Shadow Covenant

Chapter 169 "Cooperation"

However, Woody's refusal didn't seem to arouse the anger of the flower cat who seemed to be a magic pet, but instead said in a slightly admonishing tone.

"Don't rush to refuse, brave stranger, look around."

Woody looked up suddenly.

The noisy conversation of the merchant guards in the carriage camp continued, accompanied by the warm yellow candlelight of the camp, which seemed warm and peaceful.

And in this safe environment, Woody saw the grateful eyes cast by Grimm who was talking with other guards of the trade group, and also saw several familiar faces in the crowd. Norm and the young coachman Kaqier, they and others also cast envious or respectful, adoring gazes. This is a power called trust.

"Their eyes looking at you are so pure, don't you want misfortune to befall them?"

This voice seems to be persuasive and persuasive, trying its best to develop the kindness in Woody's heart, as if if he refuses like this, then all the misfortunes they suffered next will be blamed on him.

Of course, Huamao's telepathy also seemed to take Woody's strength into consideration, and said without hesitation.

"Of course, if you are worried that your strength will not be able to fight against that evil side, I will lend you the power that I... Cecil left with me, and you will not suffer any harm! How?"

"..."

Woody looked at the colorful cat in front of him, black, yellow and white, and wanted to say something, but finally fell silent, with thoughts flying in his mind. He couldn't figure out what the cat in front of him wanted to do, if he said The first sentence sounded like tricking him into acting as an envoy of justice, but the ensuing conversation still showed his sincerity, and judging from the words, the cat in front of him didn't seem to be Cecil's magic pet. They are more like companions or friends.

"What's the price?"

Woody couldn't say that his heart was moved, but he felt that he had already said so much, so he naturally didn't need to stick to it.

"It seems that you are really not strong enough to reject my conditions?"

The voice in his heart did not answer Woody's question, but began to analyze the key issues from Woody's softened tone. For some reason, Woody heard a little loss from the tone of this mysterious cat.

But it didn't affect his undeniable nod when he responded.

"Yes, my life is also very important, and I don't want to use it for meaningless things! If it can guarantee my safety, I don't mind helping!"

"How can it be said that the execution of justice is meaningless! Is it what you want in your heart to see the evil pervading?"

At this moment, the tabby cat showed its own paranoia, as if resenting his cowardice and resistance.

When Woody heard this sentence, he knew that there was no need to continue the conversation. The camps of the two sides were not the same. He couldn't convince it, and of course it couldn't convince him.

In his heart, everyone has their own status. Maybe he can because of the memory and care of the original owner. Aunt Susan and cousin Verando have a high status in his heart. For them, he can also take a little risk, but for passers-by who meet by chance , It is neither rational nor wise to abruptly insert a battle with no hope.

You must know that the situation is not at its worst yet, and there is no disadvantage or irreversible decline on Cecil's side.

But having said that, from the voice and tone of this cat, it seems that it has seen itself before. In addition, it has just joined the Fudong Merchant Group to look at itself. If it is not the investigation of the magic pet owner, it is its own observation.

The father's friend, the gift of the bronze dragon, the faint sense of loss, the almost paranoid justice, and the faint arrogance in that tone.

A message flashed through his mind like lightning, and the identity of the cat in front of him was about to be revealed.

So, he asked tentatively.

"Why did you choose me? Is it because of the gift she left behind?"

Woody looked at the tabby cat that had jumped off his shoulders and stood on the side wooden box, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Hmph, I don't know what she likes about you?"

The words passed back by Huamao immediately stabilized Woody's shaky guess.

This should be the bronze dragon who once tested himself in the alley. It is not the same person as the legendary bronze dragon before, but I don’t know why it appeared in a convoy heading to the Northland, and it seems to be very hidden. Be careful.

"I don't know either, next time you see her, you can ask her for help!"

Woody seemed to spread his hands helplessly, but in fact he had already begun to spread news quietly. At least he felt that this bronze dragon should be underage.

Or maybe a teenager, or a dragon in his teenage years.

"I don't!"

Sure enough, the painting style of the chat gradually collapsed, no longer the serious and magnificent atmosphere before, replaced by a feeling of being short-tempered.

But this should be its original appearance, and Woody didn't care too much, but asked a question of a shallow nature.

"By the way, you can't leave here, can you?"

Cecil did not carry this cat when he fought just now, so there must be her considerations. Combined with the words of this cat that is suspected of being transformed from a bronze dragon, this inference is still easy for Woody to guess, but he doesn't know the fundamental reason.

"..."

Sure enough, Woody found that the words he had conveyed through telepathy seemed to sink into the sea at this moment, and there was no news. If it wasn't for the fact that telepathy was still running all the time, Woody even thought that he hadn't conveyed it at all just now.

It seems that it's really because you can't leave?

Or is it possible to leave, but at a certain cost?

Woody doesn't want to guess these things, he just thinks about the possible risks if this bronze dragon really wants to make a move to solve the root cause of tonight's disaster.

Although from a close point of view, he is likely to gain a lot of experience points.

After all, even if it is an assist, killing a high-level professional is objective enough for Woody who only has five professional levels.

But this benefit is substitutable, and he has countless ways to obtain experience points.

For example, from a distance, its attack this time is likely to cause unnecessary trouble to this traveling business group. For example, the bronze dragon struggled to cover itself and exposed its tracks. One can imagine.

Of course, these are all his guesses. He didn't understand the truth of the matter in his previous life, and he doesn't really understand it in this life.

But when a just cause is at hand, there is no risk involved.

Woody is an option that cannot be rejected.

Finally, Woody stretched out his right hand to the cat and sighed helplessly.

"Even if you can't leave, since you have beautiful dreams, I have no right to break them."

"Happy cooperation, Mr. Huamao."

……

East of Green Creek Town.

The wind at night was very noisy, and the strong howling brought by the night wind almost covered up all the hustle and bustle caused by the battle. The outline of the village had become smaller and smaller behind Woody, which also meant that He completely left the relatively safe territory and stepped into the territory representing evil alone.

Woody didn't dare to close his eyes at this time. The withered and jagged trees around him, and the ghostly ayahuasca all proved that the wall that originally belonged to the east of Green Brook Town was not safe, and his perception was far from being able to close his eyes. Feel free to walk in such an environment.

After all, no one knows whether a terrifying monster will jump out of him in the next second, tear his flesh, slit his throat, and let his blood flow all over the place.

This has also caused his current mental state to be extremely tense, and any slight disturbance can make a red warning light light up in his heart, making him extra vigilant.

Although he has a "strong" support.

But since he agreed to cooperate with the cat, the cat disappeared from sight, only a few words from the occasional telepathy proved that it was still following him.

It doesn't seem very reliable to rely on it.

However, he naturally wouldn't regret agreeing to cooperate just now. Although he didn't think it through very carefully, if Cecil really couldn't hold on, and in the end, for some reason, the Nudong Merchant Group fell apart. After thinking about it, he still didn't want to look at these Things happen before your eyes.

"The power of life has been drawn from this land, and it is full of chaos and destruction. It really is those evil abyss believers!"

The cat seems to be somewhere in the jungle, and he didn't forget to remind Woody while walking.

"Be careful, the front is coming soon, you just need to bring me to it, and you don't need to worry about other things."

"Have you become a delivery guy?"

After Woody gave a reply in his heart to express his understanding, he couldn't help complaining to himself.

But since he didn't have to go forward and work hard, he was also happy to relax.

But having said that, why does this cat’s tone sound a bit resentful? Woody feels the thoughts sent back by telepathy, and he is a little confused. In the end, he can only summarize it as the party of justice. The consequences of not agreeing with one's own ideas.

After all, for a dragon that is lawful and kind like a bronze dragon, but also loves justice like a golden dragon.

Words like "As long as there is a little bit of selfishness, it is not absolute justice." There seems to be no problem for them.

They think so from the bottom of their hearts.

But as Woody, who has been trained by the ups and downs of society in his previous life, he can only say that calmly now.

I'm just an ordinary person.

Even if he came to Asenland, he fought countless times in the game world in his previous life, but he still couldn't achieve the absolute justice that only intelligent AI could do in his previous life.

Just do it with a clear conscience.

Although I don't know why the cat wants to approach the priest of the man-eating ape tribe by himself, but Woody can see that it is eager to execute justice, so it doesn't entangle too much, and satisfying its desire is not a bad thing .

After all, Demogorgon's follower is easier to deal with as a dragon than a mage, and there is no risk.

Behind all metal dragons stands the platinum dragon god, Bahamut, who traverses the entire multiverse.

In this era, when Bahamut had not yet fallen, no demon lord would take the risk of touching the reverse scale of the Lord of the North Wind.

There are more and more scenes of the wall withering. At first, it was only on both sides of the path, but at the back, it has spread to the entire wall. Woody has already seen a skeleton with no trace of flesh and blood hanging upside down on the branch. Swaying and turbulent under the howling wind.

There was a stench in the air, and the soil changed from dry to swamp-like mud. If it wasn't for the faint sight of some remains of the log fence in Green Brook Town, Woody would even suspect that he had come to a strange place. swamp.

The change was so fast, before Woody was surprised by the speed of this sacrifice, the urging of Huamao sounded in his mind.

"just in front!"

Woody moved forward carefully, using the roots of trees to sneak steadily in the forest that turned into a swampy environment.

And soon as his vision widened, he found a medium-sized sacrificial place, which was located in the forest not far from the wreckage of the wall. To be precise, the location here belonged to the Forest of Whispers, outside Green Brook Town.

It seems that they have been planning for a long time.

Woody looked at the white corpses floating in the surrounding swamp mud, including animals, humans, and corpses that had not been completely corroded. Even the body of the berserk ape lay flat on the wet swamp, the one closest to the water That side has been corroded by the vicious black water, the flesh and blood are separated, the bones are dense, and life seems to cease to exist here.

Thinking of this, Woody is already a little startled. Woody, who has dealt with demon believers a lot in his previous life, understands that changing the surrounding environment is to please alien creatures. Therefore, many demon believers will hold rituals before holding ceremonies. To convert the surrounding territory belonging to the plane into a foul-smelling soil suitable for the survival of demons.

But now it seems that the completion of this sacrificial place is quite high. It is estimated that it will not be long before a field that can make demons ignore the plane and bring oppressive power will soon take shape.

It is actually impossible to get close to the periphery of the sacrifice, because the viscous mud is so disgusting to the bone, and the stench is more than ten times higher than before, like stinky socks that have been soaked in water for more than ten days. Woody sees Glancing at the empty surroundings, he asked cautiously and tentatively with telepathy.

"There's no way to move forward, and getting closer will startle it."

Although it is not clear whether the priest still has the leisure time to observe the thieves who broke into the territory, but his inner premonition tells him that when he steps into this vast forest swamp, the lingering sense of peeping will be gone. will be attached to him.

"It's okay, you rush over, don't worry about it, I will tell you in advance if there is a spell."

"Cecil restrained most of his mind, and there will not be much left for you."

Although the implication is that Woody's strength is not worthy of the attention of the priest of the man-eating ape tribe, but Woody actually has a weird sense of security after hearing this.

So, he stroked the Thor stone ring without hesitation.

The whole person got into the muddy swamp.

But after getting in, he heard the scream of the cat in a trance.

I hope it is an illusion...

(End of this chapter)