Chapter 18: Alone, Single-Handedly! Seeking Follow-up Reads

This time, the injuries were truly quite severe.

After Deng Ken and his group entered the mountain forest, they abandoned their horses. He carried Severus directly on his back, while Anya supported the weak Triss. The four of them stumbled until they found a massive oak tree to rest under.

——An abandoned Druid Circle.

There was such a marker on the God's-eye view map. There were no buildings nearby, but the surroundings were planted with a ring of oak trees; judging by their size, they estimated they had nearly a hundred years of history.

Deng Ken took off his clothes, spread them on the ground, and helped Severus lie down.

Triss, standing with difficulty, instructed Deng Ken to use the herbs from the Druid to re-treat his wounds. Anya tore her long dress, used the softer inner lining to make bandages, and then assisted Deng Ken in bandaging Severus for the second time.

"I will go collect some dry firewood."

Anya stood up to look for kindling nearby. Occasionally scratched by thorns, this witch, who looked like a noble lady, immediately appeared on the verge of tears. It didn't seem like an act; she was over a hundred meters away from the group, purely because she had almost cried from the pain of being scratched by the thorns.

A pampered Roman noblewoman, whose late husband was an Imperial General.

Deng Ken observed secretly through the God's-eye view.

When Anya returned, she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, holding a bundle of dry firewood in her arms, half-cradled by her long dress, and placed it by the oak tree with a limp.

She really was a two-star white-board witch.

In the projection screen, Deng Ken's tags were 'Fatigued', 'Weak', and 'Severe Bruising'. His health bar had dropped by about two-fifths, and his stamina cap had decreased by nearly one-third. Beside him, Severus was 'Critically Injured and Dying', 'Severe Blood Loss', and 'Mildly Disabled'. Raven Queen-Triss was 'Mana Overdrawn', 'Severely Weak', 'Mentally Exhausted', and 'Minor Backlash'.

In the team, only Anya was in a pristine state. She was fine when she left, but after picking up firewood and returning, she had gained a 'Minor Bruising' tag.

That witch had mud on her forehead; Deng Ken didn't know if she had taken a hard fall when he wasn't paying attention.

Deng Ken figured out a way to feed Severus some water.

He looked at Triss beside him and said in a deep voice, "We must first find a safe place to recuperate for a period of time."

"Otherwise, Severus won't last long."

Raven Queen-Triss's face was pale. She looked at Deng Ken and said, "You make the decisions at a time like this."

Deng Ken nodded.

He lit a small campfire in front of the three of them, placed Severus by the fire, close to the shade of the tree, and reached out to touch the Druid's forehead. He wasn't running a fever, just suffering from severe blood loss. Afterward, he looked at the witch Anya, who was staring blankly by the fire and appeared somewhat anxious, and said in a deep voice, "You stay and take care of them."

"I will return as soon as possible."

By this time, the sky had already turned dark.

Hearing Deng Ken's words, Anya's expression was uneasy; she seemed a bit worried that he would abandon the group and flee alone. After turning her head to look at the weak Triss, the witch gritted her teeth and nodded, "Okay."

This witch looked delicate and weak, but when she really encountered something, she had some decisiveness.

Deng Ken didn't explain any further.

He turned his head to look at Triss and saw trust in her eyes.

He braced his exhausted body, picked up his Northern War Bow, tucked his Frankish Flying Axe into his belt, then drew his 'Oathkeeper' longsword. He looked up at the sky and soon disappeared into the dense forest.

There were still eleven arrows left.

Deng Ken's figure moved along the rugged mountain path, stopping every now and then to rest for a short while, because after being injured, his stamina bar recovery speed had slowed down significantly.

The weak state had disappeared, but the fatigue state would persist for another ten hours or so.

Severus couldn't wait that long.

If they happened to encounter rain, and a downpour came, Severus might be 'serving the funeral feast' by tomorrow.

"Still able to draw the bow."

"But I can't pull it to full draw; the stamina bar isn't quite enough."

Dimensional Space.

Deng Ken stared at the projection screen in front of him and expanded the God's-eye view map. Soon, a building icon appeared a few miles away on the map.

——Bandit Stronghold.

They lacked food, lacked clean water, and lacked a place to stay and recuperate.

Going to other towns now was even more dangerous.

"Severus must recuperate properly and receive further treatment, otherwise he won't last long."

From the moment Severus let him ride the horse, he had been Deng Ken's comrade-in-arms.

Go!

Deng Ken crept toward the bandit stronghold ahead. He had stopped in this vicinity precisely because he had seen the bandit stronghold marker on the big map.

Until the moon rose.

He finally crept to the edge of that stronghold. It didn't look very large; it was just a very crude wooden stockade, surrounded by a bit of fencing on all four sides, with a small cave inside. In the past few years, rebellions had occurred frequently in the Gao Lu region, and many rebel troops had turned into bandits, wandering in the mountains and wilderness.

——Weapon Master (Sword): Your mastery of sword-type weapons is now as fluid as moving your own arm; it is as if it were a part of your body. Significantly strengthens combat techniques for sword-type weapons.

After killing the Cultist Templar, a master-level branch appeared under Military Weapon Proficiency.

Military weapons encompass most conventional melee weapons. The enemies faced in this battle were mainly skilled in swordsmanship, and others should not have reached the master standard, so a master-level combat technique was branched out specifically for sword-type weapons.

——Throwing Proficiency: You are proficient in using all throwing-type weapons. When using javelins or flying axes, your hit rate is significantly increased.

Many Roman troops were trained in throwing javelins, while Frankish soldiers were skilled in throwing flying axes.

——Deflecting Arrows 【Special Ability】: An extremely profound combat technique, a combat instinct formed by the body. You can use any weapon to deflect arrows, as well as attempt to deflect thrown weapons. The success rate depends on your comprehensive combat technique and your own physical fitness.

Without a doubt, this was the ability of the Cultist Templar.

——Blood of the Holy Grail (Pseudo) 【Special Ability】: Although it is not the true Holy Grail, the Blood of the Holy Grail still grants mortals incredible power. Your physical fitness can break through the limits of ordinary people and gradually improve over time, while simultaneously strengthening your comprehensive base attributes.

Hmm?

So, the Holy Grail in the hands of the Cultists, as rumored, is fake?

It seems King Arthur had also searched for the Holy Grail.

The real Holy Grail is likely lost.

This should be the key to why the Cultist Templar possessed such monstrous physical fitness; Deng Ken could only barely parry a few moves even with an adrenaline burst.

——Combat Style - Raid: With astonishing speed and incredible explosive power, launch a fatal blow against the enemy. This is the combat technique of the God-Hidden Raid Assassin. There is no pattern; seize the fleeting opportunity, explode with full power at any time, and launch a raid on the enemy.

This combat style is closer to a charge raid; it is only one move, and there is no defense. Once launched, one cannot even retract the force.

Fast, accurate, and ruthless!

With the basic move 'Stab' as the core, it specializes in using short weapons. Life and death often hang in the balance in an instant. Success or failure might result in being hacked to death by the surrounding enemies. (A raid assassination without holding anything back, with no opportunity for changing moves or dodging.)

This is the combat technique of early assassins; generally, only death squads would train in it.

In the medieval era, there weren't actually that many flashy moves. Even during the later Crusades, the most important thing in combat was still basic sword forms. Those moves in Wuxia are more suitable for one-on-one duels; once you encounter an army, if you dare to pose with those flashy movements, you'll be hacked to death in minutes.

When you are dueling one-on-one, you don't need to defend against so many enemies, so you have room to display various moves. But on the battlefield, you only need the most basic stabs, slashes, and hacks.

After this battle, all of Deng Ken's basic combat styles turned blue. Among them, the core moves like stab, hack, and slash were already deep blue, and the basic move 'Stab' directly displayed a pale gold border.

Imperial troops mostly used shields for defense and short swords for stabbing, honed through thousands of trials. Deng Ken's casual stab at this moment was as fast as an afterimage, as if he had practiced this move for over ten years.

This was basically muscle instinct.

"It seems that the later it gets, the harder it is to improve combat techniques."

"But basic moves will still slowly improve bit by bit. I don't know where the limit is yet."

Most weapons like swords, knives, and axes share basic moves; only long-handled spears and pikes have additional exclusive basic moves. Deng Ken sometimes ponders, and it feels a bit like 'all paths lead to the same origin,' because these basic moves are the starting point of all techniques.

"If there is any flaw, it is that Western life-and-death duels don't have that many footwork techniques; they focus more on adapting to the situation."

Deng Ken gained a huge boost from this battle.

Because Raven Queen-Triss, whether intentionally or unintentionally, didn't finish off those enemies, and their heads were all harvested by him.

He somewhat suspected that Triss had guessed he was improving his strength through slaughter.

Master-level combat techniques, I'm afraid, really have to be piled up with a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!

Bandit Stronghold.

Deng Ken, under the God's-eye view, marked the enemies one by one.

——Saxon Hunter.

——Gao Lu Rebel Raider.

——Bandit.

——Frankish Light Infantry Axeman.

The entire bandit stronghold had twenty-seven people in total, not large in scale. Among them, five were marked in blue, labeled as 'Slave', 'Farmer', and 'Peasant Woman'.

Three farmers were locked in a room in a corner.

Other bandits were scattered around the stronghold, and there were two or three patrolling people, but they were already drowsy.

The most dangerous target was the 'Frankish Heavy Axeman' (Bandit Leader). He was a one-star unit, staying in the same room with a unit marked as 'Slave'. In another room, a unit marked as 'Peasant Woman' was staying with three other enemy units that had extra markers but were not bandits.

Twenty-two enemies; he should be able to handle them.

The sky was pitch black.

Deng Ken crept over bit by bit. He saw the positions of all enemies through the God's-eye view. The patrolling bandits were listless, cursing and swearing, and occasionally turned their heads to look at the room where the 'Peasant Woman' and 'Slave' were located.

*Whoosh! *

Deng Ken shot an arrow, hitting the head on the spot. The bandit fell to the ground, making a noise that attracted others.

Rapid fire.

Deng Ken did not hesitate, continuously drawing the bow and shooting arrows, one arrow per person, all headshots. These bandits basically didn't wear armor; only a few special units had leather armor and half-body scale armor, but they were likely having fun at this moment and didn't notice the noise at all.

They probably wouldn't have the chance to put on armor.

Deng Ken climbed onto the wooden frame and flipped up. He glanced at his stamina bar; if it weren't for the injury, he would have been even more relaxed.

——Frankish Flying Axe.

A bandit was attracted by the movement and just poked his head out; he was killed instantly upon showing his head.

*Puchi. *

The Frankish Flying Axe split directly into the forehead. Deng Ken walked up unhurriedly and pulled the flying axe out of the enemy's forehead.

The Frankish Flying Axe in his hand spun a circle, flew out through the air, and with a *thud*, another headshot.

All six people patrolling and taking turns on night watch outside the bandit stronghold were ruthlessly killed!

Deng Ken pulled up the flying axe and looked left and right.

Some bandits slept in the cave, while those with higher status were in the wooden houses of the stronghold.

There were faint groans of a woman ahead.

Deng Ken's gaze was cold. He crept up quietly and knocked on the door gently. An impatient voice came from inside. A nearly naked Saxon hunter approached the door and opened it, about to curse.

"I already said it's your turn in the second half of the night... you guys..."

*Puchi! *

Deng Ken split the enemy's skull with an axe, blood and brains splattering.

*Clang. *

His figure lunged forward, instantly drawing his sword. The sword light was like an afterimage, cutting off an enemy's arm like cutting tofu. The enemy was just about to grab a weapon, but in the next second, he was wailing while clutching his severed arm. The sword's residual light pierced his neck. Deng Ken's figure shifted and lunged. In the dim light, the last person had just grabbed a hand axe when the blade of Oathkeeper had already pierced through his heart.

The entire process took only a few seconds.

At this moment, on a floor mat made of rotten cloth, the naked peasant woman, covered in bruises, let out a shrill scream.

The blood sprayed by the bandit covered her head and face.

There was movement in the wooden house next door.

Under the God's-eye view, the Frankish Heavy Axeman shivered, climbed off the slave, and hurriedly grabbed his weapon and put on his breastplate.

Deng Ken arrived at the door and kicked it open.

The bandit leader moved to the side of the door to prepare for an ambush, but suddenly the female slave climbed up, pulled out a dagger from somewhere, and stabbed directly at his neck.

Blood spilled out.

After all, she was a female slave with no combat experience. This dagger stabbed into the opponent's back, and the bandit leader was furious, swinging his battle axe to hack her to death.

——Frankish Flying Axe.

Deng Ken's figure lunged in, throwing the Frankish Flying Axe in mid-air, a close-range headshot. With a *thud*, the bandit leader's corpse fell heavily.

Inside the room.

The female slave was also covered in bruises, her skin full of welts. She pulled out the dagger and looked at Deng Ken without a word, having no desire to attack. The blue marker turned into a green marker.

"Stay here."

Deng Ken picked up the Frankish Flying Axe from the enemy's forehead and looked at the God's-eye view in the direction of the cave.

The combat techniques he had seized along the way—if he wanted to play Assassin's Creed, he could probably only cosplay as that axe-wielding assassin berserker. His Frankish Flying Axe was becoming more and more handy, and the combat style for the axe was hacking; he could split a person's skull with a casual strike.

Among the Germanic barbarians, there were many high-level warriors skilled in using axes.

*Whoosh! *

An arrow broke through the air, and the bandit who had just poked his head out with his weapon in a mess fell to the ground instantly.

The bandits were poorly equipped, at most having leather armor, and most were unarmored.

One arrow, two arrows, three arrows.

At this moment, Deng Ken was like a ruthless killing machine. By the time the arrows on his body were exhausted, there was already a pile of corpses at the cave entrance.

"He has no arrows!"

"It's just one person!"

A shout came from the cave direction, and a Gao Lu rebel raider encouraged other bandits to go first.

*Thud. *

The Frankish Flying Axe nailed directly into the skull he had just poked out of the cave.

He actually dared to poke his head out and speak.

Deng Ken's God's-eye view saw it clearly, and even the positions of the bandits in the cave were clear.

He drew Oathkeeper, picked up a tattered round shield, and walked toward the cave step by step, leaving clear, bloody footprints on the ground.

*Clang! *

The round shield blocked the attack from the right, and Oathkeeper turned into a flash of cold light and stabbed out. When the longsword parried the short knife hacking from the left, the bandit holding the short axe realized it only afterward, clutching his throat, blood spraying wildly, unable to speak anymore.

Blood sprayed onto Deng Ken's body, drops of blood flowing down the shield.

The longsword in his hand flicked, lunging forward, piercing the enemy's throat directly. Oathkeeper was pulled out, he turned, stepped, and the shield slammed, knocking an enemy who wanted to ambush him to the ground.

*Puchi. *

Deng Ken crouched slightly, held the sword with both hands, and stabbed down, the blade piercing the enemy's heart.

"Devil!... Demon!..."

The remaining bandits had already collapsed. Some fought to the death, some knelt and begged for mercy, and some wanted to escape, but there was nowhere to run.

——Combat Style: Decapitation!

A head flew up.

Blood sprayed like a fountain, scaring those bandits into letting out shrill, terrified screams like girls. When they bullied and abused those farmers and serfs, they probably didn't expect that they would have such a day themselves.

One kill per step!

Absolute suppression of combat technique; occasionally, enemies would counterattack, but they were all easily blocked by the shield.

The Cultist Templar had greatly improved his strength.

Deng Ken's figure moved forward step by step, the ground full of corpses, killing all the enemies cleanly.

When he walked out of the cave, two shivering women were already kneeling at the entrance. The entire stronghold was full of corpses; twenty-two bandits, not a single one alive.

"Let those three farmers out."

"Find a way to get a stretcher; you all come with me."

Deng Ken pulled the arrows out of the corpses. He was now covered in blood, like a god of slaughter walking out of hell. He picked up a tattered bandit coat from the wooden house, put it on, and led the five shivering farmers toward the place where they were staying.

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

A faint morning light appeared in the distance.

"Who?!"

Anya, who had been on night watch all night, was drowsy, but upon hearing the movement, she immediately stood up vigilantly and drew her sword.

Deng Ken's low, hoarse voice sounded in the darkness: "It's me."

Raven Queen-Triss opened her eyes, a brilliant light appearing in her azure blue eyes, staring at the man slowly walking out of the darkness.

Although Deng Ken had changed his clothes, the smell of blood on his body was so thick it couldn't be washed away.

He nodded slightly toward Raven Queen-Triss, his voice hoarse: "I'm back."

Everything needed no further words.

Raven Queen-Triss looked at the man in front of her, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful smile; the light in her eyes was like the stars.

She had never doubted that Deng Ken would abandon them.

The three farmers, plus Deng Ken, carefully carried the stretcher, carrying Severus, who was drifting in and out of consciousness, toward the bandit stronghold. The female slave took the initiative to support the weak Triss, while when the peasant woman wanted to express something, Anya avoided her with a look of disgust, her expression toward the peasant woman full of disdain.

Finally, in the morning, the group returned to the stronghold.

Triss looked at the corpses all over the stronghold, silent for a long time, only occasionally looking up at Deng Ken's back in front.

Anya was full of shock.

She certainly knew Deng Ken's strength was very strong, but she didn't expect that he could wipe out the entire bandit stronghold single-handedly while dragging a heavily injured body.

A brilliance erupted in the noblewoman's eyes. She secretly glanced at Triss, then cast her gaze toward Deng Ken not far away, not knowing what she was thinking.

Deng Ken was too tired.

After settling Severus in a warm wooden house, he could finally control the human body in the projection page to fall into a deep sleep.

In this battle, he had exhausted all his strength, completely drained.

……………… ===== CHAPTER 19 =====