Chapter 396: Chapter 378: Turns Out Catherine is a Witch
In the night, the blade reflected the brilliance of the raging flames.
The blazing fire seemed to overshadow the moonlight overhead, and the cacophonous shouts of battle and the clashing of weapons frightened countless small animals into trembling.
"Saint Master, protect us!"
With a sword strike on the head of a militia member in front, the militiaman shuddered and then collapsed to the ground, revealing a white skull.
Raising his longsword high, Ralph let out a joyous roar, "Farmers, do you still dare to defy the Knight?"
After shouting this, he saw the militia around him pressing forward with their day sticks. Ralph braced his sword and quickly hid behind a comrade to rest.
The militia continued to fight desperately, but this couldn’t stop the Knights from advancing slowly.
The Imperial Knights dismounted on the city’s battlements, yet their combat prowess remained exceptional.
Due to the disturbance of the fire within the city, the Parliament Army was even less of a match for these Knights, not to mention pushing them off the walls.
In the choking smoke, there were fewer and fewer Parliament Army soldiers on the walls, while more and more Guards swarmed the battlements.
The Knights and Guards present were confident; they knew they would have breakfast in Rapids City’s most luxurious palace by morning!
After adjusting his breath with a technique, Ralph’s heart rate gradually returned to normal. He immediately picked up his sword and slayed towards the militia once again.
"Watch out!"
Someone shouted loudly, and before the Knights present could react, something fell from the night sky like raindrops.
These grain-sized things slipped through their armor with a rustling sound, getting stuck in the crevices of their armor.
Ralph initially thought it was something dangerous, but surprisingly, these little things caused no harm.
"What is this?" Picking up a reddish-brown seed, he widened his eyes, "Sand? Hiss—"
Feeling a sting in his finger, Ralph immediately waved his hand to try and get rid of the seed.
But no matter how much he shook his hand, the plant from the Blood and Flesh Royal Court Desert clung tightly to his finger.
He tugged hard, finally managing to tear away a small piece of skin along with the thorned vine.
Was this a seed? When did it sprout?
Seeing the red vines writhing and growing on the ground like little snakes, Ralph swallowed hard. What trick was this from those Wizards again?
"Ah—"
"Don’t touch those seeds!"
A series of violent screams erupted around him, and when Ralph turned his head in confusion, he was startled to step back three paces.
The Knights who were just fighting on the walls now had countless tiny red vines emerging from the gaps in their armor.
On the shiny plate armor, the red vines, like red scars, continued to spread and grow, quickly covering the Knights’ entire bodies.
The vines spread across the surface of their armor, drilling through gaps and skirts of the armor.
"What is this? What is this?"
"It’s magic, call the Monks up quickly!"
"Ah, it’s sucking my blood, it must be the vampire’s plot!"
Beneath the bucket helmets, red vines crawled up slowly from the necks of the terrified Knights, greedily drinking their blood.
The high-standing Knights frantically tore at the vines on their bodies, but either they tore off a patch of flesh or the vine got stuck on the armor.
Many others barely had time for any extra actions before being brutally restrained by the bloodsucking vines.
They removed their helmets, took off their iron gloves, trying to stop the vines from crawling into their eyeballs.
But as soon as the helmet was removed, the militia’s day sticks came crashing down.
The Knights collapsed with wide eyes, in the broken brain matter and blood, the bloodsucking vines continued to greedily feed on their flesh.
This vine from the Wasteland Desert of the Blood and Flesh Royal Court is the most well-known and feared thing by the local Desert Nomads.
Many Shepherds and brave Tribal Warriors perished in despair, caught in the bloodsucking vine traps of the oasis.
Like the Giant Spider Slime Sand Sculpture, the bloodsucking vines are considered to be degenerate descendants of magical creatures, and every time they gather, a certain degree of self-awareness appears.
There was once a Palace Mage who attempted to tame them, but unfortunately, due to their bloodthirsty and greedy nature, the Mage died with their back pierced through.
However, some claimed that the Mage actually succeeded, but played too recklessly.
But today, these unruly bloodsucking vines seemed to be following some command, launching a frenzied attack on the Knights, completely ignoring the militia and the Parliament Army.
Not only the bloodsucking vines, but even the grasses on the ground began to grow at an astonishing rate.
One centimeter, two centimeters, three centimeters, and eventually reaching a height of one meter.
These grasses, like venomous snakes, wrapped around the Knights’ calves, immobilizing them.
"What are you standing around for? Attack quickly!"
Wearing heavy armor, Carl swept his longsword, cutting a Knight in half whose eyes were obscured by bloodsucking vines. Standing up, he shouted to the others.
But most people stood there dumbfounded, fearfully watching the terrifying scene before them, and those standing on the periphery saw an even more horrifying sight.
Surrounded by a group of guards, Catherine’s apple-green pupils glowed with an ethereal green light.
Wherever her gaze landed, countless bloodsucking vines and grasses rose up, tightly ensnaring the advancing Guards and Knights.
From time to time, blood trickled from her nose, and her face grew increasingly pale.
Yet she stubbornly stood her ground, using those plants to throw the Empire’s soldiers off the walls one by one.
Seeing a few senior partners standing dumbfounded beside him, Mitney patted their shoulders, "Stop staring, we’ve never even killed a chicken. Best not to cause more trouble."
One partner’s finger trembled as he pointed at Catherine, "A, a Witch?"
"Did you always know?" another partner asked incredulously.
Mitney sighed, "Did you think that when the Meigedi Commerce Association smuggled goods, how did they defeat the bandits and robbers? Did you think why the Indigo Flower Fields of Meigedi had such high yields?"
"But, but... ah." The partners stammered, speaking confused words, not even knowing what they themselves were saying.
Catherine, the famous female merchant, was actually a Witch?
Could the rumors of Juanuo colluding with the Secret Faction be true? Then what was Juanuo? What was their uprising?
Could it be some plot by the Secret Faction? Speaking of which, it’s said that there were signs of Secret Faction and Witch activity in the Salvation Army in the east as well.
Mitney saw through their worries but couldn’t do anything about it. He nudged them to move downwards, "We’re all grasshoppers tied to the same string, stop overthinking it.
Rather than being shocked here, hurry up and help put out the fire in the city. With Catherine here, at least we won’t lose Rapids City."
As Mitney said, when the first ray of sunlight hit the battlements, this wave of offensive completely ended.
Judging from the losses, it’s estimated that the Empire’s Army outside the city won’t launch a new wave of offensives within the next two or three days.
Yet on the walls, there was little joy of victory, instead, a strange atmosphere permeated.
Stepping on the dried bloodstains, city Guards and militiamen bent over, picking up usable weapons and armor from the ground.
They often saw corpses, drained of blood by the bloodsucking vines, with twisted faces lying across the ground.
Although the Wizards repeatedly emphasized that the bloodsucking vines had withered, they still dared not approach to strip the Knights of their armor.
This used to be their favorite thing to do, but today they had no such desire.
From time to time, they would stoop and gaze towards the red tower.
After repelling the attack, the greatly respected Catherine had fainted from exhaustion.
In the past, many would have attempted to visit, but today the entrance to the red tower was deserted.
Each person’s heart seemed to echo with one question—
So Catherine... is a Witch.