Suddenly the wind blew during the night.
After passing the hilly land, they followed the traces of the ghouls and witches and trudged through the ups and downs of the terrain.
The farther east you go, the lower the terrain becomes. Although if you go further east and cross the forest, you will reach the vast and towering Palohia Plateau, but a considerable part of the Bao Forest at the foot of the mountain is below the sea level of the Mobigas Inland Sea - this This makes them wet and muddy all year round, forming swamps.
This is a paradise for small amphibians and reptiles. If you go deep into the forest in the summer, you may still hear the croaking of frogs.
But now there is only silence.
In the silence, the whistling sound of the wind echoed alone.
The soft soil prevents large trees from taking root and growing firmly, so only small shrubs and weeds exist in this area. They were not enough to block the strong wind that could make the oil-wax cloth rustle.
The unbearably harsh conditions appear to have worsened.
In addition to the lack of delicious warm food and easy walking terrain, they now have no way to even get a good rest.
The wind was blowing from the swamp, and all the endless ground in front was covered. Only the small area they were in and the direction behind them had dry ground due to the higher terrain. The strong wind was able to flow unimpeded without any obstruction, not even a stable wind direction, and came from all directions.
The hills that had been so painful to climb now became nostalgic, and the trees couldn't grow too big on this merely relatively dry land. Many trees that were too large and had a large area facing the wind had already been uprooted and fell to the ground.
The adventurers initially tried to judge the direction of the wind and then tilted the canvas to the direction of the wind and fixed it - this was a very standard approach, but the strong wind then blew from the other side, and the slender tree trunks that had long since died but had not yet fallen could not bear it at all. Such wind pressure caused it to snap immediately, and the tail of the canvas flew wildly, as if a transparent giant was roaring and roaring with a war club.
In the end, they finally controlled it all, relying on the huge fallen trees and surrounding rocks as weight. The shelter was still roaring in the strong wind, and the cold wind invaded from any gap that could get in, making it impossible to sleep.
Those who went in to sleep in shifts ended up walking out of the camp again wrapped in cloaks. Even though it was late at night, they still watched the wildly swaying bonfire left and right, unable to fall asleep.
Human power is ultimately small.
The faces of the experienced old hunting mercenaries were gloomy, not only because they were tired from the past few days and it was difficult for them to smile, but also because in this environment, they relied on their rich knowledge to judge their own disadvantages. .
The tracks of the ghouls and witches spread all the way to the swamp and were lost.
The trail was found to be thick during the day, and they thought it was only a few hours away, so they would be able to catch up quickly on horseback, but until dusk fell, they just arrived in front of the swamp.
There were no traces of the enemy, only similar traces.
Whether they waded through the water or turned to another direction, we can only wait until tomorrow to continue the investigation.
People had no choice but to camp where they were. This is the worst place to camp, with so much space and lack of cover. They had no way of hiding their aura, and the light from the bonfire could be clearly seen by enemies three kilometers away.
The vigilance made the experienced mercenaries begin to feel uneasy.
They also know it's the best option out there. It would be foolish to risk crossing the swamp, and walking back would probably avoid the annoying wind and find trees strong enough to camp, but it would leave you in an even more defenseless situation.
Admittedly, it was impossible to sleep next to the swamp under the strong wind, but at least the low-lying ground full of water could provide a sound warning in the dark - it eliminated the possibility of ghouls quietly approaching from this direction to attack. If you evacuate to the woods in the direction you arrived, you won't even have the advantage of this location, and you can only rely on your own defense in all aspects.
Campfires for heating and cooking are a necessity, and they are extremely exposed on the flat ground that stretches for more than ten kilometers.
But this is only one of the worries. Those abominable undead have powerful night vision, and they can see clearly even without firelight.
What really made the old scouts feel uneasy was the wind.
As hunting mercenaries, they spend a lot of time dealing with wild beasts.
The sense of smell of alert beasts or monsters far exceeds that of humans. Therefore, for any qualified hunter, whether he is an ordinary hunter or a professional hunting mercenary, mastering the wind direction is the foundation of the basics.
The light can be blocked by the terrain, but the smell of burning firewood can be carried ten kilometers away by the wind.
Don't put yourself in the upper hand, take the initiative to judge and conceal yourself. Concealment is the best protection, the best armor and shield.
But in this wild and ever-changing wind, they were exposed. There is something very unsettling about being like a beacon in the darkness, giving away information about your location to any possible enemy.
The intelligence is uneven, they don't know where the ghouls will come from and how many are left.
Sitting there and waiting for death is not an option, but taking the initiative also faces considerable dangers.
Beyond the wildly swaying bonfires and the orange light of torches, everything is dark and everything is unknown.
And fear.
breed in it.
The bonfire was still swaying, and there was an inexhaustible supply of wood, so they didn't have to worry. With the help of the shelter, a large enough bonfire would not be extinguished easily.
The people in the camp stared at it, their faces and palms dry from the fire.
And those outside the camp had their backs to it. The strong wind made their faces hurt. Although it didn't snow, they were losing body heat quickly when exposed to the strong wind. The bare fingers began to become cold and stiff, and even the plates and forks could not be held tightly. The chefs tried their best. They baked the dry and hard dough and mixed it with the only remaining spices on hand. The fruit wine makes a hot dipping sauce.
People tried singing at first, trying to do something to cheer up the hot food they had managed to get together.
But in the end they all quieted down.
The dry and hard bread was still unappetizing, and the heat quickly dissipated in the wind. If nothing else, this is the last time they will have such hot and delicious food.
"Kill the horse and roast some meat."
"Are you going to carry the equipment yourself?"
A lifeless earth.
Only the cold wind howled.
In half a month's journey, I went from being ambitious at the beginning to being taciturn now.
What defeated them was not the brutal and bloody battle, but the difficult living environment and boring search work.
This shouldn't be the case. The hunting mercenaries who walk in the wild all year round are all good at searching for resources from nature to survive. But when even nature is lifeless, no matter how many skills they have, they can't use them.
"Even when facing the most ferocious prey, they have never been so silent." Stephen said this, drinking the last bit of liquor he brought with him.
This is a very bad situation.
Just as the short-term relaxation after a fierce battle is the most dangerous moment, this fatigue caused by boredom has greatly reduced everyone's combat effectiveness - only a few people, including our Mr. Sage, remain alert, but This is obviously not enough.
They couldn't take care of all aspects of the camp, which still had a population of just over two hundred, and when Henry noticed something was wrong and came to the rear, the two drowsy mercenaries guarding the camp hurriedly checked.
Discover.
The number of pack horses has decreased.
"It smells like blood." This is a familiar smell that cannot be concealed by strong winds, like rusty iron dissolved in water and then evaporated by high temperatures, a smell that cannot be removed from the nasal cavity for a long time.
Everyone is familiar with this.
In a moment of trance caused by the weather, the terrain, the food and even the air.
Ghoul.
Close.
"Cheer up, everyone! Cheer up!"
"Count the number of people!" Henry, who reacted quickly, said with a frown.
The camp of two hundred people and hundreds of horses was not small, and they were divided into several sentry groups to guard the area. The team guarding the horses was distracted, but the loss was only the pack horses. If other places were attacked——
The bad premonition came true.
The sentry was missing two groups.
"Divide the troops, let's catch up and take a look." Henry said to Adolphus, who nodded. Everyone was divided into two relatively balanced teams based on their expertise. Adolphus led more paladins and a large number of magicians to shrink the camp and defend on the spot around the bright bonfire, while Henry, Mira and Fili Bo, Horno and Stephen together led a small number of paladins and crossbowmen to hunt the mercenaries.
"Blood stains." They followed the smell of blood and unnatural traces and headed west along the same route they came from.
People held their weapons tightly, held their breath, and took each step cautiously.
But darkness is the ally of the dead, not the living. The torches in their hands could not provide enough illumination under the strong wind, and the magical moon of Xifenke that should have been bright was unfortunately obscured by dark clouds.
So it wasn't until the sages noticed something was wrong with the direction of the wind that they realized it.
The fact that he was lured out.
"Come closer to me and gather in a circle!" Henry held up a torch to indicate his position and shouted loudly, while Horno in the team also raised his wand knowingly.
"Aktu'Luna!" "Bang -" she shouted, and then a blazing white light stretched out from the wand and illuminated a huge area.
"Hiss-roar-!" The ghoul, who was afraid of the magical light of the high elf magician, screamed and covered his face, while the sharp-eyed Mira quickly adapted to the bright light that other people could even blink at. When she arrived, she yelled: "In the tree!"
"They're in the trees!" "Hiss-ouch!" As if an order was issued, groups of ghouls swarmed up.
"Crossbowman!" Filippo shouted. "It's too late, draw your sword, and the paladin is on top!" The sage shouted loudly and planted the torch on the ground. He took the lead, holding Claymore with one hand, and slashed out from bottom to top.
"Bang! Ka-!" Henry deliberately deflected the angle of his attack, not cutting the whole ghoul but knocking it away to prevent this heavy and strong creature from breaking through his circular defensive circle. .
His response was quite timely. If the team had not shrunk into a circle and still maintained a loose search formation, they would have already been attrited by this time.
But even so, the situation is still not optimistic.
The darkness restricted the combat capabilities of the Paladins in front. Although the magic cast by Horno instantly illuminates a large area around him, it also takes time for many people's eyes to adapt to the bright light.
At least 30% of the attacks in the first round of attacks failed. The ghouls charging straight up came directly in front of them. If they were not attacked by paladins wearing plate armor, I am afraid that there would be casualties in this first attack.
"Crack-Clang!!" The solid steel breastplate had dents under the powerful claws, but it was not broken by such a level of attack. The knocked-down knights regained their footing with the help of friendly forces.
They spread out like blooming petals, pushing back opponents with a dash despite walking while giving teammates more room to move.
Several ghouls quickly died under the attack, and the crossbowmen in the rear finally reacted at this time. The steel trigger structure of the heavy crossbow that was wound up by the winch released the crossbow string, and the hardened short arrow accurately hit the ghoul's skull in an instant, accurately killing the abominable undead that was exposed under the white light.
"The light is going out!" Horno, who was in the center of the formation, suddenly shouted, and Henry in front immediately reacted: "Shrink and get back on defense." He shouted loudly. As they searched in depth, the trees near them were thicker than those near the swamp. Everyone leaned against one of the big trees and formed a circle to guard the surroundings.
"Huh--" The blazing white light disappeared in a burst of fluctuations. Even Horno could only maintain such a brightness as bright as day for a short time. The elf panted and squatted down, and after the light came on, everyone's eyes had to readjust to the relatively dim light of the torch.
A thin layer of sweat broke out on her forehead, but after taking a few breaths, she continued speaking at a very fast speed: "She is very sensitive to magic. This is not a good decision. We'd better go back to the camp to rendezvous."
"Hu-cha--" The torches were placed in a circle on the ground, and the people with free hands were watching the surroundings with weapons in their hands. Mira and Filippo were both gasping for air. Although they did not come into direct contact with the ghouls, the scene of ghouls densely climbing on the trees under the white light just for a moment was really frightening. Trembling.
Henry turned back and glanced at the people behind him. Horno's warning was true, but he could see it because his eyesight was far better than others.
The ghouls didn't leave.
However, they did not attack further.
"These guys..."
"It's like I'm waiting for work. It's not like I just pounced on him like before." Stephen, who followed the sage and others out, clenched the two-handed battle ax in his hand and murmured.
"Yeah." Henry responded briefly.
Although physically strong enemies are scary, it is actually not difficult to deal with them as long as you master the appropriate methods.
The truly formidable enemies are those with strategy.
Humanity was divided into two parts, spreading its power. They arrived at night, and their visibility was poor, making it impossible to ride horses to exert more powerful combat effectiveness. The integration and command of the troops are also very difficult.
Add to that exhaustion.
"They learned wisely."
"she."
"Learn to be smart." The sage said, shaking the sword in his hand. He felt a little sore in his wrists, and it was quite a burden even for him to fly away an eighty-kilogram ghoul with one hand.
These things will not easily allow them to return to the camp and join Adolphus and others. They are waiting for work at the moment, and they do not rush forward like they did in Scotty. Instead, they kept a certain distance and waited for them to take action before responding.
"It's like hunting."
