The guard's right arm was amputated by Zigan, and after being bandaged, another guard helped him into Hodge's tent to rest.

Before nightfall, Hodge called the rest of the people together.

After seeing everyone but the unconscious guard arrive, the severed arm was placed in front of him.

"Miss Carroll, if you think it's too bloody, turn your head. Hughes suggested.

"I'm not as squeamish as you think, but thank you for the advice, Hughes. ”

Hodge coughed lightly: "All of them called everyone over to do an experiment." ”

He took out a small bottle again, which appeared to contain what appeared to be clay chips, but under the light of the campfire, there were some crystalline filaments on the surface of the crumbs.

"This is what I found underneath the carcass of the black horse, and the soil contains a kind of mucus that, if I'm not mistaken, is supposed to be the mucus on the surface of the earthworm's body. ”

He took out a small portion and sprinkled it on the surface of his arm, and after a while, nothing happened.

"What the hell are you trying to say?" said Hughes, puzzled.

"Don't worry, read on. Hodge made a small cut in his arm with a knife and sprinkled a small amount of clay on it again.

It didn't take long for thin words to slowly appear near the wound.

This time, everyone understood what Hodge was trying to illustrate.

"Yes, it is this mucus secreted by the surface of the giant earthworm that causes the phantom pain, it cannot take effect when there is no wound on the skin, but even if there is a tiny small opening, it can invade along the wound and spread directly to the whole body, tormenting you to death. ”

"It's a memory toxin, even after the wound heals, the pain still lingers, and the pain will become more and more irritated, and it can even disturb your mind, you have all seen what the situation is just now. What we can take care of now is to avoid direct contact with the earthworm's body, especially if injured. ”

Hodge took a deep breath and said solemnly: "What we have to face is far more terrifying than we imagined. ”

......

The crackling of firewood was particularly clear in the silent night, stirring everyone's hearts.

No one could fall asleep, and after all the events of the day, and the fact that they had learned more about the giant earthworms, no one could easily fall asleep, and they were tumbling in the tent repeatedly.

Hughes scratched his hair in frustration, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he was very annoyed by the image of a giant earthworm pounced on him.

The footsteps outside the camp tent never stopped, and now it was the only remaining guard on duty, who must have been uneasy in his heart, constantly stomping his feet and moving.

Hughes tried hard to put himself to sleep, but it didn't work, he was sleepy, but he just couldn't sleep.

Suddenly, a neighing sound resounded through the silent night.

Hughes reflexively stood up on the ground, opened the curtain of the tent and rushed out.

Fink and Hodge hurried out as well.

Hughes was the fastest, and under the tree where they were tethered, the rope of a black horse had been loosened, and the guard was straddling the saddle with the reins in his hand.

Seeing Hughes coming, his eyes flashed with a hint of panic, and then he made up his mind fiercely, turned the horse's head sharply, pulled the reins and drove the black horse to run.

But Hughes reacted faster than he did, and without the armor he moved more nimblely, leaping and kicking the guard off the saddle with a leg sweep, while the black horse ran with a long neigh, and disappeared into the night snow.

"What do you want to do, are you trying to escape!" Hughes was furious, it was the retainer of the Baker family, his retainer! and his retainer now wanted to turn his back on his master and flee alone.

The guard who fell to the ground rolled over and stood up, and roared in the same loud voice when he heard Hughes's questioning, "I don't want to die here!"

He directly pulled out the sword at his waist and faced his former young master.

Hodge, Fink, and Carroll also arrived, watching the tension between the two.

"You're betraying, you're being unfaithful to the oath you once made! Damn, you coward, if you're still in the city, you'll be sent to the gallows to be executed!"

The guard spat on the ground: "Fuck the betrayal, fuck the oath." ”

His eyes were bloodshot and he looked at Hughes viciously, "Fuck the Bakers!"

"Don't talk to me there in a commanding manner, this is not a city, and if we continue to stay, we will all die, or be crippled for the rest of our lives, like lying in the tent. ”

"I just want to live, live!

Hodge watched him silently, and at this time fear had completely consumed the man, even losing his mind, and those who had lost their reason were the most terrible, because their actions no longer cared about the consequences, but carried out purely on instinctive impulses.

True aristocratic families, loyal to their retainers have often been through the centuries, and loyalty in the blood makes them willing to keep their oaths and protect their masters even if they are in danger.

But the Baker family is different, their career time is very short, and the vassals and guards who swear allegiance to them, such as the person in front of them, have only been for a few years, and they probably only want to have the status of a noble retainer who will make their social status much higher, to put it bluntly, it is a matter of interest.

Once they are really in a dangerous situation, when their own safety cannot be guaranteed, fear will dispel their yearning for profit, and even if they draw their swords and swing them at the master, it is not completely impossible.

Just like at this time.

Hughes came out in a hurry, not carrying a blade, but he was not at all intimidated, and with his skill, even with his bare hands, he could take the guard's sword in a few turns.

"That's enough!" Hodge stepped forward, breaking the deadlock between the two as he faced Hughes, "Let me talk to him." Turning to the guard again, "Listen to me, okay?"

The guard hesitated, he threw the sword in his hand and looked at Hodge warily: "You just stand there and say." ”

"Okay, I'm not going to go over, I'll just say it here. He pointed at Hughes, "First of all, I want to ask you, with what you know about this knight, even if he doesn't have a sword in his hand now, can you beat him and get out?"

The guard was apprehensive in his heart, and after calming down a little, he immediately thought of this problem, he was only a mercenary before he was loyal to the Baker family, and he was only an average level among the mercenaries, even after the training of the Baker family, the level of improvement was very limited, and Hughes was a serious knight, even if he didn't have weapons at this time, he didn't have much confidence.

Hodge saw his hesitation, and hurriedly struck while the iron was hot: "The second question, even if you do get out, will you be able to get out of this snow forest?

"Third question, are you sure that after you run away, the monster hiding in the shadows will not follow your steps and attack by surprise?"

The guard's limbs were cold, and his face was covered with cold sweat.

"In this case, then you should understand that it is safest to be with us, although it is accompanied by the possibility of death, but it is only a possibility, and when you leave the group, you will really never come back. ”

The guard stuck his sword on the ground, and the sword was silent for a long time, and said in a trembling voice, "But I betrayed my oath. ”

Death to those who break the oath, this is the law of the mainland.

"Everyone makes mistakes, but in the same way, everyone should have the opportunity to make up for them. Fink said with a look of compassion.

"Come back, we won't hold you accountable for this, you have my promise. Carroll said.

Hodge looked at Hughes, who had not intended to forgive the traitor who tried to run away and even draw his sword against his master, but because of Carroll, he had to say, "And mine." ”