ATPnovel Chapter 13 Slaying the Living Corpse with a Basket
Chapter 13 Slaying the Living Corpse with a Basket
Upon hearing what Rock said, the cavalryman paused for a moment, then saluted again.
Lu Xiong nodded in agreement. Although he also felt that things were hopeless and there was no need to fight, the fact that Rock told the soldiers to prioritize their safety at this time still warmed his heart.
Although this general was not exactly a good person when dealing with enemies, and would kill at the slightest disagreement, and seemed to have quite a few ruthless methods, he was really good to his own people.
Such a commander can already be considered a good commander. At this critical juncture, it is really rare to find a leader who is willing to treat his subordinates as human beings.
Upon receiving the order, the cavalrymen, who had been resting in the stockade, quickly armed themselves, mounted their horses, and immediately formed a complete cavalry unit.
As a bodyguard following Luo Ke, Lu Xiong was secretly amazed after witnessing the speed at which the cavalrymen assembled.
"Elite troops! These are truly elite troops! Even the imperial court couldn't muster many such elite cavalry!"
What kind of troops are considered elite?
Being brave in battle is only one aspect; the most important thing is being able to obey orders without question!
These cavalrymen were not only perfectly obedient to Rock's orders, doing exactly what he said, but they were also incredibly fast, executing orders almost instantly.
Clearly, this was beyond what ordinary elite troops could describe; Lu Xiong had never seen such a swift-reacting force in his life.
Rock was also taken aback by their reaction. He suddenly realized that these guys seemed to have some special skills of their own.
It wasn't just the advantage of being a veteran of the Naval War; these soldiers were indeed very fast when putting on their gear, but at least not beyond what Rock could comprehend. However, the speed at which they lined up was truly unbelievable to Rock.
The 40 cavalrymen formed a 4x10 square in just three seconds, faster than the fastest troops he had ever imagined!
Thinking about how soldiers in total war seem to have an unscientific speed of lining up, even old farmers who are conscripted can quickly form a reasonably good formation, Rock suddenly realized.
They might have inherited this characteristic!
"Brothers, let's go!"
Without hesitation, Rock drew his saber and pointed it forward, and then the cavalry charged out in a mighty procession.
Following behind the cavalry on horseback, Rock couldn't help but feel a bit tired.
It was also thanks to the fact that he had spent some time in Inner Mongolia during his previous travels, where he learned a lot about horseback riding from the locals.
Although these skills wouldn't officially make him a cavalryman, they would at least teach him basic riding techniques, preventing him from accidentally falling off his horse and making himself look too embarrassed.
But to be honest, even riding like this, his heart was still pounding. Even though the cavalry had deliberately slowed down to wait for him, he still had to do his best to keep up with them.
"Hey, riding a horse is really a skill. If we're hoping to master the art of riding a horse, it'll probably take several years of practice."
Rock couldn't help but complain that although the horses they were riding were of similar quality, his lack of skill meant that his horse just couldn't run fast.
Even while running, the warhorse would occasionally glance at him with some dissatisfaction, as if wondering why its master was riding so unsteadily.
The scout cavalryman ran at the front, responsible for guiding the remaining cavalry. The two Skaven sat behind the two scouts, using their long but powerful little claws to hold onto the cavalryman in front of them to prevent themselves from being thrown off.
The two ratmen, riding horses for the first time, seemed quite excited about the sport.
Although their short legs looked rather awkward riding on the horse's back, the feeling of galloping on horseback still intoxicated the two excited rats.
Compared to the two excited rats, the two cavalrymen who were being embraced by them turned green with rage.
Honestly, they don't object to someone putting their arm around them while riding a horse, but only if the person putting their arm around them is a beautiful woman.
Now look what's happened! Two sleazy-looking rats, who might even be covered in germs, are clinging to them, chattering away behind their backs every now and then. Their furry noses and sharp teeth are practically touching their backs!
Under these circumstances, the two cavalrymen felt that they had to take a good bath when they got back, even if it meant chopping wood and boiling water themselves!
Seeing the two cavalrymen's embarrassed appearance, Rock, who was following at the back, couldn't help but want to laugh.
He wasn't worried about the two cavalry units getting sick, because he had removed their contamination abilities, including the plague carried by the Skaven.
He would never dare to let these giant rats spread the plague at any time.
Even if the two large rats were in their own ranks, or even if they were in the enemy's ranks, the plague would be impossible to contain once it spread.
Moreover, can the plague in the Warhammer world be compared to the ordinary plague?
Ordinary plague can only make rats sick, and then the rats can transmit the virus to humans, but the plague in the Warhammer world can also create monsters like the Hell Pit Abomination!
If this enhanced version of the plague were combined with this already somewhat strange world, Rock was worried that he might inadvertently create a Great Impermanent Being through a moment of carelessness!
After running for quite some distance, they could see scattered zombies on the snow in the distance.
"Damn it, it's that disgusting thing again!"
Riding alongside Rock, Lu Xiong, who had been dutifully acting as his bodyguard, couldn't help but curse.
Back then, after his hometown was ravaged by foreigners and Qing soldiers, many of the dead were left unattended and unburned, so many of them turned into living corpses in no time!
These undead will then gather together to form large-scale zombie hordes, which will then wreak havoc in various villages and towns, hunting down even more living people. The scene is so despicable that it cannot be described as a living hell!
Rock stared at the undead from the side. Although they had seen these things sporadically on their way here, this was the first time he had the opportunity to get this close to them instead of just being busy running away and hiding.
Compared to ordinary corpses, these undead look more like zombies.
Regardless of what they looked like in life, after death they are all skin and bones, with extreme atrophy of fat and muscle, yet they still possess an unscientific strength.
Rock didn't know what these guys relied on to sustain themselves, but it was clear that the number of people or wild animals they ate was far from enough to sustain their daily needs.
Moreover, even though these zombies' eyeballs were already shriveled up beyond recognition, they were still able to accurately lock onto their prey.
He was certain that these guys weren't locking onto their prey by smell, because their cavalry was running so fast and the wind was blowing in the wrong direction; it would be impossible for them to smell the cavalry instantly.
As for hearing... Rock wasn't entirely sure, but he felt it was probably not that either.
If these guys relied on hearing to locate themselves, then someone should have discovered long ago that remaining as silent as possible when facing zombies could help avoid them.
But in fact, Rock has been gone for so long and has never heard of any similar rumors, which is enough to say something.
"Sigh, this world is really chaotic. I always feel that some things are quite mystical. I hope I don't encounter anything too scary."
Rock sighed inwardly and couldn't help but secretly pray to God.
He's now afraid that the Qing Dynasty or the Western powers might unknowingly do something drastic to him, like creating a Frankenstein-like monster.
Looking at these living corpses, he felt that if he could figure out some of the scientific principles behind them and make use of them, he might actually be able to create monsters similar to Frankenstein!
While he was still lost in thought, the leading cavalrymen had already charged forward.
With a burst of crackling musket fire, a thick cloud of smoke instantly filled the air, but Rock discovered that the cavalry's carbines didn't seem to be particularly effective against the undead.
Two zombies were hit in the head, their skulls split open, and they fell straight down, twitching twice before becoming still.
But the remaining zombies, even after being hit by lead bullets and having one of their arms broken, remained completely unharmed.
Upon seeing this, the cavalrymen put away their carbines and then drew their sabers.
When they learned about the characteristics of these zombies, they had some idea of the enemy's potentially strong vitality. So, although they were still shocked, they did not forget their combat skills.
After drawing their gleaming sabers, the cavalrymen immediately urged their horses to accelerate, rushing forward like a whirlwind.
Instead of charging towards the densest concentration of zombies, they deliberately cut in from the outside, slashing at the lone ones. Their sharp sabers were deadly, and with the added speed of their warhorses, they could easily cleave off a zombie's head with a snap.
"Commander, these zombies' necks seem more brittle than we thought; it seems easier to chop off their heads!"
A cavalryman shouted excitedly at Rock, and Rock responded with a loud shout:
"Very well, then keep cutting them down!"
"Be careful when you're chopping them down, don't let them scratch you. These things can infect people and turn them into zombies when they come into contact with blood!"
Upon hearing this, the cavalrymen responded, but they were not overly worried.
Based on the height of their warhorses, when these undead touched them, they would most likely only be able to reach their legs, and the thick leather riding boots on their legs were no joke; they were incredibly sturdy.
So as long as they are careful, they are not easily scratched by this thing, but the premise is that they must not be pulled off their horses by it.