The foothills of Mount Modes are rolling hills, but the winter snowstorms have filled the depressions, making them look like a snow-white plain.
Late at night, the cold wind howled in the darkness, but even if the flying snowflakes blocked the view, people could still see a golden light in the vast snow.
In the Moldova Territory, the camp of the Scarlet family is stationed in a pine forest on the hills at the foot of the mountain. It was originally the lair of a group of ice wolves, but it is now occupied by humans. The light of the pyroxene lamps in the camp is dotted, but the most The dazzling thing is the huge six-pointed star that emits golden light in the sky above the center of the camp.
The Scarlet family set up their camp here after careful consideration. The hilly terrain is relatively high, and if a powerful mage is stationed there, they can suppress the entire foothills of Mount Modes from a high position. In addition to the terrain advantage, the view to the south here is wide, and can echo a group of elite heavily armored knights of the Scarlet family not far away from the shores of Lake Barnier.
In a large tent at the core of the camp, Brandon was frowning as he listened to the ranger's report. Seeing that the other party had been running around in the wind and snow for a long time, he asked the ranger to sit down, take a sip of hot tea and speak slowly.
Then, as the ranger spoke with a grateful tone, the blond swordsman couldn't help clenching his fists.
"These haunting cultists!"
Brandon was so angry that he hammered the wooden table in front of him hard. The fragile table collapsed on the spot, and the teacup on it was also shattered.
"It's okay, I was a little out of control for a moment, please continue." After coming back to his senses, he comforted the ranger with a stiff expression. Brandon took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and asked calmly: "What did you just say? It is said that Herras the Blighter is heading straight towards the Black Forest of Moldova along the forest around the Magellanic River. No one in the two villages along the way survived... So are there other villages and towns on his trajectory? "
"Yes, there are Baiye Town, Russ Village and several hunter camps along the way, but Dal and Andney have already gone to notify them."
Thinking of the two villages that had turned into ghosts, the ranger swallowed, and then described the situation clearly. However, when recounting the scene, he couldn't help but shuddered: "The speed of the Blighter is not Unhappy, my brother is riding on a dragon-blooded horse and should be able to allow these villages to evacuate in advance... After all, Herras will not chase creatures that are not within his sight, this is his habit."
After hearing the news, Brandon let out a long breath, but his expression still did not relax. After asking the ranger a few more questions, the blond swordsman waved him back to rest.
The tent door was closed by the respectful ranger, and the blond swordsman who stayed alone in the tent was silent for a long time, and then sighed.
"The situation is worse than imagined... Although I know that any plan may have unexpected surprises, this development is still too unexpected."
Since May of Starfall 833, cultists on the entire Mycroft continent have suddenly entered an active period, excluding those lunatics in the far south who work with the mad dragons and spread the plague, similar to the demon sacrificers, the abyss Scattered cult groups such as the Callers are also emerging one after another. Even in the areas around big cities, in relatively remote rural border areas, entire villages have been massacred and sacrificed several times.
The North is naturally not exempt from vulgarity. Although the number of cultists who carry out destruction in the North is not large in comparison, the quality far exceeds that of other regions. You must know that most of the incidents of demon summoning and evil gods sacrificing, They are all done by bewitched mortals. Even if there are cultists involved, most of them are fringe members who only understand a little bit of doctrine. But most of these cultists who appeared in the North were official members, and a few were even priests who could use blasphemous magic.
Moldavia has Miss No. 3 stationed in the main city, who can easily identify all suspicious elements, but the Moldovan leader is not so lucky. Verdani cannot complete the job alone, and can only send Brandon from the imperial capital to Also call for help.
Not long ago, Brandon and Verdani joined forces with Joshua to clear out most of the cultist gathering places in Moldavia and Moldova. The blond swordsman originally thought that this matter had come to an end and the territory was restored. Peace was restored, but unexpectedly, an ancient ruin suddenly appeared in Modesi Mountain.
The situation became chaotic.
Countless adventurers, archaeologists, mages from all over the world and strange characters were moving towards the Northland at the same time. Their goal was the Moldova Territory. This originally quiet and cold northern land was instantly filled with footprints and traces from all over the world. Accents, hotels and taverns throughout the main city and surrounding villages are overcrowded. There are indeed some scum among the adventurers. Thanks to these people, the security of the territory has become a big problem.
In order to coordinate the conflict and guard these powerful adventurers and mages, many of whom are golden experts, Veldani and Brandon could only stay alone in the main city and alone at the ancient ruins near Mount Modes. Everyone was so busy that they had no time to spare, so they could only entrust their daughter to Joshua, who was relatively relaxed.
In fact, both Brandon and Verdani have no interest in the ruins. They just want to ensure the safety of the people in the territory. The blizzard seems to be over in the past few days, and the formal exploration and excavation work will begin soon. Both of them are thinking Let these guys complete the exploration as soon as possible and restore everything to its original state, but accidents always happen frequently, and Herras is the biggest bad news.
"People from two villages, or even more... I originally thought that these cultists had been driven away, but I didn't expect that they were also interested in the ruins."
The blond swordsman rubbed his forehead tiredly, and said with a wry smile: "Herras the Blighter, isn't he active in the Western Mountains? He actually came to the North for this ruins, and no one discovered him along the way. … What are those people doing at the border?”
Although he was in a bad mood, Brandon knew that no matter how much he complained, it would be useless. He stood up and walked back and forth in the tent, already making a plan in his mind.
"The opponent is at the peak of his will and is close to a legendary powerhouse. We can only ask Teacher Nostradamus or Grandfather to take action."
Although Brandon looks gentle and humble on the outside, he actually has his own arrogance in his heart. He has never liked asking others to help him when he can solve things by himself. But now that there is really no other way, he can only ask the old man to help him. A powerful person of the same level as Herras took action. The other party is the high priest of the cult, and the blond swordsman believes that they will not refuse this reasonable request.
"As for Joshua..."
A name came to mind, and Brandon stopped walking. He frowned and thought for a long time, and finally sighed slowly: "Forget it... He just came back from the Holy Mountain Mad Dragon Battlefield."
Because he was in Modesi Mountain, he had not yet received the notification from the Moldavia Lord's Palace, so he did not know that the warrior was on the way.
For this friend who is younger than him but whose strength has improved at an extremely rapid rate, Brandon has always had complicated feelings in his heart. He admires his character, admires his strength, and is slightly jealous of his progress. The blond swordsman They are all very clear and acknowledged one by one. Brandon has always understood that human emotions are complicated. He is indeed a little jealous of Joshua's speed of improvement, but he also knows what the other person has paid for it.
In the two years since the two knew each other, the warriors had been fighting, or on their way to the battlefield - the black tide, the Great Ajax Mountains, the alien world eroded by chaos, the dragon's lair, and the holy mountain wild dragon battlefield. Joshua had no trace of it. He stopped, without any fatigue, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the battle.
Brandon thought he would never be able to achieve this kind of simple lifestyle and personality, so he also understood that even if he had the same inheritance from the saints as the other person, he would not be able to progress at the same speed as the other person.
"What's more, the other party is the patron of the evil god who is at the pinnacle of his will and is rumored to be breaking through to the legendary realm..."
Turning his head and looking at the map hanging in the center of the camp behind him, Brandon muttered to himself: "I guess even you can't defeat him."
distance.
The icy wind is like a blade, and the dark clouds are rolling.
Thick ink-like clouds dropped endless blizzards, making everything in the world pale, but there was a raging black river roaring with the wind and rolling waves in this white world, even in the extreme cold of dozens of degrees below zero. It can't be frozen at all.
And an ordinary small town is located next to this surging ice-free river.
Maizhe Bufrog River, Baiye Town.
This is a commercial town located on the riverside. Houses with gray roofs gather beside the tributaries of the long river, forming a settlement built on artificial canals and tributaries. Slender arch bridges and stone paths are dotted around, dividing it into a area.
Baiye Town is named after it is rich in a kind of magic potion with white leaves. This magical plant called Frost Flower Grass is one of the raw materials for the concentration potion. During the harvest season, the place is bustling with people and countless merchant ships swarm in. Come and buy these petite flowers and plants. Although the residents of Baiye Town have to pay a high potion trade tax, their lives are far richer than those of the average Northland people. Parties are often held here in the middle of the night, and no matter what time of day, you can always hear the laughter of the residents. .
But now, it fell into a dead silence.
The blizzard was pouring down, and the dark clouds like thick ink fell from the sky, connecting with the ice fields in the distance. I saw dazzling arcs entangling deep in the clouds, and then suddenly burst out with a bolt of lightning that tore the sky apart.
boom!
The tree-like forked lightning occupied half of the sky, accompanied by rumbles and roars that seemed to tremble even the violent wind and snow.
However, the thunder overwhelmed all the sounds in the world, but it could not suppress the sound of a few regular footsteps.
Ta, tap, tap.
A tall man walked silently on the stone road of the town. His footsteps drowned out the howling of the wind and snow and the roar of thunder, becoming the only sound in this space.
The voices of all things were pale and feeble because of his existence. Every time the man took a step forward, the earth dried up visibly. The insects and ants lurking in the nest stiffened and died under an inexplicable wave. The tiny bacteria in the soil No body was spared, and the thousand-year-old trees beside the road were no exception. They gradually withered and decayed with the pace, and finally dissipated together into equal gravel in the strong wind.
The earth thus became a desert without any life.
The man's pace is not fast, but can be called slow, but every step he takes is extremely regular, and there is no error in the distance between the two steps. Even the most astute measuring stick in the hands of the strictest mage cannot detect the slightest difference. .
boom!
There was another thunder, followed by pale lightning, and the man could already be seen.
This man has a strong build, wears a black robe, and has a face as sharp and angular as a statue. His dark green curly hair hangs down from his temples, making his expressionless, machine-like face look even more ruthless.
This man's eyes are like a whirlpool, a whirlpool of death that can bury everything and swallow everything in the deep sea. Lightning cannot take away his sense of existence. On the contrary, because of his existence, even the blizzard sweeping the world and the lightning across the sky It became unworthy of mention, as if it were just a child's cry.
Behind this man, there were scattered cold corpses. Their bodies were shriveled and thin, as if the blood had been burned out. From the wrinkled faces, it could be seen that what they had experienced before them was What pain and despair.
At the forefront of these withered corpses is the corpse of a ranger holding a longbow. It can be seen that he seemed to be leading the villagers to leave the house and prepare to evacuate, but unexpectedly encountered the target that needed the most vigilance. Judging from the posture of the corpse that had shrunk to skin and bones, the ranger seemed to want to fight back, but before he could take out the arrow from the quiver, he died silently.
Suddenly, from a nearby house, a little girl sobbed softly. The sobs only appeared for a moment and then stopped immediately, as if someone had covered her mouth.
But the man who killed most of the villagers did not notice it and still walked forward step by step.
He walked without bypassing any obstacles. If there was a ditch in front of him, he would cross the ditch. If there was a river in front of him, he would walk on the water. If he was blocked by a house, he would break through the house. If he was blocked by a tree, he would break the tree. This man is just like a machine, he is just stubborn. Heading towards the predetermined goal, not caring about the surrounding situation.
Horamus the Blighter will only kill enemies within his field of vision and destroy targets in front of him. If he cannot see you with his naked eyes, then he will not take action.
But the next moment, sharp cries and whines passed through the wall and resounded through the entire town, and the man who seemed to never stop also stopped in his tracks.
Because in front of him, several figures wearing gray and black robes appeared.
"Priest Randall."
The man said in a calm, mechanical voice like steel rubbing against each other: "You should wait for my arrival in the cave in the target area. Your behavior does not match the plan."
"High Priest Heramos..."
The leading man, who was wearing a simple gray robe, knelt on one knee. Facing the man in front of him, even if he was as violent and irritable as he was, he did not dare to be presumptuous. The priest named Randall spoke in as clear and calm a tone as possible. "There was a change of plans and that's why we're here," said.
As soon as he finished speaking, several men in black robes walked out of the houses on the roadside. The blades in their hands were stained with blood, presumably the blood of the survivors.
"Although it is a bit presumptuous, Your High Priest, this habit of yours is too easy to leave survivors." Randall nodded to these men in black robes, asking them to go to other houses to see if there are any survivors. Then he said in a persuasive tone: "This is quite detrimental to our religious order..."
Halfway through, Randall's voice became smaller and smaller, and then he fell silent, because the man was staring at him with eyes that were extremely bland and without any emotion.
"What's the change in the plan?" Heramus's voice echoed in the streets, as cold as ice and snow: "Details, no need to omit."
"Yes, yes!" Randall did not dare to hesitate at all towards this machine-like high priest. Although he knew that the other party would never take action against his companions, his instinctive fear could not be suppressed. This priest He immediately began to describe the various disadvantages encountered by the Plague Order in the North, and highlighted the loss of another priest, Xina, in Moldavia.
"Priest Xina." Heramus closed his eyes. He sensed it for a moment, and then concluded: "She is isolated from the world, but she is not dead."
"Really!" Randall felt a burst of joy when he heard this. He knew that the man in front of him had this ability. Randall originally thought that his friend had died in the hands of the Northland Earl or had been killed, but he did not expect that the other party was still alive, but this did not change his mind. However, just as the gray-robed priest was about to speak, he immediately shut his mouth.
Shaking his head to silence the other party, the man with dark green hair turned to look in the direction of the Western Moldavia Territory and said calmly: "Priest Randall, I already know your thoughts. You want to ask me to take revenge." Capturing the forces of Priest Xina is in line with the teachings of the Order, and I accept it.”
"When the ruins excavation plan is completed, I will go to Moldavia, rescue the Shena priests, destroy its main city, and kill its residents."
Heramus' tone was straightforward, as if he was not talking about an evil massacre plan, but just saying that he had to work tomorrow and eat bread in the evening.
A swirling light flowed in his eyes: "But now, the ruins excavation plan is the top priority."
"Yes!"
Randall's back was completely penetrated by cold sweat, but he had long been accustomed to Heramus's ability to see through people's hearts. The gray-robed priest stood up and said hesitantly: "But the high priest, Moldavi The lord of Asia is the dragon slayer Joshua. He also has the strength of mid-level and even high-level Jiyi. Should we be more accurate..."
But at this time, Heramos had already started to move forward again. He had no reaction to Randall's words and didn't care at all.
But this is not arrogance, nor is it indifference.
This is work.
The roar of the blizzard became clear and powerful again after the man left, and screams and pleas for mercy were heard one after another in Baiye Town. The scattered cultists were completely wiping out all survivors.
Randall, who was left behind, was silent for a long time. He didn't let out a long sigh until the other party disappeared into the snow.
"Maybe..." he said with a wry smile: "He really doesn't care."
This is the second update.
Let me tell you something important. My grandma was critically ill due to a sudden cerebral hemorrhage a few hours ago. I will take the flight back to China at 12 o'clock this evening, Beijing time. The updates in the past few days will be unstable and will last until July. It's the beginning of the month.
I just had a holiday recently and I could have resumed normal updates, but I didn't expect something like this to happen.
Overhaul completed
(End of chapter)