Chapter 234 233. Brave Men
Oath City, Council Hall.
Inside the magnificent council hall, the dawn light shines through the tall windows and illuminates the entire space.
Archbishop Ditas of Light wore a plain white robe with a golden holy emblem shining faintly on his chest. Duke Brunus wore a military uniform and tapped the map on the table unconsciously with his knuckles. Archduke Lorenzo, the owner of the City of Oath, sat in the main seat with a frown on his face.
"I just received an urgent report," Archduke Lorenzo said in a low and tense voice, "Angus Port has fallen. The Serpent People attacked as the vanguard, and eight imperial warships then stormed into the port. Earl Angus... saw that the situation was hopeless, so he sent out a final message and abandoned the city."
"After so much spying, is it time for the main event?" Duke Brunus snorted coldly, then asked in confusion, "Snake people? There is such a tribe in the empire?"
"But there is in the Far North."
"What are they planning to do by taking over Port Angus?" Brennus demanded.
"I'm afraid they want to bypass the Red Ridge Mountains and join forces with the Empire's main force to attack Alama's High Castle Fortress, forming a pincer attack." Lorenzo's finger drew a dangerous arc on the map. "Unfortunately, it's clear that the Empire hasn't experienced a real war for too long, and they haven't even done a good job of interfering with the magic crystal transmission. The intelligence was delivered to us as soon as possible."
Lorenzo continued, "Brenus, the task of intercepting them is now on you. If there is a chance, you must seize the port while they are still struggling to gain a foothold!"
"It's okay for me to go," Brennus nodded, then changed the subject, "But what about food? Elwynn, how are you doing?"
Everyone's eyes were directed to a communication crystal suspended in the center of the hall. The crystal was shining, and the voice of Sword Saint Alvion, who had just woken up, came from inside: "My side? The demons really sent people to kill the envoys. It's a pity that I was too good at chopping. I don't know if there are any guys with titles among them."
"Who asked you that?" Brennus interrupted unhappily, "I was asking about food! When will the elves' food arrive?"
"This is not going so smoothly," the Sword Master's voice was filled with helplessness, "The elves have been using the excuse that 'the ancestral tree cannot be awakened easily' and are only willing to provide one-third of the share!"
"What on earth are these long-eared people thinking?!" Brennus slammed his fist on the table. "If we collapse, they can stay safe?"
“Could it be…” Archduke Lorenzo’s gaze slowly shifted to Archbishop Ditas, with a hint of doubt, “Is the matter of the Hero Summoning Ceremony… leaked?”
Hearing this, Brennus also looked at the Archbishop of Light who was in charge of this matter.
"Absolutely impossible!" Archbishop Ditas said in a firm voice without even blinking his eyelids!
"That's really strange."
"Elwynn," Lorenzo said to the crystal, "tell the elves the news of the fall of Angus Port and the official invasion of the demons. This is no longer a small-scale conflict, but a formal war! According to the covenant, they should also contribute! Deliver as much as possible, and request them to send troops to support."
Then he looked at Brennus and said, "You go first. I will give priority to your side in terms of food and fodder! I will also send an envoy to the Dwarf Kingdom immediately to persuade them to launch an offensive on the eastern border of the empire to contain those vampires."
Brennus nodded: "That's the only way."
Archduke Lorenzo took one last look at the Archbishop. When it came to the hero’s affairs, the fewer people who knew the details, the better. Now that the Archbishop had full authority, he could only believe that he had made no mistakes.
——
Silver Sand Bay.
The sun was already high in the sky when the garrison commander, Mr. Tanaka, slowly walked out of his residence and headed towards the garrison post.
This was his unshakable daily routine: he would patrol around with a few followers, make some money here and there, and finally end this "hard" day in the tavern.
Not far away, a young mother holding her child watched Tanaka's lazy figure disappear around the corner of the street.
She held the child tightly in her arms and lowered her voice: "How long are we going to keep watching like this? We have already backed up several copies of the appraisal results of the advanced reconnaissance scroll using the crystal and sent them back... When will the higher-ups send someone to take over? Even if his level is not high, he is a genuine hero! It's very dangerous to keep watching like this every day!"
The child in her arms blinked his innocent eyes and looked around alertly. After confirming that there was no one around, he responded in a mature and sharp voice, which was completely different from his young appearance: "What are you complaining about, Mengya! This is a great achievement, and many people would beg for it! To deal with the hero, we naturally have to ask a duke-level figure to come out in person. Of course, we can't know the whereabouts of a figure of that level! And before you leave, you have to find out the truth first, right? What if you fall into a human trap like last time?"
A demon duke was "lured" away by humans using a false summoning ritual. This was the most humiliating defeat for the demons in the past hundred years.
It's just that no one dares to hold anyone accountable for this matter.
On the other side, Tanaka, who was already level 24, walked out of a restaurant shaving his teeth. He had just checked the food safety here and was quite satisfied with the results.
"Where to go next?"
Tanaka is satisfied with his current life and knows exactly what he is doing - abandoning his duties as a hero and becoming a security captain under a big slave owner.
He has no burden about it.
In the previous world, he had too many responsibilities and it was difficult to give them up, so he had to live a life as hard as an ox or a horse.
Now that he has come to this strange world, free from all worries, what does the life and death of others have to do with him?
As for the great feat of defeating the demons and saving humanity... isn't there another beautiful hero who can take on the task?
The chance to be a hero should be left to the young people; he just wants to live his life comfortably.
Unfortunately, this wish seems difficult to achieve.
At midnight, Tanaka returned to his residence. He opened the bedroom door, and the cold moonlight illuminated the room through the open window.
A pale but extremely beautiful woman was leaning against the door, with a faint smile on her lips: "Welcome back, brave man."
[Name: Eleanor de Knox]
[Race: Blood Clan]
[Level: 72]
Tanaka's pupils suddenly contracted, and after a brief moment of shock, he raised his finger almost instinctively like lightning!
However, that hand was instantly grasped by Eleanor's cold hand. Just as a faint light gathered on the fingertips, it was strangled in the palm of her hand before it could overflow.
Snap——
That was the sound of fingers being broken. The huge gap in level made Tanaka unable to even resist, but his expression did not change much, which made Eleanor raise her eyebrows slightly.
Eleanor's voice was lazily teasing, and her red lips parted slightly. "What are you trying to do with my sister's memory? That's not very polite."
"If you don't just kill me, what are you planning to do?" Tanaka asked.
"If you go back with sister, you will know everything, right?" Eleanor's smile deepened, with an unquestionable tone.
Knowing that the other party didn't want to talk, Tanaka stopped asking and just complained to himself: "Don't you think it's weird to keep calling yourself 'sister' to a middle-aged uncle? And although I like white, yours is too white..."
The next second, Tanaka's figure began to become illusory and transparent without any warning!
"What?!" The smile on Eleanor's face froze instantly, turning into suspicion. She suddenly reached out to grab it, but her five fingers seemed to penetrate into nothingness, directly penetrating the figure that was quickly disappearing!
There was no sound, no burst of light or shadow. Tanaka's entire existence was like a drop of ink dropped into clear water, silently spreading, fading, and finally completely dissolving in the silent air, leaving no trace.
Deathly silence enveloped the room.
Eleanor's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and the playful smile on her pale face completely disappeared, replaced by an expression of incredible astonishment, which was then swallowed up by surging rage.
"Disappeared...disappeared?" She whispered with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice, which was soon replaced by a sharp tone. "How is it possible?!"
She was not a rookie who had never seen the world, but she still could not figure out the method the other party used to disappear. Even the spell of clone could not be so seamless!
Not to mention that the opponent is just a level 24 guy, and the only special thing about him is [Memory Erasure]. How can he cast a high-level spell that can deceive her!
But the fact is, this level 24 guy ran away right under her nose with an indifferent look on his face!
What a shame!
Scarlet energy suddenly exploded from her body, and in just a moment it blew up the entire house!
"Brave man! I remember the smell of your blood!"
The huge roar instantly awakened the sleeping Silver Sand Bay. The guards hurried over in disheveled clothes, holding torches, staring in amazement at the garrison chief's residence that was almost razed to the ground.
They looked at each other, totally bewildered.
The next day, the island owner's heavily guarded castle overlooking the bay quietly increased the number of sentries several times...
At the same time, in a vast sea far away from Yinsha Bay, a large ship was rising and falling with the waves.
“Ouch!”
A howl of suppressed pain erupted from a cabin!
Tanaka was like a cooked shrimp, curled up on the cold floor, holding his right hand, his teeth chattering, and beads of cold sweat soaking his forehead.
"Hiss... If I had known it would hurt so much, I wouldn't have pretended!" He was in so much pain that his eyes went dark and he uttered intermittent complaints through his teeth.
After a long time, Tanaka finally let go of his hand exhaustedly, wiped the oil mixed with sweat on his face with trembling hands, climbed back to the hard bed, collapsed on it and gasped.
[Seven Sins of Sloth (Unique Title): Create an identical clone except for this title. Can be canceled at any time]
He suddenly obtained this title a month ago. He didn't understand the specific conditions for obtaining it, but he had figured out how to use it.
Tanaka knew that there were demons in Yinsha Bay a long time ago. They were business partners tacitly approved by the island owner, so he had no objection to it. They each got what they needed.
But recently, the two demons have been changing their ways of playing COSPLAY around him every day, and this means something completely different!
The demon seemed unaware that he could check the panel, and his camouflage ability could not fool him at all.
Considering his identity as a hero, he naturally thought of the possible dangers, and used his clone to attract attention early on. His real body boarded a ship where no one knew him and escaped.
He wanted to live a peaceful and stable life, but it was a bit difficult in this world...
Looking at the dark blue waves rising and falling outside the porthole, Tanaka rubbed his still aching right wrist, with a bit of confusion in his eyes: "Next... where should I go?"
——
And in the sea not too far from Tanaka's drifting cargo ship, another girl known as the "brave man" was experiencing a completely different predicament.
The Tidal Sanctuary, although this dungeon is located on the seabed, its interior is not entirely filled with water. Instead, it is separated by huge magic bubbles or dry halls, making it barely possible for terrestrial races to set foot and explore.
It should be like this...
A closed room, the only exit is the pool of water in the center.
Several ugly corpses of mermen were floating on the water, their dark red blood spreading in the water and emitting a strong fishy smell.
On the shore, several guards held up their shields and stared at the water vigilantly.
"Can we retreat back the way we came in?" asked the brave Sophia with a glimmer of hope.
Priest Samuel shook his head: "That passage... was completely blocked by the reinforced silt used by the murloc spellcaster. It's not impossible to clear it by force, but it will take a lot of time, and during this time we won't have the energy to guard against the murloc."
Sophia frowned.
The passages in the Tidal Sanctuary are not simple straight lines, but rather as intricate as a maze. If one path is blocked, there are theoretically other options.
But the problem is that the other side is obviously more familiar with the terrain than they are.
That murloc, although not of a high level, made use of all the traps and mechanisms in the sanctuary to perfection, and his subordinates were also fearless and valiant!
Coupled with the sudden rise in water levels, the few people were forced to temporarily retreat to this closed room, and they were stuck in a stalemate.
But this is not a solution. With the equipment purchased from Yinsha Bay, they can create magic bubbles that can move in water, but this thing is not suitable for high-intensity combat.
Once they got out, they had to face the attacks of the fishmen...
"Lady Sophia, the current situation is no longer suitable for training. I suggest that you use the transfer array to return to the ship first." Samuel suggested.
"But that magic circle can only teleport one person at a time, and it will drain your magic power!" Sophia immediately retorted, her eyes sweeping over every guard around her, "What are you going to do?"
"We will fight our way out and meet you on the ship." The captain of the guards replied in a deep voice.
"Instead of letting you risk your lives..." Sophia took out an inconspicuous wooden handle from her bosom, which seemed to have been soaked in sea water and rotted, "Why not give this to them! Isn't this why they attacked us?!"
[Artifact: Ocean Scepter (Remnant)]
If the information on the panel hadn't been flashing, anyone would have ignored this piece of wooden handle as garbage.
It is said to be a magical artifact, but its purpose is currently unknown.
And the fishman also said through telepathy: "Give me back the holy object!"
Samuel moved his lips, as if trying to dissuade this almost surrendering move.
Bella, who had been looking up at the wet ceiling with her silver eyes, suddenly spoke up uncertainly: "Lady Sofia, there may be a secret passage up there...some traces are cut off there."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes turned to the ceiling. Samuel waved his hand, and the captain of the guards felt a gentle force lifting his body, making him cling to the ceiling like a gecko.
He quickly explored and soon made a discovery: "There is indeed a secret passage, but there may also be water behind it!"
"As long as there are no murlocs, there won't be a problem." Sophia was refreshed and gave a decisive order, "Everyone, prepare the magic bubbles!"
Samuel could only nod upon seeing this.
When everyone was covered with transparent bubbles emitting faint light, the captain of the guards took a deep breath and slashed fiercely at the stone slab above!
Gravel mixed with surging sea water poured down like a waterfall. Samuel was prepared. His staff burst into light, holding up everyone, and he rushed upwards against the raging water flow!
"It's the outer courtyard!" As soon as Sophia came out of the gap, she immediately recognized this relatively open area!
However, when the water filled the room, the fish people also swam up through the gap.
The captain of the guards exchanged glances with a guard beside him. The latter understood what he meant, left the troops, swam back to the breach, and stopped the fishmen...
…
…
…
Climbing back to the deck along the wet and cold rope, Sophia finally felt the embrace of the scorching sun above her head. She took a deep breath and said, "I made it out!"
However, this brief joy quickly dissipated like a bubble.
As she habitually glanced at the teams returning to the deck, her eyes swept across the tired but familiar faces, but suddenly she discovered that one person was missing!
"Where's Ron?"
After a brief silence, the captain of the guards said calmly, "Ron...he carried out the rearguard mission."
"You asked him to cover our retreat?!" Sophia turned around abruptly, raised her voice, and looked at the captain of the guards in disbelief.
"Ensuring your safety is the top priority." The captain's words were cold and firm, "Any sacrifice is worth it."
"Whatever it takes?" Sophia repeated these four words, feeling almost out of breath.
Although she understood the significance of doing this rationally, this was the first time someone died for her since she came into this world.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
After a long time, Sophia suddenly turned around, no longer looking at anyone, and walked towards the cabin in silence.
The heavy hatch closed behind her, blocking out the sunlight and sea breeze.
Bella's gaze stayed on the captain of the guard for a moment, then she quickly followed Sofia and entered the cabin.
(End of this chapter)
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