The slope became steeper and the altitude also increased. The team struggled to walk on the mountain road. The slope wet by rain became more and more dangerous, so that the sorceresses had to rush to reinforce the road. In addition, You also have to be prepared for wild beasts to attack you at any time.
Darkus looked around, and as the saying goes, he ran to death while looking at the mountains. After several days of journey, the mountains now seemed bigger, and the lead-gray clouds seemed thicker.
The surrounding land now looked darker, the rain eroding even its drab color. The river flowed louder and louder, boiling white where it hit rocks and flowed through narrow channels.
The team has entered the Beast Peak within the territory of the Tulaini tribe.
The Beast's Peak is a mountain range in the northern interior of Albion Island. The mountains are shrouded in low clouds and obscured by constant rain and storms. The mountains are called Beast Peak because of the sheer number of monsters that live in them, whether at high altitudes above the cloud line or in the countless caves and maze-like caverns that litter the mountains like honeycombs.
The natives of Albion Island view the Beast's Peak as the link between the island and the realm of the gods, and the rumbling roar of the dark storm clouds that hang over the mountains indicate the wrath and power of the gods. They regarded the beasts that rushed out of the mountains to wreak havoc as powerful and willful pets or messengers of the gods, servants who descended from the sky to express the dissatisfaction of the gods.
The giants view Beast Peak very differently, seeing the mountains as a great hunting ground where they can contend with the various beasts that inhabit the mountains. The Great Hunt is a joyous occasion as they all race to capture and defeat the mightiest beast.
And there are rumors that huge wealth and powerful artifacts are hidden in the maze passages deep in Beast Peak.
Darkos didn't take the first few messages seriously, but he kept the last one in his heart. One of his goals was to find the largest truth speaker across Obion Island. He knew that there really was a huge one in the Beast Peak. Wealth and powerful artifacts, the lead castle and the ancient furnace left by the ancient saints are located in the mountains. The former seems to be a powerful fortress where the ancient saints live, and the latter is where the ancient saints teach other races to enlightenment, and there should be a similar casting room there. The place where Master Ma visited 500 years later via the Path of the Ancient Saints, and the temple city of Conquata was built on the basis of the ancient furnace.
Not to mention the mountain roads and wild beasts, even if there was a knife in front of him, Darkus would have to go there.
The marching team passed a series of rapid waterfalls, and the water from the waterfalls wetted the faces of the members. Huge rock statues much taller than people were everywhere on both sides of the path, like sentinels.
The statues depict human heads whose outlines have become blurred over time, many with their mouths open as if speaking or singing.
Darkus carefully observed a statue with a thick-lipped mouth and what appeared to be a Celtic-style headdress decorated with horns. The right arm is held across the chest in the typical posture of a speaker, and in the hand is an ogham stone. He guessed that its meaning was probably that of a truth speaker or a druid, who could communicate with the gods and spread the wisdom from the gods among his tribe.
As the altitude increased, the weather became colder and wetter, and Darkus felt the chill in his bones as deep as the cold in the tomb. No fire can be completely dispelled, not even the double-layered sea dragon Piketan can resist it, as if it has returned to the dangerous peaks.
As they marched, the thunderous sound of running water came from ahead, and the sound gradually became louder and louder. The sound echoed among the rocks, like the roar of an angry giant, high and powerful. The river became narrower and flowed faster. Several times the team carefully crossed the magnificent waterfall falling from above. The water flow intertwined with the waterfall like a symphony of nature.
The trail twists and turns while the waterfall's roaring water divides the trail before rejoining it again higher up the hillside. The sky was gradually getting darker, and under the cover of night, the team had reached the halfway point of the mountain.
After marching for a while, the team finally came to a wide and flat ledge, and a magnificent scene unfolded in front of them. Most of the lake is filled with bubbling water, and huge waterfalls pour down from overhead, splashing turbulent waves on the rocks under the stone platform, like boiling passion. The boulders are like ancient guards, covered with moist green moss, surrounding the lake, forming a strange and spectacular picture.
Mist is thick and water vapor is intertwined in the air, permeating every corner. The huge sound of water roared, like the angry roar of a wounded giant beast. This sound is full of power, filling the entire space, seeming to involve everything in its reverberation.
All this seems to make the members feel the magnificence of nature, as if they are dancing with the mountains and rivers and integrating into the embrace of this wilderness.
"We're here," Maher said worriedly.
"No! Blood! There have been battles around here before."
Just when Ren was unlocking his notebook and preparing to record the surrounding scenery in a sketch, Carlion, who was at the front of the team, suddenly shouted.
Kalien waved and left the team. He took out the silver owl crossbow he had obtained before and drove the cold lizard chariot towards the lake. He saw the body on the lake. It took him a few seconds to realize that the woman was The bodies belonged to the natives, and he jumped from his chariot and rushed to the nearest one.
The body was young and frail, killed by a spear attack on the back. Judging from the froth on her lips, it looked like she was drowning in her own blood, and a spear lay close to her cold, clenched fingers.
Kallion noticed green arms sticking out of the water, and green swirls of blood, all of which told him that an orc had died in the lake.
"This is...this is Oracle's guard." Maher said with some disbelief.
Darkus, who had arrived, looked around and found that the boulders covered with moist green moss were not guards. They were all corpses of orcs. The mist, water spray and fading light deceived his vision.
"Master, these corpses are almost not rigor mortis. This battle happened within two hours." Carlion knelt down and touched the guard's neck and said.
"Don't panic! Where does Oracle live?" Darkus asked sharply, looking at the somewhat panicked Maher.
"Over there!" Maher said tremblingly, pointing in one direction.
"That's great, I can't wait!" Darkus looked in that direction. There was no cave, only a waterfall, and he gritted his teeth. He knew that if the female guards drove the orcs away, he would be greeted by female guards who could stand up instead of like now, which meant that Oracle was in danger.
The members who came up first dispersed in their own fighting formations, and those who were still behind were also speeding up.
Darkus drew out the scarlet sword and took out an uncocked hand crossbow from the edge of the wall of the chariot. He glanced at Maranur and waved when he saw Maranur nodded.
"The orcs attacked here a few hours before us. This can't be purely accidental, can it? I really hate dealing with prophets and prophets." Darkus said to himself as he walked, Then we walked to the cliff where the waterfall fell.
Just when Darkus was about to ignore the raging water and enter the waterfall directly, a yellow light bloomed on the outline of his body, and then a seemingly invisible chain appeared between him and Franais, from behind Franais, who was coming over, quickly passed him by holding his shield and halberd, and entered the waterfall first. Then he also disappeared into the waterfall, followed closely by Genevieve and Drusala, and the Druchi who followed also disappeared into the waterfall one after another.
After entering the waterfall, there was only a cave that could accommodate two people walking side by side. This reminded Darkus of a game called Hall of Valor. The journey he took and what he encountered now seemed to be no different from the Northland in the game. Then his attention was drawn to the corpses all over the ground, and the cave was filled with the corpses of more women and orcs.
Darkus didn't feel uneasy. Although many of the dead girls were beautiful, they were already dead, and what did they have to do with him? He has never been a pity person, and he has seen more than this in Naggaroth, and they are even more beautiful.
Drusala waved casually, and the cave lit up.
Franais's shoulders were hunched, and he walked in front while bending over and holding a shield. The halberd of the god he held in his hand was used as a spear. This couldn't help but remind Darkus, who was following him to create space for waving the halberd, thinking of his slave master.
"Let's get started!" Darkus took a deep breath and ordered, and then he used the light to hold the crossbow. The string is on.
The cave began to gradually expand as it went deeper, and there were traces of battle everywhere. The female guards lay on the ground after a desperate rearguard battle, surrounded by the corpses of orcs and goblins.
In addition to the pervasive smell of blood, there is also the smell of lamp oil and incense. Oil lamps were lit in niches in the cave, giving off a faint flickering light. The lamps had been overturned and smashed in places, but the damp conditions inside the cave extinguished any flames. "There are orcs nearby!" Franais, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped. He sniffed the air and said.
Darkus shrugged and did not ask Vranais why he knew. Because when he first returned to Krakaronde from the Lustria continent, he read the information about Franais in Nukel. Although the orcs were not welcomed in Naggaroth, they were the best. The object of martial arts training is cheap, powerful, and large in quantity.
As the cave deepens, the air becomes less humid and warmer.
Darkus smelled the musky scent in the air and couldn't help but wonder why it was comfortable here all year round, even in the cold winter, but why did the True Speaker live here? Rather than living near the Pillars of Og'Agog or the Ogham Stone Circle, what's the point? It's a pity that he left Maher outside and didn't bring him in. He believed that although he had never met him, the True Speaker must know him. A True Speaker who did not know him was not a True Speaker. It was better to leave Maher outside in case someone came again.
The cave is still gradually expanding, slowly turning into an area. Darkus could see that these rooms were used for living, but now the quilts and straw used for sleeping were scattered on the ground. There were signs of brokenness and destruction everywhere, and golden headdresses and sparkling jewelry had also fallen off. Everywhere.
There were more and more corpses, and the sound of fighting came from the front. A group of greenskins crowded the entrance of a cave. They seemed to be trying to break through the stubborn resistance and force their way in. An orc shaman wearing rags and holding a stone staff was dancing on the spot and kept urging the orcs. Go on the attack.
Franais glanced back first, then quickly stepped forward and tapped the shield with his halberd. He had no intention of launching an attack, and soon his tapping sound attracted the attention of the orc shaman.
As the stone staff fell to the ground, the orc shaman also fell.
Before Alyssa could move, Drusala took action. The orc shaman was killed by the black magic of a name that Darkus couldn't pronounce, but Darkus estimated that the orc shaman should Just as miserable as those nerubians and mutants.
Immediately after, Franais launched a charge, and the Druchi who followed behind also walked around from Darkus's side to the front and rushed over.
Drusala took a step forward again, as if she had been inspired by the battle in Queza's passage. As she opened her arms, a terrifying metal jet erupted in front of Franais, and the metal was mixed with He rushed toward the orcs with flames burning.
Darkus couldn't help but cover his nose with his left hand holding the crossbow. The air was filled with the screams and roars of the dying orcs and goblins, and there was also a disgusting smell of burning.
Franais stopped there, feeling the heat cast by Drusala's spell. He felt like he was standing next to a blazing furnace. He heard footsteps approaching in front of him. It seemed that something was coming. Survived this fiery rage.
With a beast-like roar, a huge orc rushed out of the flames. His clothes were burning, his green skin was scorched in places, and broken metal dug into his skin. Although he staggered a little, he was not afraid.
After a moment, one voice after another came over. These big orcs were all huge and their muscles were more developed. Their pale yellow tusks flashed with foam, and their huge fists held gleaming blades or clubs. Their eyes were filled with crazy hatred and anger.
The orc war general who rushed at the back was burlier than the other big orcs. He was wearing a helmet that was obviously Obien style. He kept shouting, as if he was issuing some orders. While muttering, he quickly rushed to the front again. .
The orc war general felt something was wrong as he rushed forward. His shouts received no response. He turned around and took a look. The big orcs who were charging with him a second ago were all lying on the ground.
Franais didn't panic at all when he saw the orc war general rushing towards him, but instead sneered. His kind sister even specially left the biggest one for him. After adjusting his posture, he directly rushed towards the orc war general with his shield raised. He wanted the orc war general to experience what he had endured before.
"What a shrimp!" The orc war general looked at Franais who was right in front of him, roared and clenched the stick with both hands. He was not afraid, and moved forward hard, then jumped, and hit the stick hard with a jump chop. He shook the shield that blinded his eyes.
The rod collided with the shield and sparked, but the rod shattered but the shield remained unharmed. Franais's body kept retreating backwards. He leaned the halberd on the ground, and the soles of his boots were constantly rubbing against the ground. After releasing his strength, he stepped on the ground and rushed forward, raising his halberd at the same time.
There was no stormy battle. If the sorceresses hadn't known that Franais wanted to test the power of the shield, the orc warlord would have become an orc.
Franais swung the halberd accurately, and the tip of the halberd emerged from the other side of the Orc War General's helmet. The Orc War General, who had been knocked away by the shield force field and was lying on the ground struggling, was completely motionless.
"Invincible~How lonely." Darkus sighed and shook his head. This was not even a one-sided massacre, because there was not even a fight. He felt that his novice period passed a bit too quickly. With other Druchi or lizardmen around him, he basically had nothing to do during the battle, especially in such a narrow space.
Darkus, who was thinking, suddenly felt inspired. With the development of the Adreze Order, he became a little embarrassed. Although he was the divine choice, he was not the most capable champion. But maybe he can become a combination of war master and prophet? As for how to call it, I will think about it later.
Some female guards with blue dye tattoos on their bodies rushed out of the narrow hole. On their bodies was a white figure that they were willing to sacrifice their lives to protect.
The female guards armed with spears and bronze shields did not look friendly, and they did not seem to care who saved them.
"This is a holy place!" A female guard took a step forward and pointed a spear at Franais. She was almost as tall as Franais and her hair was tied into many locks. She has tattoos all over her face and arms, giving her a wild look.
"Oh~ I'm sorry, forgive our ignorance." Darkus walked forward and said slowly. Under the surprised eyes of Druchi, he continued, "Next time I will respect your taboo and let the orcs Slaughter you in your holy place."
Genevieve was the first to make a sneer, and then the Druches also made strange sounds.
"You!" The female guards were irritated by Darkus's words and the rudeness of the Druchs, and their hands holding the weapons stiffened. Even though her face was covered by tattoos, she quickly turned red, and she quickly took a step forward to attack.
"That's enough, don't be rude. Although he is a stranger here, he helped save all of our lives. And he has the right to be here because he is the messenger of the ancient saint!" The white figure made a trembling voice , after finishing speaking, he bowed to Darkus and saluted.
"But he is not of our blood. Even a fool can see that...Old Saint? Ancient Saint's...messenger?" The female guard suddenly closed her mouth at the end, as if she had just realized what she said and shouldn't have said. if.
"Nice to meet you, Oracle." Darkus nodded as he walked over, and then motioned the female guards to move aside. He walked up to Oracle and stretched out his hand, while he was still observing Oracle. you.
This is a tall woman with a sharp face, but beauty nonetheless. Her robe was made of thick gray wool. The braid on the back of the head is very complicated and seems to have some meaning. She also had a tattoo of blue dye on her face, but it had faded to the point where it was almost invisible, like the ink on the parchment that had been left out in the sun for too long and was disappearing. Unfortunately, her eyes were milky white and she was obviously blind.
Orakor walked towards Dacus devoutly, then knelt down in front of Dacus, showing the back of his head under the palm of Dacus.
Obviously Oracle misunderstood what Darkos meant, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he flattened his palms under the complicated looks of the female guards. He thought that Oracle had already received a lot of respect. The natives seemed to be in awe of Oracle, and the expressions on their faces and the looks in their eyes showed this. He feinted a few times on the back of Oracle's head to fool him.
"You are always welcome here, messenger of the ancient saints." Oracle stood up and bowed. Then she said hesitantly, "I know you have many names, but I don't know how I should call you?" "
My name is Dak. Urs Hell Scourge, it is indeed what you said. I have many identities. The Slann Demon Priests of the Ancient Saints are used to calling me Umak. As a True Speaker, you are qualified to call me that." After introducing myself, Darkus pointed to the cave behind Oracle and continued, "I don't like talking where there are corpses. Besides, I'm a little hungry, and my team members are camping outside. Send some people out to coordinate. , no one wants to cause unnecessary casualties, right?"
"Let's say something useful." (End of this chapter)