Pocket watch that hides the real thing

Jack and his companions sat in front of a campfire, the firelight illuminating their faces. The two occasionally exchanged low voices, but mostly remained silent.

It was not until the silver-haired elf walked out of the tent that the two turned to look at him: "Do you need anything?"

The elf shook his head and sat casually in the middle of them: "I can't sleep, what are you talking about?"

How to tell him that we are actually talking about you... Jack touched his nose awkwardly: "We are talking about the Goddess Mark... and wondering if we can see you again in the future."

Since this elf has been favored by the Moon God, the Pope will snatch him away even if he has to. The main reason of the Paladins is to be curious about why the other party can be enlightened by God as a believer of another god. Facing a pair of curious eyes, the elf just lowered his eyes and slowly recalled: "This may be related to my heritage. I was born to be a priest of God. My teacher taught me that everything comes from the gift of God, and we carry out his will..."

His voice was cool, calm, and gentle, with a soothing magic that made the listeners intoxicated. A holy and gentle light shone on him, and the two holy knights listened to his narration with full concentration, even ignoring the slightest movement in the tent.

This should have been impossible. But under the influence of [Heaven], Pica successfully escaped using the burrowing magic.

As soon as he left the camp, he ran to the nearest woods without looking back. In the darkness, a pair of copper bell-like eyes lit up, and the goblins were so scared that they dared not approach him for a while.

Until a sturdy and handsome giant tiger walked out. On its back sat a female knight in armor, like a warrior from ancient times, exuding an extremely strong sense of oppression. The sharp blue eyes looked at the pickup truck, and the cold predator suddenly returned to normal, grinning and saying, "You're here, are you ready?"

Pika nodded repeatedly: "I have already sprinkled the powder on the prisoner van. According to Lord Canaan's plan, the monsters will attack the prisoner van first."

"Good. The monsters I chose won't pose a threat to the Paladin's life, but they can still cause a lot of trouble. Aishana has dealt with that person and will be back soon."

The female knight jumped off the tiger, and the tiger growled in fear, not daring to underestimate the human being in front of it who was supposed to be its prey.

They once ruled the roost here and became the nightmare of countless mercenaries. But in the hands of this female, they were defeated one by one.

Shana showed no mercy to the monsters. She pointed at the direction the goblins were coming from and said coldly, "Go that way."

The tiger king growled, and the entire tiger group followed its footsteps and rushed out. Even if they didn't know what was ahead, it was better than staying here!

As the distance got closer, a subtle scent that only monsters could smell spread. With the addition of the elves, it became more concealed and more effective. The tigers' eyes turned blood red, and their speed became faster and faster. Black flames ignited on their four paws, and the wailing of the dead could be heard faintly. Fuzzy ghosts followed the tigers closely, charging into the formation for them. They rushed straight to the Templars' camp!

A sharp and rapid alarm sounded throughout the night sky: "Incoming attack!!"

The Templars who were resting immediately rushed out of their tents and prepared for defense at a very fast speed. But the monsters ignored them and rushed to the unguarded prisoner car first. The unarmed people in the car screamed in fear. The followers of the God of All-Knowing suddenly stood up, and just as they were about to take action, they remembered that their power had been dissipated.

In this age when the All-Knowing Lord has not yet been born, they have no recourse to the power of faith.

Fortunately, the Knights Templar reacted quickly and immediately formed a formation to withstand the attack of the monsters. These monsters rushed towards the prisoner cart like crazy, which actually caused great pressure on the Knights.

If these monsters were targeting them, any of the Templars could have led them away and left smoothly after paying a certain price. But because they had to protect the prisoner car, they could only fight on the spot.

No one paid special attention to the magic fluctuations in the struggle. The goblin who had just returned from the underground peeked out of the tent and was picked up by Mason. The elf dodged a tiger neatly and stood with the bearded man. His face was frighteningly pale, and the wounds that had not healed before seemed to be worse because of this attack.

"Something is wrong. These monsters have been provoked. The nobles must have some other plans."

Just as the elf finished speaking in a solemn voice, a voice from far away came: "Hand over your things and I won't kill you! Hand over your things and I won't kill you!"

"Surrender! Surrender! Surrender!"

These sounds came from all directions, and the waves of sound gathered together, like an unstoppable torrent that hit everyone's ears. The violent monsters became more ferocious because of the stimulation of the sound. The Knights Templar looked after their own affairs and did not realize when they were surrounded.

The bearded man made a decision immediately. He took out a box and a key from his pocket and threw them to his subordinates: "They are well prepared. Jack, Ender, you take the prisoner van and the elves and go first. We will hold them off and follow."

The paladins did not hesitate and followed the captain's instructions to split into teams. The silver-haired elf carried the goblin and followed the two-man team without delay. The bearded man glanced at them and secretly praised them for their quick actions.

The sound of approaching became louder and louder. He shouted loudly, and his body radiated a moonlight as bright as sunlight! He raised the long sword in his hand and cut a bloody path with his own strength. Mason and his men each seized a horse. Ander jumped on the horse pulling the prison cart, swung the long whip, and rushed out.

The sounds of fighting became farther and farther away. Amid the rapid hooves, only the heavy breathing of the horses and the sad cries in the prisoner's car could be heard. Mason deliberately slowed down and followed the prisoner's car. He saw that the road ahead was forked. He gave the goblin a look. Pica closed his eyes and shouted, "Ah!"

The paladin who heard the voice looked over subconsciously. The silver-haired elf looked behind them with his pupils shrinking: "Be careful!"

A burly figure rushed out of the shadows as fast as lightning, and directly knocked out a Templar with a long sword. Jack subconsciously triggered a defensive magic, but it was directly shattered by an ordinary sword technique. The opponent sneered in a mocking voice. The long sword turned and made the opponent fall into a coma in response. The elf looked grim and attacked without hesitation. For a moment, the two figures flashed and could not be distinguished from each other.

The goblin rolled down from his horse, carefully found the key and box from the rider, and ran to open the door of the prison car. The people in the prison car were overjoyed and were about to escape, but suddenly they felt a pain in the back of their necks or blurred vision, and all of them, except for the three believers, fell to the ground.

The two who were fighting each other fell back down. The silver-haired young man didn't even have a weapon in his hand, so it didn't look like they were fighting to the death. The enemy did attack, piercing through the railings and knocking out most of the prisoners who were about to escape.

The rest of the people were hit by the tiny needles and fell unconscious. The elf with emerald eyes jumped down from the bushes, his posture was slow and elegant: "I have asked the hired people in the town to leave. The monsters are also very strong. Prepare to retreat."

The three believers stared at this unexpected scene in astonishment. The silver-haired young man calmly began to make the follow-up arrangements: "Take away the three of them, and take away a few people who can confuse the sight. Clean up the traces here and make it look like they were kidnapped."

Then, he looked at the followers of the All-Knowing Lord and said in an unyielding tone: "My name is Canaan. Come with me, my followers."

The three of them looked at his ambiguous face and long silver hair, and after a moment they finally recognized his identity. They showed disbelief on their faces, and then they knelt down on the ground enthusiastically: "As you command, Lord Saint!"

Piety almost overflowed from their voices and expressions. Without any hesitation or questioning, they immediately began to clean up the scene according to the young man's request, and their methods were extremely efficient and quick, without even requiring anyone else to do anything.

"What should we do with the remaining people? Deal with them?"

Shana took off her helmet. To conceal her identity, she deliberately wore a large armor, raised her boots, and changed her voice. Looking at the unconscious person in the prison car, the girl showed no mercy: "We only need a few of them as cover."

The silver-haired young man stared at them for a while: "Are they really pagans?"

"Who knows? If the Paladins think he is, then he is. When it comes to striking at heretics, they would rather kill the wrong person than let him go."

"Then let them go."

"Huh?"

The knight's eyes widened in disbelief: "I thought you were a cold and decisive person who knew how to finish things. Did you make the same mistake as a clergyman?"

"They don't know what we look like or what we plan to do, so they won't pose a threat. It won't be a problem if we let them go. If the Paladins look for them later, they can also help us to distract them."

"Human life is a very precious treasure. I am not opposed to killing people, but if I can, I will not take the initiative to kill people."

"Well... how should I put it? You have the innocence of living in a castle and the ruthlessness of never looking back for your goals, but I don't hate it. Okay, I'll do as you say."

Shana shrugged, and after confirming that the scene had been dealt with, they took away all the prisoners, and the astrologer used his elf talent to wipe out all traces with the breath of plants.

It would be too conspicuous for so many people to go back to the town together. Led by Pika, they found a hidden cave to rest. Aishana gave everyone another drink to ensure that they could sleep until dawn.

Sitting around the warm campfire, Mason began to review in a low voice: "There are no traces left from the mission, right?"

Aishana shook her head. "I disguised myself as a maid of a noble family and went to the tavern to recruit the local ruffians and mercenaries. They couldn't find us."

"I don't have to worry." The female knight said carelessly. "I don't use my family's fighting spirit, I guarantee no one will notice the problem."

Pica tried to shrink himself into a small ball, as if to prove that he didn't exist. Mason recalled everything carefully, and finally felt relieved. He smiled and said, "This rescue mission was a success. Thank you for your help. I will fulfill my promise."

"It doesn't matter whether you promise or not, the question is what are you going to do next?" The knight waved his hand. "Now you have offended the nobles and deceived the Moon God. No matter who knows about it, you will be in big trouble. Regardless of which god is standing behind you, would you consider joining us? The treatment is very good."

This time, even Aishana did not deny her words. The green eyes under the hood looked at the young man quietly, waiting for an answer.

In this world, every bet has its price. Under the flickering firelight, the young man shook his head slightly: "I came here for only one purpose, and that is to save people."

Shana shrugged and smiled, "Okay. If you change your mind, you must come to us. We have been delayed here for a long time, and we need to embark on our own journey again. Before you leave, I can help you solve these hot things. I will cry if I become your enemy after helping you so much."

Mason promised: "You are a very good person. I will be very good to your descendants in the future."

The female knight was furious: "Bullshit! I'm single!"

Aishana added quietly: "No one dares to marry a violent person like you."

"Ahhh Aishana! Are you on my side or his side!"

"Astrologers are on the side of facts."

"......"

After dawn, the two members of the Royal Guard disappeared without a trace, taking the unconscious prisoners with them.

The three believers had consumed too much energy these days and were still in a coma. Mason told Pica to take care of them and then walked out of the cave.

There were no signs of other creatures approaching the cave. He took out the leaf of the World Tree to examine it, but found new writing following the story he had written.

"...In this way, Canaan met two royal guards and made an agreement with them when he left: when he met their descendants, he would take care of them..."

Mason used Chinese when writing. Unbeknownst to him, the story recorded in the leaves of the World Tree was continuing. Inspiration flashed through Mason's mind like an electric spark. He suddenly realized how to leave this world.

The young man bit his finger, and blood smeared on the pages of the book. Enduring the dizziness of energy being absorbed, Mason slowly wrote a sentence. After completing this task, he put the book back into the box, turned back into the cave, and waited until the believers woke up.

The three of them woke up, and the sun shone in from outside, falling on the ends of the young man's silver-white hair, spreading a warm and moist light.

In a sacred atmosphere, the three of them sat up straight unconsciously and listened respectfully to what the Son of God continued to say.

"The matter here has been resolved. We don't need your help anymore. You can go back."

The believers were stunned for a moment. One of them was about to speak, but swallowed it back, realizing that even if he wanted to help, it would be useless in this world. He turned and asked respectfully, "Sir, how can we get back?"

"Go north from here to the forest, and you will see a rabbit. It will lead you to a huge old tree. You can get into the tree hole in the belly of the old tree and walk along that path, and you will be able to return safely to where you came from. If you don't find it, you can come back here to find me."

"And you?"

"I still have things I need to do."

It is not difficult to find an ancient tree in a forest full of lush green trees, but if you can go back just by doing so - who would believe it if you told others?

The three were confused and uneasy, but they still bowed to the ground, stood up and walked out of the cave.

Following the silver-haired youth's instructions, they walked northward along the forest without anyone blocking them. Not long after, a rabbit actually appeared in front of them.

It was wearing a gentleman's coat and holding a mechanical pocket watch. Its long ears swayed and it would look down at the watch from time to time: "It's going to be late! It's going to be late!"

The three of them simply couldn't believe their eyes. They looked at each other and followed the rabbit's footsteps. The rabbit's figure was looming in the grass, and its speed was faster than that of an ordinary person. Under its guidance, the three of them really found an ancient tree with a crown extending in all directions.

The rabbit jumped into the tree hole in the belly of the ancient tree without hesitation, as if jumping into a bottomless abyss, and was swallowed without a sound. The trio hesitated and also went in. The moment they entered the tree hole, the scene in front of them suddenly changed and turned into a long and narrow tunnel. The rabbit was still jumping in front of them, leading them forward. Until the road was cut by a huge crack.

It looked like it had been cut by a sharp weapon, leaving a horrible and hideous wound, with a dark mist lingering and bottomless. From it came a breath that was very familiar to the believers, and a surge of pollution that seemed to be overflowing.

The rabbit stared at the crack in a daze, tears suddenly rolling down his cheeks: "There's no going back... There's no going back... Our path has been cut off! Our path has been cut off!"

Its voice was filled with despair, pain, and sorrow. With a sob, the rabbit leaped into the crack. The moment it jumped in, its fragile body was torn apart and swallowed by the black mist, but the pocket watch in its hand opened automatically.

The pointer and hour hand began to rotate endlessly. The spreading black mist slowly stopped and retracted with each rotation. At the moment when it was about to explode, a bright light was revealed at the bottom of the crack.

One of the believers said without hesitation: "Jump!"

The three of them leaped down towards the light. The process of falling from the air was stretched out extremely long yet seemed instantaneous. The human body was cut by invisible sharp weapons, and the wounds were densely packed with tentacles and twisting tiny bones. It was like being turned over in the middle of a rag bag, and strong nausea and crazy hallucinations kept emerging. When their spirits were about to collapse, the bodies of the three finally touched the faint, extinguished light.

The hands of the pocket watch moved one last notch, and then broke into countless pieces. After this last notch, the wounds on the three people's bodies healed as if time had gone back, and their spirits were restored to their original state. In their trance, they saw the scenery above their heads.

It was a vast sea of ​​​​smoky galaxies, one of which flickered slightly, echoing with the illusory sound of dripping water. The pages of the book turned rustling, and in the closed wooden box, new words appeared on the leaves of the World Tree, connecting with the content that the silver-haired young man had written in blood before.

"...Under Canaan's guidance, the lost followers successfully returned to where they came from. Fortunately, they avoided the eyes and ears of the [Black Mist] and were able to return to the future in a pure manner. But the pointer that could deceive the truth has been broken. For the Son of God who stayed here, he only had two choices."

"Stay in this history, or finish his story."