Chapter 12 In the Haze (2)

The bat-woman's wings flapped, causing the two lumps of rotting flesh on her chest to sway grotesquely. There was no beauty in it—only pure disgust.

With a single dive, she snatched up a female slave. The poor demi-human struggled and screamed, but there was no hope of saving her. In moments, the slave was torn in half by the bat-woman, her blood raining down and eliciting gasps of horror. The bat-woman let out a mocking, cackling laugh.

"Shoot that ugly bitch down!" Field roared in fury.

Without needing further instruction, the enraged archers immediately raised their crossbows. A flurry of bolts and arrows rained down, catching the bat-woman off guard. She hadn't expected the humans to have ranged weapons and paid the price, taking three or four arrows before crashing to the ground like a ragdoll.

"That ugly thing dared to attack my people! Every life here was bought with my money!"

Field, seething with anger, grabbed a halberd from the wagon. Abandoning any pretense of noble decorum, he swung it in a full arc, smashing the bat-woman's head into a pulp.

However, in the chaos of killing the bat-woman, the flank was left exposed. Without the crossbow fire to hold them back, a large group of corrupted corpses surged forward.

"Everyone, move aside!"

Aishna immediately channeled her power. The black scales on the dragon-wolf's neck began to sizzle and smoke as terrifying energy gathered, distorting the very air around it.

"Boom!"

A torrent of ghostly blue flames erupted from the wolf's mouth, the heatwave surging like a bursting dam. The blue flames engulfed a large area in front of Field, consuming the twisted figures within moments. Field even felt like the surrounding gray mist had thinned slightly.

"So hot!" The guards, clad in armor, were close enough to feel the searing heat, their armor turning into makeshift frying pans. They grimaced and cried out in pain. The corrupted blood of the corpses was also baked dry, sticking to their armor.

Aishna stuck out her tongue. "Sorry."

The continuous flames wiped out large swathes of the corrupted corpses, leaving the remaining ones no longer a threat. The group successfully held off the first wave of the undead.

Three slaves and one slave soldier had died, but it was an acceptable loss.

"Rest here for half an hour. The women, go retrieve the arrows."

Field took a water flask from the butler and gulped down several mouthfuls. The cold water stung his throat, bringing him back to reality.

"Thanks to you, Aishna," Field said, reaching out to ruffle Aishna's hair. She blushed, her wolf tail wagging like a propeller, as if she might take off at any moment.

Aishna shook her head, pretending to be modest. "It's what I should do."

But in her mind, she was thinking: *Keep praising me, don't stop!*

No wonder the Northern Frontier Province was called the Cursed Lands. If the original owner had come here—no, if I hadn't had Aishna's help—I probably wouldn't have lasted long either.

Field felt a pang of fear but quickly shook off the negative emotions. He noticed new markers moving toward his position—a cluster of red exclamation points.

"These markers... are they more monsters? No, their formation is too orderly, and there are exactly 19 of them." Field frowned, thinking for a moment before calling Aishna over. He pointed ahead and said, "Go into the mist and set up an ambush. Be ready to adapt to the situation."

---

Captain Connor and his cavalry were also advancing through the gray mist.

"This fog-dispelling lamp looks like it's about to go out. Damn it, why is that idiot baron's lamp so big, while ours is so small? The second lady is too stingy. She wants the donkey to work but won't give it a carrot."

"Shut up, you fool! Watch your loud mouth, or you'll attract the corrupted corpses!" someone nervously scolded him.

"I feel like something's moving behind us," a sharp-eyed cavalryman said, gripping his lance uneasily. "We should have killed Baron Field before entering the Northern Frontier Province, not now."

Connor sighed. "You think I don't want to? But openly killing a noble would be enough to get us all hanged."

This was also why they had bid farewell to Field earlier and then circled back—to establish an alibi.

Soon, Connor's cavalry found Field's trail. The fresh blood and corpses on the ground were the best guide.

The tracks of over two hundred people were impossible to hide.

"Brothers, prioritize killing Field first. Then charge through the slaves and steal their fog-dispelling lamps. The gray mist will kill everyone soon enough."

Connor's plan was perfect.

After forming up their lances for a charge, the cavalry began to trot forward.

"I can already imagine Field begging for mercy in terror!" Connor licked his lips, laughing arrogantly.

However, when he saw Field, his smile froze.

A fully armored guard of thirty men stood in a defensive formation, shields raised and halberds at the ready. The gleaming halberds and the blood and guts of corrupted corpses on their armor made it clear they were not to be trifled with.

Field, meanwhile, was behind the wagon barricade, with two rows of crossbowmen ready to fire at Connor's cavalry. Even without professional training, crossbows were deadly—even a three-year-old could fire one and pierce an adult's body.

"Damn it! We've been spotted." Connor was dumbfounded, feeling like a clown.

"How is this possible? Field was supposed to be a coward with no foundation. Where did he get this guard?"

The cavalry stirred uneasily. Without the element of surprise, their attack was a joke.

Charging heavy armored halberdiers in formation with horses? Or crashing into that damned wagon barricade?

"Retreat!"

Connor yanked the reins, and his horse whinnied, turning sharply.

"Roar!"

A massive black wolf, over two meters tall and as burly as a bear, appeared behind the horses, startling Connor's mount and causing it to stumble.

Connor was thrown from his horse, his courage shattered.

"Damn it!"

Before he could retrieve his weapon, a spear was pressed against his throat. A stunningly beautiful wolf demi-human stared at him with a half-smile. Connor knew that any movement would mean certain death.

To make matters worse, his fog-dispelling lamp had been taken.

"This... this is the slave Field bought!"

Connor immediately remembered the slave Field had insisted on purchasing.

Without a fog-dispelling lamp, yet able to move freely through the gray mist.

Everyone was stunned. By the goddess, what kind of cursed luck had brought them face-to-face with a Chosen One?

Who could have guessed that Field would have a Chosen One? If they had known, they wouldn't have come even for ten thousand gold coins.

"Oh, Captain Connor, what are you doing here? You scared me," Field said, not ordering their immediate execution. His eyes gleamed with cunning as he spoke in a casual tone, as if greeting an old friend. "Are you worried I won't arrive on time? Don't worry, expanding the family's territory is a noble's duty."

"Uh..." Connor was at a loss for words, his mind blank in the face of death.