I'm a mage, what's wrong with loving farming?

Chapter 156 156. Cultists and Demons
There were five teams going out.

Each team has forty knight apprentices and two to three wizard apprentices, as well as three or four prisoners from the Stardust Circus, fish-tailed sea ducks, fungus people, and black crows acting as scouts.

Speaking of these black crows, ever since they came to the Flame Demon Field in Croa, they have very comfortably treated it as their home, and quickly got used to being fed and cared for by people.

They degenerated at an almost alarming speed, and were even unwilling to fly out to find food - this was also due to the blood grass fungus, as they were used to eating this magical plant after all.

Some of them who are willing to get close to humans are trained by Elena and Mir, the animal trainer of the Stardust Circus, to be used as scouts.

As for the other petrels and heavenly wind-feathered birds... they are all quite aloof and unwilling to cooperate with humans for the time being. Especially the latter, these guys, apart from eating fish, stay in the resin of the flame tree stump every day.

Even... Cloya had seen the "bird movie" they performed with his own eyes.

The scene was simply unbearable to watch.

However, with the addition of these crows, their journey will indeed be much smoother.

Among them, Cloya was most concerned not about Baron Kemoye's team that was going to cause trouble for the Viscount, but the team led by Ryan, whose first stop was to go to Baron Andy.

The wind and snow outside Hanjiao Island are still very terrible.

It could almost be described as a white disaster. The knight apprentices protected the relatively weaker mage apprentices and prisoners in the center, walking with one foot deep and one foot shallow.

The snow is now 20 to 30 centimeters deep, making it very difficult to walk. Fortunately, these people are used to hardships and have received training in marching in the snow.

So it’s not particularly difficult to walk.

"Hoo~~ho~~"

The cold wind was howling, and the warm sea breeze from the sea on weekdays turned into a deadly cold wind at this time, which could quickly take away the heat from the human body.

Even a man of iron would not be able to withstand such a cold wind for a long time.

Fortunately, these apprentices were well prepared.

"Come closer to me!"

An apprentice wizard shouted loudly, and he pressed a magic device on his chest. A light red circle formed under his feet, spreading from his body to the outside, and soon enveloped the entire team.

This kind of magic is a special product created by Croa using an alchemical artifact called "Halo Medal" from "Miracle of Light" and imprinting it with a thermal energy array.

As long as you inject magic power into the medal, it will automatically form a warm wind aura that moves with the body, ensuring that it will not be greatly affected by the environment.

Of course, only Kloya can create this kind of combination, because magic similar to the Paladin's Halo and Aura series requires divine power to power.

The magic power injected by the apprentice only activated the magic array carved by Cloya.

"Thank you for your hard work, Jack."

Ryan said loudly to the apprentice who released the heat energy aura: "If there are any spoils, you can pick more."

Others had absolutely no objection to this.

Because this was discussed before they came - this apprentice Jack used all the rewards he received during training to exchange for the "Saint Crystal" that Kloa made casually.

In fact, it is a stone that stores sacred magic power.

The purpose is to activate the thermal energy aura for a long time, provide a more comfortable environment for the team, at least maintain the combat effectiveness and deal with possible crises.

He paid such a price, and the reward was the ability to choose more spoils of war - Kloya said that the points reward would be calculated after he went back to get the precious magic plants and monsters.

The supplies on Hanjiao Island are self-sufficient. Silver coins and copper coins are purchased and exchanged for daily necessities from Robert, but extraordinary materials can only be exchanged with points.

Croa, who was far away on the Reef Island, saw this scene and smiled knowingly.

"This Ryan apprentice has learned quite well. With division of labor and cooperation, and the promise of benefits, people follow you just to make money."

“If you can improve the morale of the troops by using both kindness and severity, making money and having prestige, then you will be a qualified captain.

Looks like he's quite talented, don't you think? "

Of course it would be boring to watch "TV" alone, so Cloya specially asked Mu Yao Qu Teng Wang to watch with him.

The latter has also experienced a lot and has enough experience, so he can also play the role of the supporting actor.

But after hearing Cloya's question, it was stunned for several seconds before answering: "You are right."

"Hmm? Are you paying attention to something?" Kloya glanced at the Wood Yao Qu Teng King with a little confusion in his eyes.

This guy's voice seemed like he was trying to hold back a laugh, which sounded weird.

"There's something going on over there with the Crystal Turtle. Do you want to take a look?"

"Okay, let me take a look."

The latter, with Cloya's permission, broadcast the footage from inside the mine below the castle.

I saw that the mine was filled with densely packed statues, all of which were various turtle statues in many different postures, and were carved very lifelike.

At first glance, I thought I had entered a turtle cemetery.

This completely still and lifelike statue is, to put it nicely, real. To put it bluntly... it looks like a corpse.

To be honest, the number is a bit too much, so much that it makes people feel a bit uncomfortable.

"……what."

Chloe rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not seeing things.

"Why did it do so much? Is it crazy?"

"And look."

As the scene gradually cuts into the mine, a star crystal turtle is seen rushing towards a rather "beautiful" carved statue.

Infuse its special magic power into the interior of the statue.

Don’t say that the size is quite exaggerated compared to the body length of the Star Crystal Turtle. Even the statue has fallen off the stone.

The upgraded surveillance magic eye also transmitted the sound synchronously.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

That scene, coupled with the sound like a pile driver, made Cloya feel like his eyes and ears were about to break at the same time.

What's even more outrageous is that the turtle seemed to be tireless. In just a few minutes, it infused magic power into more than a dozen statues.

And still feeling unsatisfied, humming a cheerful tune and continuing to look for new targets.

"..."

After seeing this scene, Kloya was silent for a long time, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help twitching: "Okay, as long as it doesn't do this kind of thing on the ground... I'll accept it."

He waved his hand to signal Mu Yao Qu Teng Wang to quickly cut off this piece of turtle film, as he really couldn't bear to continue watching it.

This turtle is really outrageous.

……

After turning off the surveillance on the Crystal Turtle, Kloya continued to check on the situation of the knights who were out.

With the help of the thermal energy aura, they walked much more easily.

After walking about two kilometers, some strange things suddenly appeared in front of us.

In the white world, after leaving the Hanjiao Island Pier, all you can see are big trees and rocks covered with snow.

And... there are statues of people covered in snow.

The apprentices paused.

They looked at the figures standing silently in the snow, made some guesses, and felt heavier in their hearts.

"Go and have a look." Ryan waved his hand.

"Yes."

Immediately, an agile knight apprentice ran over and used the sword in his hand to poke the snow on the statue.

The snowflakes fall with a rustling sound.

His skin, which had turned purple from the cold, and his extremely pathetic face were revealed.

"!!!"

Seeing this scene, several knight apprentices immediately thought of some not-so-good things - it seemed that they almost died like this before coming to Hanjiao Island.

Then, they split up into groups of two to check all the snow piles around and found that they were actually full of people.

You know... there are as many as forty or fifty of them in just this area.

Ryan asked curiously: "Why are there so many people?"

Although he knew that some people would come out in the snow to look for food, there was not much food around Hanjiao Island. Why were there so many people here?
"Could something have happened to Baron Andy?" a mage apprentice thought thoughtfully.

"We have to go take a look anyway, so let's speed up."

After a moment of hesitation, Ryan decided to speed up.

They had all undergone endurance training through forced marches, and the thorns and magic in their bodies could resist the wind and snow and keep away fatigue.

It would take three days for ordinary people to walk this distance, but they completed it in one day. When the night fell, they had already arrived at Baron Andy's castle.

It was just as they expected: there were really no soldiers patrolling or guarding along the way, and they actually approached the castle directly.

This is almost impossible on Hanjiao Island.

You have to know that the person living in this castle is the lord. If they were allowed to approach directly like this, they would be confident that they could rush in and kill Baron Andy.

This is a flat area. The stone castle stands silently in the night. Lights and fires seem to be visible from the windows.

Judging from the visual, it is about thirty meters high. To be honest, it looks much more majestic than the castle in Croa.

"You go and take a look." Ryan signaled to his companions to release a flock of crows as a reconnaissance unit, but strangely, these crows did not dare to approach the castle no matter what.

They made quick "Ga Ga!" sounds to their owners, as if urging them to leave quickly.

The mushroom man who had been sitting obediently on Ryan's shoulder acting as a camera also shrank back uneasily.

For the first time, it warned, "Inside, demon!"

Hearing this word, everyone showed a shocked expression. Devil? There is a devil here?

The prisoners looked at each other and remained silent.

Things have not yet developed to the point where they need to take action, and they don't believe that there really are any demons here.

The cracks on their bodies are most sensitive to changes in magic power. If there really is a demon, even a small demon, they can definitely feel it.

The team temporarily fell into silence and waiting.

They were all waiting for Captain Ryan to make a decision, and no matter what the other party decided, they would follow it.

Finally, Ryan looked at the brightly lit castle and said in a serious tone:
"Let's go take a look."

"This place is too close to our home island, Hanjiao. If there really is a demon here... I think we can still inform the lord in time."

This decision was expected, and no one else had any objection. This place was really too close to Hanjiao Island, and they couldn't just sit back and watch the possibility of a demon appear and ignore it.

After a brief discussion, Ryan led a team with a knight apprentice and a mage apprentice to investigate closely, carrying with them the life-saving magic device and pepper bomb given by Kloya.

If you really encounter danger, at least there is a possibility of escape.

The rest of the people will stay here. If they don’t come back for too long, the mushroom people will inform Hanjiao Island that something is wrong here, and they will leave.

After the plan was finalized, the three of them set off.

Their companions prayed silently behind them.

"Lord, I hope they can come back."

At this time, one of the prisoners used invisibility and followed. As protectors, they couldn't bear to see these children who were highly expected by Croa get into trouble.

……

"call."

Although it was already night, the white snow reflected light, so it was relatively clear to see.

Ryan was sweating nervously.

This was the first time he did this, and he was actually worried that something might go wrong, but he had to do it.

The three of them cooperated with each other and came to the bottom of the castle. They aimed at an open window and threw out flying claws made of iron and vines.

He climbed into the castle easily.

As soon as they entered, they smelled a strong smell of blood and saw that the corridors and walls inside the castle were splattered with blood.

The blood twisted on the wall like some strange and evil runes.

The wizard apprentice felt that his mental strength could not bear it after just one glance. This chaotic thing was simply poison to him.

Kloya, who was sitting on the Reef Island and eating sunflower seeds, frowned, stood up and looked at the pictures sent back by the mushroom man.

"It really is a demon. This seems to be some kind of ritual summoning array."

"Is this a big deal?"

Although not much is known about demons, this kind of magic pattern full of chaos and disorder generally points to demons.

If it is a devil, the magic pattern it summons will be delicate and bizarre, full of indescribable strange beauty and regularity.

He was a little surprised. He never expected that in such a cold and bitter place like the North, there would be cultists who believed in demons.

Generally speaking, most demons are of fire attribute. They hate cold environments and basically will not appear in cold environments.

Of course, I just hate and dislike being in a cold environment.

If the cold could stop the demons, it would be too shameful for them.

"Ask the pit lord."

Croa really didn't know much about demons, so he could only seek help from outside the field.

He sent the runes to the Pit Lord and asked him what kind of demons they belonged to.

The latter seemed to be quite free and answered immediately.

"Those are some minor demons, probably casually created by the cultists, they are only level one or two at most."

His tone was very casual, and he didn't take these demons as anything that needed to be taken seriously.

Hearing his reply, the corner of Croa's mouth twitched.

Even if they are level one or two little demons, due to the different environment they live in, their combat power is usually much stronger than that of humans of the corresponding level.

These apprentices...

"Oh, am I going to die?" He sighed, suppressing the annoyance in his heart, but suddenly he was surprised to find out.

It seems that something is a little wrong.

In the picture, the arrival of the three apprentices obviously disturbed the owner here.

A figure in a black robe slowly walked out of the darkness. His head was wrapped in a hood and there were dark red spots on his robe that were hard to ignore. They were obviously bloodstains.

He looked directly at the three people in the shadow of his hood—to be precise, at the knight's apprentice behind Ryan.

The magical pressure emanating from his body was already close to level two. The chaotic and violent magical fluctuations made the apprentices dare not move at all, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

"You're...Jack?"

The black-robed figure made a hoarse voice, but one could still tell that the owner of the voice was not very old.

Jack's expression changed immediately.

"You...you are Brother Git?"

There was some hesitation and disbelief in his voice.

"It's me." The man in black robe reached out and took off his hood, revealing a rather honest and simple face.

He looks like one of countless ordinary people, without any recognition.

"Brother Kit, what's wrong with you..." Apprentice Jack's brain raced. He knew that he had to get close to this unfamiliar brother "Kit" in order to have a chance of survival.

"hehe."

Git smiled. "It seems you are doing well. The wizard of the Reef Island didn't treat you harshly."

When he said this, there was a hidden sense of great relief in his eyes.

Then, he opened his arms and said enthusiastically:

"Little Jack, join us... As long as you are willing to bring God's will to Hanjiao Island, we will all get real happiness."

Hearing him say this, the apprentices, whose loyalty to Croa was already at full capacity, were of course dissatisfied, but the instructor had taught them that they must remain calm when facing such things.

So they remained silent and alert.

Jack gritted his teeth and suddenly pulled out his sword with a "swish". He pointed the blade made of holy white iron at Kit and asked, "This is obviously a demon!"

"You've become someone I don't recognize. Look at the blood here! How many people have you killed?"

He knew very well that if he pretended to ask, the other party would definitely be suspicious, and only this was in line with his previous character.

Seeing him like this, Kit smiled.

He's like a good-tempered older brother watching his younger siblings throwing tantrums.

“The blood here all comes from the nobles and their men... Don’t worry, they won’t die, and their blood will become the best paint.

I can paint and draw the most beautiful scenery."

After saying this intoxicatedly, he sneered:
"It's a demon, but we can't survive anymore... That noble doesn't care about our lives at all, so we can only resist."

"He is scarier than the devil."

"The devil can let us live, but the nobles won't."

After saying this, his face darkened: “Since you are unwilling to accept God’s grace, then leave!”

After saying that, he waved his hand, and a cold tentacle grew out from under his robe, slapping the three people directly out of the window.

Then he slowly turned and left.

But before leaving, he glanced at the empty corridor, with obvious resistance and undisguised disgust in his eyes.

But he couldn't resist and disappeared into the corridor with stiff steps.

A faint wave of well-hidden magical power flashed in the empty corridor and left through the window.

Outside in the snow, the three apprentices who were knocked flying were not injured because of the thick snow on the ground.

After they got up, they looked at each other and saw the same meaning in each other's eyes - it seemed that Kit had intentionally driven them out like this.

Could it be that he has not yet been completely controlled by the devil?

(End of this chapter)