High Above

   Chapter 112 For Hope (1010)

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

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

  A few hungry and thirsty men, a few pairs of women and children with longing eyes, a few elders who were sharpening their blades, and a disabled native who was bound beside him, blind and numb.

   This is a scene that is not uncommon among the natives of the Great Sequoia Forest—an ordinary, small-scale native tribe sacrificed blood to the totem lord, and by the way allowed themselves to survive.

  The group of hungry natives wearing snake scales and coral products are naturally members of the Tenglan tribe.

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

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

  From the life-prolonging sacrifices of the nobles to the terrifying rituals of secret religion...

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

   This kind of thing is not uncommon even in the world known as the civilization of the empire, and it is even more ugly and disgusting because of the cloak of civilization.

   It might be better to say that the natives really have to eat people because they are hungry and have no food, but they have a kind of simple helplessness.

   "...what are you going to do?"

  Weggs 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 what. 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, even if they drive them away, these natives dare not say anything harsh, but just reiterate: "We have an agreement... porters, if you want to trade, go to the trading area!"

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

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

  Scattered hunters who took up weapons, most of the captives retreated, scattered old men holding sticks...

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

  He whispered to himself: "No."

  The knight frowned: "No!"

   Ignoring the warning from the hunter who was probably the chief of the tribe, 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 sideways, 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 come 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 sound of humiliation, the sound of unwillingness, the sound of regret after defeat.

   And in desperation, the voice of the one who admits defeat and is willing to surrender.

   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 their strength. They also participated in the war that attacked Harrison Port two years ago, and also lost a lot of warriors!

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

"Ha ha…"

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

  He laughed extremely sternly, 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 wrong information that caused the damage to 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.

   Still glaring at the others—both natives and Imperials—he let out a final roar: "Betrayed...you betrayed..."

  He died soon.

  Weggs did not stop the killing among the natives.

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

  Quietly, he had disappeared.

   Came to another coast where you could look further into the distance, Wiggs stared at the distant sea, and muttered to himself: "I got it wrong from the beginning."

   "The Tenglan Department not only called the totem master to drive away the sea beasts, but also attacked Harrison Port... even their totem master, 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 injured 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 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 finally hit by a team of city guards and a young psychic with an alchemy cannon, and retreated in embarrassment.

   And the core point 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!"

   said with certainty, but Wiggs didn't feel any joy.

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

   "Fighting the totem master at the peak of the second energy level is a battle with life for the riddled instructor who has been eroded by the source plasm 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' originating 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 immortals of the past. Even if the city is poisoned, it is absolutely impossible to be immune.

   Today, it is a miracle that Hilliard is still alive. 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 lowered.

"unless…"

  His tone became a little dazed, puzzled and jealous.

   And, a trace of nostalgia.

   "For hope."

at the same time.

  Ian, who has just finished making berry stew, is in his home, inspecting the methods he can use now one by one.

  (end of this chapter)