Thales and Kuaisheng stared dumbfounded at the tavern owner who was sitting at an empty table, sweating profusely and sitting on pins and needles.
If you go out to dump a body at night, what are the chances of encountering a tavern owner and being robbed?
"Marina, where did your upbringing go? Why don't you ask our two new friends to sit down?"
Ricky still looked very talkative: "Give them a drink by the way. Forget about the wine, I need them to stay awake."
As he spoke these words, he looked steadily at Tampa.
Have a drink and stay awake.
Thales and Quick Rope looked at each other in surprise, communicating with each other's moods with their eyes.
What are you doing?
have no idea!
The surrounding mercenaries still stared coldly at the two newcomers, exuding their unique power in whispers and sneers.
Marina raised her eyebrows, nuzzled at Thales and Quick Rope, and kicked an empty table next to her.
"Did you hear that?"
Thales and Kuaiseng looked at each other, hesitating whether they should sit down or not.
Marina sighed.
She lowered her head and pulled out two swords with a "swish" sound!
And when she raised her head again with a fierce look...
Thales and Quick Rope had appeared on the chairs next to the empty table.
It's like teleporting.
They were holding the table, sitting upright, both showing their white front teeth, and smiling obediently.
The speed, the good attitude, and the sweetness of the smile made Marina, who was ready to see some blood, feel a little frustrated.
The mercenary behind him brought two drinks from the bar and slapped them on the table for the two of them.
Thales and Quick Rope subconsciously shrank back.
They pulled their hands away from the table and tried to stay away from the two drinks.
"What, are you worried about poison?" Marina looked at them contemptuously.
"We are not thirsty." This is the well-behaved Thales.
"I'm really not thirsty." This is a flattering quick rope.
Looking at the two people with sincere eyes, Marina sighed again.
"Really, why do I feel..."
She raised the sword in her hand, and the two mercenaries behind her silently took a step forward.
"You would rather leave your hands empty so that you can have weapons at your fingertips..."
As soon as the words were spoken, Thales and Quick Rope stretched out their hands in unison, stretched and retracted them, and quickly picked up the wine glasses.
Both heads were raised at the same time, showing friendly smiles.
"No, no, no..."
"Where, where..."
The movements are completed in one go.
Looking at the two people who were giggling, Marina raised her eyebrows and her face twitched slightly.
She snorted disdainfully and put the weapon away.
On the other side, the leader of the mercenaries, Ricky, looked at the expressions of the two people and sighed slightly: "Judging from the expressions of these two new guests... I guess you were just bluffing before, Tampa?"
The kidnapped protagonist, the ugly-faced Tampa, coughed.
"Listen, if you are so showy, the camp will not sit idly by."
Ricky looked at the two new customers with interest and returned his gaze to the boss.
"They are busy killing people in the desert, and this is just a personal grudge," Ricky said with a smile, "So, they really don't care."
Tampa's expression became increasingly stiff: "You know, you are destroying your reputation as the 'Blood Whistle'. No employer or introducer will be willing to hire someone with a criminal record..."
"reputation……"
Ricky said nonchalantly: "Don't you know, this is a one-shot deal. We are planning to leave the Blade Tooth Camp and even quit this business."
Thales, who was holding the wine glass tightly, looked around at the mercenaries in the tavern. Their silent and quiet style added an inexplicable sense of tension to the atmosphere here.
A one-shot deal...
These words made Thales extremely uneasy.
That means that these people do not care about the possible consequences.
So, what should he and Quick Rope, the two people who were involved in for no reason, do to escape safely?
“I have no grudge against you ‘Blood Whistle’!”
Tampa slammed the table, gritted his teeth and pointed angrily at Ricky: "Hey, your people were caught in the camp because they were ignorant and tampered with the big shots. I have worked hard to intercede for you...
…”
During Tampa's self-defense, beside Ricky, a middle-aged man named Clay shook his head and laughed, and said to the man with his face covered: "Don't you have eyes?"
"Shut up." This was the masked man's unceremonious reply.
Thales watched their interaction silently.
According to Ricky's introduction today, Clay is a swordsman from the North, and the masked man has a dangerous identity. They have just joined the Blood Whistle.
But looking at their current performance, there is no sense of unfamiliarity or distance at all like when they first joined the team, such as the fast rope versus Dante's sword.
It's like we've known each other for a long time.
When these two people first arrived, they sat at the same table with the leader of the team, but the other mercenaries in the tavern, including Marina, who seemed to be quite senior, actually had no objection to this fact?
has a problem.
Thales kept the doubts in mind.
This so-called mercenary team...
It's not that simple.
"If you blame this on me, or if you want to make a fortune before leaving, you are looking for the wrong person..." Tampa's self-defense continued.
But Ricky raised a finger and silenced all three voices.
"This has nothing to do with business or grudges, old friend."
He said calmly.
Tampa paused slightly.
"Then what do you want? Mercenaries?"
Ricky curled his lips.
"What we want may be a bit too much..."
There was a hint of shrewdness and prudence in his eyes.
"But first, you can answer a question for us."
Tampa frowned.
Seeing this scene, and seeing Ricky's questions not shying away from being around them at all, Thales suddenly felt something was wrong.
"About twenty years ago," Ricky's expression became serious:
"There is a mercenary team called the 'Big Nine' that is active around the desert. You know, right? Just today, I heard you talking to that young man about this."
Ricky pointed at Thales, and everyone's gaze made the latter's smile numb.
The Big Nine?
What is this? Tampa said this?
Tampa looked at Ricky suspiciously: "So?"
Ricky nodded.
"The leader of that team is a young man with good skills who is probably forty or fifty years old now," Ricky put one hand on the table and slowly rubbed his fingers, as if he was recalling something:
"His swordsmanship is very special. His offense and defense are self-contained. His skills are a mixture of hundreds of styles, but they are connected smoothly and freely. When facing the enemy, he is often unexpected and caught off guard..."
Thales noticed that several of the silent mercenaries in the distance had tense expressions.
"Even in the face of a strong enemy or even a siege, I can still withstand the pressure at a disadvantage and not even fall behind." On the other side of the table, the masked man suddenly spoke, his voice vicissitudes of life.
Ricky nodded slightly, looked into the distance with deep eyes: "Exactly."
He turned to Tampa: "Who is he?"
Tampa was stunned for a moment.
"Is that the reason?"
"This is very important. You are the master here and you should understand him." Ricky said silently.
Tampa took a deep breath.
"This is too long ago. In the 'Big Nine' more than 20 years ago, I was just a bitter idiot..."
He shrugged: "How could you possibly know?"
Ricky blinked and nodded kindly.
"You may indeed be under age, but..."
The mercenary leader leaned forward with a confident expression on his face.
"This is 'my home'."
Tampa looked confused: "So what, this is a tavern, not a secret service."
Ricky snorted coldly.
"You know, you have a pretty good sign."
Tampa stiffened slightly.
"More than two hundred years ago, the first supreme queen in history appeared in the stars. Eliga Brightstar, who succeeded and was crowned as the eldest princess, once defeated the Exeter people, retreated in panic, and even had to
Don’t shrink the borders and give up the cold fortress.”
"This is the origin of the joke: Only under the leadership of women and children can the Star Kingdom defeat Exeter, whether it is Sumer I who died at the age of twelve, Queen Esola who went to battle in person, or Iron Thorn
The Queen Mother, Queen Elliga, and the nearest Flower of the Fortress.”
After listening to Ricky's words, the masked man snorted disdainfully.
"Northern Conqueror" Alicia.
Thales had heard of this history.
Of course, this is from the perspective of the "righteous indignation" of the people in the North:
It is said that Princess Alicia has a dissolute nature and boundless desires. Before she was crowned, she had difficulty getting married because of her poor reputation and her illegitimate son whose biological father was a mystery. For the sake of power, she even used her beauty and body to seduce her enemies and instigate them to support her crown.
He even insidiously and obscenely tempted Sid Hustel, the wise King of Exeter, who sternly rejected the queen's "gaudy beauty and ugly heart" ("No" Thales
History book note 4) After that, he insisted on the interests and integrity of the Northlanders, but was captured by the angry "Bitch Queen" ("From the Last Castle to Eternal Star City, arrested across provinces" Tails' history
Book Note 13), unfortunately fell into her clutches ("The body is very honest" Taylor's History Book Note 15), was locked up in the castle, imprisoned all year round, tortured every night, and suffered all the humiliation (every time I read
At this point, the little naughty guy will curiously ask Thales why he laughs so weirdly).
At the same time, the despicable and shameless Star People secretly gathered their troops and took the opportunity to attack. They were worried about the king's safety ("Why is he not dead yet?" Note 24 of Thales's History Book). The Ekster people were leaderless and scattered.
He resisted, fought bravely, and built an unyielding defense line in front of the Cold Fortress ("Then the Cold Fortress was lost" Note 37 of Thales's history book), and finally shattered the Star's 'Bitch Queen''s conspiracy to enslave the North.
By the way, the history book filled with Thales's nonsense and private notes was eventually discovered by Lady Jinx. As the Grand Duke's bodyguard, Lord Nicolai was filled with emotion after reading it. After reading it, he was so impressed that he decided to let it be included in the book.
The queue of firewood in the fireplace contributes a little to the warmth of the Palace of Heroes in the cold winter.
Thales shook his head and brought his attention back to his eyes.
Ricky continued: "But Alicia's later years were not very happy: her compatriot brother raised an army to seize the throne as the 'Northern Conqueror', and had no choice but to go into exile in the Western Wilderness. She was depressed amidst the day after day siege and endless betrayals.
end."
"The forces loyal to Queen Ellija fled to the Blade Tooth Sand Dunes. With the tacit approval of the Duke of West Wasteland, they were neither willing to serve the brutal 'Red King' and join his repeated conquests and counter-rebellions, nor were they willing to just do this.
They were buried in silence in a distant land, so they chose to continue fighting for the Duke and the country on the western border in the name of mercenaries."
Ricky pointed to the door and said with a smile: "This is the 'Queen Alicia's Last Wine Glass'."
Tampa took a deep breath.
"This is also the glorious history that the mercenaries of the Western Wilderness had or thought they had. From then on, this tavern, 'my house', was the unexplainable dispatch center for the mercenaries in the Western Wilderness."
Ricky stared at him intently: "For more than two hundred years, there have been political changes and the rotation of thrones, but 'my home' has always been the center of the mercenaries in the Western Wilderness and the holy place in the hearts of many people."
"And you, Tampa, just like the previous owners here, you took over the position and information of the previous boss, wandering between black and white, acting as a middleman in this mercenary holy land, while being in contact with the official forces in the camp
, on the one hand, it provides shelter, introduces jobs, and guarantees the rights of mercenaries who are outside the kingdom and the law."
"Every mercenary or corps with some qualifications who comes to Blade Tooth Camp will come here to say hello to local snakes and make connections. Therefore, you know the profile and even details of almost every mercenary group. As long as they have visited here and looked for business,
A record will be left.”
Tampa exhaled slowly.
"In this chaotic camp, you may not be the most powerful person, Tampa, but you are definitely the one who knows the most." Ricky's eyes turned sharp: "Maybe, you still know a lot.
A little too much.”
"Look, we didn't come to you for no reason."
Tampa frowned tightly.
"Now, tell me, Tampa."
"who is he?"
"Where are you now?"
Ricky whispered: "The leader of the nine giants who uses the sword."
Clay and the masked man at the same table also turned to Tampa, staring at the tavern owner from both sides.
The eyes of the mercenaries became more and more terrifying.
Tampa gritted his teeth and his expression twitched.
But he still shook his head: "No, what happened more than 20 years ago is too long, and they disbanded long ago. I can't even think about it..."
Ricky's smile slowly disappeared.
"It seems that you do not realize our determination to come here today."
He said coldly.
After saying this, Ricky nodded slightly to Marina.
Marina showed a mysterious smile and put her hands on the shoulders of the two new guests.
Thales and Quick Rope turned their heads and looked at her doubtfully.
What is this for?
But the next moment, Thales felt a biting cold coming from wherever Marina pressed her palm!
Straight into the whole body!
Thales trembled.
cold.
Extreme cold.
It was like someone suddenly replaced all his blood with ice water.
Flow throughout the blood vessels.
At that moment, Thales' face turned pale.
This is……
Not only that, the cold also brought an unbearable dull pain, like a pair of brothers charging desperately regardless of retreat, violent and crazy, attacking his nerves inch by inch.
Oops!
Realizing that something was wrong, Thales shrank up and tried to resist this terrifying force.
Quick Rope's reaction was faster than his.
"Ahhhhhh" the former Prince Exeter screamed!
I saw Kuai Sheng's eyes widening, his expression frightened and painful, as if he had seen the legendary Prison River Ferryman.
His face twisted in the strange coldness.
Tampa stared at the two tortured people in stunned silence.
The mercenaries looked calm and even smiled, as if they were used to it.
Thales also gritted his teeth in pain: this coldness made him extremely uncomfortable, but his whole body was numb and he could not get rid of it.
At this moment.
boom!
A power that had been dormant for several days suddenly woke up from Thales' body!
The sin of the Hell River was like a beast coming out of the sluice or a flood bursting out of the embankment, reacting at an explosive speed and rhythm, filling Thales's body.
Run towards that violent and cold power.
What's wrong?
Thales had no time to react.
In one breath, the sin of the Hell River met that force.
Immediately, Thales couldn't stop trembling!
But it wasn't because of the cold and dull pain.
In fact, the feeling that power gave him slowly disappeared, whether it was cold or painful.
But another monster attacked without hesitation: the sin of the Hell River boiled, filling his body inch by inch, like an enraged beast. The ups and downs were violent and frequent, second only to the several times when his life was in danger.
.
Thales was surprised.
What are you doing?
not only that.
The sins of the Hell River crept into his heart like a bewitching potion, and the senses of hell activated themselves without calling. His eyes subconsciously focused on Marina's vital points: eyes, throat, heart, armpits, and lower abdomen.
…
more than.
Thales "saw" a lot.
The power of termination in the opponent's body surges and crazily, gathering in Marina's hands and arms. While delaying the fatigue of her muscles and nerves, it also strengthens the senses on her skin in order to predict the opponent's next attack, while also carrying a terrifying
Aggression will spread crazily for every fierce collision. Thales suddenly found that he knew this.
Thales shook his hands and felt the position of the dagger on his waist.
but……
As long as I move in place... I can kill her by surprise.
An urge to attack suddenly spread into Thales' mind, making him want to take action immediately.
Very comfortable.
This impulse made him feel very comfortable.
I really want to...
Under the urging of Prison River Sin, he subconsciously wanted to reach out and touch the dagger.
But at this moment, Thales felt a strange tingling sensation on his forehead.
What followed was an inexplicable coolness that spread from my mind.
【Wish you...】
A strange and slight tinnitus sounded in my ears.
[Eternal...road...]
This coolness and tinnitus seemed to have some effect, almost instantly cutting off the connection between Hell River Sin and Thales!
The desire to take action suddenly disappeared.
Only then did Thales wake up!
He took a deep breath and immediately realized something was wrong.
Many of the mercenaries in the tavern, including Ricky, Clay and the masked man, frowned and stared at him strangely.
Staring at Thales who was looking down and panting.
It seemed like there was something different about him.
And the other side.
"No no no ah"
Quick Rope's face was still twisted, and he kept screaming, his whole body was shaking uncontrollably, and he was dripping with cold sweat.
The cry of "Ahhhhhh" became more and more fierce.
Marina, who was holding the two people's shoulders, looked at the painful rope, and then at Thales, who seemed to be fine, and became even more confused.
She made a confused "Huh" sound and grabbed Thales' hand harder and harder.
"How..." Ricky narrowed his eyes and asked Clay next to him in a low voice.
The next second, Thales tried his best to imagine in his mind the worst, most painful, and most terrifying encounter he had ever encountered in his life. This was not simple, because it was difficult for him to compare which one could be considered the "most".
Copy your own emotions and reactions
"Ah ah ah ah ah" Thales gritted his teeth, lowered his head, pulled up his vocal cords and howled: "No, no no, ah ah"
Pretending to be in extreme pain is as painful as learning how painful it is.
This is also difficult.
After all, the performance can never compare to the real reality. Thales had to work very hard and concentrate to be able to hold back the heart-rending and hysterical feeling of being skinned on a fast rope, as well as the crazy trembling.
It seems...this girly short man is relatively slow.
She nodded with satisfaction.
The mercenaries also slowly regained their doubts.
"enough!"
Tampa's roar interrupted Marina's torture of the two men, whether it was real or staged, and made her let go of her hands.
Kuaisheng collapsed on the table with a dazed expression, humming miserably and twitching from time to time.
Thales followed the same example and slumped down on the fast rope, so that he could rise and fall with the latter's trembling without forcing himself.
But inside he was extremely horrified and confused.
What was that just now?
"what is that!"
Tampa looked angrily at the two men who described their misery: "Your poison? Bone-breaking technique? Or is it the legendary magic?"
"Just some small means to make you realize our determination." Ricky still looked at him politely.
"I know that you have been in the military, Tampa, and you may still be a tough guy, but..."
"If they are really your people, then consider them as urging and encouragement for you," the mercenary leader chuckled: "If not..."
"Just take it as an example."
He waved to Marina: "Press harder."
Thales and the fast rope trembled together.
Tampa looked at them in disbelief, with a surprised and hesitant expression.
"alright!"
Before Marina smiled and pressed her hands again, Tampa took a reluctant sip.
He looked at Ricky unhappily.
"The Big Nine, yes, the Big Nine, I remember it."
Ricky nodded with satisfaction.
Thales and Quick Rope breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the tavern owner gratefully.
"Fuck..." Tampa cursed under his breath.
"Please say it again?" Ricky smiled as before.
Tampa snorted angrily and spoke reluctantly:
"More than ten years ago, I mean the Year of Blood, most of the Western Continent was at war: chaos arose in the desert, rebellions broke out among the southern nobles and mobs, and finally there was Exeter's unprecedented southward army.
The less well-known mercenary teams Soul Breaker, Double-Edged Sword, Moonscar, Evil Punishing Army, Immortal Hunter Group, and Servants of the Sun were all affected by the war and suffered great misfortune. They either died or dispersed, or even were expelled.
The Big Nine are no exception..."
A middle-aged man named Clay interrupted him rudely: "We know that history better than you, so cut off the nonsense."
Tampa paused for a moment and cast an unhappy look at Clay.
"But under the surface, only a few people in the circle know," he said angrily: "The nine giants, they survived the bloody year..."
Ricky's eyes focused.
"That's what I heard from Father Rooney... One night after the war, the superpower who settled accounts among the Nine Giants, bruised and covered in blood, carried their leader on his back and knocked on the door of the tavern.
's door."
Tampa gritted his teeth.
"That night, Daddy Rooney found a doctor for them, and overnight he helped the Big Nine dispose of all the assets they left behind so that they could disappear."
Tampa snorted angrily.
"And the guy you asked about? By the time he shows up again, it will be several years later."
The blood-whistle mercenaries looked at each other with solemn expressions.
"Some old people from the past told me that for more than ten years, in the interior and south of the Kingdom of Stars, a newly rising and powerful underground gang believed in him as a myth."
"He is getting more and more powerful, even during the mercenary period. At least, he dared to go head-to-head with the Blood Bottle Gang, who are the aristocrats' minions, and almost never lost," Tampa said coldly:
"And every time he appears, it is like a legend, with a beginning but no tail, and no trace."
Hearing this, Thales was shocked!
The newly rising and powerful underground gang...
Going head to head with the Blood Bottle Gang...
Tampa exhaled and looked at the other three people bitterly: "He also has a new name..."
He didn't finish.
Because another person helped him tell the answer.
"Black Sword."
The only masked man clenched his fists and his voice was as cold as ice.
Tampa was stunned.
At that moment, almost all the mercenaries in the tavern were breathless.
They looked at each other as if they had found the greatest treasure.
"Right?"
The masked man slowly said one sentence at a time: "Because what he is using is a black sword, which is extremely awkward. No matter whether it is cutting, stabbing, blocking or parrying, it is all very weird..."
"Ancient magic sword."
From an invisible angle, Thales' pupils slowly focused.