Heart of the Castle

Chapter 864 Judgment of Light, Curse of Death

The large alchemy flying ship directly belonging to the Knights of the Sword of Condemnation—the Judgment of Light was flying in the clear sky in the evening. The four magic furnaces located in the middle and rear of the hull were all operating at the highest speed allowed by the safety range. It spewed out bright trails like shooting stars across the sky, making this flying ship faster than the most agile swift.

Almost all the passengers of the flying ship stayed in relatively safe cabins. Even with the protection of the magic shield, the howling wind still made people tremble with fear.However, for the commander-in-chief Ingram Siegfried standing on the bow deck holding the railing, such a high-speed flight still did not satisfy him, so that after putting down the bronze sight glass, his thick eyebrows Wrinkled tightly together.

"Captain Cook, at this speed, how long will it take to reach Tarlon Fortress?" Chief Ingram asked in a deep and powerful voice.

Cook standing behind him is not only the captain of the Judgment of Light, but also a branch leader of the Knights of the Sword of Condemnation.After hearing the inquiry from the commander-in-chief, the experienced captain unfolded the map at hand, stretched out his finger and gestured on it a few times, and then replied respectfully, "About fourteen hours, Your Excellency the commander-in-chief, We can arrive at Fort Tarlon tomorrow morning."

"Too slow, still too slow." Chief Ingram's tone was not anxious, but it had a shocking force, "Captain Cook, Tarron is facing an unprecedented crisis. I can see Get... If we can't arrive tomorrow morning when the sun rises to the same height as the holy mountain, the Radiant Alliance will lose this fortress forever."

"But...Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, the Judgment of Light can no longer go any faster." Captain Cook bluntly objected, "This airship is already older than my grandfather, and for a 200-year-old For a 220-year-old grandfather, the speed of [-] kilometers per hour is already the limit, and I don't even have the confidence to maintain this speed for a full four hours. If I want to speed up again, I'm afraid the core of the magic furnace will not be able to bear it first."

There was a clear cracking sound from the railing that Chief Ingram was holding, but there was no dissatisfaction on his face, "Very well, Captain Cook, continue to perform your duties." He nodded, and then The gray woolen cloak wrapped tightly around his body, "I'll go back to the cabin to rest first, wake me up in two hours."

"I respect my wishes, Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief." Captain Cook put his hand on his chest, and at the same time made a prayer gesture with the other hand, "May my Lord Flandara bless us for a smooth journey."

"...May my lord Flandara bless you." Head Ingram hesitated for a moment before replying in a calm tone.

The cabin of the Judgment of Light is very small, even the room of the head of the Knights of the Sword of Condemnation is no exception. It is empty except for a small bed and a low table fixed on the ground.Chief Ingram has always regarded a simple life as a way to sharpen his mind. However, the confusion that has emerged in his mind during this period of time has made him feel unspeakably irritated. eyes.

It was precisely because he had been sleeping so restlessly that when some invisible force descended on the Judgment of Light, Chief Ingram suddenly woke up and quickly sat up from the bed, his eyes showing uneasiness concerns.

"The strange power seems to have an unusually close connection with the lord of light, Flandara, but...it's too evil, how can there be such an evil light?" Chief Ingram grabbed his sword and walked through the The corridor was so narrow that it was almost impossible to turn around, and then the hatch was pushed open silently.

The oppressive field of vision in front of him expanded, and the silence and darkness of the night enveloped the hull of the Judgment of Light, only the sky blue flames from the magic furnace seemed particularly dazzling.A large black cloud was moving rapidly outside the right side of the boat, and lightning flashed through the cloud, and there was a faint sound of thunder. Chang's irritability eased a bit, he took a few deep breaths, and then walked towards the bow of the ship.

Seeing Commander Ingram approaching, several condemned knights who were on duty in a semi-open sentry cabin outside the cabin came out one after another, tapping their breastplates neatly. "The glory is on top, Your Excellency the head of the regiment." The leader of the sub-regiment bowed his head in salute, the torch flickered in his hand, illuminating a corner of the dark cabin.

"Thanks for your hard work. Did you find anything just now?" Chief Ingram asked in a tone that sounded quite casual.

"There is nothing abnormal, Your Excellency, Chief." The branch leader replied without thinking, "The route chosen by Captain Cook has always been safe. We are heading straight north, and there is not even the smallest angle of deviation."

Chief Ingram nodded. He was not surprised that he would get such an answer. That invisible force was too secretive. If it wasn't for the legendary threshold he had already crossed, he wouldn't have noticed it...or it wasn't at all. Is it my own illusion?
"Yeah, how could there be an evil light?" Chief Ingram hesitantly tapped his finger on the hilt of his sword. Just as he was about to turn around the cabin and continue his interrupted rest, a slight tremor came from under his feet. came.

"This is...the Judgment of Light is turning to the right?" Chief Ingram raised his eyes in bewilderment, and looked forward.

The sub-regiment leader shook his head in surprise, "Impossible, Your Excellency the commander-in-chief, why did you make a turn? The route should be a straight line!"

Chief Ingram ignored him, looking straight ahead through the night.That's right, it's turning!The dark cloud group that was originally on the starboard side has reached the front at some point, and the Judgment of Light is heading towards the cloud group at high speed!
At an altitude of several thousand meters, nothing could threaten the safety of large alchemy airships more than thunderstorm clouds.Even if the energy of the magic shield is fully activated, the Judgment of Light cannot pass through the huge cloud with an area of ​​several kilometers without being injured, and it is not surprising that it even crashed due to lightning strikes.Chief Ingram felt a sudden constriction in his heart, immediately drew out his sword, and quickly walked along the gangway to the bow deck, followed by several condemned knights.

The bow deck was empty, only a lone figure stood beside the steering wheel, and a cable coiled around him like a black poisonous snake.Seeing this familiar figure from behind, the sub-regiment leader breathed a sigh of relief, raised his voice and asked, "Captain Cook, why did the course suddenly change?"

Captain Cook turned his head around with a very blunt movement, and there was a void in his blood-red eyes, as if his will and soul had been burned out.The sub-regiment leader took a step back in fright, while the commander-in-chief Ingram let out a low moan, and then strode forward, the saber glowed with a faint golden light under the moonlight.

Captain Cook took a stiff step forward, stretching out his dark and terrifying hands. The muscles and skin from the wrist down seemed to have been twisted and stiffened, forming an indescribably evil growth armor.The nails of the ten fingers were united with the bones, growing to a terrifying length, and some kind of ominous black light shone from the fingertips.

"May the golden light of my Lord Flandara shine on your way forward, Brother Cook!" Commander Ingram prayed in a calm voice, the sword light flashed suddenly, Captain Cook's right hand in front of him It fell down like cheese cut by a hot knife, and then the sword light rose again, sweeping his grinning head to the ground and rolling several meters away.

Chief Ingram was about to go to the steering wheel to check, when suddenly there were a few surprised shouts behind him, "Your Excellency, Chief, be careful!"

"That guy... has lost his head, but is still moving!"

Chief Ingram's movements were astonishingly fast. With a slip, he avoided the severed wrist thrown at him by the headless corpse. A black pus and blood spilled from the severed wrist onto the ground, sending out a scalp-tingling groan. There was a strange buzzing sound, and the diamond sandalwood deck, which was tougher than steel, was immediately corroded with countless bottomless holes.

Captain Cook held the still grinning head with his left hand, and a milky white mist emerged from his neck, which at first glance gave people a strange feeling of purity and innocence. The light mist condensed into the shape of a head, There seemed to be a vaguely flowing white beard, and two clusters of golden light appeared where the eyes were originally, staring at Chief Ingram gleamingly.

Several Condemned Knights surrounded them from several directions. Among them, the sub-regiment leader made a sign of the sun with his hand on his chest, and said in a difficult voice. "My Lord of Glory, what is this!"

"No matter what it is, it can't stop the Sword of Condemnation." Chief Ingram replied in a cold tone, and then moved forward again.The powerful Chenxi Dou Qi ignited dazzling golden flames around his body, and it looked as if the lord of light, Flandara, had descended to the mortal world and was about to swing a deadly sword towards the darkness.

This scene is enough to frighten the servants of the darkness, and even the Condemned Knights are dazzled. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he knelt down slowly, holding the sword hilt.

Captain Cook... or the thing occupying his body did not flinch, and waved his severed arm to meet him, and the dirty black poisonous blood spilled out again, as dense as a shower.However, the protection of Dawn's Dou Qi cannot be broken through by mere poisonous blood. Before the dirty liquid touched the body of Commander Ingram, it was evaporated into foul-smelling gray smoke in the air.

Commander Ingram swung his sword again, and the blade cut into Captain Cook's chest effortlessly, and his viscera were blown into a mess by the explosive vindictiveness.However, the latter didn't seem to care about the wound at all, allowing the thick black and turbid blood to flow freely from the wound, and even tried to clamp the sword edge into his chest with his right arm.

Chief Ingram's movements were faster than his thoughts, and his fist bursting with golden flames slammed into the head of the corpse in his arms. The head let out a wail and rolled off the deck again.Commander Ingram immediately kicked it up like a ball, drew an arc, and landed outside the bow deck of the alchemy flying ship.

Just as the head disappeared overboard, Captain Cook's body suddenly trembled a few times, and the head formed by the condensed white mist twisted and dissipated, accompanied by a faint sigh.Then the headless corpse collapsed, and the blood dripping from the wounds on the neck, chest, and broken arm gradually returned to a crimson color.

Chief Ingram put away his saber, ran to the side of the steering wheel at the fastest speed, and then turned it to the left forcefully. The huge hull of the Judgment of Light made a creaking sound and began to turn slowly. Back to the original direction, but the strong inertia still allowed the alchemy airship to pass through the edge of the thunderstorm cloud.

The surroundings were flickering and dark, and the blood-red thunder and lightning shuttled back and forth like a long snake, hitting the magic shield until bursts of fire burst out; woke up.They stumbled out of the corridor and rushed onto the deck, but they didn't see the attacking enemy in front of them, but a nightmare scene like the doomsday.

This period of time was less than 1 minute, but it made the people present think that a century had passed.It wasn't until the Judgment of Light rushed out of the thunderstorm cloud, and the gentle silver moon light fell on the deck, that Chief Ingram breathed a sigh of relief and took his hands off the steering wheel.

"Who's the first mate?" Chief Ingram said in a low voice.

A burly man wearing only shorts came out of the crowd, with a sword belt around his waist and a torch in his right hand, "I am, Your Excellency, Chief Commander."

"What's your name, mate?"

"Kerlin, Kerlin Hugo." The burly man replied with a stiff expression, his puzzled eyes swept across Captain Cook's headless corpse lying on the ground. "Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief...Could it be, Captain Cook..."

"Captain Cook was unfortunately attacked by an evil curse, and his soul has already gone to the bright boundary of the Lord of Light." Chief Ingram said in a deep voice, "Mate Hugo, from now on you are the captain of the Judgment of Light." Captain, the course remains unchanged, and the target is still Tarlon Fortress."

"Of order, Your Excellency the head of the regiment." The first officer bowed deeply, hiding the panic expression on his face.

Hundreds of kilometers away, in a stone building on the top of Guangyao Sacred Mountain, Pope Nicholas Saint Huaiyuan sat on the floor inlaid with countless precious gemstones, his face uncertain under the flickering candlelight.In front of him was a gorgeous water cup carved out of jade, but now the body of the cup had cracked an ugly rough line, spilling the golden liquid contained in it all over the floor.

His Majesty Pope Nicholas felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He was not used to tasting this feeling. Since he ascended the Pope's throne, he preferred to let his opponents sip the bitter wine of defeat.

"Failure, how long has it been since you have tasted this?" He asked himself softly, and then a nostalgic smile appeared on his face, "It has been more than ten years, Nicholas, you give yourself... and His Majesty the Great Monarch You have cultivated an enemy that is difficult to deal with!"

Fortunately, it was not just a cursed seed prepared in advance.

Pope Nicholas made a gesture, and a pure white holy fire burned on the useless cup, as if the cup was not carved from jade, but molded from wax.The body of the cup was burned to white ashes within a few seconds, and then the pope opened the box at hand again, and took out a cup with the same style from it.

"Kerlin Hugo, this is it." Pope Nicholas put the cup in front of him, then closed his eyes, and gathered his spirit. His soul quickly flew out of his body, turned into an invisible force, and traveled along the road again. Extend along the route you just found.His soul crossed the ridge of the holy mountain, passed through plains, forests and rivers, and finally flew hundreds of kilometers away, until the alchemy airship appeared in the field of vision again.

Golden liquid rippled from the cup in front of Pope Nicholas, and a red spot of light appeared on the bow deck of the alchemy flying ship.That was Keerlin Hugo, the captain of the flying ship Judgment of Light who just took office.In the soul vision of Pope Nicholas, this burly middle-aged man was wearing a set of armor of a condemned knight, holding the steering wheel with his strong arms, and let the airship sail north along the established route.

However, he seemed very nervous. No one knew what happened to Captain Cook better than him, because the golden crystal that Cardinal St. Bogdan gave him was melted in the rum bottle and was given He served it to Captain Cook himself.

Kerlin Hugo could think of a hundred reasons to defend himself, but when he saw the body of Captain Cook, who had always taken good care of him, lying on the deck with his head gone, that terrible feeling The sense of betrayal still penetrated his heart like a red-hot steel needle, making him almost unable to breathe.

As the Judgment of Light continued to sail forward, new doubts arose in Kerlin Hugo's heart, no matter what the golden crystal that Cardinal St. Bogdan asked him to put in the wine bottle was. Things, all contributed to the tragic and horrific death of Captain Cook.And if Commander Ingram didn't turn the steering wheel in time... wouldn't the Judgment of Light and everyone on board be crushed to pieces in the terrifying thunderstorm cloud?

"My lord of glory! This is a conspiracy. I must immediately confess everything to the commander-in-chief..." Kerlin Hugo's face suddenly became very ugly. He called two crew members and asked them to take care of the situation. Helm and course, then turned around, took the high-necked cloak representing the captain's identity from the side rail and draped it over his shoulders.

The soul of Pope Nicholas quietly waited for the new captain to step off the bow deck, and then followed him silently.At the junction of the gangway and the deck, the soul suddenly stretched out an invisible finger, easily inserted into Kerlin Hugo's head!

(End of this chapter)