The setting sun stained the western sky blood-red, and the broken clouds were like solidified blood droplets infecting the deep sky, and among the broken clouds, the dazzling stars couldn't wait to cast starlight on everything, even the darkness could not stop his momentum. And in the far east, a torrential rain is approaching the rough Red Rock River, and it won't be long before it descends on the town of Rotten Wood.

"It's hellish silence here, there's no wind at all. "A soldier was carrying one piece of wood after another, tugging at his neck and lifting his clothes from time to time. "It's so stuffy and hot, it can suffocate people to death. ”

"So many people died, of course it would be hot. One of the soldiers said to him.

The soldier seemed to be insulted, "This has something to do with the brothers who died." ”

"Of course it matters, although I didn't see it, but the Redstone River must have been stained red with blood, this is the Redstone River, and it was so hot because they were disemboweled, their stomachs were broken, and the heat in their bodies made it stuffy. The soldier replied cleverly.

"How can I not smell the fishy stench? and even less the rancid stench!" said the soldier, "well, in a short time, you and I will die here, perhaps worse than them." ”

"You still have a chance to run, follow this street and alley, run to the back mountain, and walk for half a day to catch up with the retreating people. ”

"My brothers have all died in battle, and I will choose to die in Rotten Wood Town, not to mention, I am a warrior of Rotten Wood Town who fought against the men in black. ”

"You think the same as me, but who wins and who loses is still undecided, there are so many countries and so many armies behind Rotten Wood Town, do you think they will send troops to support Rotten Wood Town?"

"Sooner or later, huh...... , just think it's a matter of time before he dies, anyway, it has nothing to do with me when I die, damn, don't comfort yourself, let's do a good job!"

Ormond stood on the highest roof of Rotten Wood Town, listening to the conversation between the two. He looked at the castle that had been captured, and there was a deathly silence, like an army of the dead lying in it, and when the horn sounded, it would pour out. The bunting was still waving silently in the air, and to its east were the approaching storm clouds, and lightning seemed to be wantonly eroding the land somewhere in the east. Silence, sweltering, all this was a warning before the rainstorm, and it seemed to warn Ormond that the next brutal battle was coming.

Edith came to Ormond's side, "The rainstorm is coming, the foul air will become clean, and the blood on the Giant's Bridge will turn into clear water, which is a good thing for Rotten Wood. ”

Ormond removed the hood from his head and stared at the shadows in the east, several more scars on his face, blood already congealing into a hard clot around the wound. "Ah, yes, the air here should have changed its smell. Edith seemed to see Ormond's concern, she put the arrow she had just made into the brown leather cylinder on her back, and said to Ormond, "I have killed more than 200 enemies in a day and a night of fighting, and my hands have been dyed red" She stretched out her hands to look, "It should not be like this, I should have continued to track the undead in the West, you say, who is to blame, is it the free people in the depths of the North or my fault." ”

"Of course, the men in black have the responsibility to participate in this battle, if the fault is the blind worship of the northern free people, the bigger mistake should be those unknown northern wizards. ”

"The sorcerers of the north, the filthy sorcerers, they must have escaped the punishment of their sins to persecute the innocent people of the north. Edith said indignantly.

"False beliefs make them all make mistakes, step by step, until the last person left on the cliff, will he turn back?" Ormond asked, and Edith shook her head. Ormond added, "He will not hesitate to jump and his whole body will become a piece of minced meat, but it will be worth it for him, not to mention us outsiders, all we can do is find a way to get him to let go of this ignorant belief and not complain." Ormond looked at Edith with a dusty face, "Do what we should do, that's the right thing to do." ”

"The cruelty of war will wake up the dull brain, no matter who it is, mistakes will always have a beginning and an end, I believe in your words, and I believe that justice is better than evil. ”

"That flag looks strange, a white hunter with a green background, naked and wearing a strange hat, this is not like the style of the Heerking people, it always feels wrong. Ormond said. Edith rubbed her belly through the black cloak, "Wizard's skill, evil plague, I can shoot the flagpole off with one arrow." Edith's stomach was rumbling, and Ormond tried to laugh out loud against the scars on his face, but the pain made his slightly grinning mouth unnatural. "Your archery skills are almost catching up with Irina, but no matter how good an archer is, she can't resist hunger. He rolled up his tattered sleeves and wiped the red blood from his face, "Where did Sei go to find food, why hasn't he come back yet?" ”

He went to the back streets, presumably to find a barrel of spirits. Edith said.

"Forget it, you go down and take a rest, I'll be here to guard. As soon as Ormond finished speaking, Sey jumped out of the east window with a bag on his back, and there was a small clatter of objects, and he could be heard complaining to himself from afar. The empty hotel he patronized was run by Billyon's distant cousin, and in the past, the street outside the door was crowded, not to mention the excitement of the hotel, and the sign outside the door would be changed every six months, because the boss wanted a new façade. But this sudden war turned his hotel into a supply station for everyone to scramble, red wine, seahorse spirits, bear bile medicinal wine, Weituo wine from the Eastern Continent, and many famous wines from the depths of the West have been looted, even if you can't even see the wine dregs, but fortunately you have found some food.

"There's no one in the city, there's no hot food to eat, damn drunkards, who are still trying to get a drink after they have fled, but they don't know that there are still soldiers guarding here, it's really hateful. Say threw his foot and kicked the fist-sized stone far away, followed by another crackling sound, followed by a howl. Two soldiers ran around the corner, swords in hand.

"It's okay, it's okay, I just stepped on the splinters. Say's contorted expression tried to hide the pain in his toes, "I'm going to find something to eat, call them to fill their stomachs first." He limped the contents of the bag into the cracked wooden basin, where there was shriveled bread, hairy dried pumpkin, caviar at the bottom of the bottle, and some hard jerky. Say lost his appetite at the sight of the food, but the rumbling of his stomach still made him uncomfortable. "Hell weather, bad food, this kind of ghost atmosphere, I couldn't have found a better one. Sei sat down against the wall, "Hurry up and eat some food before the enemy understands, and when the enemy attacks, it's too late to eat." "The soldiers sat in a circle and enjoyed a 'beautiful' feast. One of them complained that he hadn't burned the things stored in the kitchen and basement before he escaped from the castle. The other did not expect that the Giant's Bridge would be conquered by the northern barbarians.

Edith jumped off the second floor and stood steadily on the dry street, and Sai looked at Edith and began to complain again. "I've seen fleas in boxes and jump several meters high without eating or drinking for a week, and I've never seen a man in black who doesn't eat or drink so energetically. ”

"Sai's axe is heavier than an adult's, and of course he will get tired. Edith said with a smile.

"My axe will cut down the beasts to the bone, if it weren't for their rough skin and thick flesh, the axe can't be pulled out, and they won't be so tired. ”

"In addition to sitting and resting, sleep is the best antidote. ”

"This sweltering ghost weather can suffocate people alive, not to mention that there is a nest of northern cubs staring at this place by the Redstone River," Sai looked at the jerky and hesitated, but still grabbed a slice and chewed it in his mouth, "It's a luxury to even sleep now." ”

"If the man in black is at ease, take a rest, we will guard here. An elderly soldier said.

Sai scratched his itchy nose, "Don't worry, I'm really not worried, you were lucky to make it out alive, huh...... No matter how much it is, I'll go sleep for a while. Sei picked up his axe and slid into the blacksmith behind him. Edith on the side looked helplessly at these brave and poor 'children', when the rainstorm came and the enemy invaded, this meal might be their last.

She picked up two pieces of shriveled bread, said nothing, and left the pile.

Ormond stood in a dark corner with a black cloak, observing the castle. The wind began to get stronger, and the white hunter flag on a green background could no longer withstand the pull of the wind, and the rod and flag were broken together. The rainstorm will give us a glimmer of hope, but I don't see the slightest hint of how hope will come. A soldier handed Ormond bread. "That flagpole has finally fallen, will this be telling us that if we hold on a little longer, the war will end. ”

"It's going to be over, it's going to be over, but it's going to stand the test of time. Ormond said.

"Time seems to have stopped here, and until the enemy has taken the empty city, the dawn will never come. Edith was ten meters away from them, and her voice became clear in the empty city.

Ormond chewed his bread, "It's about seven hundred paces from the castle, can you shoot your bow and arrow seven hundred paces away?"

"The tailwind should be fine, as long as the distance of three hundred meters can easily kill an enemy. ”

"When the enemy attacks, you stand here, consume their numbers, there are six entrances and exits to the castle and town, we will be placed at different entrances, I will guard the fork in front of you, and retreat to another high ground for every fifty men killed," Ormond pointed to the tall buildings around him, "from the winery behind you, to the clock tower at the corner of the winery, to the church in the southeast corner, they always maintain an excellent advantage, and in the middle of the night, they will lose hundreds of men." Edith nodded. Ormond added, "Prepare enough arrows to hold out until dawn the day after tomorrow." ”

"Three hundred and sixty-four. ”

"Not enough, more is needed. ”

"Perhaps...... , the southern army will arrive tomorrow. ”

"We have already lost this war, so we must be well prepared for everything. Ormond looked worried, "Don't get your hopes up too much for victory, the big battle is going on, your task is to consume the enemy, but to save your life, this is the most important thing." ”

"Don't worry. ”

Ormond set his eyes on the black clouds in the east, "The South gave up the last glimmer of hope, but the men in black did not give up, this war belongs to the northerners and the men in black." ”

Late at night, the sky was dark, the storm arrived as scheduled, the waves of the Redstone River rolled, and the dull air turned into a manic giant in an instant, invisibly, taking away the scarlet oppression.

Sure enough, the castle was boiling, the army began to assemble outside the gates, the earth-shattering drums drowned out the roaring thunder, and the cries of vengeance prevailed over the most vicious curses. It seems that the enemy is hiding in the torrential rain, and the city is overwhelmingly trying to flood the town of Rotten Wood.

Ormond smiled slightly, very calmly, very relaxed, he lifted his hood, made a support with his left hand, jumped off the upstairs platform, and landed on the empty street. The seven soldiers were sharpening their knives for the final battle, and when they saw Ormond, the man in black, walking towards the battlefield, they separated and rushed to the various intersections. Sey picked up his axe and walked to the fork on Ormond's left, and Edith was already standing on the snow-white dome behind Ormond.

The fire overwhelmed the castle, and even the torrential rain could not extinguish the raging fire, and the enemy took advantage of the churning heat to split into two wings, and the archers lined up in two rows, and under the urging of the drums, threw off the entire army and advanced to the front. Sai felt that the situation was not good, and shouted to Ormond, "The enemy will overwhelm us with bows and arrows!

Ormond was still staring at the enemy, and he gestured to Edith as the army gathered on either side approached the town. Without hesitation, Edith raised her bow and arrow, and with a release of her hand, one of the arrows pierced the sky, piercing the head of an enemy as it fell. "Good job! Let them taste great. Say chanted in the distance.

"Sai, 100,000 people in the east are in a hurry, go and support there. Ormond shouted in the pouring rain, and Sye turned and ran down the hidden alley to the east.

The fall of one enemy did not cause a commotion in the army, and they began to cry out like vicious dogs in a cage, which would swarm when the doors of the cells were opened.

The torrential rain was pouring and the wind was raging, and at this moment, the drumming stopped abruptly and the enemy began a frantic counterattack. The dense arrows arced in the air, and under the pressure of the strong wind, they swerved towards Ormond, but the enemy's arrows were blown away by the strong wind before they could land, and by this time Edith had already destroyed no less than ten enemies.

"Hmph, that's all, is that all there is to it?" Ormond said, then pulled out the long sword behind his back, and quickly rushed towards the enemy's archers under the cover of the rainstorm, and the enemy was killed by the long sword in Ormond's hand one after another, and before the northern army could react, the open space in front of him had already fallen, and the enemy on both wings did not care to go deep into the town, and turned to attack Ormond alone. Ormond leaped forward, slashing the necks of two enemies, and then ran back along the way to the fallen corpses, his speed was like a wild beast that no one could stop him, and behind him were the swarming enemies, who were swords, spears in hand, and chased after Ormond in the increasingly heavy rain, but the huge raindrops and the sweeping wind had exhausted the enemy, and he slowed down before he could run a hundred meters. The lack of physical strength of the enemies gave Edith the opportunity to consume them, and the enemies were shot one by one. The northern army was faltering, some running back, others squeezing forward from behind, continuing to advance into the pitch-black complex.

The defense on the east side was broken down by the enemy in an instant, and the three soldiers were also killed in the chaos of swords, only Sai was the only one who stubbornly resisted the enemy's attack, he held the giant axe in his hand, and frantically swung it at the enemy, and the enemy was even more red-eyed, regardless of the giant axe to cut off his own head, and pounced on Sai in a puff of anger. Say was crushed to the ground by the enemy, layer upon layer, and ten enemies were trying their best to tame the ferocious beast.

The torrential rain crashed into the dirt, instantly forming a puddle on top of the dirt, and Say's entire head was crushed alive by the enemy, and even the slightest movement would immediately be pressed into it. With only his hands, only his calloused palms could still fight, and he tore through the enemy's chest with both hands, twisting the enemy's arms and thighs, and the entire surface of the water turned into blood, which would be washed clean by the torrential rain in an instant, but to no avail. Two sharp spears were about to take Say's head, but Ormond arrived, slew the spear-wielding enemy, and then killed the enemies who were crushing Say, and then pulled him back to the depths of the town.

Say was already unconscious when he got up, and under the cover of Ormond, he stumbled back, "Ah! My weapon is gone, Ormond run!" Seeing this, Ormond also hurriedly retreated desperately, and hundreds of enemies behind him were closely chasing the two.

The defenses to the west were also breached by the enemy, and all four soldiers were killed, and the corpses had been trampled by the enemy. In the alley between the buildings, the enemy swarmed into it like a raging flood, and in a few moments, the alleys, houses, streets, and platforms were full of enemies.

Edith retreated to the winery as planned, and killed the enemy without haste, who saw no trace of her, and they were looking for the archer, but in the dark night rain, even the wandering beasts could hardly spot Edith. The northern army had no choice, and none of them wanted to be the next prey to be screamed, so you pushed me into the empty house.

The torrential rain gradually moved away from the town of Lizhuki and towards the upper reaches of the Redstone River, and the wild rain turned into a drizzle, and the battle was settled in only half an hour. The castle in the distance was in ruins, like a rotting and stinking lump of flesh in the night. The northern army quickly moved away from the ruins and infiltrated the town of Rottenwood, and in a few moments there was not a single enemy in sight in the narrow passage between the castle and the town. The departure of the rainstorm did not mean the end of the enemy's offensive, but gave the enemy the opportunity to clear the battlefield.

In the distance, Edith shot the last arrow from the winery and quickly retreated to the church behind, where Ormond and Say signaled Edith to withdraw with a Lore whistle in the alley not far from the church. At this moment, only three people were still stubbornly guarding the town of Rotten Wood, and in the situation that there were more enemies and fewer people, the men in black had to withdraw from the forward line and find another way to hold back the northern army.

The three of them retreated along the alley behind the church to the southernmost farm, and after passing the farm, they came out of the town of Rotten Wood, the southwest corner of the farm was originally a twenty-foot tree, thick branches could cover half of the Lord's farm, and at some point, the tree had become two, probably due to lightning, or to prevent the enemy from penetrating deep into the southern hinterland through the path next to the tree. Ormond looked at the trail obscured by the branches, expecting the rescuers to quickly step through the branches and assemble at the farm to give the enemy a real blow, but all he heard was the sound of the enemy marching in the depths of the town, and the raindrops crashing on the ground.

Sei sat on the ground in pain, his eyes full of despair. "How can you fight when you don't have weapons, just leave this hellish place and let the kings who have sworn to protect the lands of the south solve it. ”

"Oaths are all reserved for the devil to hear, and the balance needs to be maintained. Ormond said.

"Are the three of us going to resist the army of the North? Your bravery can't save everyone. ”

"Isn't it enough that my bravery can kill ten intruders?" said Ormond excitedly.

"I see that a man in black who has fled from the desert, not the brave and resourceful leader, and I see that the southern army does not dare to return to their homeland to resist the northerners, and that this ruined city is about to be consumed by fire, is this not enough proof that the southerners have abandoned their territory?" Said's tone was full of despair, and despair was eating away at the brave men in black. Edith just stood silently by the window, praying that the enemy wouldn't come here anytime soon, and that all her arrows had been shot was the longbow covered in scars.

Ormond wiped the blood stains off the sword and said to the desperate Say, "Losing an inch of land does not mean that you will lose your entire homeland, if you don't fight the enemy today, it doesn't mean that you will flee tomorrow, Say, not only are you disappointed, but I am also disappointed in what we have done, but as long as we still have a breath, it is our mission to stop the northerners." Ormond put the sword into the scabbard, and a crisp grinding sound pierced the depression in the room, "With the current situation, we really can't resist the northern army, and staying is in vain, we leave the town of rotten wood and rush to the Takishui River." ”

Edith turned to look at Ormond, she wanted to speak, but couldn't, and stared out the window.

"The northern army will soon attack here, and when they arrive, it will mean the town of Rotten Wood......"

“...... So what are we waiting for, my weapon is gone, maybe the enemy is already in ambush outside the window while we gossip. Say said.

The three of them quietly left the town of Rotten Wood along the road to the south, and at this moment, the rain had stopped, and bright stars began to appear in the sky. The fierce battle began in the rainstorm and ended quietly when the rain stopped. All the plans and courage came to naught. Ormond didn't expect it to be so fast, he thought that the narrowness of the alleys and the torrential rain would hold the Horkings until midnight, he thought that Edith's archery skills could shatter the fighting spirit of the Horkings in the dark city, he thought that Saike could defend a street alone, he thought that he could do the courage of a leader, he thought he could .......

This mountain road to the fortress of the Takisui River is full of mud, twists and turns, long and lonely, with no shadow in the night and few stars. Soon after, the town of Rotten Wood behind them lit up with fire, and the time had entered the second half of the night, and sometimes when the three of them were hurrying away, they could always hear the restlessness behind them, so the three of them walked faster. They waded through puddles, through mud, over hills, and into valley floors. Until the firelight in the direction of Rotten Wood Town turned into a blood-red shadow.