Chapter 261: You Are Like Sand (2)

What were those horses? There was absolutely no way so many identical horses could exist! This had to be a hallucination or something else. They approached, emanating a slimy, sticky aura. A slick, vile malice, along with sadism that slithered from deep, dark depths. I had felt this kind of thing before.

A damp, crimson phrase echoed in my mind.

You... have... arrived... benefactor...

It overlapped with the image of the larva that devoured Baron Chandler of Grassmere and replicated his face. Still, there could only be one Miyu. Could they really replicate it that many times from a single corpse?

What about the thirty knights? A terrible premonition struck me. It sounded absurd, but I couldn't think of any other explanation. Fleeing immediately would probably be for the best, but I hesitated.

When could the imperial capital ever be this empty again? Embermere, the Free Confederation, and Isaac had cleared away the obstacles. Whether this would end in tragedy or comedy, the curtain had to be lifted.

Thudak! Thudak!

I steered my horse to the outskirts. Anyone with common sense would know that being surrounded was a disadvantage. Isaac's tactical knowledge also gave me a more three-dimensional view of this 1-to-30 battle.

Neo fidelity's golden rule of isolated strikes taught me that combat power only mattered at the moment of collision. Mobility was key to forcing 1-on-1 confrontations. I targeted a rider on the far right flank, whose posture was loose and unbalanced.

If the one atop that horse is really who I thought...

Force Shield.

I deployed the Force Shield at an angle—not in front, but on the ground.

"

Neigh!

"

The imperial cavalry commander's horse—Oscar—stomped forward once again, as if declaring its return to the battlefield. Instead of earth, its hooves struck the air, yet not a single dust particle rose. Undeniable speed. Rare-grade horsemanship. Specialization in Taming. The skeletal steed's loyalty had also spiked thanks to my earlier spear demonstration.

[Wind Blast Lv. 5...]

[Dual Casting...]

[Wind Blast Lv. 5...]

[Stack Amplification Lv. 2 Applied!]

Lastly, the tower masters' skills. Wielding the sword like a staff, I fused Sword Energy and wind into a concentrated strike. If the horserider was truly whom I feared, then even survival would be too much to hope for.

This strike would decide everything. Was it desperation? The use of new skills? Beginner's luck? Or simply the responsibility I felt toward the skeletal steed I'd summoned to fight beside me? Whatever the reason, it let me focus with unusual intensity.

The merged wind rode the edge of the master-crafted dwarven sword. The blade's tip pierced forward in a focused thrust. The sword swung.

Swish!

The sound of friction wasn't loud. A clean, flawless cut—something that would only happen once in a lifetime. The wind blew as though it had always been destined to move that way, and the strike itself was razor-sharp.

Naturally, the Sword Energy extended beyond the blade, carried by the wind. It was the most perfect strike I had ever delivered. Even the royal shadow guards, who called themselves ghosts, would've been beheaded instantly. That was how confident I was.

[You have landed a perfect strike.]

[You harmonized magic and swordsmanship.]

[Harmony level - Over 97%.]

[New trait acquired: Skill Combination!]

[You can now intuitively conceive of combinations between different types of skills.]

[Level - 1]

The moment that trait surfaced...

Crack!

The Sword Energy hit its mark. The strike failed to take the opponent's head, shattering only the visor that barely shielded the eye sockets. When I saw their face, I immediately understood the purpose of the helmet.

"I'm... not... ready... yet..."

The face was incomplete. Swollen and sticky, morphing constantly. I stared at it blankly.

"I'm... not... ready... yet..." muttered the man, as if talking to himself.

Green slime oozed between his parted lips, and the red tongue flickered like a candle flame from within. His mouth closed. White, waxy tears dripped from his eyes. Perhaps remnants of his will, grieving the wretched state he had fallen into.

Commander of the Blue Lion Knights. The man who had driven me to death twice. Marquis Leandro von Batyenne. The worst-case scenario had come true. Even if I hadn't intervened in Gith-Za-Rai's emperor assassination plan, Leandro was destined to die. Still, I never imagined he'd end up like this, transformed into a larva.

"I'm... not... ready... yet..."

Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink.

Perhaps revealing one identity rendered hiding the others pointless, thirty Leandros removed their helmets and hung them on Miyus' saddles. Or maybe, they deemed it was more important to strike fear into their opponent.

With each helmet removed, the despair and grotesqueness intensified. Thirty mutated versions of Marquis Leandro von Batyenne stared at me, each part of them twitching and morphing. The scene tore my sense of reality to shreds.

"..."

I had to gauge their skill. The first strike had only cut through the helmet. The real Leandro would've dodged or deflected it with ease, hence they were clearly inferior copies, but...

Thudak! Thudak! Thudak!

While I hesitated, the thirty riders began pursuit. No matter how weak they were individually, being surrounded would be fatal. I turned my horse immediately.

Thudak! Thudak!

To my shock, the steed I'd chosen from thousands was only slightly slower. Shouldn't the horses be inferior copies as well? It seemed his treasured steed wasn't just any horse. Still, now wasn't the time to be amazed. I had to focus on my own horse. If the rider didn't believe their steed was the best, the horse wouldn't give its all.

"Force Shield."

I had no idea how long this fight would last.

"

Neighhhh!

"

The hooves struck the air once again. Among all imperial cavalry horses, this was one of the finest.

"

Neighhhh!

"

Oscar's skeletal steed let out another tense cry.

[Successful communion in progress...]

[The skeletal steed senses danger.]

[It has been strongly provoked by the speed of the surrounding horses!]

[Trait unlocked: Competitive Spirit]

[When it spots a faster horse, its speed increases by 10% until the target leaves its line of sight!]

How impressive. As expected of a rare-grade steed. Fortunately, we were now moving at the same speed. I was probably even a little faster.

Clop! Clop!

I fell back, circling the outskirts to target a straggler. Charging in with a short sword against a thirty-man unit wasn't feasible. Actually, I doubted I could win against them in a one-on-one. No amount of resolve or guts would change that.

Still, there was a reason I'd absorbed the power of countless mages and two tower masters. I aimed my blade at the one who seemed the most exposed. Of course, the distance was still over thirty meters.

[Lightning Wave Lv. 5...]

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

[Double Casting...]

[Lightning Wave Lv. 5...]

Crack! Crackle!

Amplified by stacking, the lightning bolts burst through the dry air. The Tower Master of Lightning's skill was no joke. The yellow whip lashed out with paralysis, chaining, and mana disruption effects.

Boom!

However, it bounced right off the slug-like marquis' blue aura. There was no mistaking it. That was Leandro Marquis's aura armor—the same one he'd used inside the Kraken's belly.

Although its hue was fainter, it still enveloped him completely, a testament to its high grade. The skill I couldn't absorb even with Essence Absorption was now vividly replicated in a mere copy among the thirty.

"..."

So, even a clone of a royal larva could mimic power to this extent? But this wasn't the time to be stunned. I urged my horse forward, weaving through the enemies who were quick to surround me the moment I hesitated.

Clop! Clop!

The sun began to set. My chase with the thirty clones carried on, eventually leading us to a site of mass self-mutilation. Bodies writhing in reaction to white powder. Corpses were tangled together, their innards spilled open. Signs of them clawing their own flesh open, as if trying to extract pain from within, were evident.

Many had been trampled by steel hooves, their bones crushed and organs ruptured. Even the once rhythmic clatter of hooves had taken on an eerie, squelching quality. Thankfully, no flies swarmed the corpses, and no decay had set in. The cool air contrasted with the crimson dusk. A brief reprieve from rot.

I turned around. If they truly had access to the aura armor, there was no winning at this rate. Since I couldn't take them all at once, I had to split their mobility. Thus, I switched target.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Two icy gusts cut through the air, freezing solid the bodies within a ten-meter radius. I narrowed the Frost Storm's radius and sharpened the gusts into blades. It was my most frequently used attack spell, one I was confident and practiced in. The target: a single horse.

Bang!

Suddenly, two clones surged toward the dark steed, slashing the spell apart with blades infused with sword energy. The black horse didn't take a single scratch. The frozen corpses shattered beneath its hooves like glass.

Attack the rider, and their aura armor blocks it. Attack the horse, and the clones rush to its defense.

"

Neigh!

"

Perhaps out of anger from the attempted attack, they didn't stop at one. Ten of the dark horses snorted heavily, their eyes glowing crimson.

Thud!

One kicked a frozen corpse shard with its front leg, sending it flying like an arrow. Even as it lashed out like that, it didn't falter in its gallop. All I'd done was provoke them. Their jet-black manes bristled as their pace quickened.

Clop... Clop...

I hadn't sensed a single one, and now I was surrounded by ten.

I'm screwed.

There was nothing I could do. The ten quickly became twenty, then thirty. I had no choice but to gradually slow down, matching the tightening encirclement. All thirty-one horses came to a halt.

Not a single sound. Even the air held its breath, as if reflecting the skill of their riders. Though their eyes were still squishy and unfocused, they all stared at me.