Dorn Knight turned his horse around and walked at the front of the group.
Behind him was his retinue Pemon, riding a travel horse; he also had to look after another warhorse that Dorn Knight would only ride when charging.
Bill was responsible for the mule carrying armor and weapons, while Luo Lin looked after the mule carrying tents and dried rations.
This was the entirety of a Land Knight’s call to arms.
Four people, three horses, two mules.
Of course, this was the scale of travel for a relatively wealthy knight.
For even wealthier ones, the number of people could be a few more.
Those poor knights only had one retinue, or two attendants.
“Laotie, carry this on your back.”
Bill carefully handed a cutting board to Luo Lin, whispering, “Don’t complain it’s heavy, this is a shield that can defend against hidden arrows.”
“…”
Luo Lin glanced at the iron pot Bill was carrying on his back and understood.
His was armor.
From this, it was evident that Bill’s experience in the art of survival was very rich.
Thinking of this, Luo Lin moved the copper skin book and money bag, which he kept close to his body, closer to his chest.
This was: a beggar’s version of a heart protector.
“Bill, teach Laotie more about the essentials of scouting and sentry duty; we need to be vigilant once we leave the Land, it’s quite chaotic out there.”
The retinue Pemon turned around to instruct, his gaze falling on Luo Lin: “Learn more, be more alert, this isn’t child’s play.”
“Yes,”
Bill and Luo Lin responded simultaneously.
Next, Bill began to explain the duties and essentials of scouting, as well as various small tips and so on.
Luo Lin listened carefully, taking notes diligently, while also occasionally and inadvertently looking into the distance, where he could see Little Black sometimes stopping, sometimes accelerating, stealthily following.
It always maintained a tacit distance.
It must be said that with the Telepathy talent, the changes in it were visible to the naked eye.
When moving away from the Land and onto the wilderness, someone needed to be arranged for scouting and vigilance.
Due to his experience, Bill walked ahead in the distance, scouting.
Luo Lin followed and guarded in the distance behind, concealing himself while observing the surroundings.
In ancient military campaigns, the role of scouts was crucial.
If enemy activity was discovered, messages would be quickly sent back to inform the advancing army to prepare, such as putting on armor and setting up simple defenses.
Of course, scouts were not omnipotent; otherwise, there wouldn't have been so many surprise attacks and ambushes in history.
But even so, they could not be without them.
At this moment, Luo Lin, like Bill, held a crude long spear, issued by Dorn Knight, that was as tall as himself.
Currently, they were attendants serving others, but on the battlefield, they would transform into cannon fodder infantry.
However…
Following and guarding at the rear of the group.
This also gave Luo Lin and Little Black more opportunities to interact, maintaining tacit communication throughout.
The journey was smooth, and no bandits appeared.
Only occasionally did wild rabbits dart out, challenging the limits of Luo Lin and Little Black.
Perhaps due to Little Black’s lack of hunting experience, after several attempts, the wild rabbits all managed to escape.
The idea of roasted rabbit meat was shattered.
This made Luo Lin completely give up, and while being vigilant, he also planned for the future in his mind.
First, he would systematically raise another dog to unlock a new talent.
They traveled until noon.
Dorn Knight ordered a short rest.
Bill and Luo Lin still stood at a distance, front and back, on guard, as resting meant being stationary, and uninvited guests loved targets in such a state.
Fortunately, no sudden incidents occurred.
This made Luo Lin very grateful; if bandits had truly launched a sneak attack, they would most likely target the sentries first.
Thankfully, their ancestors blessed them, and no danger was encountered until they camped in the evening.
“Let’s set up camp here.”
Dorn Knight chose a dense forest near the main road, rather than the open, flat terrain outside.
This was experience accumulated and passed down over many years; dense forests not only helped with concealment but also served to block long-range bow and crossbow snipers.
If there were ambushing archers, to accurately shoot targets in the dense forest at night, they would have to approach closely.
That would undoubtedly increase the risk of the attackers exposing themselves.
As Luo Lin helped Bill set up the tent, he also kept these essentials in mind.
The excellent tradition of loving to learn was ingrained in his soul.
The camp was set up, with Dorn Knight’s tent in the very center.
Next to it was the simple tent of his retinue Pemon, which was just four sticks supporting a piece of cloth; at the same time, as a retinue, he was also responsible for the small campfire in the camp.
After everything was completed.
It was time to eat and rest.
Luo Lin broke off half of a rock-hard black bread and gave it to Bill, along with a few hazelnuts and two pecans.
This was to thank him for his care and for teaching him the art of survival along the way.
“Laotie, you’re a truly good person, thank you.”
“Thank you for taking care of me too.”
“Laotie, you possess noble character; I’ve decided to be your friend.”
“Bill, you have rich combat experience; it’s my honor to be your friend.”
The two softened their black bread by dipping it in hot soup, eating and flattering each other.
After eating, they each grabbed a long spear and spread out, one to the left and one to the right, to guard the outermost perimeter of the camp.
Bill also taught Luo Lin the techniques for choosing a night watch position.
Lean against a tree to protect your back.
Keep your body as much as possible in a depression in the ground, allowing yourself to be hidden in the darkness.
Luo Lin marveled inwardly, what precious survival experience this was.
No wonder Bill had accompanied Dorn Knight on multiple campaigns and always returned intact; his knowledge of the art of survival was profound.
Subsequently, Luo Lin dug the chosen depression a little deeper.
After lying down flat, it was almost impossible to see anyone in that pit from the side.
“It’s a bit cold.”
Luo Lin hugged his arms and rubbed his forearms.
The nights in the northern part of the continent were already starting to get chilly as autumn set in.
Once winter arrived, it would be freezing cold.
After Dorn Knight and his retinue had fallen asleep.
After waiting a while longer.
Luo Lin finally summoned Little Black to his side, and the man and dog huddled together.
Relying on each other, warming each other.
Indeed, holding Little Black was like holding a small warm stove.
Little Black also licked his master’s face with his warm tongue, acting spoiled and expressing affection.
“What is it?”
At this moment, Little Black’s head lifted from his chest.
Its head turned left and right, listening.
Its dark eyes were filled with vigilance towards the surrounding darkness.
Finally, it stared fiercely in one direction, letting out a very low growl as a warning.
Luo Lin immediately became alert, following its gaze to see several dark figures slowly approaching under the moonlight in the forest.
Luo Lin did not immediately shout.
Instead, he looked in other directions.
When ambushed at night, one must not shout randomly; it’s crucial to confirm if there are others, or if there are people ready to shoot hidden arrows.
After confirming there were no other attackers, he immediately shouted an accurate warning: “Lord Dorn, two on the left of the tent, two on the right, ambush!”
In the quiet night, within the dark, dense forest.
This loud shout immediately pulled people from their sleep.
Dorn Knight lunged out from the left side of his tent, directly confronting two tall figures dressed in leather armor and with ferocious fur masks covering their faces.
Bang!
One figure attacking from the right swung a spiked club, smashing it onto the shield Pemon held in front of him, and the immense force knocked him violently to the ground.
“Damn it, it’s Barbarians, it’s Barbarians!”
Pemon cried out in panic, holding up his shield with one hand and supporting himself on the ground with the other, sitting on the ground and kicking his legs wildly as he retreated.
Bill rushed over upon hearing the commotion, holding his long spear and confronting another Barbarian, gesturing.
He constantly maintained a state of fighting while retreating, ensuring he wouldn’t get injured.
Hiss!
Luo Lin emerged from one side, thrusting his gripped long spear towards the Barbarian who was hitting Pemon’s shield, aiming for his kidney area.
However, the opponent was wearing leather armor covered with bone plates, so it didn’t cause a fatal injury.
But, as is well known, getting hit there still hurts a lot.
As expected, the Barbarian cried out in pain, abandoned Pemon who was retreating behind his shield, and roared as he turned his head to change his attack target.
First, he parried the long spear with his left hand, then his tall body suddenly strode forward, moving like a stone wall in front of Luo Lin.
He first delivered a kick; Luo Lin, lacking combat experience, consciously dodged but was still half a beat too slow and was kicked to the ground.
The Barbarian followed up, giving no chance to breathe, raising his right hand spiked greatclub to smash down.
This blow would surely shatter his skull.
Ow!
Suddenly, a dog bark sounded, and a stout black shadow darted out from the side, leaping up and tackling the unprepared Barbarian to the ground; its large mouth accurately sought, instantly clamped down, and held tightly onto the Barbarian’s right forearm.
Little Black succeeded, a muffled roar emanating from its throat; after its teeth bit into flesh, its head swung wildly from side to side, intensifying the tearing.
The pain made the Barbarian howl terribly, and the spiked club in his hand consequently slipped away.
His left hand frantically fumbled at his waist, pulling out a crude dagger, and he raised his hand to stab.
“Let go, come back!”
Luo Lin immediately gave the command, and Little Black, hearing it, let go and disengaged.
At the same time.
The Barbarian’s dagger had already reached, but the black dog disengaged at that instant, and the dagger in his hand could no longer be stopped, plunging violently into his own right arm.
And it pierced right through.
“@*@!!”
The Barbarian was furious, roaring curses in the Barbarian language.
Just then, Luo Lin scrambled to his feet, gripping his long spear, and charged forward, thrusting diagonally downwards, piercing the Barbarian’s throat with one spear.
Then he pulled it out.
“&*&…”
The Barbarian instinctively clutched his throat with his left hand, coughing blood, his eyes filled with fear and hatred, staring fixedly at the person in front of him.
Luo Lin’s heart tightened.
In the face of 'it’s either you die or I die,' surviving and killing became an instinctive reaction.
Before setting out, he had already made up his mind.
If he wanted to return alive, he couldn’t be afraid of anything.
Then, gripping his long spear, he violently stabbed the Barbarian, who was still bleeding from the throat, in the stomach.
When you have the advantage, you must kill your opponent first.
Only a thoroughly dead enemy is a good person.
Pemon, trembling behind his shield, watched all of this.
A layer of shock surfaced in his fearful eyes.
This Laotie was truly ruthless.
Whoosh!
A whooshing sound came, and Luo Lin, who was stabbing the enemy at his feet, suddenly felt an impact on his chest.
His body involuntarily stumbled backward, stepping on the club on the ground, his feet slipped, and his entire body lost balance, falling backward as if floating, his back hitting the ground heavily, and he shockingly found an arrow sticking diagonally into his chest.
It’s over.
Luo Lin’s scalp tingled and his mind buzzed; was he just going to die like this?
He instinctively touched his chest and found that the arrow had not entered his body, but instead had struck the copper skin book, the arrowhead deflecting and embedding itself in the money bag, which was also kept close to his chest.
It was the beggar’s version of a heart protector that saved his life.
He immediately stayed still, preventing the hidden archer from firing another arrow.
His heart also tightened; he hadn’t noticed that there was another person hidden in the dark just now.
Little Black, seeing its master fall, immediately ran over and whimpered softly in front of him.
Luo Lin quickly gave a look: I’m fine, hide in the forest and find the enemy.
Little Black, seeing that its master was still alive, immediately stopped whimpering, and under the Telepathy talent, instantly understood its master’s intention, turning and disappearing into the darkness.
At the same time.
Luo Lin rolled to one side, snatched the ‘kite shield’ from Pemon’s hand, and crouched down, hiding his head behind the shield, facing the direction from which the arrow had just flown.
This was to draw fire for Little Black, preventing the hidden archer from redirecting the attack towards Little Black.
Pemon, whose shield had been taken, stood stunned, wondering, “You took it a bit too naturally, didn’t you?”
But seeing the fierce look in the other’s eyes as he turned, he immediately acquiesced in his heart, “You use it, you use it.”
Whoosh—Clang!
Another arrow flew, embedding itself in the shield.
Luo Lin could feel Pemon, who was trembling behind him, pressed against him.
This guy, as Bill said, really turned into a soft blob when he encountered Barbarians.
Luo Lin ignored him; after confirming the direction from which the hidden arrow came, he half-crouched behind the shield and slowly moved forward, continuing to draw fire for Little Black and distract the hidden archer.
At the same time, he quickly scanned the other side to observe the situation.
Dorn Knight fought two enemies at once; first, he swung his sword upwards from in front of him, parrying the Barbarian’s downward-chopping scimitar, then the upward-swinging longsword followed through with a downward chop, immediately slicing open the chest of the Barbarian wearing crude leather armor.
He then smoothly withdrew his sword to defend, parrying another Barbarian’s descending battle axe, followed closely by moving forward, his sword tip simultaneously thrusting, piercing the latter’s throat right through.
The Barbarian confronting Bill, seeing his companions fall one after another and realizing he was the only one left on the field, immediately panicked and retreated quickly, turning and running.
Dorn Knight picked up an axe from the ground and threw it, hitting the fleeing Barbarian squarely in the back of the head, embedding itself in his skull; the latter ran a few more steps due to inertia before plowing into the ground, completely losing combat effectiveness.
Luo Lin, witnessing all of this, couldn’t help but admire how simple and effective killing techniques were.
Whether it was Dorn Knight’s sword moves or his throwing technique, they were all clean, crisp, and without any hesitation.
Swordsmanship and throwing were both compulsory subjects in the Eight Arts of a Knight.
He also secretly marveled, this was a pure warrior who had separated from production and only practiced killing techniques.
And at this moment.
The hidden archer Barbarian emerged from the bushes, preparing for a desperate struggle.
Seeing that he couldn’t harm Luo Lin, who was holding a shield, he immediately aimed the wooden crossbow in his hand at Dorn Knight.
Dorn Knight, seeing this, his eyes flickered, showing surprise.
Just as the Barbarian pulled the trigger of the wooden crossbow.
A dark shadow suddenly pounced out from the darkness, leaping up with its maw wide open, and immediately biting the Barbarian’s right forearm, which was supporting the wooden crossbow.
At the same instant, the wooden crossbow’s trigger was pulled, and the arrow left the crossbow groove, deflecting and flying past Dorn Knight’s right side.