By the ti they left, Lance had also appeared to clean up the aftermath. If not for Alhazred, he would never have expected so many heretics outside the outpost.
But tonight, it would be good to let the old thing bleed a little...
The advantage the Sect of Ascension held over Hamlet's forces was their genuine, albeit mysterious, "god." A distinct connection existed among their followers.
When the Honor Guard shattered the stillness of the wilderness with chaos, leading to the swift deaths of many cultists, it quickly alard the Ascendant Saintess. She had been hiding, unwilling to give up.
Unlike the ordinary followers who underwent the Flesh Rite, she held a more exalted position and retained more of her humanity, as evidenced by her several escape attempts.
Although the last attack on the outpost was a massive failure, and much was lost, the god was still pleased and bestowed divine favor.
The higher-ups cared little for the sacrifices of their followers; they could always find more. Their sole purpose was to please the deities.
Consequently, she wasn't recalled. Instead, she remained, accumulating power for a counterattack.
Although divine favor had significantly enhanced her followers, she had grown far more cautious. Aside from constant harassnt, she refrained from any radical actions.
She knew it would be incredibly difficult for her forces alone to breach the high walls again. An opportunity like the last one was slipping further from their grasp.
Even so, the situation remained a stalemate: her forces couldn't breach the outpost, and Hamlet's soldiers couldn't find them.
But she never imagined that Hamlet would dare to attack them, and at night no less!
When the Saintess realized sothing was wrong, she displayed a peculiar reaction, involuntarily reaching up to touch her missing arm, almost as if she could still feel the phantom pain of that sword strike.
Those high-ranking heretics could even regrow their exploded heads. Yet, as a Saintess of the flesh cult who had also received divine favor, her arm remained conspicuously absent. This was enough to prove that it wasn't that she couldn't regenerate it, but rather that she chose not to.
But she had no ti for such thoughts now. The faint connections she felt were breaking frequently, signifying that more and more of her disciples were dying. The feedback reaching the Saintess grew alarmingly strong.
They wouldn't dare to co knocking on our door, would they?
Initially intending to act, the Saintess hesitated under the fierce onslaught. Then, she imdiately led the remaining heretics away from the outpost's vicinity, disappearing into a camouflaged cave...
As dawn broke, the soldiers stationed at the outpost had already finished breakfast early and started their duties.
Shifts changed, training resud, and patrols began their rounds.
The laborers, too, like nest-building ants, resud their daily toil.
Yet everyone sensed the previous night had been unusually quiet. Harassnt from heretics was common, but last night, there wasn't a single disturbance. So, unaccustod to the silence, found themselves unable to sleep.
They could only attribute this to the Lord's arrival; surely, not even the heretics would dare approach now.
The common folk's reasoning was just that simple. This held true until scouts patrolling the periter and checking traps suddenly discovered sothing.
A well-equipped squad erged from the wilderness.
The bloodstains on their armor and their weary state made it evident that the previous night's battle had been arduous. It was the exhaustion that follows a fierce fight.
Yet they showed no signs of disarray. Instead, their formation was orderly. Amidst the casual glances of others, they maintained vigilance, their bodies poised to engage in combat at a mont's notice.
The soldiers recognized them as the Lord's own Honor Guard, a unit only the truly strong could enter.
It could even be said that every soldier aspired to join their ranks, for it was the ultimate honor!
Now they knew why the heretics had been silent the night before...
Bathed in the envious and admiring gazes of the common people, the squad returned to the outpost. Two other similar squads also returned around the sa ti. Lance was outside, waiting for them.
"Well done! You haven't disappointed ." Lance's voice suddenly rose as he addressed them, "You have proven your loyalty and demonstrated that Hamlet will never yield to adversity!"
"You are worthy to stand here, upholding the na of the 'Heart of Steel'!"
"Firm as iron, my heart as steel!"
Upon hearing these words, the mbers of the Honor Guard reacted with fervent enthusiasm. They chanted their slogan in unison, having earned their Lord's approval.
This was the very first task assigned to them by the Lord since the establishnt of the Heart of Steel, and they had not failed his expectations.
They had completed their mission exceptionally well, eliminating their targets without suffering a single casualty.
This real-world combat test allowed them to completely break away from the standard military system, forging a new fighting style and distinct characteristics. Their teamwork had been honed, and their fighting spirit now shone like brilliantly unsheathed swords.
Since they were his Honor Guard, Lance spent extra ti with them in the ss hall, sharing a hearty al. For the occasion, a pig had even been slaughtered.
Lance himself had a sizable appetite, but it was modest compared to Barin's. Barin could devour five huge loaves of bread—each weighing about a pound and enough for a common person for an entire day. And this was with other ats, plus unlimited eggs and milk available.
Barin ate a great deal, yet his movents were understated and his manners impeccable. It was clear his mother had raised him well.
"You're a growing boy; you must eat your fill. There's more if you need it," Lance said, not minding in the least. He even clapped Barin cheerfully on the shoulder.
Hamlet, primarily an agricultural territory, wouldn't be strained by a few als. Besides, Barin was already this strong at fourteen. Who knew how intimidating his strength could beco once he was fully grown? Lance mused.
"Thank you, My Lord!"
For the first half of his life, Barin had rarely known a full stomach. Only in Hamlet did he discover what a blessing it was to be well-fed.
Lance made a round among his Honor Guard. Then, with Boudica and the others—now full and content—he left the outpost and headed into the depths of the wilderness.
Their destination—the Beast Lair!
This was a route very familiar to Lance and had just been cleared the night before. In theory, there should have been no issues.
But reality is often full of surprises. Unexpectedly, they still encountered trouble.
As the group moved through the wilderness, Amanda suddenly sensed sothing. She whipped her head to the side and warned sharply,
"Be careful!"
The mont her warning cry left her lips, a white liquid shot out from the treetops, instantly forming web-like filants as it t the air.
Amanda, having traded heavy armor for exceptional agility, was as nimble as a surging wave. She effortlessly twisted her body, dodging the spreading white liquid.
Before the liquid could fully expand, she smoothly drew a Flying Dagger and hurled it into the canopy.
The thud from the canopy wasn't the sound of a dagger striking wood, but sothing else entirely. An instant later, an object fell from above.
Only then did the group clearly see it: a large spider, a Flying Dagger embedded in its head. Its eight legs were curled up; it had been killed instantly.
"A Net-Casting Giant Spider." Lance found it strange. We just cleared this area last night. We haven't gone far; this area shouldn't have them. How could one be here?
"These spiders show no signs of corruption!" Alhazred remarked. Driven by curiosity, he approached to examine it. He even dabbed so fluid from the wound onto his tongue, tasting it and muttering to himself,
Hmm... another power... an Extraordinary Bloodline...
Listening to Alhazred's muttering, Lance recalled that the spiders had seed unaffected by the Witch's plague earlier. Initially, I thought it was because arthropods were immune, he pondered. Could these Giant Spiders also harbor so secret?
However, this wasn't the ti to investigate. Since there's no corruption, it ans this wasn't the work of the Ancient One, Lance concluded.
"Let's go. We still have quite a way to go to reach the entrance of the Beast Lair."
Such a minor incident wouldn't derail Lance's plans. The group quickly set off again.
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