Jost coughed twice. He could feel the changes in his physical condition. The erosion of his internal organs was irreversible. They would gradually become necrotic, distorted, lose their original functions, and even create things that would destroy other organs.
In modern terms, this is no different from cancer.
Those internal organs and cells, due to external radiation, lesions, etc., eventually become pathological cells that proliferate indefinitely, continue to spread, erode body functions, and eventually cause death.
Jost's lungs have been partially removed, his kidneys have long been gone, and his intestines and stomach are mostly maintained by magic. From a modern medical perspective, it is already a miracle that his body can still function.
He knew that he didn't have much time left, and he might even die suddenly before the demonic tide came.
Recently, he often came to the top of the Gray Tower.
Here, Jost can overlook the Black Forest. There are countless monsters in the deep and quiet forest. They attack humans without reason, kill lives, and wreak havoc on the earth.
The night wind is very cool, and as the blood moon approaches, the climate is the first to change.
The four seasons in the Kingdom of Darkness are not distinct. Generally speaking, the days when the magic tide arrives are the coldest. Because of this, many crops cannot grow normally, especially at the edge of the Black Forest.
Only in the hinterland of the kingdom, the farthest location from the Black Forest, does the word "harvest" have a real meaning.
Jost looked at the lights below, feeling a little relieved and a little worried.
He was gratified that the city had developed. Although the geographical location on the edge of the Black Forest was a bit prohibitive, the prosperity here far exceeded that of its surroundings. Even the nearby Duke spread the word and wanted to compete with Higurashi.
The town establishes good communication.
Of course, this was achieved after the Duke initially sent out troops to invade, but was given a good education by the tough players.
Jost's concerns are very real.
Everything here is based on the fact that the demonic tide has not yet arrived. If the demonic tide comes and those monsters wreak havoc, who can guarantee that Rimu Town will be able to resist it?
Even if the defenses here in Rigure Town are solid, the surrounding towns will definitely be destroyed by the demonic tide. When the time comes when enemies are coming from both sides, Rigure Town may not be able to defend it for that long.
not to mention.
In the town, there was a buzz of people.
Residents of nearby towns usually choose to leave and flee to castles and fortresses further inland when the demonic tide approaches. Although this does not necessarily guarantee their own safety, it is better than waiting to die where they are.
But now, the news about Higurashi Town has spread, and many residents from nearby towns have chosen to take refuge here. Although the town has become a lot more prosperous, the burden on Jost's shoulders has also become heavier.
He took out a letter from his pocket.
This is a reply to the letter I sent to my mentor at the palace some time ago.
Jost told everything he saw on the border, the suffering of the people, the raging monsters, and the hard life. He also elaborated on the concept of the magic network and what they had done. Finally, Jost begged the man who would
The teacher who was expelled from the palace gave him help, summoned the court mages, and joined the magic network.
However, the reply was not optimistic.
First of all, Jost's mentor himself is not the leading court mage. He can only manage a part of the court mage.
In addition, the old mage does not trust the magic network, and believes that there are still many loopholes, such as the god at the center of the magic network. So far, there is no good choice. It is not easy to capture the god on the moon. At the critical moment,
I'm afraid it will require extraordinary measures.
Finally, Jost's teacher persuaded him to cherish his life. If he could admit his mistakes, he might be able to return to the palace and receive life-extending treatment, at least to live for a while longer.
Jost had already expected such a reply.
If it were my past self, I might have hesitated when facing death and thought of my teacher's suggestion.
But now, he met Shia, a mage from the future. She showed the possibility of the magic network and the future of the Kingdom of Darkness thousands of years later. Jost became even more determined in his heart.
He must complete the magic network, even if he sacrifices everything he has.
"Why are you sitting here alone?"
There was a voice behind him, Jost turned around and saw Drizzt wearing a long trench coat.
"We need to hold a meeting regarding the defense of the demonic tide."
Drizzt said, but did not urge Jost, but followed him and sat next to him.
"Are you scared?"
Drizzt looked at the deep black forest and asked.
"Of course I'm afraid. Every time a demonic wave comes, it will be a tragic war, and countless people will die."
Jost nodded and continued.
"I'm even more afraid that this kind of thing will continue forever until mankind is destroyed. Even after civilization has been destroyed, it will exist forever, killing all new life."
Drizzt nodded slightly when he heard this.
He can understand this feeling very well.
In a foreign land, he witnessed countless despairs.
When they first came to the Quiet Land, the Chosen Ones were all desperate, because the tasks here were all strange and dangerous. If they were not careful, they would lose their sanity and fall into madness, or they would be directly eroded by pollution and transform into monsters.
After that, the Chosen Ones learned the secrets of the foreign land and the end of their own world, and they began to look forward to saving their world.
And in the end, the Chosen Ones will realize that the world is hopeless, and the only way out for foreign lands is destruction. No matter how hard they struggle, the world will be helplessly doomed, and the Chosen Ones are so crazy,
Those who died died, those who became monsters became monsters, and none of them had a happy ending.
If Jost was just an ordinary person, then faced with the plight of the Kingdom of Darkness, he might just die in ignorance from a certain monster attack. He would not bring him alive or take him away, and spend his life in confusion.
But now, Jost knows this. He understands the plight of the Kingdom of Darkness and has made efforts to solve it. In this case, the place will still fall into darkness. For Jost, he can endure it.
Boundless darkness, provided he has never seen the light.
"And you, Mr. Drizzt, are you afraid?"
Jost asked instead.
"Of course, because according to them, my death is not that far away."
Drizzt took out his pipe, but found that he had no matches. He was a little embarrassed.
"If you don't mind, I can help you."
Jost said, creating a flame with his fingertips and lighting the tobacco in Drizzt's pipe.
The detective took a deep breath and exhaled.
"If, I mean if, if sacrificing my life can make this world continue, I will not hesitate, but I have no right to decide other people's choices. I know very well that I may commit crimes against humanity next.
The greatest sin in history, I will lead this world to a path with no future."
Jost sighed, he knew exactly what choice he had to make, and because of this, he felt helpless about his fate.
"If it's that guy."
Drizzt smiled, thinking of the mental patient who didn't act according to common sense.
"He might have said, go ahead, go ahead by any means necessary."
"go ahead"
Jost chewed the word.
"What we are facing is not some benevolent enemy, but those indescribable gods who are high in the clouds. Rather, we can let the world see some light with the sacrifice of some people. What is more important than this?
Great deal?”
Drizzt took a deep breath from his pipe and stood up. The stars behind him seemed to dim a bit, and the bright moon was glowing with red, as if it was about to be polluted.