The tremendous crash of the wooden door being kicked open carried far through the Gray Fog, instantly shattering the deathly silence along the city wall. The rotting corpses nearby let out eerie wails. Seeing the skull markers rapidly converging on his Mini-Map and hearing the faint roars around him, Field couldn't help breaking into a nervous sweat.
Before the rotting corpse inside could attack, Ashina swung her long saber at its neck. A jet of blood sprayed across the wall, filling the room with a flash of blackish-purple gore.
Another rotting corpse immediately lunged at her, its cheeks splitting open all the way to its ears. One bite from that thing would tear away a huge chunk of flesh.
But Ashina merely sidestepped it with effortless ease, reversing her saber at the same time.
Driven by her terrifying strength, the blade sent half the corpse's head flying. Filthy blood gushed from the wound, soon pooling on the floor.
"Roar!"
At the sounds of fighting, a swarm of corrupted soldiers suddenly poured out of the passage, their disgusting eyes rolled white as they crowded forward to attack.
The slaves kept brandishing their farming tools, but none dared step forward.
The monsters were frightening enough on their own, and they were wearing heavy armor to boot.
"Fuck, just how many people were infected?" Field cursed under his breath.
"Flames!"
Ashina released her Dragon-Breed Wolf, whose enormous body nearly blocked the entire passage.
Glittering motes of magical energy rapidly gathered, rushing in like a river of stars. The Dragon-Breed Wolf opened its jaws and spewed a great mass of ghostly blue fire. The rotting corpses in the passage were instantly engulfed, leaving only a few writhing silhouettes visible.
"What terrifying power."
The slaves had still been torn between fleeing and fighting, yet the sudden battle ended in the blink of an eye. A few had glimpsed the figures being swallowed by fire; the rest could only stare blankly at the ashes on the ground.
"So this is the power of a Chosen One? Too bad the loot burned up too." Field's confidence swelled. It was time to be bolder. "Everyone, make as much noise as you can. Draw the nearby rotting corpses over so we can wipe them out."
At Field's order, the slaves cooperated by banging and smashing things, letting Ashina and her Dragonblood Wolf destroy the gathering hordes.
Before long, Field had cleared out all the monsters around the barracks, gaining a deeper understanding of Chosen Ones in the process.
"Now, look for anything valuable." Field revealed his true intentions with a greedy smile. "Especially weapons, armor, and gold coins."
He had only just sent the slaves out when one came running back, shouting excitedly.
"My lord, we've found survivors!"
"Huh?" Field showed no delight. Instead, he looked around with a complicated expression.
"Ashina, recall your wolf. Now isn't the time to reveal our strength."
Without enough time to build up his power, revealing that he had a Chosen One would only get him killed.
His stepmother would certainly send someone to assassinate him, then give Ashina a new master.
Letting the slaves see wasn't a big problem. They were always under his watch, and he could send them all to their graves with a single thought.
The survivors might know where the important supplies are, Field considered.
The survivors had hidden in a bunker built into the city wall. They had splashed Purification Potion over the entrance, allowing it to hold back the Gray Fog for a little while. Only after hearing living people speak had they dared open the door.
"Thank the Valkyrie. I thought we'd be stuck in there for a week. By then, we'd have had to eat each other's shit to survive." The bearded officer cracked a disgusting joke, straightened his uniform, and smiled at Field. "Uh, 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 hardly any trouble."
Field tilted his head, trying to see what was inside the bunker, but two soldiers blocked his view.
All ten soldiers under the bearded officer's command were inside the bunker.
"Where are your retainers?" The officer glanced over Field's slave soldiers. He thought nothing of these fellows carrying farming tools.
Field shrugged. "I'm not a knight. I'm Baron Field."
"Oh? Baron Field? The fellow who doesn't have a single guard? Your people mentioned your name when you sent them to make a donation before." The bearded man's expression grew increasingly strange. After his face shifted several times, he signaled his men with his eyes and said with a half-smile, "My lord, I've long heard of your kind heart. I wonder if you could do us a favor."
That tone doesn't sound right.
The original owner of his body really had been kind. Field raised an eyebrow and played dumb. "Let's hear it."
"We got drunk and forgot to light the Mist-Driving Lamp, allowing the Gray Fog to pour into the barracks. That's how we lost control of the place, and it's no small problem. Baron Bull is utterly ruthless. He'll definitely have us executed."
Am I seriously supposed to hear this shit and walk away alive?
"So..." Field gave them an amused look. "You want to join me?"
"Ha ha ha!" The soldiers roared with laughter, tightening their grips on their weapons. "We're making a run for it! But we'll need a noble's entire savings. Besides, if we kill you, no one will know we're here for a while."
"Is this how you treat the man who saved you?"
Field was furious. His original plan had been to recruit the survivors and find the supplies. If they refused to cooperate, he wouldn't have minded cutting them all down, but having them provoke him first was still infuriating.
The bearded man didn't care. "If we had a Mist-Driving Lamp, we'd have fought our way out ages ago. You ain't shit!"
Field burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" The bearded man raised his saber, puzzled by Field's calm expression.
"Actually, I was planning to loot this place anyway. This works out perfectly. If I kill you all, there won't be any witnesses. Ashina, do it!"
The soldier beside the bearded man immediately sprang forward, clutching his short blade and thrusting it at Field.
In a flash, a ghostly blue figure swept past. The soldier's arm was torn off without the slightest resistance, like a grasshopper's leg being yanked free.
Clang!
The air seemed to freeze. Only when the short blade hit the ground did the terrified soldier collapse, clutching his severed arm as blood gushed like a fountain and letting out an agonized howl.
"My arm! My arm!"
The ghostly blue giant wolf filled the entire passage. Its body, densely covered in armored plates, was as imposing as a tank.
"A monster!" The soldiers were scared pissless by the monster's sudden appearance.
"What the hell? Didn't they say Baron Field had no backing at all and was a complete good-for-nothing?" The bearded officer was dumbstruck. Right then, he wanted nothing more than to seize whoever had spread that rumor, skin them alive, and tear their bones apart.
"Ashina, cripple them all." Field licked his lips. The original owner had been a good man, but what did that have to do with him? "Slaves, here's your chance to build some courage! One silver coin for every man you kill."
Before you continue