The little devil stared at his hands in amazement, as if he couldn't believe that what had just happened was real.
After all, absolute obedience to orders from superiors has long been ingrained into the soul of every devil.
Although "the lower class rebelling against the upper class" sometimes happens, it must be within the scope permitted by the laws and rules of hell.
If an assassination like this is carried out in public, the person will be sentenced to death in no time if caught.
"How does it feel to kill the bastard who used to bully you?"
Zuo Si asked with an interested smile.
The little devil's eyes sparkled slightly, and he licked his lips with his tongue. "Feelings? Seems pretty good! I like Aigris's impotent rage and roar before returning to Hell. I bet that this failure will make him lose face, and he might even be demoted as a punishment. You know, Grand Duke Disbart is not a merciful master."
As the name suggests, demotion is a punishment for those devils who fail.
Generally speaking, once the highest-level demon form like the Hell Fiend is downgraded, it will at least degenerate into a snake demon, an assassination demon, a horned demon, or even a weaker ice demon or a spike demon.
If the mistakes made are unforgivable, then there is a possibility that one will be directly demoted to the lowest and most abominable form of demon.
Zuo Si had read some books about the social and political ecology of Hell, and understood what demotion meant to a devil. He said in a playful tone, "Whether it is a demon or a devil, once killed in the material plane, it will take at least ninety-nine years to return to its homeland and be reborn. After rebirth, its power will be much weaker than before. And this time, what Aegris lost was not just a little bit of power."
Needless to say, when those demons were sent back to Baator Hell, Zuo Si took the opportunity to use the power of the Planeswalker Spark to frantically absorb the magical energy transfer generated when the soul channel was opened.
In other words, more than 60 to 70 percent of the energy that was supposed to return to hell as the devil's rebirth was converted by him into red and general mana. Not only did it replenish the part consumed by using cards in battle, but it also raised the [Mystic] profession level from LV4 to LV5.
In addition, the strength attribute increased a little again, reaching sixteen points, which is enough to make many warriors envious.
If it is a high-level devil, it would be better. No matter how weakened it is, at least its consciousness and sanity can be preserved after rebirth.
Those low-level demons are doomed.
Especially for the lowest level ones like inferior demons and little devils, once the energy loss exceeds a certain threshold, they may not even be able to condense the most basic form.
Of course, Zuo Si didn't care about the life or death of these demons.
What really gave him a headache was how to deal with the summoned Orlanli multi-headed dragon and giant stone elemental.
Cancel the summon directly?
Given the levels of these two creature cards, the former would have to stay in the graveyard for half a month, and the latter would be slightly better, but would have to stay there for about a week.
If he encounters an enemy that is not easy to deal with again, Zuo Si, who lacks powerful summoned creatures, can only open the portal to the Mage Tower and summon the Iron Golem, the Mutated Hound and Wilmes.
Or you could send a signal to the liches of the Arcane Mystic Society and ask them to use teleportation magic to come over for support.
As for the Emerald Society controlled by Rain, in order not to arouse the suspicion of the Lord of Symbols Shangela, it cannot be used for the time being.
But the problem is, it would be too eye-catching to take these two big guys on the road.
The large stone elemental is not so bad, after all, there are many arcane spellcasters in Faerun who have the ability to summon and control elemental creatures.
But the Oranli Hydra is a creature unique to Zendikar.
In addition, its size is so huge, God knows how many forces' attention it will attract when walking on the road.
And unlike the giant dragons in the world of Faerun, the Oranli hydra has only the intelligence of a beast, and has no transformation or spell-like abilities.
Its only characteristic is that it can continue to grow without limit.
This means that only the simplest commands can be given to it, and once it is stimulated by external factors, it can easily lose control.
"Alas - I didn't expect that summoning creatures that are too big would be such a big problem."
Zuo Si gently patted the hard scales of the Olanli multi-headed dragon and couldn't help but sigh.
Just as he was about to cancel the summons, a man dressed in merchant clothes and covered in blood rushed out from a tavern in the distance, shouting as he ran: "Your Excellency! Your Excellency the Elector!"
"Um?"
Zuo Si subconsciously stopped what he was doing, turned around and stared at the other person.
After a while, the man in his forties ran up to them breathlessly, glanced at the Orlanli multi-headed dragon and the giant stone elemental with eyes full of fear and awe, and then said carefully: "Sir, first of all, please allow me to express my gratitude to you on behalf of all the survivors of Dragonspear Castle. Because if it weren't for you, we would all be killed tonight, and maybe even our souls would be plundered by the devil..."
"Stop the boring pleasantries and get down to business." Zuo Si interrupted with a wave of his hand impatiently.
After all, being targeted by a lord from the hell level was already annoying enough for him, so he had no mood to listen to these meaningless nonsense.
"Uh... I mean, Dragonspear Castle has been basically completely destroyed. Even the temple of the god of war Tempus has become a ruin. It is simply unable to resist the demons pouring out from under the castle and the hordes of monsters in the High Wasteland. Can you stay here to protect it for a while? Or just become the lord of Dragonspear Castle and the surrounding land?"
The man went around in circles for a long time and finally spoke out his true thoughts.
You know, it is not easy to defend such a large fortress relying solely on these surviving adventurers and merchants.
Moreover, without the leadership of the Church of the God of War, most adventurers and mercenaries were like a group of scattered sand. It would be a blessing if they did not fight among themselves, let alone unite to deal with foreign invasions.
When Zuo Si heard this request, he immediately rejected it mercilessly: "Sorry, my time is precious and I don't have time to waste it in such a meaningless place. If you are afraid of being attacked by monsters, you can bring your valuables with me to the north to Waterdeep. I will be responsible for clearing all threats along the way."
"Thank you for your kindness. But this tavern is all my hard work and property. If I abandon it, I will really have nothing."
There was a hint of bitterness and helplessness in the man's tone.
Although he felt very lucky not to have died at the hands of the devil, the harsh survival challenges he faced after surviving the disaster made many survivors feel despair.
Those adventurers are fine. At worst they can just pack up and leave, and still be able to make a living somewhere else.
But for those who have permanent property and businesses in Dragonspear Castle, it is an absolute nightmare.
Seeing the other party's expression about to cry, Zuo Si suddenly thought of an idea. He pointed at the huge Orlanli multi-headed dragon beside him and said, "How about this. I allow you to use my name to manage and rule Dragonspear Castle, and I will lend this guy to you as a guard for a period of time. The deadline is three months. Whether you can survive the crisis depends entirely on your ability."
"real?!"
The man's originally dim eyes suddenly flashed with light.
He had just witnessed with his own eyes the amazing fighting power of the Orlanli multi-headed dragon.
With such a powerful monster as its guardian, no matter whether it is the monsters rushing out from the depths of the underground or the orcs, goblins, trolls, ogres and werewolves in the High Wasteland, they can't expect to get close to Dragonspear Castle.
"Of course! Remember, my name is Soth, the Chosen One of Talona, the Goddess of Poison and Disease. If you need to negotiate with other forces, just report this."
Zuo Si was very generous and gave the other party the right to use his name.
Because of the vigorous propaganda of the Church of Talona, his reputation on the west coast of Faerun is almost synonymous with "weapons of mass destruction."
Anyway, nicknames like "Son of Plague", "Man of Disaster", "World Destroyer", and "Mobile Scourge" have spread.
Otherwise, if he had only shown up briefly during the negotiations at Candlekeep, Baldur's Gate wouldn't have reacted so strongly.
I guess just having a name on it can have a considerable deterrent effect.
"You mean... I can declare to the public that you are the lord of Dragonspear Castle?" The man clenched his fists subconsciously in excitement.
Zuo Si nodded slightly: "Yes. But don't expect me to fulfill my responsibilities and obligations as a lord. At most, after learning about the massacre here, I will take action to avenge you."
“这就足够了！有了您这位名义上的领主，我相信就算是那些至高荒原的怪物也不敢轻易靠近。哦，对了，差点忘了自我介绍。我的名字叫马绍尔，从现在开始就算是您任命的总管了。”
说罢，男人眼神中透露出强烈的自信。
三个月时间，他觉得凭自己的能力，完全可以让龙矛城堡恢复到之前的样子，甚至比之前更加繁荣。
战神教会没了无所谓，可以借助左思选民的身份，直接把剧毒与疾病女神塔洛娜的教会弄过来。
反正大部分冒险者们想要的只是一个提供医疗服务的地方，究竟是什么神根本不重要。
“加油吧，马绍尔。希望三个月之后，我不会听到龙矛城堡被攻陷，亦或是你死亡的消息。”
简单的把欧兰黎多头龙的控制权移交给对方后，左思便带着人返回旅店二楼的客房继续睡觉，打算等明天上午时分再出发。
不过他能睡得着，并不见得剩下那些劫后余生的人也能睡得着。
自封为“总管”的马绍尔很快便利用平日里积攒下来的威望，将大概一百多个幸存者聚集到了自家的酒馆里。
没有任何废话，他直接开门见山说出了自己的全盘计划。
当得知外面空地上那只巨大无比的欧兰黎多头龙，会待在在附近保护龙矛城堡三个月，不少人都立刻打消了撤离的念头。
刚好相反！
他们眼睛里闪烁着野心和欲望的光芒。
没过一会儿功夫，这些幸存者就搞出了一个大胆的计划。
那就是利用欧兰黎多头龙强大战力扫荡周围至高荒原上的怪物据点，把那些地精、兽人、半兽人统统抓回来当奴隶使用或者卖掉，以此来获取发展建设所必须的劳动力跟资金。
毕竟进攻才是最好的防守。
等有了足够的钱跟劳动力，自然就能雇佣道足够的人手来保卫城堡的安全，同时还能将那些被毁掉的建筑重新盖起来。
而安全方面有了的保障，周边零散的村落和农户便会被吸引过来定居。
无论是开垦田地种植庄稼，还是放牧饲养牛羊马匹，都可以提供稳定的食物来源。
假如一切顺利的话，完全可以以龙矛城堡为中心，在博德之门和深水城中间建立起一座新城镇。
到时候，他们这些原始“股东”不仅可以趁机发一笔横财，同时说不定还可以摇身一变成为受人尊敬的官员、贵族。
很显然，在费伦这片充斥着各种危险的土地上，差不多所有商人和冒险者都是不折不扣的机会主义者。
他们会利用手头上一切可以利用的资源，来为自己争取更多利益。
更不用提可以控制一条强大到足以轻松推平任何一个怪物部落的欧兰黎多头龙。
对于马绍尔野心勃勃的扩张计划，左思显然一点都不关心、也不在乎。
在休息了整整八个多小时之后，他便迎着朝阳乘坐自己亲手打造的马车，在巨型石元素的护送下，沿着大路继续向北进发。
……
与此同时，在巴托地狱的第二层迪斯。
这里是一座巨大且一望无际的燃烧钢铁城市。
来自地狱深处的火焰和高温让整个层面的环境温度变得极高，无论是天空还是大地都呈现出一片令人不寒而栗的红色，大量浓烟跟黑雾在城市上空形成了遮蔽层。
除了免疫火焰伤害的魔鬼，几乎没有多少活人能够在如此极端恶劣的环境下生存。
尤其是那些用钢铁浇筑的城墙，永远呈现出发红、滚烫的状态，普通人如果不小心碰到一下，分分钟都会被严重烧伤。
更离谱的是，脚下用钢铁铺成的地面情况也差不多。
一些从其他位面前来的造访者，由于没有穿戴能够防护火焰伤害的靴子，结果刚一落地就会发出撕心裂肺的惨叫，并且整个人迅速化作一团燃烧的火炬，最终被活生生烧成一堆骨灰。
很显然，如果说整个巴托地狱哪个层面最符合凡人心目中的地狱形象，那一定非第二层“迪斯”莫属。
作为这个层面至高无上的统治者与领主，狄斯巴特大公眼下就坐在“铁塔”最顶层的房间里，听着自己手下一位深狱炼魔的报告。
如果忽略额头上那对凸起的犄角，这位强大的地狱领主看上去就像是一名身材高大、留着黑色长发、身穿华贵礼服的人类男性。
“大公，艾格瑞斯失败了。就在几个小时之前，他和他的手下无一例外全部以灵魂形态返回地狱开始重生。不仅如此，我还察觉到他们重组身体时的能量比之前至少减弱了一半以上。那些劣魔和小魔鬼甚至无法凝聚成稳定的形态。”
“哦？原因呢？他失败的原因是什么？”狄斯巴特大公面无表情的问。
他似乎对手下的失败一点也不生气，仿佛那只是一件微不足道的小事。
可跪在地上的深狱炼魔显然非常清楚，自己效忠的领主越是这副样子就越危险，赶忙低下头回答道：“根据艾格瑞斯给出的说法，那个叫做索斯的凡人，现在已经是剧毒与疾病女神塔洛娜的选民。
而且被赐予了相当多的神力与选民能力。
尤其是掌握着一种强大的召唤魔法，可以瞬间将体型巨大的龙、元素生物召唤到身边。
除此之外，对方还能释放出一种蕴含神力的黑色能量火焰。
凡是被击中的目标，都会不可避免的生病、中毒，就连我们魔鬼也不例外。
最后他还提到，这位选民使用魔法的时候很少吟唱咒语，大部分法术都是瞬发，同时还能不停的干扰和破坏周围其他人施法。
不过也不能排除这些内容是艾格瑞斯为了逃避失败惩罚而故意编造的谎言。
总之，我认为不管是什么样的理由，失败就是失败，任何失败者都必须要接受惩罚。”
很显然，这个深狱炼魔在趁机给自己的竞争对手上眼药，想要通过落井下石的方式将艾格瑞斯彻底踩在脚下。
这在巴托地狱社会的权力争斗，简直是再正常不过的操作了。
不然的话，外出执行任务的魔鬼也不会如此的恐惧失败。
因为一旦失败，不光要面对来自上司的打压，还要面对同僚和下属的“背刺”。
降级后所带来的强烈耻辱感，足以让任何一个魔鬼发疯。
“塔洛娜的选民？果然连诸神也注意到了吗……不过为什么动手的不是最先有所察觉的苦难之神伊尔玛特，而是剧毒与疾病女神？情况还真是变得越来越有意思了呢……”
狄斯巴特大公摸着下巴露出了感兴趣的表情，自动忽略了那些涉及到两名手下私人恩怨的部分。
很显然，在他派出艾格瑞斯穿过传送门前往物质世界的时候，左思还没有成为选民。
再加上地狱势力虽然在费伦大陆安插了无数的探子，甚至是发展出崇拜魔鬼的教团，但他们的情报搜集能力远没有外人想象中那么厉害。
更何况，这些探子和教团分属各个层面各种错综复杂的势力，彼此之间的合作非常有限。
经常会出现某位领主知道的信息，另外一位领主完全不知道的情况。
眼见自己效忠的领主并没有想要处罚艾格瑞斯的意思，深狱炼魔立刻装模作样的询问道：“大公阁下，请问应该如何处理那些无法凝聚稳定形态进行重生的魔鬼？将他们全部压榨成能量吗？”
狄斯巴特大公不以为意的挥了挥手：“你自己随便处理就好。至于艾格瑞斯，我想他已经从失败中得到了足够的惩罚，就算重生后形态上也起码会降两级，所以就没必要再继续降级了。从今以后，他就暂时划归到你的麾下听命吧。另外，到钢铁之城挑选几个有能力、足够聪明的凡人，然后派他们去物质世界打探一切跟索斯有关的情报。”
“如您所愿。”
深狱炼魔眼睛里闪过一抹喜色，很快便站起身离开了这座位于燃烧钢铁城市中心的铁塔。
短短几天之内，一支由十几个人类、提夫林、魔裔兽人、魔裔精灵组成的间谍，就这样通过跨位面传送魔法被送到了费伦大陆的各个角落。
凭借在地狱残酷环境中锻炼出来的阴险狡诈，他们很快便通过谎言跟欺骗成功进入到附近的城镇，一边小心翼翼躲避那些圣武士和善神教会，一边竭尽所能打探关于左思的一切情报。
对于魔鬼们的小动作，左思完全一无所知。
当然，就算知道了也不会太在意。
因为像狄斯巴特大公这种性格谨慎的地狱领主是不可能冒险进入物质世界的。
充其量也就是派几百乃至上千名魔鬼进入物质世界搞点见不得光的小动作。
只要不自己找死主动前往地狱，随便怎么折腾都没关系。
After all, Zuo Si now has two backers behind him, one is Oghma, the powerful god of knowledge, and the other is Talona, the goddess of poison and disease who grants the chosen people identity and power.
Therefore, the top priority at the moment is to continuously improve your strength and transform the knowledge gained from Candle Castle into power.
…
After leaving Dragonspear Castle, Zuo Si's carriage headed north along the trade route.
After about five or six days, we saw Dagger Beach standing at the ferry on the south bank of the Deringbil River.
This is a fairly large village with about eight or nine hundred civilians living here. It not only has a "city wall" surrounded by wooden fences, but also a considerable number of simple arrow towers to guard against and resist the Lizardmen in the swamp to the west.
The place is now ruled by an institution called the Town Council.
They mimic the secret lord system of Waterdeep, and all members wear masks when attending meetings.
However, these counterfeit and shoddy imitation masks have no magical effects at all and cannot conceal the identity of the wearer.
In addition, the size of the village is not large, so it is basically clear at a glance who the members of the parliament are.
So the mask is basically worn for nothing, it is a typical example of trying to draw a tiger but end up drawing a dog instead.
In addition, Dagger Beach's current militia is led by a man named Pyle Howl, and there are probably only thirty to fifty people in total.
But even so, this guy still shamelessly gave himself the title of "Duke of Dagger Beach".
Yes!
You read that right!
A level 5 warrior who hasn't even become the "village chief" yet dares to call himself a "Duke".
It can even be said that the existence of Dagger Beach itself is like a huge black humor.
Because it is too close to Waterdeep, it has been shrouded in the shadow of Waterdeep since the moment it was born.
Generally speaking, only those who have experienced a tragic failure in Waterdeep will choose to go south to settle in Daggerford.
But I have to say that unlike the hustle and bustle of those big cities, Dagger Beach is indeed a very beautiful and quiet place.
Whether it is the carefully cultivated farmlands or the small stone buildings and castles in the central area, they all have a sense of paradise.
When the carriage arrived at the gate, the militia guarding there immediately raised their hands to signal to stop, and stared at the giant stone element following the carriage with a slightly nervous and fearful look.
As a village with almost no magical power, the people of Dagger Beach had never seen such a scene.
Especially the sound and vibration made by the giant stone element when it runs, which can be clearly felt even from a distance of one or two hundred meters.
Gulp!
A young man who looked to be about 23 or 24 years old swallowed his saliva subconsciously, mustered up his courage and said in a trembling voice: "So...all those who enter the wall must get off the car for inspection according to convention. In addition, any beasts, constructs, and other miscellaneous non-human creatures that are over one meter tall and long are also prohibited from entering."
"knew."
Davian did not embarrass the other party. He jumped down from the driving seat, walked to the side of the car and opened the right door.
In the blink of an eye, Zuo Si came out with Isadora and Huntington.
Feeling the cool breeze blowing from the river bank, Zuo Si finally realized why the scope of the "Northland" was divided by Waterdeep.
Although it is already the end of September, the temperature in the Baldur's Gate area can still be maintained at around 26 degrees Celsius.
Even in Dragonspear Castle located in the High Wastes, the temperature is at least 20 degrees during the day.
But right now on Dagger Beach, the temperature has dropped sharply to 16 or 17 degrees Celsius, and in Deepwater, further north, it is only 11 or 12 degrees Celsius at best.
When October officially arrives, Waterdeep will inevitably experience sub-zero temperatures, and the thaw will not occur until March or April of the following year.
There are six months of winter in a year, which is why the geographical concept of "Northland" was formed.
Compared to the warm and humid Amn, Tethyr, and Calimshan in the south, the most typical feature of the North is its extremely low agricultural output, with only one crop of food being grown a year at most.
In some places, like Luskan, the City of Sails, there is only three or four months of thaw period a year, and only a little cold-resistant barley can be grown.
This is probably why Luskan developed into a pirate city.
If he didn't go out to rob and trade, he wouldn't even be able to support himself with that pitiful output.
This is similar to the situation in Earth's history when the Vikings plundered all of Europe.
Moreover, before the emergence of the Arcane Brotherhood, Luskan was already a well-known pirate city.
Just as Zuo Si habitually fell into divergent thoughts, the four militiamen guarding the door saw two children, a boy and a girl, getting off the carriage, and they visibly relaxed a lot.
Because in their opinion, this should be a nobleman traveling to Waterdeep.
That huge stone elemental and the two warriors who look tough, should be the guards who ensure your safety along the way.
In fact, every year many nobles and wealthy businessmen send their children to the academy in Waterdeep for further studies.
Some of them went to learn the arts of arcane magic; some went to learn the use of weapons and corresponding combat skills; some went to learn professional knowledge in the fields of politics, military affairs, business, etc.; and some went to learn painting, sculpture, literature, philosophy and other aspects.
In short, Waterdeep is one of the only two cities on the west coast of Faerun that has a large comprehensive educational institution.
As for the other one, it is naturally the Port of Kalin in the south.
Although other cities have similar places, they are far inferior to the first two in terms of scale and teaching level.
"Good afternoon, young sir and lady. I am going to inspect your carriage now."
The leading militiaman took two steps forward and greeted them politely, without looking down on Zuo Si and Isadora because of their young age.
"Please."
Zuo Si turned sideways and made a gesture of invitation.
Because he knew that if a strict entry and exit management system was not implemented in a small village like Dagger Beach that was seriously lacking in defense, as long as thirty or forty people with bad intentions and weapons sneaked in and launched a surprise attack under the cover of night, they could easily defeat these militiamen who did not even have a professional level, and then complete the occupation of the entire village.
After getting permission, the young man in leather armor quickly walked into the carriage and flipped over the seats. He then got under the carriage and took a look to confirm that there were no weapons or armor hidden inside. He then forced a smile and said, "I've checked it. There's no problem. You, this beautiful lady, and two bodyguards can enter the wall. But this big guy made of rock can only stay outside."
"I understand. I don't plan to let it in either." Zuo Si agreed directly.
Letting a giant stone elemental that was ten meters tall and weighed tens or even hundreds of tons enter a densely populated village or town? As long as he was not crazy, he would definitely not do such a dangerous thing.
You have to know that elemental creatures have no concept of caution.
There were at least a dozen rabbits, foxes, wolves, and wild boars that the giant stone element accidentally stepped on and killed while running wildly.
Not to mention the trees that were broken in the process.
If this guy enters a densely populated area, he might trample a passerby into a meat patty if he is not careful, or turn a building into ruins with a wave of his hand.
"Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Go through the gate and walk along the main road. You will see a wandering artist inn after three intersections. Not only is the food delicious, but there are also bard performances at night. It is very suitable for people of status and position to stay overnight. Finally, I wish you and this beautiful lady can leave a good memory in Dagger Beach."
After saying that, the militiaman placed one hand on his chest and bowed.
Judging from their skillful movements, these guys have definitely received relevant training.
Perhaps it was to increase the popularity of Dagger Beach, or perhaps it was simply to attract customers to this inn called "The Wandering Artist".
In short, although these militiamen are not very strong and well-equipped, their service attitude is absolutely first-class. It would be a pity if they did not work as waiters and salesmen.
Just when Zuo Si was about to respond with a "thank you", he suddenly saw Davian, who was standing next to the carriage in the previous second, raising his shield and rushing to his side in the next second.
Immediately afterwards, a whooshing sound came from the sky above.
About two or three seconds later, a sparse number of black dots fell from the sky and hit the surface of the dragon scale shield like raindrops.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! A closer look revealed that they were arrows made of rough iron and bone.
Before Zuo Si could react to what was happening, the militiamen immediately shouted in panic: "Damn it! It's the Lizardmen! Quick! Come in! We are closing the city gates!"
Along with shouts, a group of humanoid creatures, about two meters tall, covered with gray scales all over their bodies, and with tails more than one meter long dragging behind their buttocks, finally rushed out from the bushes near the swamp not far away.
They had heads like lizards and snakes, and there were about 150 of them. Some of them were holding bows and arrows, and some were holding spears, scimitars and wooden shields. They swarmed towards the city gate.
The guy in the lead was riding a huge frilled lizard and was running forward at a very fast speed.
"Lizardman?"
Zuo Si was slightly stunned for a moment, and then he gave an order to the summoned creatures around him: "Kill all these annoying guys."
Before he finished speaking!
The giant stone element rushed out with a bang, swung its terrifying fist, and smashed the leader who was rushing in the front and his mount on the spot, turning them into a blood mist that splashed all over the sky.
BANG!!! Such a bloody and violent scene not only stunned the militiamen who were originally planning to withdraw to the wall to seal the gate for defense, but also the lizardmen who followed their leader to charge.
They simply could not believe that their strong and brave tribal leader had died so easily, and in such a tragic way.
"Lord of the Dawn! I... my eyes are not hallucinating, right?" A young militiaman asked his companion with his mouth wide open.
The latter licked his lips nervously and responded, "No! Of course not! Unless we both had hallucinations at the same time! What an incredible power! I bet that the lizardman leader who died just now probably died without even feeling any pain."
"I agree! This earth elemental creature is so powerful!"
"It seems we don't have to close the city gates."
Just as the militiamen were whispering, the Dragonborn Knights Davian and Huntington also joined the battle.
Since the Lizardmen were already frightened by the giant stone element in front of them, the two of them used the magic effect of [Acceleration] to go around the enemy from the left and right, ruthlessly blocking the enemy's retreat.
What followed was an utter massacre.
How could the primitive tribe of lizardmen, who didn't even have any decent equipment, be a match for these two powerful warriors?
Davian's [Clave] was used more frequently when dealing with these not-so-powerful monsters. In the blink of an eye, he killed dozens of lizardmen who were recklessly rushing up to launch a siege.
Huntington was equally good, showing off his [rapid shooting] skills.
With pleasing and smooth movements, he quickly shot out one enchanted arrow after another.
[Strongarm Bow] adds amazing initial kinetic energy to the arrow, which can often penetrate a Lizardman who is not wearing any armor with one arrow, and then pierce into the body of the Lizardman behind it.
Since the battle broke out at the gate of Dagger Beach City, Zuo Si did not let the Shadow Legion participate.
But even so, in less than six or seven minutes, all 150 or so lizardmen were killed.
More than half of them were hammered into meat paste by giant stone elements. They were so bloody that even a complete corpse could not be pieced together.
The pungent smell of blood makes people want to vomit even from dozens of meters away.
As for Zuo Si, who was watching the whole show, he also absorbed a little mana from the dead lizardman.
Although it’s not much, a mosquito leg is still meat no matter how small it is.
When the giant stone element returned to the door, its entire body was stained with dark red blood, with bits and pieces like intestines, minced meat, and internal organs hanging from some of the cracks, almost scaring the militiamen at the door to pee their pants.
Just as the leading young man was about to say something like thanks or compliments, a bearded man with more than thirty militiamen finally ran over from the other side of the street.
When he saw the giant stone elemental covered in blood and the battlefield in the distance that looked like a slaughterhouse, he immediately shuddered and asked impatiently, "What's going on? What happened? Did you send out a warning signal just now?"
"Captain Pyle! You're here just in time! We were just attacked by a tribe of lizardmen, there were about 150 of them. Fortunately, this young gentleman asked their guards to take action, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous." The leading young militiaman hurriedly reported.
"Lizardman tribe? Damn it! These bastards want to rush into Dagger Beach to cause trouble as soon as winter approaches."
After learning that the attacker was a lizardman, the man called Pyle immediately couldn't help but spit on the ground, his tone revealing strong disgust.
Because the biggest threat to Dagger Beach is the Lizardman tribe living in the nearby swamp.
Not only will they try every means to rob passing caravans and travelers, but they will also seize opportunities to attack Dagger Beach from time to time, killing all human farmers they meet along the way.
This is a war between two races for living space, so there is no logic at all.
Human adventurers do much the same thing when they enter a swamp and discover a tribe of lizardmen.
Both sides aim to reduce the other's population size. They kill everyone they meet, regardless of gender, age or status, without mercy and never take even a single prisoner.
"Are the lizardmen's attacks frequent?" Zuo Si asked curiously.
Pyle replied with a wry smile: “It happens quite frequently in the spring and fall.
Because there is not enough food in the spring swamp, the Lizardmen who don't want to starve to death have to come out to rob.
In autumn, we have just completed the harvest, and the barns are full of grain and dried bacon. They can obtain the necessary food to survive the winter by looting.
In contrast, in the summer when food is plentiful in the swamp, there are very few lizardmen.
In winter, the cold causes the Lizardmen to move slowly, making them no match for humans.
At this time of year, we all have to be careful, as any carelessness can result in heavy losses.
Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to introduce myself.
My name is Pyle Howl, and I'm the captain of the Daggerford militia.
Thank you very much for your guard and this elemental summoned creature's help.
To express my gratitude, I will apply to the parliament for some money as a thank you gift later."
"Forget about the thank you gift or anything like that."
Zuo Si smiled and waved his hand.
He had long since stopped caring about such "small money" which amounted to no more than one or two hundred gold coins.
However, this "Duke of Dagger Beach", who has a bad reputation in rumors, gives a generally good first impression.
There was neither disgusting pretense nor an aristocratic air of superiority; instead, he behaved quite competently.
Moreover, when he discovered the enemy invasion, he brought his men over immediately without any delay. No wonder he won the respect and trust of all the militiamen.
"No, no, no, we must give a thank you gift. After all, that's a fairly large tribe of lizardmen. Even if we rely on the wall for defense, we will probably lose more than a dozen militiamen. The people of Dagger Beach will repay a favor. This is the principle and creed that has allowed us to stand for hundreds of years."
Finally, at Pyle's insistence, Zuo Si had no choice but to follow him to the small "village" council.
After a brief discussion and confirmation by several members of parliament, a "huge sum" of three hundred gold coins was finally approved.
Obviously, these people did not recognize Zuo Si's identity as the Chosen One of the Goddess of Poison and Plague, but simply regarded him as a nobleman passing by.
An old man who looked to be in his early fifties also tried to inquire about his background, what businesses his family ran, whether he was interested in investing in Dagger Beach, etc.
(End of this chapter)