Chapter 439: Hope in the Ruins
"Is this... the rat man's tail?"
It was late at night. In the south of Wheatfield Village, near the entrance of an abandoned village in the Wanren Mountains, an undead rat with a dagger on its waist squatted on the ground and muttered something.
The skeleton wizard holding a staff walked behind the undead rat, looked around, and the soul fire burning in his skull swayed with a hint of caution.
He communicated in a low, creaky voice.
"Maybe."
The two undead were not wandering ghosts in the Twilight Forest, but were players under the command of the Demon King.
Two weeks ago, they received a mission in the square of the Great Cemetery and came to the devastated Twilight Province through the Demon King's teleportation array to support the salvation plan of "Saint Kallen" and the Savior Army that followed her.
Although they suspected that the dog planner had drunk too much while writing the script and brought the Demon King and the Saint together when they accepted the mission, for hardcore players, the plot has never been the focus, the focus is on the mission rewards and achievements.
As T0 players in the cemetery, their first mission was to clear obstacles for the Salvation Army's spring plowing plan and investigate the abandoned villages near Wheatfield Village.
To be honest, this mission is boring. It sounds like it is done for the devil's minions and does not match their noble status as "demon generals".
In particular, the several villages they passed through were deserted, and the collapsed houses inside were cleaner than their faces, having been scraped away without leaving any residue.
On the contrary, there are several powerful monsters in the forest near the village, which makes their mission process not too boring.
Yiyezhiqiu guessed that the planning team was probably testing the map bugs and had not yet set up corresponding plots in these villages.
So they didn't think much about it, and based on the principle of quick victory, they quickly checked in on the villages marked on the task log.
However, just when their mission was about to be completed, they discovered something unusual in the last village in the mission log.
There are traces of ratmen here! ?
As the natural enemies of dwarves and goblins, the ratmen's inherent rebelliousness means they will never submit to anyone and will only be loyal to their own gods.
However, it is interesting to note that the three gods worshipped by the Rat People are highly similar to three of the Four Gods of Chaos.
For example, Svelt, the "Tricky Rat", and Novel, the "Trickster Mist", and Gerlo, the "Gluttonous Rat", and Urgos, the "Eternally Hungry Claw".
As for the "Rat of Plenty" Rifenda, although his advocacy of reproduction and indulgence appears to be inconsistent with the teachings of the Four Chaos Gods, clans that believe in Rifenda often fall into endless civil wars and fratricide due to the excessive number of "rat mouths".
They kill and reproduce at the same time, and this process is often accompanied by continuous destruction and plunder - this behavior pleases Kalmandes, the "Flame of Destruction".
It is precisely for this reason that many rat people themselves are unclear about what their beliefs are.
After all, betrayal is the norm for them. Holding the horrific ritual of "Flame of Destruction" under the banner of "Rats of Plenty" is nothing but commonplace for them.
As long as it brings strength, that's fine!
[One Leaf Tells the Autumn] He cast his eyes towards the village not far away. Instead of blocking his sight, the curtain of night made his vision extremely clear.
Since breaking through the silver level, his skeleton body has undergone obvious changes. Not only has his spellcasting become smoother, but his intuition about the breath of living things has also become much sharper.
In a village not far away, gleaming red dots were seen feasting on cold corpses. The bustling scene didn't look like a famine, but more like a party.
Those guys obviously can't be human.
It was not uncommon for starving people to eat humans in order to survive, but even those who were starving would not risk eating a rotten corpse.
But the rat people don't have this problem. There is no organic matter in this world that they cannot digest.
"I was wondering why all the corpses we saw along the way were eaten clean. I was also thinking that the appetites of the humans in the Dusk Province were a bit too good..." [Tauren Warrior] carried the dagger on his shoulder and stood behind [Yi Ye Zhi Qiu] and whispered.
[Pig-Headed Knight] didn't say anything, but just excitedly held the axe in his hand and licked his lips eagerly.
His axe is thirsty!
Not long ago, these two funny guys also broke through the silver level and changed their race to Ankylosaur Lizardmen.
Although its night combat capability is not as good as that of the undead, its close combat capability is quite impressive.
Especially with the help of the corpse awakening technique mastered by Brother Yiye, after they die in battle, they can rise again as undead with 80% of their attributes and enhanced physique!
It can be said to be very useful!
[Hu Wan] stood up from the ground and cast a questioning look at brother [Yi Ye Zhi Qiu].
"How do you say that?"
Looking at the soul fire that was also eager to try, [Yi Ye Zhi Qiu] had already guessed his companion's decision.
He took out the staff in his hand, injected dark green netherworld power into the gem on the tip of the staff, and smiled faintly.
"...Since the Demon King has given us the task of ensuring the progress of the spring plowing plan, we must not let him down."
Let’s use the tails of these mice to conclude their mission!
A burning arrow pierced the silent night sky and landed accurately in the center of the village.
The exploding sparks startled the surrounding ratmen. They subconsciously wanted to escape, but found that the ground was shaking beneath their feet, causing the tunnel they had dug to collapse.
The entire set of casting actions is completed in one go.
[A Leaf Tells Autumn] smoothly changed the way he held the staff, and then began to chant the third spell.
"Swift as the wind!"
The green airflow wrapped around the legs of the four players, especially the two lizardmen running in front, whose charging speed was much faster.
"Haha! Where are you looking? Your pig-headed grandpa is here!" The pig-headed knight yelled excitedly, swung his battle axe and rushed forward with heavy steps, crashing straight into the pile of rats like a chariot.
“Squeak—!”
"Lizard, lizard man?!"
"How is this possible! Didn't those guys sign an agreement with our boss? Why would they suddenly attack?!"
"No! That's not right! These lizardmen seem different!"
The ratmen screamed and grabbed rusty knives and slings, trying to stop the axe-wielding lizardman warrior.
However, before they could make an effective response, another lizardman holding a sword and shield rushed from their flank, knocking countless ratmen away.
A rat-man priest raised the bone staff in his hand, pointed it at the lizard-men wielding swords and shields, and chanted a spell in a shrill voice.
"You lizard! Die! Die—Gah!"
However, before he could finish his spell, a flash of black light silently flashed across his neck, and the vicious curse instantly turned into spurting blood that splashed all over the ground.
At the same time, a scorching fire dragon suddenly rushed in from the direction of the village entrance and smashed into the center of the ratmen, dividing the battlefield and completely destroying their morale.
"Hey, hey, hey—!"
"These lizard things are crazy!"
"Quick! Retreat!"
The rats screamed, dropped their knives and slings, and rushed into the forest on both hands and feet.
Looking at the figures fleeing in panic, the [Pig-Headed Knight] couldn't help but curse.
"MMP! You scared all the monsters away, how can I harvest them?"
Damn wizard!
This is such a shameless way of stealing experience!
No wonder it upgraded so quickly!
Yi Ye Zhi Qiu walked out of the darkness, touched his non-existent nose bridge, smiled and said.
"I guess you mean MVP."
He deliberately scared away the ratmen, and his purpose was naturally to find their lair.
Just now, he had cast the Iron-level undead spell "Shadow Mark" to mark three ratmen.
Unless they can break the spell.
Otherwise, as long as they were within five kilometers, he could find them no matter where they hid.
Intuition tells Yiyezhiqiu that the "main plot" of Twilight Province may be hidden in these rats that came from nowhere...
…
Outside Quemu Castle, guards holding torches were patrolling, and candlelight flickered quietly in the guest rooms deep in the tower.
Helen Yueren's figure appeared silently in front of Luo Yan like the moonlight printed on the stone bricks of the city wall. She knelt on one knee and reported respectfully.
"Master Demon King, I have completed the mission you ordered!"
Her voice was crisp and efficient, without any trace of fatigue accumulated from days of running around.
"After two weeks of continuous spellcasting by the Night Elf Mage Corps, the one million acres of farmland planned around Wheatfield Village have been basically restored and fertilized."
Luo Yan turned a page of the unfinished draft of the "New Testament" in his hand, nodded calmly, and affirmed and praised the work of the Grey Wind Tribe in a majestic voice.
"You have done well, and this king will never forget your contribution. However, this is just the beginning. The refugees from Quemu Fort will gradually return to those abandoned villages. Then we will need you to help those human farmers."
"Yes, sir."
Helen answered simply without any hesitation.
However, after completing her report, she did not leave immediately. Instead, after a moment's hesitation, she lowered her head and asked with a hint of confusion in her voice.
"My Lord Demon King, I'm not questioning your orders, but...with all due respect, why should we expend so much mana to help those humans who believe in Saint Sith? They don't deserve your favor at all. Their suffering now is merely retribution for their fanatical folly a thousand years ago!"
When saying this, Helen felt extremely complicated.
The epics of the night elves are different from those of humans. Although their history records real events, more emphasis is placed on the foolishness of Saint Sith and the Dragon God in their attempts to eliminate death.
In fact, if Luo Yan were to evaluate them, they were not stupid at all. On the contrary, they successfully conquered the old world.
If a certain Zeta had not been frightened by the so-called "advanced civilization" and the illusion deduced by logic after seeing Chaos, the lizardmen of the Janna continent would probably be sitting at the winner's table right now.
However, Luo Yan had no obligation to defend his pet, nor was he interested in explaining the truth hidden in the epic to his subordinates.
As the Demon King's subordinates, they only need to look up at his tall and majestic figure and follow him unswervingly.
"...Although the people here still believe in Saint Sith in name only, the doctrines they actually follow have nothing to do with the Church in the Holy City."
Amidst Helen's increasingly puzzled gaze, Luo Yan gave her an answer in a nonchalant voice that shocked her.
"They are all my subjects now. This includes their knights and even their saints, who have long been my servants. Aside from not having sworn to join the Great Necropolis, they are no different from you who are still in the Great Necropolis."
"Servant?!"
Helen Yueren was so shocked when she heard this that her mouth was so wide open that an egg could fit in it. She stood there in a daze.
Obviously, she didn't know that "Saint Kallen" was just a village girl Luo Yan picked up on the road. In the distant memory of this night elf, only the Holy See of the Holy City of Humanity could appoint a Saint!
In just a few breaths, she had already imagined a plot of tens of thousands of words in her mind, including the part in the maze dungeon -
Even the Holy Maiden of the Vatican can be corrupted...
Helen's eyes instantly flashed with awe and fanaticism, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
That’s the color of worship!
As expected of the Demon Lord—
It's really unfathomable!
Just as Helen was overwhelmed by the Demon King's power, an emotionless voice suddenly sounded beside her.
"Lord Demon King."
Helen was suddenly startled and turned around in horror, only to find that Sarah had appeared beside her without her knowing.
That indifferent expression was like a lifeless shadow, as if the aura of only one venerable person in this room was worthy of her attention.
Helen was not surprised that Sarah was here, but she did not expect that she, who had gold-level strength, could not even detect the slightest breath of the other party!
This guy...
Is there another breakthrough? !
The astonished expression gradually turned into sour envy. Luo Yan knew without guessing what Helen had misunderstood, but he was embarrassed to explain if she didn't say it.
Along the way, his bodyguard, Comrade Sarah, also worked very hard...especially when playing hide-and-seek with Tafu.
Sarah didn't care about Helen's loss of composure. She just bowed slightly and reported to her Demon King calmly.
"…While patrolling south of Quemu Fort, Salvation Army intelligence officers discovered signs of inhuman activity near an abandoned village."
"After in-depth investigation, they found traces of ratmen there!"
The Great Cemetery's assistance to the Salvation Army is not only in agriculture and infrastructure, but also in military construction, with intelligence work being a key focus.
If you want to survive in this troubled world, ideals and slogans alone are not enough; you ultimately have to rely on the sword in your hand.
During this period, Sarah was in charge of training the Savior Army intelligence personnel, so she knew about this matter even before Saint Karen.
However, the Demon King sitting here obviously knew it before her.
Looking at Sarah's expressionless face and Helen's solemn expression, Luo Yan nodded, his calm expression unchanged.
It was as if he had anticipated all this.
"I understand. Tell Kallen for me, and keep an eye on it... Helen, be careful when your people are out there."
The two men obeyed in unison.
"Yes, Lord Demon."
…
The rat-man's claw marks have undoubtedly added fuel to the already chaotic situation in the Dusk Province. As to how far this fire will burn, it is still unknown.
Perhaps these rats were simply eyeing this land ravaged by famine, or perhaps famine had just happened to break out in their hometown deep within the Wanren Mountains.
Regardless of what the so-called "main line" that the players are looking for so enthusiastically is, the refugees in Quemu Territory have recently found the "main line" of their lives and are gradually living a fulfilling life.
The next day.
The morning light spread over the land of Wheatfield Village. Old Hank rubbed his sun-cracked nose and sat up from his bed made of reeds.
As spring enters its second half, the rainy season is finally over and sunny days are gradually increasing.
And his old bones, which were almost broken from fatigue, could finally rest for a while.
"Morning, Hank."
Seeing the young man coming towards him greet him, Old Hank also responded with a greeting with a smile.
"Morning, have you eaten?"
He didn't know the young man's name, he only remembered his simple face and sunny smile, which reminded him of his younger self.
The young man said with a smile.
"They've finished eating already. You should hurry up too. Those new guys are really big eaters. If you're any later, they might just end up licking the bottom of the pot!"
"Haha, that's not the case..."
Old Hank laughed, but his heart tightened. He hurried to the Salvation Army's soup kitchen and was relieved to see that there was still a lot of soup in the pot.
His worries were indeed unnecessary.
According to the oracle of Her Highness the Saint, the soldiers of the Salvation Army adhere to the creed of salvation and will not start to eat until all the villagers have finished eating.
With gratitude and praise for Her Highness the Saint and the Son of God, Old Hank joined the queue, took a bowl of steaming wheat porridge from the soldier, squatted on the edge of the field and enjoyed his first communion after getting up.
It seemed to be like this before.
Every day when the bell rang, the serfs of Wheatfield Village would go to the lord's servant to get a bowl of porridge. After filling their stomachs, they would go to work in the fields. At noon, they would go to get their last meal of the day and then continue their afternoon work.
As for what to eat, that depends on the harvest, the specific season, and the lord's temper.
Old Hank vaguely remembered that the serfs working on the priest's land had better food, because the church property in Wheatfield Village happened to have an apple orchard, and there were always a lot of unsold apples and unwanted raspberries left over.
Of course, the situation is different in other villages.
In recent years, all the villages have been living in extreme hardship, so there is nothing to compare with. Not to mention apple trees, the bark has been eaten by them.
Fortunately, hopeful days seem to be returning little by little.
Although Old Hank didn't understand the difference between the Saviors and his former overlord, he had no objection as long as the leader could keep him well fed and clothed.
Regardless of whether the saint was sent by the Holy See or walked across the rushing river on her own, the miracles she brought were indeed real.
and--
The oracle about a good harvest seems to be gradually coming true.
Looking at the green wheat fields, Old Hank was lost in thought for a moment.
After a long moment, he muttered something to himself and sipped the last morsel in the bowl.
“I actually caught up…”
It has been two weeks since the villagers of Maitian Village returned home. Looking back on what happened in the past two weeks, he really felt like he was dreaming.
When they first set foot on this land, almost no one thought they could keep up with the progress of spring plowing.
However, just when they were in despair, a miracle happened!
First, a group of cloaked "river elves" used magic to clear the obstacles for their spring plowing, and then a group of "holy spirits" who claimed to be their ancestors came with hoes to help them work.
It was also the first time that Old Hank had seen such a strange undead spirit—oh no, the Holy Spirit!
These skeletons move in groups of three or five, directed by a holy spirit, and work tirelessly in the fields as if they will never get tired.
They don't need to rest.
Human farmers need to work heavy work all day and rest for half a day. They can work from sunrise to sunset, and then from sunset to sunrise.
It’s even more outrageous!
These holy spirits can not only do simple tasks like turning the ground, but can also operate complex metal machines.
Under the command of a little guy who called himself "Gnome", they drove a machine called a tractor and traveled through the most stubborn land outside the wheat field village.
Thick black smoke belched from the mouths of those giant beasts as they advanced with a deafening roar. They seemed to have endless energy, and every time they passed, they left behind rows of deep, neat furrows!
The iron plowshares easily tore through the hard soil that even magic could not break, and their daily workload was equivalent to a dozen farmers' hard work for a month!
With the help of these guys, the villagers' progress in catching up with spring plowing can be described as having wings.
All they had to do was follow the machines with baskets on their backs, and then spread the seeds and something called "fertilizer".
And when they had finished their work, the elves riding on elk and wearing cloaks returned to the entrance of their village.
Just like before, those pointed-eared creatures raised their wands without saying a word and cast a spell on the barren earth. Then, those dormant seeds sprouted at a speed visible to the naked eye and broke through the soil above their heads!
The elves did not continue to use magic to ripen the fruits. After doing these things, they left without stopping.
Old Hank never imagined in his life that such a hard and arduous job as farming could be simplified like this.
He even felt a little panic in his heart. If the lords all used this method to farm in the future, what would he do?
Oh yeah...
Her Highness the Saint seemed to have said that there would be no lord here in the future.
When he thought that the green land in front of him belonged to him, the melancholy that had just surged in his heart disappeared, and was replaced by a simple and honest smile.
If all this wheat really belonged to me, how long would it take me to eat it all?
…
As April draws to a close, the window for spring plowing gradually closes, and the focus of the villagers in Maitian Village has shifted from growing staple food to other tasks.
For example, cultivating a vegetable garden, repairing a public pasture, helping villagers build houses, or finding a deserted place to build a human...
These tasks are directly related to whether they can move from the dormitory into a warmer house before the cold winter comes, and sit in front of the fireplace with their families to share hot sauerkraut pork elbow soup.
Families with children or pregnant women will be given priority to receive independent wooden houses.
As for the work in the fields, they only need to pay attention to weeding and prevent the wild weeds that find their way into the gaps from robbing the crops of their nutrients.
Although these tasks are not easy, I am no longer as anxious as before.
Just as Old Hank was busy working, clanging sounds were heard from the village not far away.
The Holy Spirits who had helped the villagers cultivate the wheat fields a few days ago had just put down their hoes and turned around to help the Salvation Army soldiers build houses.
These ancestors really couldn't stop for a moment. Old Hank couldn't help but feel sorry for them. They had to work even after they died.
At the same time, he prayed silently to Her Highness the Saint in his heart, hoping that he would be able to leave in a relaxed manner, and not be pulled up to work again as soon as he closed his eyes.
It’s a pity that the “ancestors” who were working didn’t know what this guy was thinking, otherwise they would have laughed out loud on the spot.
certainly--
Maybe they will touch the NPC's head and exclaim that this game is too real.
Even an old farmer in the background has such rich inner drama and thoughts.
Of course, they did not work in vain. The Demon King would give them ghost money as a reward based on the amount of work they completed.
What is the use of ghost money?
That would be of great use!
Thanks to the constant promises made by the stupid planners, "Disaster Online" has now become the dream of countless stupid netizens to restart their second life in another world.
A large number of fresh and tender young leeks flock in every day, so there is never a shortage of buyers for ghost money, it’s just that the exchange rate fluctuates greatly.
For those who work hard as long as they can make money, this is not a big problem!
In order to reap the benefits of the Demon King as soon as possible, many people have already invested thousands of dollars!
Of course, there are also big guys with deep backgrounds like Long Xingwanli, who spend real money like a devil spending ghost money, and they don't care at all.
In short, thanks to the efforts of the hardworking and brave little players, new hope is emerging on the ruins of Wheatfield Village.
After plowing the land, the tractor once again served as a cargo cart, pulling the wood that filled the trailer from the direction of the river.
In the past two weeks, not only the farmers in Wheatfield Village have been busy, but also the craftsmen along the Running River.
With the assistance of a dozen "mountain men", the locals not only repaired the water wheels and irrigation canals that had been abandoned for many years along the rushing river, but also set up a wood processing plant along the river.
Speaking of those "mountain people", they are also a group of strange guys. Although they can't speak clearly and don't look very smart, they are surprisingly dexterous when doing things.
Especially when operating the machine!
Thanks to these kind-hearted people, the water of the Running River finally filled the canals of Wheatfield Village again.
Looking at the village that is getting better little by little, every villager's face is full of hope.
As the returning teams pass through this thriving village one after another, carrying tools and dry food back to their hometowns, they will soon bring hope to more distant places.
Just like the dandelions blooming in the Twilight Province in May...
(End of this chapter)
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