When looking up from the valley to Fort Aimao, the outer walls of this abandoned castle become extremely tall. The gray-white walls stand on the lead-gray cliffs, surrounded by dense vegetation. The collapsed bricks and stones give the tower a strange shape. The dark windows are covered with rust-colored vines below, layer by layer, silently telling the history of decline. .
Fang Plover found a trail leading to the cliff. He asked Kuisu to divide his men into two groups, guarded by the big cat man and Shesta respectively, to search the valley. The remaining people went with him to the castle above to find out.
Everyone agreed that they all have several flares in their hands, and different colors of flares represent different messages. If any team encounters an enemy that is difficult to deal with, use a red flare to summon others to move closer to their direction.
Although there are means of communication between the teams, and there is a box left beside Red, the signal flare is to prevent emergencies. For example, there is no time to use the communication channel, or the ether turbulence in the valley interferes with communication.
Climbing halfway up the mountain road, everyone made a discovery before they reached the castle. Ms. Kuisu found several broken fir trees at the foot of a hillside, each one as thick as a person's arms. Jita's sharp eyes even saw a shiny metal object stuck on one of the tree stumps. "There's something there!" She pointed to that place and said to the others.
Fang Plover pulled down his goggles and released the clockwork fairy. The golden copper ball flew around the woods twice before he saw clearly that it was a long sword stuck on a tree stump - something else seemed to be shining in the bushes behind.
He just turned around. "Miss Alisa, can you go downstairs and take a look?"
"Call me Alyssa, captain." After Alyssa finished speaking, without saying much, she grabbed the trunk and slid down. She went down to the mountain stream, pulled off the sword, and was about to go around to the bushes behind.
"Be careful." Fang Plover looked at the lush vegetation in the snow below, always feeling that it was a little abnormally quiet, and reminded him subconsciously.
"Got it, Captain."
Alyssa felt a little funny in her heart. This captain was more worried about them than Gubai Zhiye. But it feels good to feel that someone cares.
She was about to check the bushes behind her, but at this moment, a gray hand stretched out from the bushes, grabbed her ankle, and pulled down hard.
Alyssa didn't notice it at all and slipped into the bushes unprepared. Jita couldn't help but scream when she saw this. Fang Yu also subconsciously opened a blue light door.
But unexpectedly, a low hissing sound suddenly came from the bushes. After a while of shaking, the twin sister broke out from inside. Only then did everyone see clearly that what was wrapped around her ankle was not a 'hand' at all, but a gray vine.
Alyssa pulled off the vine, threw it to the ground, and then shook her head upward to show that she was fine.
But she still suffered some minor injuries. She checked her ankle and then stood up slowly. The girl held the sword in one hand, picked up something from the bushes, and then climbed up from below.
"What's going on?" Fang Yu asked Alyssa while lending a hand and pulling her up.
"It's the killer vine." Alyssa smiled helplessly. This time she was very embarrassed. "Fortunately, it's just a larvae. It's not a high level, so it can handle ordinary people. I didn't expect such a thing to exist in winter."
She glanced at Fang Yu, but he only said seriously: "Be careful next time, you scared Jita."
Alyssa breathed a sigh of relief. She turned back to look at Miss Naturalist, who turned pale and looked at her and said, "I was scared to death, Miss Alyssa, I thought something had happened to you."
"Thanks, Kitta."
Jita also looked relieved.
"But why are there killer vines in winter?" Fang Plover was also a little surprised. Killer vines are a special kind of plant monster. These monsters and their subspecies usually disguise themselves as withered vines or aerial roots of trees. When prey passes by, they stretch out their tentacles to reel them in, and through the barbs Injects venom to paralyze the prey and then digests it bit by bit.
They mostly appear at the turn of spring and summer, and after autumn and winter they will burrow back underground through 'reverse growth', similar to hibernation. Waiting for the ice and snow to melt before returning to the surface, year after year, year after year.
Unlike most annual herbs, most long-lived killer vines can live for more than ten years. Although they are named killer vines, their main prey is not humans. They hunt humans mainly to absorb the etheric magic power in the stars.
However, it is indeed strange to see killer vines appear in winter.
Alyssa then handed the thing in her hand to Fang Plover.
Fang Plover took the sword and glanced at it. The sword was very wide, had a cross guard, and a red stone inlaid on the cage handle. It seemed to be a very common standard sword, and it should belong to an adventurer.
But why would the adventurer's things appear in this place?
Adventurers' equipment will not be left behind for no reason. It will either be discarded voluntarily or dropped after death. But if it is a battle between adventurers, the battlefield will most likely be cleaned up after the end, and it is unlikely that the magic device will be left behind.
"There was a battle down there before?" he asked.
Alyssa nodded.
Fang Plover looked at the broken fir trees, and some of them flew away. At their level, fighting cannot have this effect unless it is the power of magic. He asked again: "Are there any traces of magic?"
"No." Alyssa replied.
"Purely physical destruction," Fang Yu frowned: "It's not easy to achieve this level -"
"Unless it's a big guy." Luo Yu estimated: "At least three to four meters tall."
"Two stories high," Ms. Kwesu took over. She is an old lumberjack and is very sensitive to the density of the woods. She can distinguish the general shape of the creatures passing through them through the fallen trees at a glance. "It's about two to two and a half meters wide, and it's very powerful."
Fang Plover turned around and asked her: "So what are the creatures that meet this standard in this area?"
"Generally speaking, it's an old dire bear," Ms. Kusu thought for a moment: "Ithurian giant deer, or dwarf giant."
Fang Yu silently made an estimate. He thought to himself that the adventurer would not attack a giant deer for no reason. Through the dwarf giant, he thought of another thing, but he did not say this guess out loud. After all, there was no evidence.
He opened the system again and checked. This sword attacks 44-61, and the attribute plug-in increases strength and agility. It also has an actively activated shield with a shield value of 220 points. Although it is not the best, the quality is quite good.
This also proves the previous view——
It seems that only one side of this battle is the adventurer, because only beasts and monsters are not interested in these magic devices. Moreover, the adventurers should have been defeated and retreated before they even had time to clean up the battlefield, otherwise they would not have left these things behind.
The sword requires a level 5 nightingale and a level 7 warrior. It can be estimated that its owner is at least level nine. Of course this is the lower limit, not the upper limit.
The other thing is a pocket watch, which is also a magic device. This small magic device is mainly used to expand the plug-in slot of the magic furnace. There are two general plug-in interfaces on it, and two secondary agility plug-ins of +5 and +7 are randomly inserted.
This thing is more intuitive, it requires an 11th level character level. Fang Piao estimated this - or the level of these selectors should be around level ten.
It can be seen that one aspect of the battle is not the murderous vine that Alisa encountered before. The larval murderous vine is only level five and is not a match for adventurers of this level. To say the least, Killer Vine wouldn't be able to make such a fuss.
However, it is indeed strange to see a murderous vine larvae on such a battlefield.
Everyone checked the mountain stream below again, but there was nothing else in the bushes in the snow except the larvae of the murderous vine that had been killed by Alisa before. Nothing related to Ms. Kuisu's son was found. .
Alyssa believes that the adventurers in this battle may be related to the previously discovered Chosen Camp. She had no reason, just a hunch. However, Fang Plover also agrees with this view.
There are not many outsiders in this place, so it is unlikely that new adventurers will appear one after another. The traces left by this battle are still very new. They happened a day or two ago at best. They are unlikely to be traces left by the team that Ms. Kuisu's son was in. Moreover, no relevant clues were found at the scene.
Everyone can only follow the traces all the way up.
The broken trees should have come all the way up from the valley below, and the huge thing seemed to have finally gone to the castle above.
Fang Plover put away the sword as a trophy. He also gave the pocket watch to Alyssa for use, but they are now a formal team, and the distribution of these things will have to be approved by everyone after they return, and given to those who really need it. Right now it's just about letting it play a little role in advance.
After walking along the fallen grass and trees for a while, they found themselves at the west side of Elmau Castle. The collapsed city wall was also located in this direction, and the collapsed rubble formed a slope, submerging the original mountain.
Fang Plover raised his head and looked at the gap. "It looks like it entered the castle." Luo Yu said from the side.
"Be careful." Fang Yu warned.
He released several clockwork goblins and summoned an angel to follow him. Everyone else also drew their weapons and walked along the slope formed by the rubble towards the gap in the city wall.
Everyone crossed the gap and saw that the courtyard behind was quiet and empty. There were only a few bare strange trees, the courtyard was covered with snow, and some weeds were sparsely growing.
Thick snow buried the traces, and the traces they had followed disappeared here. Fang Plover glanced at the courtyard. There seemed to be a temple on one side, close to the incomplete tower on the side - a dark hole in the window, with a tree growing on it. In the severe winter, all its leaves had fallen off, and the branches were motionless. .
On the other side is the main building, which is five stories high. Except for the layers of rust-colored vines on the mottled walls, the building is relatively well preserved. The sharpened black roof points directly to the leaden sky. The building is completely silent, and the grand scene of the past is no longer there.
As everyone walked through the courtyard, there was only the sound of footsteps clicking in the snow, and the silence was eerie.
And Jita always felt that there seemed to be a pair of eyes peering at them from those dark windows. That feeling was really chilling.
There were several crows standing on the roof, looking down at them. When a group of people passed the ancient well in the center of the courtyard, these black gods of death flew up, scaring Miss Naturalist to tremble.
Fang Yu supported her from behind and comforted her with Wen Yan: "Don't be afraid."
There was actually nothing in the courtyard, and this place didn't look like it could hide anything huge. This abandoned castle looks very large from the outside, but its internal structure is very compact. The courtyard formed by the main building is actually not too big.
You can see through it at a glance.
He looked around, and to be honest, the atmosphere here was indeed a bit mind-numbing. Especially when surrounded by this silent forest and the legends of its past, it is even more so.
However, someone had to explore the inside of those dark buildings, which was what he and Ms. Kusu had agreed upon. If the chosen one doesn't even have the courage to do so, then what risk is there to take?
The earth is much safer.
No matter how difficult it is, you can still be a living professional without leaving the city.
Fang Yu pointed at the temple and said to Kuisu, Luo Yu and Alyssa: "Let's check it separately to save some time. You go check that direction first, Jita and I will come -"
He originally wanted to take Luo Yu with him because Jita's abilities were more suitable for protecting her employer, but with Miss Naturalist's condition, he was worried that she would be too nervous and unable to exert her own strength.
He asked Alyssa and the three of them to inspect the temple, because the building structure there looked relatively simple - just a hall and a tower at the back. If the three of them finish first, they can come over and join him.
The three nodded. Especially Ms. Kuisu, who couldn't wait to walk in that direction. Fang Yu could completely understand her mood, after all, her son might be in this castle.
"Then Mr. Ed, please be careful." Alyssa reminded him.
She prefers to use this title when there are no outsiders.
Fang Plover nodded.
After being separated from the three people, he and Tata walked towards the tall main building. Miss Naturalist followed closely, wishing she could pull the former's coat with her hands, as if she was afraid that if someone didn't pay attention, some monster would separate the two.
Fang Plover walked up the steps and walked to the door, pushing forward with both hands. The wooden door shaft had long since rotted, but it could barely open a crack and made a weird sound.
Jita took a step back in fright and almost tripped in the snow.
Fang Yu couldn't help but feel a little funny when she looked like this. He didn't expect that the always serious little girl would be afraid of these ghosts and ghosts. When he was in Dolifen, he didn't see her so scared - it must be because she knew it was an illusion.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Jita turned pale and shook her head.
Fang Yu pulled out the sword from before and handed it to her. "With this thing, maybe it will make you brave."
Jita was stunned for a moment, pushed up her glasses, and looked at him a little strangely. The level requirement of this sword is such that even Fang Plover himself cannot use it, let alone her? But the little girl suddenly understood what her captain meant, blinked slightly, and took the sword.
She felt a little warm in her heart, and she wasn't so scared anymore.
The two of them pushed the door open, and the smell of dust hit their faces. Fang Yu couldn't help but fan himself with his hand and coughed twice - he looked up and found that there was a hall behind him. The carpet on the floor in the hall had long been rotted to the point where only a pile of rags were left, covered with A thick layer of dust and cobwebs.
When you walk inside, you will see that the original color of the curtains on the left and right sides hangs feebly from the pillars and collapses to the ground. There were some statues around, but they were either lying on the ground or in dilapidated condition.
Directly in front is a staircase, with several empty picture frames hanging on the wall. Fang Plover thought that the originally well-preserved paintings were stolen by adventurers who had arrived a step earlier.
After being evacuated, only this dilapidated hall remained.
Jita followed him into the hall, and then she became curious and looked around. Tata quietly introduced the functions and histories of some objects, and she listened quietly.
The three of them checked the hall, but found nothing. It seemed that no one had been to this place for a long time, and there were only their footprints in the hall.
In the center of the hall, the corridors on both sides lead to other directions on the first floor. Fang Plover plans to start the inspection from the first floor. The most trouble-free way is naturally for him and Jita to do it separately. But he thought about it and gave up the plan.
He didn't want to scare Miss Naturalist into anything.
Jita probably also noticed this and was a little embarrassed. But she was unwilling to leave Miss Tata even an inch.
But after checking a few rooms, Fang Yu realized that something was wrong with his method. "It's still too troublesome to continue like this -" he said to the elf lady on his shoulder: "This castle is so big, and we can check every room like this. Two days is simply not enough."
Although there are other people outside, the valley below the castle is not small, and the people Ms. Kuisu brought may not be enough.
This was while he was controlling several clockwork goblins to shuttle through the building, otherwise the progress would be even slower.
"This stupid method obviously won't work," Fang Plover continued: "Maybe we can change our thinking and think about if the other party is still in this castle. Or if they have been here before, where will they go and stay? Some traces."
"Generally speaking," Tata thought for a moment and replied: "Mr. Knight, when adventurers explore an old castle, they are interested in the property here. These things are either hidden in underground secret rooms or in the owner's room. In the mezzanine.”
Fang Yu nodded, this is indeed an idea. Although he didn't understand the purpose of those people going here, he could at least do the elimination method, which was much more efficient than the previous stupid method.
However, he is a craftsman, not an architect, and is not familiar with the internal structures of various castles. It is not easy to find possible basements, study rooms, and other important rooms.
Fortunately, this is not a problem for the three of them. Whether it is Jita or Tata, both of them have a wealth of knowledge.
"Let me try," Jita exhaled softly: "...Maybe I can find those places."
Fang Plover nodded.
Jita breathed a sigh of relief, she could finally play a role.
However, after taking a few steps, Miss Naturalist became a little more curious and asked in a low voice: "Brother Ed, why does Miss Tata call you Mr. Knight?"
"Well..." Fang Plover took a breath, but he didn't expect that there was another flaw here. He replied shamelessly: "This is because of the settings I made for Miss Tata."
"set up?"
"Just, just, it's like..." Fang Plover was sweating profusely and stammered as he described: "Some people like to be called 'Master'. It's just a... um... hobby. "
Fortunately, Jita let out a light ooh and didn't ask any more questions.
Fortunately, it was this quiet little girl. Fang Pliance bet that if Tianlan was here, she would definitely ask the question. But fortunately, he had come up with a 'fairly reasonable' excuse.
But Jita only repeated it softly in the darkness.
"Mr. Knight..."
The voice was so quiet that only she could hear it.
…
