Christine's Pegasus

Looking in the direction the girl said, I saw a small house with animal skins hanging on the door. It was larger than the other houses.

"Really? Everyone will be happy if you can join the chat."

The girl smiled sweetly, happily took the profiteer around, and finally pointed to the back of the village.

“That’s the town’s cemetery. Mom always told me to respect the dead and not disturb their rest.”

As Daisy told his story, the profiteer slowly got to know the town.

It is very ordinary, just like all the towns. Most of the residents here are retired militiamen and their families, who survive on their own. After the death of the last hunter in the village, most of the food comes from breeding and gathering, and a few families grow crops. It's not much, but it's enough to support survival.

They know nothing about the outside world, and are at a loss when asked about their family. If you ask them about the outside world, they are like game NPCs who have been asked about their blind spots. If you ask them too much, they will get stuck and dazed.

But apart from the profiteers, no one is aware of their own abnormality. The townspeople care about each other, unite and help each other. From their faces, you can see that they love and are satisfied with their current lives.

The oldest man in the town vaguely remembered something and kept on talking: "Our town is the outermost layer of the Black Mist Line. I was a good archer when I was young. I don't know when, but there are fewer and fewer monsters coming. Without monsters, there is no need to transport supplies within the line."

"Plus, this place is far from the defense line, and gradually, no one comes here anymore. You are the first outsider to come here in recent years. Before you, the last person Daisy's grandfather saved was your uncle."

The old man sat on the wooden rocking chair, touched the girl's head lovingly, and said with a smile: "It seems that both of you have a connection with Daisy's family."

According to the other party, this town has been disconnected from the defense line for at least twenty years.

The old man left the room at some point. The profiteer sat up and saw that the other party had hung a new lantern on the wall.

He took down the lantern and lit it with a match on the table. The flames illuminated the surroundings steadily. He pushed open the door, and the twisted monsters slowly retreated and huddled together outside the flames. The whole village seemed to be covered with a layer of strange oil paint, and its outline was vaguely visible in the mist.

[Strength Bonus], [Agility Bonus], [Critical Attack], [Dark Vision], [Bandage Weaponization].

The sound of coins jingling against each other was clear and pleasant, and bright lights kept flashing from all parts of the profiteer's body. With a bandage wrapped around the lantern, the black-robed merchant walked towards the edge of the village, his steps as cheerful as a dance.

Fat Aunt Penny was waiting for him at the door of her house, her overflowing black flesh cracking her skin, her arms long enough to touch the ground. Anyone who passed through the door would be pulled into the house and processed into new meat sausage.

The profiteer greeted her with a smile, and the white bandage was the sharpest butcher knife, easily cutting off the opponent's arm. He continued to move forward, stepping on the sticky and rotten meat, humming a happy song.

"There was a farmer who had a puppy~"

"The puppy's name is Bingo~"

Uncle Dale's red eyes were split open, and the iron hammer that had smashed countless prey into pieces was twisted into a dough stick. His body was broken into countless pieces just like the prey he had dealt with, and was thrown away at random on the foggy street corner.

"B, I, N, G, O~"

Brother Joseph and Grandpa Joseph were close grandchildren. The body stood there, and the two heads had fallen to the ground. The thirty-six eyes embedded in the four faces looked up desperately, but turned into mud under the murderer's feet. The black robe raised a beautiful arc in the firelight, and every letter was like the devil laughing.

"B, I, N, G, O~"

The old lady with a bad memory sat on a rocking chair and called out to the outsiders in a loving and anxious voice to hide in the house. It was so dangerous outside, and only kind-hearted old people were willing to protect them.

In the house, countless fangs growing out of the walls dripped saliva, and a ferocious face grew out of the back of her head. Before her sharp mouth grew out, she heard songs and laughter approaching. The door was kicked open with a bang, and countless white bandages squeezed into the house like clouds, tearing the floor, walls, and the old man on the rocking chair alive, splashing large amounts of black slime.

"B, I, N, G, O~"

The small nail town turned into a crazy meat-cutting field, and no one could stop the visitor. Slime, broken limbs, sharp teeth, weapons. The pale mask and bright red paint were the only bright colors in the darkness, and the most terrifying monsters would be defeated.

The last line of the song stopped in front of a small house at the edge of the village. All the bandages were retracted back to the profiteer, and only the small lantern emitted a dim light.

The black-robed merchant knocked politely. A cheerful voice echoed in the darkness, and behind him was a slimy monster that was shredded and then wriggling in the mist to recover.

"I hope I'm not late, dear Daisy, please open the door. I'm here to join you all in your chat."

The door in front of him remained motionless, the smile on the mask grew bigger, and the knocks on the door became more and more rapid, pressing the eardrums of the listeners. The profiteer greeted in a low voice.

"Don't you want me to participate? Or do people not want me to participate? Oh, don't be like that, I am sincerely looking forward to it."

"Look, I brought Aunt Petunia's arms, Uncle Dale's eyes, Joseph's heads and Grandma's mouth. There are so many good things, isn't there a customer who is interested?"

"At least someone needs to reimburse the travel expenses here. A kind-hearted little girl like you will not be stingy in helping everyone, right?"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The white bandage shredded the door that couldn't be opened. Limbs disguised as sawdust flew everywhere, black mist was sticky and dripping, and monsters were crawling all over the floor, blending into the room.

The monster lying on the ground slowly got up. The door was its mouth and the window was its eyes. The surface made of black slime kept flowing, and various human faces and limbs could be seen from time to time.

Daisy's voice came from the monster's body, and her sweet laughter echoed in the dark night.

"You're here? Come in!"

It leaped forward and swallowed its guest in one gulp.

The lantern was completely extinguished, and the man who had followed along could no longer hide, so he rushed out from his hiding place. He threw the lantern in his hand at the monster, and at some point he drew out a knight's heavy sword.

The battle-scarred blade was coated with black kerosene, and it cut through the monster's limbs more easily than tofu. Wherever the old man looked, flames ignited, and the flowing kerosene flowed over the monster's body, causing many overlapping cries.

“It hurts, it hurts, ahhhh…it hurts!”

The monster moaned, twisted its body, and let out a miserable cry. Suddenly, its abdomen exploded from the inside, and a faint light appeared between the squirming and healing mucus.

"That's terrible. Who will pay for this expense?"

There was a light voice with a hint of an elusive smile, and the black-robed merchant jumped out neatly, wrapping the lantern with a bandage.

Floating in the core of the lamp was a soft white light. The power from Canaan spread, and the illuminated monsters shrank in pain. The old man stared at him: "Did you deliberately lure me out?"

The profiteer smiled and said, "I just took some small measures."

"Oh, you're such a smooth talker."

The old man snorted coldly. Since the opponent was fine, he no longer hesitated and rushed towards the monster with the knight's sword in hand.

The muscles under the coarse clothes were as tight as iron, and the seemingly old body burst out with incredible strength, easily cutting cracks, and the flames attached to the sword burned the monster, exuding a strong fishy smell.

“It hurts—ah—”

"Mom, Mom, it hurts so much."

As Daisy sobbed, the monster changed again. Its size continued to grow, and a woman's face outlined by mucus appeared on the front. It rushed towards the two people with a sharp roar, and its speed was more than twice as fast. The fishy wind it brought extinguished the flames, and everything in its path was swallowed up.

The old man's pressure immediately increased. He sighed and put away his sword without hesitation: "Run!"

The ghost of the profiteer followed him like a weightless monster. The monster chased the two of them all the way, causing a riot in the entire town.

The building was constantly changing its shape as if it was melting, and countless cloudy eyes opened on its surface to help it observe the two people's escape route. The liquid on the ground grew tentacles, occasionally blocking their escape.

Until he entered the hut and the old man lit the oil lamp, the profiteer quickly closed the door, and the slime monster slammed against the door, causing the whole hut to seem to shake slightly.

The sound of sticky and dirty liquid surging continuously came in through the crack of the door, making people think of the scene of a large monster "sticking" to the surface of the hut.

"Master Knight, why did you lock me out?"

"Uncle, I'm here to repair your furniture."

“…”

Various voices rang out from outside the door, begging the person inside to let them in. The old man took out a can of kerosene from under the bed and silently poured it on the thick sword blade.

Slowly, things outside the door finally quieted down.

The old man walked to the window. In the moment when the candlelight flickered, he grasped the weapon and suddenly slashed at the window slit!

Even before it hit the window, a sharp cry rang out from outside. The slime that tried to squeeze in while the candlelight was dim was shattered by the wind of the sword, and became silent because of the threat of kerosene.

The old man spat, put away his sword and sat back at the table, looking at the profiteer with a cold and hard look.

"Sit down, now we have a talk."

The black-robed merchant placed the lantern on the table and sat down obediently opposite him: "What's going on here?"

The old man stared at the white light in the lantern for a while, and said hoarsely: "This is a cursed nail town."

"More than forty years ago, I was young and energetic and came to the Black Mist Border for training. I met a group of Black Mist followers who were escorting something. I wanted to pass on the information but was discovered. Under their pursuit, I fainted from exhaustion near this nail town. When I woke up, I was in Daisy's house, and her grandfather saved me."

"They were a group of hospitable and enthusiastic people from Nail Town who had long lost contact with the border. They were very friendly to me. Under their care, I gradually recovered and said goodbye. They sent me to the town entrance, but once I left the town, I would fall into endless darkness and could only return with the guidance of a lantern. After countless attempts, I had to come back here, and the villagers built a house for me to live in temporarily."

"As I kept trying to find a way to leave, I gradually discovered that this nail town was very strange. The townspeople were human when they went out during the day, but they turned into monsters at night. Even if I killed them countless times, I would still see them greeting me the next day."

"At first I was confused, terrified, repulsive and even crazy. As time went by, I found that these townspeople were between life and death. They were living people during the day, and monsters belonging to the black fog at night, turning the town and the surrounding area into a dead place. I don't know why they have become like this, but if I leave like this, they will sooner or later be swallowed by the night themselves. So I chose to stay."

"During the day, I got to know them, lived with them, communicated with them, and even got to know my wife, got married, lived with her, and held a funeral. At night, I went out to kill the monsters that the townspeople had transformed into, helping them maintain their sanity. Occasionally, I would leave the village to investigate the surroundings to prevent monsters, Black Mist followers, and people like me from coming here. Fortunately, after that, this Nail Town seemed to have been forgotten and no one cared about it. I thought that my life would continue like this until I died of old age. Until I heard a voice in the Black Mist and found your arrival."

He was still a young man when he came to this town, but now he is already very old. His skin is full of wrinkles and his body is old and tired. Time has taken away not only his youth, but also a heart that does not know how to retreat.

Looking sharply at the black-robed man in front of him, the old man asked, "Now it's your turn to answer my question. How did you get in? What's the situation outside now? Has the black fog receded?"

The profiteer spread his hands and said, "Unfortunately, the Black Mist keeps advancing, and only humans are forced to retreat. I came here to follow the trail of the Black Mist's followers, but I didn't expect to encounter something like this."

Not hearing the answer he wanted, the old man looked somewhat gloomy.

"Is that so? I've been here for decades and have never seen any followers of the Black Mist. I'm afraid even they can't find this place. You made a wrong decision, and it will be difficult for you to leave here."

"No, no, no, I don't want to leave."

The black-robed merchant shook his head in denial, and smiled in the other's surprised eyes: "I have found what I want."

In the profiteer's view, the arrow on the ground, which only he could see, was glowing.

After guiding him to this place, the originally bright arrow began to split, with countless small arrows pointing in all directions, the most important one of which was pointing at the old man sitting in front of him.

What he was looking for was this town, including this kind host.

"Please forgive me for taking so long to introduce myself."

The white mask shone an evil light under the light, and the eyes painted in red were narrow and elongated. The profiteer stood up and saluted, his movements carrying a kind of performative exaggeration and elegance.

"Before you stands a legendary trader, a gambler of fate, a profiteer who sells miracles and disasters."

"I have made a bet with the devil and have the power to trade. As long as you pay enough, I will give you all the goods! Power, wealth, strength, or a wish--"

He lowered the ending tone ambiguously, like a feather, making people's hearts itchy.

"For example, freeing everyone here from the curse."

"......"

The old man fell into a long silence, with a look of struggle on his face. He knew that his power was limited. Even though he could still help the townspeople deal with monsters now, after his death, only destruction would greet this place.

Should I choose to remain silent or take a gamble? Believe that the other party may fall into another trap, and believe that he may not be able to save the entire village.

Familiar faces flashed through his mind. The old man looked at the black-robed businessman and sighed after a long while: "Wait until dawn."

When the morning light appeared through the crack of the door, the old man picked up the oil lamp, pushed open the table, opened the secret compartment underneath, revealing a homemade ladder.

With the help of an oil lamp, he led the way down.

The light of the lantern pierced the darkness. The house was divided into two halves by humans, with two layers of plywood at the bottom and a thick layer of soil in the middle, hiding a spacious basement.

There was a wine barrel in the corner of the basement. The wooden veneer walls were painted with irises and Pegasus emblems, and there were racks for weapons and armor. The old man placed the sword next to the bow and turned to look at the huge object that occupied two-thirds of the space.

The poets were unable to describe its elegance and beauty, its eyes were gentle and docile, it had a single horn on its forehead, its large white wings drooped to the ground, and there were large patches of black and rotten. Its body was covered with wounds and was weak.

It was a pure white Pegasus. When it saw the old man, it neighed softly. The old man reached out and patted its front paws, and said in a rare gentle tone: "Old man, thank you for your hard work."

He picked up the wine barrel in the corner and carefully cut the opponent's skin with a knife. The bright red blood flowed into the wine barrel. Tianma lay motionless on the spot, trying his best to control himself not to hurt the opponent.

Once processed, the blood turns into black lamp oil, which carries the powerful aura of Pegasus himself and can ward off and harm monsters of the night.

The merchant's voice came from behind him: "Some people say that knights are a product of the last era. Glorious Knight Christin can be said to be the first knight mentor. He taught many virtuous knights, and the tradition has continued to this day. Even though it has declined due to the arrival of the Black Mist Age, there are still three knight families that have not cut off their inheritance."

"The Dabernacle family inherited Harrison's longsword, which was once Christine's sword and was indestructible. The remaining two families inherited his shield and mount respectively."

As he continued to tell the story, the old man's back straightened up a little bit. His rough fingers brushed the Pegasus's horn, awakening long-forgotten memories.

"The mount of the Glorious Knight Christine is extraordinary. Only those with the most noble character can be recognized by Pegasus. They are loyal, strong, docile, and kind, and are the best companions for knights. If the contractor dies, the Pegasus will also die. For every knight who is fortunate enough to be recognized by a Pegasus, it is not a mount, but a family member and partner, a comrade who will not abandon him even if he loses his life."

"After I chose to stay, my old friend also stayed. I feel so sorry for him. He led me out of the foggy wilderness and saved my life, but I can't repay him for his kindness."

Pegasus gently licked the tears from his face. It took the old man a while to calm down, and he looked at the merchant.

"Few people would mention these old things anymore. Since you can recognize it, you are qualified to know my name. My name is Hawthorne Rodney, a worthless knight from the Rodney family."