Blood tax

Chapter 226 Belomon Survivor Part [-]
The defeated trolls were completely silent, no longer beating the drums or roaring.

Griffith and Lana have no intention of killing all the trolls.They need these aborigines to provide urgently needed supplies, intelligence and manpower that are indispensable in the next process of exploring the road leaving the ruins, and the corpse that Griffith has always needed but has not found.

Rana let go of Elder Jirapakasa, let him lead the way, and led the inspection team to the troll's lair and to the upper level of the pyramid.

This megalithic building has no main entrance or passage leading directly to the first floor.The underground river cave where the battle took place has a curved staircase hidden behind stalactites and stalagmites leading to the upper part.

The space on the first floor of the pyramid is astonishingly large, with huge dark green and black stones piled up to form a tall dome that gradually shrinks.Men and trolls walk beneath it as tiny as ants creep across a living room.The majestic and sacred stone pillars, altars, pools and squares are carved with weird patterns, which have been damaged by the years.Neither the Royal Palace nor the Senate Chamber in Bayeran had such a majestic and spacious building.

The diamond-shaped terrace arranged like a hexagram appeared at a height of more than ten meters above, connected by a circular corridor, lingering with green, red and black shimmers.It must have been there that the ancient builders and lofty priests looked down at the humble believers beneath their feet and prayed to the ancient gods in the sky.

But wait a minute, this is underground, how did they worship the gods among the stars?
Griffith looked up at the dome high above.It was a smooth dome. There were traces of joints between the thick stones. The lines were smooth and regular. Could it be possible to open and close there, and look at the stars through the gap on the top of the cave?
He had seen strongholds and ramparts of orcs and trolls in the far east, but he had never heard of them building such great temples.Just excavating and stacking the huge slate and granite that make up the thick stone wall, the amount of work is already unimaginably huge.

The civilization that built this majestic temple imprinted complex and vague psychological hints and aesthetics on the building. The ancient and taboo myths are hidden in the unbelievable structure, which makes people terrified. Weird associations emerge subconsciously and surrender themselves. In the dark and secret ancient existence.

"Which god is this temple dedicated to?" Griffith asked the question that everyone was wondering.

"Our bodies and minds belong to the great shadow god Domun," said the troll elder softly, not daring to disturb the owner of the name.

Sonia shook her head, she was completely unfamiliar with this name, she looked at Galadia, and found that elves had never heard of this name either.

……

These subterranean trolls live in separate stone huts and tents next to the temple hall.There they cultivated mushrooms and cooked some humming honeycomb-shaped rocks. There were between eight hundred and a thousand men and women, and many children, but few old people.

The elder led Griffith and the others past the clansmen and roared loudly. The trolls, big and small, immediately dropped their work in a panic and ran to a hall ahead, where they got busy.

Griffith and Lana looked at each other, and both saw satisfaction in each other's eyes.With these trolls, everyone's supplies and auxiliary soldiers can be solved.

In a side hall the remnants of Belomon lit a bonfire of black coals, spread unknown furs on smooth stones, and invited the conqueror of man to his seat.

Although the civilization of the ancestors was lost in the distant years, fear and instinct still made them useful.The trolls put the fish they caught on wooden sticks and roasted it golden brown, sprinkled with salt, and thoughtfully dripped a few drops of lemon juice that they didn't know where they got.

Elder Jirapa Kasa brought up some of the same people who did not dare to breathe, and asked the conqueror to taste it with a look of trepidation, and was always ready to ask for forgiveness for his incompetence.

Sonia completed a poison test with a basic charm, confirming the food was safe to eat.Griffith tore off a little and handed it to the elder beside him, watching him eat it obediently before taking a bite.Under the scorched fish skin is the fresh and tender fish meat, the hot gravy and the long-lost sense of fullness made him want to stop.

"good."

Seeing that he was fine, everyone stretched out their hands to grab the grilled fish.Since the loss of hired workers and supplies, the expedition team has been hungry until now after eating up the little biscuits and chocolates around them.

While eating, Griffith asked the elder troll, "Where do you get your wood, salt and lemons?"

"Nearby is a spring that produces table salt, and small trees and some fruit can be found in the light of cracks in the rocks."

It seems that this underground city does have a large rift leading to the surface, and light will shine in part of the time.Griffith then asked, "Is there a way to get to the chasm or get out of here?"

"A powerful alien warrior, there is the widest gap near a towering cliff, where more food is produced, but the monsters entrenched in the water often devour our people, only this Domon temple gets divine power Asylum, monsters dare not come in."

When Griffith was about to ask the trolls about their beliefs, some young female trolls held stone plates and humbly brought up some blue and white paste, which was still fragrant.He tasted it and found that the taste was very sweet, and it should be the stems of plants such as cassava and purple sweet potato.

According to the elders, these are planted by the clan on limited land, mashed into paste and cooked, even noble wise men and warriors rarely eat them.

The last dish is a stone cauldron, which is full of golden objects. Unlike the few grilled fish and mush, there are a lot of these things, and even the trolls present have some, which should be their staple food. .

Galadia, who just ate grilled fish and glutinous rice with a big appetite, came over curiously to see what it was delicious, and suddenly covered her mouth and turned her head away, frowning with slender brows and persisting in nausea.

Cockroaches, maggots, ants, and spiders that are common on land, and different insects can even distinguish between fire and heat. If you don’t look at the unappetizing head and mouthparts, the image is not bad.

"It's delicious, just like a small egg roll!" Griffith grabbed a medium-rare chubby maggot and handed it to Miss Elf, "Take a bite and see!"

"I broke up with you!"

Griffith felt sorry for his companion who had no good luck, then turned around and handed it to Sonia: "Try it?"

The daughter of La Moore's family hesitated for a moment, lifted the tip of her hanging hair, approached her, and took a light bite.

"How about it!?"

"Well, how should I put it, it's sticky inside, it's hard to say."

The Elder Jirapa Kasa of the Belomon Remnants sat on the side with some noble clansmen, grabbed a lot of bugs and held them in their hands and ate them deliciously.As for the grilled fish and sweet potato mush, those were the foods that even the elders didn't share.

Lana asked the patriarch, "How many warriors do you have?"

"There are three hundred warriors in the Belomon clan. They are as strong as crocodiles and as cunning as jackals," the patriarch replied. "A dozen of them have received the favor of the gods and received the gift of strength."

It can still come in handy.Griffith interjected, "Tell us about your clan."

Elder Jirapakasa exchanged glances with the two elders beside him, and then began to tell about their ancient ancestors.

In the distant ancient times, Belomon was once a glorious empire. Their borders stretched from the endless swamps to the extreme northern ice fields, and their warriors were active in the jungles and mountains.

This glorious empire attracted the gaze of the gods.A wise ancestor overheard his voice, and managed to bring Domon, the God of Shadows, down before his people.

After enough living sacrifices had been offered, the gods, satisfied with their devotion, bestowed a sacred tablet.The troll's tribe can gain valuable knowledge and great power.

Then, He left.

The clansmen who have obtained the gift of power are called the sons of Domon, and their blood and strength can be passed on.Under the leadership of the son of Dormon, the Belomon clan captured the tentacle monsters in the ground and guarded them with the strongest warriors and traps.

These monsters are twisted, strong and flexible, and their complex body structures can simulate various shapes and organs, making them extremely tough.Like tame worker ants and worker bees, they cut and carried boulders from cliffs, and built underground temples and cities for the empire according to the oracles of Domun.The remnants feed them on blood and flesh.

Although the warriors of the Belomon trolls never let up, the tentacle monsters have found some way to corrupt them.

The powerful and loyal sons of Domon suddenly became crazy and began to attack their clansmen. The tentacle monsters took the opportunity to break free from the shackles, gushed out from the sewers and shadows, crazily devoured the clansmen and multiplied rapidly.

The ancestors of Belomon's remnants gathered their last strength, retreated to the temple and stood there.The remnants soon discovered that the tentacle monsters who lacked food began to fight among themselves. They killed the weak and devoured them, and the number began to decrease rapidly.

Gradually, the tentacle monster disappeared into the darkness.A handful of the Sons of Dormun still lurk in the darkness, and it is said that if enough sacrifices are made to them, these former warriors will once again serve the clan.

"Our people can only hide in this temple now, relying on the breath of the gods to drive away the dangers in the darkness, and relying on the river to survive. Only when the light in the gap is the brightest, can we carefully leave the temple, look for prey and Fruit." Elder Jirapa Kasa said sadly.

"What do Domon and the son of Domon look like?" Sonia asked. "Do you still have their remains? Or, do you have any murals and sculptures?"

"We don't know," said the elder, "our people have spent countless ages hiding here. Many precious heritages have been lost. We know there is another world above the rock, but we cannot go there. "

"So, do you know the way to leave here and go to the rock?" Sonia asked immediately.These trolls used to live in the swamp, so they should have mastered some methods of communication.

The elder nodded and drew a map on the ground with insect juice:

"Warriors of Ability God, the road to the rock is dangerous and hidden. You need the help of the sacred slate to find it. The slate is divided into two parts, one part was stolen a long time ago, and the thief hid it on the platform next to the reservoir , where dangerous creatures roam;
"The other part was originally kept by us...but it was just stolen."

"What was stolen? Didn't you say that this temple can stop monsters from invading?"

The elder said in embarrassment: "Yes, the temple can protect us. However, the stealer is very special and cannot be blocked by the breath of God. He is hiding at the corner of the stairs entering the temple. I originally wanted to call the most powerful clansmen After taking back the slate, I met the warriors of the different gods."

A smile appeared on the corner of Griffith's mouth. He stood up and said to the dignified troll elder: "I understand, lead the way, let's get to know the stealer."

……

In a dark, deep corner of an underground cavern, they found a human being in grief, utter confusion, and torment.He hid in the stinking cave in a mess, covered in dirt, and was startled by the sudden appearance of his kin.

"Professor Gnorrison Bell?" Sonia struggled to recognize that this was the archaeologist who often appeared in her living room.

The scholar's face was extremely haggard, his hands were sweating and shaking violently.He cried out with joy when he recognized the countess' face.

"Miss Sonia, by the gods, I am not dreaming! You are as beautiful as Miss Elena!"

The experience of these days must have made the professor suffer a lot.He staggered and stammered his greetings to the countess, and he did not forget to tidy up his long-lost bow tie.

Sonia wanted to go to help him, but Griffith held her shoulders and said to the archaeologist, "Professor, are you alone here?"

"Alone, yes, now alone," the professor fell to the ground after taking two steps, and said in a vague voice, "Wen Na was with me yesterday. She is a cute girl, very serious, Just like my own daughter. She was with me until yesterday, we are the last survivors. You see, here is her portrait. Next to it is Kubu, Pirion, all warm and nice lads.

"Those trolls killed Kubu and the others, cut flesh from their corpses! Then took Wenna while I wasn't looking! Oh my god, I could have protected her with magic...

"We want revenge! Let these savage races pay the price!"

The professor's eyes were red, and he continued to say excitedly: "There are also those monsters in the dark, they are very dangerous, they come and go without a trace, and no one can see their appearance clearly. But I have conceived a tactic these days, which can make them fight The trolls are killing each other. Wen Na helped me conceive it together, woo woo woo, we could have avenged everyone."

When he said this, he was very bright at first, then suddenly his voice became low, and then he began to cry, and stopped crying in a blink of an eye, looking around carefully, as if there was a sneaky eavesdropper hidden in the darkness.

"Have you had dinner? You can't do without. I have some food, not much, but please don't be shy, the Countess has been helping me. Oh, how gentle and wise and beautiful she is, a beautiful woman like her Intellectual ladies should be happy with a scholar. The Earl is a soldier and doesn't understand the fun of occultism and archaeology."

This embarrassing topic made Sonia's expression become unhappy.

"Oh, let's take a look at this first. These are the bones of the monster in the dark that I found. This is an important clue." Professor Bell tremblingly opened a small package and showed everyone a few bones.

Sonia looked at it: "Aren't these the toe bones of a lizard?"

"No, it's a monster's bone, look at this dangerous and evil sharp angle..."

Sonia looked at the professor inexplicably, and couldn't help but turned to Griffith and said, "I'm sure they are the bones of lizards, or similar amphibians and reptiles. They are the ones I picked up on the road."

Griffith nodded and blocked her behind: "Professor Bell, can you give us something to eat?"

"Of course," the professor fumbled in the package cautiously, and took out two dark strips of meat.

"What is this?" Griffith asked calmly.

"Meat, giant spider, no, it should be the meat of the swamp monitor lizard," the professor stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth and chewed, "After we finished our food, we grabbed some to eat. Although the taste is a bit strange, but eating After you get used to it, it’s still, not bad.”

"Where were these marsh monitor lizards caught?" Griffith asked again.

"In, in..." the professor rubbed his head, trying to remember, "in the swamp."

"There are no swamps underground, Professor."

"Oh, that seems to be the case."

Griffith watched the thoughtful archaeologist munching, raised the rough troll black stone axe, and asked again:
"Professor, where is Wen Na?"

(End of this chapter)