Chapter 639 The Hidden Dangers of the Zerg
The clean white snow piled up on the tiles and bricks, and the wind was so cold that people didn't want to go out
. On the cold streets, a burst of hurried horse hooves broke the silence and rushed straight into the city's meeting hall. Not long after, a loud whistle sounded in the city, and then the quiet winter afternoon became noisy.
In the mansion building in the rich area, Heshia was explaining the fables in the book to several children. She was now wearing black glasses, a velvet-edged waistcoat, and a winter coat.
Because of the gradual sound of horse hooves and voices on the street outside, several children in the room also became curious, some absent-minded, and looked out the window from time to time.
Seeing this, she put down the book in her hand and simply let them rest for a while.
"Thank you, teacher~" Several children responded with childish voices, and then they all leaned against the window to watch the excitement, and some were ready to go downstairs to take a look outside.
Heshia didn't have to worry too much about this, because there were servants in the mansion downstairs, and they would stop these children from running around.
She gathered her velvet cape a little, stood up, walked down the wooden stairs, and came to the hall on the first floor. At this time, Sigmund was drinking tea and chatting with some old friends. Seeing this gentle black-haired girl coming down, several of them nodded in greeting.
"Miss Heshia, good afternoon."
"Hello." The girl returned the greeting and then asked about the situation outside. Before she went downstairs, she saw some warriors on horseback galloping through the streets.
"What happened?"
"It's a small problem. It seems that the stronghold in the northeast has been attacked. They sent people to ask us for help." A well-informed gray feather species answered. He also had gray hair and gray eyes. Now he was wearing a slightly loose robe and leaning on the wooden sofa.
"Every winter, something will happen in this land."
"Because of the lack of food and heating in winter, many conflicts are inevitable." Sigmund described it in a slightly light tone, as if he was not surprised by this situation.
"Other places are not as solid and safe as the Stone Forest Fortress, and the order is stable. Especially the eastern part, which has always been very barbaric and violent. It is said that some tribes even have the tradition of cannibalism." Another gray feather species in blue clothes shook his shoulders, saying that it was too surprising.
"It's not their fault." The girl walked, one hand dropped from the stairs she was holding, and the beautiful curve of her figure was faintly visible under the waist of her winter skirt, with a rare beauty in this land.
"Life must always survive, but from our perspective, this is indeed a disaster."
"Miss Heshia still has such a special view." In the two months here, many gray feather species in the rich area have gradually come to know this foreign girl who came from afar.
"But this time, the situation may not be as simple as in previous years." One of them walked to the window and looked at the warriors galloping by on horseback outside.
"The elite main force in the city has been dispatched, which shows that the situation of the stronghold under attack is serious."
"Oh." Now the few people present also put away their leisurely mentality and looked out the window.
"Is winter coming..."
————
The land about 60 kilometers away from Shilin Mountain Fortress, the winter snow is filled with interlaced gunfire and the sound of swords and guns colliding.
A group of savages with thick body hair charged in front with rough weapons in their hands, making strange shouts, rushing towards the stronghold with wooden chevaux de frise and walls. Behind them is a group of warriors wearing thick furs, holding guns, and attacking forward from time to time with the help of cover.
Dirty fur coats are piled up on their bodies, mixed with layers and stained with a lot of snowflakes, blending in with the surrounding environment. If they lie still, it is difficult to distinguish them from the surrounding branches and snow.
On the wooden wall, members who are also wearing thick clothes raised their bolt-action rifles and kept firing, knocking down and piercing the savages who rushed towards the wooden wall. Blood flowers fell on the snow, and some melted parts emitted a little white gas.
After the sacrifice of the first batch of savages, many of them rushed to the foot of the wooden wall and hit the gate with all their might, but the thick wood and the condensed ice made it extremely strong.
"Let me do it." At the back, a tall man stood up from the snow pile. He opened his hand, and a rolling red flame fireball quickly condensed in the air and then fired it out.
Bang, the flame exploded on the gate, instantly evaporating a large amount of water vapor. With a sizzling sound, the high temperature spread along the gate, and flames and water mist appeared simultaneously. Then the nails fixed between the wood were also burned red.
Soon, as the wood burned into charcoal shattered, the gate was knocked open by the savages covered in ashes and flames. Then the remaining savages swarmed in, and the warriors behind also rushed in.
Half an hour later, the battle in the stronghold ended. Most of the members who originally lived here were killed, and a few were tied up with ropes and then led out of the stronghold one by one.
Later, the winter food stored in the stronghold was also pulled out by carts and horses by these people wearing thick furs. Looking at the boxes and bags of rice, flour and food, the group of people shouted with joy, and then raised their guns to express their excitement and refreshment.
When it was almost dark in the evening, a sound of horse hooves sounded in the mountains, and then a long dragon holding torches came to the stronghold. These cavalrymen in black cloaks and fine breastplates stopped in front of the breached gate. The leading captain waved his hand, and several people dismounted and carefully sneaked into the stronghold, and came out soon after.
"There are corpses inside, no survivors, and the food and supplies stored in the stronghold have been emptied." The returning soldiers reported.
"This group of barbarians." The captain angrily whipped the horse whip on the stone beside him to vent his anger.
After walking back and forth for a while, he turned around and asked again.
"Check the traces around and find out how the stronghold was breached. Those savages don't have the strength and intelligence to do that."
"Yes."
After another hour, the accompanying soldiers gradually gathered and reported what they had found.
...
"It seems that another force led the savages to breach the stronghold, and they also have advanced rifles." The captain frowned.
"Raise the flag to warn the merchants and passers-by who may pass by. Let's go back."
"Wait until the beginning of next spring, the mountain fort will dispatch people to rebuild it." Although it was destroyed, this valley stronghold cannot be abandoned because there is a relatively clean mountain spring here, which can be used for irrigation and farming. It is one of the important grain-producing areas of Shilin Mountain Fort. Otherwise, the area near the mountain fort alone cannot feed the thousands of people in the mountain fort.
Afterwards, the captain gathered the bodies in the stronghold, poured firewood on them, and then set them alight.
The fire burned particularly vigorously in winter, and the heat gradually dispelled the chill of the crowd. Afterwards, the group silently watched the bones in front of them turn into ashes, then climbed on their horses, raised the torches again, and galloped into the night.
They used torches not to see the road for themselves, but to prevent the horses from stepping on empty space and panicking. As gray feather species, these soldiers have excellent night vision, and can even stop breathing for several minutes, stop blood flow in the body for a period of time, and enter a state of suspended animation.
These are all abilities obtained by specially compiling genes during the battle of the dark sun, just to hide under the thick soil and deep mountains, and quietly accumulate strength.
The next day, news about the fall of a stronghold in the east spread in Shilin Mountain Fort.
"If you want to blame me, it must be the group of savages in the east who are making trouble again. Those guys who ate too much black mochi and became stupid never learn their lessons."
"Eating too much black mochi will make people stupid, but they won't become stronger, right? How come they can break through the stronghold in the east this time? I remember there are several very powerful extraordinary people there."
"This... maybe there are a few mutant guys among the savages, just like the red poison species, which are very resistant to toxicity and pollution. To be honest, if the red poison species' genetic pollution is not too strong, which will make the genetic advantages and characteristics of other races invalid, there will probably be many forces willing to transform themselves into their
appearance." "Too ugly, compared with the common humanoid races, the red poison species is really ugly."
"Ahaha, if you want to look good, why don't you go find the charm species? They are all handsome men and beautiful women, but unfortunately they are too weak and are often vassals of other races."
"You know what, my biggest wish in this life is to marry a charm species wife. They are really beautiful, and we can also establish some kind of telepathy. You won't understand the happiness of emotional communication."
"Huh, why don't I understand? We cat-tailed people also have this kind of spiritual resonance perception, but it's not as unique as the charm-shaped people." As the cat-tailed man shouted, his tail twitched the ground behind him from time to time, making a snapping sound.
In the corner of the bar, the girl who was eating lunch silently lowered the brim of her hat, ate the grilled steak in front of her in small bites, then stood up, asked the clerk to pack another portion, packed it in the food box she brought, and then took it away.
Back at her residence, the girl shook off the snowflakes on her cloak in front of the door, then hung her coat by the door, put the food box on the table, and then went to the second floor to wake up the ice elf girl who was taking a nap at the foot of the bed.
"It's time for lunch, Orles." Tilan's slightly cool fingertips gently stroked the tip of the other's nose to wake up the ice elf girl.
The other opened her eyes, pulled away the book and blanket on her knees, and then stepped on the slippers and threw herself on the girl.
"Hug first, then eat." Tilan touched Orles, who was slightly taller than her, and then the two went downstairs.
After watching Orles finish her lunch, Tilan asked her how she was doing with her recent reading, and also taught her some knowledge about cultivation, so that she could learn to control the huge magic core in her body.
"Study hard, and when we have time next week, we will ride the ash stove and palm tree to the Beiti Cliff to see the scenery." The girl painted a rosy picture for Orles, and she was also happy and looking forward to it.
"Go out and have fun~" Orles nodded.
In the afternoon, Tilan stayed in the house to read books and take notes, while Orles occasionally walked around and interacted with the two ponies in the shed next to the house, touching their heads, saying some simple words, and then feeding the two horses fried beans.
In winter, a lot of hay was piled up in the stable, which not only kept them warm, but also made sure that the two guys had enough food. Not many animals in the Stone Forest Castle could enjoy such an abundant environment, so the two little guys were still quite happy.
At night, after the oil lamp was lit in the house, Tilan was going to read a book for a while and then go to bed early. At this time, there was a knock on the door outside the courtyard.
"Wait a minute." Tilan picked up the lantern hanging by the fireplace, lit it, and then put on a short cloak and walked out.
Pushing open the door, Sigmund was outside the courtyard, and there were several cavalrymen covered in snow. They looked cold and followed Sigmund silently.
Although several soldiers looked a little murderous, the girl sensed that they did not have any murderous intentions, but were just used to it.
"Is there anything, Mr. Sigmund?"
"I have something to ask Miss Heshia." The other party paused, then organized his words and spoke.
"The soldiers who went out to investigate were seriously injured. The situation is very critical. I saw that Miss Heshia knows a lot about medical treatment. I want to ask you to come and take a look."
"I understand. Wait for me to change my clothes." Tilan thought about it, went back to the house, first told Orlesi, then changed into thicker winter clothes, took a black veil to wrap her face, and then walked out of the small courtyard.
"Let's go."
"Okay."
Then Sigmund took Tilan through the rich area and entered the castle building inside. This was also the first time Heshia came to this place.
Compared with the rich area outside that is suitable for living, this place is more like a fortress. Fully armed soldiers can be seen everywhere. They are equipped with light armor, some are equipped with muskets, some are equipped with traditional shields and spears, and there are a few special ones, who are shrouded in black cloaks and clothes, and their breath is obscure.
Those should be the ace elites of the gray feather species. The girl guessed in her heart as she glanced at the figures that flashed in the corner.
The military force that the Gray Feathers are truly proud of is not the patrolling soldiers outside, but these assassins who hide in the darkness silently. As a profession that perfectly utilizes the talents of the Gray Feathers, these assassins can lurk in a certain place for several days, without food or water, and suppress their breath and magic to the lowest level, making it difficult for people to detect. At the same time, they have excellent night vision and are extremely talented in night battles.
It is said that it was with this powerful assassin team that they killed several powerful leaders on this land and then established the Stone Forest Castle. Before the Gray Feathers ruled this land, the most powerful local races should be the cat-tailed species that are good at finding food, the wolf-blooded species that are good at fighting, and the red poisonous species that are not afraid of pollution.
Entering a room in the castle, there are several torches hanging on the wall, and the lights are bright. There is a small hot air blower near the window, which runs continuously with noise, spits out gusts of hot air to warm up the cold room. There are also several charcoal braziers in the corner of the room to maintain the heat.
Several gray feather doctors gathered around the large bed in the middle, and a rare surgical light was on.
"There is still no improvement after the injection of antibiotics."
"There are still a few worm eggs in the subcutaneous layer, which should be spread by the worms on the wound before."
"If we want to completely remove the worm eggs under the skin, we have to peel off all his skin, which is almost a fatal act."
"Even so, we still have to worry about whether his internal organs are infected. Such extremely dangerous worms are obviously not produced by natural evolution, but biological weapons produced by genetic engineering."
"Could it be the remnants of the war that year? But it has been thousands of years, and there can still be new ones."
When several people were discussing, Sigmund first stepped forward to interrupt, and then gave a few instructions, and then they turned around and looked at the girl who walked into the room.
"Her? Isn't this the new tutor?"
"Miss Heshia also knows medical skills?" Two of the doctors should know Heshia, but unfortunately they were wearing bird-beak masks and couldn't see her face clearly.
"I know a little bit, can you let me take a look?" Tilan walked over. She had indeed set her life goal of becoming a medical student, and she had learned a lot of knowledge after college, but she didn't know as much as a real medical student. After all, there are too many causes of disease, and most doctors only specialize in one or two fields.
"Okay, but Miss Heshia had better be mentally prepared." Then several people stepped aside.
Walking forward, Tilan finally saw the condition of the injured person. There were many gunshot and knife wounds on the other party's arms and chest, but these were not the main points. There were also many red and swollen parts on the wounds and skin, as well as many traces of being torn and bitten, which should be caused by some terrible insects.
Seeing this scene, the girl frowned slightly, but soon calmed down and began to observe carefully and recall and think.
"Did he encounter some kind of poisonous insect?" She asked the doctor beside her.
"Yes, this scout captain was the only one who survived. When he came back, he was almost unconscious. Fortunately, the horse knew the way and carried him to the mountain fort."
"After we rescued him, we found that he had many wounds on his body, some of which were common gunshot wounds, and some were dangerous insects." As he spoke, a doctor took out an iron box with some dead black insects in it. They looked not much bigger than rice grains, with black shells on their backs, and they should also have the ability to fly.
"Our gray feather species has a special physique and is resistant to many biological toxins, but this time he has been running a fever and unconscious. If he continues, he may die, and it is difficult for us to know what kind of enemy the reconnaissance team he led encountered." A doctor explained.
"I understand, let me check it out." Tilan raised her hand, put her index finger and middle finger together, and gently pressed on the unconscious man's brow. A halo appeared, and then the girl's perception extended along the halo and magic power to check the other person's physical condition.
Just as several doctors said before, this person was indeed seriously injured, and there were many tiny worm eggs active in his body. They constantly stimulated the body's immune system to reject them, which was also an important reason for the high fever.
However, the immune system alone may not be able to kill these tenacious and special stink bugs. This is obviously not a natural product, but a crazy product of genetic modification.
It was a relic of the Fifth Era War. The girl sighed in her heart, wondering how many world-destroying weapons and tools the various forces of that era had developed and manufactured.
Radiation, highly toxic, biological weapons, war machines that constantly replicate themselves, planet-destroying particle torrents, etc., after losing the technology of the past, the various races living on this planet are also plagued by disasters.
The conditions here are simple and harsh. If you want to develop a serum for this kind of poisonous insect, it is impossible.
If the big spider is still around, it would be great. Using its toxins, Tilan can make a drug that can fight poison with poison and kill these poisonous insects, but now, she thought about it, the light in her eyes flowed, and then a touch of blue flashed and disappeared, and the poisonous insects in the man's body all underwent crystal mutations that destroyed the protein structure.
After a few seconds, these crystals melted and dissipated, and the liquid with the debris of the insect eggs dissolved.
"I used a special secret method to kill all the eggs in his body, but it will take several days of rest to expel the venom. Remember to cool him down during this period so that he won't get burned." Tilan put away her fingers and told the doctors.
Seeing her tell the result lightly, the doctors were surprised and some couldn't believe it. Later, they checked several times in a row and confirmed that Heshia was not lying.
"Thank you, Miss Heshia."
The Gray Feather doctor, who had been somewhat contemptuous, changed his attitude completely and became respectful. They had a tradition of respecting knowledge, and people like Heshia, who were knowledgeable and knew various profound secrets, were even more respected.
After finishing all this, the girl left the castle with the thanks of the Gray Feathers, holding the lantern and slowly trying to disappear into the night. After
she walked away, the Gray Feathers turned around and discussed with Sigmund.
"This Miss Heshia is extraordinary."
"She is very special. Perhaps we should report her deeds to Lord Gray Cape."
"It seems that we will inevitably encounter the unrest in the east."
"The Zerg, the Savages, and the nomadic war machines not far away, this winter is really hard to endure."
"Let's go. This time we need to gather the various settlements nearby to negotiate together. They can't just live leisurely under our protection."
After night, the snow-covered Stone Forest Fort was noisy again. The various settlements on this land were gradually gathered together under the orders of the Gray Feather Clan.
(End of this chapter)
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