The cavalry advanced cautiously as they neared the base of the imposing rock mountain.

The ground grew uneven, littered with smaller stones that clattered beneath their horses’ hooves.

The towering cliffs loomed above them like jagged teeth, casting long, menacing shadows in the fading light.

The once confident march of the knights had turned hesitant, their eyes darting nervously at every crack and crevice.

The oppressive silence was broken only by the sound of wind whistling through the rocks and the faint, ominous echoes of falling debris in the distance.

A knight near the front of the formation pulled back on his reins, causing his horse to rear slightly.

“My lord, this place feels… wrong,” he murmured, his voice trembling despite his attempt to sound calm.

“Hold your tongue,” barked another knight, his face pale but resolute. “We are here on Baron Geisler’s orders. Do not falter now.”

Baron Geisler, riding at the center of the formation, remained silent, his gaze fixed on the mountain’s peak.

His expression was as cold and unyielding as the stone before them. Yet, even he could not ignore the strange tension that seemed to thicken the air.

And then it began.

A sharp crack echoed from above, followed by a low, rumbling growl.

All eyes shot upward, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze.

A boulder, massive and jagged, broke free from the cliffs and began to hurtle toward them.

“MOVE!” someone screamed, and chaos erupted.

The knights scrambled to steer their horses out of the boulder’s path, but it was too late for one.

The massive rock slammed into the ground with a deafening BOOM, sending up a plume of dirt and shattered stone.

The unfortunate knight beneath it was crushed instantly, his armor crumpling like tin under the immense weight.

A spray of blood and viscera painted the nearby ground, eliciting horrified gasps and cries from the others.

“By the gods!” one knight shouted, his face pale as he yanked his horse away from the carnage.

“What in blazes is happening?!” another demanded, his voice shaking.

Baron Geisler raised his hand sharply, silencing the panicked murmurs. “It’s the creature,” he said coldly, his voice cutting through the din. “It knows we’re here.”

As if on cue, another boulder came crashing down, this time striking the ground near the rear of the formation.

The impact sent horses rearing and knights sprawling, their cries mingling with the shrill neighs of terrified steeds.

“Scatter! Spread out!” one of the senior knights commanded, his voice hoarse as he tried to regain control of the situation. “Don’t bunch together! It’s targeting groups!”

But the command only added to the chaos.

The once-organized cavalry dissolved into a frenzy of movement, knights shouting conflicting orders as they tried to avoid the deadly rain of stone.

CRACK-BOOM!

Another rock fell, crushing two knights who had barely managed to steer their horses away from the previous impact.

The sound of shattering bones and twisting metal was sickening, followed by the agonized screams of those caught in the debris.

“It’s a massacre!” one knight cried, his face streaked with sweat and dirt as he frantically urged his horse forward.

“Keep moving!” another shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. “We have to get closer to the mountain—it’s the only way to stop this!”

But as they pressed on, the situation grew even worse. The rocks fell faster now, as if the mountain itself had come alive, determined to obliterate them.

“Look out!” a knight screamed, pointing upward.

A cluster of boulders, loosened by some unseen force, tumbled down the slope in a cascade of destruction.

The rocks smashed into the cavalry with unrelenting force, crushing three more knights in a single instant.

Blood pooled on the ground, mixing with the dirt and creating gruesome mud.

Severed limbs and shattered armor littered the area, a horrifying testament to the unrelenting assault.

“THIS IS MADNESS!” one knight wailed, clutching his sword as if it could somehow protect him from the relentless onslaught.

“We can’t stop here!” another shouted, his voice thick with panic. “We’ll be wiped out if we stay in the open like this!”

Baron Geisler, still atop his horse, clenched his jaw as he surveyed the carnage.

His eyes were looking at his knights as if they were nothing but mere pawns and their lives didn’t even matter to him.

In his eyes, there was only hatred and desire for vengeance against the killer of his son.

Despite the chaos around him, he remained eerily calm, his piercing gaze fixed on the mountain.

“This is no mere beast,” he muttered, more to himself than to those around him. “It fights with the land itself. A calculated defense, designed to break us before we even reach it.”

One of his knights, bloodied but alive, rode up beside him. “My lord, we must retreat! This terrain—this enemy—we’re at a disadvantage!”

Geisler’s eyes narrowed, and he turned to the knight with a look that could freeze fire.

“Retreat? Do you suggest we run like cowards? Like prey?” His voice was cold and cutting. “My son’s blood demands vengeance, and I will not leave until the one responsible is dead.”

“But the losses, my lord—”

“Losses are the cost of war!” Geisler snapped, his voice rising. “Do not speak to me of cost while my son lies broken and cold! We will press on!”

The knight swallowed hard and nodded, though his hands trembled as he tightened his grip on the reins.

Another CRACK drew their attention upward just in time to see yet another massive boulder plummeting toward them.

“MOVE!” Geisler barked, spurring his horse forward.

The knights scattered, but the rock still claimed another victim, flattening horse and rider in a sickening explosion of blood and flesh.

As they drew closer to the mountain, the barrage intensified.

The boulders seemed to come from every direction now, as if the mountain itself had become an instrument of death.

“Keep pushing forward!” Geisler commanded, his voice unwavering despite the chaos. “The creature is watching us—testing us. We must not falter!”

But even as he spoke, another cluster of rocks came crashing down, killing four more knights in one horrifying moment.

Blood coated the ground, the air thick with the smell of iron and the acrid stench of fear.

The knights’ numbers dwindled, their once-proud formation reduced to a desperate, panicked scramble.

And then, as they neared the base of the mountain, the rumbling grew louder, deeper, like the growl of some ancient beast.

Geisler pulled his horse to a stop, raising a hand to halt what remained of his cavalry.

His eyes narrowed as he stared up at the mountain, where the falling rocks had momentarily ceased.

“Steady,” he murmured, his voice low but firm.

The ground beneath them began to tremble, and the knights looked around in alarm.

“What now?” one of them whispered, his voice barely audible over the growing rumble.

And then, from above, the largest boulder yet broke free, hurtling toward them with terrifying speed.

“FORWARD!” Geisler roared, his sword raised high. “FACE IT WITH COURAGE OR DIE WITH COWARDICE!”

The knights surged ahead, their fear seemed to be outweighed by their loyalty-or perhaps their terror of their Baron’s wrath.

The mountain’s trap had been set, and they had no choice but to meet it head-on.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep