Chapter 344 194. This is our era.
The pale sunshine passes through the mist, looking a little hazy.
The team set off again after staying in this unknown ruins for five days. After harvesting the harvest, Darkus felt that even the sour and smelly air nearby tasted sweeter. He could see a trace of light in the swamp. Strangely beautiful.
Huge flowers bloom on long vines hanging from the branches overhead, and lilies float on huge pads of water. Even the weeds clogging the waterways and blocking passage gave off a strange, narcotic smell.
Belloda was immersed in everything she saw. She knew that she might never walk this road again, and she wanted to keep it all in her memory. The experiences she had experienced these days were completely new to her, and she had never had any in the library of the White Tower of Hos. She wanted to make full use of the value of all this. She looked at the creepers and evil-looking flowers on the smooth branches, her triangular eyes sharp enough to spot lurking millipedes and venomous spiders, as well as the glittering jewel-eyed dragonflies perched on the leaves, and she could see fish Shadows and silvery shapes swam in the dark swamp nearby.
Perhaps it was just a reaction to what had happened a few nights before, Belloda was shocked to encounter a creature so resistant to magic. There is no doubt that the ancient saints left guardians to deal with the invaders, and the so-called messengers of the ancient saints in front of her were the invaders who invaded the ruins of the ancient saints. It forces one to think about the nature of it all, that her theory is not purely speculation on her part.
Certain hidden tomes hint that the Old Ones have left the Guardians, and that those Guardians have been tainted by Chaos. Is it possible that exposure to chaos energy over thousands of years has changed them? Yes, Belloda thinks so. No matter how the Old Ones tweaked their creations, the Guardians could become tainted. Chaos energy warped living things more easily than it warped inanimate matter, and she thought that, given time, the same thing might happen to elves. After all, Ulthuan's waystones are denser and the winds of magic more concentrated than almost anywhere else on the planet.
Maybe? Changes have occurred...perhaps the schism between Druchi and Ulthuan is rooted in a simple physical cause? Or maybe Asul has also changed? Maybe Druchi and Asul have changed over the thousands of years? Of course, in some ways it is. There are now fewer and fewer Asur being born in Ulthuan, so much so that Asur women are required to go to Isha's shrine before and after pregnancy to pray, thanking and praising them for giving them healthy babies. Are there any other changes? Belloda looked at the ancient holy messenger in front of him and thought.
This was not the first time that Belloda felt the temptation of the dark side of her nature pulling her. A long time ago, she had thought more than once. Maybe she could arrange a visit to Nagaroth, and maybe knowledge could be exchanged? She almost laughed at her own folly, perhaps the only knowledge she could gain from her visit to Naggaroth was an insight into the pain inflicted on her by Druchi's tormentors, a path forever sealed.
But now everything has become different. Druch, who transformed into the messenger of the ancient saint, did not torture Belloda physically, but tortured her mentally, making her even more painful and making her unable to return home. She inexplicably became a traitor to Ulthuan, but fortunately she was still able to contact her family and friends. Her heart was in chaos. She held the newly acquired staff and looked into the distance, feeling confused about the future of herself and the elves. Maybe the answer lies in the messenger of the ancient saint?
Resting and moving forward, the team marched all the way north, and Maher, who was walking at the front, gradually fell into silence.
To Darkus, Maher seemed to be very nervous, as if leaving the swamp had the opposite effect on him than on Maher. Maher, looking around, was like a city man who suddenly hid in the woods. At a loss. He did not think that Maher was leading the team to the place of death, because the team had already emerged from the swamp. He felt that Maher was more like leaving familiar land and heading to a more or less unknown place, and this feeling was affecting Maher.
"You seem very nervous."
"We are still in the territory of the Boreni tribe. I have a very bad feeling, but I can't describe it. You must know that we are living in a terrible era." "
Maybe you should Tell me something about your land, so maybe I can find out the reason for the bad feeling?" Darkus said noncommittally.
"What do you want to know?"
"Like the Boreni tribe?" Darkus said as he waved to his brother to come and listen.
Then Maher began to tell the knowledge and stories about this land. Darkus learned that the natives of Obion Island were divided into highlanders and lowlanders, divided into tribes. The furthest ones in the south lived in the swamps, and those in the middle Burrowers live in caves and tents on the plains, while those in the north live in caves. These tribes are all related, referring to marriages between close relatives. Although what she said was a bit vague, Darkus understood it.
In general, there are three clan tribes distributed on the palm-sized Obion Island.
Mahe's village belongs to the westernmost part of the Boreni tribe's territory. The core of its tribal territory is on the plains of the southern part of Obion Island, occupying the largest Ogham stone ring on the island. The war pigs of this tribe are particularly famous. The war pigs are larger than the pigs in the old world... Based on her description and gestures, Darkus believes that the orcs' war pigs cannot be compared with them, no matter how ferocious they are. In terms of size and tonnage, it’s like Sandoku’s King Tiger meets the hollow-faced CV33.
What was the chief's name, Vaorix? Darkus ignored it. He was dealing with the grandsons Maher and Puyr because he wanted to find a true speaker on the island who could speak the truth. He had no idea what tribe he wanted to meet. The chief has no interest. He doesn't like drinking, let alone dealing with and making friends with these natives? When he comes back, it is estimated that his friend is no longer alive, either a son or a grandson, and maybe the family and tribe are gone.
Instead of making friends with the chief, Darkos might as well become a druid and make friends with Viorix. Viorix shoulders the important task of protecting the Ogham Stone Circle and is the greatest, largest and most energetic of the Boreni tribe. of war pigs. The True Speaker does not know how long this war pig has lived. Its history should be traced back to the time when the ancient sages were still there. As the saying goes, the pig is still there without the man.
"Does it eat normally?" Darkus asked a core question.
"Don't eat? I remember it only eats during sacrifices."
Darkus understood...
The Beleni tribe is located on the west side of the island, bordering the Mud Peak and Boreni tribes to the south, and bordering the Beast Peak to the east. . Famous for its chariots and mountain fort defenses, the guardian beasts are not as outrageous as the war pigs next door. They are two giant stags of normal size, pulling a giant four-wheeled bronze chariot that can carry four people.
The female chieftain named Waya would go into battle wielding a huge, flaming Spear of the Sky, said to be a gift from the Old Ones, a sign of the favor of the Sky and Fire gods, and meant to unite the people of Obiun. people and make them strong.
Darkus just listened to it for fun and had no interest in understanding it. In his opinion, maybe the Spear of the Heavens was also a divine weapon similar to a flashlight.
The Tulaini tribe is located in the mountainous area in the north of the island. They usually patrol the mountainous area on horseback and giant eagles to monitor the enemy's movements. The chief of the tribe, Badug, is also a woman. He rides a giant eagle called Andata and wields spears and bows in battle.
What is interesting is that the largest settlement on the island, Yume Hat, is located in the Tulaini tribe, where the indigenous people began to build simple huts and tents along the mountain after filling the caves. It was also a center of trade, with humans from the three tribes often arriving to barter for meat and furs, or for tools and weapons.
Before the arrival of the orcs, Albion Island was immersed in the so-called golden age.
The orcs arrived centuries ago. The number was small at first, but they multiplied quickly and swarmed everywhere. Under the leadership of the True Worders, Obien's tribe united and drove the orcs to the remote valleys in the north. In ancient ruins. It had occasionally taken war to keep them there, and now they seemed to be multiplying again, something driving them from the mountains of the north onto the plains of the center, and even deep into the great swamps of the south.
"Orcs? Are they all green orcs?" Darkus confirmed.
"Yes, there have been many sightings of greenskins in the mountains over the past few months. As darkness came, something stirred them and seriously angered them. The weather got worse and the orcs left After destroying their fortress, war broke out in this land. Oracle said that it was caused by the darkness and that evil mages came to this land." Maher said with some worry.
Darkos nodded. Green skins have always been evil. His thoughts were false thoughts, while those of green skins were real thoughts. I thought we could pass through this fog, and then we passed through... Didn't "Big Belly King" Gulu build a bunch of broken ships near Marienburg, and then crossed the Drift Islands outside the Kingdom of Yres to land? His navigation skills surpassed Druch.
"Where did the ax hanging on your waist come from?"
"Norscans, they occasionally come to the island to capture us as slaves."
Although Maher is an uneducated native who comes from a huge swamp. A remote small village, but Dakoos believed in Maher's words, probably because of Maher's name and the fact that he was a true speaker. Besides, Norsca and Obien are so advanced, and there are navigation experts among those Yankees. A longship can travel all over the world, so it is not difficult to enter the fog.
"Do you know anything about the outside world?" Darkus asked again with interest.
"Batonnia, a legend. Those stories were brought by sailors who were shipwrecked. In exchange, can you tell us stories about the outside world?" "
Batonnia? It is indeed a legend, a land of knights spread by the goddess. Kingdom."
Then Darkos began to tell Maher about the outside world, such as the old world, Ulthuan, Lustria and Naggaroth, and even the mysterious east on the other side of the planet.
As Darkus spoke, the wind became a little bit colder. The rain stopped and the fog cleared. The swamp fell behind the group, and even the mosquito bites seemed temporarily less annoying. He looked up at the open sky, where mountains loomed, and overhead, a giant eagle spread its wings into the wind, lazily scanning the land below for prey. A series of low, barren foothills leading up to huge, snow-capped peaks.
Hundreds of small rivers and streams line the mountain sides, delivering near-constant rainwater and depositing it in swamps and underground rivers. A few rays of sunlight successfully broke through the leaden clouds and pierced the gloom. Not far away, a stone pig sculpture like a mountain stood there. According to Maher, this statue was called "Big Pig Col" and was carved in the image of Viorix. On a one-to-one scale, Viorix is about 8 meters tall and 10 meters long, which is outrageous.
The natives of Obien did not extend their faith under the influence of the ancient saints, but they had many customs. For example, pigs were extremely sacred in the hearts of the natives. The natives would never kill a pig for its meat or hide, believing that when the giant died, the soul transformed into the body of a wild boar.
Since the giants are the protectors of Albion Island, do not disturb these creatures. Portraits and statues carved in the shape of pigs are scattered across the island, the largest being the one Darkus now sees.
After getting closer, the statue is covered with carvings and murals, which are said to commemorate the dead giants. Occasionally, the living giants will come here to remember their ancestors, reminding them that their ancestors at that time were not the fallen individuals they are now, but A powerful race. They once served the Old Ones with fidelity, as guardians of the law and protectors of the faith, but now they are little more than clumsy primitives.
There is also a legend on the mural in the center of the pig's head that a lost ancient saint would ride down from the sky on a powerful pig and lead the giant to the Lost Kingdom, a mythical country where trees towered above the giants. Overhead, cattle as big as mountains roamed the fertile grasslands.
After Maher finished his introduction, all the members turned their attention to Darkus, and then moved away.
"Is this mythical country the Kauchen Plain? The trees in the jungle are taller than giants, and the cattle as big as mountains are ankylosaurs?" Maranur joked after everyone had dispersed.
Darkus glanced at Maranur and said nothing. He didn't understand why he wanted to bring Obien's giant to Lustria, and what about the pigs? Why did it fall from the sky? Moreover, he is Umak of the Ancient Saint, not a lost Ancient Saint. Could it be that he is the Ancient Saint Ashoranka? Returned in another way? This is too ridiculous.
"Although it is a bit cruel, this land is still beautiful." Darkus said with emotion.
"At least it's better than Nagaros." Maranur said nonchalantly.
Darkus didn't say anything, but shrugged. Then the team began to set up camp near Dazhu'ao, counted the number of people, and took a rest. Fortunately, although there were injured people in the team, there were no dead or missing people, and there was no inexplicable appearance of an extra person. Bainie had been at the back of the team, and Shakala was also constantly walking up and down during the march.
The biting cold wind did not scare the members, and the continuous rain did not dampen their fighting spirit.
As we continue to travel north, the land begins to slope upwards steeply, and the team meanders along the river. For a long time, we can see some wild long-horned sheep and some goats.
The team rested again. Some members were going hunting to provide food for the cold lizards, while others were keeping watch and setting up camp to guard against short-sighted predators in the sky.
"What is that?"
Standing at the camping place and looking to the southeast, two landmark buildings can be clearly seen.
"The nearest one is the Pillar of Og-Agog, and the far one is the largest Ogham stone ring on the island." The Pillar
of Og-Agog is translated as "The Pillar of Ancient Magic" in Obien's native language. , built in the very center of the island, which does not belong to any tribe and is a neutral area. Towering pillars can be seen within a certain range.
Legend has it that a long time ago, a statue of a god was carved on the stone at the top of the pillar, which was worshiped devoutly by the indigenous people. The deity is said to be the immortal leader and tells how His chariot soars across the sky.
Surrounding the statue is the unique three-turn emblem of Obion Island, condensed by the wind of magic. During the Golden Age, natives would gather there, and warriors would compete with each other in wrestling, spear-throwing and displays of strength, as well as unique chariot races. A rough track still exists around the pillar, and the winner of the chariot race will bring immeasurable respect to himself and his tribe. The Truth Talkers would hold meetings under the pillars to decide the fate of the natives of Obion, such as political disputes, interpretation of beliefs and laws, etc., but only on important matters.
In the absence of the natives, the pillars served as a haven for the birds common to the island. For some reason they are attracted to the pillars in large numbers, and sometimes there seems to be a swarm of gray feathers swarming at the base of the pillar.
However, as the golden age passed and darkness fell, an unprecedented storm struck Albion. For days and nights, fierce winds swept across the plains and thunder roared across the wilderness. Huge forked lightning briefly illuminated the darkness, sending even natives accustomed to harsh weather into shelters.
When the natives came out, they found that the pillar had disintegrated, and the statue of the god that had overlooked the earth for thousands of years now lay in pieces at the foot of the pillar. Even the giants could not lift the huge marble. The birds that were once abundant around the pillar have left it, and no one knows where the flocks have dispersed.
The Truthsayers held their final meeting there, and all agreed that the broken pillar was a harbinger of the darkness that would descend upon their island.
"When did the pillar collapse?" Darkus put down his telescope and looked at Maher and asked. He could feel that this landmark pillar located in the center of the island was very important.
"It seems like the fifth year after I was born?"
"That is eight years ago." Darkus nodded and muttered.
Further away is the Ogham Stone Ring. There are ten stone rings scattered throughout Obiun. What the team is seeing now is the first stone circle built on the island. It is not only the oldest, but also the largest.
Giant ogham stones stand atop mounds that rise from the flat ground, each of which fit perfectly into the adjacent ogham stone, creating a stunning and completely at odds with its surroundings. Architectural wonder.
"I think the pollution here is deep. I can feel the pillars and stone circles attracting a lot of chaotic energy and converting it into magical winds. But I suspect there is a malfunction now. All spells will eventually wear out, and all creation will eventually They will all reach the end of their service life, and the collapse of the pillars may be the best proof of this. Perhaps the stone ring will still attract chaotic energy, but the ability to store or purify chaotic energy has been weakened or lost, and this situation is irreversible and increasingly serious. ." Belloda said with a worried expression.
"What you said is completely correct, and your worries are also correct. This is exactly why I came here. If the whirlpool is gone, the world will also be destroyed.
Druch will not be able to return to Osu. The meaning of An, when the time comes we will face countless Chaos Demons like the first generation Phoenix King. I don’t think we will have a second chance to establish a maelstrom." Darkus sighed and said, he looked He looked around and then said, "If I remember correctly, I once told you about the operating mechanism of the maelstrom. The wind of chaos blowing from the chaotic wasteland of the North and South Poles will converge into the maelstrom for purification and purification to form the wind of magic. There is a process of constant purification, like a set of pipes and dispersed filter evaporators. The
spiritual network of Lustria and the jungles of Southland and the Great Guardian Council act as layers of buffers in this process. Pipes and evaporation, instead of letting chaotic energy pour into the maelstrom to form an overload. If that were the case, the maelstrom would have disappeared long ago.
And the ones in the north are the guide stones that Obien and we once placed when colonizing the old world. , maybe there are a lot of guiding stones at the final destination of our trip. The guiding stones in Bretonnia are pretty... good?"
At the end, Darkus paused. If he looked at Lily from another angle, What Si did in Bretonnia seemed a bit...powerful! The prophetesses who believe in the Lady of the Lake will maintain and protect the waystones and nodes in the wild that are left behind in the cities after the elves withdraw from the old world. From this point of view, Bretonnia is completely blocking Ulthuan's guns.
The system of Albion, the Old World and the two Lorren Forests is a trinity, each of which is indispensable, forming a barrier to the north. The best proof is the Kingdom of Yris in the east of Ulthuan. If this trinity collapses, it will The Kingdom of Yris might be able to spawn the Chaos Demon, just like Nakai appeared in Ulthuan in The End, which would be fun.
If the ideal is really achieved, Archaon? The Eternal Chosen One? How to play without Chaos Demons and only Beastmen and Yankees? By those rodents with chicken blood?
"There are dense forests in the empire, and the monkeys are not very good at maintaining the guide stones we left. These places are a trinity. If there is a problem in one place, other places will also have problems. The collapse of that pillar is the best proof. , and then there is the maelstrom of Ulthuan." As Darkus said, he stretched out his hand and pinched three fingers together, and then spread them apart.
"You may want to ask, why us?" After thinking about it, Darkus turned his head and looked at the members. Looking at them with solemn expressions or thoughtful expressions, he nodded with satisfaction. He thought His team was finally formed, and he went on to say impassionedly, "Because this is our era! It is an era that requires us to have the courage to take responsibility and work hard to realize our dreams! This is the worst era, but of course it is also the best era. ! History will remember us, the world will remember us, and the people will remember us!"
(End of Chapter)