Chapter 1165 - 184: Territory Scenery and the Clouds of War Along the Road to Marle Castle (Part 2)

Chapter 1165: Chapter 184: Territory Scenery and the Clouds of War Along the Road to Marle Castle (Part 2)

If it were simply the air cavalry flying without the Gray Swan unit holding them back, they could reach Marle Castle in a day.

But for this journey, Su Li couldn’t possibly just leave for a day or two; after all, he needed to lure out the Chaos Changer, the Divine Chosen of Treachery.

Therefore, he has to travel by land. There are benefits to this; besides being able to intimidate those corrupt and incompetent officials of the Marle Castle Imperial Elector Council, he can also concretely investigate the situation in the Swamp Territory.

Su Li is quite intrigued—will the Lord of the Swamp Territory dare to ambush his caravan?

It’s worth noting that this caravan consists of 4 Divine Chosen, over 30 Champion Knights, and more than 200 elite soldiers, escorting over 300 carriages as they pass through the Swamp Territory.

If the opposing side deploys their main forces, it would indeed be an excellent opportunity to draw the snake out of its hole. The 4 Divine Chosen could seize the opportunity to carry out a decapitation strike and severely damage the enemy’s main forces.

As Su Li was pondering this, Ruth landed his mane Griffin before him, skillfully saluting and reporting: "Lord, all personnel and supplies have been tallied up and are ready to depart!"

Su Li nodded, his voice steady and clear across the square: "Target, Marle Castle! Move out!"

With his command, the heavy palace gates slowly opened. On the ground, the caravan moved first, with wheels turning to the shouts of the coachmen, and began to move out. Flying Horse Knights then lowered their altitude, like Elves guarding the caravan, spreading out to its sides and front. Finally, amidst the deafening sounds of wing flaps and low growls, all Griffins and Horse Vultures took off one after another, blending into the dawn sky, advancing mightily towards the lands of wealth and opportunity—Marle Castle.

In early spring, the Central Plain was just awakening; wheat fields turned a new green, and the air was filled with the fragrance and damp smell of earth. This was the core radiation area of the Hesse Territory; roads were relatively flat and broad. The caravan moved quickly, the heavy wheels of the carriages rolling over the solid official roads, creating a rhythmic and dull resonance.

The air cavalry unit cruised at low altitude, with Flying Horse Knights tasked with reconnaissance, while Griffins and Horse Vultures maintained an intimidating formation flight. Their presence was the best pass, the scattered villages and small patrols encountered on the way avoided them in awe and would even voluntarily offer supply points. The banner of the Hesse Territory fluttered with a crackle in the spring breeze, proclaiming the new order of this land.

Entering the Balan Autonomous Region, the atmosphere suddenly turned relaxed and lively. Half-Elves were naturally optimistic and hospitable, especially when they saw not only their hero Ashfield among the caravan but also the flag of the "Golden Bread Cart" and the leader Baggins Brandy Gingerbread. Villages along the way almost emptied to offer their welcome.

Sweet pies, freshly brewed fruit wines, and various exquisite handicrafts were enthusiastically given to the caravan members. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hartskline and Baggins were in their element here, not only replenishing fresh food and water but also using the seemingly casual yet intentionally structured "intelligence network" of Half-Elves to gather a wealth of information about the chaos warbands’ activity in the Flash Spear City Plain ahead, as well as scattered rumors about recent power shifts and merchant guild dynamics in Marle Castle. Ashfield became a star, his return filling Half-Elves with pride.

However, in this dark and hopeless world, any warmth is destined to be brief. Leaving the warmth of the Balan Territory and stepping into the Flash Spear City Plain, the atmosphere in the air instantly became stiff, featuring both the majestic awe of Divine Grace and the oppressive weight of Chaos Corruption, filled with the mixed scent of rust and blood.

Since the construction of Flash Spear City, this place is destined to possess a solemn and dark style. Chaos warbands ravage the land here, leaving a desolate sight; abandoned villages and scorched fields are everywhere. Even the sky seemed to darken a few shades. The caravan’s atmosphere became tense, with the guard soldiers tightening their grip on their weapons, the air cavalry lowering their cruising height, and their formations becoming tighter.

Sure enough, as they traveled through a region full of scattered rock formations, an attack erupted. It wasn’t an organized ambush but several chaos warbands, bearing different totems and even hostile to one another, mainly Raiders devoted to Sado and Treachery, drawn by the caravan’s size and wealth, howling from various directions like hyenas scenting blood. Their equipment was disordered, but their numbers were vast, filled with primitive savagery and a thirst for destruction.

The battle erupted instantly. The ground guards quickly formed a defensive circle relying on the carriages, with long lances like a forest and firearms firing in volleys, blocking off the initial wave of frantic charges coldly. Yet among the chaos warbands were powerful mutated warriors and Chaos Warriors, capable of delivering intense opposing forces.

Especially among them, the Jianqi Doomsday Knights!

Doomsday Knights are the most powerful of mortals in this world, riding the Jianqi Sorcerous Plate, they consider themselves superior, disregarding even other Chaos Champion Warriors. Where they tread, only death and a literal doomsday remain, the way they break the wind in flight is a spectacular sight. In the presence of Doomsday Knights, there’s no escape, and they never show mercy.

The demonic mounts of Treachery are known as Sorcerous Plates. These peculiar creatures are neither demons nor constructs but a terrifying fusion of both. Sorcerous Plates are imbued with mysterious power, enabling them to soar off the ground, gliding through the air on the Wind of Magic. These Sorcerous Plates aren’t completely exposed to enemy attacks either, projecting magic fire darts around them, swinging whirling tentacles and claws to fiercely assault nearby foes.