The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 208 They've Come Knocking (4k)

A thin mist shrouded everything in a hazy gray.

The strong, pungent odor filled my nostrils, like charcoal mixed with bat droppings, sulfur added, and then set ablaze.

The stench was somewhat unpleasant, but it helped Kane better orient himself.

He ran on all fours through the dense forest, blood streaming from the wounds on his waist and abdomen, but his sturdy build seemed to prevent them from becoming an obstacle.

Only after passing through towering trees did the outline of the village come into view—

The blazing, bright yellow flames clung to the piled-up campfire, like a pillar of fire piercing straight into the thick fog.

Its halo enveloped the surroundings, reflecting off the log houses.

But those houses were not just built on flat ground. At the end of the halo were the branches of tall trees, and tents made of branches and haystacks, like bird nests, were erected on the treetops, with huge fern leaves as roofs.

They are secured by giant trees and houses on the ground, and are connected to each other by shabby suspension bridges.

Where the light couldn't reach was a dry well, which connected to an underground cave, but only rats liked to live in that kind of place.

Kane darted through the woods and ran to the pillar of fire in the center of the village.

But his body gradually stood upright, his body hair began to retract into his skin, and his size shrank until he finally transformed into a two-meter-tall male.

His square face was covered with a thick, dark brown beard, and his muscular build and imposing physique made him look more like a Gothic Asian.

But Kane is indeed a human being.

He put on the coat that had been laid out beforehand by the campfire, and the mixed smell made him sneeze repeatedly, which aggravated his healing wounds, causing him to cry out in pain.

During this process, the remaining beastmen also returned to the camp one after another. Some of them took the opportunity to reveal their human forms, while others habitually maintained their beast appearance.

Kane grunted softly only after no new players arrived:
"Has everyone come back?"

“There are a few who haven’t yet, like Eric.”

"That guy got crushed by the turtle, I saw it clearly. Who knows if he'll even survive?"

The crowd gradually became noisy:

"And Mond, Evan and the others... they were at the very front, so they should be the most seriously injured."

"Won't they arrest me, those green-skinned bastards?"

"Damn it, I heard that greenskins don't have any dietary restrictions, and they can definitely eat the flesh of beastmen."

"I already said, there are so many of them, we shouldn't have gone looking for trouble with them!"

"But they must have food on them!"

"And then, we were originally going to find food, but now we've become food for others."

"Bullshit! We were about to take it all, and it's all Kane's fault for ordering the retreat!"

"Watch your mouth."

"What's wrong, baby bear? Did I hit a nerve with the truth? How about I pierce your heart tube myself and give you a taste of bear meat today!"

The upright tiger-man bared its sharp claws, approaching the boyish bear-man threateningly, its claws pressed against his chest, its jaws snarling—

Kane clenched his fist and glared at the two men:

"Shut up, everyone!"

The tiger-man snorted coldly, but also withdrew his claws.

Kane patted the boy's head, gesturing for him to step back into the crowd, then looked around and said:
"Although they were a tribe of greenskins and goblins, they were disorganized, chaotic, and disorderly, and we initially had the upper hand..."

But when the song started playing, everything changed.

"One second they were crying and running away, the next they're as troublesome as if they drank the blood of the snake-chicken beast!"

"It's because of that human!"

A crow suddenly said,
“We all saw it from the sky; there was a human playing the piano standing on the turtle’s back.”

"Humans? Captives?" Kane asked hesitantly.

"I don't know, but he was just standing on the turtle's back doing nothing, and we initially thought he was a prisoner. Until later, he suddenly took command of that group of orcs—"

But when we turned our attack around and tried to grab him by the throat, his guards easily stopped us…

"Selovin was knocked to the ground by that knight, and he didn't come back!"

A woman cried out,

"Kane, we have to save him!"

Kane patted the woman on the shoulder, about to offer some words of comfort.

But a rat-man shrugged and swept past the crowd:

"Screw you, I still have food on hand, I'm definitely not getting involved—that turtle's skin is rough and hard, and its wounds heal quickly, who can stop it?"
He's your husband, not ours! We have no obligation to help you save him.

The woman looked at Kane: "You told us this was a community, and that's how you tricked us into staying here. Is this the community you're talking about?"

“I’m not lying to anyone. This forest is far more dangerous than you imagine, which is why I invited you to join.”

Kane sighed and patted the woman on the shoulder in comfort.

"But you're right, we are indeed a group."

Whether it's Selwyn or Eric, they are both family.

Therefore, I will definitely try to save them, but I must change my strategy.

Kane recalled the scene when he first discovered the giant tortoise—

This giant tortoise was so large that it inevitably broke tree trunks and made a loud noise when it moved through the forest.

Having spent many years in the Duskwood, this was the first time Kane had ever seen such a magnificent creature.

He was certain that the flesh and hide of just one giant tortoise could provide enough sustenance for his hundred-odd beastmen for a month.

After the night of the two moons, their remaining food supplies were not plentiful.

So he led the villagers, with the intention of hunting, to ambush the giant tortoise on its inevitable path.

Until he discovered that a nomadic tribe was stationed behind the giant tortoise.

So he changed his target and tried to negotiate.

He would let the nomadic tribe leave as long as they left food.

This could be considered looting, but Kane had no other choice when food was scarce.

But who knew that it was carrying a group of savage orcs?

How could there possibly be orcs within the territory of Dragon Gold City?

They didn't even leave themselves room for negotiation before roaring and charging forward, leading to the current consequences...

If he had known this would be the outcome, he would have chosen to take a detour and let the giant tortoise pass.

But it's too late to say anything now:

"Lucy, give me some time to treat my wound."

Kane showed the woman the axe marks on his waist and abdomen.
"I will assemble a small team to sneak into the vicinity of the giant tortoise and investigate the situation of Seloven and the others. Then we will make specific plans for the rescue."

"Okay, hurry up, I'll go with you then."

Lucy was anxious, but she knew she couldn't force the leader to do anything, so she could only transform into a raven and fly to the treetop.

Kane looked around and selected several ratmen and werewolves; their agile physiques made them more suitable as scouts.
"After treating the wounds, we will regroup around the campfire."

Without waiting for the other party's reply, he quickly returned to his house.

The moment he pushed open the door, he could no longer hold on to his exhausted body and collapsed to the ground.

"Kane!?"

A robust woman was sitting quietly inside the room.

Her figure wasn't much more delicate than Kane's in human form, and her light green skin confirmed her half-orc identity. Upon seeing the horrifying wound on Kane's abdomen, she quickly dragged him into the house, brought a bucket of water to wash the wound, and then began rummaging through the first-aid kit for anything usable—

This was her stash from when she was an adventurer, containing herbal tools and medical bandages.

She applied herbs to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding:

"Damn it, who hurt you so badly?"

"A woman. That guy is just as strong as you."

Kane was panting heavily, realizing that his consciousness was gradually fading.

He was certain that the orc's giant axe had not been plated with silver.

Otherwise, with her strength, she might have taken her own life.

"Don't fucking joke around, herbs won't stop your bleeding!"

"It's okay, my wound will heal on its own..."

"You forced yourself to run all the way after being injured, which tore your healing wounds open! Before you can heal on your own, excessive blood loss could take your life!"

The woman turned to leave.

"I must find that pastor!"

"No, no!"

Kane grabbed the woman's wrist.

"We can't let him out, he'll destroy this place—"

He wanted to refuse forcefully, but a feeling of lightness suddenly overwhelmed his brain, causing him to lose strength in his limbs and then faint.

Seeing this, the woman no longer cared about Kane's orders. She quickly picked him up and ran out of the house to a corner of the village not far away.

"Who's approaching!?"

Perhaps the strong smell of blood on Kane was enough for the werewolves in the distance to instantly detect their presence, threatening them with howls to stop them.

"It's me, Fide!"

The woman continued walking, gradually making out the semi-circular sphere in the gray mist ahead, and the four werewolves guarding it with spears beside it.
"Quickly, tell that priest that Kane is badly injured!"

The werewolves looked at each other and refused:

"No, Kane instructed that no matter what happens, this human must not be allowed to leave this place."

"Once he's dead, whose orders will you take?!"

Fiddle placed Kane on the ground, her body suddenly expanding in anger until it burst open her cloth robes, transforming her into an upright brown bear, howling at the werewolf.

"If he pursues the matter, just say that I gave him permission!"

"Hey, Fidel, calm down, calm down."

There is an absolute difference in strength between wolves and bears, and the beastmen have inherited this as well.

Not wanting to cause trouble, they could only sigh after exchanging glances and take two steps back.
"Fine, what can I say, you're a married couple."

Fied quickly stepped forward, patted the smooth, gray-black hemisphere beside him, making a "thump" sound, and pointed to the heavily injured Kane:

“Hey, you inside priest, I know you’re here! Listen, I need you to heal my husband now—I know you have a lot of grudges between you, but that’s none of my business.”

"I'm asking you to save him, and then I'll have someone release you. How about we consider it a deal?"

The sphere looks like a matte ceramic piece without any shine, as if it could be shattered with a single punch.

But no matter how much you pat it, it remains like a wall separating you from each other, hard and solid.

She had witnessed this spell before during her past adventures—

Leo Monk's Cottage:
Three rings, shaping energy.

Summons a hemispherical force field with a radius of 3 meters around you, which remains stationary for the duration of the spell. The spell terminates when you leave the area.

The hemisphere can hold a maximum of nine creatures; exceeding this number will immediately disable the system.

While this spell is being cast, any creatures or objects within the hemisphere can freely enter and exit it. All other creatures and objects will be blocked from entering or exiting.

Spells and other magical effects cannot extend across the hemisphere, nor can they be cast directly across the hemisphere.

The air inside the hemisphere is dry and comfortable, regardless of the climate on the outside. You can dim or darken the light inside the hemisphere before the spell ends.

The hemisphere is opaque when viewed from the outside and displays the color you choose, but it is transparent when viewed from the inside.

It was precisely because of the protection of this spell that, for so many days, the entire group of beastmen had been unable to do anything to the priest inside the sphere.

"I'm not trying to lure you out of the spell's range! Once I've confirmed that Kane's injuries are healed, I'll personally escort you out of here!"

"Out of humanitarian considerations, I would not stand by and watch someone die."

A deep, magnetic male voice came from inside the sphere.

"But I need a safe environment, please ask everyone else to leave."

Fide glanced at the four werewolves not far away, urging them to leave with his eyes.

The priest inside the sphere could see everything outside from within, and only removed the spells surrounding him when they left his sight.

It was a man wearing a steel helmet and plate armor. A rose-gold sun was engraved in the center of the steel plate on his chest. Beneath the sun, there seemed to be clouds, faintly revealing a faint glow—it was the emblem of a god.

Fide recognized the emblem.

It represents the only deity in the world that still bestows divine revelation.

He is twilight, tranquility, and the loving father who protects those who long for sleep from fear.

Only under His command does the enviable profession of "priest" still exist.

He stepped forward and, under Fiddle's pleading gaze, gently touched Kane's wound:
"You are the end of the day and the door to the night."

It is the tranquility of twilight, the radiance of the mist.

I pray that Your veil will fall, leaving behind gentle whispers.

It seeped into the trembling soul, drowning out the anguished screams.

The gentle light, like a color chosen from the sunset, spread over Kane's flesh and blood, infusing him with life and vitality.

The dazed beastman's face changed from pain to sleep, as if he were having a sweet dream, and his breathing became gentle.

"thanks, thanks."

Fied breathed a sigh of relief and looked sincerely at the pastor.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you get away safely. Even if Kane tries to stop me, it won't make a difference."

No, I will not leave.

The pastor shook his head.

“I have said that I wish to purify the curse from you.”

I will never abandon you until you are restored to your former state.

"But--"

Just as Fed was about to speak, the noise around him became particularly intense.

She quickly looked in the direction of the sound, only to see four werewolves returning and rushing to her side:

"Oh no! Oh no! Someone's come knocking on our door!"

"Who is it?" Fed asked quickly.

"A giant tortoise!"

And there's also a group of orcs and goblins!

(End of this chapter)