By the time Summer woke up from his prostrated table, Nornes had already left, back to his room.

Su Mo's face was not very good-looking, he straightened up and slowly leaned back in his chair, thinking about nothing, doing nothing, just sitting there quietly.

After a while, he lowered his gaze and said softly, "It's time to rest." ”

The night was quiet and silent.

Continuing on the road the next day, Su Mo was already able to restrain his emotions well, and he didn't look anything unusual from the outside.

After consulting with Norns, the two continued on to the human tribe described on the map, but this time only picking some of the locations that passed through or were not far from the route.

Because of the age of the map, none of the tribes remained, the houses decomposed like rotting weeds, and the gray-brown horizon stretched into the distance, eventually meeting the sky.

However, when they were about to leave the territory of the Bloods and enter the territory ruled by the elves, they ran into a lone human in the wilderness.

At that time, the fog was thick, and the air was filled with a cold, thin mist, and you could smell the salty smell of the sea and hear the sound of the sea.

The ground is a large outcropping bed of rock, with uneven contours and long, slightly sloping blue-gray weeds growing in the gaps.

It was there that Summer and Nornes met two stealthy humans.

One of them is full of smiles, the other is full of sadness, as if they are in a supporting role in comedy and tragedy, respectively.

The distance was closer, and Su Mo found that the faces of the two turned out to be different masks, a simple mask fired from clay.

Both masks are made with rough firing techniques, with ugly eyes and wide mouths.

The corners of one of his lips turned upwards into a shallow smile, both a friendly smile and a cold, terrifying sneer.

The corners of the other mask were bent downward, and his face was full of sorrow, which was not so much sad as a deep hatred.

Realizing that they were being targeted by strange hunters, the two masked men stopped and turned to face the two Bloods.

As Summer and Nornes approached, the grimacing Mask stepped back, and the sneering Mask stepped forward, bowed deeply, and spoke.

"Your Excellency, we are willing to offer our own blood."

A man's voice spoke, using the lingua franca of the Bloods, but the accent was not standard, and the speed of speech was slow.

"If there is still a need, one of us can be appointed to take the initiative to die.

"I just beg that I can let the other person go and return to the tribe to resume his life."

Return to the tribe to return to life?

Although they are walking together, two humans who do not have extraordinary abilities can also be considered to walk alone in the wilderness......

Su Mo glanced sideways at Nornes, who nodded slightly, confirming his guess.

Su Mo turned his head again, stretched out his hand to the masked man, and asked in an unpredictable tone, "You are the 'messengers'?" ”

The masked man took his hand after a moment of silence and replied cautiously, "Yes." ”

It's hard and cold to the touch – but it's hands.

Su Mo had a faint smile on his face, although it might seem more like a mockery before playing with his prey to the other party.

"It's rude to put on a mask." He said.

"Yes, Your Excellency." Without thinking, the masked man said, "Please allow me to show you my true face. ”

After he said this, he stopped here, keeping his head bowed and asking for instructions.

Su Mo paused and replied, "Display, no problem." ”

The man took off his mask.

He was Asian, or half Asian, with a thin physique, short black hair, who looked to be thirty or forty years old, but whose beard was not thick.

After taking off the sneering mask, the smile on his face faded a lot, and his gray eyes looked dull.

"Pruit." He introduced himself, then bowed deeply, "This is my companion, Laval. ”

Laval, wearing a melancholy mask, also bowed, but her movements seemed more unnatural, even reluctant.

Yes, Laval is a woman, with a flat chest and a strong body, instinctively tiptoeing, as if always looking for an opportunity to attack.

She wore her mask all the time, didn't say a word, just bowed slightly, and then stood back.

They both stood silently, watching, or waiting for the judgment of fate.

"Hello, Pruth, Laval." Su Mo pronounced the names of the two of them, and asked tentatively, "What if we don't want your blood or your life, as long as you take us to your tribe?" ”

Prutt was silent, and so was Laval.

This is a silent refusal.

"Okay." Su Mo smiled, "Then, please take us to your material storage point." ”

As the name suggests, the Cache is a fixed place for the "messengers" to store supplies along the way, because they need to travel lightly and simply, and they can't carry too many supplies, which may be the hope of surviving when they run out of food, or they may be the last gift when they are desperate.

Two "messengers" led Summer and Nornes to a low ruin.

Between the crumbling rubble, two crooked wooden stakes supported a tent, and four people sat around a small fire in the tent.

The fog dissipated imperceptibly, and to their south, the sky and the vast sea merged in the distance, and to the north of them, on the jagged bed, the clouds clustered together, like horses flowing with sweat and blood in the light of blood.

Prutt carefully added a piece of wood to the fire.

"I beg your pardon that we can only raise such a small bonfire." "Firewood is limited. ”

Prutt put the mask aside, but didn't look directly at Summer or Noons.

Su Mo touched his cheek, pointed to their masks and asked, "What is the special meaning of your face?" ”

Prutt's sneering mask is a smile outlined in simple lines, while Laval's melancholy mask is meticulously drawn, with slanted, slender eyes painted in red, white, and blue.

"It can be used to express our grief." Laval said.

"And at the same time to cover up our anger." Prutt echoed.

"Angry?" Su Mo asked, "Angry at what?" ”

Prutt was silent for a moment.

"Before I talk about this topic, I hope you don't mind me putting on a mask and talking." His tone was steady, without a hint of emotion, "Without it, I don't speak naturally." ”

"Please." Su Mo replied briefly.

Prutt put his mask back on.

This smiling mask looked even more pleasing to the eye than his insensitive real face.

Prutt spoke......

Meanwhile.

In the distant wilderness, the thick black mist that emerged after the dissipation of the formless soul finally slowly receded after a long silence......