The thunderous crash of the splintering door echoed far through the grey mist, shattering the dead silence that clung to the city walls. Grotesque wails rose instantly from nearby corrupted corpses. Seeing the skull icons rapidly converging on his mini-map and hearing the faint, distant roars, Field couldn't help but grip his sword tighter, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.
The corrupted soldiers inside the barracks barely had time to react before Ashina, long blade in hand, swept it in a vicious arc. A spray of dark blood splattered the wall as one corpse's head flew from its shoulders, bathing the room in a sickly, purplish-black light.
The other corpse lunged, its jaw unhinging grotesquely to reveal rotting teeth. A bite from those jaws would rip away a chunk of flesh.
Ashina merely danced aside with effortless grace, simultaneously twisting her blade.
Empowered by terrifying strength, the strike sheared away half the creature's skull. Filthy, viscous blood gushed from the wound, swiftly forming a dark pool on the floor.
"ROAAAR!"
The sounds of combat drew more corrupted soldiers pouring from the corridor. Their milky-white eyes rolled obscenely as they shoved each other in their eagerness to attack.
The slaves brandished their farming tools nervously, making threatening motions in the air, but none dared step forward. Monsters were terrifying enough; monsters clad in heavy armor were a nightmare.
"Screw this, how many were infected?" Field cursed under his breath.
"Flame!"
Ashina summoned her Dragon Wolf. The massive creature filled the corridor, blocking it entirely. Pinpricks of magical energy swirled and coalesced like a flowing river of stars. The wolf opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of ghostly blue fire. The corrupted soldiers in the corridor were instantly engulfed, their forms visible only as writhing, twisting silhouettes within the inferno.
"Such terrifying power..."
The slaves, who had been debating flight or fight moments before, were stunned. The sudden battle was over in the blink of an eye. A few caught glimpses of the figures consumed by flame; the rest could only stare at the piles of ash littering the floor.
"So this is the power of a Chosen One? Pity it incinerated the loot too," Field mused, his confidence swelling. Time to be bold. "Everyone! Make as much noise as you can! Lure the nearby corpses here so we can eliminate them!"
Following Field's command, the slaves began banging their tools wildly against walls and doors, creating a cacophony. Ashina and her Dragon Wolf efficiently dispatched the drawn-in hordes.
Soon, the area around the barracks was cleared. The demonstration solidified Field's understanding of a Chosen One's might.
"Now," Field declared, his smile turning predatory, "find anything valuable. Especially weapons and gold coins."
No sooner had the slaves scattered than one came running back, face flushed with excitement.
"Milord! We've found survivors!"
"Huh?" Field's expression wasn't one of joy, but wary calculation as his eyes scanned their surroundings. "Ashina, recall your wolf. Now is *not* the time to reveal our strength."
Without sufficient time to build his power, revealing he possessed a Chosen One was suicidal. His stepmother would undoubtedly send assassins, aiming to kill him and force Ashina to serve a new master.
The slaves knowing was less critical; they were under his constant watch, and a single thought from him could send them all to the afterlife. *Survivors, however,* Field pondered, *might know where the important supplies are hidden.*
The survivors had barricaded themselves in a fortified bunker within the wall. Someone had splashed the door with purifying potion, barely holding the grey mist at bay. Hearing living voices outside had finally given them the courage to open it.
"Praise the Valkyries!" boomed a burly officer with a thick beard, emerging. He cracked a grim joke, "Thought we'd be stuck in there a week, forced to survive on each other's... digestive waste." He straightened his tunic and offered Field a strained smile. "Ah, let me guess, newly knighted? I'll make sure Baron Bull hears of your timely rescue!"
"Think nothing of it. Merely lending a hand," Field replied casually, craning his neck to peer past the officer into the bunker. Two soldiers shifted to block his view. The officer's ten men were all crammed inside.
"And your retinue?" the officer asked, his gaze sweeping dismissively over Field's slave soldiers and their crude tools.
Field shrugged. "I'm no knight. I am Baron Field."
"Oh? Baron Field?" Recognition flickered in the officer's eyes, followed by something darker. "The one without even a single guard? Your men mentioned your name when they came begging for donations before." His expression grew increasingly strange, shifting through several emotions before he gave his men a subtle signal. A mocking smile touched his lips. "Milord Baron, we've long heard of your... kindness. Perhaps you could assist us with a small matter?"
*That tone is all wrong.* The original Field might have been a saint, but this Field narrowed his eyes, playing dumb. "Do tell."
"We... overindulged," the officer admitted, feigning shame. "Forgot to light the Fog-Dispelling Lamp. Let the mist flood the barracks. Lost control of the place. Baron Bull... well, he's not known for mercy. We'll be executed for sure."
*And this is something I get to hear for free?* Field thought sardonically.
"So..." Field's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "You wish to join my service?"
"HAHAHA!" The soldiers burst into harsh laughter, their hands tightening on weapons. "We're skipping town! But we need a nobleman's entire treasury. And..." The officer's smile vanished, replaced by cold malice. "Killing you means no one knows we exist for a while."
"This is how you repay your savior?" Field's anger flared. His original plan *had* involved recruiting the survivors or forcing them to reveal the supplies. Killing them if uncooperative wasn't off the table. But being preemptively threatened? That was infuriating.
The bearded officer spat dismissively. "If we had a damned Fog Lamp, we'd have fought our way out days ago! You're nothing!"
Field couldn't help it. He laughed out loud.
"What's so funny?" the officer snapped, raising his saber, puzzled by Field's calm.
"Well," Field said, his voice suddenly icy, "I *was* planning to loot this place anyway. Now? Killing you just removes the witnesses. Ashina! Now!"
A soldier beside the officer lunged, dagger aimed straight for Field's heart.
In a flash of blue, a figure blurred past. The soldier's arm, like a twig pulled from a locust, offered no resistance. It was torn clean off.
*CLANG!*
The dagger hit the stone floor. The air froze. Only the soldier's agonized scream shattered the silence as he collapsed, clutching the spurting stump. "MY ARM! MY ARM!"
The massive, sulfur-scented Dragon Wolf filled the corridor behind Ashina, its armored form as intimidating as a siege engine.
"MONSTER!" The soldiers recoiled in terror, several losing control of their bladders.
"What in the abyss?!" the officer stammered, face white. "I thought Baron Field had no power! That he was a useless waste of a title! Whoever spread that lie..." He looked ready to skin the rumor-monger alive.
"Ashina," Field commanded, licking his lips with cold anticipation. The original Field might have been a good man, but that meant nothing to him now. "Disarm them. Permanently." He turned to the wide-eyed slaves. "Slaves! Here's your chance to earn your mettle! One silver coin for every man you finish off!"