Loser System and Berserker Me Chapter 121: The Town of Death

The city lord’s haughty attitude didn’t anger Bikna. The latter acknowledged the command with a smile before retreating from the room.

“Yes, your will is my command.”

“City lord?”

Watching as Bikna departed, the city lord’s aides couldn’t help but ask, “Is it appropriate to dispatch Bikna there?”

“What’s inappropriate?” the city lord asked. “She’s the bravest warrior under my command, my most competent aide. Are you worried that he won’t be able to accomplish the mission?”

“That’s not it,” her aide replied. “All of us have witnessed Bikna’s valiance, and we acknowledge her competence. However, that black fog is an enigmatic existence. If she gets stalled in there, the city might…”

“She’ll be right back,” the city lord nonchalantly replied. “It won’t affect our plans.”

…

Bikna began putting together a team of specialists, knowing that they would be more useful than normal soldiers.

She called up her old adventurer party, which contained a windwhisperer, an apothecary, and a mage. Other than that, she picked out fifteen elite Tibetan soldiers and two experienced guides.

With that, an expedition team that was armed to the teeth was formed.

“Prepare to set off!” Bikna rolled open a map and tapped a spot. “We’ll check this place out first. Apothecary Baysema stays here. She might know something about this phenomenon. Her help will be invaluable to us for this expedition.”

Everyone was agreeable to the plan. Thus, Bikna’s expedition team got onto a carriage and ventured into the boundless darkness.

…

“What a terrifying night.”

They had traveled for quite some distance now, but everything before them remained pitch-black. It was as if they were trapped in an eternal night they couldn’t escape from. Just being in such an environment evoked goosebumps.

“Hey, do you hear something?” Bikna asked the windwhisperer.

The windwhisperer gulped down a mana potion before listening for information in the wind. Moments later, he shook his head and replied, “Milord, I can’t hear anything. All that’s relayed through the wind is death and despair.”

“…” Bikna fell silent. “That doesn’t sound like a good omen.”

Bam!

The carriage suddenly stalled to a halt.

“What’s wrong?” Bikna vigilantly drew her sword.

“Lord Bikna, we have arrived,” the guide driving the carriage reported with a quivering voice. “But…”

Hm?

Sensing the fear in the guide’s voice, Bikna propped open the carriage’s curtains and looked out. A town stood outside.

However, the town had fallen into disrepair, with not a single person to be seen. It seemed to have lost all life.

“Unbelievable,” Bikna murmured. “The town was overflowing with life the last time I was here. Who could have thought that it would be reduced to such a state within such a short time?”

She remembered that stalwart guards would be stationed on the town walls, and merchant carriages would occasionally pass through the town center. Outside the town, the agricultural fields developed by diligent slaves and the clear spring water gave a feeling of abundance.

In the farms further away from the town, livestock would roam on the grassland, occasionally taking a bite or two of lush grass.

But now, the town had become desolate, maybe except for the occasional, eerie gale blowing through the windows.

Clang!

Bikna drew her sword and quickly made arrangements.

A guide and a few Tibetan soldiers would stay with the carriage to guard their resources, whereas the others would venture into the town to investigate the situation.

“Stay close and remember your hidden symbols. Make sure to carve your hidden symbol every now and then,” Bikna ordered.

With that, the group carefully entered the town.

“Lord Bikna,” one of the soldiers soon made a deduction after seeing the town’s state, “this place has been attacked by cavalrymen.”

“I can tell.” Bikna eyed the countless horse hooves imprinted on the ground. “There were quite a few of them, numbering at least 30.”

“Was the town raided by bandits?” the mage asked. “But there is a significant number of troops stationed here. Bandits shouldn’t be able to take it down so easily.”

“They aren’t bandits,” Bikna stated resolutely. “The depth of these horse hooves suggests that they are heavy cavalrymen.”

“Heavy cavalrymen?!”

The crowd exchanged looks. This would change the nature of the matter.

The only ones with the means to raise an army of heavy cavalrymen in this region… the Karluks?

“It might just be them.”

…

A while later, the Tibetan soldiers who had inspected some of the houses returned.

“We found signs of fighting in the houses, but there are no survivors. Livestock, rations, cloth… most of the necessities are gone. It looks like the town has been plundered.”

“Let me try listening…” The windwhisperer pricked up his ears once more. “Despair, fear, vengeance, shock, and death… The town has indeed suffered a bloodbath.”

“Lord Bikna!” A Tibetan soldier suddenly rushed over. “Bad news!”

The soldier quickly led Bikna to Baysema’s collapsed house.

“How is this possible?!” the mage exclaimed.

Clearly, Baysema had been attacked!

“Is Baysema already…”

“Unlikely.” Bikna shook her head. “Baysema has a batch of war slaves she hasn’t delivered yet, and she possesses the means to control them too. Those war slaves are a force to be reckoned with. The enemy shouldn’t be able to take them down easily even with heavy cavalrymen.

“At least…” Bikna revealed a disdainful look, “the Karluks don’t have the means to pull it off. I’m guessing that Baysema struck a deal with them after the attack. I doubt that the Karluks will kill her off just like that since she’s a rare talent.”

The others nodded upon hearing Bikna’s analysis.

“Yes, you’re right.”

“As expected of the most competent warrior under our city lord.”

“Lord Bikna is the incarnation of wisdom and valiance.”

“Hmph, bootlickers!” Bikna’s lips curled into a smile. “For now, we’ll first…”

“AH!”

Screams suddenly echoed in the darkness.