Falsely Accused, I Started Plundering Monster Traits

Lin Yan answered the radio before the message repeated. The man on the other end was with one of the Federation response units stationed outside Fairmont when the Convergence hit. They still had several vehicles, had picked up a number of survivors, and were holding near the municipal garage.

Lin Yan had the map open by the time the introductions were out of the way.

"What heavy weapons made it?"

"Two heavy machine guns, two grenade launchers. We’ve still got the anti-armor launchers too. Six rounds."

"Those launchers still work?"

"They’re operational."

"How many of you can still fight?"

"Ten from the response units. A few armed civilians. We’ve got wounded too."

Ten actual fighters, then. The civilians didn’t count for much, but if things got ugly, a few extra bodies could still hold a corner or buy someone else a few seconds.

"Where are you?"

The man gave him the garage and the nearest intersection while Lin Yan marked them on the map. Fairmont Regional lay northeast. The garage was northwest, far enough off their route to be annoying, but not nearly far enough for Lin Yan to give up six anti-armor rounds.

"We’re coming. Keep the channel open."

The signal was already rough by the time Lin Yan put the radio away.

"More of your people?"

"Yeah. And they brought something useful."

"We cannot continue changing our route whenever you find another group of survivors."

"That’s not why." Lin Yan took a second to find a comparison the older knight would understand. "You know a ballista? Big bastard, winch, several men pulling it back?"

"Of course."

"Imagine something that hits harder, but one man can carry it on his shoulder. They’ve got six shots."

The older knight took a moment to answer. "Stronger than a ballista... and carried by one man?"

"Yeah."

"It would be a formidable weapon. But we have already lost days. The Black Dragon is searching for my lady, and the longer we remain outside the Church—"

"The more likely we run into it first. I know." Lin Yan folded the map. "Which is exactly why I’m not passing those up."

Lucia spoke before the older knight could continue. "Can they hurt the dragon?"

"If those can’t hurt it, we might as well give up."

"Then let’s get them."

The older knight clearly had more to say, but Lucia went with Lin Yan. The others followed them northwest.

They kept moving, using the compass whenever the streets stopped matching the map.

The few rotters that wandered out of the fog barely slowed them. Then several minutes passed without another one appearing, and the empty road gradually stopped feeling lucky. The street had narrowed between rows of old stone buildings, with barely any side roads left and windows overlooking almost the entire stretch ahead.

Nothing stirred in the fog. No dragging footsteps, no rusted weapons or loose pieces of armor scraping over the stone, not even the occasional groan they had been hearing along the way. With all of that gone, their own footsteps sounded strangely loud.

It was like spotting a cockroach in the bathroom, stepping out to grab a shoe, and coming back to find it gone. Seeing the thing was disgusting. Losing sight of it was worse.

Where the hell did all the dead go?

They kept moving through the silence, and the longer it lasted, the less Lin Yan liked it.

"Boss," Marcus said, "isn’t it getting a little too quiet? In horror movies, this is usually when—"

"Stop. Don’t finish that sentence."

Too late.

Twenty or thirty meters farther on, a streak of red appeared through the fog above the street—a man in a long robe standing at the edge of a rooftop.

Lin Yan was about to ask the older knight who the hell that was when the answer came first.

"Heretic!"

Lin Yan’s hand went for the knife at his waist, but the man in red was faster. Pale lines burst across the street and raced up the buildings on both sides before arching together above the rooftops. By the time Lin Yan had the knife free, the man had already vanished back into the fog.

"Fuck."

He’d meant to put the knife through the bastard before he could finish whatever he was doing. With Agility swapped out for Valerian Common, he’d missed the window by a heartbeat.

The radio on Lin Yan’s chest dissolved into static just as another sound came through the fog ahead—weapons and loose armor scraping over stone beneath the shuffle of far too many feet.

The first rotters appeared moments later, followed by another rank and then another until the entire street was packed from wall to wall. Torn clothes mixed with rusted mail and battered armor, swords and spearheads knocking together as the dead behind kept forcing those in front closer.

The same noise was already rising behind them. There had to be more than a hundred between the two sides.

"Boss," Marcus muttered. "I think I might’ve jinxed us."

No one answered him.

Lin Yan turned to Lucia. "They really don’t know how to leave you alone, do they? You’re practically a celebrity."

Lucia tilted her head.

Right. No celebrities in Valeria.

"Never mind. You’re not scared?"

"I am."

Huh.

With that blank little face, he’d almost taken her for fearless. Stupid thought. She couldn’t be more than fourteen or fifteen. Saintess or not, she was still just a kid.

"It’s fine," Lin Yan said. "I’ll protect you."

"...Thank you."

The knights closed ranks around Lucia, and the older knight immediately chose the thinner side. "We break through before they close around us."

Out in the open, this many wouldn’t have bothered Lin Yan. Here, once they packed in, he’d have corpses hanging off him while spears came in from every direction.

"Boss," Marcus said. "We’re not getting through that without the guns."

"Yeah. Great. Might as well ring the dinner bell for the dragon while we’re at it."

"Are you afraid of the dragon?" Lucia asked.

"Of course I am. Why do you think I’m taking a detour for six anti-armor rounds?"

He was about to go with the knights when the static from his radio finally registered.

"That ward keeps sound in?" Lin Yan asked. "Even an explosion?"

"Nothing inside can be heard beyond it."

Then why the fuck am I running?

A laugh slipped out.

Lin Yan pulled the automatic shotgun free. "Get behind me."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!