The loud crash of the wooden door being kicked open echoed far into the gray mist, shattering the eerie silence of the fortress walls. Almost immediately, ghostly howls erupted from all directions as nearby undead stirred to life. Field glanced at the small map in his mind, watching the skull icons rapidly converging on their position. Coupled with the faint roars growing louder in the distance, he couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
Inside the barracks, the two corpses had no chance to retaliate. Ashina's blade flashed as she decapitated the first one, sending a spray of black-purple blood splattering against the walls, bathing the room in a grim glow.
The second corpse lunged at her, its face grotesquely torn—its mouth stretched unnaturally wide, splitting all the way to its ears. A bite from such a creature would surely rip out a massive chunk of flesh.
But Ashina sidestepped with ease, her movements fluid and calculated. She reversed her grip on the blade, and with a single decisive strike, half of the zombie's head flew off. Black ichor gushed from the wound, pooling into a dark, sticky puddle on the floor.
"머!"
Before anyone could catch their breath, a cacophony of guttural growls erupted as a group of corrupted soldiers surged out from a nearby passageway. Their pallid, rolling eyes and tattered uniforms made them all the more terrifying, as their heavy armor clinked ominously with each step.
The slaves clutched their farming tools tightly, swinging them nervously in the air as if to ward off unseen enemies, but none dared to step forward.
The undead alone were horrifying enough, but the sight of them encased in thick armor made the task seem utterly impossible.
"Damn it, just how many people got infected?" Field cursed under his breath.
"Fire!"
Ashina released her dragonwolf, whose massive form nearly filled the entire passageway.
Magical energy coalesced like a flowing starry river, converging rapidly toward the dragonwolf's open maw. With a deafening roar, it unleashed a torrent of ghostly blue flames. The undead in the passage were immediately consumed, their struggling silhouettes barely visible within the searing inferno.
"What terrifying power," one of the slaves muttered, awe-struck.
The slaves, who had been debating whether to run or fight, found the decision made for them. In the blink of an eye, the battle was over. Some caught a glimpse of the undead being incinerated, while others could only gape at the ashes left behind.
"So this is the power of a Chosen One," Field remarked, his confidence swelling. Then, with a grin, he added, "Unfortunately, it looks like the loot got burned too."
Feeling emboldened, Field decided to press his advantage. "Make as much noise as you can. Let's draw the remaining undead nearby and wipe them out."
At Field's command, the slaves began banging and smashing whatever they could find, creating a raucous clamor. Meanwhile, Ashina and her dragonwolf swiftly dealt with the undead that gathered in response to the noise.
Before long, the area around the barracks was cleared of monsters. This gave Field a clearer understanding of just how powerful Chosen Ones truly were.
"Now, let's see what valuables we can find," Field said, letting his greed show openly. His lips curled into a predatory smile. "Weapons, armor, and especially gold—find them all."
No sooner had the slaves dispersed to search than one came running back, his face alight with excitement.
"Sir! Sir! You won't believe what we found!"
"Sir, we found survivors!"
"Huh?" Field's reaction wasn't one of joy. Instead, he looked around with a wary and complex expression.
"Ashina, recall your wolf. Now's not the time to reveal our strength."
Without sufficient preparation and resources, exposing the fact that he had a Chosen One would only invite disaster.
His stepmother would undoubtedly send assassins to eliminate him and claim Ashina for herself.
Revealing this to the slaves wasn't a big deal—after all, they were under his constant supervision, and with a single command, he could send them all to the afterlife.
Field mulled over the situation. Survivors might know where key supplies are hidden.
The survivors were hiding in a hidden bastion within the walls. The door had been doused with purification potions, barely holding back the gray mist. Hearing the voices of living people, they finally dared to open the door.
"Thank the Valkyries! I thought we'd be stuck here for a week, eating our own waste to survive," joked a bearded officer, adjusting his uniform before greeting Field with a smile. "Let me guess—you're a newly appointed knight? I'll be sure to report your deeds to Baron Bull."
"You're too kind. It was nothing, really," Field replied, tilting his head slightly as if trying to peer into the bastion. However, his curiosity was quickly blocked by two soldiers standing guard.
The bearded officer's entire squad of ten men was holed up inside the bastion.
"And where are your retainers?" The officer gave a cursory glance at Field's makeshift militia of slaves wielding farming tools. He didn't even bother to mask his disdain.
Field shrugged, a calm smirk returning to his face. "I'm not a knight. I'm Baron Field."
"Oh?" The bearded officer's expression shifted to something unreadable. "Baron Field—the one without even a single guard? I've heard your name before, back when you sent people to donate money here."
His face went through several expressions before settling on a sly smirk. He glanced at his men, giving them a subtle signal, and continued with a falsely polite tone, "Baron, I've heard you're a man of great kindness. Perhaps you could help us with something?"
That tone doesn't sound right.
Field raised an eyebrow, playing dumb. "Go on, I'm listening."
"Well, we got drunk and forgot to light the Miasma Lanterns, which let the gray mist flood the barracks. We lost control of the place, and that's... quite the issue. If Baron Bull finds out, he'll have us executed without a second thought."
And this is something I get to hear for free?
"So…" Field said, his lips curling into an amused smirk. "You're planning to defect to me?"
"Hahaha!" The soldiers burst into laughter, their grips tightening on their weapons. "No, we're planning to run. But first, we'll need a noble's entire fortune. And while we're at it, we'll kill you. That way, no one will know we were ever here."
"This is how you treat the man who saved you?" Field's tone turned sharp, his anger rising.
Though his original plan had been to recruit the survivors and locate supplies, he had no qualms about killing them if they refused to cooperate. However, being openly threatened like this was infuriating.
The bearded officer sneered dismissively. "If we had a Miasma Lantern, we'd have broken out already. You're nothing!"
Field chuckled softly.
"What are you laughing at?" The bearded officer raised his saber, his expression puzzled by Field's calm demeanor.
"Actually, I was planning to loot this place anyway. Now you've saved me the trouble—killing all of you means there won't be any witnesses." Field's smirk turned cold. "Ashina, take care of them."
Before the officer could react, a soldier beside him lunged with a dagger aimed straight at Field's chest.
In the blink of an eye, a ghostly blue shadow streaked past. The soldier's arm snapped off like a bug's leg, torn away with terrifying ease.
Clang!
The sound of the dagger hitting the ground broke the stunned silence. The soldier collapsed to the floor, clutching his stump as blood gushed out like a fountain. His screams pierced the air.
"My arm! My arm!"
The massive dragonwolf loomed behind Ashina, its heavily armored body filling the passage like an impenetrable wall. Its jagged scales glinted ominously, exuding an aura of unstoppable power.
"A monster!" the soldiers wailed, frozen with fear.
"What the hell?!" the bearded officer stammered, his bravado crumbling. "They said Field was a nobody—a useless waste of a noble! What is this?!"
His mind raced as he mentally cursed whoever had spread such lies, already envisioning flaying and dismembering the fool responsible.
"Ashina, cripple them all," Field said, licking his lips. The original was such a bleeding heart. But what does that have to do with me?
Turning to the slaves, he raised his voice. "Here's your chance to grow a spine! Kill one enemy, and you'll earn a silver coin!"