"My lord, everything has been packed," the steward reported.
Karim wore a neat linen shirt, but his face looked miserable.
"Last night's… support supplies have all been recorded in your ledger and packed away. Seven cows, twenty sheep, one pack horse, and various other goods."
They stood on the fortress wall, looking out toward the distance.
But no matter how far they looked—
There was nothing.
Nothing but gray mist stretching to the sky.
Karim had thought about running away more than once.
Unfortunately, Field never gave him the chance.
Wildcat and the other slave soldiers had already been completely corrupted by money.
Karim was certain that if he tried to escape, those damned lackeys would kill him immediately.
And afterward, Field would probably reward them with a silver coin.
Damned dogs, Karim cursed inwardly.
Selling their souls for money… even risking their lives.
But slaves were like that.
Give them a tiny bit of hope… a little better treatment…
And they would gladly risk everything for you.
"Oh, right… my lord."
Kao hesitated for a long time.
He kept glancing toward Ashina before finally asking.
"That slave—sorry, I mean Miss Ashina…"
"She really is a Chosen One, right? You're not fooling us?"
"Could she perhaps… demonstrate a miracle?"
Last night, in order to boost morale, Field had gathered everyone together and announced the news about the Chosen One.
Field snorted coldly.
"You want proof?"
"How about this instead?"
"You go pioneer the cursed lands. I'll be your steward."
He stopped Ashina before she could summon the giant wolf.
"Let's see if you can survive the Empire's cleansing army afterward."
Field's gaze turned sharp as he stared at Kao.
This disloyal steward had been spreading pessimistic nonsense the entire time.
If not for the fact that he was one of only two people who could read and write, Field would have already sent him to shovel horse manure.
Maybe it was time to remind him who he served.
Kao instantly felt the pressure.
Cold sweat slid down his forehead.
"Ah… I…"
He immediately shut his mouth.
His lord had changed completely.
It was like he had become a different person overnight.
Maybe the pressure from his noble family had finally pushed him too far?
Kao's thoughts were a complete mess.
After all, even he didn't want to enter the Cursed Lands.
If a servant felt that way…
A noble who had lived in luxury certainly wouldn't want to either.
"No objections?"
"Then we move."
Field lit the Fog-Dispelling Lamp.
Each lamp cost twenty-five gold coins.
Every minute it burned felt like throwing money straight into a fire.
Grinding his teeth, Field stepped forward.
And crossed into the Northern Province.
The moment he did—
All sound vanished.
No wind.
No birds.
No living presence.
Only terrifying silence.
Field looked up.
Gray deathly mist surrounded everything.
Even the sun had disappeared.
After staying here for a while, people began to feel as if they were deep underwater.
Even Field felt a creeping sense of tension.
The slaves were far worse.
If not for the fact that leaving the lamp's light would cause corruption—and the fact that Field had announced the existence of a Chosen One—
They might have already lost their minds and run screaming into the mist.
The ground was covered with red-black writhing tendrils.
Corrupted plants.
They weren't dangerous, but they constantly tangled around the wagon wheels.
Field muttered under his breath.
"This seriously looks like Silent Hill."
He forced himself to remain calm and walked at the front of the convoy.
Everyone could see him.
That alone gave them courage.
After all, if the life-loving noble himself was walking ahead—
What excuse did they have to run?
"Gaaaak…"
"ROAR!"
Strange noises echoed endlessly through the gray mist.
The lamp illuminated about a hundred paces ahead.
But the roars came from far beyond that distance.
No one felt safe.
Ruined walls and collapsed buildings appeared everywhere.
Rust-corroded spears were stuck into the ground, some still skewering dried human heads.
Field even spotted a faded griffin banner.
The Empire had once sent many pioneer legions here.
Unfortunately…
They were all dead.
And had done an excellent job of becoming local residents.
Field swallowed.
"My lord, get behind me."
Ashina's crimson eyes suddenly focused on the right side.
"A monster is approaching."
Soon enough, a corpse staggered into view.
Half its face was missing.
"Whoosh!"
Ashina released an arrow.
A silver streak flashed through the air.
The corpse's head exploded like a smashed watermelon.
Its body rolled twice before going still.
"Careful!" Field shouted.
"More monsters incoming!"
On his minimap, dozens of skull icons appeared.
Once they were discovered, stealth no longer mattered.
"Same formation as before!"
"Circle the wagons!"
"Crossbowmen, fire!"
At Kasha Fortress, Field had obtained eighty crossbows and one hundred Imperial longbows.
Unfortunately, only two or three slaves actually knew how to shoot properly.
Luckily, crossbows were easy to use.
So he had equipped twenty crossbowmen.
The howling grew louder.
Dense footsteps thundered through the mist.
Soon the black mass of corpses surged into view.
Even with the minimap warning him, the monster density was too high.
Battle was unavoidable.
"Damn it—fire!"
Field barely finished speaking before the slaves released their bolts.
WHOOSH!
The front row of corpses suddenly collapsed.
Seven or eight dropped instantly.
Ashina had already put away her bow.
The Dragon-Wolf appeared beside her.
She charged straight into the corpse horde.
Even though she was only a First-Tier Chosen One, the combat power of a Chosen One far surpassed normal humans.
Her sword flashed like a butterfly.
Corpses fell one after another.
Heads flew.
Bodies were torn apart.
Some were decapitated by her blade.
Others were smashed apart by the Dragon-Wolf's claws.
When she reached the densest part of the horde—
The wolf suddenly spun in place.
Flames erupted outward.
A blazing whirlwind swept through the battlefield.
Everything nearby burned into ash.
Kao rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"She… she really is a Chosen One?"
Ashina had taken a huge amount of pressure off the group.
But the tension didn't ease.
Because through the gray mist—
More corpses kept emerging.
The psychological pressure alone was crushing.
"Kill them!"
Wildcat growled.
He thrust his halberd forward with all his strength.
Three or four halberds pierced a corpse's chest simultaneously.
With a violent yank—
The corpse was thrown aside like a broken sack.
More monsters crashed into the slave guard line.
Claws and fists rained down on shields and armor.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
It sounded like someone hammering iron in a forge.
"Hm?"
Field suddenly noticed something strange.
On his minimap, a skull icon was moving rapidly.
And it was above him.
Without hesitation, Field jumped down from his horse.
He was the only person sitting high up.
That made him an obvious target.
The moment his feet hit the ground—
A violent gust of wind rushed toward him.
"Watch above!"
Field ducked instantly and thrust his sword upward.
In that brief glance, he saw it clearly.
A Bat Woman.
Hairless.
No eyebrows.
A hideous face.
Its body had feminine features…
But its arms were bat wings.
And its legs ended in hooked talons.