Half Elf Ranger

Chapter 442 Prelude to the War

at dusk.

In this fading light, Thorn came to the castle tower of Upper Falls Town alone.

The two guards sneaked away, leaning in the corner and whispering something.

They didn't notice the unexpected guest's arrival, but Thorne heard their conversation clearly.

A guard with a scar on his face was talking about his future thoughts to another guard who was not wearing a helmet. He subconsciously glanced at the lower city, with infinite longing in his bright eyes:
"I plan to wait until this war is over, then I plan to marry a wife and have children in Fallstown, and start a family of my own. Lord Carlos said that as long as the hobgoblins are expelled, if someone wants to live an ordinary life, they can Choose to take a back seat."

The other guard shook his head. He first glanced at the endless emerald field, then turned around to look at Mount Warners, which had turned into a dim yellow. Then he sighed slightly and said:

"Comparatively speaking, I still prefer this kind of exciting and adventurous life, so I think it's good to be alone, and I don't plan to start a family here. If possible, I would like to travel around the world .”

"Then what should you do when you are so old that you can't even hold the bowls and chopsticks? When you are lying alone in a small courtyard shrouded in the afterglow of the setting sun, I think you will definitely regret saying that words."

"The future? In the future? Who can say clearly, what if tomorrow... Ah bah!"

Thorne's footsteps were very light. He did not disturb the two guards, but walked towards the other side of the tower against the dim afterglow.

As far as the eye can see, the emerald field shrouded in darkness stretches to the west until it connects with the Great Sword Scar Mountains. The only shining gem on the horizon is the Wizard Tower of Winter City.

He looked at the city in a daze, the light of the wizard tower flickered, as if a dim star was about to fall into the vast land.

Seeing this light that gradually became unfamiliar, he recalled the past that changed the trajectory of his destiny, recalled the half a year he lived in the lower city of Winter City, and the days of working on the edge of a knife. In order to complete the test of the old man, he The scene of wandering in the sewer...

Thinking about it, his mind was focused on other aspects. Unlike Winter City, he remembered more comfortable past events.

because……

There will always be unexpected warmth and endless hope in life.

Don't speak lightly of the cold time just because the time is warm before waiting.

Thorn withdrew his gaze from the direction of Winter City, put his hands on the battlements, and felt the scratches on the surface of the stone wall with his palms. He let the howling wind blow up his hair, stinging his black eyes, and casually look elsewhere.

There were many people on the avenue leading to Pushang Town. The heavy weapons and armors created a thick cloud of dust. It was almost possible to hit a person's head by throwing a stone, and the stone would playfully bounce to another person's head. on one's head.

Most of these professionals from the other four small towns had grumpy, rude and arrogant expressions on their faces, as if the fate of the whole world depended on him alone.

The only good news is that they all kept this speed within a certain limit, and did not cause any major troubles.

Perhaps, this is also a way for them to relieve inner tension and anxiety.

After all, this is a war that determines the fate of all territories. If they fail, they will become a group of bereaved dogs again.

In the same way, no one wants to let their dry bones and rocks gradually intermingle together, let the wind and rain tear apart the skeleton, and let time completely bury and forget it.

It turns out that the look on a warrior's face when they face the noble battle of defending their homeland is worthy of recognition, because there is nothing more worthy of respect than the defense of homeland.

It can be seen from this that most of the compatriots living in the Emerald Field, their society has gradually been closely linked by loyalty and bloody battles.

In this case, even if you die in battle, it is a good way to die personally.

A respectable end to a decent life, or a perfect end to a respectable life that is made a triumph by the ultimate sacrifice.

Thinking of Thorne here, he couldn't help thinking of the scene he encountered in the underground space of Twin Towers Town.

The former Twin Towers Town was also known as 'Dawn Town'. He recalled a sentence left by Winster, the Astral Insightr, in the ruined Tower of the Dead:
Once, we lived in harmony and beauty, even if we come here, we can still live in harmony with this land tenaciously.But such an ideal life is shattered and reduced to ashes by the terrible presence that invades us.

Many noble and proud friends died in this war, and with it all that they had long fought for.

Survivors call this war: Desperate War!
In this desperate war, Thorne thought of the paladin who devoted himself to darkness and became a death knight, and also remembered a poignant love story about elves that Anderina told him.

It is obvious that they all come from this desperate war.

And, like him, from the same world.

In Pushang Town at this time, no matter it was day or night, there would always be carriages full of supplies and weapons, lumbering towards the town.

A steady stream of players gathered and lived in temporary tents outside the town. They were like wasps before the storm.

Groups of bright campfires are lit in advance, representing the rise of the smoke owls where life gathers.

The infantry regiment, mainly in Twilight Town, is using precious time to train and cooperate with soldiers from other towns. Various commanders issued orders, shouted and cursed, and even punched and kicked.

Groups of spellcasters gathered together spontaneously, and they were practicing spells that could cooperate with each other. The brilliant spells illuminated the dimming dusk from time to time, and the scorching flames screamed again and again.

The cavalry regiment from Iron Horse Town kicked up dust on the avenue. Apart from many riders with jerky riding skills, there were also groups of lively ponies who looked like they had been kicked out of the stables in Iron Horse Town before they were young.Even before he got used to the bit and the armed rider, he was forced to start training and bid farewell to the last free time.

In a grove surrounded by firs, the tieflings of Stallman Town gathered there. Since their departed lord was a quasi-legendary magician, the players and original residents here have a lot of professional skills. Most of them are magicians.

Because in Stallman Town, there is the most complete occupational system for the employment method of wizards.

Although the level of the wizards gathered here is rarely higher than level 10, these 300+ spellcasters are definitely the most powerful force that cannot be ignored in the entire alliance.

In the entire continent, no ruler will ignore the spell casters' shadow on the direction of the war, so most powerful armies will actively recruit corresponding spell caster organizations.

Especially spellcasters who are proficient in the evocation system, they can always directly clear large groups of enemies with powerful large-scale spells.

A loud wolf howl sounded, the voice seemed to be an order, and the ups and downs of howling immediately followed each other.

The howling of the beast immediately alarmed the mounts in the direction of Iron Horse Town, so that many lively ponies were like frightened children, neighing and scurrying uncontrollably in the camp.

Finally, with the assistance of several druids, he was appeased by experienced riders.

At the same time, the lord of Iron Horse Town drove his horse towards the direction of the wolves, obviously intending to negotiate with the people of Horn Town and let their orc wolf cavalry stay as far away from their camp as possible.

Thorne was attracted by the howling of wolves, and he saw more than 300 well-equipped orcs driving calf-sized wargs towards the opposite direction of the gathering place in Iron Horse Town.

Among the more than 300 orcs, there are also many orc slaves from the Underdark.

In the Underdark, as long as there is money and trade channels, it is very simple to buy a group of orc slaves.

These orc slaves with simple minds and well-developed limbs can be regarded as a good combat power and labor force under the training of the orc patriarch Sarn.

After experiencing the inhuman slave life in the Underdark, these orcs are in the surface world, as long as they can fill their stomachs, it is their greatest gift.

Because those prickly people who refused to give in and liked to shout about Gruumsh, the orc god, were all eliminated.

Of course, there is Alista, the player who is trying to establish a tauren tribe that survives on the surface. With his unremitting efforts, the number of his horn-broken tauren clan has grown to nearly one hundred.

If a group of Tauren lowered their heads and charged together during the war, it would definitely be an extremely spectacular scene.

Among the five towns, Horn Town has the largest number. In addition to the orc wolf cavalry, there are countless kobolds and goblins all over the mountains and plains, as well as a large number of ogres and trolls.

However, apart from a few spellcasters, the vast number of goblin kobolds are mostly used as cannon fodder.

In the goblin group, Thorne also found many spiritual goblins. These goblins were dressed in neat gray robes and pointed hats, and they were completely different from wilderness goblins.

If these goblins are compared to real-world humans, then the goblins of the wilderness are the natives of the African cannibal tribes.

As for the people in Fallstown, they didn't live outside the town.

Compared with other towns, Pushang Town does not have any outstanding professional groups.

Except for the half-elven longbowmen in the upper town, the difference in the number of professional players in the lower town is not very big compared with other small towns.

Fortunately, the rangers, druids, and priests of the Temple of Melikai, except Archbishop Lauthian, can be said to be all dispatched to assist in this war.

At the same time, the Earth Mother Church, which established the temple here, also dispatched all the personnel in the temple who were able to fight.

Suddenly, an oval-shaped teleportation circle appeared at the gate of the city, and as the light of the teleportation circle dissipated, a group of warriors in heavy armor and broken cloaks appeared in everyone's sight.

The leader was Archbishop Aleena of the Temple of War from Silverpine Plains, and standing behind her were members of the Tusk Regiment and the remaining monks and players from the White Rose Monastery.

Seeing Sarayan and Carlos leading a group of people out of the town to greet them, Thorn, who was standing on the tower, pricked up his ears and heard the greetings and conversations among the people clearly.

The battle priests of the God of War are almost all born commanders and commanders, so Archbishop Aleena specially brought several battle priests to boost the morale of the alliance army in battle.

The player groups from the Silverpine Plains all gathered near Twin Towers Town. As long as the two sides fight, these people will launch a surprise attack from the rear and cut off the retreat of the hobgoblins entrenched in the Tranquil Forest.

Surprisingly, the archbishop also recruited a few strong native mercenary groups to assist them in launching an attack together.

Then, Thorne turned around and looked at the noisy streets in the town.

In a wide square outside the adventurer's hall, many adventurers from several other small towns gathered here, talking to the notices on the wall.

The content of this notice is very simple. It roughly means that as long as there are adventurers who are willing to participate in tomorrow's decisive battle, they will not only get a reward, but also obtain the legal right of residence in the territory of the five towns.

For this announcement, some adventurers immediately signed up to participate, some stared at the announcement vacillating, and some people curled their lips in disdain and booed in the crowd.

In this regard, Thorne remained silent.

Just when he was about to turn his eyes to other places, a figure that surprised him floated in front of him from under the city wall.

The person who came was the long-lost goblin wizard Malvisa.

"Have you been to Winter City?" Malvisa asked Thorne with her pale red eyes hidden under the brim of her hat.

"That's right." Thorne was also looking at her carefully. He found that the other party's appearance was almost exactly the same as the statue in the Wizard Tower of Winter City, except for some characteristics that fit the goblin race. "I should call you Winter." The lord Martha, or the goblin wizard Malvisa."

"These are not important anymore." The goblin wizard's tone was very flat, and after finishing speaking, he turned and looked in the direction of Winter City.

The distant sky was adorned with the last faint pink of the sunset, and flocks of crows and ravens flew by, squawking hideously, heading east.

"I want to know what your real purpose is for doing this." After a long silence, Thorne couldn't help asking.

"The real purpose?" Malvisa said softly, "That is... everyone for one... I for everyone."

After she finished speaking, she turned around slowly, the pale red eyes under the brim of the hat stared in another direction, and an unknown bitterness flowed from Thorne's eyes into his heart.

Somehow, he found that he really read what her eyes said to him.

The silent figure of the goblin wizard floating in midair made him understand that her choice was not voluntary, but a forced and helpless decision.

…………

In the deep night, facing the howling wind, Thorne sat on a hillside outside the Forest of Tranquility, listening to the piercing hissing of horns not far away, and looking at the strings of torches flickering on every road in the distance.

He understands that everything is just a prelude to war.

The number of hobgoblins is increasing rapidly, and they have also absorbed a considerable number of lizardmen, bully frogmen, and kuo-toa in their ranks.

To make matters worse, they also have a large number of devil warriors who have been transformed by the devil's spirit.

At this moment, he can even imagine what kind of enemy they will face tomorrow, and what a difficult battle they will face.

However, all the imagination did not leave him with enough feelings to immerse his heart.

The night is cloudy and windy, the wind bends the reeds, making the surrounding bushes rustle, a lone moon emerges from the dark clouds, and the cold moonlight pours down, reflecting the boundless emerald field.

Thorne sat quietly on the hillside, staring at the campfires in the distance, without taking his eyes off, without blinking, his face was stern and stiff.

A shooting star streaked across the night sky, bringing a moment of vitality to the dark sky full of still points of light. The half-elf who sat quietly did not make a wish.

He only knew that when the first ray of dawn came in the dawn, it was the moment of decisive battle with the hobgoblins.

…………

(End of this chapter)