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墨書 Inktalez
A sleepless night passed as we gathered around the campfire, each lost in our own thoughts.
The Fifth Lord is said to be the most terrifying and powerful of all Lords. After hearing numerous tales of his exploits, those accompanying me couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts. We were in a gloomy forest, where the outside world was already shrouded in darkness, making it impossible to see clearly. It was needless to say how dark it would be within the forest.
I glanced around and noticed many people trembling, their swords and daggers nearly slipping from their hands. The proud general of the Rebel Leader was traveling with us this time. As we reached the edge of our territory, he raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop. The vast army lined up in formation, looking magnificent and imposing. The weapons they held glinted with a sharp light, barely visible against the grayish sky, creating an atmosphere both desolate and awe-inspiring.
"This is a battle for our lives!" The general turned his horse around, surveying the surroundings with a slow yet firm tone. "We have had enough of living underground; we are tired of hiding! Now the opportunity lies before us. Four great Lords have already fallen at the hands of the Mercenary Leader. We have never been closer to victory than we are now!"
The general spoke each word with conviction: "For our freedom!"
"For our freedom!" The army raised their weapons and echoed the general's rallying cry.
"Let’s move out!" The general turned his horse again, leading the troops into the gloomy forest. Our group of four was positioned at the center of the army; protecting us was their primary mission, while slaying Candle Shadow Xiang Liu was secondary. The surroundings fell silent as we entered the forest; darkness seemed to be the norm here. Only faint glimmers of light kept us from blinding ourselves.
People on both sides raised torches; otherwise, in such an environment, finding and defeating a Lord would be a daunting task. After about ten minutes of walking, someone shouted ahead, "There’s no path forward! There’s a pitch-black cave ahead; we don’t know if the Lord is inside!"
The general signaled for everyone to halt and then said, "You two teams go in and take a look; be extremely careful!"
Two teams of forty men moved forward. From our position in the middle, we could hardly see what lay ahead; we could only hear the general's voice. We saw shadows of dozens of figures entering the cave, disappearing into its depths. We didn’t know how long had passed when suddenly a chilling scream echoed out: "Run! This isn’t just any cave; it’s his belly!"
No sooner had those words left their lips than we witnessed the cave rise upwards, instantly swallowing about a hundred men. Chaos erupted around us as the cave continued to swell higher. It was then that we realized this cave was merely the gaping mouth of the Lord!
"Archers prepare!" shouted the general. "Don’t panic! Swordsmen fall back; shields up front!"
The general's command snapped everyone back to reality; they remembered they were soldiers, not just waiting to be slaughtered like livestock. Archers drew their bows, and I too readied my arrows from my back. A rain of arrows fell upon the Lord like a downpour, yet none pierced even his serpent-like skin.
One arrow—my arrow—struck through his head. He twisted his body but could no longer defend himself. At that moment, axe-wielders surged forward and began hacking at his fallen head. Just as the rebels celebrated their small victory, three more figures emerged from within.
"Be careful!" the General shouted. "It has nine heads in total! Don't celebrate too soon!"
As he spoke, the Serpent Head rampaged through the troops, tearing apart the ten-thousand-strong army into pieces. Sand and debris flew past me as we fought for our lives, unable to see what was happening elsewhere. I took a few deep breaths, trying to steady myself, drawing my bow like a full moon.
Three arrows.
The Serpent Head, which had withstood countless arrows, trembled violently as my arrows struck it, as if there were an innate counter to its power. It collapsed to the ground, and those who couldn't dodge in time were crushed into a pulp beneath it.
In the darkness, we saw a colossal figure rising gradually.
It stood at least twenty meters tall, even taller than the forest itself. The remaining five heads in the sky resembled five black holes hanging above us. One of them had a red eye; that was its original head, its true form.
The Serpent Head let out a mournful and piercing roar before charging straight at me.
"Protect the Mercenary Leader!" the General shouted. "He is our hope! Think of your families! Stop it!"
The panicked soldiers seemed to draw courage from the very earth and sky, forming ranks to shield us. They charged forward one after another, seemingly forgetting what fear and death meant.
"Fire your arrows, quickly!" The General urged, leading the charge with a hoarse voice.
Three arrows appeared above my head. The Serpent Head moved swiftly, but it couldn't outrun the arrows in my hands! I closed my eyes but could still sense its position. "Release!" a voice inside me commanded. I quickly let go of the bowstring, and the arrows shot forth like three meteors.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!" Three sounds echoed as my arrows struck true into three of the Serpent Head's heads.
The General maneuvered his horse deftly, ignoring the soldiers crushed beneath the Serpent Head as he galloped forward. Soon he encountered it; the Serpent Head lunged at him with incredible speed, leaving no room for escape. But at that moment, the General leaped directly off his horse.
The warhorse was devoured, yet the general stood atop the Serpent Head. He raised his blade to strike, but another Serpent Head charged at him. "Be careful!" Before the warning could escape my lips, I instinctively drew my bow, releasing an arrow that flew forth. Just as the Serpent Head was about to swallow the general, my arrow struck first.
The Serpent Head collapsed to the ground, startling the general momentarily before he regained his composure and smiled in my direction. Only one Serpent Head remained, its true form. The general lifted his sword high, but at that moment, a serpent tail lashed out from behind and pierced through him.
I had no time to react; the long serpent tail swept through, scattering everyone into a bloody mess and uprooting trees around us. Blood rained from the sky as the ground trembled like an earthquake. We were jolted from our horses, surrounded by chaos and noise. Gradually, everything around me slowed down, and I felt myself drifting into unconsciousness.
I don't know how long it was before I awoke from my stupor to find a Serpent Head before me.
Instinctively, I reached for my bow and arrows but realized they were long gone. Suddenly, I felt a tightness around me and discovered that I was ensnared by the serpent's body. This seemed to be the Lord's true form—not as massive as I expected, only about three or four meters long—with a Serpent Head right in front of me.
In the center of the Serpent Head was a single eye, with another red eye above it.
It stared at me for a long time before finally speaking: "What are you doing here? Why did you kill our people? Do you not realize that you will regret this one day? My avatar has already been defeated by you; with just my own strength, I cannot stop them anymore, warrior!"
I shook my head and replied, "I am not a warrior. I kill demon lords; it's merely a task. Once I've completed it, I won't linger in this world for even a moment longer. This world is not suited for me; everything here feels so hollow and unreal. All the people seem so hypocritical!"
The Serpent Head opened its wide mouth and said, "You can no longer distinguish between reality and falsehood. You have already killed four Lords; I am the last one who can maintain balance in this world. If you remain stubborn and cannot awaken from your delusions, I will have no choice but to kill you."
I could feel the serpent's body tightening around me, as if trying to squeeze every breath from my lungs. My breathing became labored.
Sounds echoed around us; the rebels had found their way here. In this state of the Lord, just a dozen people could subdue him. He appeared anxious and said, "Fine, I will show you their true faces. You must discern reality from illusion; you are all this world has left!"
His words were vague and dreamlike. I knew that the air in my chest had been squeezed out; suffocation was imminent. The red dot on the Serpent Head emitted a blinding light, enveloping everything in crimson. Through this red haze, I saw the rebels transformed into grotesque demons, their faces twisted with greed.
"Remember this: reality and illusion!" the Serpent Head declared. "I must take my leave!"
But before his words could finish, a steel knife pierced through his red eyes, and the surrounding crimson light instantly dissipated, allowing air to flow back into my lungs. As I greedily inhaled, I looked at the person holding the knife, who stood with his back to me, motionless.
Suddenly, I remembered that this was the same person who had killed the Innkeeper for us on the first day we arrived at Shadow Maze. "How are you here?" I couldn't help but ask in astonishment.
He did not turn around but simply said to me, "Remember, demons are the best at deceiving. The Serpent Lord you just encountered was meant to confuse you. In this world, ridding it of demons relies solely on you."
"Who are you?" I asked, bewildered.
"I am someone who is helping you," he replied. "The rebels are coming; I cannot reveal myself yet. In due time, you will know who I am." With that, he released the steel knife, and the Serpent Head fell beside me along with it. Then he vanished into the darkness, leaving no trace behind.
"He's here! He's here!" Some rebels discovered me, and several rushed to my side to help me up. They then noticed the steel knife and the Serpent Head beside me.
They shouted joyfully, "The Captain has killed the Lord! The Captain has killed the Lord!"
A loud cheer erupted around us.
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