Chương 31: Castle Assault - 1

In LANCE'S impromptu warband, there was about a hundred ex-bandits ready to throw down; the holy might of Cannabus flowed through their veins, the heat of their sigils driving them to action, making them itch for a redemption that only the fires of battle could provide. Alongside the ex-bandits and he, was the Holy Slime King. He knew his father no longer watched him from above and that was fine.

He didn't need training wheels for this — the fires of divine mandate and unrelenting battle had driven him to this point, and he knew they would drive him beyond. All that was left was to finish this island's pestilence off by beheading the vile king. [New Quest: Behead the King]. His System always knew the best moments to pop in. Nice. Before him stood the pile of puss and maggots that was the bandit king's castle. Once upon a time, it was this island's sole fort.

Not so build as to be considered a fortress, but it had a single drawbridge with a dry moat the bandit king had filled with spikes and heads. Not the most original decorating. Original or not, it provided an obstacle to their advance. He was about to incant [Search] when he thought better of it. Instead, he turned to his force and asked his brigade, "Does anyone know how to get past these defenses? Speak now and the Holy God will be pleased."

One hand shot up, then another: One ex-bandit spoke of how the spikes were made with flimsy wood and could be shattered easily; another spoke that there was an underground hatch which went under the earth and led inside the fort's perimeter, as a failsafe; another said that the fort itself only held less than fifty men but had a few abominations inside; and so on, the ex-bandits, many of whom had spent time inside the fort, spilled all of the structure's secrets.

"Slime," he told his familiar.

"I am going to find that underground path and lower the gate. Once I do, lead the men in the charge!"

"Yes, my master!" the slime told. A brief [Search] located for him the hiding place of the hatch. It was well hidden, obscured by rotted wood and leaves, clearly not having been disturbed in many years. But nothing could hide from the System! He used his immense physical strength to lift the hatch out from the ground. He tossed it to his side as casually as tossing a bad lotto ticket.

Lance jumped into the stinky hole, but not before lighting himself up with his moss that remained attached to his body from the first time he went underground. This passage was even more confined than those tunnels, making it clear the tunnel was a simplistic affair meant as a last chance back up. That was fine by him! The tunnel leading under the moat was filled with a threat no more terrifying than cobwebs. And dust. And many dead insects.

He pushed through them all and as he had when he escaped the harbor tunnels, he jumped up with all his legged might and broke the exit hatch. He landed onto of the ground and wasted no time in shouting for conversions before the customary slaughter. Several bandit elites charged him after his request.

Outfitted to the gills with high-quality armor and weapons, their gear would've been a challenge to anyone but he — as it stood, though, their armor, though able to take a blow, were not able to endure repeated blows from his sword transmogrified into a battle hammer; the armor cracked along with their bones and many were sent curled to the ground, writhing in agony. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"Wait, that's it?" Lance looked around; lesser bandits had arrow-shaped puncture holes in them, others were on the ground, dead, and missing limbs, while the elites shook in pain. One dozen. Huh, that was all of them manning the ramparts. Before he finished the wounded off, he again asked them if they wished to convert to save their lives. To his surprise, none of the bandits accepted salvation, choosing instead to suffer death with their king. A strange, and sad, sight.

A series of quick stabs later and the several elites were dead. He ignored the many System notifications and cut the ropes holding the drawbridge up. The bridge fell with a clattering slam; seconds later, the Holy Slime King led the charge across as ordered. Leading into the central fort structure were two massive wood doors. Locked, obviously. He again used [Search] to locate the key.

Because [Search] was more of a general use spell than the specificity of [Locate], an incantation he lacked, it took him a while to find the key. As he searched, the bandits entered the interior of the fort and began spreading out, charging along the battlement's sides and barging their way into any side-room which wasn't properly sheltered against their advance.

"Slime, on me, you will fight by my side," he told the Holy Slime King. The slime did not give him a verbal response. Rather, its body shook, its watery, slimy skin 'curling' from top to bottom not unlike a stretching cat.

The door took some manhandling, but he unlocked it, and kicked in the doors; as he did, he ordered the Slime in front of him, for he expected an attack: lo and behold, he was right, and once the door flew open, a flurry of arrows lanced toward him, all of which were rendered moot and absorbed by the Slime King's gelatinous body.

The Holy Slime retaliated with high-pressure shots of acidic slime which eat into the defenders with devastating effect; Lance saw the bandits' armor, skin, muscle, then bones dissolved into a gloopy mélange before splattering to the ground. As they rushed past the slain bandits, Lance said a prayer on their behalf, feeling it was the least he could do after ordering their dooms in such a grotesque fashion.

"May you find redemption in the spiritual plane," he muttered. He snapped back to the present: inside the fort's central building, he found piles of loot. Open treasure chests overflowing with riches, richly woven tapestries and masterful paintings, rugs made from exotic fibers, and more, the loot reflective of decades of uncontested thuggery. Lance ignored all of the riches. He was not here for loot. He was here for the bandit king's head.

From other parts of the building, he heard shouting, informing him his ex-bandit army had found alternative passage into the mini castle. Which was good, despite the fact he would not need back up in the fight to come. There was no way the bandit king would be able to withstand his assault. He and the Slime King killed any hostile bandit they saw while converting a few of the more cowardly ones. It warmed his heart to see that not all of the bandits had a death wish.

Their crusade continued until they encountered the throne room doors. Like the entryway to the building itself, the throne room, if it could be called that, was composed of two large wooden doors. These doors, thankfully, were unlocked, so they did not need to waste time with a pointless search.

"Are you ready, Slime?" he asked of it.

"The King will be beyond these doors. We are to end him and release this island from his bondage. I should not expect the carnage to end until we have his head on a pike!" The Holy Slime shrieked its glee. That was a good enough answer for him! Lance threw open the doors and shouted, "Bandit lord! I am Lance Chaucer of the Holy Order of Cannabus! Prepare thyself for judgement!"