Chapter 704 - 693: Sing Praises Aloud!
Chapter 704: Chapter 693: Sing Praises Aloud!
Cold Bay Castle, half a day before its fall.
Having received early news of the impending attack from the Fungus Castle vanguard army, the lord inside did not hesitate at all. Orders for battle preparations were passed down one after another, making the entire castle seem like a giant beast newly awakened, slowly tensing every muscle.
The defense magic array on the city walls operated at full capacity, with light blue patterns flowing across the brick surface, lighting up nodes every several dozen steps.
Soldiers crowded behind the battlements, tightening and relaxing their grip on their weapons repeatedly.
Even Gray and Ke, who previously were responsible for inspections, were no exception, having been enlisted into the overseer teams by the nobles.
While patrolling with the overseer team, Gray noticed something.
The walls were lined with soldiers, but their positions were carefully arranged.
Most of the parasitized were placed at the forefront, where it was easiest to confront the enemy.
While those with clean faces with no mycelium stood behind them.
Gray furrowed his brow.
The city lord’s intentions were clear, to first expend those "unstable factors."
Whether or not the parasitized had betrayed, so long as they carried those things, they were potential threats.
Instead of waiting for them to cause problems at critical moments, better to place them in the front now.
Honestly, Gray felt somewhat indignant.
Defeat was not the fault of these people.
They too were victims of the incident, yet upon returning, they had to endure all kinds of unfair treatment.
Discrimination, suspicion, being assigned to the most dangerous positions.
But he also knew that many traitors did indeed emerge from the parasitized.
Those who secretly brought Puki into the city, those who secretly spread spores.
They’ve been cleaned out, yet the shadow remains, not so easily dispersed.
This won’t do.
This thought emerged in his mind, but was quickly suppressed.
What can he, a recently pardoned prisoner, do?
He could only hope the larger figures above him had follow-up plans.
Thankfully, those now lining these city walls were truly loyal to the Empire.
Even those parasitized, despite being placed in danger, uttered not a word of complaint.
They held their weapons, gazing northward, silent... yet possibly chatting within the Fungal Network, easing tension.
No matter what, given Cold Bay Castle’s power, withstanding a vanguard army from Fungus Castle should be no problem.
Even if the battle turns unfavorable, a graceful and orderly retreat was still possible.
Behind Gray, Ke’s glance occasionally flickered toward him, filled with apologies.
...
At dusk, under the orange twilight, Puki’s figures appeared at the horizon’s edge.
Earl Ronar stood atop the castle, hand on the stone railing, gazing at the end of the horizon where Puki’s army emerged, unable to stop a sigh.
If he could, he wouldn’t fight these beings that even killed Lord Eugene, but Cold Bay Castle is his domain, he cannot hand it over to others.
Fortunately, it’s only a vanguard army.
Thinking so, his gaze shifted from the distant enemy lines to those soldiers on the wall, ready and waiting.
So long as the main force doesn’t advance here, with Cold Bay’s defenses, holding off this vanguard army shouldn’t be a problem.
Squeak—
The door behind pushed open.
A servant holding a jug ran over to him, face full of fawning smiles, bending nearly in two.
"Earl, the blood jade wine has arrived."
Ronar nodded, casually accepting the jug and waving his finger. The servant understood, bowed, and retreated, walking as if on cotton balls.
The Earl raised the jug to his eye, tore open the seal, and a thick aromatic scent immediately wafted out.
After multiple improvements, blood jade wine now also has fragrance.
Then he saw what was inside the jug.
"Wait."
The servant stopped at the door, turned respectfully: "Sir, any instructions?"
Ronar pointed at the jug, his face sinking: "What are these?"
The servant took two steps forward, craned his neck to peer inside.
The wine had green flecks floating on the surface, like residue of something.
He blinked, withdrew his neck, and lowered his head even further.
"Sir, I don’t know. But... I heard the person delivering this said it seems to be a new product developed by Duke Sigmund..." He paused, cautiously adding, "Sir, need me to replace it?"
Ronar did not answer.
He lifted his hand, activating two rings on his fingers.
One green, one milky white, two magic power waves then spread from the rings, scanning over the blood jade wine.
The results showed the blood jade wine had no danger, even some special benefits.
"No need, go down."
Treated as if pardoned, the servant bowed again, retreated, closing the door gently.
After exiting, the servant’s panicked expression vanished, he quickly departed, as if racing against time.
Ronar looked down at the jug, furrowing his brow.
Sigmund’s new product?
To savor a newly released blood jade wine before a great battle, could be considered fortunate.
He raised the jug, took a large mouthful expectantly.
As the sound of fabric tearing filled the air, white mist began pouring from the top of the castle!
"Enemy attack?"
"What’s happening?"
"Is this... mist?!"
Guards shouted, and were soon engulfed by the white mist.
There, they saw Earl Ronar’s first taste of the blood jade wine, that wild action, seeming eager to lick the bowl clean, devoid of his usual grace.
A guard tried to awaken the Earl, but he pushed him away, as if fearing he’d steal the wine...
...
On the other side, Fungus Castle’s vanguard had arrived below the city.
Pukis lined in neat ranks, vast and mighty, exerting considerable pressure on the Demon Race atop the walls.
However, the vanguard army did not attack immediately, a Demon Race emerged from the ranks and approached beneath the walls.
"So... I just wanted to ask, do you surrender?" Ming asked from below.
As soon as he finished, an explosive crossbow arrow shot toward him, hit between his brows, and engulfed him in an explosion.
On the wall, a Demon Race officer lowered his crossbow, spat fiercely.
Yet the next moment, that voice echoed again:
"Is that so, then..." Ming cleared his throat and then shouted loudly, "Everyone, praise loudly!"
"Praise the Mushroom Lord!" The vanguard army also erupted enthusiastically.
The Demon Race officer sneered: "Survived, you have some skill. But this shouting only frightens rookies, not such..."
"Praise the Mushroom Lord!"
Another praise, yet made the officer swallow his unfinished words.
Because the praise was not from outside the walls, but his side, even right beside him.
"Praise the Mushroom Lord!"
"Praise the Mushroom Lord!"
"Praise the Mushroom Lord!!!"
These praises sounded like curses to the officer’s ears.
He struggled to turn, only to see his subordinate lunging toward him...
The defending officer died, Earl Ronar lost contact within the white mist, the gate opened by traitors, Fungus Castle’s vanguard charged right in.
Resistance lasted only a while, once everyone saw the situation clearly, they either surrendered or fled.
As the white mist began dissipating, the Fungus Castle vanguard army had effectively controlled most of Cold Bay Castle.
As for Earl Ronar, Norris and Ming, leading the team, intended to capture him alive.
But before they arrived, the Earl had been pierced through the heart by the servant who returned first.