Chapter 96

The two demon warriors saw the signs of a struggle ahead, with two human warriors lying in pools of blood, but they could not see where the captain was.

When they ran to the clearing under the tree, intending to check if the two human warriors were truly dead, they were accidentally knocked to the ground by the shield strikes from Suldak and He Boqiang.

The silver runes that burst from the 'Blessed Shield' had an extremely strong restraining effect on these demons.

As the demon warriors fell, they almost without hesitation thrust their spikes towards Suldak and He Boqiang. This was something the demons had prepared for, but they underestimated the shield strikes with the 'Blessed Shield' effect, and their massive bodies were flipped to the ground.

Suldak had anticipated this move by the demon warriors. As he leaped up, he twisted his body to the side, using his excellent balance to narrowly avoid the demon's reverse thrust.

He Boqiang, on the other hand, used a completely different approach. He held his Roman sword in a defensive stance, blocking the demon's spike with the most basic defensive move of a warrior.

This defensive move, whether in the初级战争学院 (初级战争学院 means "初级" which is "初级" in Chinese, but it should be translated as "basic" in English, and "战争学院" means "war academy") or during the initial training period of military service, was one of the basic moves that warriors practiced every day.

However, once on the battlefield, these basic combat moves seemed to be forgotten in a second. Everyone wanted to learn some flashy advanced combat techniques, often neglecting the practicality of these basic moves. He Boqiang used these basic moves as naturally as breathing, and his movements were as standard as those in a textbook...

The two demon warriors did not last long and were quickly killed by the second squad.

Faced with the demon heads and black magic cores they had collected, the warriors of the second squad were quite excited and even wanted to return along the same path to hunt down the demons that had not caught up. However, this suggestion was immediately rejected by Suldak.

Seeing the powerful effect of the 'Divine Body,' Augustus became even more eager to experience the feeling of the 'Divine Body'...

...

The second squad took a detour back to the camp. A group of heavy cavalry, clad in full plate armor, was just passing through the camp gate, heading towards the western hills of the camp.

Upon entering the camp, Suldak encountered the wounded soldiers who were left behind in the tent of the 57th Heavy Infantry Regiment. From them, he learned that the 57th Heavy Infantry Regiment had already been deployed to the western front of the camp, participating in the operation to hunt down small groups of demons. Due to the expanding search area, even the heavy cavalry had to be dispatched.

Baron Sidney led the 4th Battalion, following Count Monty Gos, and had already entered the western hills of the camp half a day ago.

There were still many damaged areas in the camp that needed repair. The attack by the 200 demons on the camp had caused significant losses to the expeditionary force. Many warriors in the camp were seething with anger, waiting for the opportunity to take revenge on the demons on the battlefield.

The steep and treacherous terrain of Mount Moyun made it easy to defend but difficult to attack. The demons had secretly operated in the mountains for nearly two to three months and had built a defensive fortification on Mount Moyun. The expeditionary force of the Benar Legion had not moved for a long time, but in recent days, ballistae and catapults had been transported to the camp, and it was said that a large number of catapults would arrive in the next few days.

The second squad made a brief rest in the camp and then hurriedly headed to the western battlefield, planning to join up with the 4th Battalion.

The logistics department's supply transport team and the heavy cavalry were again congested on the narrow mountain road. A large amount of supplies needed to be delivered to the front, and the expanded search area also required the presence of heavy cavalry. However, the mountain road was only a narrow path, and it was impossible to move quickly. On both sides were dense forests overgrown with weeds, leaving no place to stand.

The second squad followed behind a two-wheeled cart of the logistics department, which was loaded with plenty of rations and arrows. The longbowmen from the camp had already been dispatched, but it was unknown how the battle was going...

Such a large-scale operation would probably not kill many demons.

The warriors of the second squad waited at the back of the queue, quietly waiting by the side of the mountain road.

Augustus began to complain, saying that if they had known the main force was fighting in the western hills of the camp, they might not have needed to travel back over ten kilometers of mountain roads, and now they had to follow behind the supply carts and eat dust.

However, even while following behind the supply convoy and eating dust, the warriors of the second squad were still in high spirits. This patrol mission had successfully killed four demons, two of which were captain-level horned demons. These spoils, when divided among all the squad members, would yield at least five to six gold coins each. For the common people, this amount of money was equivalent to a year's hard labor without eating or drinking.

Receiving such a windfall, of course, left nothing to be desired.

The mountain road was severely congested, and the people stuck on the road became increasingly irritable. Occasionally, the cart drivers would use whips to lash the restless mules and horses, and the neighing of the mules and horses gradually made the warhorses uneasy. The heavily armored heavy cavalry had to repeatedly soothe their mounts.

The warriors of the second squad used machetes to cut down a patch of weeds and vines, retreating into the shade of the forest to cool off.

The driver of the two-wheeled cart stuck his whip in the shaft and poured half a basket of chopped alfalfa hay from a linen bag at the back of the cart. Some bean residue was still mixed in. He fed the hay to the mule, stroking its mane to calm its restless mood.

After the mule had eaten most of the hay, he poured half a basin of water from an iron bucket hanging at the back of the cart. He drank two large gulps himself before giving the rest to the mule.

Suldak approached the cart driver and asked:

"Uncle, why is it so congested up ahead?"

Seemingly sensing Suldak's approach, the mule pulling the cart became somewhat restless.

The middle-aged cart driver, with wrinkles on his forehead, looked up at Suldak and said coldly, "Don't come any closer. You reek of blood. If you come any closer, it might kick you."

Suldak stood awkwardly in place, giving the middle-aged cart driver a dry laugh.

The cart driver noticed the captain's badge hanging from Suldak's chest and was slightly taken aback, probably not expecting to have spoken to a heavy infantry captain.

He was even more surprised that Suldak had such a good temper. Instead of getting angry at his impolite words, Suldak really stopped and did not come any closer.

The cart driver rubbed his red nose, made a strange sound, and then said kindly, "The mountain road is only so wide, and the military has sent these heavy cavalry up. It's no wonder it's congested."

The cart driver hung the bucket back on the cart and added, "Just a few demons, and they've made such a big fuss..."

The cart driver seemed quite talkative, looking at Suldak seriously and asking, "Which infantry regiment are you from, and why are you going up now?"

Suldak moved closer, sitting on the shaft at the back of the cart, and said with a smile, "We are from the 57th Infantry Regiment, just back from a patrol mission..."

"Oh, I see..." The cart driver pondered for a moment and then said, "It's said that the patrol squad that discovered the situation here was from your regiment. Your 57th Regiment's search area is to the west. After crossing this mountain range and heading west, you'll probably encounter them."

Sometimes, it's like this. The people in the logistics department are often the most well-informed. They may even know more about the battlefield's troop deployments than the young nobles in the operations room. Just a few words with them can always yield some useful information.