High Above

Campfires, roasting piles, burning stones, wooden racks for drying fish, and simple camps.

An intertwined stone statue of giant eels, a pitch-black stone basin long soaked in blood, bone fragments scattered around, and a slowly burning smoke stove.

Several hungry and thirsty men, several pairs of women and children with longing eyes, several elders who were sharpening their blades, and a disabled native who was tied up next to him, blind in one eye, and numb.

This is a scene that is not uncommon among the natives of the Great Sequoia Forest—an ordinary, small native tribe offering blood and food to the totem lord, so that they can survive by the way.

The group of hungry natives dressed in snake scales and coral products were naturally members of the Tenglan tribe.

And the one who was tied aside and would be bloodletted and sacrificed later was naturally the captive and victim of God knows which tribe.

If we had to say that Wiggs would feel depressed because of the sacrifice of the natives, he really underestimated the patrolling knight. He had seen worse scenes dozens of times.

From the life extension sacrifices of nobles, to the terrifying rituals of secret religion...

From the skinny victims, to the civilians whose wives and daughters were taken by force...

This kind of thing is not uncommon even in the so-called civilized world of the empire, and it is even more ugly and disgusting because of the cloak of civilization.

Rather, the natives really had to eat people because they were hungry and had no food, but they had a kind of simple helplessness.

"...What are you going to do?"

Wiggs did not hide his figure, he was seen by the natives as soon as he stepped out of the forest.

The native hunters of the Tenglan tribe looked at each other vigilantly, and then one of the leaders stepped forward and drove away the obvious imperial visitor in the unproficient imperial language: "Get out of here!"

Besides, these natives didn't say any more cruel words.

Because they weren't stupid, the black full-body heavy armor on Wiggs felt outrageous no matter how you looked at it. This was an insurmountable iron wall for the aborigines who could only use leaves and hemp as armor.

——At least an official knight... The whole tribe may not be able to destroy each other together.

Knowing this, these natives did not dare to say anything harsh even if they were driving them away, but just reiterated: "We have an agreement... porters, if you want to trade, go to the trading area!"

He didn't even say 'Imperial Man' anymore.

And Wiggs narrowed his eyes, he didn't pay attention to the other party's warning, but looked around the situation of the whole tribe seriously.

A few scattered hunters who took up their weapons, most of the women and children who retreated, a few scattered old men holding sticks tightly...

Poverty, hunger, full of greed, but restrained by strength, is a contradictory combination of cowardice and brute force.

He whispered to himself: "No."

The knight frowned: "No!"

Ignoring the warning from the hunter who was probably the tribal chief, Wiggs took a step forward and asked in a deep voice, "Are most of the tribes of Tenglan as poor as you?"

"……What?"

Although he didn't feel any hostility, but because of Weggs' earnest inquiry, the oppression of the second energy level spread, and the chief couldn't help but take a half step back, a little flustered and puzzled: "Poverty? We are already a minority among the coastal tribes." A tribe that can eat enough!"

Although there was a bit of bragging in front of outsiders, the voice told the knight that the other party was not lying.

"wrong!"

That's why Weggs said in a low voice. He turned his head, his dark green eyes locked on the sturdy sacrifice that was bound aside, and he whispered: "The sacrifice can only choose the disabled...how is that possible?"

"Is this how Port Harrison treats allies? Impossible, if this is the case, why would the Tenglan Department be willing to cooperate with them!"

Raising his hand, the knight pointed to the sacrifice: "How did he get here? Did you capture any captives?"

"of course not……"

Although the chief couldn't figure out why Wiggs asked these questions, he also sensed that the other party didn't want to attack them, so after hesitating for a moment, he said slowly: "Because of the war, the tribe lost a lot of warriors, and many more Disabled."

"In order to cultivate new warriors, the tribes will exchange disabled warriors as sacrifices..."

sound.

At this moment, Wiggs could hear many voices.

The voice of humiliation, the voice of unwillingness, the voice of regret after defeat.

And in desperation, the voice of willingly submitting to admit defeat.

Only there is no "voice of joy" as a partner of Port Harrison and a victor in the war!

Immediately, the inspector knight noticed something was wrong.

Unlike what he had imagined before, the Tenglan Department did not preserve its strength. They also participated in the war that attacked Harrison Port two years ago, and also lost many warriors!

At this time, most of the entire tribe were women, children and old people, and only a few young men could tell!

"hehe……"

At this moment, the disabled sacrifice who was silent at the side laughed.

He laughed extremely harshly, and his voice was even hoarse as if he was scratching a slate. The Tenglan native who was sharpening his knife at the side was impatient, and stepped forward with a knife, as if he wanted to cut off the opponent's tongue.

"Let him talk."

But Wiggs stretched out his hand, and the bone fragments around the altar shook, and an invisible force stopped the native.

The sacrificial victim glanced at Weggs in surprise, but he, who was already dying, had no scruples. He glanced at the Tenglan natives in front of him with resentment, and cursed: "We should have won! It's this group of bastards." ,'s spirit has not been dispatched!"

"The owner of the mountain has already entered the city. As long as the spirit of Tenglan assists and drives away the sea beasts, Harrison Harbor will be breached!"

"If not, they made a mistake... If not, then the shot..."

"We fought! You didn't capture it yourself!"

"It was your erroneous information that hurt the sea master, and you should bear the greatest responsibility!"

Speaking of this, the native Tenglan who couldn't bear it anymore roared and cut the throat of the sacrifice, but he still smiled happily, not afraid that his blood was gushing out.

He still glared at the others—whether native or imperial, and let out a final roar: "Betray...you betray..."

He died soon after.

Wiggs did not prevent the natives from killing each other.

Because at this moment, he was completely aware of the mistakes and omissions in his previous guess!

Quietly, he had disappeared.

Coming to another coast where you can look farther into the distance, Wiggs stared at the distant sea and muttered to himself: "I was wrong from the beginning."

"The Tenglan Department not only called the Totem Lord to drive away the sea beasts, but also attacked Harrison Port... Even their Totem Lord, the two Tenglan giant eels, were dispatched, but they returned in vain!"

"Someone blocked the sea beast—even blocked the two totem masters and severely damaged them!"

"Now the Tenglan Department, which has lost all support, has to make an agreement with Harrison Port, so it is obviously an ally in name, and it pays a lot, but the income is surprisingly little!"

He had sensed the real truth...but he couldn't believe it.

The natives came out in full force, but the sea beast and the totem lord were blocked for unknown reasons. The mountain lord confronted Viscount Grant, but was eventually hit by a team of city guards and a young psychic with an alchemy cannon, and retreated in embarrassment.

And at the heart of it all...

"It's the mentor... It's the mentor who drove the totem master away, blocked the sea beast, and made the indigenous offensive fall short!"

With certainty, Wiggs did not have any joy.

On the contrary, he even showed an extremely puzzled, even extremely angry expression: "But how is it possible?!"

"Fighting against the totem master at the peak of the second energy level is a battle with life for a mentor who has been eroded by the source plasm plague poison!"

This is why Wiggs never thought that it was Hilliard who took the initiative to stop the two sea lords... Others may not be clear, but isn't he still clear about the injuries his mentor suffered back then?

That is the plague poison called 'Ice Prison Ash' that originated from the depths of the labyrinth. It is the most evil Gu that can poison ancient dragons and erode giant titans into a mass of decayed bones—even the undead from the past. City of Destruction, it is absolutely impossible to be immune to this poison.

It is a miracle that Hilliard is still alive today, how could it be possible to fight such an intense battle? !

"In the entire Port of Harrison... no, after His Majesty passed away, on the entire continent of Terra, it is impossible for the mentor to fight at the cost of his life!"

"unless……"

Talking to himself in a low voice, after listening to the voices of countless people, the voice of the streaming knight dropped.

"unless……"

His tone became a little dazed, puzzled and jealous.

And, a trace of nostalgia.

"It's for hope."

at the same time.

Ian, who had just finished cooking berry stew, was in his own home, inspecting the methods he could use now one by one.