The knight silently took Robert's arm in apology, then released the sword from its ancient scabbard.

He walked to the other side of the road, leaning against a broken fence and bowed his head as if to rest. Robert looked at it for a moment, then turned and walked into the forest with Wade.

"How?" muttered Calamon as Robert and Wade appeared. The sturdy warrior adjusted the weapon on his back and clanged.

Others were very close to the trees. But they can clearly see the situation on the road.

"Shhhhh "Pastor. He whispered. "A group of pastors came up to him, and Stone wanted to talk to them. ”

"Pastor!" Calamon sat down reassuringly. But Rodrith's face showed unease.

"Pastor," he said thoughtfully. "I think there's a problem. ”

"Why?" Robert asked.

Rodrith squinted at the half-elf in the shadow of his hood. Robert could only see his golden eyes with deep wisdom.

"Strange priest," Rodrith explained patiently, as if he were talking to a child. "This crystal staff has the power of healing—not seen in the whole of Candela since the Cataclysm! Calamon and I had seen these mysterious priests in Willow.

Don't you think it's a bit of a coincidence that the scepter and the priests suddenly appeared at the same time, but there was no sign of them before? ”

Robert looked at Scarlet Moon, she had the same worry on her face, she must be thinking about the same thing.

He then turned his gaze back to the road, watching the priests slowly dragging their trailers down the road, Stone sitting on the fence quietly touching his beard.

The crowd waited quietly. The sky was cloudy, and then it rained heavily.

"It's good now—it's raining," Hubble muttered. "It's not enough for me to stay like a toad in the bushes, I'm drenched all over—"

Robert glared at the dwarf, and Hubble muttered a few more words before shutting up. Soon the crowd could hear no sound other than the rumble of rain on their shields and helmets.

It's the kind of rain that's so wet and cold that even the thickest cloak can't stop its power. Raindrops hit Calamon's helmet and left a trail down his neck.

Rodrith began to cough, and everyone watched in alarm, and he covered his mouth with his right hand, hoping to keep his voice down.

Robert looked at the road like Wade: he hadn't seen a guy dressed like this in his last hundred years. Their bodies were covered with robes, and their robes were covered with heavy cloaks: even their hands and feet were covered with cloth, as if they were bandaged with wounds.

When they saw Stone, they all looked around nervously, and one of them stared at the bushes where everyone was hiding, and everyone could only see his eyes shining with a strange light between the strips of cloth.

"Hello!Knight Sorenia," the leading priest greeted Stone in Mandarin. With a hissing sound, not like a human voice. Robert shuddered.

"Hello brothers. Stone also replied in Mandarin. "I've traveled a long way, and you're the first group of travelers I've ever met. I've heard some bizarre rumors, so I'd like to know a little bit about the road ahead. Where are you from?"

"We began to come from the East," the pastor replied. "But today we're from Haven. The weather is really not suitable for travel today!Knight, maybe this will leave this road empty! We didn't meet on the road, you must have come from Vero!"

Stone nodded, and several priests standing behind looked at each other for a while. The priest who took the lead turned around and conversed with them in a strange language.

Robert looked at his companions, Wade shook his head, and so did the others, no one had ever heard the language. "Knight, I'm curious about the rumors you're talking about. ”

"It is said that there is a large army gathering in the north," Stone replied. "I want to go back to my hometown of Solonia, and I don't want an unexpected war. ”

"We haven't heard of these rumors," the pastor replied. "As far as we know, the road to the north is smooth. ”

"Hah, I guess that's what happens when you listen to a drunkard. Stone shrugged. "So what is important for the brethren to travel in such weather?"

"We were looking for a walking stick. The pastor replied preparedly. "A blue crystal staff. We've heard of people seeing it in Willow. Have you heard?"

"Yes. Stone leaned back on the fence, "I've heard that Villory has such a crystal staff, and I've heard rumors of the Northern army gathering from the same person, do you think I should believe these stories?"

Such an answer seemed to leave the pastor a little at a loss, looking around, as if he didn't know what to do next.

"Why are you looking for a blue crystal staff? It seems to me that an ordinary wooden staff would be more suitable for you devout believers. ”

"It's a sacred staff with healing powers. The pastor replied sadly. "One of our brothers is very sick, and if he can't be blessed with this crystal staff, I'm afraid there will be no salvation. ”

"Medical?" Stone's eyebrows jumped. "A holy scepter with healing powers is worth a fortune! how could you lose such a priceless treasure?"

"We didn't lose it!" the priest roared. Robert saw his hand clasped tightly in the strip of cloth. "It was stolen from our temple! We tracked down the damned thief to a barbarian village of the plains, but we didn't find him.

We've heard there's something strange going on with Willow, so we've traveled all the way to get here. He looked back at the trailer. "Our little sacrifice is nothing compared to the suffering of our brothers. ”

"It's a pity I can't help—" Stone just began.

"I can help you!" said a clear voice beside Robert. He reached out to stop her, but it was too late.

Scarlet Moon had already risen from the bushes, pushing away the branches and weeds all the way without hesitation, and walked towards the road without looking back. River Wind jumped up and chased after her desperately.

She just replied, "I've got to figure it out!"

The priests heard Crimson Moon's voice and nodded to each other as if they had agreed. Robert sensed the trouble, but before he could say anything, Calamon jumped too.

"How can these plain people enjoy so much pleasure on their own, and leave me alone in the bushes!" said Calamon, pushing away the branches that stood in the way and following the river wind.

"Is everyone crazy?" Robert complained. He grabbed the collar of the Khand, who was about to happily run out after Calamun. "Hubble, keep an eye on him!

"Robert, you don't need to worry about me. The mage whispered, "I don't want to go out at all. ”

"Good, good. Just stay here. Robert stood up and walked forward, a "sense of foreboding" flowing through his body.

"I can help you. Crimson Moon's clear voice rang like a silver bell. She saw Stone's surprised expression, and understood Robert's intention to warn her.

But she is not a weak woman's hysterical behavior, and Scarlet Moon is not such a woman. Since her father was struck down by illness and unable to speak clearly and move the right half of her body, she has effectively ruled the tribe for ten years.

She has led warriors against neighboring tribes, led them through times of peace, and thwarted coups that sought to seize her power. She knew that such an act was fraught with danger, and these peculiar priests sent a chill through her bones.

But it was clear that they knew something about the scepter, and she needed to know it.

"I am the owner of the Blue Crystal Staff," Crimson Moon said, approaching the lead priest with a proud look on her face. "But we're not thieves; ”

River Breeze stood beside her, and Stone stood on the other side. Calamon stepped out of the bushes and stood behind her, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword with an expectant smile on his face.

"That's what you say. There was a strange hissing in the pastor's words. He looked at the bland cane in Scarlet Moon's hand, a compelling look in his eyes, and then reached out to stroke it with a cloth hand. But Scarlet Moon immediately hugged her staff tighter.

"This scepter was brought from a very evil place," she said, "and I can do all I can to help your dying brother, but I will not give it to anyone until you prove that it is indeed yours." ”

The priest hesitated for a moment, then looked back at his companions. Robert noticed them making nervous, suspicious gestures towards the straps around their waists. Robert also noticed strange protrusions underneath these unusual bands, and he was certain that they would never be the scriptures used for prayer.

He cursed in despair, hoping that Calamon and Stone would take notice. But Stone didn't seem to care, and Calamon seemed to be joking with him. Robert carefully raised his bow and wound the arrow.

The pastor finally bowed and put his hands in his sleeves as a gesture of concession. "We are glad to have such an honor for you to help our poor brother," his voice was somewhat slurred.

"We also hope that you and your friends will be able to return to Haven with us, and I guarantee that there is enough evidence there to convince you that the Crystal Staff is indeed our treasure. ”

"Brother, we only want to see where we go," Calamon roared.

Stupid!Robert thought to himself. The half-elves considered warning them, but decided not to show their whereabouts casually, lest the worst happen.

Scarlet Moon followed the priest to the trailer, and River Wind followed. Calamon and Stone stood in front of the trailer, watching with interest.

When Scarlet Moon and the Priest reach the back of the trailer, the Priest reaches out with a hand tied with strips of cloth and pulls Scarlet Moon closer to the trailer. She pushed the pastor's hand away and stepped forward. The priest humbly bowed his head and lifted the cloth covering the trailer. Scarlet Moon took the crystal staff and looked inside.

Robert then saw a flurry of movements. Scarlet Moon screams loudly, a burst of blue flashes and a scream from behind the trailer.

Crimson Moon stepped back quickly, and River Wind stood in front of her with an arrow. The priest raised a trumpet and blew a deafening sound.

"Calamon, Stone," Robert shouted, raising his bow, "it's a trap!" Suddenly a tremendous force pressed down on him from above, knocking him to the ground. A pair of strong hands grabbed his throat and pressed his face into the damp leaves and mud on the ground.

The hands found a place to focus and began to tighten constantly. Robert struggled to breathe, but his nose was full of mud. Venus appeared in front of him, and he frantically tried to pull away the hand that was holding his neck. But those hands were unexpectedly strong.

Robert felt like he was on the verge of losing consciousness. He desperately tried to break free of those hands one last time, and then heard a wail and a loud crash. The hands finally let go, and the weight on Robert's body was dragged away.

Robert struggled to his knees, breathing in pain. After touching the mud from his face, he saw Hubble holding a wooden stick in his hand. But instead of looking at him, the dwarf's eyes fell on the corpse at his feet.

Robert followed the dwarf's surprised gaze, and then the half-elf was frozen in fear. He wasn't human at all! Membrane-like wings protruding from his back, he had the shiny scale armor of a reptilian type, and his hands and feet were hooked, but he walked upright like a man on two feet.

The creature wears intricately constructed armor that allows it to use wings. Anyway, it was the creature's face that made him tremble—it wasn't the face of any creature he'd ever seen, whether on the Candela continent or in the most horrific nightmares.

The creature had a human face, but it seemed to have some terrible power—it had twisted it into a reptilian face!

"Oh my God," Rodrith gasped and crawled over to Robert, "what the hell is this?"

Before Robert could reply, he caught another glimpse of a basket of light out of the corner of his eye and heard Crimson Moon's cries for help.

The moment Scarlet Moon looked into the trailer, she thought it was some kind of disease that caused her skin to turn into scales. She was about to touch the poor priest with her crystal staff, when the creature lying inside suddenly jumped up and tried to snatch it.

Crimson Moon hurriedly took a step back, but the creature's movements were swift, and its claws were already grasping at the crystal staff.

Suddenly, there was a dizzying flash of blue, and the creature screamed and retreated, shielding its blackened claws. River Wind drew his sword and stood in front of the chief's daughter.

But then she heard him gasp loudly, and the hand holding the sword hung limply, and her steps staggered back. He didn't care about his own safety.

The hand wrapped in the cloth hugged her from behind to the front, and the scaly hand covered her mouth. Struggling to escape, she saw from the corner of her eye that the river breeze was looking at the contents of the trailer like ashes, and her chest continued to rise and fall, as if she had seen a nightmare come true.

Crimson Moon has the blood of a proud warrior in her body, and she reacts quickly to kick the priest behind her to the knee.

A swift kick shattered the priest's defenseless knees, and letting go of her gripping hands, Scarlet Moon saw the moment and turned to attack it with her crystal staff.

She was amazed to see the creature behind her fall to the ground silently, as if struck down by a strange force that Calamon could hardly match. She looked at the crystal staff in her hand in amazement, and saw that it shone blue.

But now is not the time to be in a daze - the rest of the monsters began to surround her. She waved the crystal staff in her hand to keep them from getting closer, but how long would it last?

"River Breeze!"