Outside Sicar, in the dense forest.
A thick layer of snow covered the hard, frozen ground, which was already as tough as steel, as if it was wearing a layer of armor. The pine needles in the dense forest were like sharp little daggers. Anyone who dashed through them would be cut.
Every year, there would be some unlucky bastards among the patrols who were ill-prepared.
Because of these unlucky bastards, every patrol team would have a period of rapid growth.
Carl was an unlucky bastard back in the day.
When he first joined the patrol team, he rejected his captain's suggestion to wear a thick linen mantle and insisted on wearing his armor. Then … the parts of his body that weren't protected by his armor were scratched by the pine needles, causing him to bleed profusely.
As for the parts that weren't protected by his armor?
He didn't have a good time either.
The long hours of exercise and the large amount of sweat not only made him uncomfortable, but it also completely froze his skin and undershirt at night. Karl would never forget the look on his captain and his teammates' faces when they boiled water to solve his problem. After that incident, he was sick for a week due to a cold before he recovered.
Then, he rejected his mother's suggestion to join the army as a staff officer and returned to the patrol team.
He stayed for a whole year.
It was boring and dangerous.
But it was also happy.
There were no schemes against each other, no hidden daggers behind their smiles. Everyone trusted their backs to each other, their comrades.
Recalling the past, Carl unconsciously curled his lips into a grin.
However, he came back to his senses at that moment. 'I'm a skeleton now, where did the grin come from?'
Carl immediately opened his jaw.
He wanted to cry his heart out.
Unfortunately, he was a skeleton, he couldn't even cry.
All he could feel was the flickering of his soul fire.
He couldn't go back to Sicar anymore.
He couldn't go to crowded places anymore.
Would the wilderness be his home?
His mother, father, and uncle would never see each other again!
Once he saw them again, he would probably become a target for killing, wouldn't he?
Once he thought about the days ahead, Carl's mood turned gloomy.
He never thought he would fall to such a state.
However, he didn't feel any more resentment.
After all, compared to his dead comrades, he was still considered lucky, wasn't he?
"Phernesa, do you remember where the captain and the others were buried?"
Carl asked his mount.
"Yes, at the side of Great Sparrow Ridge.
Phernesa said immediately.
"Where are you taking me?"
Karl touched Phernesa's back out of habit. Even though it had turned into bones, it was still broad.
"Alright!"
Phernesa nodded and immediately changed from a stroll to a sprint.
When it was still a normal warhorse, Phernesa, which had been nourished by various magical items, had intelligence, strength, and speed that other warhorses did not have. After turning into a skeleton warhorse, Phernesa had undergone a qualitative change in all aspects. At least, Karl felt that Phernesa's speed had more than doubled.
He would be able to see the captain before noon.
Captain referred to the captain Karl met when he first joined the patrol team.
This captain had an extraordinary meaning to Karl.
It could even be said that he had turned Karl from a more diligent noble young man into a true warrior's guide. The relationship between the two of them was like a teacher and a friend. They were very close.
If it wasn't for an unexpected encounter with an enemy during a patrol, the captain would have become an influential figure in the military of Sicar by now.
Of course, there were also his teammates.
He was the only one who survived that danger.
His teammates followed his captain's example, covering the retreat time after time and dying time after time, all so that he, the youngest and most insensible brother, could have a chance to live.
Back then, he was filled with hatred, anger, and guilt.
He hated himself for being useless.
He was angry at himself for being useless.
Guilt …
His captain and teammates didn't know who he really was. When he joined the patrol team, he tried to hide his identity. All he did was blurt out that he came from a fallen noble family and didn't reveal his true identity.
Then, he didn't have the chance to reveal his identity anymore.
Even though he begged his uncle to send out elite riders to wipe out the bandits, how could his captain and teammates come back to life?
He followed the promise he made during the casual conversation.
He buried everyone at the side of Great Sparrow Ridge.
During summer, the ridge was very beautiful and was a must for everyone when they went camping.
Every season, he would go there to pay his respects.
The last time was two months ago, before the weather had completely turned cold. He brought everyone's favorite liquor, sausages, bacon, and potato cakes.
'Maybe I should stay with my captain and the others.
I look like my captain and the others anyway. '
Sitting on Phernesa's back, Carl's thoughts ran wild.
When Phernesa stopped, Great Sparrow Ridge was right in front of his eyes.
Great Sparrow Ridge during winter was not as beautiful as it was during summer. A thick layer of snow covered everything, and during summer, when the wind blew, the whole meadow would sway.
Now?
Every step required a great deal of strength.
Carl purposely opened up a small path for himself. If he had come to Great Sparrow Ridge without a path, it would have been impossible during winter.
Gak Tsk, Gak Tsk.
Every time his boots touched the snow, every time he pulled them out and put them on the ground, it would produce a unique noise.
Other than the wind, there were no other noises.
Soon, Carl, whose body had changed, was able to see his captain and the others' graveyard with a more relaxed posture.
The graveyard was built halfway up the hill and was made out of polished stones.
It wasn't big, only nine chambers. Every chamber was arranged according to the position they had been in during their patrol.
The captain was at the front, the vice-captain at the back, the archers in the middle, and the pikemen on both sides. Back then, Carl was one of the pikemen.
Tsss Tsss!
Carl pushed open the frozen stone door and walked into the graveyard.
As usual, he started to clean up the place.
Every time he came here, in order to prevent his captain and the others' bones from being damaged, he would not only clean up the animals around, but he would also sprinkle some tiger urine around the area.
However, this time was different. He did not bring enough offerings.
He did not clean up the animals either.
There were almost no animals in Sicar Land during winter.
As for the tiger urine?
No need for that anymore.
He would guard the graveyard from now on.
After all, this was his squad.
The graveyard had the captain, the vice-captain, and the others.
In the graveyard, he could speak his mind and express his dissatisfaction towards his uncle's governance without holding back. However, he could not speak his mind at home.
Whether it was his mother or his late father, neither of them allowed him to speak.
"I'm so tired, Captain.
Every time I'm here, I feel the most relaxed.
Fortunately, I left an empty spot for myself. When spring comes, I'll find some stones and build a chamber for myself … Hmm, skeletons don't need to eat, right?
Come to think of it, it's not a bad idea. "
Carl sat down cross-legged on the empty ground that he had just cleaned up and said to the tombstone in front of him.
Although it was winter, Carl felt like he had returned to the wild in summer since he couldn't feel the temperature change. Everyone built a bonfire here, laughing and cursing each other, singing and dancing after drinking a little too much.
Warmth faintly spread in Carl's soul.
In an instant, the anxiety in his heart and the blabbering in his ears vanished.
Carl relaxed his mind.
Right at that moment …
"Kill!"
A loud shout woke Carl up.
The soul fire in his eyes flickered, suppressing the rising rage in his heart.
This was the resting place of his captain and the others, so they should avoid killing.
Karl told himself that.
His eyes were looking at the place where the shouts came from.
It was from the other side of Great Sparrow Ridge.
"I'll be right back."
Carl said something to his comrades in the grave and jumped on his horse.
Great Sparrow Ridge was extremely steep, but Phernesa was treading on flat ground. A few breaths later, Carl reached the highest point of Great Sparrow Ridge and saw what was happening at the foot of the mountain.
Two groups were fighting each other.
One group had more men, the other had fewer men.
However, the side with more men was at an absolute disadvantage because the majority of the group consisted of the elderly, women, and children, plus many of the injured. It was obvious that the battle had started a while ago.
On the other side, although they had fewer men, they were very strong.
There were less than 30 men in the group, but they obeyed orders and coordinated well, no doubt they were veterans in battle. If the former group didn't have more men and were not fearless of death, they would have been killed a long time ago.
"Which new group of bandits are these?"
Carl was confused.
Carl was familiar with most of the bandits in Sicar, and every single one of them that he was familiar with didn't live past the next season. Every single one of them was ruthlessly killed.
Carl didn't have a good impression of bandits.
It wasn't just because of his duty, it was also because his captain and teammates died in the hands of bandits.
Therefore, Carl had a deep hatred for bandits.
Instinctively, Carl was ready to draw his sword and charge at the group of bandits, killing them all.
But right after that, Carl hesitated.
His current appearance wasn't suitable for him to meet people.
More importantly, Great Sparrow Ridge was his captain and teammates' graveyard. If a monster like him appeared here, even if he saved the others, the place would be searched thoroughly.
He knew his uncle's style very well.
His captain and teammates' graveyard would be preserved.
But he would lose his last home.
But …
Was he going to watch these people get killed by the bandits?
The soul fire in his eye sockets flickered rapidly, Carl's emotions becoming unstable. His calm heart was restless again and the blabbering in his ears sounded again.
At the same time, the side with more men at the foot of the mountain was also in a precarious situation.
Although Forv had prepared as much as he could when he set off from Sicar, he still underestimated the number of believers and their determination. Almost all the villages decided to leave with him.
It didn't just slow down the group, they were also targeted by the hateful bandits.
The journey from Sicar to the outskirts of Mozaar wasn't a peaceful one, even though the viscount had to spend a lot of effort every year to eliminate the bandits and robbers.
The bandits were like weeds, growing endlessly.
Sometimes, many of them couldn't even tell the difference.
Because, most of the time, they were refugees.
But when one turned around, they would become bandits.
In order to return to Sicar as soon as possible, Forv, as the leader of the group, had forced his believers to give up a certain amount of wealth and food. He hoped to feed the bandits with the wealth and send them on their way.
But!
The bandits didn't care about the wealth and food, they were still chasing after the group.
It was obvious that the bandits' goal wasn't the wealth and food, but … the believers themselves?
"Are they the enemies of my lord?
Or are they people with ulterior motives? "
Such thoughts rumbled in the young man's mind.
Although he didn't have a precise answer, it didn't stop him from slashing the bandit in front of him off his horse.
The blade sliced through the bandit's neck, his head flying up to the sky.
Although the helmet covered the bandit's face, his dying cry was filled with unwillingness.
Forv laughed coldly.
Although he didn't like to use his brain, when it came to swordsmanship, he was stronger than Shegal, let alone with His Majesty's attention, he would be unrivaled.
The headless bandit followed the horse forward for a few steps before falling to the ground.
Even without Forv's order, the believers that followed the bandits quickly moved their horses back to the group and started to remove the leather armor and daggers from the bandit's body.
Those who tried to stop the bandits were shot back by the arrows of the believers.
The believers lacked swords, armor, and horses, but as mountain people, every one of them was an excellent hunter with outstanding archery skills. If it wasn't for the fact that they had a family to feed and the limited number of arrows they had, it would have been enough to let these attackers know what death was.
At the same time, the attackers also noticed this.
They weren't in a hurry anymore, they circled the group like a pack of wolves that had their eyes on their prey.
They weren't lacking in patience.
They were full of confidence.
They believed they would emerge victorious in the end.
The believers of the God of Mist, on the other hand, had their eyes on the bandits. Some were on alert, some were in charge of healing the wounded, the whole group was operating in a tight rhythm.
Many of them knelt on the ground and started to pray softly.
"Oh, Supreme Lord!"
Please listen to our prayers, we will carry out your will, bow to your greatness, bear your name, we will shine the world, everything we have will be bestowed by you … "
One of them spoke softly, so no one could hear it.
However, when everyone else spoke softly and said the same thing …
No matter how low the voice was, it would sound different.
The believers who bathed in their prayers looked even more determined.
The bandits who heard the prayers showed disdain in their eyes.
The God of Mist?
Of course they knew!
In fact, the God of Mist was their real target!
However, the God of Mist was sent by that lord, and they?
They were in charge of eliminating these stubborn believers!
"God?
"He's just a lucky bastard, and he's called a god?"
The leader of the bandits mocked.
Forv gripped his sword hilt tightly. Several other young men who had met Bloody Mary before wanted to rush out and kill the bandits, but Forv stopped them.
"He is trying to provoke us!
Don't fall for it! "
Even though he really wanted to chop the bandits into pieces, Forv still reminded his comrades.
After hearing Forv's words, the bandits leader laughed out loud.
"Provoke you?
You people think too highly of yourselves!
Just like that so-called God of yours!
If he really is God, then I've looked down on him, I'm filled with malicious intent, I even spoke viciously to him, what can he do?
"Don't tell me they can still send down divine punishment?"
Let me tell you, it's impossible! "
His brazen voice echoed at the foot of the mountain. The more the bandits leader spoke, the more excited he got. He saw the expressions of the fake God's believers and knew they couldn't hold on much longer. A few more words from him and these believers would swarm up like a swarm of bees, then he would be able to slaughter them all. Therefore, he was ready to continue.
However, before the words left his mouth …
He heard whimpering behind him.
It sounded like the whimpering of a hunting hound.
However, the whimpering was too deep and vigorous, it sounded more like a tiger's.
But how could a tiger appear in this mountain?
Behind him were his men.
They formed an impenetrable wall of subordinates.
Even if there was a tiger, it wouldn't be able to sneak in without a sound.
Still, the bandits leader instinctively turned around, trying to observe with the corner of his eyes.
Then …
He saw a gaping maw.
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