When this word appeared in Matthew's mind, it shone like the newborn sun.
The haze of memory was swept away.
Part of the knowledge that was originally like smoke and mirrors becomes clearly visible.
He put one hand on his forehead with a look of reminiscence on his face:
"A ritual."
"I have read in a book that an evil organization declares a challenge before invading a certain territory - this is the beginning of a ritual called "plundering". This ritual originated in the Age of Enlightenment, when the gods were divided among themselves.
They have become two camps of good and evil..."
Age of Enlightenment.
It was an era when the gods dominated the order of the world by virtue of their own power.
At that time, the conflicts and struggles among the gods were very serious.
They are generally divided into two camps, one good and one evil, and they attack each other.
After many years of development.
The children of the good gods mostly control towns and villages, while the followers of the evil gods wander in the wilderness and ruins.
The fight between the two never stops.
And in order to please the gods they serve.
The followers of the evil god at that time often attacked and plundered towns and villages on a regular basis.
Before that.
They will hold a grand "initiation ceremony", which includes fear-mongering - that is, spreading a declaration of war to the target town and creating a large number of rumors that disaster is coming.
through this move.
They will have the opportunity to disrupt the situation in the target town in advance, which can reduce the resistance when they attack next; even if they cannot achieve this goal perfectly, they can still gain the favor of the god they believe in through the ritual itself.
This allows them to gain greater evil power.
"So, the act of writing the afternoon letter is not only the beginning of the robbery ceremony, but also part of the initiation ceremony?"
Richard asked seriously.
Matthew nodded:
"If they are indeed imitating the followers of the evil god in the Enlightenment Era, then there is a high probability that they will do two more things to completely complete the initiation ceremony.
The first is to create a "landmark event". The impact of this event must be great, and the result must be horrific. It is best to be linked to something familiar to the residents of the town;
Then they will publicize this tragedy to spread panic.
If this step is achieved, the launching ceremony will be officially completed.
In the Age of Enlightenment, the evil gods would send down a large amount of divine blessings at this stage as a reward and to pave the way for the subsequent formal "plundering ceremony."
Richard said approvingly:
"Look, I knew you could do it. This news will help a lot. I will go directly to Zeller and tell him about it."
Matthew thought for a while:
"If the intellectual puzzle lock really exists, will you quickly forget about it?"
Richard smiled peacefully:
"Theoretically, that's true, but that's something in the longer term. If we remember it deliberately, we won't forget it in the short term. The curse of the gods is not that powerful. The scary thing about it is that it is pervasive."
"Besides, if something impresses you deeply enough that you will never forget it in your life, then the curse can't help you."
"It's like I shouldn't remember the "Intelligence Puzzle Lock" thing, but I just know that it exists because... I have a deep enough impression of it."
Matthew nodded thoughtfully.
He noticed that when Richard said these words, although his tone was calm, there was always a strange look in his eyes.
This is exactly the same as when he said, "This world is the world of spellcasters after all."
Matthew guessed that this unfathomable retired thief might have a story that he still cannot let go of.
This story is most likely related to the spell caster and the intelligence puzzle lock.
Now the two exchanged some secrets that may be hidden behind the robbery ritual.
Richard believes that the actions of the three major organizations are by no means just imitations and tributes.
They can definitely draw strength from the "initiation ceremony".
It is difficult to judge whether the source of this power is the "Lord of the Void Euclus" that Matthew discovered in a secret letter before, or whether it is an evil god who has kept a low profile for many years and suddenly made a high-profile comeback.
"At least we can predict their next actions in advance."
Richard stood up and tidied his clothes carefully:
"I'm going to find Zeller right now. If it's convenient, you'd better go to the Lord's Mansion tomorrow. This is to avoid the most extreme situation - that is, both Zeller and I have forgotten about this matter."
Matthew agreed.
"But do I just go to the Lord's Mansion so brazenly? Will Rhaegar have any objections?"
He asked one more question.
Richard glanced at him:
"What do you think of Rega? Her daughter has been clamoring to go to your house every day to make up lessons. Now she has to go to your house instead. It is much safer for him.
I think he will pay you to be Sif's tutor sooner or later.
You should familiarize yourself with the working environment in advance."
…
On leaving the Artisans Protection Association.
Matthew was still memorizing the lost knowledge. This feeling of being forgotten at any time was terrible. He could only deepen it repeatedly and planned to copy the word "Intellectual Puzzle Lock" into his daily manuscripts when he went back.
Crossing two busy streets.
The crowds gradually became deserted.
Matthew came to a house in the northernmost part of the craftsman's district.
Compared with the building of the Artisans Protection Association.
The house appeared to be in a state of disrepair, perhaps due to a fire, as black marks could be seen everywhere on its exterior walls.
Several ivy stripes cover it, and small white or pink flowers add a bit of vitality to this slightly depressed low building.
The wooden door is half open.
On the grass in front of the door is a set of mailboxes and a wooden sign stuck crookedly:
Veterans Mutual Aid Association.
Matthew leaned over.
He first rang the bell for a while, but after finding no one answered, he walked in steadily.
Behind the door is an open and cold front hall, with a faint herbal smell in the air.
A few rough stone pillars came into view, and the reception desk was empty.
"The sight is so bad."
It was obviously early in the morning, but it gave Matthew the illusion that it was getting late.
"anyone there?"
He shouted twice under his breath.
After a while.
The sound of footsteps was heard on the spiral staircase nearby.
A figure appeared at the end of the stairs.
The man had white hair and was old, but his steps were fast and steady.
He is very tall and has to hold on to the handrail to maintain balance when going down the stairs. However, his back is always straight and his posture is perfect.
"I am Old Faron, who are you looking for?"
The old man came to Matthew, looked at the latter with his cloudy eyes, and his tone was neither humble nor arrogant.
Matthew immediately sent Richard’s letter of recommendation:
"My name is Matthew, and I'm just here to find you. My friend needs a pair of handy weapons."
Old Faron took the letter silently.
Then he opened the wooden door to the maximum extent to allow more sunlight to penetrate. Then he took out a monocle wrapped in layers of blue velvet from his coat pocket, and finally started reading carefully.
"Mr. Matthew."
Old Falon put away the monocle meticulously, and then said in a very formal tone:
"I am already very old, and I am afraid I am unable to forge new weapons for your friends."
Matthew actually gave up hope the first time he saw old Faron.
He looked to be at least seventy years old.
It really doesn't look like I'm old enough to start forging at any time.
"But I collected a lot of weapons when I was young. For Richard's sake, I am willing to sell one of them to you."
Old Faron said again:
"The current problem is that I need to know your friend's occupation, usage requirements and various habits. It is best if he can come to the scene and let me see his hands, otherwise it will be difficult for me to choose a suitable weapon for him."
Matthew thought for a while and reminded:
"My friend, he is not human."
Old Falon's expression remained unchanged:
"This is nothing unusual."
Matthew nodded.
The old man in front of him also fought out of purgatory with Rhaegar back then. He must have some knowledge and experience, so naturally he would not make a fuss over some things.
So he thought for a moment and summoned A Bing.
The light of the contract flashed past.
A skeleton hidden under a dark red cloak appeared silently.
"Skeleton? Can you take a few steps?"
Old Faron's eyes lit up with a little surprise.
Matthew ordered the soldiers to cooperate.
The latter subconsciously twisted his hips while walking.
Old Faron couldn't help but "ooh":
"It's actually a knife dancer? This is the first time I've seen an undead retain the skills of a knife dancer. This is unbelievable!"
Matthew was overjoyed, knowing that he had met an expert today, so he hurriedly asked:
"Are you familiar with knife dancers?"
Old Faron thought for a while:
"It's not that we're familiar with each other. I just spent a wonderful time with a considerate knife dancer. Unfortunately, we couldn't get together in the end."
Said.
He seemed to see the deep curiosity in Matthew's eyes, so he took the initiative to add:
"The Knife Dancer is a unique profession in the Thousand Sail Islands. The dancers there perfectly combine dance and sword skills to create incredible ways of killing.
In most cases, the sword dancers are advanced by women, but their leader is most likely a man. The leader of the sword dancers in my memory has near-legendary power.
Sword Dancers possess extremely strong assassination abilities, and they are one of the two most feared rogue advanced classes in the maritime nations of the Endless Ocean."
Matthew asked curiously:
"What about the other one?"
"Ninja."
A strange syllable came out of Old Falon's throat:
"Like sword dancers, ninjas are a killing profession created by islanders in order to protect themselves. The weak can defeat the strong. In the past few decades, you can see many sword dancers and ninjas in Gem City and Longwan.
But since the "Evil Dragon in the Sea" incident, the islands they live on have been overturned or submerged by endless waves, and it is now difficult to see these two advanced wanderers."
Matthew wrote it down secretly.
The soldier next to him showed no reaction to the old man's narration.
He just kept twisting his hips.
Twisting and twisting.
His figure suddenly disappeared on the spot.
If Matthew hadn't ordered his appearance in time, he might have ended up in the backyard.
"A very profound soul instinct. He must have been an excellent knife dancer during his lifetime. He might even be someone I knew."
There was deep emotion in Old Falon's eyes.
Said.
With the help of Matthew, he grabbed A Bing's two palms and looked at them carefully for a while.
"I know what weapon I should choose for you. Please follow me."
Old Faron led Matthew up the stairs.
Take two steps.
He suddenly stopped and asked:
"Being able to summon a skeleton soldier with the sword dancer's heritage, and having a letter of recommendation from Richard, you are the legendary "Necromancer with a Bone Dragon," right?"
Why do these people react so quickly?
Matthew smiled helplessly.
He had to nod his head and admit it.
"You saved Sif. I'm very grateful to you. Rhaegar was unwilling to tell me your true identity before, which made me particularly annoyed."
Old Faron said seriously:
"Come up here, kid, I have a gift for you."
…
Matthew followed Old Faron up to the third floor.
When passing by the second floor.
The smell of herbal smoke suddenly became stronger.
There are many rooms on the second floor.
The smell comes from these rooms.
Matthew glanced at it and vaguely saw a few shadows lying on wicker chairs.
"They were all survivors of the snake hunting battle. At that time, more than two hundred knights and attendants went to Winter Snake Valley with us. In the end, less than fifty people survived, and more than thirty of them came to Rolling Stone Town.
They all died within five years of settling down, and now only these less than twenty people are still alive."
Old Faron explained:
"The poisonous mist of the Purgatory Viper is very terrifying. They all just touched the edge of the poisonous mist, and they fell into the root of the disease that will never heal. Fortunately, Rhaegar is a good man and is willing to spend money to raise them. These herbs are very beneficial to their condition.
It won’t help, and it will become addictive, but it can alleviate the pain to some extent.”
During the conversation.
Matthew also heard several helpless and suppressed wails from behind those doors.
He hesitated and said:
"Can't even Master Ronan do anything?"
Old Faron glanced at him:
"Ronan is a good person, but he may not care about everything."
With that said, they came to the third floor.
Old Faron led them to an empty conference room to wait.
Then he left on his own.
About twenty minutes passed.
There was a squeaking sound on the stairs.
Matthew heard the voice and walked over.
But I saw old Faron walking in carrying two heavy boxes, one large and one small.
Ma Xiu wanted to step forward.
But the other party stopped him with his eyes:
"Don't worry, I'm not that old yet."
Snapped!
He placed the two boxes on the ground, then opened the copper lock on one of them, lifted the narrow velvet curtain, and two exquisitely shaped daggers with rounded arcs appeared in front of Matthew.
"Try it."
Old Falon skillfully picked up a knife with the index fingers of both hands.
The next second.
His fingertips flicked.
The short knife spun and flew towards A Bing.
A Bing still looked dull and sluggish.
But at the moment when the short sword came close.
His hands were like magnets and he firmly grasped the two knives.
He held the two swords, quickly stepped back a lot, and then involuntarily danced a dance with a strong sense of rhythm!
…
"Your summoned soldier likes the weapon you gave him very much, and his loyalty to you has been increased to 115!
…
Feeling grateful for your gift of treasure, Abing shared his ability "Retreat Step" with you!
…
Step back: Through a tactical movement, you can quickly pull back a position to get rid of the opponent's entanglement."
…
Good guy, you can’t put it down right now?
Matthew was a little dumbfounded.
Before he even paid for it, Ah Bing shared his abilities in advance. Is this a lesson in a sense of cutting first and showing off later?
"It seems he likes it very much."
There was a hint of relief in Old Faron's tone:
"This pair of daggers are called "Firefly" and "Bright Moon" respectively. They were made by gray dwarf master craftsmen. Its previous owner was a highly skilled drow assassin. She was an impressive woman."
Matthew looked at him thoughtfully:
"You are familiar with her?"
Old Faron said calmly:
"It's not that we're familiar with each other, it's just that we spent a good time together. Unfortunately, we couldn't get together in the end."
Matthew felt that these words were very familiar.
Old Faron has continued to introduce:
"The fireflies and the bright moon themselves do not have any particularly outstanding enchanting effects, but their texture and sharpness are excellent enough. In the hands of the right people, their lethality is no less than that of semi-artifacts.
In terms of abilities, Firefly can increase the stealth time and shooting speed; Bright Moon can provide a large amount of additional damage when the combo is in effect.
In short, they are the best daggers in my hand. If it weren’t for Richard’s introduction and your saving Sif, I wouldn’t sell them to you.”
Matthew suddenly had a toothache.
Old Faron said so.
Then this pair of short knives must not be cheap!
really.
when he asked about the price.
This veteran who always maintains a meticulous temperament rarely reveals a hint of a profiteer:
"800 gold coins, no negotiation allowed."
Matthew shook his head gently.
This price is too high, far beyond the bottom line he can afford!
The purchase fund he arranged for A Bing was 200 gold.
The difference between the two is three times.
"You can also rent it."
Old Faron suggested:
"I know the price is a bit high, but rogue weapons are no cheaper than your mage's weapons. It's hard to find them on the market, let alone Rolling Stone Town. Even if you go to Rapid City or White Rock City, you may not be able to find the same quality.
arms."
"If you rent, you only need to pay rent of 10 coins per month, but you need to pay the first two years' rent in one lump sum in advance, and the rest can be paid gradually - you need collateral, land deeds or real estate."
Matthew calmly pulled the pair of daggers out of A Bing's hands.
"I still need to think about it again."
He put the knife back in the box.
"Don't be in a hurry, you have plenty of time to think."
Old Faron smiled apologetically:
"Actually, I also want to sell it to you cheaper, but as you can see, the situation here is not good, and I can't ask Rhaegar for money every year."
Matthew nodded in understanding.
Old Faron opened another box, and what was inside was a long and thin whip.
"Try taking it and trying it."
The old man said gently:
"This is the gift I mentioned before to give you. It represents my gratitude."
Matthew took the whip.
He gently stroked the bumps like snake scales with his hands.
New news also flashed before my eyes.
…
"You have obtained the Necromancer's exclusive weapon "Ursul's Rebuke"!
…
Ursul's Scold (Whip)
Description: This whip is usually only used against undead creatures.
When you wave this whip against enemy undead creatures, you are equivalent to applying the effects of "dispelling the undead" and "rebuking the undead" to the target unit, and you have a very high priority for dispersing undead creatures;
When you swing this whip against your own undead creatures, your undead creatures will lose a small amount of soul fire and receive a powerful buff at random!
…
Note: Some undead creatures are easily addicted to whipping. When using it, please pay attention to its soul fire status, and don’t be extremely happy and sad.”
…
I had a fever for seven days and it finally subsided today, but there are still many symptoms: cough, dizziness, eye pain, sore throat, diarrhea, drowsiness... I still have to recover slowly. I estimate that I will maintain the current update rhythm before the end of the month. I will try to write as much as possible.
Yes, but we still need to ensure our health and quality. Thank you for your support.