Chapter 661 I Will Protect You (7800, Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

How much time does it take to cross an entire continent?

'Red Hand' didn't know the answer to this question, but to this day, he had indeed led his comrades across most of the continent, from the southern cape straight to the edge of the Aean Northeast region.

Red Hand was the mercenary code name the man used. He was a demonized, his arm experiencing an ancestral phenomenon due to the malformation of demonization, becoming as large and blood-red as a Balrog. Besides his strength being comparable to a giant, he could also control various flame abilities.

He wanted to call himself 'Flame Fist,' which was more fitting and cooler, but nicknames were given by others, so he had to accept this name until now.

Thanks to this abnormally obvious hand, Red Hand couldn't enter the inner city of mobile cities. The prostitutes in the outer city weren't willing to serve him, and even eating was troublesome. He could accidentally burn or crush the table.

But also thanks to this hand, the man, originally just a farmer's son, had traveled across most of the continent, from a small-time mercenary to a mercenary团团长, seeing countless sceneries that a farmer's son could never have seen.

Red Hand didn't hate his demonization sickness, nor did he hate his hand, but he was getting old. A forty-something-year-old Xin Guang (Heart Light) stage mercenary was almost at his peak. Afterward, the erosion of demonization and the pain of Source Energy would tear his soul apart.

Even if not for himself, for the sake of his mercenary團's comrades, he had to find a place to settle down, as well as find a final resting place for himself, a grave to be buried in.

After a lifetime of fighting, he planned to stop.

Avende City, this industrial city in the south of the Empire, was the place Red Hand had chosen to retire. After all, this place was barely considered a progressive area. In the central area where the Empire's core was located, the slave system was still in place most of the time, and demonized didn't even have the status of untouchables, only becoming slaves of nobles and the rich.

In Avende City, although demonized were still exploited, they were at most thrown into slums and became cheap factory labor.

Red Hand Mercenary團 took root in the outer city here. After several years of operation, they had become a dominant force in the outer DC district.

During this period, the團's good hands, 'Quick Sword' Cicero, 'Hot Knife' Salar, and others had left the mercenary團 one after another and lived a life of retirement.

This wasn't strange, it was even Red Hand's own order. He was planning to slowly disband the mercenary團, then turn the remaining personnel into the Red Hand Gang, slowly giving this demonized mercenary團 a rare good ending.

Red Hand was really tired and old. Demonized mercenaries did everything and killed everyone, which sounded very爽快 (shuangkuai, refreshing) and full of快意恩仇 (kuaiyi enchou, a life of gratitude and vengeance), but only madmen liked this kind of life of licking blood from blades, because it meant that others could also do anything to them and kill them for no reason.

What's more, if they wanted to climb up, they had to become dogs of nobles or officers, become their tools, gloves for dirty work.

He really didn't want to be a servile dog, just wanted to live in peace and die plainly.

Unfortunately, this world often didn't even want to give such a plain ending.

Avende City had undergone changes. The nobles intended to attack the demonized. Many local gangs went crazy and began to capture those lonely and helpless children and marginalized people in the slums. Some family members of the Red Hand Mercenary團 members were caught, which undoubtedly offended this retiring mercenary團's weak spot: they went to war with Avende City's guards, just to get their families back.

A difficult battle. Especially the participation of the Earl's Guards completely suppressed the mercenary團.

Red Hand's group was indeed strong enough. The leader was Xin Guang (Heart Light), and the main members were all Ling Hui (Aura Radiance). If they weren't demonized, they would have been enough to become guest Qing (honored guest) private soldiers of the nobles, but Earl Avende was a favorite of the Empire, and his guards were too well-equipped, not something a mercenary團 could stop.

If it weren't for the local nobles having problems, with battleships attacking the city and a powerful figure suddenly attacking Earl Avende in the Earl's Mansion, causing a group of guards to panic and return to defend, Red Hand's group might have been wiped out on the spot.

Afterward, it was said that the Earl was dead, and the entire Avende City was in chaos. The Red Hand Mercenary團 took advantage of the mobile city's chaotic stop and seized a medium-sized mobile warship to escape Avende City, and Avende's guards were so chaotic that they couldn't send out pursuers, allowing them to escape safely.

After not having a few years of peaceful life, they had become homeless wild dogs again and were wanted by the Empire.

Fortunately, in the border area of the Southern Alliance, the Empire's wanted status was almost non-existent. Red Hand and others weren't afraid of being chased down and annihilated, but life had become difficult again, and they had to start doing missions to support their families.

And just after doing a few old jobs, helping some fixed villages to eliminate the surrounding Source Energy beasts, Red Hand himself received a letter.

A letter from an old brother in the團, Quick Sword Cicero.

On the deck of a dilapidated medium-sized mobile warship that had been fitted with many extra ship fittings, a middle-aged man with graying hair and an aged face silently took out a crumpled piece of paper with his left hand. His red right hand was as large as a giant, with ferocious carapaces and barbs all over it, now tightly gripping a greatsword.

Red Hand stared at the letter in his hand, which had the man's crooked handwriting.

[——Leader, I heard you are still alive, this is the best news. I hired a very professional messenger to send me a letter, just hoping you can know that we are recently gathering a group of demonized to try our luck in a semi-damaged mobile city. If we are lucky, that city can still move, then we may be able to have a city of our own!

Isn't working here the same as working there? Why not come and contribute to us demonized ourselves. I met a big shot who taught me cultivation methods that can suppress demonization sickness. This time, if the city can move, I will pull the city to go to him. I have a hunch that this lord can change the fate of our demonized!

Come on, leader, we need you, we need professional demonized warriors. Most of the people here are civilians. If someone attacks, we can't protect everyone with just me and Funia.

——Quick Sword Cicero.]

The entire letter, only this name was written relatively standard. After Red Hand carefully read the letter, he couldn't help but sigh.

Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society. The organization behind Cicero. He didn't lie. Professor Svetre was indeed a person who could change the fate of demonized. He really wanted to know what kind of paradise it was, whether it was as beautiful as the demonized said, with quiet villages, vast wheat fields, and lush cornfields.

Other demonized said that Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society was still building a huge mobile city, allowing all demonized who joined them to live on it.

What a pity.

This was a letter from half a year ago, and he had only received it two months ago.

He missed the Xing Huo (Sparkfire) Expedition.

But even if he received it on the spot, Red Hand couldn't guarantee that he could successfully go to that wandering city.

After all, the current Red Hand Mercenary團 was not just a mercenary團 anymore.

"Is there enough fuel?"

He asked a member beside him, and got a rather ominous answer: "How can there be enough? It is estimated that we have to stop again in the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army territory and trade some Source Energy crystals with the locals."

"It's not that I'm saying, leader, although we are indeed not evil people, but accepting so many demonized on the ship, the brothers' rations are not enough!"

Red Hand was silent.

Since leaving Avende City, the Red Hand Mercenary團 had received a batch of demonized in Avende City, rescuing them from that city that had fallen into madness.

This wasn't a bad thing. After all, the demonized who boarded the ship would also do some work and were much more professional than the roughnecks. They cooperated with the mercenary團, and life inside the ship was quite comfortable.

But it ultimately slowed down the mercenary團's speed.

Moreover, since the appearance of the wandering city, the number of demonized leaving mobile cities and villages had increased. When Red Hand and others, who had received Cicero's letter, were heading towards the eastern Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Mountains, they could occasionally see one or two teams of demonized also heading towards the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Mountains.

These demonized teams were either fleeing from the city or spontaneously wanting to move forward. In short, they were all chasing the glory of the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society, wanting to go to that legendary equal paradise.

For those demonized teams who wanted to go along the way, or to take refuge and avoid slave catchers, Red Hand always welcomed them.

To this day, including the mercenary團 and their families, there were more than a thousand demonized on the entire Red Hand ship, and the daily food and energy required were not a small amount.

"But if we abandon these demonized teams that are being hunted down, then what is the difference between us and beasts?"

The old man could only sigh at the团员's complaints: "Aren't we just not wanting to be dog-shit beasts, so we have persisted all the way to this day, making a living with the sword in our hands?"

This immediately made the团员 a little embarrassed: "Don't blame you, leader, just complaining because I'm always hungry..."

"I understand, I understand..."

How long does it take to cross an entire continent?

Red Hand didn't know, but the Red Hand Mercenary團, driving a mobile warship at full speed, took more than two months to travel from the southern border of the Empire to the northeastern region of the central plain, which was still quite a distance from the end of the continent.

Next, they had to rest in the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army area, and then continue to move towards the east, entering the area where the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society was located.

At that time, perhaps golden wheat ears would greet their arrival.

But before that, they needed to deal with some more dangerous situations.

"Leader!"

A young woman walked down from the sentry tower. She was thin and blind in one eye, but the remaining eye was as bright as a golden gemstone. This female demonized gasped for breath and came to Red Hand with a nervous expression. She swallowed and then reported: "It, it appeared again! That shadow is still following us, and another small ship that followed us was destroyed!"

"Golden Eye, calm down... you mean, that shadow hasn't left yet?"

Frowning, anger erupted in his heart. The gray-haired old man subconsciously clenched his sword, wanting to fight to the death with the shadow that had killed so many compatriots.

But he still used as calm a voice as possible to comfort the other party: "We are about to leave the Empire's border, he is still chasing us, and this time he directly destroyed a small ship?"

"Yes!"

The Golden Eye woman nodded in panic: "What a big explosion! Leader, you may not be able to see it, but he really destroyed that small ship in one go... This shadow is too strong, we have no power to resist!"

Closing his eyes tightly, Red Hand pondered.

In fact, Red Hand's warship wasn't just one. In the process of receiving demonized and heading towards the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society, there were also other demonized who had obtained merchant ships and warships for various reasons who were advancing together.

Of course, most of them were small ships. There wasn't a single medium-sized or large warship like Red Hand's that was seized from Avende City. All the small ships were closely following the mercenary團.

However, starting two weeks ago, a strange shadow had been closely following this small demonized fleet.

At first, it was just simple harassment and fright.

But soon, this shadow began to kill people, spreading fear and panic within the fleet.

He killed people, silently hanging the corpses on the flags on the deck; he destroyed various equipment on the ship, and the engines of several small ships had critical parts removed, causing violent explosions.

He even directly assassinated the few ship captains who could control the warship, causing the ship to drop anchor.

Red Hand's warship had accepted many demonized who had to abandon ship due to this accident, which was why they didn't have enough food prepared.

Several old mercenaries who were dispatched to other ships also died because of this, making Red Hand and others resentful.

More importantly, the atmosphere of the entire fleet had become terrified, and the emotions of all the demonized were extremely tense, and even the demonization symptoms of many people had deepened.

If it weren't for the Burning Ash Fire version 2.49, which Professor Svetre had spread throughout the continent, most of the people in the entire fleet would have died because of berserking.

Just a shadow had been playing with an entire fleet of two to three thousand people.

Taking a deep breath, suppressing his anger, Red Hand speculated that the shadow should be a secret unit of the Empire, but the strange thing was that this secret unit didn't seriously prevent them from leaving the Empire, but allowed them to go towards the border.

But now, he had begun to attack, and showed a strength far greater than before. This shadow directly destroyed a small ship, killing more than two hundred people on the ship.

The old man clenched his fists, but he was helpless.

He couldn't even figure out the other party's purpose.

"Accelerate!"

Suppressing anger and confusion, Red Hand could only order this: "We are very close to Yanshuang (Frost Extension) territory, let's leave the Empire's border before we talk!"

The fleet accelerated, not hesitating to waste fuel. The mobile warship spewed out a high-pitched roar, which was the sound of the water in the cooling furnace being evaporated into steam and gushing out of the pipeline.

This was indeed the border of the Empire. They soon saw the dividing river between Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Territory and the central plains of the Empire - nominally, the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army was still part of the Empire, but since expelling the Empire's supervisors one hundred and fifty years ago, the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army was independent in a substantial sense.

After entering Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Territory, as long as the Empire didn't want to go to war with the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army, no matter how cold-blooded and ruthless the secret unit was, they would never attack and cause conflict.

Standing on the deck, Red Hand could already see the low jungle behind the dividing river. The fuel required for the mobile warship to advance at full speed was too much. Even if the enemy retreated, they had to find a village or mobile city as quickly as possible to obtain enough fuel and energy so they could go to the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society.

After fighting for a lifetime, he really didn't want to fight anymore. He hoped that the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society was really a place where demonized could live quietly, as Cicero said.

Thinking this, Red Hand forced himself not to think about those exploding ships, not to think about the roar that vaguely passed by his ears, not to listen to the screams from Golden Eye, and not to recall those dead comrades.

He just closed his eyes and prayed, praying that he and others could come to a safe place as quickly as possible.

Praying that they could survive.

But prayer was useless.

At this moment, the mysterious shadow's attack suddenly stopped, just like every time before. This shadow clearly had the ability to defeat the entire demonized team, but he always didn't really attack, just created panic, just like a wolf pack driving a flock of sheep, driving the entire fleet in the direction they wanted.

What did he want to do?

Who knew.

In this silence, the helpless Red Hand opened his eyes.

He turned his head and looked behind him.

Behind the big ship, there should have been more than a dozen small ships, a total fleet of more than three thousand people, which was quite large, and the average level was also very high.

But now, only six of the original dozen small ships remained. Most of the small ships were destroyed or dropped anchor for various reasons and could no longer move forward.

Accompanying this were nearly a thousand deaths and the sacrifice of several mercenary comrades.

In order to live with dignity, in order to get a stable life, the Red Hand Mercenary團 fought for a lifetime. From the leader to the members, every member was demonized. They were all mercenaries who had fought for a lifetime and just wanted to live a life where they didn't need other battles to help guard the night when they slept.

Red Hand saw the small ship that was attacked. Flames were spreading on the steel-cast mobile ship. High-concentration Source Energy radiation had spread to half of the ship. On the deck, an innocent demonized child was crying while hugging his dead mother, and his father had lost one hand, able to hold his daughter, but unable to hold his wife's body.

It was no different than before... Demonized were still being killed and tortured.

——Was there any use in escaping?

This doubt couldn't help but arise in his heart. Red Hand looked around the world, as if he wanted to find that mysterious shadow, but he didn't find anything.

——Could escaping change anything, could it prevent that shadow from killing himself?

In silence, the团长 of the mercenary團 took a deep breath. He looked at the dividing river not far away, and then suddenly thought of something, a possibility that made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"He wants to start a war."

Red Hand muttered: "He destroyed those small ships before to create panic and gather most people on the big ship, so it would be more convenient to kill them at that time..."

"He wants to kill those of us who are going to join the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society in the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) territory, and then frame the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army, provoking the conflict between the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army and the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society, so he didn't formally attack before, just created panic!"

Red Hand's guess stunned all the mercenary團 members who could hear him. They had never thought of this possibility.

——Could running away change fate, could it allow oneself to close one's eyes in peace when dying, and smile at all the comrades who left before?

Obviously not.

铿锵 (Kengqiang).

Red Hand drew his sword.

Flames rose on his red demon hand, wrapping the alchemical long sword, which had been specially modified, in a hot light and flame.

"Stop the ship!"

He shouted in a deep voice: "Mercenary團 members, step forward!"

"Other civilians, you leave this warship and squeeze into other small ships. This place is very close to Yanshuang (Frost Extension) territory, and you will soon be able to reach the border villages. After replenishing energy there, go directly to the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society!"

Hearing this order, the many mercenary團 members and ordinary demonized on the warship were stunned, but the subsequent reactions were completely opposite.

The members of the mercenary團 showed a relieved smile, while the ordinary demonized showed confusion.

"What's wrong?"

A lady who was not a member of the mercenary團 looked around in confusion: "Aren't we going to the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society together? Why are you suddenly staying..."

"I said we should have a fight."

And a mercenary with a scar on his face laughed and raised the warhammer in his hand. He cheered: "Long live the leader! I knew you wouldn't be like a娘们 (niangmen, effeminate) and keep being cowardly, what a trash shadow, he killed our brothers, and we can only escape? The Red Hand Mercenary團 has fought for a lifetime, when have we ever been so useless?!"

"Yeah, damn it, these two weeks have really been enough, I have to pull out that shadow's large intestine and strangle him!"

Although soon, this scarred mercenary was kicked in the crotch by the娘们 (niangmen, effeminate) demonized in the團 and was in so much pain that he couldn't speak, everyone could feel his core meaning.

That was to fight back.

"Even if we die in battle, we will die in battle in the Empire, and die with our previous comrades. We will not become tools for卑劣者 (beiliezhe, despicable people) to frame, and do our best to hold those disgusting guys back!"

Red Hand ordered in a deep voice.

He didn't cheer with the团员, he just held the sword and watched the small ships behind gradually approach the warship, and then took away all the non-mercenary團 members and disappeared behind the warship.

The old man led the mercenary團, who had already lined up, and stood on the deck. He breathed out, his mouth curled up, waiting for the enemy who was sure to appear in front of him.

——Red Hand and his mercenary團 had fought for a lifetime.

They longed for a quiet life, longed for a peaceful land, and even begged for a warm home where they could relax.

They wanted it.

But they were really not good at escaping.

They were not good at turning their backs to the enemy, not good at being captured, not good at being slaughtered, not good at escaping like this, as if escaping could avoid the destined suffering.

They couldn't escape.

Cowards have nowhere to hide, those who face their fate can see the future.

[Foolish demonized.]

In the wind, there was a mocking voice: [Even if you guessed my purpose, so what?]

[After killing you, I still have enough time to catch up with those civilians and kill them in Yanshuang (Frost Extension) territory.]

Red Hand didn't speak.

He just used his demon hand to wipe the blade of the greatsword, causing the flames to burn along the blade, and his red pupils stared at the shadow that gradually emerged in the sky behind the blade.

——Come on.

Although he didn't say a word, there was a mind wave, like a provocation, spreading in the air.

A battle was about to break out.

The Empire's Dark Guard didn't care about this demonized mercenary團, whose strongest was only Xin Guang (Heart Light) realm high level. Even if the other party had indeed completed the formation, it was just a little troublesome. At most, it would take half an hour for him to kill them all.

The only thing that made him feel more headache was that without the endorsement of such an armed force, the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army's reason for suppressing the demonized fleet would seem unconvincing - after all, for the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army, which lacked talents, the treatment of demonized here was not good, but not to the point of being slaves or untouchables who could be killed at will.

[Whatever.] He thought somewhat nonchalantly: [It's the same to bring a few corpses over at that time.]

[But in that case, maybe another border village will have to be slaughtered... Leave a few demonized corpses in the village, pretend that there was a conflict between the demonized and the villagers, the demonized slaughtered the village, and then the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army suppressed this group of sinners.]

Having thought of it, he would do it.

The Empire's Dark Guard, whose strength was also at the high level of Xin Guang (Heart Light), but had undergone various physical modifications and held secret treasures, far surpassed ordinary Xin Guang (Heart Light) realm experts. In a real battle, he was enough to easily wipe out an entire demonized mercenary team.

Using all his strength, he could barely see an almost invisible shadow flying towards his group. Red Hand's pupils shrank. The flame of the crimson flame greatsword in his hand suddenly shrank, but the color was even deeper, like blood-colored magma.

Although his body had aged early because of years of war, he was still at his peak.

Now, the man was going to burn the little life he had left, exchange it for the flame of sacrifice, and use his unique skill to ignite the soul of the Empire's Dark Guard in front of him.

But at this moment.

The distant sky was rapidly lighting up.

It was like another sun was rising, and like a meteor was flying across the sky. Behind the clouds, light was igniting the atmosphere, and surging Source Energy fluctuations were simultaneously invading the sky and the earth, rolling in from the distant east.

The mighty Source Energy light tide illuminated all things.

[Ahhhhh!!!!]

A non-human scream came from the atmosphere. A figure fell out of the speeding shadow. It was the true form of the Empire's Dark Guard, a secret method to completely Source Energize his body and condense it into a团 (tuan, ball) of dark shadow Source Energy!

This secret method allowed a person to transform their body into a special Heart Light body, and obtain a little bit of the power of the Divine Intent level in advance. Moreover, entrusting their will completely to the invisible and intangible Heart Light body, going and leaving without a trace, coming and going without a shadow, fighting was even more ghostly, and ordinary people could not even discover it and would be killed.

However, this extremely powerful secret method was ignited.

The Heart Light body, filled with resentment and hatred, could have evoked fear and illusions in the enemy, but now, it had become the most vigorous fuel for the karma fire.

The shadow was like a meteorite, falling from the sky with scattered sparks, burning until there was no sound, and became a团 (tuan, ball) of fly ash scattered in the air.

In the distance, the second sun lit up. That sun did nothing, it just shone on all things and illuminated all darkness.

Just like the light of hope, it was suspended in the eastern sky.

The members of the mercenary团 raised their heads, their mouths slightly open, and looked at the distant sky. Behind the rolling clouds, thunder was exploding, and the sun was moving, passing across the top of the sky with a booming thunder, bringing a trail of light, like a guiding path.

"Follow this trajectory, and you can reach the Xi Guang (Hopeful Light) Society."

At this moment, Red Hand heard a grand voice. This voice was thick and powerful, and thunder was brewing in it: "No one will attack again, and don't worry about fuel, someone will pick you up along the way."

"Go, don't look back."

Above the sky, Su Zhou glanced at the fleet below him, which was turning around and moving along the trajectory he left, and then raised his head.

He looked at the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army's military power, which had sensed his aura and was rising up, and at the center of the military power, the extremely familiar aura belonging to the Yala眷属 (juanshu, family/dependent).

The aura of the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) General was rising slowly, as if it had condensed all the desires in the world, the strongest hatred and the most extreme love, the most ardent anger and the most sorrowful sadness, all of which were fused together to become a ball of chaotic vortex.

[Why have you come, Svetre of Xi Guang (Hopeful Light)?]

A muffled voice, like a volcanic roar, exploded in the air. The铿锵 (kengqiang, clang) of gold and iron collision made his tone full of sharpness: [Even if you don't help us, why do you want to help the Empire and be our enemy?]

"I don't want to be your enemy."

Su Zhou's voice echoed remotely, suppressing the volcano that was about to erupt: "Yanshuang (Frost Extension) General, I am not here to fight you this time."

"I am here to protect you."

Silence.

As soon as Su Zhou said this, the sky and the earth, which were originally full of thunder and the precursors to a volcanic eruption, fell into the most complete silence.

Not only the Yanshuang (Frost Extension) Army formation, but even Red Hand's mercenary团 and others were quiet, as if they had heard something incredible.

Until a confused and suppressed voice of great anger rang out.

[...Say that again?]

And Su Zhou fulfilled his strange request.

He said it again.

"I am here to protect you."

Seeking monthly tickets!