The prince took another bite of the food, and suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

Dean was still staring at him, seemingly interested in how he ate.

What's wrong?" Tails swallowed a mouthful of food, and suddenly wanted to ask.

But he didn't.

Thankfully, Louisa suddenly spoke, distracting Dean and relieving Tails of his discomfort.

"I feel like we've offended him, Dean. ”

"You know, Tom Ding," Louisa sighed, her face full of sorrow, "Damn, can you believe it, we tried to save his life, but we offended him." ”

"It's okay, it's the last time we'll work for him," Dean sighed, "and we're going to have to do Tomding's business again." ”

"For the last time?"

Fast rope closed his eyes and exhaled: "God bless! I'm really fed up with that guy! I know so-and-so ...... when I open and close my mouth."

"The last time - ho, it would be even worse, I can imagine how he orchestrated us behind our backs. Luisa said sarcastically.

"I told you we shouldn't come. McGee looked at Dean silently.

"It's my fault, brother," Dean smiled apologetically at the Bones, "we shouldn't have gone north." ”

The bald mercenary's eyes burned.

"Don't worry about Tomding, I guess it's time for us to get out of the Bladetooth Dunes...... Although I didn't plan to stay long. ”

With these words, all the mercenaries stopped what they were doing and looked at Dean in unison.

Tails couldn't help but be curious: this bald mercenary seemed to have the courage to attract the attention of others as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Get out of the Blade...... You mean, leaving our current base camp?" repeated the old hammer in surprise.

The mercenaries looked at each other, as if amazed by the suggestion.

Luisa cautiously asked, "Leave, now, what do you think?"

Dean shook his head.

"First of all, it was the Freedom Alliance that went to war, and then the Stars blocked the border in the Blade Tooth Dunes, and then something like this happened here......"

"I don't believe these things have nothing to do with each other. ”

The bald-headed mercenary took a sip of water and looked at several camps in the distance with a worried face: "Whether it is the Blade Tooth Dunes or the Western Front, this land is no longer suitable for mercenaries. ”

Fast Rope raised his hand in confusion.

"Wait, why don't I understand? Freedom League, seal the border...... What does all this have to do with being a mercenary?"

"Shut up," the old hammer glared at him gravely, "listen to Dean and learn." ”

Fast Rope blinked, looking confused.

Tails also looked at Dean with interest.

"For several years, Qiyuan City has never sent a sweeping team deep into the desert to maintain trade routes, and even the range of patrol cavalry is becoming more and more stingy when it comes to business in the west, and even the patrol cavalry is becoming more and more stingy," Dean said silently, staring at the sand under his feet:

"And now, the Freedom Alliance dares to openly argue with them and the Northlanders, which says a lot about it. ”

Kanze, a native of the Northland, snorted coldly, seeming to be dissatisfied.

Dean sighed.

"Not only Qiyuan City, but Weilan Ling has also shrunk the defensive line, and Korak, who is running that line, told me that it has been a long time since I have seen the forest rangers of Exeter from the West Great Needle Forest to the Ende Loess, but from time to time I will meet the Star People sent by Overwatch City to enclose the land......"

Fast Rope scratched his head and tilted his head: "So—what do you mean?"

Everyone invariably gave him an eye knife and blamed him for interjecting.

But Dean smiled disapprovingly:

"Obviously, whether it is the city of Prayer or the Willan Territory, the influence and presence of the Northlanders in the desert is waning, and these things are unmistakable that the dragon intends to retract its claws, and the kingdom of Exeter is in decline. ”

When Tails heard this, he couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart.

So......

"Why?" "Why can't I see it?"

"Politics, right. This time, it was the unexpected old hammer who took the conversation, and he shook his head in disgust:

"Six years ago, Exeter re-elected the king. ”

Tails' heart sank.

He was reminded of that day six years ago.

The head.

That crown.

That one...... Girl.

Dean sighed slightly.

"Yes, I guess that's why and where the border armies of the city of Qiyuan and the Willan Lords disappeared—perhaps the new king, who had taken the throne and had a reputation for his brother, was so much more of a threat to the Grand Dukes than the desert frontier that they had no time to take care of the affairs of the sand. ”

Kanzer snorted: "Relicide." ”

Dean nodded, frowned and continued to speak.

"The forces in the desert, whether it is the big tribe of orcs or the tribe of the barren bones, they will definitely detect the retreat of the northlanders, the changes in the northern end of the desert, there is no threat of formed armies, they will try to go north all the time, fill the gap left by Exeter, and fight for resources and space for survival. ”

The bald mercenary drew lines in the sand, and Tails could barely tell that it was the map:

"At the same time, the decline of the Dragon Nation will free up the Stars, and the Western Front may or may not expand, but judging from their blockade this time, the former is more likely. ”

Fast Rope was stunned when he heard this, and the others were similar, most of them were confused, only Luisa still looked at Dean with a serious face.

Seeing this, Tails suddenly understood where Dean's position in this team came from.

I saw Dean frowning, and said cautiously: "Whether it is the northward expansion of the big tribe or the westward expansion of the stars, it is not something that a small mercenary team like us can afford, the business will become less and less, the road will become more and more difficult, and there will be more and more accidents, at least for five years, we can't stay here - the northern and eastern ends of the desert." ”

The old hammer snorted helplessly: "Alas, in the final analysis, the strength is still not enough, if we are an elite hundred-man regiment like the 'blood whistle'......"

But Dean interrupted him without question: "No, then we will become cannon fodder for Clash of Clans or Kingdom Battles, and die faster." ”

The old hammer smiled awkwardly.

"So where are we going?"

Fast rope glared at him: "Go back to the south again, back to the place we came from, the Three Kingdoms of the Lost Sea?"

Dean shook his head in disapproval.

"Whether it's the Duchy of Thera, the Duchy of Norton, or the Duchy of Quell, they face the same problems as the northern end of the desert. In the same way, Exeter's decline and infighting was followed by the revival of the Kingdom of the Stars, even if it was their hardest-hit Blade Leader. ”

"Without the threat and restraint of the northern dragons, the Kingdom of the Stars will certainly try to restore their influence and overlord privileges in the southwestern neighbors, and in the three kingdoms of the Lost Sea, in the free world, smuggling paradise, duty-free paradise, sword arena, and death country where merchants, thugs, hooligans, killers, bounty hunters, freelancers, and mercenaries are prevalent...... Guess who's going to be the first to get lucky. ”

Tails breathed slowly, digesting the knowledge in front of him step by step - the information these mercenaries got was not a "little slippery head looking at the world" in the study.

The fast rope was almost dizzy: "It's so complicated, so where the hell are we going?"

"To put it simply," Dean said with a serious expression, "that is, we have to find a place where the great powers and forces are divided and jealous of each other, and it is better to be too weak to hold each other, so that we can find business and opportunities without having to face the scourge of large-scale war." ”

Louisa nodded, "So, where is Dante's great sword pointing?"

Dean smiled slightly and pointed to the map on the sand: "It's still this matter - the Exeter Kingdom is temporarily in decline, and the Golden Corridor and the Comas Alliance will also be affected." Comas has always been full of internal contradictions, once Exeter falls into infighting, Vine City, which has an in-law relationship with Longxiao City and has seized the right to speak in the alliance for more than ten years, will be hit the most, and in turn, the pressure on the four northern cities in the north will be sharply reduced, ushering in a rising period. ”

"The four northern cities led by Shanliu City, the coastal community of Warir state, and even the southeastern states represented by Sanrast, which have been stable for a long time, will usher in a small period of struggle with the vine city that has lost its strong reinforcements, we don't know what will happen to the internal struggle within Commas, but the infighting between merchants is at least people like us. And in the small countries around Commas, such as the Maple Point Coast, Koyalenk, and the North Sea Kingdom, there should be a lot of opportunities. ”

Speaking of Shanliu City, Tails thought of the impressive Marquis in Longxiao City who abides by the "spirit of contract".

Dean continued: "Vine City is in decline, so Commas has lost the motivation and strength to get into the west and the Tallendi Condominium, and the Allenbia Kingdom will not let go of this opportunity, they have been looking forward to taking the Tallendi Condominium before Commas infiltrates, but it could be a peaceful political evolution or a bloody war of conquest, and our future is uncertain if we go there." ”

"As for the Golden Corridor...... I won't talk about the Freedom League and the White Mountain, the Feast Collar and the Wild Mountain are not clear, and Levor is sandwiched between Commas and Allenbia, and I can't say it well. But a mercenary from the City of Steel told me that the Grand Duke of Cid of the Duchy of Anrenzo is not in good health, and it is conceivable that his children will be in a tug of war over the inheritance, and the large and small cities around the Dragon's Kiss Land may reshuffle the cards due to the turmoil of the suzerain, but Commath is busy with infighting, and the stars are going to retake the three kingdoms of the Lost Sea, Allenbia, I guess there will be levels, centigold, and even small-scale bandits and rebellions, which the merchants will not like, but that is the opportunity for mercenaries. ”

Dean looked up, only to find that most of them were looking at him with puzzled expressions, even Louisa frowned.

But Tails' clear gaze made the bald head slightly stunned.

Dean coughed and returned to the present, pointing to the ground, "So, Commas or Dragonkiss, let's pick one." ”

The air fell silent.

"I don't understand what you're saying, but I feel so powerful," said Kuairope in a rude, unsure slang from the sea or in the desert, "Are all mercenaries hanging like this now?"

Tails also looked at Dean solemnly.

Nothing else, but this insight alone......

No wonder, Dante's greatsword, no wonder they were able to go deep into the desert with confidence.

No wonder they were able to gather this group of warriors with their own strengths.

Louisa sneered.

"I don't know about the others," the female captain looked at the bald mercenary with an indescribable look, "but Dean, yes." ”

"That's how he hangs. ”

Dean coughed again, seeming a little embarrassed.

"We are mercenaries, fast ropes, and to survive, it depends not only on strength or luck," he laughed, inevitably a little embarrassed, "but the cautious shrewdness of judging the situation, the meticulous observation of intelligence, and the reputation of being well-connected." ”

Tails listened silently.

The life of a mercenary.

I see.

At this moment, McGee suddenly moved.

He quickly reached out and copied a large handful of sand out of the sand!

Tails and the other mercenaries were shocked.

Grains of sand fell from the fingers of the boneless man.

"!" McGee spat out dirty words for the first time, and he looked at what was in his hand, clenching his teeth and grimacing.

The sand was gone, and Tails could see that McGee was a small lizard in his hand, struggling to himself.

Well, lizards.

Wait a minute.

Tails found out that he knew the breed...... Well, I can't say "know", it should be, a few days ago, he "ate" lizards of this breed.

In the firelight, the lizard was blood-red, covered in white streaks, with spiky thorns between its epidermis, and swung its limbs and tail in pain at McGee's hands.

"Pretty, McGee!" Old Hammer laughed happily, "Cat and mouse are not so ......."

But his voice stopped abruptly.

"Nope. ”

At that moment, seeing the lizard clearly, Luisa's face showed disbelief in horror: "Oh my God, this is ......"

Tails looked at the old hammer suspiciously, and then at the other mercenaries, and found that most of them had solemn faces—except for the fast rope that had just started in the business.

"Don't panic," Dean's voice quieted the nervous group, "at least we're all here." ”

The prince's gaze returned to the poor red lizard.

Tails was full of questions.

Isn't this just a lizard?

Though the color is rare, it ...... Any questions?

It can't be poisonous—Tails silently touched his stomach: Wait, there shouldn't be any poison, it can last for days before it happens, right?

Yes, right?

"Wait," Fastrope said with a grimace as he pointed to the lizard, "I think I've heard Tampa say this...... Red-skinned white-striped ...... That is, it's ......"

He was pale.

"yes. ”

McGee said coldly, "Bloodthorn lizard." ”

"Ominous signs. ”

As soon as these words came out, everyone's faces became more and more ugly.

Bloodthorn lizard?

Tails' heart moved: he seemed to have heard the name of this animal somewhere.

Where is it?

But he couldn't remember it for a while, so he asked directly.

"Ominous? why?" it was the confused Tails.

The old hammer shrugged his shoulders with a sigh and looked at the hazy moonlight in the sky.

"This lizard is a specialty of the desert......"

"When they don't have enough food, they call out to each other at night and gradually gather in one place......"

He didn't say any more, but his face was full of sadness.

Tails asked tentatively, "Solidarity hunting?"

"Nope. McGee shook her head, her eyes grim.

Slowly, in his desert accent, the harsh lingua franca to which Tails had been accustomed for days, he said:

"They're going to start ...... Hunt each other and prey on fellow species. ”

Tails was stunned.

I only heard the barren bone man say coldly: "The last surviving blood thorn lizard can rely on the corpse of its companion to fill its stomach and survive this juncture when food is hard to find." ”

Tails' eyes widened, and he looked carefully at the struggling bloodthorn lizard.

This is......

Luisa sighed: "Devour your own kind, live on it." ”

"What kind of creature in the world can do such a terrible thing?"

Tails froze.

"It's not a coincidence," Dean sighed, "I know one." ”

"And they're living under the same skin as you and me. ”

"So the bloodthorn lizard is one of the most ominous creatures in the desert, and the desert god created it to warn us of our behavior in the desert—the desert god is not plagued, mortals seek themselves, cannibalism will be damned," McGee frowned, and said firmly:

"It means the most terrifying thing in the desert, worse than the crow that represents doom - the one who sees it, or the one who eats it, has a rough fate. ”

Tails stared blankly at the lizard.

The person who ate it......

No way?

It's superstition, isn't it?

Wait a minute......

It must be superstition, right, some unreliable metaphysics or something......

It must be......

Kerra!

In the next second, McGee mercilessly used his hand to end the life of this ominous animal.

Tails, who was immersed in panic, was startled again.

With a cold look in his eyes, the Bones Man dug open a sand pit and put the corpse of the Blood Thorn Lizard inside.

"There is no disaster in the desert, there is a disaster in the world, there is no forgiveness in the desert, and the desert is forgiven. He muttered something and buried the sand.

Fast Rope sighed and patted Tails, who looked a little sluggish, "Ignore him, the Bones Man is always weird." ”

The atmosphere of the team seemed to be gloomy in an instant.

"Don't be nervous, guys," Luisa coughed, drawing everyone's attention, "It's dead, we've only met, it's nothing if it's a little twist, and that's just a legend, besides, no one is stupid enough to eat it......"

Hearing this, Tails touched his stomach with a stiff expression.

"Go to the shift, I'll go too," Dean said indifferently, "Trust me, cheer up......"

Right now.

"Wait!" McGee said suddenly, in a serious tone.

Tails was stunned again.

Dean frowned: "What's ......"

"This bloodthorn lizard......" McGee gritted her teeth and looked at the half-buried bloodthorn lizard, "It didn't come for nothing. ”

"McGee, that's just ......legend," the old hammer sighed.

McGee jerked her head up!

"No, it buries a hole in the sand, and it is scared to escape!"

The face of the barren bone man was more solemn than ever: "And this means ......"

In the next second, McGee slammed to the ground!

He buried his side ears in the sand and remained motionless.

"Everybody be quiet," Dean whispered, holding up his hand, "let him listen." ”

In an instant, everyone in the camp fell silent, and even the fast rope covered his mouth in horror, leaving only the noise of other camps coming from afar, like a hazy background sound.

What's wrong?

Tails looked at them in amazement, but even he, who had never been a mercenary, understood their actions in a matter of moments.

Just a few seconds later, McGee was jumping!

The desolate bone man suddenly reached out to his twin knives, his tone was very urgent, and his face was hideous:

"Someone is approaching, in all directions, and the footsteps are heavy......"

Before he could finish speaking, Dean's face changed, he grabbed the fighting axe in his hand, and shouted to the sky:

"Alert!"

His roar was loud, especially in the desert night sky!

The night was silent throughout the caravan.

In the next second, the caravan's camp was chaotic, noisy, bustling, and there was no sound.

But on this side, before Tails could react, Dante's great swords jumped up from the ground in unison, and even the fast rope did not fall into the wind.

They each pounced on his weapon: Kanzer drew his two-handed greatsword in a domineering manner, McGee drew his twin knives, the old hammer untied the sackcloth wrapped around the hammer, Hubert raised his hammer and shield, Quickrope drew a scimitar with a gauntlet, and Louisa threw off her quiver and drew her sword at her waist, and they spread out in a tacit and unified formation with their backs to the campfire.

Tails then stood up, hurriedly pulled the crossbow of time, and began to load the arrows.

What the?

"Enemy?" Dean asked calmly, axe in hand, looking at the sand dunes behind him and the terrain in the distance.

"I don't know," McGee shook her head, her tone short, her breath still not subsided, "I can't see the sand and dust clearly at night, and the sand is very bad, so they take advantage of it...... They're about to close, and our sentinels ......"

"Confirm the mount first," Luisa's expression contorted, she gritted her teeth and drew the sword at her waist, hissing out, "Send a signal to the breeze to inform them ......"

But she couldn't finish her words.

Tails felt a chill in his heart.

In the darkness, a loud sound suddenly came!

Laugh at!

Kanze, a Northlander, seemed to have been hit with a heavy hammer and fell backwards!

"Ahhh

The sharp-eyed Tails saw a long arrow with sharp tail feathers appear on the shoulder of the Northlander.

"Enemy attack!" Dean roared, swinging his axe and firing a cold arrow.

Bang!

Clang!

In a matter of seconds, the mercenaries either dodged or blocked, fending off the first wave of cold arrows amid the sound of sand grinding and metal colliding!

But countless screams and howls came from the caravan's camp.

"No!"

"Ah, it hurts!"

"It's—"

Tails listened to the familiar voice in his ears in shock and anger, and felt like he was back on the battlefield he hated most.

In the next second, the old hammer calmly shook off the sledgehammer, and the momentum sank, colliding with a weapon that came in the dark!

"Boom!"

In the loud sound of tormenting the ear drums, Tails was surprised to see that the strong old hammer actually shook his body, took three steps back, and knelt on one knee, gasping for pain!

Enemies, countless enemies, they emerge from the endless darkness as if they had been promised.

Hubert's shield caught up in time to block the enemy's next blow.

"Come!" Hubert howled, intending to call to his companions, "Let's do this first—"

But he soon discovers that his intentions will not be realized: almost at the same time, all the mercenaries have encountered the enemy!

"Day!"

McGee gritted her teeth and shouted, slashing her twin knives and unloading a thick, sword-like weapon.

But before he could fight back, he rolled on the ground in embarrassment, avoiding a big stick that smashed down to the ground in the flying sand: "They are professional!"

Luisa calmly cooperated with Dean's axe, wielded her long sword, and used her flexible body to maneuver with difficulty with the three enemies: "Don't panic!

Desperately calm, Tails gritted his teeth around the campfire and finished the strings, raised his crossbow, and looked around.

How so, how so?

The bonfire was stirred up by the sudden battle, flickering in light and darkness, and the enemy's figure was not real, but it was shadowy, and it enveloped the small camp on this side, and pounced on Dante's great swords.

"Hastily—"

Quickrope screamed, his scimitar was vigorously repulsed by the enemy, and poor Xinding fell to the ground, but fortunately, Kanzer boldly drew his long arrow to fill his position, and the greatsword swung back an enemy who was about to take advantage of the situation.

Tails instantly entered the senses of hell.

Oh, my God.

He was covered in a cold sweat and looked at everything in front of him.

"Ahh

"Kill!"

"Ding—"

"Bang!"

"Cleary!"

Screams were heard endlessly, the smell of blood was heard on all sides, and the cries of rage and the clashing of weapons resounded through the dark night of the hazy moonlight.

There was even a terrifying animal roar, accompanied by a terrible howl from not far away, followed by a terrifying chewing sound—like teeth tearing flesh apart.

Damn it.

Damn it!

With the help of the Sins of the Prison River, the nervous prince was freed from the misdirection of the fire and the deception of the night, and he saw clearly: on the sand, forty or fifty stout, tall figures, seemed to be coming at the same time, from the dunes, from the flat ground, from the back slope, from different directions, all of them, all of them!

There are even non-human species that are on all fours and have long tails thrown into the air.

Plunder like fire.

Ants gather and attack.

Killing is relentless.

"Whew-"

The wind is rushing behind you!

Exercise!

Tails gritted his teeth, and he dodged an axe blow with unprecedented speed!

The axe wind swept through his hair, slicing open his head in an inch.

Damn it.

Damn it!

This is...... Deadly fight!

Tails clenched his crossbow in anger at the sound of the wind.

The enemy's rude curses came, and they couldn't really be heard.

The power of the end surged into the prince's thighs, and Tails stomped his feet to widen the distance, quickly turning to face his enemies.

He aimed the crossbow of time at the tall opponent's chest and pulled the trigger fiercely: "Poof!"

"Bell!"

With a loud bang, the enemy shook in agony, the offensive stalled, and the axe hung limply.

Tails shuddered, but not fear and panic—something that had been almost lost in countless distress attempts, and the unfair battle with Nicolai made him feel the cruelty and directness of desperate fighting—but the instinct of the Hellriver when the sin of the river filled his body, the desire to fight.

The prince took a sharp breath, decisively threw away his crossbow, and stepped on his feet.

In the cold wind, countless sand rubbed against the soles of his shoes and stepped back.

The JC dagger, which was as familiar as his arm, instantly grasped it in his palm.

After the battle with the Starfaller, his finishing power has improved a lot, and even his reaction to battle has also improved significantly, and the sin of the Hell River has been burning his blood all the time.

He knew that this was a desert.

No one will save themselves.

Only fighting.

Kill him.

Kill him!

With a speed that he couldn't imagine before, he instantly pounced on the enemy who was bent over and endured the pain, his legs were strong, he climbed up with the help of his strength, and stabbed forward with his right arm!

"Whew!"

The dagger plunges into the enemy's neck!

"Ahh

The feeling he hates the most.

The most hated feeling.

Let him recall the day when his fate changed.

That day, he was the same......

"Ahh

The next moment, Tails felt a strong attack on his chest, and he felt a pain!

"Bang!"

Under the great force, the prince was violently knocked to the sand, and severe pain and chest tightness came at the same time.

Worst.

The thought came to mind as Tails breathed in pain.

The gigantic foe howled, blood pouring out of his neck, but as if he didn't feel it, he jerked out the one-sided axe from the ground—almost as long as Tails, and its hideous, thick blade took up half of the hilt.

Tails, who was still trembling with difficulty from the fall, could only look at the red and black giant axe weakly.

Worst.

Worst!

He thought in pain, breathed hard, and his body could not move.

"Cell, Cell, Cell!"

The tall and sturdy enemy roared at Tails on the ground, as if he wanted to use the power of this life.

Above Tails, he swung his arms above his head, raised his great axe like a executioner, and shook his head in frenzy, red blood splattering the sand:

"Serrikai!"

Wait a minute.

Celle Cellrikai?

This sentence......

Tails felt a chill in his head: Where have I heard this?

In the next second, the enemy's hideous axe blade slashed mercilessly.

"Huh!"

At that moment, his face was facing Tails.

The moment he saw the enemy, the prince was stunned.

This face......

What kind of face is this?

The other man's large face was twisted and trembling in severe pain—its color was dark gray, its forehead was broad, its hairline was high, and its eyes were small.

The knotted cheeks are joined together and contract violently under the gray rough skin.

The other party's nose was almost two slits, except for a black bloody mouth, which was open in the air, showing terrifying fangs in a wild roar.

Hideous, ugly, chaotic.

That's how Tails can describe it.

"Whew-"

In the midst of the menacing shouts of rage, the terrifying axe blade sliced through the air and fell to the ground, slashing at Tails' chest.

In the darkness, the sound of battle seemed to be much more faint.

Tails finally gritted his teeth and looked hopelessly at the falling axe.

No.

The prince thought desperately.

"He" is not him.

He is not human.

It's "it".

It!

"Fuck the ball!"

Under the night sky, the old hammer's angry roar exploded on the flat ground, with a poignant tone and a resolute attitude, as if all the hatred and pain in the world were gathered here: "It's a gray bastard!"

"Son of a bitch—orcs!"

Eight thousand words, please call me Lei Feng alive, and then smash the monthly ticket.

bySwordless with an orc-like fury on his face.

(End of chapter)