"In a little while, Unas and I will scout ahead. Sorry to leave the camp to you and Whitemane." Gordon got straight to the point, wasting no words.
Darian nodded and accepted the magic circle gem Gordon handed him. The gem could activate a small Holy Light Barrier and also served as the vanguard commander's token.
Clutching the square piece of white obsidian, Darian felt excitement surge through him. Leading an army into battle had always been his dream, and he had never expected Gordon to trust him so much.
Unas wolfed down the mixed-grain gruel in his bowl and mounted his big brown horse. As Darian watched them leave, he rode out of camp alongside Gordon.
After riding for about ten minutes, they drew closer and closer to their destination. Both slowed their horses and detoured onto a small rise, looking down at the little fishing village ahead.
The sun had not yet fully set, and visibility was good. The fishing village had naturally been built by the lake and appeared to have only twenty or thirty households. It was silent now, with no sign of anyone around.
Gordon said quietly, "The last time I came here, I saw figures in the village and thought they were survivors. Only after entering did I discover that the villagers had long since become the Dreadlord's slaves. We were immediately surrounded, and after we finally managed to break out, Bessarius suddenly appeared. I was careless for a moment, and he hit me with Heart-Rending."
He did not mention Qiao and Jella, but Unas could guess that the two had probably been surrounded and killed then.
"From what you're saying, it was a trap." Something else struck Unas as odd. "Couldn't you tell Undead from humans?"
"The villagers hadn't been turned into Undead," Gordon explained. "Most Dreadlords are well versed in mental magic and can control the living."
Unas nodded and pointed at the empty village. "Then what's going on now? If it's a trap, where did all the bait go?"
"Come on, let's take a look." Gordon squeezed his horse's flanks and headed toward the village.
"Aren't you afraid it's another ambush?" Unas hurried after him.
"Look at the lakeshore. The fishing boats are all gone. I don't think there are any enemies left in the village."
Unas looked in the direction Gordon pointed. Sure enough, the shore was deserted, just as Gordon had said. But to be safe, he activated Sense Undead and watched the small minimap covering a hundred-meter radius as he and Gordon headed toward the fishing village, one behind the other.
They rode around the village twice without finding anything unusual, and no red dots representing Undead appeared on the minimap.
They dismounted and carefully entered the houses, searching them one by one. They found no one, but judging by the half-wet fishing gear and the fresh ashes in the kitchens, the controlled fishermen were still going about their daily fishing and playing the part of bait.
In one kitchen, they even found a pot of fish soup that had gone cold, though neither dared eat anything they found. Gordon tested the soup's temperature with his hand and guessed, "They probably left this afternoon."
"Almost at the same time the vanguard reached the lake. Could they have known we were coming?"
"We weren't exactly hiding our movements, so it's only natural we were spotted." Gordon sneered. "But with the Gryphon Riders around, they can't escape. As long as we follow them, we'll definitely catch Bessarius."
"Let's hope so."
"Let's check the surrounding area, then head back to camp."
"Then what about this fish soup?"
"If you want it, go ahead. You're favored by the Holy Light, so you might be fine if you drink it." Gordon looked perfectly serious, not at all as if he were joking, leaving Unas speechless.
To be safe, the two began scouting the woods around the village, but even by the time the twin moons rose, they had found nothing. The moonlight was still dim, and they could not see much, so they had no choice but to return to camp.
The terrain by the lake was quite flat. After they had ridden for a while, a tiny golden light appeared in the direction of camp. Unas looked at Gordon questioningly. Gordon's eyesight was naturally better than that of a shut-in like him who spent every day in front of a computer.
"Darian activated the barrier. Something must have happened at camp." Gordon abruptly urged his horse faster.
Unas squeezed his horse's flanks and raised his whip, racing after him.
From several hundred meters away, they could clearly see a hemispherical dome of light covering the distant camp. It glowed gold, standing out vividly against the night.
By the light of the dome, they could see the camp surrounded by canines of all colors, while enormous dark red bats flew overhead. The Holy Light Barrier had temporarily frightened the dark creatures back, keeping them from attacking.
The two exchanged a glance, reined in their horses, and took cover behind a hillside.
"No wonder we didn't run into any of these beasts on the way. Someone gathered them all here." Gordon frowned. Scourge Hounds and Night Bats were monsters that had mutated from ordinary animals contaminated by the plague, and they were common in Tirisfal Glades.
"What do we do now?"
"The barrier gem only has enough energy to last a little over an hour. We have to deal with the enemy before then."
"There are a few too many of the 'enemy.'" Unas was a little worried, though on the bright side, that also meant heaps of experience.
"So, just like last time, we need to find whoever's controlling these dark creatures first..."
Before Gordon could finish, the enemy leader lost patience and made its appearance. A green demon nearly two meters tall emerged from the darkness. The huge pair of bat wings spread behind it beat gently, keeping it suspended half a meter above the ground.
"Is that Bessarius?" Unas asked.
"No. Bessarius is taller, and he isn't green." Gordon tightened his grip on the reins. "That should be a Dreadguard, a subspecies of the Dreadlord race."
The Dreadguard raised the long whip in its hand, and a distant crack rang out. The yelp of a Scourge Hound beneath it sounded the call to attack, and the dark creatures charged the camp.
The Holy Light Barrier could resist some dark magic, and dark creatures such as Undead and demons would also be weakened inside it. Darian ordered the soldiers into a defensive formation. The camp had been built beside the lake, so they only had to defend against attacks from one side and could hold for the time being.
With the target showing itself, Gordon had already drawn his greatsword and charged the Dreadguard without hesitation. Unas hurriedly cast buffs on both of them, activated his seal and aura, and took a silver hammer from his spatial bag. The warm Holy Power within him gave him courage and strength. He lashed his horse and charged after Gordon at full speed toward the Dreadguard.
They crossed the hundreds of meters in an instant. The Dreadguard spotted them and waved its claw, sending several Scourge Hounds charging at them. The little stinking dogs could not stop the warhorses at full gallop. With several yelps that would have brought tears to any dog lover's eyes, the terrifying-looking dogs were sent flying.
The two slowed down, and Gordon swung his greatsword, which burned with golden-red flames, roasting several large bats that swooped down from the air. The Dreadguard was now right in front of them.
The demon sent no more cannon fodder to their deaths. It let out a meaningless roar, and a dark red longsword covered in intricate magic runes appeared in its right claw.
"Firekiss!" Gordon cried out in alarm. His family's treasured sword, lost on their previous encounter, had appeared before him again. He squeezed his horse's flanks hard once more, wishing he could fly to the enemy and snatch the sword back.
The Dreadguard stopped roaring, and a burst of green flame shot from Firekiss. Charging at full speed, Gordon had no way to dodge. In that critical moment, he instinctively hurled the flaming greatsword in his hand forward like a javelin.
Now Unas understood how he had managed to lose his family's treasured sword.
With the horse's speed added to the force of the throw, the "flaming sword" flew faster than the demon's spell. The two masses of flame collided violently in midair.
With a thunderous boom, the earth itself trembled, and red and green fiery rain scattered in all directions.
The entire battlefield fell silent. Everyone's ears were ringing. Unas, who had been farther behind, was not caught in the blast, though the ringing in his ears was uncomfortable.
Gordon was not so lucky. He had been less than fifty meters from the Dreadguard, and the two fireballs had collided almost directly in front of him.
When the smoke from the explosion cleared, Gordon lay motionless on the ground, his fate unknown. Black Wind also seemed to be injured, kneeling with his legs bent beneath him.
Unas's heart tightened, and he wanted to hurry over and check on him. But the big brown horse beneath him had been frightened, and no matter how he whipped it, it refused to take another step. He had no choice but to dismount and run over.
He reached Gordon and threw a Holy Light on him. Gordon's condition did not look as bad as he had imagined; he had only been knocked unconscious for a moment by the blast.
"I'm fine." Gordon pushed himself up with both hands and sat on his knees, pointing ahead. "It's the one in trouble!"
The demon ahead no longer looked as ferocious as before. It had fallen into a sitting position, a greatsword piercing its shoulder and bat wing. Its entire right shoulder had nearly been sliced open, and green blood spattered its whole body.
The greatsword Gordon had thrown had actually pierced the enemy's fireball and severely wounded the demon in an instant!
"Quick, kill it! Don't let him escape." Gordon could not get up for the moment and seemed to have a slight concussion.
Unas was secretly delighted. Chances to land a finishing blow like this didn't come often. Experience, here I come.
A vicious light flickered in the Dreadguard's eyes as it watched the human charge at it. It would not sit there waiting to die. It roared, and several Scourge Hounds raced over from a distance.
Four dark red Scourge Hounds surrounded Unas at once, plunging him into a hard fight. The dogs nimbly jumped back and forth, too slippery to pin down, and several successive swings of his hammer missed entirely.
He knew his own limitations. He had never learned how to fight with a hammer, and he had little combat experience. He could not compare to nobles like Gordon and Darian, who had received military training since childhood.
Fortunately, the Paladin class did not require much combat skill either. Crushing enemies with high constitution, high strength, and heavy armor was the way to go.
Simple and brutal, trading injury for injury—that was the only way he could fight.
"Kill!" Unas roared to bolster his courage. Ignoring the vicious dogs, he charged the Dreadguard. The demon seemed to be casting a spell to heal its injuries.
Several Scourge Hounds lunged at him. Two bit down on his lower legs, one on each, while another clamped onto the handle of the silver hammer he held in front of his chest. These mutated creatures had astonishing bite strength, and their fangs nearly pierced the armor on his greaves.
You can't get away now, can you?
Holy Power surged rapidly through his body, and the runes on the silver hammer glowed gold. Like a golfer taking a swing, he swept the enormous silver hammer down at his feet.
Two hits in one blow. Both vicious dogs yelped as the hammer sent them flying three or four meters, and the one biting the handle was flung away as well. At the same time, two points of golden light flew over and entered Unas's body.
He gasped for breath. That strike had used up almost all his strength.
"Your courage is commendable, but your fighting skills are worse than a farmer's." Gordon's voice suddenly came from behind him.
That bastard still can't resist mocking a comrade at a time like this. No wonder he's so unpopular!