Early the next morning, Jon recounted the number of men, and then gathered the other lords."Yesterday, we lost eight men and one war bear.
Three men escaped during the night.
May those cowards' swords rust in their pants." He spat at the ground, "Fifteen men who were wounded to the bone need varying degrees of recuperation.
That means there are fourteen men here who can fight, in addition to a few of us."
Winnie looked at the warriors sitting listlessly on the ground and rubbed her ears a few more times."I'm no better than them.
That monster's roar still echoes in my ears.
Being outnumbered isn't scary, what's scary is that we're demoralized.
After all, the creature was really pregnant.
Let's hope its husband lives far away."
Even the result of Snow Ape's hand did not make Leddy feel proud.
For the unknown ahead, she had the same worries as the others."Why don't we let these people return with the spoils of war and replace those who remain at the departure point."
"It will take some time, but it's still a good idea.
The men are strong now, and they'll be scrambling when they see the loot.
I can also use it to motivate those left behind." Jon looked up at Sharon Peak, which rises above the mountains, "There should be no large beasts higher up.
What do you think, Walky Yar?"
"When we get to higher ground, we may not be able to find a suitable place to set up camp."
Jon spat disdainfully, "Are you trying to get us to give up!?"
"No.
I mean in a place like that, it's better to have fewer people."
----------
For days, the proud Sharon Peak had been wiping away the tracks left by visitors like dust, as if she had never received anyone.
If it weren't for the piles of rocks built up during breaks, this group of climbers would have been trapped by the loss of direction.
Every crevice on the flat ground could be as deep as the bottom.
The knife-like ridges are more reassuring to the trekkers.
As the terrain rose, some felt breathless and they stayed in those makeshift camps.
Even those who continued on the road needed less talk and frequent breaks to cope with the current conditions.
Winnie came to the end of the line as the team moved again."Hopefully we can destroy everything related to Frostfire sooner rather than later."
Keane was paying full attention to what the raven saw."Everything's fine." He said casually.
"So, this is how you take care of the end of the line for us?" Winnie sarcastically said to the absent-minded guy.
"It's not perfunctory, Winnie.
you should trust us." Sela tried to diffuse the awkwardness.
"There are tracks here!" The voice of the scout came from the front.
He pointed to the tracks clearly imprinted on this puddle of snow, "I really didn't think someone would live here.
Isn't he afraid his dick will freeze off." He joked.
"Maybe she wasn't born with it, waiting for you to greet her." Jon responded, but quickly frowned, "I can't say why, but this isn't right." He took a deep breath and drank in the guys who were talking and laughing on the sidelines with his gaze.
"Yes.
It's very counterintuitive.
Whether we walk or stay, we try to avoid the snow and mud." Keane pointed around to the ground that was not covered with snow, "It's less effort to walk in those places." He stepped hard next to the stranger's footprints to make another footprint.
This footprint is similar in depth to the stranger's footprints.
"Are you saying that someone left this footprint on purpose?" Winnie measured the depth of the footprint, "Is it possible that it was because the person was tall and strong?"
"Or maybe this person is carrying something heavy." As soon as the words left his mouth, Leddy immediately shook his head to deny himself, "People who carry heavy objects are much less likely to walk on snow, that would slow down the pace."
Sela looked at where the footprints were pointing."This could lead us into a trap."
Scattered rocks, patchy snow, rising mountains, and an open field of view with little shade.
No one could associate all this with a trap.
But the conversations of several lords made everything around them confusing.
The faces of the warriors seemed to be covered with a layer of shadow.
If someone deliberately left those footprints, then what awaited them would certainly not be a warm hospitality.
They stopped flirting, but silently waited for the lord's decision.
The cold wind suddenly arrived, the silk white mist mixed with snow slag over the ridge.
The clouds were gathering and scattering all around, as if they were not there.
It seems that Sela's words have been fulfilled in advance.
Nervous warriors have back to back, hold their weapons tight.
In this case, they would rather be surrounded by grass or simply a bad fight.
After a long time, nothing happened.
Jon put away his weapon, "The weather in the mountains is always temperamental." He waved his hand to the scout, "Yes, that's you.
I want you to return to Windrose City and give a separate report on the situation here to the Lord of the City and tell him we will continue to investigate.
Also, tell the camps along the way to get supplies ready.
Don't let us go down the mountain hungry."
The lingering apprehension made it difficult to sleep.
This night, more than usual, they expected to see the beam of light dancing in the sky, that would give them the courage to face the ice blade and blood rain, but it never appeared.
Dawn came later in the northern part of the mountain than in the southern part.
The team survived the night by shivering and the fire bowl (a container made of animal bones to keep warm and carry fire).
The frostbite on the extremities was more frustrating than the torment of last night.
After treating some frostbite, Sela and Keane left the camp after whispering a few words.
----------
Looking down from the air, the man-made path is very conspicuous, it leads to a mountain shoulder shaped like a roof.
Sela used her vampire vision to detect the presence of life.
Soon, she determined that it was not a living being moving in the cloud below."Zombie's body is stiff and out of whack.
It's also hard for them to leave footprints that deep." She muttered to herself.
----------
The group arrived at the trail and all were alert, knowing that this was the goal of the trip.
Jon flashed his weapon, "Shine your eyes and hold your weapons and shields tight.
Shoulder to shoulder, arrows cocked.
I sense someone is coming to welcome us."
The group moved slowly up the mountain path.
After turning a corner, a human figure appeared in the clouds ahead.
While the others were still hesitating, Sela's arrow flew past.
A strange howl came from the clouds, and the voice was clearly not human.
The three team-headed warriors formed a shield wall along the narrow mountain path.
When the guy with arrows stuck in his head came charging with his teeth and claws, they combined their efforts to back him off the cliff.
Judging from the sound, there are many Zombies approaching in the cloud.
These dead bodies are driven by some kind of power, do not know pain, no fear, relentlessly kill a line of people.
Some of the monsters continued to fight even after being hit by several arrows.
Leddy stabbed a Zombie through the head with his spear, and the latter struggled a few times before falling down.
Seeing this, the female warrior threw her spear and drew her longsword, "Split their heads!" She shouted.
During the fight, a fighter is grabbed by Zombie who suddenly rises from under the snow cover.
The two wrestled together and fell down the cliff.
From this moment on, from time to time, Zombie crawled out from under the snow layer.
Sela then realized that those broken stone steps were repaired by corpses.
Now, the corpses had been awakened.
This meant that the actual number of monsters was far greater than what she had observed from the air."Watch your step!" She shouted a warning to her companions.
Keane alone fought off the monsters that came up from the back of the group, but was unable to kill them all.
In order to slow down the enemy, he had to cut off Zombie's legs to create obstacles for more monsters coming up.
By the time they reached the shoulder of the mountain, the survivors were exhausted.
The cave below the shoulder was closed by a stone door glowing with magic light.
What made them even more desperate was the fact that monsters were still crawling out from under the snow.
"Come on! You disgusting pieces of flesh! Killian (the martial god and god of war of the Wissane world) will watch over my battle today!" A wounded warrior roared and rushed forward, the spear in his hand thrusting at the enemy's throat, lifting the mangled head off in the process.
Immediately after, he grabbed the still struggling corpse and used it as a shield to impact the oncoming monsters, falling down the cliff with them.
"Ms.
Winter! You better be able to do something before we get flayed alive by these monsters!" Jon picked up the shield that the warrior had dropped and joined the only two remaining warriors.
The four shields used the terrain to form a small defensive position.
Keane wasn't about to let Jon die like that, so he grabbed his spear and joined the defensive position.
"I hope today's story will also live on for generations to come." Leddy followed.
Winnie came to the stone door to observe a moment, she reached out her hand.
The stone door gave off a bone-chilling chill."It's like a Frostfire trick.
I think I know what to do." With that, she recited an incantation and spewed tongues of fire from her hands.
With the high temperature, the magic light of the stone door gradually weakened.
Just when everyone saw the hope, the mage apprentice sat down paralyzed, "I can't hold on.
I need mana potion." She looked at Sela.
As a vampire, Sela never prepared mana potions."No.
I don't have that." She pulled the last two vials of incendiary potion from her bag, "But I know it will work.
Back off!"
The explosion and burning shook the stone door and it slowly opened a gap.
However, the huge amount of snow on the shoulder of the mountain came with it.
"Avalanche!"
----------
In the darkness, Jon lights a piece of fat."Those dead warriors, I can't even call them by name.
Curse that damned mage.
I'm going to flay his associates alive."
Recalling the bravery of those warriors before they died, Sela was somewhat moved, "Those men, I would call them Rogner, Olaf."
"Yes, they are worthy of the names of these heroes." Leddy leaned against the stone door, polishing his weapon.
Winnie did not speak.
She had to concentrate on resting in order to deal with the danger behind her.
"Those women, I'll call them Berthild, Mirei," Keane said as he sat in a dark corner observing the man on the list.
The latter didn't respond, which meant he didn't yet know his death was imminent.
After a long break, the team headed deeper into the cave.
They learned their lesson from outside and carefully checked the ice walls and corners along the way, but the journey was very calm.
After turning a few corners, they followed the bright light to an open hall.
The periphery of the hall is full of coffins, the middle of the neatly arranged nearly a hundred stone bed, each bed are lying on a body.
Some of them are old and dried up, some still have blood and body stains.
A guy with tattered armor and a horned helmet sat on a stone chair at the far end, staring in the direction of a group of people, not moving.
Next to the stone chair stood a huge sword and a round shield.
Behind the stone chair, a magical device projected from the prison trapped a man in it, not knowing whether to live or die.
Everyone present knew that those corpses were the same as the monster outside the cave.
In addition, once the guy sitting on the stone chair is alarmed, the consequences will be unthinkable.
"I think the bodies came from somewhere else." Keane whispered.
"Yes, we don't use coffins, and neither do the Highlanders." Leddy added.
"Will it be the plains?" Winnie asked.
Jon shook his head, "No, my ancestors were plainsmen.
They just plowed holes and buried people."
"I think the key is that magic device, it's similar to the way Frostfire imprisoned me." Winnie pointed to the end of the hall, "That man must know something.
It's too far away, and I'm not sure I can save him."
"It's not a good idea to go in here.
If those monsters wake up, they'll be surrounded by us." Jon rubbed his shoulder and arm, "The sad thing is we have nowhere else to go.
If he can really say something, I'd like to hear it."
"Most of those weapons that were buried with us are rusted, and that's the only advantage we have." Leddy stroked the sword, "But it's best not to get into a fight."
"Those Zombie's senses are dull.
As long as we stay quiet, we won't wake the monsters." Sela whispered.
"Anyone else have any good ideas?" Jon's eyes swept over the others again.
"Secure the weapons to avoid collisions." Keane adjusted the weapons on his body, carrying the metal items separately.
A few people short, moving along the edge of the cave towards the magic device.
Halfway through the journey, a loose rock rolled down on the coffin with a "bang".
Nerves are tense, a few people have to flash their weapons.
Hearing the noise, the trapped people woke up and quickly spotted several intruders."Break that ice! Over here!" He shouted, pointing his finger toward the stone chair.
If the rolling stone did not completely wake up the monsters in the hall, the shout gave them enough reason to do so.
One by one, the monsters made their move, picking up the weapons at hand.
For Winnie, the place the trapped man pointed to was a blind spot, but she could already imagine what was going on there."Just take advantage of it now!"
"Charge!" Jon swung his battle axe to kill the stone chair where it was.
Leddy raised his sword and shield and followed, covering the flanks of several people.
The others followed close behind.
The last thing anyone wanted to see happened.
The guy sitting on the stone chair moved, his stiff neck craned a few times, and his hand slowly reached for the weapon next to the stone chair.
When standing up, its whole body emitted an unpleasant "creaking" sound.
Just stand, this Zombie leader on the direction of the line of people waving a stream of air.
Several people were unable to dodge and were pushed into mid-air by the incoming airflow, falling to the ground.
After getting up, Jon throws his battle axe to knock a Zombie over, picks up its giant sword in his hand, and raises his shield to charge at the Zombie leader.
He knocked the monsters along the way out of the way, clearing a path for those behind him.
After closing in on his target, he dropped his shield, leapt up on a bed of rocks, and raised his giant sword over his head.
The Zombie leader saw this and raised its worn out shield.
It opened its mouth wide, as if laughing at the enemy's whimsy.
Normally, such a slash would break the enemy's shield.
But Jon's slash was so powerful that he not only shattered the target's shield, but also severed Zombie's arm.
The sword blade finally cut into Zombie's broken body.
He was not satisfied with this blow, but his body was no longer in control.
While taking damage, the Zombie leader impaled the living creature that came from mid-air with its giant sword, picking it up in the air.
After a moment, it opened its stiff palm and let the weapon fall to the ground along with its foe.
It then took hold of the huge sword embedded in its body and pulled it out little by little.
Winnie gathered flame energy in her hands.
A few fire arrows in quick succession ignited the Zombie leader.
Soon, she felt fatigued by the depletion of mana and could only raise her shield to cover Leddy's back.
Zombie leader still has not fallen, it dragged the giant sword step by step towards the four.
The Zombie group formed an encirclement with their out-of-tune strides.
A few of the guys in front of them attempted to split the four.
In desperation, Sela powered up the flame energy and set them on fire with tongues of fire.
Then, she took out the bundle of tarpaulin rolls that had been lying in her bag, drew a short sword with a blood-red blade, and cut down the burning monsters.
In the chaos, a Zombie wandering on the periphery picked up a rusty arrow from the ground.
It held the arrowhead tightly and silently recited an incantation.
When the palm of the hand opened, the arrowhead became like ink and charcoal.
It then opened its bow and aimed at the guy who was swinging his battle axe and quickly destroying the encirclement.
"Watch out!" Leddy pushed Keane away and then fell to the ground with the arrow.
She gritted her teeth and tried to get up, but was coerced into falling to the ground again by the black spell that diffused from the wound.
At this moment, Keane no longer had the heart to think about revenge, only to ensure that Leddy was not overwhelmed by Zombie.
He drew the short sword at his waist with the left hand that held the shield, matching the battle axe clutched in his right hand.
Each blow slashed at Zombie's vulnerable neck, waist, and knees, seeking to cause dismemberment and paralysis.
He could not consider how to get out of the way, but could only mechanically slash and kill, blocking the bodies still in action with the fallen ones.
"Ice cube! Break that ice and they'll die!" Another shout came from the prison cell.