility, they had a favorable opinion of the Saintess. They vividly remembered the scene when they returned from the battle, and the Saintess greeted them, offering blessings and prayers for their success. Yet, now they found themselves having to shoot arrows at the Saintess, their once-idol and dream lover.
The imposing figure of General Cyrus flashed through the minds of these hunting troops. After a brief hesitation, they finally released their grip. With a few stares, several arrows had already whistled through the air, directly aiming for Ariana emerging from the dissipating mist!
At the first sound of breaking air, Lucas' instinct, acting faster than his mind, was evident. In an instant, he rolled over, clutching Ariana as they fell from the horse. During the descent, he had already turned his body, using his shoulder to shield more than half of Ariana's body! With a squelching sound, the long arrows found their marks. One arrow pierced the horse's neck, and another arrow buried itself in Lucas' shoulder! Blood sprayed out, and the horse let out a prolonged neigh before crashing down.
This was the first time Lucas had been injured since arriving in this era. At the moment the arrow struck, he hardly felt pain, only a sensation as if his left shoulder had been heavily pounded. As he rolled off the horse, he had already instinctively drawn his sword. The fallen horse neighed loudly as it collapsed toward him. Trying to evade the horse while holding Ariana, he inadvertently bumped into the arrow lodged in his back. With a snap, the arrow shaft broke, but the arrowhead plunged even deeper into the flesh. The intense pain caused him to almost black out! Shouts from several people resounded, and amidst the violent rolling, he saw several silver-armored knights charging out of the mist, each brandishing a large sword toward him! The surrounding area echoed with rallying cries. Other hunting troops, alerted by the commotion, were converging on this location. The sound of galloping horses, unsheathed weapons, and dismounting rang out incessantly. Lucas gritted his teeth, rolled to his feet, and realized there was no other option but to fight back against these knights!
With two loud bangs, two long swords were already sent flying by Lucas! Blood gushed out from the arrow wound on his shoulder, splattering onto Ariana's face as he exerted force. Seizing the momentum of his sword swings, a junior officer swung his sword straight at Lucas' ribs. Lucas kicked his wrist with full force as the sword was mid-swing. With a crisp sound, the junior officer clutched his wrist, screaming in agony. This kick at least resulted in a comminuted fracture! The long sword flew away! Lucas' inexplicable strength was terrifying. In just two moves, he disarmed three people. The other two had their hands broken, with blood pouring out, yet they fearlessly charged at him. Lucas gritted his teeth, raised his sword, and swung horizontally. With a crisp sound, a heavily armored kight was split in half, as if molded from clay!
Blood and entrails splattered, staining the pristine white mist in a crimson hue. The junior officer, whose wrist was shattered by the kick, hurriedly retreated, shouting, "Shoot! Shoot them with arrows! Don't dismount, shoot arrows to kill them!" The remaining kight, however, had no time to retreat and crashed into the arms of Lucas. He reached out and grabbed Lucas' throat. Lucas' left hand also reached over and clamped his neck. With a powerful squeeze, he snapped the kight's neck. The kight screamed in pain, which also triggered the wound on Lucas' left shoulder. The fierce close-quarters combat passed in a flash. Three kights were now two dead and one injured. Ariana, who had fallen to the ground, was still struggling to get up!
Arrows pierced through the increasingly thin mist, raining down like hail. First one or two, then a dozen more, shot with urgency. In close combat, Lucas' immense strength and agility served him well. However, facing the distant volley of arrows from the mounted archers, he was at a disadvantage. These Persia cavalrymen were skilled in archery, and he struggled to cope. He held the unfortunate corpse in his arms as a shield, turning it into a makeshift hedgehog. Occasionally, a stray arrow that got through was deftly deflected by his swinging sword. However, he was taking a beating, sweating profusely. With the horse killed and himself entangled, the mist dissipating, and the large force of cavalry chasing from the east bank, it seemed like he was trapped with no way out. Damn it, why isn't my hand glowing now? Silver light, help me now!
At this moment, another shower of arrows flew in from the other side. Another group of cavalrymen rushed over! They were still far away, and their blind arrows lacked accuracy. Lucas held up the corpse with one hand and swung his sword wildly with the other, blood streaming down from his wound. His heart sank further and further. This was really the end! He couldn't help but glance at Ariana, who had curled up behind him. At this critical moment, he saw two or three stray arrows flying directly towards her! Without hesitation, Lucas lunged and covered Ariana.
One arrow hit his waist, another his leg, and a third pierced his right arm. Blood flowed freely, soaking Ariana's body. The girl stared wide-eyed at everything unfolding before her, while Lucas, still grinning, looked at her with gritted teeth.
"Damn it, now it's over. Pretty girl, let's meet in the 21st century... I want to see you in a bikini."