Listening to the footsteps fading into the distance, Todd pressed his hand to his wildly beating heart and, panting heavily, asked the others, "What exactly was that giant?!"
""honeycomb"."
To his surprise, the knight actually answered the question.
Leslie pressed his face against the door, peering through the small hole, and added, "One of the most troublesome mutants, the kind nobody wants to run into. But... something's strange... this one seems different from the 'Hive' we've encountered before..."
"Wait, wait!" Todd gestured for him to stop. "First, tell me, what is the 'Hive' variant?"
Leslie glanced at Alfonso, who nodded, and then began his explanation: "'The Hive' is a special kind of alien species. It has no combat ability of its own, but it can control other creatures. The creatures that are controlled are called 'puppets.' Puppets can be insects, fish, wild beasts, or even humans. 'Hives' that can control humans are already quite rare, but alien species that can control so many humans are even rarer."
Todd caught a crucial point: "Is there a limit to the number of creatures that the 'Hive' alien can control?"
“That’s natural. If the number of individuals controlled were unlimited, wouldn’t they be invincible? We’ve encountered beings that can control one or two humans, and even four or five, but those ‘Hives’ that can control more than fifty people are extremely rare.” Leslie, having confirmed that there were no more threats outside the door, completely relaxed. “The ‘Hive’ variant can secrete black worms from its body and embed them within the ‘Puppet’s’ body. When needed, they can be controlled at any time; when not needed, the control relationship can be severed at any time.”
Todd recalled the "black liquid" he had just seen and thought that it might be "foodborne parasites" that entered the host's body through food and water.
"Boss, what do we do now?"
The knight stood up, raised his greatsword, and said, "Let's continue. Our destination remains Watchtower."
Todd watched the two leave, feeling somewhat relieved. Throughout the entire ordeal, Alfonso and Leslie hadn't mentioned Karin's abilities, as if they hadn't seen them at all. Although he didn't know what they were thinking, he naturally wouldn't bring it up either since they hadn't mentioned it.
After traveling for about ten more minutes, the silhouette of Watchtower came into view in the night. More than fifty 'puppets' were gathered in front of the south-facing gate, which was powered by gears and levers and had iron bars. The 'Hive' was nowhere to be seen.
Todd concealed himself in the grass, looking at the groaning, twisted monsters lurking near the castle gate, and asked the knight, "Alright, how should we go in now?"
Alfonso slung his weapon over his shoulder, looked around the castle, pointed to a recess in the outer wall in the night, and said to the others, "Follow me."
Having bypassed the enemies at the entrance, the four men arrived at a secluded spot at the base of a wall. The knight picked up a small pebble, aimed at a slanted window in the city wall, and threw it forcefully. The pebble struck the stone ridge of the window, bounced a few times, and made a crisp sound.
A few seconds later, a bearded head popped out.
Alfonso tapped the city wall rhythmically with the hilt of his sword, one long tap followed by four short taps. His movements immediately reminded Todd of the secret codes used in war movies.
A minute or two later, the sound of a crank turning echoed through the night sky, and a wooden "elevator" slowly descended to the ground. First came the lighter Leslie and Karin, then Todd, and finally Alfonso. The team thus reached the outer city wall using this primitive means of transport.
As Alfonso descended the elevator and stood on the city wall, four soldiers released their levers and, to Todd's astonishment, bowed in salute.
A man with a full beard, wearing a breastplate engraved with a silver crown, strode over, punched Alfonso in the chest, and laughed heartily, "It's amazing you still remember the old code!"
Todd was even more puzzled by this scene. He recognized the silver crown emblem; it was the symbol of the Silver Ring Kingdom. Judging from his attire, the bearded man should be a knight from the secular kingdom, but his familiarity with Alfonso de Cavo, a priestly knight, was simply incomprehensible.
Upon seeing who it was, Alfonso, unusually relaxed, tapped the other's armor with his knuckles, and a hint of warmth appeared in his eyes behind the iron mask: "Wild, you look much older than before."
“Because I care more about life than you do. I have a wife and four children, and I worry about making a living every day. Unlike you, you gave up your fiefdom and donated all your property to the church to become a Papal Knight, a true warrior under the Father’s command!” Wilder scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed: “Although I have confidence in my faith, I don’t think I can do what you did.”
Alfonso didn't seem to want to dwell on the topic and went straight to the point: "You know about what's happening in the city?"
Wilder nodded: "I've heard my subordinates' report in detail, and things have become a bit complicated."
Looking towards the castle tower, Alfonso asked疑惑地问道, "You know that's not what I want to hear, so why not send troops to maintain order? Where is Sir Adams?"
The bearded man scratched his chin with his hand, looking troubled: "There are some things I might not be able to explain clearly in a short time. You'd better come with me and take a look."
Led by their friends and soldiers, the four of them arrived at the training ground in the center of the castle.
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