Chapter 321: Third Test Opened
The familiar face quickly walked out of the range of the firelight and entered the valley with a group of laborers.
The Kenyans watched Walton disappear into the darkness, looking at each other, and they could see the astonishment on each other's faces.
"...He's not dead? Captain Walton is still alive?" the female warrior murmured to herself.
The middle-aged man stared solemnly in the direction of the valley.
For the people of the Church of the Fiery Sun, hunting down the Nightmare Butcher is an honor that comes with danger.
Just as Yang Qiu said when he threatened Walton to accept "peace talks", countless leaders of the sect have died at his hands over the years.
Of course... the possibility of total annihilation is not great. After all, that madman is not really crazy. Over the years, there are countless survivors who escaped from the hands of the Nightmare Butcher. This speculation has been confirmed after entering the Rhine Kingdom. In the capital of the Rhine, there are rumors that the Nightmare Butcher (the undead) has captured a group of the Cult of the Fiery Sun.
There must be a large number of survivors of the lost cult, but it is impossible that Ben Ham Walton himself is among these survivors; whether considering the hunting style of the Fiery Solari Order or the usual style of the Nightmare Butcher, Walton, the leader of the cult, will never be spared.
They never expected... before they officially set foot in Innadri, everyone in the investigation team witnessed the living Walton with their own eyes - the leader of the cult who everyone thought was dead was still in a state of unrestricted movement!
"--Walton betrayed the Holy Land?" A man as young as Gajir among the members of the investigation team spoke in disbelief.
"How is that possible?" Ge Jier denied loudly subconsciously, "That's Walton!"
He had a surname that was once noble and glorious. He had served as a night watchman on the Karan Peninsula for twenty years and had resolved three disaster crises. How could such a devout church knight betray the Holy Land?
All members of the investigation team present were night watchmen, and all of them knew very well what twenty years of experience as a night watchman meant.
The middle-aged man had been a night watchman for fifteen years, and his fifteen years of experience were enough to make him more trusted by the Holy Land’s top leaders than anyone else present.
"Don't jump to conclusions." The middle-aged man said in a deep voice, "Let's get in touch with him first... His fiefdom and family are all in Kenya. I believe he must have been coerced in some way."
This town was controlled by the Innadri people, and the middle-aged man would not be stupid enough to act rashly in the enemy's lair. The group of people waited patiently until the next day, and then left as if nothing had happened when other caravans were preparing to set off.
After walking a few miles, the investigation team quickly left the main road and ran to the nearby mountains and forests. They then divided into several teams and searched in the opposite direction of the route Walton took when he returned to the town last night. It didn't take much effort to find Walton who was organizing laborers to reclaim wasteland.
The middle-aged man squatted on a distant mountain and observed Walton through a telescope. The more he observed, the more puzzled he became.
More than a hundred laborers were scattered in the wilderness with hoes and shovels, clearing away overgrown thorny bushes and picking up scattered stones. Walton patrolled around the reclamation site, occasionally helping to move oversized stones and drag away large clumps of thorn bushes. It seemed that he was getting along well with these rough laborers.
"What on earth is this guy doing? Instead of trying to contact the Holy Land, he's squatting in the countryside and working as a farm supervisor?"
The middle-aged man observed silently for half the morning. Near noon, he asked the others to hide in the surroundings. He took Ge Jier and the other man and walked along the mountains and forests towards the reclamation site.
Near a place that Walton would patrol from time to time, the middle-aged man used his sword to carve a coat of arms of the Night Watch of the Church of the Fiery Sun on a tree trunk, and drew a small arrow under the coat of arms, then retreated back into the depths of the forest.
After waiting patiently for more than twenty minutes, Walton went into the forest alone and met his "fellow villager".
Seeing the familiar face of the middle-aged man, Walton’s expression instantly became complicated: “Roz…it’s you.”
Before leaving the Night Watch, the middle-aged man Rhodes, who was recognized as "overly cold and inhuman" within the Night Watch, had a good personal relationship with Walton.
Walton also had some impression of the young man next to Ross. He seemed to be a descendant of a noble family.
Ross carefully observed Walton at a close distance for a while before speaking: "You are not interfered with by mental magic. So, you are under some kind of curse?"
Walton smiled helplessly.
"No, I was not coerced by any curse, nor was I threatened... Well, there are still threats." Walton said with an inexplicably complicated expression, "All my soldiers are in the hands of the Nightmare Butcher. For a long time... I was under Yang's surveillance."
Ross said: "You used the past tense, so what about now?"
"As you can see, I am free to move around," Walton said.
"What's the price?" Ross asked calmly.
Walton was silent.
This is the thinking habit of the night watchmen... Everything that is unreasonable must have its forced rationality.
Walton's biggest dilemma when faced with questions from his former colleagues was that he could neither tell the truth nor lie.
Helplessly, Walton could only smile bitterly and said, "If I say that I voluntarily stay here as a prisoner, Rhodes, will you believe it?"
Rhodes and Gejier, who had been keeping a distance from Walton, both changed color and took several steps back. Rhodes seemed relatively calm, but his expression was a little solemn, while Gejier, the young man who couldn't keep his composure, had shock written all over his face.
Walton: “…”
This is the normal reaction of a night watchman...Who made Walton say such crazy words?
Walton sighed and said, "Yang has been promoted to Legend."
Ross, who had been acting calm, suddenly widened his eyes.
Walton laughed at himself. "The Holy Land's strategy has failed. Ross, the Nightmare Butcher not only did not lose control, but he has made further progress... The people of the cult before me died in vain."
Even a young man like Ge Jier could hear the resentment in Walton's words and was a little confused for a moment.
Ross, who was shocked to hear that Nightmare Butcher had been promoted, quickly calmed down: "It seems that you have been bewitched by the black magician."
"I don't want to lie to you, my friend," Walton said calmly, "Yang has said more to me since I was captured than I did before I was captured. In Innadri, among the people who follow Yang, I am just an insignificant person."
Rhodes' facial muscles tensed briefly, and it was obvious that he was angered by Walton's words.
"This is not something an honorable church knight can say, Walton, do you know what you are talking about?!"
“Honor?” Walton chuckled. “Well, you can interpret it however you want. I just hope you can listen to me for the sake of our past friendship.”
"First, my subordinates and soldiers are still alive. They are being held somewhere by Yang. According to Innadri's prisoner policy, they will be released and repatriated to their homeland in two to three years. Although this is also unfortunate, it is better than losing their lives."
"Secondly," Walton paused and sighed heavily, "Bishop Harris did not betray the Holy Land. He simply made the choice he could to minimize the losses to the Holy Land."
"Third, if you are going to Innadri, please remember... do not use force against anyone in Innadri, even if that person is as humble as dust in your eyes." Walton emphasized, "It is not wise to use unconventional means in Innadri. Please remember this."
Walton himself is from the Kenyan Empire, and he knows better than anyone that the purpose of the investigation team's visit must not be just to investigate him... To a certain extent, the undead cloth leaked by Innadri is a greater threat to the Kenyan Empire than the Nightmare Butcher, the black magician who has embarrassed the Church of the Sun many times.
As a man who had been a captive in Innadri for more than half a year, he certainly knew that the Cloth of the Dead, like other Tarantan products, all came from Yang. This kind of investigation was completely meaningless - the church had already been unable to do anything to him when Yang was just a great magician, let alone after this guy was promoted?
If Yang settled in the north of the continent, the Holy Land would always have a way to deal with him; however, he chose to develop in the eastern interior... The geographical distance and the cost of investing manpower and material resources were something that even the Kenyan Empire had to carefully consider.
Even if they used sea transportation, there was still the Storm Church diocese between the shore and Innadri - both were known for their strength, but the Fiery Sun Church and the Storm Church were not so close that they could easily borrow each other's route.
Rhodes frowned and stared at Walton. After silently understanding his words for a while, he spoke with some difficulty: "Are you admitting that you betrayed the Holy Land?"
Walton did not answer the question directly, but made his attitude clear with silence.
"Why?" Ross couldn't accept this answer, and a confused look appeared on his usually calm face.
Walton sighed heavily.
"Back then, when the Walton family lost the territory war and quickly declined... In order to prevent the ancestors of the Walton family from being disgraced by their descendants who were heavily in debt, I was forced to become a night watchman." Walton said with emotion, "But during those days when I fought hard on the Kalan Peninsula, I really didn't just live to pay off my debts... The night watchman is an honorable and great cause, and I still think so today."
Those who do not have strong enough beliefs cannot walk on the dangerous path of the Night's Watch for too long. Too many people who choose this career for the sake of gilding themselves, or simply out of admiration, or to earn high salaries give up halfway and flee in a hurry.
"The Night's Watch were born to fight against the endless night, and exist to resist the erosion of darkness. But... is my career as a Night's Watcher, which I am so proud of, really the pinnacle of my life's pursuit?" Walton said to himself, "Is what I once fought against the most dangerous, terrible, and terrifying evil in the world?"
Walton looked at his old colleague meaningfully, and a strange smile appeared on his face. "What do you think, Ross? Is it true that evil is born only in darkness, grows only in the darkest corners, and stretches out its claws in secret places that no one can see?"
Ross frowned and stared at this senior Night Watchman whom he had once recognized from the bottom of his heart, and shook his head silently.
Walton seemed to still be sane, but based on Rhodes' experience, he could be sure that... this former friend had fallen into some kind of self-righteous delusion.
Rhodes had seen such a paranoid and confident expression of the truth in a Kenyan scholar before he went crazy.
"…Just consider him dead. This will be better for everyone." Rhodes thought to himself and nodded on the surface, as if he accepted Walton's explanation.
"I will report your reply to the Holy Land truthfully." Ross said calmly, "You were captured during the mission. I will regard your refusal to contact the Holy Land as having no choice. Although your fiefdom will still be taken back, at least your family members can keep their existing property. Of course, the premise is that you cannot contact your family again , otherwise I will treat your family members as traitors."
"Thank you." Walton bowed sincerely.
Since he had no intention of returning to the Holy Land, the Vatican's fiefdom could not be preserved.
Walton, who was unmarried because he served as a night watchman for many years when he was young, had no wife or children. He worked hard to pay off debts and earn fiefdoms for the family, which was already considered to be worthy of the remaining family members; relying on the savings from the fiefdoms, his uncles and brothers could still live a more comfortable life than ordinary imperial citizens for the rest of their lives, and he did not need to worry too much.
" Is Bishop Harris still in Innadri?" Rhodes asked.
"Your Excellency the Bishop has not been harassed in any way," Walton said frankly.
Yang was a man of his words. He had kept his promise that he was willing to maintain peace with the Church of the Fiery Sun within the territory of Innad. The last time Walton went to the city and saw Harris, the white-robed priest looked a little plumper than last year.
Rhodes nodded, bowed slightly to Walton in farewell, and resolutely turned and left.
Ge Jier didn't say a word during the whole conversation. Although he was usually eloquent, he really didn't have a chance to speak during the conversation between the two.
As Gajier left with Ross, he still found it hard to believe that Walton, whom he thought would never betray the Holy Land or the Empire, had tacitly acknowledged the betrayal. He kept looking back even after he had walked a long way.
"How could this be? He is a descendant of the Empire's nobility. Why would he be willing to give up everything to follow the Nightmare Butcher?"
Ross did not explain to Gejier. His heart was not as calm as he appeared.
Nightmare Butcher was promoted to Legend... This news is too shocking!
The reason why Harris hid himself and pretended to be dead can also be explained - a legend who was only one step away from becoming a demigod could not be controlled by a white-robed priest who was "exiled" to a pagan diocese by the Holy Land.
No, even if the Nightmare Butcher had not been promoted, an ordinary cardinal would not be his match... let alone Harris.
"...This is a big trouble." Ross thought silently in his heart.
Like Gajeel, Ross was born into a noble family. Since he became a Night Watchman, he has been subordinate to the Holy Land and served as an investigator of the Holy Land.
Compared to Walton, a descendant of a declining family, Ross knew more about the top leaders of the Holy Land... and the top leaders of the Empire.
The top leaders of the Holy Land and the Empire have been trying to intervene in Middle-earth in recent years, trying to take Middle-earth, which has a warmer climate and is more livable, into their possession. The natural environment of the Kenyan Empire is not excellent, with nearly half of the country in extremely cold conditions, and howling winds for half a year. No one yearns for a warm climate more than the Kenyans.
Of course, the countries in Middle-earth cannot sit idly by and wait for death. Who would be willing to become the granary, cotton field and holiday resort of other countries?
Years of war have almost reduced several Middle-earth countries bordering Kenya to ruins, but the Kenyan Empire itself has also lost a lot of blood... If it weren't for the continuous blood transfusion from the outer continent monopolized by the empire, the empire would have been in chaos long ago.
Under such circumstances, Rhodes was well aware of how difficult it would be to mobilize additional troops for a long expedition.
But if we sit back and do nothing... when the Nightmare Butcher has the strength to strike back, will this legendary black magician, who has been hunted by the Holy Land for decades, not consider revenge?
Ross's headache grew as he thought about it, and he sighed imperceptibly.
If the high-ranking priests of the Holy Land had made up their minds earlier and eliminated this hidden danger that had caused deep enmity with the Church at all costs... there wouldn't be so many problems.
What Rhodes, a senior investigator from the Holy Land of the Church of the Burning Sun, didn't know was that... when he met with Walton, he had already been exposed to the eyes of the Nightmare Butcher.
Yang Qiu was a broad-minded person. He was generous to all the former thieves who had scolded him countless times in private, and he appointed them to the right positions and made the best use of their talents. He would not reject former captives like Walton who had "turned from darkness to light", and he had long ago pulled him into the matrix...
"I was just having a headache because there weren't enough NPC mentors in the Novice Village, and now someone's here."
In the Innadeli City Lord's Mansion, Yang Qiu happily withdrew his thoughts from the matrix and stood up from the armchair in high spirits.
The workers in the courtyard are currently capping the roof of the Mage Tower. If nothing unexpected happens, they can start setting up the magic array inside the tower in two days.
Standing in front of the window and admiring the huge tower-shaped building with a height of about 20 residential floors and a diameter of about 45 meters at the widest point of the base, Yang Qiu put on a cloak and went out to the City Hall to find Zhao Zhenzhen.
"You mean - open the third closed beta?!"
When Zhao Zhenzhen, who was sitting behind the desk processing documents, heard the purpose of Yang Qiu's visit, she almost jumped up.
"Yes." Yang Qiu smiled and nodded. "I plan to expand the number of players to 30,000. With this scale, we can fight larger wars and extend the battle line. You know, the new town in Adler's territory will have a harvest this year. It's impossible for them to really pay taxes to Lord Adler, right?"
Zhao Zhenzhen: “…”
To resist taxation, they had to take over the territory... Zhao Zhenzhen had no way of refutation for such a hardcore reason.
"Don't you always say that opening too many logins will be beyond your capabilities?" Zhao Zhenzhen said cautiously, "This world has a very outrageous risk of getting out of control, right? You have no problem supporting 30,000 players at a time?"
After mastering the Innad Li Collar, Zhao Zhenzhen could naturally get in touch with the common sense of mysticism in this world... It must be said that in the official records of abnormal events, living people can actually mutate into deformed monsters after a mental breakdown. This reality is very eye-opening for Zhao Zhenzhen - is it possible that even a species can change after a breakdown? !
"With my own mental strength, it is indeed the limit to carry more than 3,000 game accounts at present. Didn't you notice that I have been meditating to recover? It is because the consumption of using my own soul as the core of the matrix is too great." Yang Qiu said in a serious manner, "It is fine under normal circumstances, but if a top-level expert comes to Innadeli to cause trouble for me, then I may have to kick all the players offline first... Even I can't bear the burden of the matrix core and fight with others at my full strength at the same time."
Zhao Zhenzhen: “Uh…”
It sounds like a very impressive description, but Zhao Zhenzhen, who is not a native of this place, really can’t get the point…
"Once the Mage Tower is built, there will be no problem." Yang Qiu said happily, "Transfer the matrix core to the magic array inside the Mage Tower, use the seal as the array core, and rely on the magic network function to provide operating energy for the brand matrix. Although it cannot accept players indefinitely, there is no problem in expanding the brand anchor point - didn't I tell you?"
"No——!!" Zhao Zhenzhen roared angrily.
If she had known earlier that this guy's mage tower had this function, she wouldn't have always been thinking about taking resources from Yang, okay!
"Okay, I can give you some additional explanation now." Yang Qiu said indifferently, "I will return to Earth later to announce the third test and open the application channel on the official website. Considering the special nature of this game, the players who apply this time still need your help to screen."
"Well, I will close the application after the number of players who apply reaches 3 million. You can help me screen out 300,000 citizens with clean backgrounds, no criminal records, and no religious beliefs from these 3 million candidates, and then randomly draw 30,000 places from these 300,000 players . What do you think?"
Zhao Zhenzhen had a blank expression on her face. This guy's tone and attitude seemed like he was negotiating with her, but in fact, there was no room for negotiation at all!
"Are you sure that all login accounts are determined by random draw?" Zhao Zhenzhen still had to try her best for the national team.
"That's true." Yang Qiu said nonchalantly, "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. If you secretly replace a thousand or so application quotas and put some 'private goods' in, the number will be relatively small, so I won't be able to find it!"
Zhao Zhenzhen: “…”
Well... in the screening process of selecting 10% and then 10% out of three million, the probability that the players on Earth who are crying out for an account can successfully obtain a helmet and log in to this alien world to work for Yang is indeed not high. This guy is generous in acknowledging that the national team will occupy one thousand helmets.
"As for the channel of 'renewing a new account based on service time', it can be open for a long time. As long as the increased amount does not exceed the carrying capacity of the Mage Tower Magic Network, there will still be some space if we squeeze in." Yang Qiu added.
The online GM, player mayor, and player governor affairs officer are almost all monopolized by the national team, which is equivalent to a benefit enjoyed exclusively by the national team.
Zhao Zhenzhen also knew that this guy would rather save up resources on his own than accept the expert group's sugar-coated bullets because he didn't want to be controlled at this time, so he nodded painfully.
After completing the PY transaction with the national team, Yang Qiu opened the space-time rift and returned to Earth. He logged into the official website and released the third test announcement.
As soon as the announcement came out, the entire Internet was boiling...
