Surviving as a Knight in a Trash Game

Chapter 154

“To think they’d go ahead with that clumsy gorge ambush…”

The moment Karl heard Rogério’s story, he predicted their utter defeat.

“Shouldn’t we try to stop them, even now?”

“I doubt they’d listen even if I told them.”

Marat had been making a fuss from the beginning, wanting to exercise his command.

It was clear that even if Karl formally commanded, they wouldn't listen to Karl's words at a crucial moment.

“Are you going to help them?”

“Well.”

Helping them rashly could lead to significant losses for the Lighthouse Knights as well.

It was clearly a trap set by the Uruks.

Though that fellow Marat seemed to be firmly mistaken that he had lured the Uruks into a trap.

Karl, who had been closing his eyes and organizing his thoughts, suddenly snapped his eyes open.

“We move towards the other separated 1,000.”

“Their numbers are large, and we only have 150.”

“We only launch a surprise attack. We don't engage in a frontal battle. The movement route of the remaining Uruks is sufficiently suitable for a mounted charge.”

The terrain on the movement path of the remaining Uruks shown on the map was indeed suitable for horse-mounted maneuvers.

“We harass them by hitting and running, reducing their numbers. Avoid direct combat and just delay their rendezvous.”

“Are you planning to buy time for them to retreat?”

“In any case, that fellow Marat can never defeat Blue Fang.”

Through several battles, Karl had sufficiently confirmed Blue Fang’s strength.

That fellow wasn't just a strong Uruk.

He possessed excellent command ability and tactical sense, making him difficult for ordinary individuals to capture.

“His decision to turn his steps towards the East here must have also been a strategic choice.”

The North had little to offer in terms of sustenance, and its high walls made it a difficult stage for Uruks to operate on.

Considering the unexpectedly strong forces of the Arthur Domain, he probably judged it better to relocate when his forces were down to about 2,000.

“We move tonight.”

Karl and the Lighthouse Knights departed in the dead of night, even before Marat and the Changong Knights moved, towards the location of the 1,000 Uruks led by Red Sole.

Thus, after a minimal rest period and rapid movement, the 1,000 Uruks, moving in a massive group, came into their sight.

“Seeing them like this, their numbers are certainly not to be underestimated.”

Until now, they had mainly subjugated Uruks who were separated into small groups, and when fighting a large number, they had the advantage of walls and ample allied forces, so they hadn't realized it.

But seeing 1,000 Uruks clustered and moving across the open plains was quite a daunting sight.

“You’re not saying you’re going to charge into that crowd, are you?”

Kelvin asked with an awkward laugh, but only Karl’s silence returned.

The members knew well that Karl’s silence meant a tacit affirmation.

“Just follow me closely. I’ll do the breaking through.”

It sounded somewhat reckless, but the members behind Karl had come this far by following Karl's back.

“I shouldn't have imagined following that back then.”

Kelvin lamented his current predicament, imagining the sight of the knighthood running after Karl in the Order back in the old days.

“It’s not too late even now. No one will stop you if you go back.”

“…You’re telling me to go back after coming all this way?”

When Karl nodded, Kelvin looked at Karl with his characteristic aggrieved expression.

“If not Kelvin Manov, the Knight of Flash, then who else would support our Commander?”

Chuckles.

Karl, looking pathetically at Kelvin who was puffing out his chest with exaggerated movements, drew his sword atop his horse.

“…? Are you going right now?”

“When you’ve made up your mind, you have to pull the trigger immediately.”

“Pull what, you say?”

At that moment, Karl’s horse, Silver, began to gallop forward at high speed.

Silver's speed, running on the open plains, the best place for a horse to run, was so fast that it was difficult for the Lighthouse Knights to catch up.

“We have to go together!”

Dudududududu!

As if it were something they had always done, the knights desperately spurred their horses to catch Karl’s back, and thus, 150 mounted knights began to race towards the Uruks, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Kurururururururu.”

Just as the rough cries of the Uruks and the sound of hooves heated the earth, a golden aura rose from the sword of Karl, who was running at the forefront.

[Karl Meyer Style. First Form Variation. Whirlwind]

The raging wind and golden aura tore through everything in all directions, instantly opening a path among the Uruks.

“Butcher Karl! Why is that human here!”

Red Sole, seeing the detestable human who had chased them all the way to the East, let out a rough cry.

“Baltara!”

Red Sole, shouting Baltara’s name in a cry close to a howl, was engulfed in blue ghostly fire and rushed towards Karl.

Though much weaker than Blue Fang, Red Sole was also a sufficiently strong Uruk.

However, his skills were insufficient to stop Karl, who had continuously grown and now overwhelmed even Blue Fang.

Kwaaaaang!

The blue ghostly fire, colliding with the golden aura, exploded and burst, and the charging Red Sole flew backwards, vomiting blood.

“Kururururu! Demonic human!”

“Aim for the horses’ flanks! Uruk warriors, throw your short spears!”

Having adapted somewhat to fighting mounted knights through several battles, they hurled short spears imbued with ghostly fire towards the Lighthouse Knights.

Whoooosh!

The sight of over a hundred short spears flying at high speed with a fierce tearing sound was chillingly ferocious.

“Turn to the right!”

Then, the knights, excluding Karl, naturally veered to the right and began to ride their horses.

At the lead, following Karl, Kelvin emitted a white light aura, slaughtering the Uruks and clearing a path.

[Karl Meyer Style. 7th Form. Falling Moon]

As the Lighthouse Knights veered right, cut through the Uruk horde, and exited the battlefield, a crescent-shaped golden aura, rising from the sword of Karl who remained at the rear, was launched towards the incoming short spears.

The crescent-shaped aura, which instantly grew in size, cut down most of the flying short spears and disappeared into the air.

Even the charging Uruks were aghast at the magnificent sight.

“Kuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaargh!”

Red Sole, seeing his crucial short spear attack blocked, let out a roar filled with anger.

The Uruks’ losses from that single charge seemed to be at least 100.

“Butcher Kaaaaarl!”

Filled with anger, he brandished ghostly fire all over his body and once again flew towards Karl.

Kuuuuuuung!

Red Sole, who had leaped high into the sky and then fallen to the ground, trembled with anger once more the moment he landed.

“Where are you going? Has a warrior no shame! Come out and fight me!”

“No.”

At that single, insincere, and short declaration, just as Red Sole’s eyes were about to roll back, Karl was already far from the battlefield, riding his horse.

Thus, the Lighthouse Knights’ first charge ended successfully.

***

“Hmm…”

After the first charge, the knights, who had positioned themselves quite far from the Uruks, let out a low groan at the unexpectedly unfavorable situation.

It was a miracle-like achievement to charge at over a thousand Uruks, cut down over 100 of them, and have no fatalities.

But while there were no deaths, the damage sustained was not insignificant.

Most of the short spears were blocked, but about 10 horses were severely injured and became difficult to operate.

Many had also suffered quite large injuries from being hit by enemy weapons during the charge.

Although they administered first aid with relief supplies and treated them with potions, it was a situation where a charge like the first one would be difficult to undertake easily.

“The same trick won’t work next time.”

“I suppose not.”

They were Uruks they had encountered countless times in the North.

This time, the Uruks might have responded poorly to the sudden appearance of the Lighthouse Knights, but next time, they would surely be able to respond much more quickly.

“That’s why this charge was necessary.”

“…?”

To instill in them the thought that a charge could come at any time, and to harass the Uruks as much as possible by circling around them in the future – that was the core of the Lighthouse Knights’ planned operation.

“Our goal is not to subjugate all of them. We just need to prevent them from joining Blue Fang, that’s all.”

Rogério and the other Lighthouse Knights also agreed with Karl’s words and nodded.

And from the next day, they began to see the surprising effect of the first day’s charge.

“Kurururururu! Stop being cowardly and fight!”

“Kuuuuuaaaaaaargh! Come at us, humans! Fight us, humans!”

When they deliberately made hoofbeat sounds and approached, the Uruks would shout and prepare to fight thoroughly.

Even when they didn't appear, they remained tense and checked their weapons.

Karl and the members sometimes shot arrows, and at other times, they would sneak up, slit the throats of a few Uruks, and flee.

After about three days of this, fatigue began to show even in the eyes of the Uruks with their robust stamina, and extreme exhaustion was caked on their faces.

On the other hand, the faces of the Lighthouse Knights, who had continued their containment without launching any significant attacks, eating and resting well, were glowing.

Through two days of various treatments, including potions, their injuries were well managed, and even those injured in the first charge had recovered enough to move sufficiently.

When the two days of containment reached their peak, Karl once again raised his sword to the sky.

“All units, charge.”

With that short phrase, the knights, led by Karl, began to ride their horses towards the exhausted Uruks.

By the time the dust cloud kicked up by the hooves rose enough to obscure vision, a golden aura erupted from the front, beginning to split the Uruks in half.

“Kurururururu…!”

“Butcher…! Karl! Butcher…! Karl!!!”

Red Sole, the chieftain of the Uruk horde, became furious to the point of his hair standing on end and began to charge towards Karl.

He approached quickly and launched a critical blow, but unfortunately, the iron club in Red Sole’s hand couldn't even graze Karl’s clothes.

“You baaaaastard!”

Then, Karl’s indifferent eyes once again turned towards Red Sole, who was charging at him.

“…!”

When his indifferent eyes met Karl’s, Red Sole, who was rushing towards Karl, felt the illusion that lightning had pierced his head and struck him down to the ground.

‘…What is this.’

It was a type of emotion he had never experienced as a proud warrior of the Uruk tribe.

‘What in the world… is this…!’

He had always been a proud warrior before Baltara.

He had gone to the battlefield without fearing death, overcome any difficulty, and obtained the blue ghostly fire, the symbol of a warrior, that he now possessed.

But strangely, while his body was moving towards Karl, his spirit was struggling to get away from Karl.

In a situation where his body and spirit were acting separately, Red Sole let out a rough shout.

“I am… Baltara’s great warrior…! The Uruk tribe’s warrior! Red Sole!”

He shook off the fear, an emotion he had never felt before in his life, with a rough roar and thrust his club forward.

Whoooosh!

Simultaneously with the club, filled with blue ghostly fire, flying with a rough tearing sound, Karl’s golden aura flashed before Red Sole’s eyes.

[Karl Meyer Style. 8th Form. Flash]

The strike, which pursued only extreme speed, was itself a single streak of light.

“Kururururu… Baltara!”

The body of Red Sole, who until a moment ago had been emitting streams of blue ghostly fire and a menacing aura, slowly tilted forward.

And the ghostly fire that had been blooming from his body died down as if it were a lie.

“I don’t know for sure, but you will be able to enter what you call your hall of warriors.”

Perhaps he heard Karl’s final murmur; Red Sole’s expression became peaceful as he completely stopped breathing.

“Retreat.”

Karl, having slain Red Sole, quickly led his members away from the spot.

When Karl, having moved a considerable distance away from the Uruks, looked back, the Uruks were letting out cries that sounded like a sad song.