The Chosen of Slaanesh in Infinite Worlds

"There must be something fishy about the vultures circling here," Link said slowly, "maybe there's a dead deer there, but it's also possible..." He paused, "it's a person."

"Are there any monsters around here?" Violina's voice sounded a little nervous.

"It's possible," Link replied, "We need to go and take a look, but we have to be careful."

"Yeah." Violina nodded, and the two looked at each other, knowing in their hearts that the road ahead would probably not be smooth.

86. Mine

The two crossed the long-dried riverbed, each step on the cracked soil made a slight cracking sound. Link's eyes, as sharp as a cheetah, quickly scanned the nearby low tree canopy, looking for possible dangers.

The sunlight shines through the sparse leaves, illuminating the ground in patches of light.

On the other side of the river is a dense hazel forest with straight tree trunks and branches swaying gently in the breeze.

Passing through the hazelwood, they came to a deserted glade.

This place seems to be a corner forgotten by nature. Plant roots and scattered dead tree trunks are scattered all over it, entwined and intertwined, like the tentacles of the devil from hell, making people feel chilly.

Suddenly, a noisy bird song broke the silence.

The vultures that were staying there were frightened by the two uninvited guests. They flapped their wings and flew away in all directions, leaving behind a series of hoarse and unpleasant cries that echoed in the empty forest.

Link and Violena looked at each other and saw the vigilance in each other's eyes.

Soon, Link found the first corpse in the desolate weeds.

It was a man with a look of fear and pain on his face. He was wearing a blood-stained white woolen jacket with simple decorations. He did not look like an adventurer, but a villager from the nearby Taka Village.

His fatal wound was on his neck, a deep laceration, the blood had already coagulated into dark red. The scars on his chest and abdomen were the work of the vultures, which tore the flesh from his body, leaving shocking marks.

Not far from this body was the body of another woman.

Her death was even more miserable. Her face and throat were torn apart, and part of her left thigh was missing, leaving only a bloody mess.

Link frowned and carefully observed the direction in which the two bodies fell when they died.

He muttered to himself, "This man should have been attacked first. The woman turned around and tried to escape, but she died before she could run a few meters."

Violina also squatted down and carefully examined the wounds on the body.

"Vilina, what kind of monster do you think did it?" Link asked.

Violena hesitated for a moment and replied, "If it's on the edge of the forest, it could be a Swift Wolf. They move quickly, have strong attack power, and often appear at night. Of course, looking at the terrain here and the dry riverbed, if there is a wetland or swamp nearby, I think it could be an alligator lizard as well."

Violena's voice trembled a little: "I have heard of alligator-tailed lizards. They live in swamps and wetlands. They have sharp claws and teeth and are very good at sneak attacks."

Link looked at the laceration on the man's neck and shook his head. "Look at this wound. It's quite wide. A bite mark caused by a lizard or crocodile would be flatter and longer. But it doesn't look like a wolf. If it was a wolf pack, they would never waste food."

"Then what monster do you think did it?" Violina asked.

Link frowned, his eyes deep. "Because I have never seen an alligator-tailed lizard, I can't say for sure. But the only conclusion is that this monster should be very good at lurking. Look, this area is very empty, but judging from the corpse and the surrounding environment, the man did not make any escape movements before he died. This means that when the monster attacked them, it was already lurking beside them. Moreover, the monster should not be big, and it only ate the woman's left thigh. Of course, it is not ruled out that these two corpses are just its food reserves."

At this point, Link's eyes became more serious. He narrowed his eyes, took the wallets from the waists of the two corpses, and stood up.

"Be careful. If we find ore, we will leave as soon as possible. This is not a place to stay for long. We will do as much as we can for the money we get."

Link's voice was calm and firm. He knew very well that in this dangerous world, there could be no room for mercy.

"Yes, I understand..." Violina nodded, her voice trembling a little because of the fear of the unknown.

Link believes that he is definitely not a good person. He has experienced too many life and death situations and has become cold-blooded and ruthless.

He was also worried that Violina would make some saintly decision. After all, in this world, kindness often meant death.

Since you have only accepted the task of collecting ore, don't think about being a good guy who helps solve the villagers' problems.

Take as much action as possible based on the benefits, this has always been Link's principle.

The two men carefully walked around the two bodies and continued to rush towards the mission location.

On the way, Link tightened the sword and shield in his hands, his heart filled with vigilance and uneasiness.

He was still thinking about the two bodies. Why did this man and woman come to the forest?

Are they here to look for minerals like me?

What monster killed them?

Is it the swift wolf that Violena mentioned, or the crocodile-tailed lizard? Or some other more terrifying creature?

The fact that it only ate the left thigh proved that it didn't have a big appetite. In addition, it only appeared on the edge of the forest, which was why Violina considered the Wind Wolf first.

But Swift Wolves usually act in packs, and if they really did it, there should be more traces and debris left at the scene.

However, this place was extremely clean. Apart from the two corpses and traces of vultures, there were no other living creatures.

Considering the surrounding dry riverbed environment, there may be swamp wetlands, so alligator-tailed lizards are also possible.

But according to Violena, alligator lizards usually live in more humid environments, and they have the habit of dragging corpses back to their nests.

If it was really done by the alligator-tailed lizard, then these two bodies should not be here.

The more Link thought about it, the more he felt that something was not right, and he became more nervous.

The unknown is always the most dangerous. He must always be vigilant to survive in this dangerous world.

Passing through the hazel forest with all its leaves fallen, they finally arrived at the destination marked on the map.

This is a man-made mine. The entrance is completely covered by weeds and vines. Due to the attack by monsters, this mine has long been abandoned.

From the outside, there's nothing special about this mine.

However, when they approached the mine, they found that it was already occupied by a group of short creatures.

They were two goblins, naked, with sickly grey-green skin, only half the height of an adult man, and a pair of deep yellow eyes that revealed a sinister and cunning look.

"Another goblin?" Violina's voice trembled a little, and she was obviously full of fear of this creature.

Link patted Violena's head and said soothingly, "Don't worry, these goblins are not strong. As long as we are careful, we can deal with them."

After saying that, Link took Violena and quietly approached the entrance of the mine.

They hid behind the bushes and watched the goblins' movements. They saw the two goblins wandering at the entrance of the mine, looking around from time to time, obviously alert to possible threats.

Link saw the right moment and suddenly rushed out.

The sword in his hand cut through the air like lightning, instantly piercing through the chest of one of the goblins. The other goblin saw this and was caught up by Link before he could even scream, and was killed with one blow.

The whole process was clean and neat, without any drag. Violena saw it all and admired Link's strength even more.

"It seems that the mine is occupied by these goblins." Link wiped the blood off the blade and prepared to step into the mine.

Seeing Link preparing to enter the mine without hesitation, Violena quickly reminded him, "Please be more cautious. Although goblins are no different from children in size, intelligence, and strength, it is not easy to deal with more than ten children with deadly weapons and murderous intent, and using their cunning to attack!"

Her previous teammates were killed by the goblins because they underestimated them.

Violena didn't want to make the same mistake again.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'll go ahead and you follow behind me."

Link put the greatsword on his back and took out a short sword from the King's Treasury, using it in conjunction with the round shield on his left arm, combining offense and defense.

The cave is quite narrow, and you won't be able to use your sword in it.

After completing all the preparations, the two of them walked into the cave cautiously.

Goblins are nocturnal creatures. They usually hide in caves to sleep during the day, but they are very alert and will often wake up at the slightest noise.

Therefore, even if the two goblins guarding the door did not sound the alarm, we must not be careless.

Violina nodded, she held the staff tightly in her hand, ready to deal with possible dangers.

The two men walked into the mine carefully. The light in the cave was very dim, and only the faint light of the fire could illuminate the road ahead.

The cave was narrow and could only accommodate one person, so they had to walk in a single line.

Link walked in front, the torch in his hand lighting the way ahead.

The cave was filled with an unpleasant stench, which made people frown.

There was a layer of hay on the ground, which was obviously the goblins' nest.

After they turned two corners, the environment inside the cave suddenly changed drastically.

The originally narrow passage became wider, and the cave ceiling was much higher. Various debris and garbage were scattered on the ground. This should be where the goblins lived.

At this moment, Link suddenly stopped. He looked forward with a torch in his hand, and saw dozens of goblins sleeping soundly on the hay. They curled up together and slept very soundly.

"It looks like we've found their nest." Link warned in a low voice, "Be careful and don't wake them up yet."

Violina nodded nervously, gripping the staff tightly in her hand, ready to attack at any time.

Link first took a close look at the sleeping goblins, then spat, "Great, there are no goblin mages or anything like that. This way we can proceed without worry."

After saying that, he inserted the torch into the soft ground, and with the faint light from the surrounding minerals, he rushed in and killed the goblins before they fully woke up.

Link's movements were quick and agile, the sword in his hand reaping the lives of the goblins like the scythe of the god of death.

Violina followed closely behind, and the staff in her hand began to release dazzling magical light. She also wanted to help Link.

87. Opportunities for development

"Red Lotus Flame! Ignite from the void! Fireball!"

As Violina moaned, the fire elements in the air seemed to respond to her call, instantly condensing into a blazing fireball, flying towards the group of goblins in front with destructive power.

The fireball drew a brilliant trajectory in the air, and finally exploded with a loud bang, instantly engulfing several unfortunate goblins in flames.

Violina, this fledgling adventurer, although inexperienced, now seems to have some of the demeanor of a future "Sword Saint", showing determination and courage that do not match her appearance.

She held a staff in her hand, with a determined light in her eyes, which showed her desire for unknown challenges and confidence in her own abilities.

Her staff was inlaid with several shimmering gems. As she chanted spells, the gems emitted a soft light, providing her with the power to cast magic.

At the same time, Link was not idle either.

He was agile and moved like a cheetah in the cave. After stabbing the nearest goblin to death with a sword, he did not stop, but turned quickly to face the other goblin that was rushing towards him.

The goblin held a rusty dagger in his hand and had a ferocious look on his face, obviously wanting to catch Link off guard.

However, Link's reaction speed was far beyond that of an ordinary person. He did not have time to draw his dagger, but chose to swing his left arm directly, and his left hook hit out with a whistling sound.

Link's arm armor was not an ordinary arm armor, but was made of high-tech composite alloy, which was much harder than ordinary iron armor. Coupled with Link's amazing strength, this punch smashed the goblin hard against the cave wall and instantly turned into a meat paste.

"That way, we've solved two more problems."

Link's voice was calm and steady. He quickly drew out his dagger, and the tip of the sword flashed a cold light in the air, and then he slashed at the third goblin. His movements were smooth and there was no hesitation, as if fighting had become a part of his body, an instinctive reaction.

However, compared to Violena's dazzling magic, Link's fighting style seems simple and even a little rough.

Fireballs condensed on Violina's staff again. These fireballs seemed to have life and automatically tracked the fleeing goblins.

Every time the fireball hits the target, a dazzling burst of fire will erupt, accompanied by the goblins' wailing, and their lives will come to an end at this moment.

In a short while, the number of goblins killed by Violina was twice that of Link. Such fighting power was truly amazing.

Link couldn't help but look at Violena with new eyes. He thought to himself, "Sure enough, magic seems to be quite awesome."

However, he also knew that although magic was powerful, its consumption was also huge.

The fact that Violina could cast so many fireballs in a row was beyond his expectations.

However, the good times did not last long.

As she continued to cast magic, Violina gradually felt her physical strength was exhausted.

Her face began to turn pale and her breathing became rapid.

Although the fireball on the staff was still condensing, its speed and power were obviously not as good as before.

Finally, after a reluctant fireball spell, Violina's body could no longer support her. She leaned on her staff, a look of fatigue on her pretty face.

At this moment, an arrow suddenly stretched out from the shadows deep in the darkness, the arrow head pointing directly at the gasping Violina.

However, Violena was already unable to dodge at this time, and she didn't even notice the existence of the arrow. At this critical moment, Link suddenly rushed up and blocked Violena with his body, like an indestructible shield.

"careful!"

Link's voice was rapid and powerful. He stared at the arrow rushing towards him, but there was no fear in his heart.

There was only a crisp clang, and the arrow did not penetrate Link's armor as expected, but was bounced back by a layer of faint blue light curtain.

This is the shield technology in Halo.