Chapter 836: Battle Around the Lumber Yard (Part 2)

As for Jier, after leading a small portion of the parasitic monsters that had been lying in ambush here away for some distance, he continued to fight these monsters that wanted his life on a patch of wild land near the Lumber Yard.

Uh, calling it a fight, it was actually more like a one-sided mowing down and slaughter.

Knowing that the parasitic monsters were difficult to deal with when gathered together, Jier did not choose to fight close-up with his sword drawn; instead, just as he had on the road, he rode his horse and used the Full Metal Double-Edged Spear to repeatedly charge at the parasitic monsters.

It was only at this moment, amidst the repeated one-sided ravaging, that Jier noticed the shortcomings of his Full Metal Double-Edged Spear.

Back when he was in Kendall County, he hadn't been very flexible with this spear; it was mainly too heavy. It was fine to use it for physical training back then—it was heavy enough—but it was too much of a struggle to use for combat.

Later, during the battle against the Northland wolves last winter, this spear had almost no effect, and it was actually Lanisha who ended up using it to good effect in the end.

It wasn't until the journey south not long ago, when Jier underwent Knight Training, that his physical fitness gradually improved under the influence of Life Energy, allowing him to use this weapon with relative proficiency.

At the time, it didn't seem like much, as the weapon didn't have many opportunities to shine on the road, but after separating from the main body of the Kendall Army and entering the Southern Province together with Bataer and Siter, the frequency of using this weapon gradually increased.

But back then, he was facing soft human enemies; basically, the all-metal steel spear would kill upon contact and wound upon grazing, so it was fine to use.

However, now that he was facing the Flesh Demon parasitic monsters, Jier had noticed the great shortcomings of his weapon over the past two days.

It was too short.

Yes, a full-metal spear over two meters long, with a steel double-edge alone measuring thirty centimeters, was a bit too short for him while riding on the back of a Licking Blood Grass Horse.

Once the horse was galloping, the movement speed was extremely fast, and exchanges with enemies often lasted only for that single moment of contact. But from Jier's Muan to the head of the Licking Blood Grass Horse was already over a meter long; even if Jier held the very end of the spear, the effective forward thrusting attack range was only about one and a half meters.

Too short, too short!

Not to mention that when repeatedly charging into the group of parasitic monsters, these monsters, which would not just wait to die, would extend vine-like roots over a meter long to counterattack. At such times, the longer the spear shaft, the further and more safely he could attack the enemies while charging.

"Damn it! Just die obediently!"

Jier pulled on the Jiansheng to slow down and turn around, then accelerated again to charge at the parasitic monsters that had gathered together and were rushing toward him.

He gripped the end of the spear tightly with his right hand and raised it above his head, spinning it. The moment the horse accelerated and closed in on the parasitic monsters, his right arm swung fiercely toward the front right. The pitch-black steel spear drew a circle directly, and amidst the light bands brought about by the sunlight reflecting off the spearhead, he swept two of the parasitic monsters on the outermost edge of the group into the air.

In that instant, Jier pulled the spear back into both hands, then, spotting the form of a parasitic monster screeching in the air, he thrust forward twice.

Only thrusting was needed; the movement speed brought by the horse allowed the thrusting attack to carry a slight swing of the spear-blade. The impact force and sharpness of the spear-blade could easily cut the parasitic monster's body in two from the torso.

"If only this thing were longer."

Jier once again clearly perceived the shortcomings of his weapon.

When he first acquired this weapon, he hadn't undergone Knight Training yet; how could he have known that such a heavy and powerful spear would be so inconvenient for him to use now?

After charging through the monster group and simultaneously killing two parasitic monsters (once their torsos were destroyed, even if the monster's Parasitic Core was undamaged, it could not move for a short time, at most controlling the lower or upper body where the core was located, losing its combat ability and threat), Jier did not continue to turn around to fight, but instead held the spear in front of him and gestured back and forth.

After feinting twice, Jier calculated while muttering to himself: "It definitely needs to be longer. And not just a little bit longer, it needs to be much longer. Four meters? Five meters? Or six meters long?"

Resting the spear forward on the head of the Licking Blood Grass Horse, and after causing the horse's dissatisfaction, Jier pondered: "Too long won't work either; material strength and portability are big problems that cannot be ignored. And a six-meter-long thing, ha, how should I use it? Who will teach me, or should I figure it out myself?"

Thinking that he hadn't seen Kela or Lumi use weapons of that length either, Jier gave a bitter smile. One had to know that these two Knights were professional Knights who came from the Kingdom Army. If neither of them used the five- or six-meter Knight Riding Spear that Jier was currently envisioning, then did that mean such a riding spear was actually not suitable for Knights whose physical functions fully surpassed those of ordinary humans?

Jier didn't know that Knights facing this level of problem usually chose projectile weapons like bows and crossbows, or they simply found ways to switch to magic Divine Power weapons, all of which could handle the problem Jier was facing.

Of course, directly increasing the length of the weapon in his hand wasn't impossible, and it was a simple and direct solution, but one had to know that Knight-rank Warriors had existed for over three thousand years, and humans had been exploring and using Magic for even longer. The problem Jier was facing now had certainly existed before, and the vast majority of people had naturally chosen the current means of resolution.

This was natural.

Jier thought for a while and felt that increasing the length of the weapon in his hand was a very cost-effective plan. After all, he was not good at using projectile weapons; whether it was a Throwing Spear or a bow and crossbow, although he had a slight talent, he had never practiced them properly, and he himself didn't like fighting from far away. And the opportunity to luckily obtain the Heartfire Dagger like before was rare, and he didn't know any magic blacksmiths or Mages.

It seemed that the only way now was to find a way to get some Magic Material and then find someone to forge a spear that was longer and stronger than the current one—no! A dedicated riding spear specifically for mounted combat.

So how long would it need to be?

Three meters?

That's too short; it's not much different from the current one, and it's not worth it to make one separately.

Four meters long?

This length is okay, but it still seems a bit insufficient when riding.

Jier spurred his horse to accelerate again, gripped the spear with his right hand, turned his head to look at the spearhead, and silently added distance to this spear in his mind, extending the virtual length of the weapon.

When it reached about four meters long, he braced the spear between his right arm and armpit, while his left hand constantly adjusted the distance between the warhorse and the monsters ahead.

The Licking Blood Grass Horse was a smart horse; it sensitively felt that the angle of approaching the monsters this time was wrong, so it actively adjusted its steps, trying to ensure that the distance between itself and its master was just enough for the actual combat range of the spear when approaching the monsters.

But this time, the master's Jiansheng kept pulling it slightly to the side, increasing the combat distance from the monsters.

This made the Licking Blood Grass Horse a bit confused; it let out a whinny while running, attempting to remind its master.

"I know! Listen to me!" Jier continued to pull the Jiansheng, adjusting the angle and distance of the warhorse's approach to the monsters, shouting firmly. Seeing that his master insisted, the smart horse stopped resisting, obediently following the master's adjustments, and anticipated that this charge would surely return empty-handed.

Swish—

Sure enough, just as the Licking Blood Grass Horse had expected, this attack missed.

Before Jier's spear could even get close to the parasitic monsters, both man and horse passed by the monsters. This scene left the parasitic monsters, which had been continuously accepting one-sided combat losses, completely baffled.

What's going on? Is this human's vision blurred, or has he gone mad?

Neither; Jier, who was galloping past on horseback, muttered to himself: "This length is still a bit short."

Although he had imagined lengthening the weapon, Jier still felt that this weapon length was inappropriate during the charge just now. One had to know that his enemies were not just humans; of course, the most difficult enemies had always been humans themselves, but he was bound to have encounters with monsters and even more powerful Magic Beasts.

And this length of four meters was just not enough.

Take the only formal Magic Beast Jier had ever fought—the spider-type Magic Beast—each of that guy's legs was longer than this.

If you counted the length by simply straightening them out, the overall length would be even more astonishing.

To fight such a Magic Beast, a long-range weapon was naturally the best; if not, then it had to be even longer.

Of course, the Single-handed Heavy Sword used by Lanisha was another matter.

Pulling the Jiansheng to turn around, Jier looked up and down at the spear, finally nodded and said: "Then let's make it a five-meter-long riding spear! But if there were a material that could stretch and shrink at will like a golden cudgel, that would be even better."

After speaking, he shook his head, feeling that he was overthinking it; even if such materials and Magic existed, they were not something an Apprentice Knight of his level could use.

Didn't he see that the Magic Gem Sword in the hands of his teacher, Kela, was a prize he had won by participating in the cruel competition of the Imperial Border Knights?

Without connections, many things shouldn't even be thought about. If he hadn't contributed to assisting Lanisha in suppressing the spider-type Magic Beast back in Kendall County, how could he have obtained the opportunity to have the Craftsman Priest of Kendall City forge it himself, as well as the connections to purchase Magic Material in the city, allowing him to re-forge his damaged Hunting Sword?

Re-gathering his thoughts, Jier put away his wandering mind and continued to deal with the small number of monsters in front of him.

Soon, these poor parasitic monsters, which could neither run away nor catch up, had no choice but to scatter and flee. But Jier did not pursue perfection; he spurred his horse to chase, killing as many as he could before the monsters could escape far away.

Finally, he dismounted, and one by one, he crushed the Parasitic Core Human Face of every parasitic monster in this field whose torso had been severed but was not yet completely dead.

With that done, he mounted his horse and returned to the Lumber Yard.

The entire battle had only taken about ten minutes or so from start to finish.

Approaching the Lumber Yard, Jier saw at a glance the combat convoy circling the entire Lumber Yard, as well as the disorganized groups of parasitic monsters.

The number of monsters was still high; Jier rode in a wider circle for a short while and discovered there were still about thirty monsters left, especially one parasitic monster leading them while holding a sword, meaning it would still take some effort and stamina to finish them off.

As for the convoy, Jier was amused the moment he saw it; the convoy was currently in high spirits, with a line of seven Merchant Guild carriages galloping at high speed outside the Lumber Yard. Because the carriages were empty and the drivers kept flicking their whips and Jiansheng, the horses had let loose, excitedly stretching their legs and hooves, galloping wildly across the soft, wild terrain as if frolicking.

The drivers were also stirred by the constant fighting, shouting nonsense and even singing, driving while yelling and cheering for every kill made by the Church Priests or Soldiers in the carriages behind them.

Ten Refining Qi soldiers were split between two carriages, five per carriage; one followed the carriage Bell was in, while the other fought side-by-side with the carriage carrying two God of Wealth Church priests.

The way the God of Wealth Church priests strengthened the soldiers was quite unique, and Jier was amused as soon as he heard it; these two priests, dressed in gold and silver, were no longer using the Divine Power of their deity, but instead took Gold Coins directly from their purses, each holding one high, pointing at a few wandering parasitic monsters nearby, and shouting loudly to the soldiers on the carriage ahead: "They're coming, they're coming! Whoever kills these two monsters gets a Gold Coin reward! One coin per monster! Whoever kills them gets the money! It's as quick as before, pay on kill! Warriors, fight! Use your valor to trade for wealth—"

"The God of Wealth only favors those warriors who obtain Gold Coins!!!" the priest finally shouted.

"Oh!!!!"

"Mine, mine! Nobody fight me for them!"

"Driver! Charge over there, slow down once we're close, I want to kill them with my own hands!"

"One monster belongs to me! My kid at home wants a brand-new toy, ha, this time Daddy will get you a brand-new toy that kids in big cities play with!"

"Then the other one is mine! Brothers, big brothers, let me have this one! I'm just one or two Gold Coins short for my wedding!"

The soldiers on the other carriage were howling with excitement; although the Sasi Family they served had invested no small amount of money to train and maintain them as Refining Qi soldiers, compared to the current situation where killing a parasitic monster earned an immediate Gold Coin reward, their usual salary was clearly not enough.

To be honest, those were Gold Coins after all; even for residents living in towns, a whole family couldn't spend a single Gold Coin in a year, which showed the strength of the Gold Coin's purchasing power, and when the situation was bad, that purchasing power even increased. At this moment, these Refining Qi soldiers, who lacked neither combat technique nor ability, were certainly not going to let such a good opportunity pass.

Especially since the Baron Heir was in another carriage ahead fighting monsters; regardless of whether he heard them or not, he had no time to manage them. The opportunity to get rich was right before their eyes, and it was within easy reach; no one could resist that.

The two parasitic monsters ahead, targeted for the bounty, had not yet realized they were facing disaster; seeing the Human carriages driving straight toward them and even daring to slow down and stop after getting close, the two fellows didn't even think, and driven by their innate mission, they bared their fangs and brandished their claws as they charged.

But faster than them were the several soldiers who jumped off the carriages one after another. These soldiers were flushed with excitement, shouting loudly, and with a speed even faster than the monsters—fearing their companions beside them would snatch the kill—they charged forward, their axes either raised, held with both hands and pushed horizontally, or swung upward from below to hack at the monsters.

Not a single soldier had any spare thought for defense; they were betting everything on an all-out attack, striving to kill the monster worth a Gold Coin faster than anyone else.

At this moment, even the Flesh Demon parasitic monsters, which were parasitizing the skin of some poor unknown Human, became much cuter under the bounty.

As the sunlight shone down, they even turned golden.

Jier's mouth twitched, because he saw with his own eyes that those two parasitic monsters couldn't even last an extra second; the moment they engaged, they were hacked into pieces by several sharp axes.

Even though the tiny roots at their fingertips had already wrapped around the soldiers' armor, before they could control the soldiers they touched, they were hacked to pieces first. The parasitic human face hidden in the chest hadn't even let out a wail before it was chopped to bits by an axe, and then a lucky soldier shouted loudly as he forcefully dug it out from the Human corpse.

"Mine! Mine! Haha, I killed this monster! There's a beautiful toy at the shop in town, I'll buy it for my little one tonight when I get back!"

"Bullshit, I was the one who cut off the monster's head, this Gold Coin should belong to me!"

"You guy, don't talk nonsense, who doesn't know that cutting off these monsters' heads doesn't count? Look, this thing is their real head and face! This thing even screams when it's alive!"

A pair of soldiers started arguing here, while another soldier nearby who had harvested a parasitic monster face nimbly held up the broken parasitic human face and rushed toward the carriage carrying the God of Wealth Church priests.

The priests didn't hesitate either; after receiving the parasitic human face handed over by the soldier, they directly raised a foot and crushed it, while simultaneously flicking a golden Gold Coin with their thumb, which landed in the soldier's raised palm in an arc.

"Wealth favors you! Valiant soldier."

The priest winked and said with a smile.

The young soldier excitedly kissed the Gold Coin he had obtained with his mouth, making a popping sound, then realized the unfriendly gazes of his companions around him and quickly put the coin away to avoid attracting more jealousy.

But as this fellow climbed back onto the carriage, he still shouted happily: "Kill one more, kill one more and I can get married this year! Haha!"

The frustrated soldiers who returned empty-handed couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks: "Hmph, if it were a normal year, your plan would be fine, but it's hard to say about this year."

The young soldier became nervous; at his age, he cared about this the most: "What do you mean? Big brother, give me a straight answer!"

"Idiot! The price of everything in town is rising, and you still want to get married? Are you crazy! Why not do this: wait until next year, no matter how the war is going, our Baron will definitely bring the army back. By then, these parasitic monsters, these rampaging Bandit groups, and the Villager farmers causing trouble outside town will all be dealt with. When the prices of goods in town drop, you can get married then, and won't you spend less money? The money you save is all pure profit!"

A bearded soldier explained with a 'sincere' expression.

This made the young soldier hesitate.

That seems to make sense, right?