Dusk in the Whispering Woods always seems to be particularly short.
When the dark red halo of the setting sun disappeared in the treetops, the light seemed to dim all of a sudden. The blue light on the zenith in the forest was swallowed up by the expanding tree shadows, and darkness surrounded the surroundings like a curtain.
Only the trembling orange glow of the campfire was left, leaving a blurry and swaying hazy light and shadow in the forest.
And the sounds gradually died out as the light dimmed. Except for a few low sounds of insects and the noise of night owls, the surroundings suddenly became completely silent. The whispers of the mercenaries, the beeping and peeling sounds in the campfire,
Everything became blurry and low, except for the occasional sharp or low sound, which came from far away in the wind... like a howl, like the sound of wind.
"...Those things today are quite good, and you were the first to discover them. Why did you give them to those guys?"
He took a small sip of the wine in the large wooden cup and held it for a while before swallowing it down his throat. The shallow layer of wine in the cup made the dwarf sigh slightly, and then asked as if to divert his attention.
"It's not the best...and even if they grab it, they may not be able to take it back alive." After casually poking at the bonfire, Edward said:
Three days are enough for an experienced hunter to see the abilities of a companion, even if they have not observed carefully... But in Edward's opinion, the strength of this dwarf seems to be okay, the fighting ability is not weak, and some races are naturally reckless.
, but there is no shortage of flexibility, and there is obviously some adventure experience - but for the Whispering Forest, this is just an entry requirement.
The favorite bait in the Whispering Forest is those beings who think they are powerful.
Therefore, Edward doesn't mind giving a little advice to the other party as a senior... After all, the other party's ability may come in handy later. It may even determine some life or death.
"There is an old saying among cave bears: the first thing you get is dog poop, and the last thing you get is money, but only what you can take back alive is gold."
The young hunter turned his attention to the people gathered around the fire: "The guys here are veterans, but the veterans are not the strongest group of people. They are here just because they didn't go deep enough before.
...just wandering around in some mid-range places for a short time. People who have actually moved hundreds of miles to the Whispering Forest are basically no longer here...or in Yindu Ronati, or Fandina, Clara or
Somewhere else, they are living their dream lives. Or, we will be able to find their bones soon, as long as they are as lucky as the guys we met today to leave those things behind."
The dwarf fell silent, and the sunlight dissipating in the treetops seemed to take away the last warmth. A small gust of cold wind blew in from the gaps in the trees, making him involuntarily lean towards the bonfire.
Withdrawing his gaze, the hunter's voice was still calm, as if he was describing an unobjectionable fact; "I don't know the real purpose of that mage. It may be some precious mineral veins, or it may be a powerful magical beast, but the most important thing is
Possibly, it is the ruins of the ancient elf city that is said to be hidden in the deepest part of the Whispering Forest... No matter what it is, it is definitely not something that can be easily obtained. After all, you should also understand their strength. So, depending on
Regardless of the situation, only about three-thirds or a quarter of the people will eventually return to Baiyang Town, maybe even less... And if my guess is really right, then there are two of this group of people.
If these three can save their lives, it is already a blessing from His Majesty Taimora."
This is not alarmist... In fact, every experienced mercenary here already has this understanding in his heart.
However, there were some things that Edward still didn't say.
There are really too many legends about the Whispering Forest... Although it has not been a hunting ground for adventurers for a long time, and large-scale human settlement has only been around for thirty to fifty years, the legends lingering in it
, but there are already countless... In addition to the ruins of the elves, there is also a famous rumor that somewhere in the deep forest, there is an evil cave that is bottomless and connected to another world - in that rumor
The entire world's underground is covered in dark areas that are far wider than the continent.
But this is just a rumor...even more unreliable than a legend.
Even the most experienced 'cave bears' can't confirm this... There are a few guys who claim that they have met drow, but in fact there are usually not many left, and they don't even know what the other person looks like.
I can’t explain it clearly. Of course, it’s not surprising and it doesn’t mean anything. Hidden in the shadows, deadly ambushes are what drow are rumored to be best at, but human mercenaries are also good at stabbing people in the back.
.
"The ruins of the pointed ears... It's interesting. Although they are not as good as us in forging and other places, when it comes to some gadgets, it seems that they can easily attract women. Well, I want to see what the great God Cod can do this time.
Can't you bless me with a few nice things to use to seduce rough ladies. Those things made with pointed ears are always more effective than our craftsmanship."
After staring at Edward's face for a short while, Baroque Yeyu suddenly shouted loudly. He raised the big wooden cup in his hand and drank it in one gulp, making the copper ring on his beard jingle with the movement: "Look
It all comes down to luck... However, I think there are really few of these people who have better luck than me... Really. So, here’s to our beautiful lucky lady!”
So Edward raised the dried meat in his hand.
The other party's answer made him smile a little. Obviously, the other party's understanding of life was different from his. But perhaps, the dwarves showed the most standard mentality of mercenaries - they had already entrusted their lives to
Given an unpredictable fate and shining gold coins, but deep down in his heart, he considers himself the luckiest one... Earn a big family fortune and return home proudly, and maybe finally find a beautiful wife to spend the rest of his life with.
A perfect life... Only in this way can we throw tomorrow under the skirt of the goddess of luck and live every day happily.
"I have something to ask you."
A voice sounded outside the halo of the campfire. The voice was calm, but without any title, and it was a little condescending.
Edward sighed slightly.
In fact, before the other party spoke, he had already roughly known someone's arrival... After all, such a complicated sound of armor scraping would never occur among people who should understand the rules of the jungle. However, that did not mean that he
You will feel like you want to communicate with the other person.
He doesn't like trouble.
However, the hunter does not have any feelings of remorse or fear about what happened before - most of the paladins are serious, rigid, abide by the law, and meticulous, but fortunately because of this, as long as you don't do bad things - or in other words
, don’t let them catch you when you do bad things, then they will never do any harm to you... Strictly observing the law means that you must never do anything that is detrimental to others, let alone stabbing someone in the back, even if you are moved in your heart.
Even the thought of ignoring death is not an option.
The laws of the paladin are forged by the gods, and are stricter than any rules... Once violated, they will be immediately deprived of their power, and what guarantees all this is also the power of the gods, and there is no backdoor or anything like that.
Twenty platinum coins is a lot of money, but it will never be so high that the other party is willing to break such rules.
"Let me ask you, did you sell this weapon to this person?"
The voice continued relentlessly, and at the same time, the speaker also entered Edward's sight from the edge of the bonfire. The warm firelight outlined half of the face under the helmet, making the pale skin rosy and making the raised jaw line more...
Sharp.
"First of all, I have not violated any legal provisions. Your Excellency, you are not a lord and a subject. Although I have an obligation to cooperate with you, as a free citizen, I don't seem to need to accept your questioning." Edward fiddled casually.
He lit the bonfire, raised his head after a while, cast his gaze on the righteous holy warrior, and also glanced at the figure of the somewhat submissive warrior behind him: "If it is a general inquiry, then first of all
It seems like you should state your name?"
"You!" The paladin's voice rose by more than one octave, and he even put his hand on the hilt of the sword for a moment! But after a slight pause, he finally just snorted: "Sir Eli... Even though it's not me.
Hope, but you can call me that."
“So now, can I please ‘ask’ you, Your Excellency, Freedman, to answer my question?”
"Oh...it turns out to be a Sir. Please forgive me for being rude. You can call me Edward." The hunter stood up peacefully and gave a slight salute, but his tone was still unpleasant: "Okay, Sir Sir. Although I
I still don’t think you are asking questions, but out of respect for His Majesty the King who gave you this title, I can answer your questions.”
The corners of the paladin's mouth that revealed the shadow of his helmet twitched slightly.
For some reason, when the dark and thin country boy in front of him speaks, he always feels a kind of anger... Is it because the tone always carries an equal indifference? Or is it because of the peaceful face?
Next, there is always a touch of sarcasm in those eyes?
But even if he was facing a king, I'm afraid his attitude would be the same - this ridiculous idea flashed through his mind for a moment. It also made him even more angry.
"Did you sell this weapon to this person for 60 gold coins before?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"When you made the transaction, you claimed that this was a magical weapon?"
"This is a weapon that has been blessed by strange gods and has mysterious power. Your Excellency."
"What a blessing."
"I don't know about magic."
"Then why do you claim it's a magical weapon?"
"I didn't say that, even the gentleman who purchased the weapon can testify."
His eyes swept over the pale man's jaw, and Edward snickered quietly in his heart - the character of this paladin is really simple and cute. Perhaps it is because of this that people always want something in their hearts.
Suppressive **. "...Why don't you experience it for yourself? Seeing is worth hearing a hundred times. I think you will feel the difference with a simple wave."
call!
As the voice fell, the heavy sword swung down towards Edward!
This weapon was originally built to match the warrior's huge strength, and weighed at least more than thirty pounds. However, in the hands of this paladin who did not look tall, it seemed to be no different from an ordinary long sword...
…even more fierce and fierce!
The vibration that tore through the air turned into a dull low roar! The air flew past Edward's left arm, tugging at his clothes and making a crackling sound.
Although it was just an empty swing, sand and dust flew up on the ground for a while, and a shallow depression appeared!
The violent dust extended into the darkness. In a bush not far away, a group of frightened lizards screamed strangely and fled in all directions. The jungle that was disturbed by them scattered a series of noises, like a forest.
The dark shadow came to life, wandering among the woods like a ghost!
The paladin was silent.
The tight corners of his mouth undoubtedly showed that he was shaken. This huge weapon was very heavy, but the power it swung was faster and more violent than expected. It was like there was an invisible force helping him at the moment of swiping.
.And when it was retracted, the weapon seemed to become a lot lighter - it was indeed like magic... No, it should be said that existing magic does not necessarily have such a convenient effect.
There is no magic fluctuation for sure. Whether it is the blade or the runes on the ornament, they are naturally just a kind of deceptive decoration... But where does this strange power come from?
Edward raised his eyebrows.
People in this world are too accustomed to it.
They are accustomed to assigning magical explanations to anything that does not make sense... Therefore, it is difficult for them to see through this simple trick.
In fact, if you change your mind, the answer will naturally be simple - the heavy ring is wrapped with a lead mass. When slashing, it flips forward. The center of gravity moves forward to make the machete more powerful. When the knife is retracted, the lead ring flips backward.
, then it returns to the stable center of gravity like an ordinary machete... The truth is always the simplest one, but after being confused by many things, it is difficult for warriors or magicians to get a suitable answer.
So from the beginning to the end, he used terms such as "blessed by strange gods" and "mysterious power" to promote his products, but he did not make any clear statement that the knife he sold had magical powers.
Power... This is obviously a cunning scam, but so what? Even under God's judgment, he is indeed innocent.
But the next moment, the smile disappeared from his face.
The hunter turned his head and looked into the depths of the jungle. The forest looked dark in that direction. When the night wind blew, the tops of every tree swayed, making a rustling sound. It sounded like a coiled wind.
The giant black snake on the ridge has its scales raised one by one, marking to the adventurers here that this is its territory——
But the sound seemed to disappear quickly.
The fading noise of the lizards disappeared, and even the low murmur of the night owls fell silent.
But quiet does not always mean everything is normal. It may also be the calm before the storm.
Edward's nose twitched slightly, then he narrowed his eyes and looked around. There was a vague smell in the forest among the rich smell of vegetation. It seemed to be the smell of blood... The sharp vigilance was already in his eyes.
occupies a place in my heart.
This is a sign of danger.
With a calm backhand, he turned over a large piece of tree branches and soil next to him, extinguishing the bonfire in front of him with a bang.
"what are you doing?"
"alert!"
The paladin snorted. He was immersed in thinking and didn't check for a moment. The sudden splash of mud, water, dust and charcoal drew a large stain on his white robe! And when he jumped away in anger,
, was about to ask, but found that the hunter had disappeared at some point.
Only a whispered warning was left.
The sound was not loud, but it made the whole camp start to stir in an instant.
Amidst the slight rustling sound, the group with the longest experience among the mercenaries immediately grabbed the weapons at hand and quietly woke up the 'bear cubs' beside them, but the high and low voices of conversation did not seem to matter.
Without any disturbance, only the small fires around them began to gradually extinguish until everything was ready.
The paladin was stunned for a moment.
The thin, dark boy had already stood in the shadow of a bush at some point, and seemed to have merged with the darkness. If the paladin wasn't so far away, it would have been almost difficult to see his shadow. And the hunter didn't know when in his hands.
A bow has been opened, and the arrow on the bowstring is pointed directly at his face!
The next moment, with a buzzing sound, the arrow was flying towards him!
——
It seems that too many words have been used to create conflict... This is not good, so the next chapter will be accelerated.
In addition, I would like to express my solemn thanks to book friend ghosteve for his support.
;
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