I am a wicked dragon, and you want me to fall into goodness?

Chapter 124 Inventorying the Loot (3k)

Dozens of kilometers east of Xingluo City, the night was as dark as ink splashed across the wilderness.

The blood moon broke free from the clouds and hung in the sky, its pale crimson light spilling across the entire camp, casting an eerie red rim around the rows of black tents.

The Blood Bat Knights' encampment was completely exposed.

The campfire roared, crackling and popping amidst rough laughter and curses. The aroma of roasting meat mingled with the strong scent of ale, filling the night air.

The five hundred knights removed most of their armor and sat in twos and threes around the campfire.

They used daggers to stab the roasted, juicy meat and devoured it, the oil dripping down their fingers.

Or they might hold a rough earthenware jar, tilt their head back, and gulp down the liquor, soaking their clothes along their necks. They would then wipe their mouths without a care and loudly boast about their ruthless exploits during raids on settlements.

Armor and weapons were piled up haphazardly beside them. The camp was completely unprepared for war. Only a few knights on duty were lazily leaning against tree trunks, dozing off with unfocused eyes.

Abel gripped the longsword at his waist, his brow furrowed deeply. The relaxed atmosphere in the camp only intensified his unease.

He weaved through the noisy crowd, avoiding the wine jugs and animal bones on the ground, and strode towards the largest main tent in the center of the camp.

The two guards outside the tent saw it was him and casually gestured before letting him pass.

The tent was even warmer, and a sumptuous feast of meat and wine was laid out on the animal skin carpet.

Vice-Commander Valentine was reclining in a plush chair, his collar open, tearing at a leg of lamb with one hand and taking a hearty swig from a jug with the other. "Vice-Commander Valentine," Abel bowed. "I have important news to report."

Valentine finished chewing the meat in his mouth, slammed the wine jug on the table, and said impatiently, "Abel? What are you doing here? Speak quickly if you have something to say."

"Deputy Commander, the camp's security is far too lax!" Abel said bluntly.

"We just raided Xinghui's village, and there's no guarantee they won't send troops to retaliate. We should increase the number of sentries and put everyone on high alert."

Instead of indulging in drinking here after the attack, giving the other side an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

"Abel, you've spoiled my fun."

Valentine rose and paced back and forth, patting Abel's shoulder armor with such force that Abel groaned, "A bunch of stray dogs."

"Where did they get the nerve to come closer?"

He laughed wildly, turned around and lifted a corner of the tent, pointing to the night sky. Outside the main tent, a blood moon hung high in the inky sky.

"The great Seravis is shining upon us! The power of every knight is surging, and ordinary knightly orders are no match for us!"

He suddenly drew his sword from his side, the blade glowing crimson in the dim light of the blood moon.

He casually unleashed a sharp sword aura, cleaving straight at the wooden pillar beside the tent. As wood chips flew, half of the pillar snapped in two.

"What are those good-for-nothings who escaped from Elijah?"

"Anyone with a brain should know that launching a sneak attack is tantamount to walking into a trap!"

Outside the tent came the laughter and drinking games of the knights, and the campfire crackled.

"No one in this world would be foolish enough to choose the blood moon to launch a sneak attack on the Blood Bat Knights at their peak!"

"Forget about a counterattack, they're too scared to even hide in Starfall City and tremble with fear! Just relax and drink, hahaha!!!"

After saying that, he turned around and sat back in his chair, continuing to eat heartily. He was very satisfied with the food and wine and paid no further attention to Abel.

Abel watched his arrogant back, then looked at the blood-red full moon outside the tent.

He swallowed back the words of dissuasion that were on his lips, realizing that it was indeed true. Saying more would only be pointless and might even earn him the charge of disrupting morale.

As the crimson moonlight faded, the commotion that had lasted all night finally began to subside.

The camp was left only with a mess and the snoring of the knights fast asleep.

The embers of the campfire were smoldering, the wine jars were overturned, the armor and weapons were still scattered, and even the sentries on duty were curled up by the trees, fast asleep.

Abel stayed up until late at night and, seeing no unusual activity, finally felt relieved and went back to his tent to catch up on sleep.

Just as dawn was breaking, a sharp whistling sound suddenly ripped through the silence.

Karen did not choose to launch the attack at night, but rather in the morning.

Arrows rained down from the dense forest on the east side like locusts, precisely piercing the sentry's throat.

The Bloodbat Knight was suddenly awakened from his sleep. Just as he was about to reach for his weapon, the sounds of clashing armor and screams filled the air.

Karen personally led the Red Fang Knights as the vanguard, with the Silver Leaf Knights flanking from both sides, and the Moon Bow Knights providing precise fire from the rear, launching a fierce offensive.

"Enemy attack! Be on guard!" Abel broke out in a cold sweat, grabbed his weapon, and rushed out of the tent, only to find the camp in complete chaos.

Although the knights of Starshine were poorly equipped, they were numerous, with the Red Fang Knights charging into battle with blood on their hands.

As the blades flashed, Bloodbat Knights fell one after another. The elite warriors who had been so arrogant just last night were now powerless to fight back in the surprise attack.

Abel's heart pounded. Valentine was the backbone of the entire army; he had to find him first to stabilize the situation!

He swung his sword to parry the spear that came at him, killed a Silver Leaf Knight, and ran wildly towards the main tent, stepping over the blood-stained ground.

As soon as he rushed to the front of the main tent, Abel's footsteps froze on the spot, and his blood instantly froze.

The open space in front of the main tent was in a mess.

Valentine's heavy armor was scattered all over the ground, and the body of the tenth-level expert, the Baron personally appointed by Earl Cons, lay broken in two in a pool of blood.

He clearly saw Valentine's wide-open eyes before he died, filled with astonishment and resentment.

Last night, the vice-commander, who could cleave a wooden pillar in two with a single sword and was full of vigor thanks to the power of the blood moon, is now reduced to a corpse.

Karen stood not far away, her body devoid of any unnecessary ferocity. Her cold blue eyes swept over Valentine's corpse with unusual calm.

It was as if they had just killed ants on the roadside.

The battle was so fast that no one could see the whole picture. All that was known was that Valentine hastily drew his sword and was killed by Karen with a single blow, without even a chance to retaliate.

"Vice-Commander Valentine—" Abel's throat was dry and hoarse, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Even a level 10 powerhouse is utterly vulnerable in the face of Karen's absolute strength.

"This is a top-tier professional! This is a baron personally appointed by Earl Constance!!"

The last vestiges of hope he had lasted last night have now turned into a deep-seated fear.

The chaos in the camp escalated, and the leaderless Bloodbat Knights completely collapsed, kneeling and begging for mercy, while most others simply scattered and fled.

When Abel came to his senses, the instinct for survival instantly overwhelmed everything. He turned sharply and rushed toward the dense forest on the west side of the camp.

His figure had just disappeared into the shadows of the dense forest to the east when a few surviving Bloodbat Knights in the camp caught a glimpse of him.

Those were three veterans who had boasted about their victories with Valentine the night before. Now, seeing the Earl's confidants flee first, their last shred of fighting spirit shattered instantly.

"Run! Lord Abel has headed east!"

Their escape served as a signal, and the already disorganized Bloodbat Knights followed suit, forming small groups in twos and threes, and scattering in all directions like madmen.

As the sounds of battle subsided, the knights of the Red Fang Knights stood with their blood-stained weapons.

The ferocity of his blood-soaked charge had not yet subsided, but when he looked at Karen's back, his eyes held a deep sense of awe.

He stared intently at the tall figure standing before Valentine's corpse.

The Silver Leaf Knights had already regrouped, after many people had secretly criticized Karen for being too reckless in launching the coup.

They felt that Karen had stirred up the kingdom's situation with her own reckless courage, and even worried that Starshine would be destroyed by internal strife.

That lingering resentment was completely crushed by this thunderous victory.

Karen glanced down at the mess on the floor, looking down at the overwhelming victory.

Commander Oliver, panting, suggested, "Your Highness Karen, the remaining Bloodbat Knights have scattered and fled. Should we send troops in pursuit?"

Karen looked up toward the dense forest and refuted Commander Oliver's suggestion: "No need."

Everyone was taken aback. Shouldn't they take advantage of their crushing defeat and press their advantage?

Many knights looked confused.

Before anyone could speak again, a fierce gust of wind suddenly swept up from behind, and sand and blood foam rushed towards them.

The riders instinctively turned to look at the sky, and in that instant, everyone forgot to breathe, and all the advice that was on the tip of their tongues was stuck in their throats.

What a magnificent dragon it was!

Its enormous size seemed to blot out the sky, and each flap of its wings unleashed a violent howl.

It is covered with fine, dark blue scales, and its muscles are smooth and full of explosive power, as if it could tear the whole world apart.

The first to react was a knight from the Silver Leaf Knights. He stared intently at the dragon, his cloudy eyes suddenly flashing with a sharp light.

"It's His Highness Prince Puser!"

"No wonder Prince Karen didn't care about the fleeing soldiers at all. With Prince Puse around, those fleeing guys have no chance of escaping the dragon's pursuit!"

"With His Highness Puser here, those defeated soldiers are indeed nothing to fear."

Karen looked up at the giant dragon in the sky, her deep blue eyes flashing with different emotions.

This was his nominal "master," and also the partner Karen had chosen, someone she could entrust her life to.

Now that Puse has chosen to make his move, given his personality, it's estimated that few knights who choose to flee will survive.

Karen ordered the still-dazed knights, "What are you all standing there for? Now, immediately take stock of the battlefield spoils."

He pointed to the armor and weapons scattered on the ground: "Starshine's military preparedness was already scarce. When expanding their territory, how many knights were ambushed by intelligent monsters, hindering Starshine's expansion?"

"Commander Oliver, lead the knights to inventory all usable weaponry, sort and pack the intact armor, and take the damaged ones back to town for repair."

"Weapons must be gathered up, arrows must be collected, and food and supplies must be prepared; not a single bit must be wasted."

"Furthermore, I order that the fallen knights must be properly buried and brought back for a proper knightly burial. They must not be left to rot in the wilderness."

The knights snapped out of their daze, the shock of the dragon's appearance instantly fading, and hurriedly resumed their actions.

They bent down and stripped off their standard-issue iron armor, brushed away the blood and dust, and stacked it neatly according to the weight of the armor.

He then bent down to gather the sharp swords and spears, wiped the bloodstains off the blades, tied them up in pairs, and placed them beside the carriage.

The Moonbow Knights are dedicated to collecting arrows, picking them up even if the shafts are slightly bent or the arrowheads are bloody.

The excellent military equipment left behind by the Bloodbat Knights was collected one by one. The damaged armor was piled up separately, and the food and rations were carefully packed and sealed, not daring to waste a single bit.

For the impoverished Starshine Kingdom, these were all valuable items.