I was a knight in the Middle Ages

Chapter 422: Together we gain, but apart we lose

Cold water seeped out of the damp rock walls, gathering into winding water marks on the ground. The sentinels sent by the monkeys held swaying torches, and the flames flickered in the draft, barely illuminating the dark corridor several dozen meters ahead. The darkness in the distance was as wide open as the abyss of hell.

"Master Alpha, there are traces of blood dragging on the ground, and claw marks on the stone wall..." The sentry's voice trembled. The cracks on the rock wall swaying in the light and shadow of the torch looked like the bared fangs of some giant beast.

Alpha squatted down and dipped his fingertips into the dried blood stains - dark red with a strange blue-black hue. The jagged scratches on both sides of the passage were two people tall, deeply embedded in the granite, with waxy substances on the edges, shining in the light of the torch.

"Stay alert, advance in diamond formation." Alpha's voice mixed with the sound of dripping water echoed in the passage. The Bloodthirsty Spear on his waist suddenly made a slight humming sound, and the pattern on the gun body glowed dark red, which seemed to indicate that danger was about to happen.

The eight guard knights immediately drew their swords from their sheaths, and the sound of metal friction startled the stalagmites above their heads, causing them to rustle with dust. The four people in the front row formed a tight shield wall, and the gilded lion patterns on their shields swallowed and spit out shadows in the firelight; the four people in the back row spread out like cheetahs, with their swords pointed at the ground, ready to respond to surprise attacks at any time. Fanxing quietly grasped the corner of Alpha's clothes, and the elves' vine weapons made a rustling sound behind them, interweaving into a tense rhythm with the orderly footsteps of the team.

The deeper they went, the more suffocating the silence became. The occasional sound of gravel rolling down would make everyone hold their breath. Alpha's boot sole suddenly stepped on a sticky substance. Looking down, he saw that the ground was covered with translucent mucus, which glowed like mother-of-pearl under the torchlight. This abnormal calmness made his pupils shrink slightly - just like the strange clear sky before a storm.

"Enemy! Be alert." The monkey's roar tore through the silence. Dozens of dark shadows emerged from the edge of the torch's halo like ghosts.

Those creatures walked upright, with bodies similar to humans, but completely naked, their skin a strange gray-blue color, glistening with a moist, oily sheen under the firelight. There were no eyeballs in their empty eye sockets, only two dark shadows, but they accurately locked onto everyone's position.

"Knights, line up!" Alpha's order was just given, and the shield wall closed like a solid wall. The elf Maven suddenly covered his mouth and exclaimed: "They... they don't even have a fig leaf!" Evelyn turned her face away, her ears flushed, and she was obviously shocked by this shameful scene.

"This is a battlefield! Look straight ahead." Alpha grabbed Evelyn's shoulders, his emerald eyes burning in the firelight, "Put away your shame, the enemy will not show mercy because of your hesitation!"

Before he could finish his words, the monsters had already launched their attack. They ran on all fours, but their movements were as agile as monkeys, and they emitted sharp screams from their throats.

The knights' swords chopped at the monsters, making clanging sounds like metal collisions - the greasy skin was like a shield smeared with grease, and the moment the sword blades touched it, it slid to the side strangely. A monster suddenly curled up into a ball, and with the help of the slime on the ground, it rolled into the formation through the gap in the shield wall like a cannonball!

"Close the defense!" The monkey's roar was like thunder. If the enemy entered the battle formation, the consequences would be disastrous.

The knights in the front row instantly rotated their shields. Amid the sound of metal collision, the four carved shields were tightly joined together to form a semicircular barrier. The gilded lion pattern exuded a cold murderous intent in the firelight.

The monsters' sharp claws scratched at the shield, splashing sparks, but they were unable to break through this moving steel barrier.

The monkey rushed into the formation like black lightning, his bronze dagger glowing with a cold blue light. He accurately caught the gray shadow twisting in the gap between the crowd, and when he jumped into the air, the vine whip on his waist wrapped around the monster's ankle like a venomous snake. "Where are you running!" The dagger went straight for the monster's throat, but the moment it touched the skin, it deviated strangely, brushing against the ear and cutting off a strand of smelly gray hair.

The monster let out a sharp hiss, and the mucus on its body suddenly swelled, transforming into countless slippery tentacles that wrapped around the monkey's wrist. The knights in the back row immediately raised their swords to support, but the blades were like slashing on a greased shield, and were bounced off again and again. The battlefield fell into a strange stalemate, and the layer of mucus that kept flowing on the monster's body made all physical attacks lose their accuracy.

"Blessings of Light!" Alpha held up the Uncrowned Ring, and the runes on the surface of the ring burst into brilliant light. The warm halo dispelled the darkness in the passage, and new strength surged in everyone's tired bodies.

Under the strong light, they were shocked to find that there were no eyeballs in the empty eye sockets of these monsters, but the surface of their skin was covered with spider-web-like black lines, emitting a strange glow as the mucus flowed.

"Use fire magic to dry the slime! Wind magic to assist!" Alpha's order cut through the hustle and bustle of the battlefield.

The elf Maven's fingertips ignited green flames, and Evelyn waved her vine staff to stir up a violent wind. The two magics intertwined into a scorching storm, and the monster let out a shrill scream. The mucus on its body began to sizzle, and a pungent white mist rose up. The skin, which had lost its lubricating layer, cracked instantly, revealing the dark red flesh underneath.

The dying monster suddenly threw out a poisonous bone spur. An elf was unable to dodge it and black blood oozed from his shoulder. Evelyn immediately rushed forward, and a healing rune lit up on her palm: "It's a neurotoxin! The blood vessels must be sealed immediately!" Alpha was about to reach out to help, but Melissa secretly grabbed the corner of his clothes - in the melee, several pairs of vigilant eyes were watching their every move.

Fanxing wanted to rush over, but Alpha held her in his arms. He could feel the girl in his arms trembling violently, and the special power dormant in her body was stirring. "Don't be impulsive," he warned in a low voice, while releasing gentle purification magic to help Evelyn suppress the spread of the poison.

The balance of the battlefield gradually tilted as the magic took effect. The dried-up monsters lost their strangely slippery defenses, and their movements became clumsy and slow.

The knights' swords were finally able to cut through their flesh, and the passage was filled with wailing. When the last monster fell to the ground and twitched, Evelyn collapsed to the ground, her vine armor soaked with sweat: "The toxin has been removed, but the damaged nerves need time to recover."

"Carry the wounded and keep moving forward." Alpha's voice left no room for doubt. He stared at the fog that was filling the depths of the passage again and clenched the Bloodthirsty Spear. Although the monsters were defeated, they left new claw marks on the rock wall - deeper and neater than before. This victory came too easily, which made him feel alarmed.

The remaining power of the elves' magic was still raging, and the mucus on the rock wall of the passage began to crack and peel off. However, Alpha knew that the real test had not yet come. The monsters that had no eyes but could attack accurately, and the dangerous aura looming deep underground, all reminded him that this underground maze was far more treacherous and unpredictable than they had imagined.

Sweet blood oozed from the damp rock wall, and the hum of metal collisions echoed in the passage. The monkey's ears suddenly moved, and his cloudy pupils suddenly contracted - the sound of weapons breaking through the air, mixed with the screams of black-skinned wild boars, came from a hundred meters ahead. It was the usual charge formation used by the Ottoman knights. Without saying a word, the monkey jumped onto the rock wall, grabbed the protruding stalactites with both hands, and rushed towards the source of the sound like black lightning.

"Lord Alpha, the Imperial Knights are fighting a group of monsters!" The monkey landed with a flurry of gravel, "Should we continue forward or take a detour?" The monkey's claws dug deep into the ground, leaving five white marks on the rock. The torches on both sides of the passage flickered in the draft, casting the monkey's tense figure on the rock wall, like a black panther ready to attack.

Alpha stroked the pattern of the Bloodthirsty Spear, and the spear suddenly trembled slightly. He remembered the dark red blood that oozed out of the gaps in the Knight Commander's armor when he confronted him the day before - it was clearly the mucus corrosion left by the battle with the monster. "Stay alert and move forward slowly." His voice echoed in the passage with the sound of dripping water, "If the other party needs help, we..."

Before he finished speaking, a neat sound of metal clashing suddenly came from the front. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw more than 20 imperial knights forming a shield wall, retreating at a strange synchronization rate. Their heavy swords were covered with slime, the surface of their armor was covered with scratches, and the gilded lion pattern glowed dark red blood under the torch. The knight in the front suddenly slipped, revealing a dense gray shadow behind him - it was the eyeless monster they encountered earlier!

"We meet again." Alpha's voice penetrated the hustle and bustle of the battlefield. He held up the Crownless Ring, and the runes on the surface of the ring burst into warm golden light, and the healing light surged towards the wounded knight like a tide. Knight Commander Lister's originally tense shoulders relaxed instantly. He saw the monsters cowering in the halo and suddenly realized that these mysterious creatures were also afraid of light magic.

"Let's cooperate." Alpha's voice was as steady as a bell. "Their mucus can deflect physical attacks, but they are afraid of fire magic." He signaled the elves to move forward. Maven's fingertips ignited green flames, and Evelyn waved her vine staff to create a strong wind. The two groups of people quickly formed a siege formation. The imperial knights' heavy swords blocked the monsters' retreat, and the elves' magic wove a scorching fire net in the air.

At the end of the battle, the passage was littered with the charred remains of the monster. Alpha squatted down to check the injuries of the Imperial Knights, but his brows were getting tighter and tighter - eight knights fell into a deep coma, and the black lines spreading under their skin were the signs of neurotoxins. "The toxin has been cleared, but the time of awakening is uncertain." He looked up at Lister, "Do you need help transporting the wounded?"

The Knight Commander wiped the bloody sword and glanced at the poorly equipped guard knights behind Alpha. He suddenly took off the gilded armor around his waist, and the sound of metal collision was particularly clear in the silent passage: "Your shields need to be reinforced." As the order was issued, the four imperial knights took off their sophisticated arm guards and greaves. These equipments were reborn in the hands of the elves, and the vines and metals were interwoven into unique defensive equipment.

The black-skinned wild boars snored in a low voice and shook their huge bodies. Although the poison made them dull, they still loyally guarded the knights. Alpha looked at this makeshift team and clenched the Bloodthirsty Spear - in this dark abyss, perhaps only by letting go of prejudices can we find hope for life.

The damp rock walls kept dripping mucus, forming smelly puddles on the ground. Alpha stood in the center of the temporary camp, the crownless ring on his chest emitting a faint light, staining everyone's tired faces with a layer of paleness. "Remember, our primary goal is only one - to get out of here alive." His voice echoed in the passage with unquestionable firmness.

Knight Commander Lister wiped his bloody sword, and the sound of metal friction was harsh: "Our team configuration is perfect, with heavy armor knights, magicians, and healers." He glanced at the black-skinned wild boar staggering beside him, "But the appetite of those beasts may drag down our supplies."

The monkey suddenly issued a sharp warning, its claws pointing to the shadows. Four black-skinned wild boars were gathered around the remains of the monster, tearing at the charred meat with their fangs, and making satisfied snoring sounds in their throats. Dark red mucus dripped from the corners of their mouths, corroding the ground with wisps of white smoke.

"Don't act rashly." Alpha held the Bloodthirsty Spear at his waist, his eyes fixed on the swollen bellies of the wild boars. He noticed that one of the wild boars had strange blue spots under its skin, as if countless earthworms were wriggling under its skin.

"They can eat only once a week." Lister lowered his voice, and the cold sweat seeping from the gaps in his armor dripped onto the ground, "But if we can't find a new source of food..." He didn't finish his words, but everyone understood the weight of this unfinished sentence. Fortunately, the Alpha team also hid dried venison and nuts in the animal skin packages prepared for a protracted war, but facing the wild boars' amazing appetite, these reserves seemed particularly thin.

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream broke the silence. The two boar riders who were gnawing fell to the ground with a bang. The veins on their necks bulged, and the blood vessels under their skin were like purple-black vines about to burst. One of them suddenly tore open his throat, and the smelly black blood gushed out, splashing strange patterns on the rock wall. The other two stood there in a daze, with empty eyes without any emotion.

"It's a poison sac! Get back!" Alpha's warning was a step too late. He rushed towards the twitching knight, his palm lit up with a purifying light, but found that the toxins that had seeped into the blood vessels were like living things, and they spread faster under the burning of magic. The shrill screams gradually turned into strange gurgling sounds, and the knight's body stiffened at a speed visible to the naked eye, and a layer of blue-black hard shell formed on the surface of the skin.

The passage was filled with a disgusting stench. Alpha clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force. This sudden change not only exposed the deadly danger of underground creatures, but also sounded the alarm of the survival crisis like a heavy hammer. In this dark abyss, every choice could become the dividing line between life and death.