If you want to describe what an enemy's lair looks like, the first thing that comes to Xia Fan's mind is a rat's nest.
No one knows how long Dr. Dulin has been operating here. The caves in the rock wall were opened one by one, forming a complex underground network. Faced with the church's sudden raids, the enemies hidden inside immediately launched a desperate resistance with no intention of surrendering.
It's just that in the face of absolutely overwhelming power, their counterattack methods are quite limited - not to mention swords, bows and crossbows. The most threatening thing to the opponent is undoubtedly the muskets and artillery, especially the short-barreled cannon in the center of the aisle. With the help of shotguns, it is basically It can seal off the entire offensive line. If used against ordinary people, it is indeed invulnerable. Unfortunately, their opponent this time is the Judgment Team.
The church seems to have been prepared to deal with this kind of firearms. Two dragonborn directly raised thick iron shields to block the front of the aisle. There were companions behind them who cast barrier spells. The double insurance made the small-caliber firearms look weak, and it was impossible to fire in turns. Stop the Tribunal's advance.
Taxis took on the main offensive responsibility.
What she is good at is the evocation of energy, and it is the most violent fire spell.
Probably because the dragon's mental skills are related to the flames, even the ordinary fireball technique has become an astonishingly powerful weapon in her hands. Often the enemy is still looking for a bunker to block, and she has already turned the sulfur in her hand into a ball of liquid beads the size of a fingernail, and throws it at the opponent's location. Afterwards, violently expanding flames mixed with hot air waves engulfed everything around them. If it reached the powder box, it would cause an even more violent explosion. In a sealed cave, such a blow would be absolutely fatal. If it weren't for the strong body given by the Demon Holder, even the Dragonborn would not be able to stand firm in the corridor that was repeatedly swept by the shock wave.
"These guys... are not gang members from Azure Castle." Des Moines leaned over and inspected the charred corpse on the ground. "They are a bit like the pirates who once occupied the Sea of Tranquility."
"Are you sure?" Taxis raised her eyebrows.
"Yes, look at the skull rings they wear and the bloody flag tattoos... these are symbols of classical sea pirates."
"What do you mean?" Xia Fan asked Olina in a low voice, "Can these pirates be divided into classical and modern ones?"
"Uh..." The latter was also a little confused, "I only heard that pirates haven't appeared in the Tranquility Sea for a long time. As for how to classify them, I don't quite understand..."
"If you have any questions, just ask me." Taxis turned to Xia Fan and said, "The so-called classical pirates are the first group of people who appeared on the ocean. Most of them are lawless elements and desperate people. Attacking ships to seize money. The Sea of Tranquility is also a thoroughfare for trade between various countries, so pirates were particularly rampant for a period of time. However, as countries intensified their crackdowns, pirates from all parties suffered heavy losses, and are now basically extinct in the Sea of Tranquility area. ”
"What's not a classical pirate?"
"Of course it's the armies of various countries." Taxis smiled.
"Sir." Des Moines coughed twice, reminding his boss to pay attention to his words.
"There's nothing that can't be said. Whether it's the Holy Wing Islands, Ranjith or Natadine, everyone knows this very well." The girl said unconcernedly, "Compared to the classical pirates, these new pirates They are well-equipped, with the most advanced warships and firearms, and are often equipped with several spellcasters on board. They will rob and kill without leaving any survivors. They are much more difficult to deal with than those guys before."
"Lord Yongyi!" the guardian knight interrupted again.
"So that's what happened." Xia Fan patted Des Moines on the shoulder, "Don't be too nervous. I've seen such pirates with my own eyes. It's really not a secret."
"What do you mean?" He frowned.
"Natatin's fleet has just appeared in the east once. It is the governor's navy on weekdays, but it becomes pirates when it attacks the city."
"You had a conflict with Natadine's navy?" Taxis said unexpectedly, "What happened in the end?"
"The governor died in the battle, the warship was captured, and thousands of prisoners were probably taken." Xia Fan replied pretending to be relaxed.
The girl was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "Is there such a thing? Why didn't you tell me earlier! With this deed alone, you can be solemnly welcomed by the Church of Hera. Although there is no way to publicly commend you, there are various benefits It’s absolutely indispensable!”
"Even if victory has nothing to do with the Holy Wing Islands?"
"How could it have nothing to do with it? Every weakening of the Kingdom of Natadine is to relieve the pressure on various countries." Taksis looked at Xia Fan with even more eager eyes, "The church has been recruiting people who can help Natadine. The warrior who caused trouble in the court, after this matter is over, you can come with us to the royal capital."
"Sir, we still don't know whether this is true or not. Let's capture the real culprit who attacked the convoy first and then talk about anything else." Des Moines reminded, "They are surrounding us again."
The battle in the cave lasted for about an hour, and the enemy's resistance gradually weakened.
Taksis and her group also invaded the deepest part of the lair.
This place obviously has air holes connected to the outside world. Not only does it not feel stuffy, but you can also occasionally feel a cool breeze.
The trial team raised their torches and walked into the cave, quickly illuminating the small space.
"How...how did you find this place?"
A middle-aged man was sitting against a stone wall, his tone filled with doubts and pity, but no fear.
"He is Du Lin!" Li pointed out on the spot.
"Yes, I am Du Lin, the doctor in the tower." Du Lin's face was a little pale. He covered his waist, and strands of blood were oozing out from between his fingers. "I didn't expect that the Church of Hera would notice a little person like me. I'm really honored... Ahem..."
He was hurt, Xia Fan realized.
This person was not hiding here from the beginning. He might have been thinking of resisting the church's attack with other murderers, but he was injured by stray bullets flying from the explosion and had to withdraw from the battle.
Could such a person be the mastermind of the entire attack? Perhaps Du Lin was extremely proficient in administering drugs and torturing patients, but he was too weak to be a strong man who could make a convoy suddenly disappear.
But who is it if it’s not him? The enemies in the cave were dead and injured, and they had completely lost the ability to resist the church. There are also one or two demon possessors, but compared with a group of elite dragonborn, the gap in strength is as great as the abyss, and they cannot cause enough trouble to the trial team. After sweeping all the way down, the nest's resistance was far lower than he expected.
Taxis took a step forward and lifted the other person from the ground, "Where is the Son of the Holy Spirit?"
"Ahem... just behind this wall..." Dulin said with difficulty.
"How to open the wall?"
"Need to turn the handle...it's ten paces to the left."
His cooperative attitude made Xia Fan a little more vigilant.
"Be careful, in the underground laboratory, we have encountered a mechanism that sprays death fog."
"I know. But the Dragonborn is not that afraid of the Death Mist," Taxis nodded. "The high-heat flames are enough to make the Death Mist retreat."
She quickly found the handle and did as she was told.
Driven by the screw device, the stone wall slowly slid open to one side, revealing the hidden inner chamber.
The moment it was fully opened, Xia Fan's heart sank suddenly.
This inner room is only two feet long and wide, and it is lit with candles, so people outside can easily see what's going on inside.
The first thing Xia Fan saw were two corpses nailed to the wall with iron bonds.