One in the afternoon.
Field led the slave guards into the Gray Fog. It was hard to keep track of time inside it, since everything remained gray and hazy. Only at night did it turn so dark that they could not see their own hands. Ashina rode her giant wolf at the head of the column, clearing the way. A Chosen One's eyes seemed to have been altered, allowing her to see the world more clearly.
Behind her came Field and his newly formed slave guard unit, advancing slowly and with difficulty through woods filled with thorns and fleshy tentacles.
"According to the map, we'll soon reach Rum Village. It used to supply the city with plenty of vegetables."
"Unfortunately, all I can see now is corruption." Ashina shaded her eyes with a hand and strained to look into the distance. "Hmm, watch our front right. Seven Corpse Ghouls are approaching. I think they used to be villagers from Rum Village."
"Let the recruits get some practice."
Seeing how relaxed Ashina looked, Field knew the approaching Corpse Ghouls were weak trash, perfect for giving the recruits their first taste of blood.
The recruits gulped in unison. Instinct told them it was time to run, but their lord stood right behind them, so they dared not move.
Thinking of those smooth, delicious eggs, the guards felt as though their very souls had been uplifted. Many of the slaves had never eaten an egg in their lives until now. When they ate eggs at noon, quite a few had swallowed them eagerly without even taking time to chew, and several had choked on them. Even so, they had felt happy.
To enjoy that happiness, the slaves were willing to risk death.
"Raaagh!"
A woman resembling a Loulan Ancient Corpse charged out of the Gray Fog, stark naked. Her shriveled, disgusting breasts sagged down to her lower belly, and slime covered her entire body.
The experienced slave guards raised their halberds and thrust from all directions, pinning the Corpse Ghoul firmly in place.
"Come on, put a hole through her head, or stab her chest a few times. Keep your hands steady, and don't swing your body too much."
Wildcat freely shared his experience, then grabbed a recruit and dragged the weak-kneed fellow in front of the Corpse Ghoul.
The recruit raised his halberd several times but could not bring himself to thrust. The shrieking Corpse Ghoul even frightened him into wetting his pants.
"It's a d-devil," one recruit said through chattering teeth.
Field had watched plenty of zombie movies in his previous life, but the slaves had not. They believed devils lived inside Corpse Ghouls, and one careless move would bring a devil's curse upon them.
"Do it! Stop cowering like a coward!" Field barked. He could not let fear take hold among the soldiers, because fear was contagious. Soon, even more of them would see Corpse Ghouls as devils rather than creatures they could kill. "Even if it is a devil, I'm here, and so is a Chosen One! What the hell are you afraid of? We'll kill a devil just the same!"
Squelch!
After Field's scolding, the soldier finally thrust his halberd. His eyes were closed, and he nearly missed and stumbled straight into the Corpse Ghoul's arms, but at least he had taken that first step.
Once it was over, the recruit's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
"See? It wasn't hard, and there's no curse." Field pointed at the corpse on the ground and snapped his fingers cheerfully. "Keep the right distance, and they're easier to deal with than a dim-witted deer."
The other Corpse Ghouls closed in. With the first recruit's example to follow, the rest gathered their courage and attacked.
After easily disposing of that batch of monsters, Field led everyone onward, soon reaching the outskirts of Rum Village.
"What's wrong with these Corpse Ghouls?"
Field scratched his head in confusion as he watched the skull icons constantly trembling on the Mini-Map.
Were they dancing to "You're So Beautiful"?
"Um... my lord, I can clear out the Corpse Ghouls in Rum Village by myself. It's too dangerous up ahead. Just let me go." Ashina's gaze darted about, and a blush had crept onto her fair face.
Her strange behavior immediately piqued Field's curiosity. What exactly had Ashina seen?
"Let's go take a look together." Field rubbed his chin.
"Um, uh, all right," Ashina stammered.
When Field saw the outrageous scene before him, he immediately regretted his stubbornness.
A huge crowd of deformed Corpse Ghouls were playing at "making babies" in the fields outside the village! The scene was utter chaos.
Their "junk" had clearly rotted away, yet they still seemed to be going through the motions on instinct.
Field was so shocked that he could not speak. Covering his face, he thought, Did I actually transmigrate into a fucking porn game?
No wonder the female Corpse Ghoul from earlier had not been wearing any clothes.
The soldiers were amused as well, hooting and hollering until the oppressive atmosphere vanished completely.
Boom!
Ashina could not take it anymore and immediately ordered the Dragon-Breed Wolf to cleanse them with fire.
Space warped, and searing blue flames engulfed most of the twisted figures. The crackle of bursting bones rang out without pause, until they had all turned to ash.
Several Corpse Ghouls that retained only a vaguely human outline charged from the rear, shrieking.
Iron Hammer reacted immediately. His towering body leaned back slightly, like a drawn bow. Once a Corpse Ghoul came close, he knocked it flat with a shield bash, then mercilessly stomped on it. Its fragile chest caved in beneath his foot, and it immediately stopped moving.
The guards refused to fall behind. After all, these staggering Corpse Ghouls were walking silver coins.
Under a flurry of halberd thrusts, the unarmored Corpse Ghouls could do nothing but leave a trail of corpses.
"Let's fight our way into the village together. Make sure you stay within the Mist-Driving Lamp's range." Watching the battle made Field itch to join in. Unfortunately, he was carrying the all-important Mist-Driving Lamp, or he would have cut down a couple himself for the thrill of it.
Squelch! Squelch! One Corpse Ghoul after another fell into pools of blood.
The guards advanced steadily. Field could clearly hear their footsteps beginning to fall in unison, building into a rhythmic thunder. It was a natural drumbeat. As long as they kept the rhythm, everyone could feel the strength of the group. The recruits had hesitated at first, but swept up by the others, they soon joined the slaughter.
Before long, more than half the Corpse Ghouls in Rum Village had been killed. Rotting corpses lay everywhere, giving off a horrendous stench.
Field reached the center of the village, where a dilapidated well had now collapsed. He set the Mist-Driving Lamp there. Less than five minutes after he ordered everyone to rest, he noticed a vast cluster of red skull icons suddenly appearing on the Mini-Map.
"Watch out! There are more monsters here. No, there are a lot of them!" Field was about to order an immediate retreat, but the enemies were moving extremely fast, even faster than a horse at a trot.
"My lord, run! I saw..." The guard on lookout duty rushed over, but Field cut him off after only a few words.
Leaving Rum Village now would take them straight into the enemy. Their immediate priority was to find a position they could hold.
Before you continue