An hour after the battle, the second group of pursuers reined in their horses and began to examine the messy traces on the ground.
"There was a fight here."
"There is no doubt -" The second cavalryman jumped off his mount, leaned down as hard as he could, and squinted at the clods of soil on the ground. He suddenly drew his sword, stabbed into the soil a few times, and picked up several clods of soil in succession.
:
"There is blood. And a lot of it."
"It is impossible for a person to bleed so much if he is injured."
"The site was buried. The people who were cleaning up the site..." He almost lay on the ground, spreading his thumb and index finger as far as they could, measuring the footprints on the ground:
"There is only one. If our people win, we don't have to cover the blood before leaving. So - it was the intruder who killed our brother!"
"Find him, chase him!"
He gave the order and the whole team dispersed, looking for traces. After a while, the cavalry came over one after another and reported:
"I have horse hoof prints here!"
"There are some in the backward direction too! Judging from the depth of the hoof prints, someone should be riding on them!"
"On the left hand side, going down the slope, there are blades of grass trampled down all the way!"
“There is also a fork in the road ahead that turns right!”
"This..." The captain hesitated. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, took out a copper pipe, polished the flint hard, and lit the fuse. The fireworks soared into the sky, and the captain turned to his subordinates and shouted:
"Continue searching! Be sure to find more traces and wait for backup to arrive so they can determine the target location!"
In this way, Marcus Breno successfully delayed the pursuit of the pursuers. He galloped on horseback, climbed over mountains and ridges, waded through water to eliminate the smell, and went back and forth for a day, but he was really not caught up by the pursuers. - However,
He gradually couldn't hold it any longer.
My forehead is hot.
Difficulty breathing.
He ate all the dry food he carried. The few cavalrymen he killed had some black bread with them. But he took a bite, and his gums and jaws were in burning pain. He reluctantly swallowed half a piece, and after a while, all of them were eaten.
Vomited.
Is there...is there any place where he can take a rest...
Marcus lay on the mountain ridge and looked down. At the foot of the mountain in the dusk, a wisp of smoke rose up. There was a small village located here. Outside the village, mountain streams flowed out of the canyon. After a slight turn, they merged into an oblong
A lake. A small island rises in the middle of the lake, with lush vegetation. Looking from a distance, it looks like an open eye.
Marcus was refreshed. He had seen that small island - that eye-shaped lake on the map before setting off. It had the Vatican's teleportation array on it! As long as he could get here, at least half of his mission would have been accomplished.
!
He observed the way down the mountain for a moment, then dismounted and turned the horse's head. He patted the horse's butt, and the horse neighed and ran for a few steps before standing still blankly. Marcus was cruel, pulled out a dagger and stabbed the horse in the buttocks.
, the war horse was frightened and immediately galloped away along the mountain road. The horse's hooves hit it, and in a moment, it was already far away and could not be heard.
Then, the thief turned around and cut through the thorns and thorns along the steep hillside without roads, dashing and jumping all the way towards the village in a straight line.
He was originally a level 8 thief. Although he suffered from injuries and injuries, and his strength was weakened and weakened again, he was still much stronger than ordinary people. The hillside was overgrown with vegetation, and ordinary mountain people could not walk at all, but it could not hinder him much. For a moment.
After a while, already covered in grass leaves and dust, I stood at the foot of the mountain and looked at the village from a distance.
It gets dark the fastest in the valley. Often there is still the afterglow on the mountain ridges. Once in the valley, it is almost too dark to see the vegetation on the roadside. Marcus followed his memory and walked outside. Within a moment, he saw
There are more than a dozen houses in the small village, with flickering lights and the faint aroma of food wafting in the wind.
Marcus hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to kill someone for no reason. He didn't go straight in. He just walked carefully around the fence at the entrance of the village, hoping to steal something to eat. After walking dozens of steps, he saw sparkling lights in front of him, but he was dug by the villagers.
A water reservoir. The sound of the gurgling spring reached his ears. Marcus suddenly felt his throat was parched. He leaned on the edge of the pond and stretched out his hand to drink the water.
After only three or four sips, he felt an uneasy feeling in his chest and abdomen. Marcus tried his best to turn his head away, but it was too late. With a sound, the tumbling contents in his stomach spurted out from his mouth and nose. Pool water spurted out.
There are strands of silk inside, and I don’t know if they are the dry food eaten during the day or what.
Marcus lay on the edge of the pool, vomiting until he was exhausted and sweating all over his body. His throat was burning with severe pain, mixed with the sour taste in his mouth. With great difficulty, he stood up, moved a few steps to the side, and picked up the clear spring to rinse his mouth.
After washing for a few times, there was a movement not far away, and a very delicate and soft exclamation sounded:
"ah!!!"
"who?!"
Marcus rolled to the side reflexively, reaching his right hand to his waist, holding the dagger tightly. He pressed his left hand on the ground, shrank and bounced his body, and rushed out with the sound. The dagger was already half unsheathed.
However, the person who screamed in surprise about ten steps away was a little girl, at most five or six years old. Her feet were bare, her woolen coat was in tatters, and the edges were hanging down bit by bit. She had bright red hair and a pair of eyes.
Crystal clear, looking at him with an expression full of curiosity and concern, without any trace of disdain or disgust.
Marcus' hand softened. This little girl...the red hair and the watery eyes were exactly the same as his little Maria. Before the little Maria was taken away for training by the Vatican, she was also so innocent and cute...
…
He hasn't seen his daughter for seven years...
"you……"
Marcus couldn't help but soften his voice. The little girl had already ran up to him and looked up at him:
"Uncle, are you feeling unwell? Do you want to vomit? I happened to pick some fruits. The sour fruits are the most pleasant to eat, and you won't want to vomit soon!"
She raised her hands. A bunch of black berries, with branches and leaves, was held in front of Marcus.
...Yes, the same is true for little Maria, she has the best heart...
Marcus trembled and took the handful of berries. He picked one and put it in his mouth. He didn't know what it tasted like, so he swallowed it with his saliva. His chest didn't seem so sad anymore. He stretched out his hand and washed it in the pool water.
Wash, shake dry, and touch the top of the little girl’s hair:
"Little girl, thank you very much. Uncle still has something to do and has to go on his way. Don't tell anyone that you have seen me!"
As he spoke, he dug into his pocket and took out a small handful of coins and stuffed them into the girl's palm. He stretched out his hand and squeezed her small palm with the coins. He closed the girl's delicate fist with his five fingers and felt the temperature of the palm for a moment.
release:
"I am leaving!"
He turned around, jumped over the pool, and continued running. The stream gurgled and flowed out of the canyon. Marcus's figure in black went down the water. After a while, he was no longer visible.
Look at the mountain and run to death.
Looking down from the mountain ridge, from the small village to the exit of the canyon to the eye-shaped lake, it didn't seem that far away. However, Marcus ran as hard as he could until he was dizzy and his chest was on fire. The mouth of the canyon was still far ahead.
.
Just as he was about to take a break, there was a scream behind him, and a bright yellow firework rose in the direction of the village——
Damn it!
The pursuers are here again!
Marcus touched his arms, took out the last acceleration charm, and broke it with all his strength. A breeze lingered around him, and Marcus' feet suddenly became much faster. He rushed out of the canyon in one breath, identified the direction, and turned to the right
washed away by the lake on the edge.
The lake was silent. Marcus searched around and found no boats, not even a tree trunk that could be used as a canoe. Marcus gritted his teeth, took off his boots and tied them around his waist, and went into the water again.
There was a splash of water, and seven or eight wild ducks were frightened by him and flew up, flapping their wings and quacking loudly, and flew into the night sky.
"over there!"
"There's movement over there!"
Someone shouted in the distance. Marcus no longer had the strength to conceal his whereabouts, so he could only lower his head and paddle hard.
The lake water in the middle of the night was a bit colder than the stream. Marcus' teeth were chattering. When he stepped onto the shore, he almost fell to the ground. He didn't even have time to empty out a small fish in his boots and struggled to put on the leather boots.
, staggering, ran towards the center of the island.
Rush into the woods.
Over the bush.
Get into a wooden house that is about to collapse, lift up the iron plate under the bed of the wooden house, and get into the tunnel.
Climb to the end of the tunnel. In the earth cave, under the silent illumination of the eternal flame, lies a rock slab. The groove in the center of the rock slab is about one foot square, with a round hole drilled around each side and a piece of broad bean embedded in it.
Big gems. Red, yellow, green, blue, distinct colors.
Marcus breathed a sigh of relief, took out the three glass tubes that had been hidden in his arms, and gently unwrapped them. Looking carefully under the light, the glass tubes were no longer as crystal clear as before, but rather hazy.
, there are dots of things growing inside——
Does this treasure have to be kept in ice? Will it easily deteriorate if taken out?
Then he has to teleport it back quickly! If it's later, it will deteriorate and become unusable, and he won't be able to get points!
Marcus carefully placed the glass tube in the groove. He took a deep breath and pressed the gems in order of up, down, left, and right. The four gems flashed for a while, and the brilliance flowed on the rock plate, and the crisscrossing lines appeared.
Each one lights up——
“There is a tunnel here!”
"Hurry up and chase!"
There were shouts from far outside the tunnel. Marcus clenched his dagger and stared at the light on the rock slab without looking back. Move quickly, move quickly, recharge quickly, and teleport things away——
Hurry!
Has this teleportation array not been maintained for too long and is no longer powerful enough!!!
"found it!"
"There's someone ahead!"
The sound of footsteps came. There's still a little bit to go, a little bit to go - work harder!
"People in front, listen! You are blocked! You can't escape! Quickly put down your weapons and surrender, hand over what you stole, and spare your life!"
It's still not enough. The grooves on the rock slab are not completely lit up, and are still less than 10% bright. Moreover, they are no longer moving.
Is there any way? Is there anything else I can use, magic, holy power, or something else?
"Those in front, surrender immediately!"
More heavy sounds of iron boots came. Marcus quickly turned around, the tunnel was shining brightly, but there were pursuers armed with seven or eight spears, so densely packed that they almost blocked the exit of the tunnel——
The gun blade reflected silver light, and for a moment, it stung him so much that he almost closed his eyes.
There is no hope... There is no possibility of escape...
Marcus suddenly turned around and knelt down. He raised his head and glanced at the roof of the mud house, held the dagger in both hands, and stabbed it into his heart:
"For the Lord of Radiance!"
Blood spurts out.
The blood in my heart spilled onto the stone slab, and the last groove was finally completely filled with light.
"Buzz——"
By the time the pursuers arrived and dragged Marcus' body away from the stone slab, the three glass test tubes had disappeared without a trace, not even a trace of glass shards were visible.
At this time, Gretel had just raised the gate of the buffer zone and walked out of the red zone.