[Vol. 1] Chapter 12: Betrayal and Bloodshed
It had been several days since Violet and Xiao Guang set out from the gloomy forest town. The master and servant duo traveled through mountains and rivers, heading in a general direction and choosing paths that seemed out of the ordinary. However…
"Ugh… it's so boring, Xiao Guang. Why is everything so calm? Forget about strange things; we haven't even encountered a single bandit. Is the public safety in this other world really this good?"
The black-haired girl sat on the ground with a look of utter boredom, cradling her staff. Her pristine robe was partially touching the mud, yet it remained untarnished, self-cleaning. This was just one of the most basic abilities of a divine artifact.
"Um…"
Seeing her master like this, the golden-haired dragon girl scratched her head awkwardly. Even she couldn't make enemies come to them voluntarily. On the other hand, the reverse was relatively easy.
In reality, on their journey, they had encountered quite a few hostile creatures due to their intentional provocation. However, in Violet's eyes, none of them were interesting.
To put it simply, they were too weak, to the point that even a regular person armed with a stick could easily defeat them. The most powerful thing they had encountered was probably the black tiger on the first day.
For example, there were skeletal soldiers with a level of no more than 5, ghosts who could only blow wind in your ear, and resentful spirits who couldn't stand sunlight, to name just a few of the miscellaneous creatures they had encountered.
"I have no words. If we had known, we might as well have let Uncle Lester take us to Sil City for a stroll. At least we wouldn't have to endure roughing it."
"Master, if you're looking for a nearby city, I can transform into my true form and carry you…"
Unfortunately, before she could finish her suggestion, the master interrupted her.
"No!"
Violet firmly crossed her arms, "The essence of adventure is taking one step at a time, firmly on the ground. That's the only way you can see different landscapes. Flying or cheating your way through is like activating a cheat code in a video game. I can't accept that!"
"Um, okay…"
Xiao Guang nodded in disappointment. She didn't quite understand what cheating and main storyline meant, but she got the gist of Violet's intention.
If the master wanted to take it slow, they would take it slow. As long as she could follow the master, it didn't matter where they went.
"Alright, let's continue our journey. I hope we find a city to rest in today."
"Yes, master, no need to wor… Hmm?"
Mid-sentence, the Dragon Maid suddenly furrowed her brow, and Violet also looked in a certain direction.
Down the mountain, on the official road.
"Master, a strong scent of blood is wafting over."
Violet excitedly smiled, "Indeed, it looks like we've finally encountered something interesting. Let's go! We'll join in the commotion."
The journey from the mountain path to the official road was quite a distance, and if they walked there, the wildflowers would have wilted by the time they arrived. So, Violet decided to take flight, calling it a flexible approach.
"[Divine Feather]."
Accompanied by a soft whisper, a pair of seemingly substantial pure white wings extended from Violet's back, with a wingspan of several meters. With a light flap, the young girl's figure rose into the air and swiftly flew towards the foot of the mountain, with Xiao Guang summoning her dragon wings and following behind.
Before they even arrived, the sounds of battle were deafening, and as they looked out, they saw a river of blood flowing. A fierce life-and-death struggle was erupting here, but Miss Violet, who had just arrived, looked utterly confused.
"Wait, aren't these the same people? What are they doing? Are they fighting amongst themselves?"
"No, Master, look, some of them have a mark tied to their arms."
Xiao Guang was spot on. Among this group of soldiers wearing silver chainmail, over two-thirds of them had red ribbons tied conspicuously to their arms, clearly a form of identification to distinguish friend from foe.
Violet also noticed that the larger group with ribbons was the attacking side, while the rest had formed a defensive formation, but because of their numerical disadvantage and a surprise attack, the situation was extremely dire.
"Hmm… Why do I always seem to stumble upon a firefight just as it's breaking out?"
"Master, look over there."
Following Xiao Guang's direction, Violet finally noticed that the outnumbered soldiers had seemingly surrounded a carriage in the center. Evidently, they were trying to protect something or someone inside, but due to the overwhelming number of enemies, they had been unable to break through the enemy lines in several attempts, resulting in heavy casualties on their side.
"Silver armor… I remember Lester saying that only the royal family's direct units are allowed to wear this color of armor in the Human United Kingdom. Could it be that someone important from the royal family is inside?"
"Master, should we intervene? The battle is likely to end soon."
"Well, about that…"
Violet contemplated the chaotic battle below. The situation was somewhat better than when she had rescued Lester and his group previously. Although the inner circle of soldiers was at a disadvantage, they hadn't completely fallen apart and still had fighting capability.
If the battle continued, even if the red ribboned troops managed to defeat them all, they would undoubtedly suffer heavy losses.
It was strange. If this were a rebellion or something similar, why choose a daytime battle on a major road? With so many infiltrators, shouldn't there have been a better opportunity?
There was only one explanation: they were in a hurry. Perhaps something was forcing them to take action, and the situation was likely more complex than it seemed.
"No need to rush, let's keep watching."
"Yes, Master."
Xiao Guang didn't really care either way. She had no feelings for human lives, and even if many of them died, it was just the extinction of ants. If it weren't for her master's interest, she wouldn't have bothered to look at all.
As time passed, both sides suffered heavy casualties in their intense battle. The attackers were desperately trying to break through the defense and reach the carriage, while the defenders were willing to do anything to hold their ground. The scent of blood on the official road grew stronger, and if this continued, it wouldn't be long before passing caravans and civilians were attracted to the scene.
As if realizing this, the commander hidden within the red ribboned troops couldn't bear it any longer. With some kind of signal, five or six soldiers who hadn't joined the battle suddenly retrieved several dark wands from a nearby cart, and as they raised them, the tips emitted a strange black-gray light.
"There's definitely something fishy going on."
Violet lightly caressed the exquisite gemstone at the top of her Eternal Scepter. While she didn't have a deep understanding of many of this world's magical systems, it was undeniable that those individuals were definitely casting some form of magic.
The black-gray light condensed in the air, then instantly burst and transformed into streaks of light that entered the bodies of the fallen soldiers in the midst of battle. In the next moment, lifeless bodies that had lost their vitality inexplicably began to rise unsteadily!
"Necromantic magic… perhaps?"
In the world of [Illusory World], there were indeed skills related to manipulating corpses and the deceased, but they required numerous dark and necromantic skills as prerequisites. The game did not have "classes," and player roles were determined solely by skill tree choices, races, and skill point allocations.
For example, Violet primarily specialized in light magic, healing, amplification, defensive spells, and protective barriers. Due to some racial factors, she instinctively felt repulsed by methods that involved raising the undead and desecrating the deceased.
Even if the situation didn't unfold as she had expected, Violet would eventually step in to put an end to these individuals.
The addition of undead warriors tipped the balance, and the already disadvantaged defenders found it difficult to withstand this sudden onslaught. Fueled by fear from this bizarre turn of events, the defensive line crumbled instantly, allowing the red-ribboned troops to finally break through the heart of the defense and reach their target.
Swish, as if a general-like figure, one of the attackers cleaved the carriage in half with a single stroke, with no reinforcements from the surrounding guards.
Including whoever might have been inside the carriage…