Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

They had been waiting for a long time, from the still bright afternoon until now, when the lights were on all night. But there was still no news of the last assassin's capture. The search party was still searching the nearby mountains and seas, like fishermen catching a big fish. But even now, when the last messenger arrived, there was still no news of success.

Just as Brazil's Saiyaros said before, the south was destroyed and conquered so quickly that even the empire's administrative and law enforcement agencies couldn't react in time. This left the forces in the shadows relatively weak. Although they successfully lured the enemy out, it would still take some effort to successfully capture them...

409 Each with their own ulterior motives (4)

Patience is a trait that varies greatly from person to person; some have more, some have less. This is partly due to innate personality traits, but also shaped by life experiences and trials. For some, sitting patiently all day is effortless. For others, however, keeping still for even ten minutes is as unbearable as being bitten by insects or burned by fire.

Tersolius was used to waiting... A war only lasts for a few days of actual fighting; the rest of the time is spent on preparation, deployment, advances, and probing. Marching is the majority of the time in warfare, and a truly large-scale battle will not end in a short period of time. The two armies clash and grind against each other in the crucible of iron and blood. Commanders do not have a so-called God's-eye view; at most, they can only see the general outline from a high vantage point. More detailed information depends on the constant stream of messengers and officers under their command before they can make a judgment.

In this situation, patience is not a praiseworthy quality, but a necessary foundation... Otherwise, a moment of impatience might bring annihilation to one's army. Only by being calm and composed enough, and not being disturbed by external factors, can one make accurate judgments based on limited information. This is the essence of remaining calm even when a mountain collapses before you.

If he wanted, he could sit here until tomorrow morning and ponder many things during that time, but there was clearly no need for that now, because a messenger had already appeared in their sight.

The man was stopped by the guards when he was about ten meters away from the small shed. As he dismounted, much of the dust on his black robe was shaken off. His brass mask was shaped like a bird's beak that protruded forward. To reduce weight, it was covered with diamond-shaped cutouts of various sizes, and it seemed that there was a filter material in the middle.

After a brief examination, he was allowed to pass through the heavy guards and approach Thesolius, where he knelt on one knee.

"My lord, the operation has been a success. We have captured all the culprits, including the mastermind behind it all. Minister Brazilairos instructed me..."

I've come to report this to you and request that Dr. Talina handle the matter.

The long-awaited news finally arrived, and everyone felt relieved—after all, their concern was never that the other side was invincible, but that these cunning and treacherous guys would take the opportunity to escape, making it impossible to capture them, which would mean all their efforts had been in vain.

"Let's go then, we've been here long enough..."

Tersolius stood up and stretched his shoulders. They had spent the entire afternoon eating and drinking there. Although they hadn't drunk any alcohol to avoid interfering with their business, it had still been a bit too leisurely, allowing his tense nerves to relax considerably. Standing up now, he felt the muscles in his back gradually loosen from their tension.

“I’m tired of catching these rats everywhere. This time, let’s try to dig out their rat holes—if the rat holes are within our reach.”

........................

If a person's hands and feet are bound, and the only part of their body that can move is their tongue, then they are truly without freedom and cannot even end their own life—biting off one's tongue to commit suicide is a very harsh method. In most cases, even if you can endure the pain and bite off your tongue, the amount of bleeding is not enough to kill you. At most, you will lose the ability to speak and can only hope that the severed tongue will retract and block your airway... but that is still not very reliable.

In this situation, a person has absolutely no control over their own life and safety, and is completely at the mercy of others. The captives can do whatever they want to them, inflicting all sorts of torture on their bodies and using pain and extreme torment to extract information from their minds.

Reaching a state where one cannot live and cannot die is definitely not anyone's wish. Compared to that, a quick and clean death seems exceptionally merciful. Therefore, as long as you can make up your mind, suicide is a good choice before your ability to move is completely restricted, provided you have the ability to do so.

Patrick certainly has this ability. In fact, if he doesn't replenish the primordial fluid regularly, the awakened parasite inside his body will begin to devour his flesh from the inside out, drain his brain, and kill him in extreme pain. This process will not even change because of his will, just as a raging flood will not change course because someone stands in his way.

In addition, he can control the parasite in his body to sever vital organs and nerves at any time. Even if it detects that his tongue has uttered certain words, the vicious guest in his body will not hesitate to destroy his mind and completely take over his body. So no matter what, he has no chance of leaking information. From the moment he was captured, his fate was already sealed.

Although he had anticipated this day, he still couldn't help feeling a little melancholy when it finally arrived... Yes, only melancholy, and perhaps a little nostalgia.

He couldn't help but think of his days as a leatherworker—in other people's eyes, being a leatherworker was tiring and smelly, spending every day in smelly leather, hair and mud, not only sweating profusely, but also always having a stench that was hard to get rid of even after repeated baths.

Neighbors would even build their houses further away for this reason, to avoid being repeatedly affected by the strong stench... Given a choice, few people would choose to be a cobbler, even though the job pays quite well.

To others, his life seemed quite difficult, but when he looks back now, he only feels nostalgic. It was only half a month ago, but it feels like decades have passed. It feels both strange and familiar to him, yet he can clearly recall every blade of grass and every tree there.

The seven or eight large barrels piled up in the yard, used for soaking tanned leather, smelled terrible in the hot weather, but he had gotten used to the smell and could reach in and take out the soaking leather without batting an eye.

The scraper used to remove hair from leather was specially made by the village blacksmith according to his usage habits. The handles on both sides are angled slightly larger, making it more convenient for him to use. The steel is also quite hard, and he has been using it to this day with very little need for sharpening.

He made five wooden frames himself to stretch the leather, while his apprentices made the remaining three. Although the two apprentices were not exactly clumsy, they were always careless about the details and had been scolded by him several times.

He built the two houses bit by bit himself. One main room was used for sleeping, resting, and eating, and the other side room was used as a warehouse to store the leathers and other things they had cleaned. He was prepared to live there for the rest of his life, so both houses were made of solid materials and it took two whole years to barely finish building them.

He even vividly remembered the days he dug the foundation, painstakingly clearing away excess soil and stones bit by bit with shovels and picks, piling up the large rocks to form the foundation. He then carbonized one end of a thick log and buried it deep into the ground…

What an ordinary and arduous life it was, almost one where you could see the camera at a glance... But he had already killed the leatherworker with his own hands, drowning him in the water. Now he was just an assassin, and a failed one at that.

He had heard how the Imperials dealt with their enemies and criminals who fell into their hands. The jailers were not only good at arresting criminals—to be precise, torture was their main job, and arresting criminals was a less important responsibility.

They never hesitate to use the cruelest methods on those they deem guilty. Even if someone has an iron tongue, they will peel off that iron tongue bit by bit once they fall into their hands. Of course, he doesn't think he can withstand such torture, but fortunately, he doesn't have to.

He briefly reviewed his life, sighed with melancholy, and then a bitter smile appeared on his lips. He prepared to end his life at the right time—to order the parasite inside him to destroy his brain and completely hand over this body to it.

He would then become a complete monster, and he wouldn't care what happened to that monster, even if he were torn to pieces by those black-clad crows. After all, who could blame a dead man?

As for the timing—of course, it would be when Tersolius came to watch the results of his hunt. His completely mutated body would then be able to give the other party a surprise. Even if he couldn't completely eliminate this major threat, there was a high chance that he could injure the other party's trusted followers. Even if he couldn't injure anyone, he could still free him.

Just as he was lost in thought, a metallic scraping sound came from the side, completely diverting his attention... and this was a decision he would later regret.

What came into view was a steel mask with a half-smile, covered in scratches. The edges and some dents were dark in color, but there was no rust. The steel gleamed warmly from being rubbed, and dangerous eyes seemed to be thoughtfully observing him from behind.

"Nice to meet you, my prey. I still don't know your name. Perhaps you'll tell me before I make my move, so I won't have to give you a number."

Patrick frowned, a sense of foreboding creeping over him, but the other person shook his head as if he were making a fool of himself.

"Never mind, I'll ask you later, but it seems like you're plotting something rather unsavory—"

"!!" His eyes widened suddenly as he realized something, but it was too late. The steel claws embedded in the deerskin gloves gripped the severed tentacle on his shoulder, piercing it with their sharp tips, and then released it without hesitation, like a viper biting its prey with lightning speed.

But he was horrified to discover that the parasite inside his body was rapidly losing its vitality—this was the first time he had ever felt the creature so weak and powerless since he had accepted it. It should have been vicious and restless at all times, and he had to be on guard and vigilant against it at all times.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve dealt with guys like you. After being burned twice, we naturally know how to handle this…” Brazil’s Saiyar looked at the drop of green liquid at the end of his glove’s steel claws and shook his hand in disgust. “Speaking of which, those freaks of yours that commit suicide as soon as they’re caught disgusted me for a long time. But at least their corpses were useful. They showed me the general distribution of this stuff in your bodies, so we can treat the problem effectively.”

The inside of the gloves and steel claws of the Brazilian Searos are engraved with a small groove filled with drugs. The effects range from numbness, pain, and confusion to death. The drugs take effect the moment the steel claws pierce the flesh, making them quite interesting for both capturing criminals and interrogating people.

He was not only a master of arrests, but also an expert in torture and imprisonment. He was the figure that criminals and traitors feared. He had dealt with and handled all kinds of strange guys. The expression on their faces might be very subtle to others, but it could not be hidden from him. He naturally knew what this guy was up to.

It's not uncommon for prisoners to commit suicide before being interrogated; some even slit their own throats the moment they see them, just to avoid the torture that follows... In a way, they're not wrong at all.

"Alright, you're still very useful to us. We'll have to figure out how to get this thing out of your body later. Don't worry, we'll try our best not to let you die. But in the meantime, you should think carefully about what choice you should make."

"I would welcome you to persevere a little longer, as that would be a good thing for me as well. After all, no matter what skill it is, it will become rusty if you don't use it for a long time. I haven't practiced it for quite some time now."

Finally, he tapped the man's head twice with his knuckles. Brazil's Saiyaros chuckled mockingly and leisurely left amidst the man's livid face. In the brightly lit stone cell, illuminated by torches and braziers, only a human figure remained, bound by iron chains, clamps, and a sturdy cross, now too exhausted to even struggle.

A few skinny mice, along with cockroaches, crawled out from the dark corner, beginning their squeaking. And yet, dawn was still a long way off…

410 Nest (1)

"It's very difficult, sir."

Tarina frowned as she scribbled on the parchment in front of her. Colin, curious, leaned closer and saw that a human figure had been quickly sketched on the paper with delicate strokes. It was clearly a compact man, and the long, thin tentacles drawn with dark ink on the limbs and key parts of the body were undoubtedly what they wanted to remove.

Colin felt dizzy just looking at it. The tentacles of all sizes covered almost every corner of its body, and even the tips of its fingers had tiny branches. It was as if another blood vessel was growing out of the human body. The two most important convergence points in the body were the brainstem below the brain and the area below the heart where it meets the lungs.

These very things granted this ordinary man superhuman agility and strength, yet they also completely occupied every inch of his body, making one wonder whether he was a man who had undergone physical modification and was being parasitized, or a monster who retained his past consciousness and appearance.

Even with no prior knowledge of this subject, Colin immediately realized the difficulty of the task—removing all these things from a person's body was akin to replacing all of their blood vessels without endangering their life... Could a mere mortal truly accomplish this?!

Karila, who was next to her, was clearly unaware of the current situation. She turned her head in confusion to look at a bird hopping in a tree outside... It was a chubby little bird with a round head and downy feathers all over its body. It had a pale yellow beak and amber round eyes. There were two tufts of feathers on its head sticking out diagonally, like two small horns.

She had seen this little creature in the capital of the empire; I think its name was something like Scops Owl… or maybe it didn’t have horns? Karila only remembered that Talina had said that this little thing could deliver messages and relay information, but she didn’t know how it managed to do that with its round head and chubby face.

"Too many parts of his body have been infected by parasites and modifications. To completely remove these parts, we would have to cut him open... This is extremely difficult, and we could easily ruin everything if we were not careful."

Tersolius raised an eyebrow in surprise... He certainly understood what Talina was saying. His surprise wasn't because of the difficulties they were about to face, but because Talina actually had a chance of success under such circumstances!

Given his knowledge and the circumstances of their time, he simply couldn't imagine how to remove such a thing from the human body, especially something that was so deeply entrenched and ubiquitous, like tree roots... And Tarina's implication that he still had a sliver of hope of success in this situation surprised him greatly.

"...You mean even under these circumstances, you can separate the parasite from his body? Doctor, even if there's only a 1% chance?"

Tarina nodded solemnly.

"Yes, sir, but it's only a theoretical possibility, and only a possibility of separation... not including other issues that follow. Moreover, his body is very likely not able to support me to that extent, and he is more likely to die halfway through. The modifications he underwent were too profound, to the point that he can hardly be called a human anymore, more like a chimera with a parasite."

"They are almost indistinguishable from one another. Many of their vital organs have been suppressed and devoured by the parasites. Even if we are able to separate them, it will inevitably cause severe damage to the original body, and the consequences are still unpredictable."

“The toxins we usually use are also ineffective this time. It is different from any target we have captured before. It is the first time that it has shown such a profound symbiosis.”

Tersolius tapped the steel armor on his arm with his fingers, paused briefly, and then suddenly asked:

"What about the other person? Is he in the same situation?"

Tarina shook her head, reached for another parchment, and her expression softened considerably.

"...The other target's condition is different. The parasite inside him is unusually weak and atrophied, as if it had been in a long slumber. It doesn't have that extreme irreplaceable quality, so the chances of removing it are much higher, and it's also easier for it to recover its health, making it more valuable to us."

“We probably can’t confirm who their leader is yet…” Tersolius took two steps forward, looking down at the prisoner who had been crippled by the piercings through his shoulders and the back of his knees. “Besides, I won’t believe anything that comes out of those two tongues now; they’re bound to carry a sinister poison, trying to harm our health without us even realizing it. In comparison, the information that Brazil’s Seyalos extracted from them is more trustworthy… But I think even if the surgery is successful, they’ll have a hard time withstanding the torture, won’t they?”

Tarina drew her silver short staff and gently poked the prisoner's well-developed muscles:

"To be precise, they cannot withstand severe torture. Their bodies are very tough, and they are not easily killed by any torture other than those that cause disability... Perhaps Mr. Brazil Saiyaros could give it a try."

A shadow flickered in the corner, and Brazil Saiyaros, who had been standing there the whole time, slowly walked forward to their side and bowed to Tesorus.

"Please entrust them to me with confidence, sir. I will squeeze every last bit of value out of their minds... We are not skilled in crude techniques, nor do we need to harm their bodies to achieve our goals. Sometimes pain doesn't have to be bloody."

Tesorus raised an eyebrow, looked at the calm and composed face of Brazil Saiyaros, and began to speak with interest:

Are you very confident?

“Yes, sir.” A chilling smile appeared on the lips of Brazil Saiyaros. “This situation is not uncommon for us. Not all prisoners are strong enough to withstand those severe tortures. There are always some who have become accustomed to a life of luxury and indulgence, letting their bodies become weak and feeble. We naturally have other methods to deal with them, but these guys are generally not tough, so we rarely use them.”

"It's truly breathtaking..."

Thesolius turned his head to look at a patch of ground illuminated by the sunlight outside the window, where extremely fine moss grew in the cracks of the ground, thriving in that small patch of cool, dampness, displaying extraordinary vitality.

"Then it's up to you, Brazil Saiyaros. I trust you won't disappoint me as always. Make them tell me everything they know... Of course, the most important thing is the true base of the Holy Order of Knowledge."

Brazilian Saiyaros bowed and accepted the order, a hint of savage pleasure on his face.

“I couldn’t be happier, sir. I would love to use these two to hone my skills…”

"And, Talina."

Tersolius turned and grabbed Tarina's shoulder, causing the girl to shudder, but she quickly regained her composure and his expression turned serious.

"We can begin now..."

There was no need to say anything extra. Talina simply nodded calmly. She was no longer the village doctor who would panic in the face of trouble. What she had experienced was something that many girls could never imagine in their entire lives, and something that many doctors would never touch even in their nightmares.

She had already experienced many hells and hardships, so this was nothing compared to what she had gone through.

..............................

Human bones are a very strong structure, at least for a thin knife—trying to cut through hard bone with a thin blade is often just wishful thinking on the part of an inexperienced novice, and the result they usually get is only a damaged blade and scratched bone.

Axes and long knives, which can easily cut bones, cannot be used in situations where people need to be rescued. In such cases, other tools are needed to help.

The sound of bones breaking was incredibly jarring in the quiet room, but Tarina calmly put down the pliers in her hand, looking thoughtfully at the chest cavity she had just opened.

What comes into view is a very healthy heart and two healthy lungs, both a vibrant pink color with a uniform surface and soft texture, without any suspicious lumps or white spots, beating with each breath, continuously delivering oxygen and blood to all parts of the body.

Only a small amount of blood seeped from the cut, which became even less noticeable as the blue light flashed, allowing her to calmly observe the person she was about to deal with.

Using silver tweezers, the heart was gently pushed upwards a short distance, and then the two lobes of the lungs were slightly separated to the sides. What came into view was a black sac that was twitching and trembling, with countless tiny tentacles on its surface penetrating into the surrounding flesh and blood, twitching in sync with the heartbeat.

Upon seeing the target appear, Tarina's eyes became even more sharp and cautious. She reached to the side, and Yelia knowingly handed her a slender silver needle from the tray. At the same time, she carefully took a bottle from the other tray, removed the cork, and exposed the bright red liquid inside.

This wasn't the kind of potent poison Talina usually used, or more precisely, not the kind that spreads through the bloodstream. Instead, it was a uniquely concocted corrosive liquid—and all she had to do was use this long needle, with its finely carved grooves at the end, to corrode the tentacles one by one, thus completely detaching the parasite.

This is definitely not a simple task. It requires absolute precision in controlling one's own body and extremely sharp eyesight. It's like using the tip of a knife to pick off a mosquito's wings, and then accurately removing those wings without harming the mosquito.

When there are only one or two mosquitoes, it's easy to do this, but if there are dozens or hundreds, it's enough to make your scalp tingle.

Compared to the slender tentacles, the connected heart and lungs appear much thicker and stronger. Even if they are contaminated by this small amount of liquid, it will only corrode some of the surface mucosa, causing no serious harm. Moreover, the drying and corrosion will also cause the ends of the tentacles to curl up and char, ensuring that no fish escapes the net.

Talina brought only three assistants with her. Yelia was responsible for preparing various instruments and medicines for her, another was responsible for wiping the sweat from her forehead, and the last one was responsible for dealing with the surrounding environment... At least in this situation, she still had to handle most things herself, as her assistants were not yet capable of doing so.

This was unavoidable. To reach her current level, even a very talented doctor would need at least 12 to 18 years, and the assistants' growth was far from sufficient.

She held the silver needle in her hand, its end filled with crimson liquid. After taking a deep breath, Tarina immediately began her work without hesitation. The incredibly sharp needle pierced the hair-thin tentacle with lightning speed, and after a brief pause, she swiftly withdrew it, then pierced another tentacle nearby.

Visibly, the moment she pulled out the needle, the tiny, black, glossy tentacle began to curl up, shrinking rapidly into a ball as if it had been roasted in a flame, and retracting from the thick texture of the lung.

Seeing the excellent results, Tarina no longer hesitated and moved even faster, as if cutting off a whole piece of cystic flesh with a heated knife. The black cyst was gradually peeled off with the tweezers and the sharp needles, and fine beads of blood seeped from the tainted flesh during the process, staining the originally healthy pink internal organs a scarlet red.

At this moment, the assistants on both sides worked together, using silver paddles without sharp edges to push aside the internal organs that were obstructing their view. At the same time, whenever the parasites began to stir, a short silver staff would be placed on it, and as the blue light surged over it, the slight agitation would subside.

This is a huge project, but now it seems there is a good chance of it being completed perfectly. No one dared to whisper to each other, but joy was still evident in their eyes.

The floors here are made of spotless mosaic marble, and even the ceiling has been cleaned spotless by the servants. It was originally a hall used by the lord to entertain distinguished guests. It is spacious and clean and dry enough.

At this moment, sunlight streamed into the room through the window, clearly revealing the movement of dust particles in the air. However, these particles abruptly disappeared around the operating table, as if an invisible semi-circular dome had isolated everything. Only the doctors were busily working in a tense but orderly manner, while armored and armed guards stood outside. In the shadows, black robes and gray figures flashed by…

411 Nest (2)

A large, sticky, tangled mass of tubular material, resembling intestines, was torn from the chest cavity. It was covered in mucus and blood and was even twitching and wriggling weakly during the process. Finally, it was thrown onto a tray next to it, where it continued to tangle and spread.

It was as terrifying as a large clump of snakes mating together, and as disgusting as a large clump of tangled earthworms. The tentacles of varying sizes had evenly distributed segments, and a transparent mucus with a slight yellow tinge was evenly distributed in every area, making a unique sticky sound as it wriggled.

At this moment, a pungent, fishy smell spread, like cutting open the bellies of dozens of fat locusts and then putting them under a pottery jar to simmer for two days, only without such a strong smell of decay.

No sane person would want to get close to this thing, let alone implant it into their body. But what they are doing now is removing these things from the human body and making its host a person again.

For others, this would be an impossible feat, even bordering on the miraculous, but for Talina and her assistants, it was not an impossible task... It only required enough patience, skill, and a little bit of luck.

Fortunately, luck has been on their side until now.