The people in the woods felt the gloom in the autumn breeze - the green of the forest had almost faded, and most of the broad-leaved vegetation had become lonely dead branches, and the only remaining leaves had been covered with a layer of yellow. At the same time, the maple trees are dyed a striking red, and only the evergreen pines and cypresses are still so green regardless of the season.

The shrubs in the lower areas are similar to those of trees, but it is surprising that many wildflowers are waving in the cold autumn wind. The colorful colors are like a feast for the eyes, and the beauty from nature can't help but make people feel excited.

However, Barrett, who saw all this, frowned, and then he tugged at the reins in his hand to slow down. It was only after he was in the same position as the prophet Chomli that he lowered his voice and said, "Lady Chomley. Winter is just around the corner. But there is a scene here that is not long in autumn. If I hadn't double-checked, I would have thought I was heading south. ”

"Ralphs, who was exploring the path in front, didn't make any warnings, I think it should be the climate anomaly caused by the special environment here!" Prophet Chomley looked down for a moment, then motioned for Barrett to relax.

The Ranger isn't as good as a druid, but it's a standard wilderness class. They are skilled hunters and stalkers. In many cases, the forest is the home of rangers, who know all about the prey and vegetation in it. Therefore, in this matter, the prophet Chomli chose to trust the opinion of the experts. Since Mr. Ralphs did not report anything unusual, in front of Barrett, an outsider, she naturally wanted to assert the authority of her companions.

Barrett, who understood the other party's intentions in a blink of an eye, said no more, nodded politely, and then kicked the horse's belly and hurried back to the front of the group. As a melee professional on the team, he must ensure that he is at the front of the team except in exceptional circumstances, so that he is not gossiped.

Of course, the few people around him were all members of the 'Bloodstained Gray Flower' mercenary group, so naturally no one would question Barrett's decision. They trusted Barrett and believed that the choice he made had a purpose. But at the moment, these members of the 'Silver Seal' team are not like this. Now that the two sides have only just established the most basic trust, Barrett doesn't want to compromise that trust because of a small matter.

As the team progressed, the anomalous vegetation gradually regained its original appearance as the altitude climbed. Barrett was somewhat relieved to see such a change, otherwise he would have to ask Ralphs, the Ranger, what was going on, even if he was trying to offend the members of the 'Silver Seal' team.

However, when the vegetation returns to its 'normal' altitude, the rugged mountain road in front of you is no longer something for players to ride on. At this time, everyone had to turn over and dismount, and lead their mounts to continue in the howling mountain wind.

With the sound of earth and rocks sliding, the paladin Alexis suddenly slipped on the soles of his feet, and then slid towards the edge of the unformed mountain road - even the horses he held the reins seemed to be dragged away by the sudden force. At this moment, Barrett quickly tugged at the silk rope wrapped around his waist. Immediately afterwards, the paladin Alexis felt as if his breastplate had hit a net, and the downward trend was immediately suppressed.

After stabilizing his body, the holy warrior Alexis immediately reached out and grabbed the frozen soil on the ground, and then climbed up quite skillfully. After getting up, the paladin, who had just lost a big face, scratched his head a little embarrassedly, and then said to Barrett: "Thank you! ”

You must know that the place where the paladin just slipped and fell cannot be said to be a cliff, but rolling down that steep mountain is not without risk. Even after dismounting, everyone was tied up with silk ropes to assist each other. But if Barrett hadn't pulled it in time and forcefully, the paladin in front of him would have knocked out a few bruises. In that case, the face will be even bigger.

After nodding his head to accept the paladin's thanks, Barrett immediately let go of his voice and shouted, "Everyone, be careful! The trails here are steep and the rocks are heavily weathered. If you don't pay attention, you may slip under your feet. Although we have the means of protection, there is generally no danger to life. But I don't think anyone wants to get bruised or eat a mouthful of mud here! ”

Barrett's final reminder obviously made the women in the team shudder. In their opinion, it is better to die than to be disfigured! Even a temporary image loss is intolerable. So much so that on the next way up the mountain, their movements became extremely cautious. I'm afraid that there will be a foreign appearance like before the holy warrior Alexis.

In fact, Barrett's reminder was just in case, and it was not very likely that the remaining few would be in the situation of the paladin Alexis. On the one hand, this is because although the Paladin class requires many attributes, unless it is a long-range shooting stream, it really does not require any agility. On the other hand, it was also because of the full-body armor worn by the holy warrior Alexis that restricted his movements. If it weren't for the influence of this armor, it would have been much easier to deal with with the experience of the Paladin.

Under the guidance of the guide, everyone stopped and stopped, and as the altitude continued to climb, snow finally appeared on the mountain peaks in the distance. However, given the height of this mountain range, it is impossible to have a middle-aged snow line. It was only because winter was approaching, and the mountains of the Northland were clothed in white in advance.

Although it was indeed a lot more relaxing to see the snowflakes, Barrett looked around and still looked worried: "This kind of environment is not suitable for a creature like the white dragon to live for a long time!" If you come here in autumn and winter, it is possible to temporarily change the hunting grounds. But if you stay here, I'm afraid that after a long time, the white dragon himself will find it difficult to adapt. Stone's guy said that the white dragon had been harassing them for years, and that was a lie! ”

Since the white dragon is also called the ice dragon or the glacial dragon, this is naturally inseparable from the environment they prefer. These guys genuinely love the cold. The vast majority of them live on snow-capped peaks or tundra or cold plains. They especially enjoy these cold areas that slow down their prey, as such areas do not get in the way of the white dragon itself.

Not only that, but the dragon's lair is often an ice cave located deep underground, away from the warm sun, which can be a rare large cave, a deep crack in the mountains, or a shallow hole in the ice. Even in places where the temperature never rises above freezing, the White Dragon may create a hole out of tightly compacted snow and freeze the snow walls into solid ice by using his spit weapons prudently and judiciously.

They love to sleep in their surroundings surrounded by ice. Because it is there to reflect the sparkle of gemstones, especially diamonds that they love. Although there are times when the white dragon can be found in the forests of the Northland, it is also an environment where there is snow all year round! In addition, white dragons prefer frozen food, and even excluding raids, they will bury their prey in snowdrifts or ice walls for days or weeks before eating them. If the current situation can have a long-term survival of the white dragon, that guy must be a strange flower in the white dragon world.

"Maybe the locals don't know much about the situation, so they misunderstood!" Thinking of something, Rielly pointed her finger to her chin and said, "According to the information they have received so far, they have never seen the white dragon attack with their own eyes. In other words, the white dragon probably only came here in autumn and winter, but because of the disappearance of the mountain people one after another, they mistakenly thought that the white dragon was resident here. ”

"Alright! With the insight and understanding of those mountain people, it is not surprising that this kind of problem will arise under the influence of fear! "At this moment, Miss Ventrice of the 'Silver Seal' team somehow emerged from the back of the line.

Barrett, who turned his head, smiled: "This must be the one who is telling the truth." This is ominous, how can it be reassuring. ”

"Mr. Boreham, you don't think those mountain people will collude with the White Dragon! If it's another dragon species, it's still possible. But Bailong's words are obviously thinking too much. Ralphs, the ranger, who had returned from exploring his way ahead, picked up the conversation. As an old enemy dragon, he has been a ranger who has been fighting dragons for many years. This guy's relevant knowledge will not be inferior to that of a mage of the same level.

And the basis for his conclusion is because the white dragon has a significant bestial nature. They tend to be indifferent to complex plans or political power, preferring to live their lives as hunters and treasure collectors. These guys rely more on instinct than intelligence. Although they also live a long life and can see the distant future as adults. But they don't worry about the future to the extent that their cousins - these guys prefer to be just concerned about food and shelter.

Like all capable trappers, the White Dragon is the ruler of their territory. They know good hiding places and the best places to ambush. Their hunting is not only clever, but also ruthless. Their kills are swift and effective. They don't have the cruelty of the black dragon and the ferocity of the red dragon. Nor are those dragons prone to exploit or manipulate intruders or neighbors. This makes it rare for a community and settlement to reach an agreement to coexist peacefully with its neighboring white dragons. Often, only the death of a dragon can stop it from hunting people's herds - and possibly themselves.

"Who knows if there will be anything unusual among the white dragons, and whether it is a white dragon or not is just someone's words." Barrett then accentuated his tone: "Anyway, it's better for everyone to be careful." I really don't know how the church got through this flawed commission. ”

"Anyway, even if something happens, we can give up the mission. As long as the true aspect is discovered, there will naturally be the right person to deal with it next time. "Ralphs the Ranger is clearly not very dedicated.

Barrett didn't emphasize anything next, but everyone in the team understood what he meant—beware of the mountain people in Tululu Village. Be wary of possible hostile moves they may make before determining that they are not potentially dangerous.

The trail that appeared in front of everyone four days later was still steep, but it seems that it was the reason why people used to walk it in the past. Not to mention the relative obviousness, occasionally a few inconvenient places are stuffed with stones that can be stepped on. Players who noticed this change immediately understood that the mission's client, Tululu Village, was about to arrive.

It took about another 4 hours to travel. Instead of climbing any further, the trail leads to a gentler area. After almost an hour of continuous progress on the undulating mountain path, the players finally saw a stockade with log walls before dark.

Now it's not just Barrett, who is 'suspicious by nature', but even the aborigines of the 'Good Dragon God' Church are also skeptical after seeing all this in front of them. After all, such a camp is too far from the small mountain village they expected. It is impossible for a settlement that can build such a defense without any compensation - and that alone is a diminished sign of their sincerity in bringing in someone to clear the dragons. Coupled with the skeptical thoughts that Barrett has instilled in everyone along the way, it is natural that everyone is beating a drum in their hearts.

In fact, at the beginning of the easy trail, Barrett had already denied all the claims of the rescuer named Stone. If the village of Tululu where he was located was really as isolated as he himself said, how could there be such a mountain road that seemed to be used from time to time.

Even if the previous section is connected to the other settlements in the mountains. However, the last section of the mountain road that has been clearly repaired not only shows the strength of Tululu Village itself, but also proves that it has a very important use value - whether it is for the villagers to travel or for the merchants to enter the village.

At the same time, it is impossible for such a village to be completely without channels to contact the outside world, and as a result, it is worth playing with the purpose behind sending this helper who does not understand anything and is a little stunned.

However, although these outsiders, including Barrett, were suspicious, they did not stop the long-absent mountain man from speeding up his pace. As he hurried all the way to the door of the village, he shouted loudly, and then there was a commotion in the cottage.

The players who glanced at each other can only take one step at a time. And the paladin Alexis's expression was slightly distracted, as if he was using his special ability. (To be continued.) )