Gou is a dark elf in Warhammer

To the north of Naggarond, in a makeshift military camp, cold wind mixed with snowflakes swirled over the camp, exuding the chilling atmosphere unique to deep winter.

Fergal (Chapter 620), who was only fourteen years old, followed closely behind his mother Halina, curled up, holding his mother's tattered cloak tightly with both hands, as if trying to draw some warmth and security from it. Of course, although it was cold, he was not that cold. His behavior was more like a microcosm of his previous years. Before the army set out to attack Gorond, the warm clothes were distributed and allocated.

The line was very long, with almost no end in sight. The number of people queuing was far more than he had imagined, densely packed together, filling the entire open space. The line was dead silent, with only the rustling of robes in the cold wind.

The soldiers all had the same expression on their faces: confused, bewildered, and even a little uneasy. No one told them why they had to line up, nor did anyone explain where they were going. The military order simply required them to assemble, line up, and wait.

Just a few hours ago, Fergal thought that today would be the same as usual. He and his mother were assigned to carry supplies on the Black Ark, or to cut wood and build temporary barracks. They were not warriors, at least not yet, they were just some new recruits with no combat experience, who were assigned to do labor work.

It has been a month since the Hand of the Witch-King's speech.

In this month, Naggaroth has undergone tremendous changes.

The Witch Queen Morathi died, Khaine's Bride Hellebron died, and a large number of prominent and powerful people were purged.

The ruling class of Naggaroth has undergone a major reshuffle, however, as the Hand of the Witch King said, they were pardoned, and everything had nothing to do with these low-ranking soldiers. They did not participate in the Battle of Grond, nor did they set foot in the city of Har Gansi. They were just small people living in Naggaroth, doing trivial work in Naggaroth, waiting for the arrangement of fate.

But today, they were gathered together, asked to line up, and asked to wait.

Where are they going? What are they going to do? No one knows.

Halina, Fergal's mother, stood in front of her son, leaning forward slightly, like an invisible wall, silently blocking her son from his unknown fate and the whistling cold wind.

She didn't understand why she had to queue, nor did she know what was waiting for her. She had no choice, and she couldn't refuse. All she could do was stand straight as much as possible and try to hide her fear when facing the unknown.

The team moved forward slowly, and time became blurred, as if frozen by ice and snow.

One hour? Two hours?

Halina could no longer tell what was going on. She only knew that as the team got closer to the front, her heartbeat was getting faster and faster.

Finally, she could see clearly what was ahead.

Elite warriors in black armor exuded an awe-inspiring sense of oppression, standing beside the queue and watching silently. Further ahead, she saw several large tents and some strange objects placed around. What made her most uneasy was not these things, but the Duruchi standing near the tents.

These Duruchi seemed out of place with her people. They had different temperaments, dressed differently, and even their eyes carried an emotion that she could not describe.

"Tie your hair up."

Just as she was trying to sort out her thoughts, a cold-looking Druki appeared in front of her and handed her a thin hemp rope.

Halina took the hemp rope and stared at the Duruchi blankly, but the other party did not say anything more. Instead, he turned around and continued to walk to the back of the team, distributing the hemp rope to other people with longer hair in the team.

She didn't understand what it meant, but she knew there must be a purpose. Without hesitation, she quickly tied her hair up behind her head and arranged it neatly, trying to make herself look less embarrassed. She couldn't show her cowardice. No matter what fate was waiting for her, she had to show the toughness and indifference that a Druki should have.

Finally, it was her turn.

As she stepped across the waiting area, she looked back and saw Fergal hiding in her shadow, half of his head sticking out, watching everything ahead with vigilance. She took a deep breath and nodded to her son.

The next moment, she straightened her back and stepped into the unknown without hesitation.

"Stand there, straight, against the pole."

Halina trembled slightly, and approached the wooden pole with a hesitant step. The one giving the order was an expressionless Duruchi, holding a strange device she had never seen before. The cold metal gleamed in the sun, which looked particularly strange and unsettling to her.

She instinctively wanted to ask, but reason told her to remain silent.

She knew that obedience was the only right choice here.

She gritted her teeth and stood still silently as instructed, her back stiffly pressed against the wooden pole. Even though she was wearing warm clothes, she could still feel the slight chill on her back.

"sit down."

Drucci pointed to a solitary, backless wooden chair next to him, his voice devoid of any warmth.

Halina pursed her lips, slowly moved her steps, cautiously approached the chair, and then gently sat down. Her legs unconsciously came together, her palms pressed tightly against her knees, and her whole body involuntarily entered a state of tense defense.

She didn't know what would happen next, but her intuition told her that no matter what it was, she had to grit her teeth and bear it.

"Don't be afraid." Drucci's voice sounded again, his tone was flat, but inexplicably carried a hint of comfort.

However, Drucci's next move made Halina's heart shrink. Drucci stretched out his hand to pull the device open, and then directly put the device on her nose. The cold metal touch made her shiver subconsciously, and a chill rushed along the bridge of her nose to her brain, making her startle, and her fingers trembled slightly due to nervousness.

Her first reaction was resistance.

This strange device, this unexplained process… She wanted to step back, to escape the cold invasion.

But she didn't.

She forced herself to stay still, forced herself to suppress her fear. She lowered her eyes and glanced at the Duruchi secretly. Duruchi's expression was calm and focused, and his hands moved meticulously, as if he was completing some precise calculations. There was no malice, no hesitation, and he did not treat her as a person at all, but as a data that needed to be measured, a precise number, and an experimental subject.

"Why... is this happening?"

She didn't know the answer and wasn't in a position to ask.

"A wide nose..."

Drucci read out a number, then applied a little force with his fingers, and the device clicked, locking the measurement.

She was stunned, but then she reacted.

She got it.

She had been a weaver before she was conscripted, and while her job didn't involve measuring, she had seen other craftsmen use tools to measure the size of cloth and cut it to length. She knew what the number meant: it was the width of the bridge of her nose.

Then, the measurement continued.

Nose height, mouth width, distance between eyes, ear length...

Every number was recorded accurately, and every adjustment was accompanied by a slight click. The entire measurement process took only two minutes, but it felt to Halina like it was longer than an hour. She held her breath and allowed herself to be treated as an object, measured one by one, and defined by each piece of data.

When the last measurement was recorded, Drucci finally stepped back and motioned for her to stand up.

The moment she stood up, she breathed a sigh of relief subconsciously, and her legs became a little weak. She didn't know why she was so nervous just now. Just when she was at a loss and didn't know what to do next, the Duruchi came back with a rectangular black object covered with regular holes in his hand.

She was stunned.

What is this object? What is it used for? What does it represent?
But before she had time to think, she noticed the way the other party handed it over. The thumb of his left hand tightly clasped the edge of the device, and then he solemnly handed it to her with both hands.

This pose is official!
This thing is important!
She did not dare to delay and quickly stretched out her hands and carefully took the item.

She rubbed her fingers lightly over the surface of the object. It felt strange, not cloth, not wood, nor any metal she was familiar with, but a completely new material. However, before she had time to take a closer look, Duruchi stretched out his hand and pointed to a tent not far away.

She nodded gently, then looked back at Fergal who had just sat on the wooden chair. Her son was looking at her with blank eyes, as if expecting her to give an answer. However, in this situation, she could only nod again, trying to convey a little comfort to her son, and then took a deep breath, stepped forward, and walked towards the unknown next step.

The moment she stepped into the tent, an inexplicable chill crept up her spine, her hair stood up uncontrollably, her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and the urge to turn around and run almost overwhelmed her reason.

There's something wrong with this place.

It was closed and dim, and there was an indescribable atmosphere in the air, as if something invisible was watching her, making her instinctively want to escape. Her intuition was warning her frantically, and her steps were trembling slightly. However, for some reason, she finally stood still and did not take the step to escape.

The shadow approached.

It was a Drucci. His movements were standard and mechanical. He stretched out his hands towards her with his palms slightly upwards. The posture was exactly the same as when he handed over the object during the measurement just now.

She was stunned for a moment and subconsciously looked down at the black object in her hand. Although she didn't know what it was, she knew that the object was very important!

So, she imitated the actions of the Druki and handed it over carefully and solemnly with both hands.

"sit down."

A voice suddenly exploded in her mind, low and vague, but with an irresistible sense of majesty.

Her eyes quickly scanned the interior of the tent. The space was not large, but it was too dark. Her vision did not adapt immediately. The only thing she could see was a strange device, like a silent monster, quietly waiting for her arrival. In front of the device, there was only a lonely chair.

When she sat down, she lowered her head, but she kept watching with her peripheral vision, watching Duruchi put the object in the device. She felt her throat tighten, and her peripheral vision quickly swept across the corner of the tent, but it was only a brief glance, and she instantly retracted her gaze, and her head lowered even lower, staring at the ground tightly, not daring to look again.

She knew what she saw.

A figure, a female figure, draped in a dark robe. The fabric was smooth and soft, embellished with exquisite embroidery and ancient runes. Every stitch and thread exuded an aura of nobility and mystery.

She didn't need to look any further to know that it was a warlock!
Those who can wear this kind of robe are either powerful people or sorcerers. There is no doubt that there is a sorcerer in the tent!
She held her breath, her heart beating so hard it threatened to burst out of her chest.

"Lift your head, straighten your back, open your eyes, and look in the mirror."

The mechanical and cold voice sounded again, commanding her.

"Remember, no matter what happens in a while, don't close your eyes!"

As she finished her words, the Druki stretched out her hand and pointed to a mirror that she had not noticed before.

She was startled and looked in the direction. On one side of the tent, a huge, simple mirror stood quietly. The surface of the mirror was as smooth as water, but it was eerily dark, as if it was not just a mirror, but a window to the unknown.

Her throat tightened slightly, and her eyes struggled. Could she not close her eyes? But she had no choice. She took a deep breath, forced herself to straighten her back, raised her head, and looked straight at the mirror.

In an instant, a strong light burst out!
It was as if the whole world was pierced!

At that moment, Halina's instinct completely overwhelmed her will. Her eyelids trembled violently, but then closed!
The sound of metal closing gently rang in her ears, and then she heard footsteps, and then a pair of hands reached out to her. She opened her eyes and saw that the Duruchi who had just taken the black object had returned and handed the object back to her with both hands in a solemn gesture.

Halina took it subconsciously, and her fingers touched the familiar surface again. It was still cold to the touch, and still made of that strange material. However, this time, she felt something was wrong.

"There is a partition at the back. After you recover, leave."

Duruchi said this coldly and ignored her.

She swallowed and followed the instructions to walk towards the partition deep in the tent, her pace was a little faster than when she came. When she passed through the partition, the sunlight from the outside suddenly poured into her vision, stinging her eyes. She subconsciously frowned, her pupils shrank, tears flowed out uncontrollably, and her hands trembled because of the sudden brightness.

After a moment, she recovered a little and looked down, her eyes falling on the black rectangular object.

In the upper right corner, there is a familiar face printed.

She was startled, her pupils trembling. Was that...herself? Her face was clearly printed on the surface of the black object, like some extremely fine embroidery, or like an image reflected in a mirror. She could even see that her eyes were trying to open wide, with a hint of nervousness and uneasiness, and her lips were slightly pursed, as if she wanted to stay calm, but there was still a hint of fear and doubt deep in her eyes.

It was the first time she really saw her own face. She had never seen herself so clearly. Even the bronze mirror she had used before could not show such a delicate face.

The high nose bridge, delicate facial features, slightly trembling eyelashes, and even a strand of hair on the forehead are all clearly visible.

She was stunned, staring at her own face in a daze. At that moment, she realized more deeply than ever that...she was so beautiful?
Halina stood there for a moment, then began to look around, trying to figure out where she was. On her left and right sides was a low railing that separated her from other areas, and in front of her was a new tent with a half-open door and soft light coming from inside, which was completely different from the previous gloomy and depressing tent.

She subconsciously clenched the card in her hand, feeling a little uneasy, but was involuntarily attracted by the light, and slowly stepped forward and walked into the tent.

As soon as we entered the tent, the atmosphere changed.

There was no such dangerous and cramped feeling here. The air was warm and the light was soft, which made her feel a strange sense of security. The layout of the tent was also very simple, with only a long table and equipment. Several Druki sat behind the table with indifferent faces, concentrating on the work in their hands.

Before Halina could take a closer look, a Druki tapped the table with his index finger, signaling her to move forward. She did not dare to delay, and hurriedly stepped forward and handed the card in her hand to him with both hands. Druki did not take it immediately, but glanced at her first, and then slowly stretched out his hands and put the card he took into the strange device on the table.

"name."

The other party asked in a calm and indifferent voice while adjusting the device without looking up.

"Halina." She answered truthfully after a moment's hesitation.

"Halina?" Duruchi's eyes finally moved away from the device and looked at Halina with a hint of scrutiny.

"Yes, Halina!" she repeated, her voice a little louder than before, as if to prove to herself that the name really belonged to her.

This time, the other party did not confirm anything, but continued to operate the device. With a few crisp sounds, some more content appeared on the black object.

"Which city are you from?"

"Kalond Kahr."

"Do you remember your age?"

"I don't remember." Halina's lips opened slightly, her expression froze, and after a few seconds she slowly shook her head.

"Think about it carefully. This is very important to you." Drucci shook his head.

Halina's fingers subconsciously stirred the corners of her clothes, trying to think, but her memory was fragmented. She didn't remember when she was born, nor how many years she had lived. She only remembered that she was a weaver, remembered the calluses on her hands from the wear of cloth, and remembered the long years she spent in the workshop, but the exact number? She didn't know.

After a moment's silence, Drucci sighed and did not continue to ask.

The following questions and answers were more complicated than Halina had imagined.

She was asked about her previous occupation, whether she had any relatives, whether she had ever served in the military, whether she had any old injuries, and even some inexplicable questions, and she could only answer them as best she could.

The whole process lasted for a long time, during which the sound of the device continued to be heard, like the low hum of some metal mechanism operating.

Finally, the black object was returned to her hands.

"You can return to the barracks now." While handing back the card, Drucci added calmly, "Remember, this card is as important as your life. You'd better pray that you don't lose it."

The tone was still formulaic, and no emotion could be heard, but Halina understood in an instant that this card was definitely not just an ordinary item, but was related to her future destiny.

The moment she stepped out of the tent, she immediately looked down at the card in her hand.

The black rectangular card still felt cold to the touch, and its surface was covered with densely packed small holes. However, this time, in addition to her own clear face that she had noticed before, there was also a line of silver text printed in the upper left corner of the card.

She frowned and slowly stroked the line of text with her fingertips, with a vague guess in her mind: Is this her name?

Although she had never received any systematic education, after living for so many years, she could still tell that these symbols should be words. Although she could not decipher the content, she was basically able to confirm that this should be important information recording her identity.

Looking further down, at the very bottom of the card, there is a longer section of silver text, which is longer than the name part and is arranged neatly and compactly, looking like a whole piece of marked information.

Halina's frown deepened. She didn't understand, but she knew it must be important! She continued to turn the card over and found that the back was completely crimson without any other markings.

Just then, a familiar figure walked out of the tent.

She looked up and saw her son Fergal holding a similar card and walking towards her with a curious look on his face.

"Mother, what is this?" Fergal blinked and shook the card in his hand. He was full of confusion and curiosity about the thing in his hand.

"Didn't they tell you how important this card is?!" Halina's face darkened instantly, her voice suddenly became stern, her brows furrowed, and her eyes were full of blame.

Fergal was startled, his hand shook, and the card almost fell. He hurriedly caught it with his other hand, a look of panic flashing across his face.

Halina did not continue to scold, but sighed deeply, her eyes fell on the card in her hand with a complicated expression.

"Let's go."

She finally just whispered, her tone less harsh and more helpless.

Fergal didn't say anything else, but quietly put the card away, followed closely behind his mother, and together they left the area and returned to their temporary barracks.

In the evening, the sky gradually darkened, and the soldiers in the barracks returned one after another. Their steps were much heavier than when they left, and their expressions were different. Some gathered in twos and threes, talking in low voices, with unpredictable expressions; some covered their eyes, their eyes were red, as if they were experiencing some discomfort; and some soldiers sat quietly aside, their eyes wandering, as if they were digesting everything that happened during the day.

However, Halina did not ask further questions or discuss it because she was busy.

In front of the barracks where she was, a long line had formed unknowingly, but the purpose of this line was not for that...

Instead, it was to sew clothes. As a weaver, Halina naturally used her expertise. She sat together with several women who had become familiar with her during this period and used the only tools at hand to sew inner pockets for the soldiers, that is, to add a hidden pocket to the lining.

The reason is simple, the Drukis need a safe place to store their ID cards.

The habits of the Druks in hiding money are almost the same, either putting silver coins against the inside of the Kaitan or hiding them in their boots. However, these methods are only suitable for storing coins, and hiding cards in these places is not only inconvenient, but also easy to lose.

In order to prevent the identity card from being lost or damaged, the soldiers asked the women to help sew a suitable inner pocket so that the identity card can be hidden in the lining of the Kaitan. It is safe, will not be easily lost, and is easy to take out.

As for the compensation?

It's not complicated and doesn't involve any money transactions, all it requires is a small piece of brown bread.

This requirement is low, but it is enough for Halina and other mothers. Their children are still growing up and have a large appetite. A few more pieces of black bread can at least make their children eat more fully.

While sewing, Halina overheard the soldiers' idle chatter and finally figured out the real purpose of the black card.

The card is called an "ID card" and is an item used to prove one's identity. In the future, without this card, it will be extremely difficult to survive in Naggaroth. You may not be able to receive supplies, perform tasks, or even move at all.

In addition to the role of the ID card, she also heard some plausible information from the soldiers' conversations, but this information was not very accurate. Perhaps it was just the soldiers' guesses or rumors in the barracks.

But she already understood one thing, this card was indeed as important as life, just as Drucci said!
An ID card, yes, of course, can also be called an information card.

This was the inspiration that Daxus got from Lauren Lauren, and he extended it to produce a series of chemical reactions, binding the Anils to a certain depth.

During the Chapeuto Holiday, he improved the distribution process to a certain extent and distributed it, but the information cards distributed at that time were used to identify which ark the sailors came from and to redeem bets, which was considered to accumulate experience.

This time, it was a proper ID card, used to identify the identity of Duruchi, and to do a census at the same time. While there were many people and all the black arks that were drifting outside had returned, Daxus wanted to take this opportunity to find out the exact population of Duruchi.

The front of the ID card is black and the back is red, not any other color.

Without the politics and class chaos, black and silver are Malekith's favorite colors, so the name and code on the ID card are silver. Dacius only likes purple and red, which is why he likes to wear the robe with the same color for ten thousand years, but there is no other way, purple is too expensive at this time, and it doesn't match black, so he can only choose red.

In Naggaroth, red and black have meaning. It is not just black and red, but more like Stendhal's "The Red and the Black". Black represents the power of the cult, and red represents the army.

This is very contradictory, Daxus should be black, Malekith is red...

Or... can we understand it another way: you are in me and I am in you?
Anyway, no matter how you understand it, Drucci’s first-generation ID card looks like this now.

The name is easy to understand. The code is somewhat similar to the code used by Daxus in his previous life, which is used to record which region one is from, when one was born, etc. However, this world has its own circumstances, and the composition of the code is more abstract. But fortunately, one does not need to recite it and can just record it in the mind.

Kong Dong has an explanation. Before the advent of electronic systems, supervision was always complicated. Take the Aramco ticket in the early 20th century as an example. At that time, fare evasion was a common thing. Even now...

As a result, manual ticket checking and station control, ticket design and anti-counterfeiting measures, legal penalties and social supervision, the deterrent effect of railway police, differentiated ticket prices and passenger classification came into being.

Dacus looked at manual ticket inspection, ticket design and anti-counterfeiting measures, namely colour and marking, perforation or corner cutting, sectional and multi-journey tickets.

Just like Chapeuto Holiday.

In a more intuitive way, a Black Knight of the Imperial Order will carry a measuring tape and a matching table with him. When he sees a suspicious person, he will ask the other party to show his ID card. By comparing the ID card with the table on the matching table, you can get the other party's detailed information. The face may be swollen, or there may be other messes, but some features will not change.

The same is true for height.

Unless the opponent is a demon hidden in the Duruchi society, a warlock proficient in shadow spells, or wearing a magic mask...but the Black Knight of the Edict will also carry a popular compass with him, which are all items used for law enforcement.

There is no other way. This is the best way. After all, it is impossible for Daxus to equip the Black Knights of the Edict with a terminal that can connect to the Internet. Just put your ID card on it and you will know whether it is available.

Then, Colonia asked curiously, why not put the image of the ID card owner on it?

Daxus knew nothing about developing technology and thought he couldn't figure it out, but Colonia told him that there was no problem at all.

then……

When night fell completely, dinner was distributed in the military camp on time.

The quota supply is sufficient, but it still tastes bad.

Halina did not complain, and there was nothing to complain about. She knew that being alive was the most important thing. The taste of the food was not important. The key was to fill her stomach and ensure that she and her children had enough energy to survive the next day.

The night was peaceful and uneventful.

The next day, it was dawn.

The camp was still shrouded in the morning mist. The soldiers had just gotten up, and some were not even fully awake when they heard a burst of heavy footsteps, neat, steady, and cold, with a suffocating sense of oppression.

When they looked in the direction of the sound, they saw a team of black guards appear in the military camp. Their armor shone with a cold luster in the morning light, and the halberds in their hands were arranged in an orderly manner like a forest, like an invisible cold current that quickly penetrated into the entire camp.

The air froze in an instant. (End of this chapter)