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Chapter 790 Silverfrost City
Chapter 790 Silverfrost City
Just as everyone was preparing to depart, an unfamiliar troop galloped in from afar along a dusty path. Leading them was a burly knight clad in silver armor, which gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight. Behind him followed a group of equally well-equipped warriors; their arrival caused quite a stir.
“I am Calvin from the distant city of Silverfrost,” the knight’s voice was steady and powerful. He dismounted and walked to Eileen and Zhao De, kneeling on one knee and presenting them with an ancient-looking sword. “We heard your call and came to your aid. This ‘Oath of the Ice Soul’ is a sacred relic passed down through generations of our family. May it add strength to our journey.”
The surrounding crowd was amazed and began to discuss it.
"Wow, it's the knights of Silverfrost City! Even they've come!"
"It seems this matter is really serious."
"With this kind of support, we have a much better chance of winning!"
Zhao De solemnly accepted the sword, his eyes gleaming with respect. "Sir Calvin, your aid is like a ray of sunshine in winter, warm and timely. Let us fight side by side and protect this continent together."
As their team grew, they embarked on a journey into the Dark Forest. Along the way, they encountered all sorts of challenges. Each time they overcame difficulties, they made this diverse team more united, attracting more people to join them, and their reputation spread far and wide.
Finally, on a moonlit night with few stars, they arrived at the edge of the Dark Forest. The forest was dark and deep, seemingly hiding countless secrets and dangers. A suffocating atmosphere permeated the air, making them hold their breath.
“We are about to step into the unknown,” Zhao De said, looking around at his companions. His voice was firm and encouraging. “But please remember, we are not fighting alone. We have each other, and we have those who cannot come here in person but support us with their hearts.”
Eileen softly echoed, "Yes, light will always dispel darkness. As long as we have light in our hearts, we have nothing to fear."
Just as they were preparing to venture deeper into the forest, a mysterious old witch silently appeared at the front of the group. Her eyes seemed to see through everything, and her tone carried an undeniable authority: "Brave travelers, the true trial has only just begun. Hidden within that ancient magic circle is a secret about the balance of the world, and the key to unlocking this secret lies among you..."
Before she could finish speaking, the old witch turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared into the night, leaving everyone stunned.
"What does she mean...? The key lies among us?" Zhao De looked at Eileen with a puzzled expression, but Eileen simply shook her head, clearly equally confused.
Finally, a usually taciturn orc warrior slowly spoke, his voice deep yet powerful: "No matter what, we must move forward. Since fate has brought us together, we will face whatever the future holds together."
These words were like a rock settling in, instantly calming the turmoil in everyone's hearts. The companions around them nodded, their eyes once again burning with unwavering determination.
"Well said, Brook!" The elven archer Lia patted Brook on the shoulder, her smile particularly refreshing in the moonlight. "Whatever the secret is, as long as we unite, there's no problem we can't solve."
Chapter 791 The Old Box
Chapter 791 The Old Box
In the crowd, an anthropologist adjusted his glasses and curiously joined the discussion: "An ancient magic circle? The secret to the balance of the world? It sounds full of history and mystery. Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity for us to explore the remnants of ancient civilizations."
“The scholar is right.” A gentle voice rang out. The speaker was a seemingly ordinary businessman, but the glint of wisdom in his eyes was not to be underestimated. “The power of knowledge can often play an unexpected role at crucial moments. Perhaps, there truly is a key figure within our ranks who can unlock the secret.”
These words immediately sparked a small murmur of discussion within the group. Everyone began to discreetly scrutinize their companions, their hearts filled with curiosity and anticipation.
“Hey, I was thinking, if that secret really is related to us, could it be some kind of special ability or bloodline inheritance?” A young dwarf warrior rubbed his hands together excitedly. “You know, my family tree records a lot of mysterious things!”
"Haha, if that's the case, I'll have to go back and rummage through my old chests at home too," a humorous orc soldier interjected, eliciting a burst of lighthearted laughter.
In this tense yet hopeful atmosphere, the group slowly entered the dark forest. The trees blocked out the sun, and the light gradually dimmed, with only the occasional animal calls breaking the silence.
"Everyone be careful," Eileen warned, her hand gathering light into a sphere that illuminated the road ahead. "Stay alert; every inch of this land may conceal unknown dangers."
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the dense forest to the side, followed by a terrified voice: "Help...help me!"
The crowd immediately became alert and quickly formed a defensive formation. A pale-faced, ragged traveler stumbled out and fell in front of them.
“Monster…a monster in the darkness…” he gasped, his eyes filled with terror.
"Calm down and tell us what happened," Zhao De said calmly as he helped the traveler up.
“They…they had eyes as dark as the night, attacking our unsuspecting convoy silently…I managed to escape, but…but the others…”
The traveler's description made everyone's faces turn solemn. Zhao De exchanged a glance with Eileen, who nodded and then announced, "It seems we must speed up our actions. We must not only find and uncover that secret, but also protect every life on this continent from threat."
The team continued their journey, each member now feeling a greater sense of urgency and responsibility. The conversations and interactions with passersby not only added color to the story but also brought the team to life. They were stepping into the unknown, writing their own legendary chapter for the sake of light and hope.
“Wait, the monster you mentioned… do you have a more specific description?” Leah bent down, her eyes sharp. As an experienced elven archer, she knew the importance of details for a hunter.
The traveler recalled, trembling: "They were enormous, almost blending into the night, except for their eyes, which shone with an ominous light, like lanterns in the darkness. And...they seemed to be able to manipulate shadows, making everything silent."
Chapter 792 Manipulating Shadows
Chapter 792 Manipulating Shadows
“Manipulating shadows?” Brook’s voice revealed a rare hint of surprise, his orc instincts making him instinctively uneasy. “This is beyond the scope of any known creature.”
"Mr. Knowledge, what are your thoughts?" the businessman asked the bespectacled anthropologist.
The scholar adjusted his glasses, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Ancient texts do mention a creature called 'Shadowfolk' that existed in ancient times. They lived in symbiosis with shadows, were nocturnal, and rarely appeared except under special circumstances. This might be the monster we encountered."
Upon hearing this, everyone reacted with varying expressions, some fearful of the unknown, others excited to explore it.
Just then, a crow flew overhead, cawing sharply as if warning of an impending crisis. The atmosphere in the group instantly became tense.
“We can’t delay any longer,” Zhao De said decisively. “Brook, Leah, you two are in charge of the outposts and keep an eye on the surroundings. The rest of you follow closely and maintain formation.”
The group moved cautiously through the dense forest. The surroundings grew increasingly eerie, and even the wind seemed to carry a chill.
"Look, there's light over there!" Suddenly, a dwarf warrior pointed to a spot not far away, where a faint light could be seen piercing through the darkness through the gaps in the trees.
“It’s a campfire,” Eileen confirmed, a hint of caution flashing in her eyes, “but I’m not sure if it’s friend or foe.”
The group stealthily approached the light source and discovered it was a small camp. Several figures sat around a fire, whispering and talking. Their attire was similar to the travelers they had encountered earlier, clearly indicating they were survivors from the same caravan.
"Someone's coming!" One person in the camp stood up alertly, and the others quickly went on alert as well.
"Don't be nervous, we mean no harm." Zhao De slowly stepped forward, spreading his hands to show peace. "We just met a traveler who escaped and said that you were attacked."
Upon hearing this, the burly man leading the group relaxed his furrowed brows slightly, but remained wary: "Who are you? Why are you here?"
“We are travelers, searching for something important.” Eileen stepped forward and briefly explained the old witch’s words and the purpose of their journey. “We are willing to help you fight against those monsters.”
"Jointly fight against them?" The burly man gave a wry smile. "Do you know what we're facing?"
"Whatever it is, it's better than sitting and waiting to die." Brooke's gruff voice rang out as he walked to the front of the group. His broad back gave people a sense of reliability. "At least, we still have a chance to fight."
“Commendable courage, my friend.” The burly man nodded, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. “I am Karl, the leader of this group. If you are truly willing to help, we can work together. But please remember, those Shadows are not ordinary enemies; we need to proceed with caution.”
"Karl, where are your men?" Leah looked around and noticed that the number of people in this small camp was far less than the size of the convoy they had expected.
Karl's expression darkened: "Most of them are gone... Only a few of us survived by chance, having scattered and hidden during our escape."
"Why are those shadowy beings attacking you?" The scholar adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming with a thirst for knowledge.
Chapter 793 Monster
Chapter 793 Monster
“We don’t know the reason either,” Karl shook his head. “All we know is that everything changed after someone in the caravan accidentally dug up a strange black stone. The monster seems to be following that stone.”
"Black Stone?" Zhao De's heart stirred, vaguely sensing that this matter was related to their mission. "Perhaps, this is the key to our trip."
“The key?” Karl looked at Zhao De with a puzzled expression, but the latter smiled and did not explain immediately, only saying, “I’ll tell you in time. Now, let’s discuss how to deal with these monsters.”
The discussion continued late into the night, and the plan gradually took shape. The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the treetops, the team was fully prepared to set off for the Shadows' lair.
After passing through a dense forest, the group arrived at a huge natural cave, the hiding place of the Shadows. An ominous aura permeated the cave entrance, and even the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
"Are you ready?" Zhao De asked in a low voice.
“We have no choice but to move forward,” Leah replied, her longbow already fully drawn and ready to fire.
Just as they were about to enter the cave, a commotion suddenly came from behind them. Turning around, they saw several villagers rushing towards them, their faces filled with terror.
"Monster! The monster is coming!" one of them shouted, his voice filled with despair.
"What?!" Karl was shocked. "We were perfectly concealed!"
“It must be that black stone; it has attracted even more Shadows!” The scholar frowned.
"Never mind all that, we have to fight!" Brook roared, his orc blood boiling at that moment.
With the arrival of the first wave of Shadows, the battle erupted instantly. Zhao De, Lia, Brook, and the others cooperated seamlessly, engaging in fierce combat with the monsters. Although the Shadows were powerful, they began to gradually retreat under the combined efforts of the group.
Just then, a deep rumble came from the depths of the cave, and a huge figure slowly emerged—it was an exceptionally tall core shadow, its entire body covered in dark energy, its eyes like two blood-red moons, radiating a chilling power.
"That's it!" Carl gritted his teeth.
"Everyone, concentrate your fire!" Zhao De shouted, leading his team to meet the final challenge.
“No…it’s not just that!” A villager pointed to the sky with a trembling hand. Everyone looked up and saw several dark shadows streaking across the sky. More shadows surged in from all directions like a black tide. Their target was clearly not just this small team, but the entire village.
“This…this is the last thing we can do.” Karl pulled the cursed black stone from his pocket, his face grave. “We’ll lure them away, you take the villagers and escape, and find a way to destroy these monsters.”
“Karl, no!” Eileen objected urgently, “We can’t let you…”
“That’s an order!” Karl’s eyes were resolute as he turned to his men. “Protect them; it’s our duty as soldiers.”
Led by Karl, a small group of warriors who volunteered to stay behind took the Black Stone and sped off in the opposite direction, attracting the attention of the Shadows and leaving Zhao De and his companions with a resolute back view.
"Let's go, we'll proceed according to plan!" Zhao De's voice was firm. He knew they had to race against time, otherwise it wouldn't just be to complete the mission, but also to ensure that the sacrifices of Karl and the other warriors wouldn't be in vain.
Chapter 794 Finding a Solution to the Shadow Calamity
Chapter 794 Finding a Solution to the Shadow Calamity