A Person on Terra, With No Books to Read

Many people present responded loudly, but Theresica couldn't hear clearly due to the large crowd and strong winds. However, judging by their enthusiastic shouts, they seemed to like the statement.

On the second night after their departure, they were attacked by Sarkaz. The knights of Kazimierz were not fools; they quickly adjusted their deployment, expanded the logistics detachment, altered their marching and rest rhythm, and notified the entire army to march in a combat state.

But this meant it would take 30 days to reach Kazdel.

Furthermore, this passive response didn't cause much trouble for the Sarkaz. Every Sarkaz unit operating independently in the desert was equipped with communication tools, allowing them to coordinate with each other.

Since Kazimierz expanded its logistics detachment, they also joined forces with several other units. The veteran knights were seasoned warriors, but the Sarkaz were no rookies either. Their experience in covert ambushes was as skilled as the Kazimierz knights' mastery of assault beasts.

They requested support from Arts casters. During the day, they quietly used Siphoner drones for continuous tracking and constant harassment, creating small-scale skirmishes that led the Kazimierz veteran knights to misjudge the surrounding Sarkaz forces.

Then, in the latter half of the night, when everyone was asleep, the veteran knights, who had been passively worn down by the Siphoner drones for over ten hours, became drowsy regardless of their personal strength. It was then that they finally let down their guard.

But at that very moment, a large number of magical attacks rained down on the Kazimierz camp. The veteran knights, scrambling to defend themselves, looked in terror at the Sarkaz soldiers charging at them.

Not only were they charging, but behind them, Sarkaz Arts casters were continuously launching crossfire attacks. The charging Sarkaz, treading through the smoke and dust of magical explosions, stormed into the camp. Behind them, Sarkaz archers unhesitatingly fired over their comrades.

This suicidal fighting style was completely beyond the knights' imagination. Even the Ursus penal miners from the mines weren't this insane!

On the desert shrouded in darkness, a transport convoy guarded by a thousand combat personnel was annihilated. When the main Kazimierz forces arrived, the supplies they were transporting had already been reduced to ashes by the Sarkaz. Food, medicine, arrows... all had turned into charcoal. Moreover, this time the Sarkaz did not 'cruelly' annihilate everyone; they 'mercifully' left quite a few survivors in the camp.

Amidst the soaring flames, the commander leading the rescue effort stared blankly at the scene before him. In front of him was a medical officer who was almost driven mad. Beside the medical officer lay over a hundred veteran knights, all of whom had had one hand and one foot severed, lying on the ground groaning helplessly.

Flames, blood, severed limbs, and groans – these elements, before the eyes of the Kazimierz knights, wove together a scene of hell.

PS: Please vote for me!!!

PS2: I have an exam tomorrow, so I can probably only manage one update.

Chapter 50: Clearing Out

Inside the transport ship of the Kazimierz expeditionary force, a routine meeting was underway. All the high-ranking veteran knights of the contingent were present, but the atmosphere was terrifyingly stiff.

They had suffered repeated blows recently, and their material losses were very severe. They had implemented various countermeasures but hadn't even caught a glimpse of the enemy, only knowing that Sarkaz were the attackers.

"Those disgusting demons! Don't they dare fight us head-on even once? They dart around like thieves!"

A veteran knight grumbled in frustration. The faces of his colleagues around him were also not good. The supplies for this expedition were all purchased and transported with their own money. Now, before they had even reached the battle location, a large batch had vanished into thin air! That was a lot of money!

"Lord Toke arrives!"

A servant's announcement caused everyone to straighten their postures and expressions. They watched as an old man in armor walked in, and all the veteran knights rose to salute him.

"What? Have you been fighting Ursus's main forces so much that your thinking has become rigid?"

The old man keenly caught the trace of unnaturalness remaining on everyone's faces. He calmly sat in his seat and signaled for a servant to enter. In his hand, he held plates of sliced fruit.

"Just delivered. Please, everyone try some. They're very fresh. Smelling the fragrance of the fruit can help one calm down."

He unhurriedly picked up a piece of fruit with a fork and tasted it carefully. Those around him could only accompany him in eating, but their actions involuntarily revealed a hint of urgency.

"If supplies are lost, they are lost. Even if we lost so much, we can still eat fresh fruit in this desert. Can those Sarkaz do that?" The old man chuckled as he spoke. "We are powerful. Why should we get agitated over a bite from an ant?"

"But Lord Toke, their constant harassment is greatly damaging to morale, and we also have to allocate extra personnel to care for the wounded."

A veteran knight said, "We have to find a way to change the current situation, otherwise, it's too suffocating!"

"Our supply lines are too long. No matter how much we strengthen them, under the targeted attacks of the Sarkaz, they are like leaky window screens, unable to block anything."

The old man's words stunned the knights, but he immediately added, "So I have already sent people to change our supply route to come through Leithanien. This way, our supply line will be greatly shortened, and we can dispatch knight orders for thorough protection."

The old man's smile remained on his face. Influenced by him, the veteran knights present slowly began to smile, and the atmosphere instantly returned to what it was when they first set out.

"We have numbers, strength, and our proud speed, yet we are caught in the Sarkaz's combat rhythm, causing these advantages to be unable to be fully utilized. We should drag the Sarkaz into our accustomed range."

The old man looked at everyone and stood up, saying, "It's been a while since the assault beasts have run, hasn't it? Let them get familiar with this desert first. Take out twenty thousand beast riders and use speed to drive all those Sarkaz running around in the desert into one place. I won't manage the specifics; you do it yourselves. Let the young lads vent properly."

"Yes, sir!"

The veteran knights responded in unison.

"Your Majesty, the Kazimierz people have made their response."

"Mm, I know."

Theresica finished reading the report from the Shapeshifter chieftain. Their move to change the supply point was indeed good; the supply line was more than halved! Moreover, the Kazimierz beast riders were now guarding the entire transport line tightly, not camping or resting on the road, but directly switching teams to continue transportation.

"In addition to what you see, we also have a Shapeshifter disguised as a medical officer who has infiltrated the Kazimierz contingent. He reported that many knights have recently received field trauma kits, and the assault beasts have also undergone a unified status check."

"Oh?" Theresica glanced at the location of the Kazimierz forces on the map and pondered for a moment. "They're planning a sweep, aren't they."

This was indeed troublesome. It would be difficult for the Sarkaz to threaten Kazimierz's supply lines again. While guerrilla units could carry out sneak attacks in the desert, they were no match for the impact of cavalry formations.

Should they order the troops to retreat to Kazdel, or continue to scatter in the desert, waiting for an opportunity to ambush again?

If they didn't retreat, they would face the cavalry's sweep. But if they retreated, Kazimierz would confidently advance unimpeded. Retreating in the desert basically meant retreating to Kazdel. How could two legs outrun four legs? This would easily lead to them being caught!

"We can only try to fight a battle," Theresica said with difficulty. Twenty thousand young adults might not be much for Kazimierz, but ten thousand combat-ready soldiers were extremely important resources for the Sarkaz.

"Order this batch of troops to depart, and also notify the Absolver to have the new experimental units join as well. It's a good time to test their effectiveness."

On the desert, Kazimierz Beastmasters, with their advantage in numbers and speed, tracked the Sarkaz forces day and night. Although the Sarkaz had many experienced scouts, they always managed to guide their troops through the gaps in the knights' pursuit.

However, their tracks couldn't be completely erased. The Kazimierz knights didn't charge in for a direct fight; instead, they continuously compressed the Sarkaz's space to operate.

At this point, friendly neighboring units would rush to their aid, trying to open a path and help their comrades escape. But against Kazimierz's trained shock beasts, these efforts were rather futile, often exposing more Sarkaz forces to the knights' sight.

"Long Rider Roman! After our efforts to drive them out these past few days, a considerable Sarkaz force should have gathered ahead of us."

"Good! That's excellent!"

Inside the night camp, upon hearing the results reported by his subordinate, Roman exclaimed excitedly. The frustration of being constantly ambushed by the Sarkaz at night was finally over!

In the end, two human legs couldn't outrun a beast!

"Long Rider Roman, should we try to eliminate this Sarkaz force?"

A subordinate suddenly stepped forward with a suggestion. "The pressure on our Arts users has been significant recently; they need to rest."

This was a countermeasure devised by Kazimierz to deal with the Sarkaz's night raids. They had Arts users with luminous Originium Arts illuminate the area around the camp throughout the night, preventing the Sarkaz from launching surprise attacks.

While this strategy kept the Sarkaz away at night, it severely strained Kazimierz's already limited number of Arts users. Their Originium density was manageable, but their bodies had recently become alarmingly weak. However, as Kazimierz lacked experienced Arts users, the exact cause of this phenomenon couldn't be determined yet.

After considering for a moment, he gave the order: "Have the surrounding units converge on me. Let's take down this batch of demons first!"

After making the necessary arrangements, Roman went outside the tent to check on the on-duty Arts users. He encouraged them, "Just hold on a little longer. Tomorrow, I'll directly eliminate the Sarkaz force in front of us, and then you'll be able to rest."

PS: Here it comes, please vote!

Chapter 51: Ghost in the Smoke

At dawn, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, the Kazimierz Vanguard Knights, dispatched to hunt the Sarkaz forces, were converging on Roman's position.

The adjutant called out softly from outside, and upon receiving Roman's permission, entered the tent.

"Long Rider Roman, all the Vanguard Knights who could make it have gathered here. We currently have 5,000 assembled. Our scouts have confirmed the Sarkaz's tracks; they are still within our pursuit vector, numbering around two thousand."

The adjutant drew a circle on the map, and Roman nodded with satisfaction.

The desert between Ursus and Leithanien was vast. While twenty thousand Beastmasters gathered together was a spectacular sight, once they charged out, they couldn't even see each other. To have 5,000 knights assembled in one night was already satisfying. As for the two thousand Sarkaz...

There were no terrain obstacles ahead to impede the shock beasts. The dense charge of the Beastmasters would trample the disgusting bodies of those demons.

Thinking of a glorious charge, Roman's mood improved. He glanced out the window and instructed the adjutant, "The sky is almost clear. Let the Arts users rest for a bit. The demons have many Arts users, and we might need their cover during the attack."

"Yes, sir!"

The adjutant turned and went to relay the order. The weary Kazimierz Arts users, who had worked hard all night, could finally get some rest. The area around the camp immediately became shrouded in a dim, murky hue. However, no one was worried about a Sarkaz attack anymore. This camp had no large quantities of supplies, only Vanguard Knights. If the Sarkaz charged in, it would be a welcome sight.

"Let's go, get some rest."

"Haven't closed my eyes all night."

The Kazimierz Arts users showed smiles of relief. They stretched their stiff limbs while receiving some warm food from their comrades to warm themselves.

The desert had extreme temperature differences between day and night, and the wind was strong. Standing there continuously casting Originium Arts was truly arduous.

Exchanging greetings with the knights who came to replace them, the Arts users walked towards the camp area. But from behind them, a few faint collision sounds were heard, as if something had fallen.

"What is this?"

Someone curiously picked up the object on the ground. It was a small, hard item. It suddenly sprang something out, and a puff of smoke rapidly sprayed outwards.

Not only in his hand, but there were many similar small, hard objects on the ground around him, also emitting puffs of smoke. The entire camp was immediately enveloped in thick smoke.

"What is this?"

"Where did it come from?!"

Many Vanguard Knights had just arrived and hadn't yet settled down for rest. The camp was in an uproar. Knights mounted on beasts had to dismount and hold their reins to prevent collisions, but then a powerful force struck from behind, knocking them to the ground.

BOOM—

BOOM—

Originium Arts landed consecutively within the camp, and the entire encampment erupted in chaos. They couldn't see anything. However, the Vanguard Knights were seasoned veterans and didn't panic. They chose to obey the commands of their higher-ranking Vanguard Knights on the spot. It was the frightened beasts, startled by the smoke, that ran amok, throwing the camp into utter disarray.

"Messenger! Messenger! Where are the messengers?!"

Roman shouted loudly, but all he saw was increasingly dense smoke. He couldn't distinguish anyone and could only keep shouting.

"Everyone, charge out of the smoke! Charge out!"

A patch of smoke covering the desert was a veritable target! The enemy Arts users didn't need precise aim; they could just blast away inside, while their own forces had no idea where the enemy was.

Perhaps a messenger heard him. The Vanguard Knights mounted their beasts and began to charge out of the camp area. But the smoke seemed endless, and at this moment, sandstorms suddenly kicked up, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

"This must be the demons' doing! Full speed ahead, charge out!"

A Vanguard Knight in charge of command shouted loudly, but an arrow, appearing from nowhere in the flying sand, instantly pierced his chest, bringing him crashing to the ground. The surrounding knights immediately raised their shields in the direction of the arrow's origin.

But the next second, two more knights fell to the ground, lifeless. The arrows that struck them had entered from their backs, causing the remaining knights to be greatly alarmed.

"We're surrounded?!"

"Impossible! How many of them are there!"

Another Vanguard Knight took over command. "Don't ride the beasts; the target is too big! Use the beasts as cover, and let's walk out!"

No sooner had one foot touched the ground than an arrow pierced his neck.

"Long Rider!"

The low-ranking knights quickly dismounted and went to check on the condition of the high-ranking knight, but a warhammer suddenly appeared in the sandstorm, striking the back of one knight's head.

[WHAM—]

His entire helmet was deformed, and blood gushed from the seams, sending a chill down the spines of the remaining knights. They looked around blankly, seeing nothing, and a sense of dread immediately crept into their hearts.

'Where is the enemy?!'

The Crusaders Knights began to frantically whip their mounts, wanting to leave the area as quickly as possible. But no matter which direction they charged, the smoke and sandstorm seemed endless. Dense arrows flew from all directions, and as they ran, more than half of the people beside them were gone.

"Damn demons! Come out and fight!"

The frustrated Crusader Knight yelled blindly into the sandstorm, and the next second, a warhammer smashed onto his spine from behind.

He lay on the ground, intense pain flooding his limbs. It was then that he finally saw a blurry shadow, but he could do nothing as the figure raised its warhammer.

[Squelch—]

As the mid-level knights, who possessed command ability and authority, fell one by one, the command structure of the Kazimierz forces finally collapsed. Without officers to maintain order, the entire unit immediately broke down.

The knights began to flee blindly, with no organization among themselves. The few remaining officers could not stop them and could only watch as they disappeared into the sandstorm.

The sun rose over the desert, and the Sarkaz sorcerers ceased their bombardment, but the screams of the Kazimierz knights still filled the sandstorm.

When morning arrived, the Sarkaz had vanished, and peace was restored to the area.

The sandstorm dissipated, revealing the corpses of Crusaders Knights everywhere. Some had been killed by spells, some had met a miserable end from being smashed by warhammers, and some had been trampled by their own mounts, but most had been shot down by Sarkaz arrows.

The knight who had come to deliver orders stared at the scene before him in disbelief. Standing blankly amidst the corpses, he subconsciously shouted.

"Is anyone alive?!"

"Is anyone alive!!!"