Cyberzaun, Machinarium

Enoch cursed inwardly. This was only the first day of the route away from the town. Demacia was too hospitable. The gold coins earned by his caravan were just a small matter. The prototype of the communication base station he carried with him must not be damaged in any way.

Enoch raised his left arm horizontally, and the wrist quickly split and rotated, retracting backwards, revealing the gun barrel hidden in the mechanical arm. The rotating gun barrel flashed blue.

After a brief accumulation of energy, a ball of scorching plasma hit the man rushing forward.

Perhaps because he was used to facing long swords and crossbows, he did not realize that the attack in front of him was so fast. The man was caught off guard and knocked to the ground by the huge potential energy. He was silent again. His body was burnt by the high temperature and gave off an unpleasant smell.

"No!" The companion beside him screamed, but quickly changed his gestures, forming a layer of shield to take the plasma bomb that followed.

Seeing the painful expression of the woman behind the shield, Enoch breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, these people did not get close. The man and Halfen in the distance were fighting back and forth, and they could not rush over for a while. Although the female mage was still holding up the shield, she looked more painful and weak under the constant bombardment.

All he had to do was continue to bombard the barrier steadily. The woman's shield was on the verge of shattering, with fragments flying into the air from time to time. As long as he could break the shield before the hand cannon overheated, there would be no problem at all.

"Damn you guys, you disturbed my date." Jinx finally crawled out from under the blanket, grabbed the machine gun, and pulled the trigger hard at the target in front of her.

The impact from the shield was too much for the woman to bear, and she half-knelt down. There was nothing she could do now except to hold on... The ammunition from the minigun would tear her apart the moment the shield disappeared.

The current stable situation made Enoch feel more at ease, and he also had time to see how Hafen was doing.

........................

The moment the alert was triggered, Hafen immediately rushed towards the enemy

The sudden ringing of the bell will distract the enemy, and if you are fast enough you can catch them off guard - whether the attacker is a human or an animal, there will be a brief pause.

Luck doesn't seem to be on his side. There are three thieves on the other side, and none of them carry swords. This is good news. It would be better if these people didn't carry this staff either.

The attackers are damned mages. I can't bet on whether they still have a little dignity and honor hidden under their evil and cruel souls.

Drawing out his sword, Hafen kept moving his feet, his attention fixed on the leading man holding the staff.

He still remembered the knowledge mentioned by the demon hunter. Those holding a staff are often more dangerous. They can cause greater damage. Be wary of every light from the wizard's fingertips. He may tear you apart, leaving behind a blasphemous and twisted body.

Fortunately, his companions also reacted. The screaming sound of something they didn't know what they were using obviously distracted the mage's attention. The subsequent bright light also brought Hafen more advantages.

Fortunately, he had his back to the white light. Taking advantage of the moment when the person in front of him squinted his eyes, Hafen quickly approached and chopped down the staff with his sword. If the mage still insisted on casting the spell, he would cut off the fingers holding the staff.

After forcing the opponent in front to stop and raise his staff to block, Hafen breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to step back to stab the enemy next to him, he saw a ball of blue liquid-like substance knocking the man away and burning half of his body.

It seems that his employer is indeed as Benso said, very resourceful. It's time to solve the current trouble.

He raised the long sword to the middle, gently rotated it outward, used the sword tip to push away the staff in front of him, pressed the staff down, and at the same time lightly cut into the right side of the opponent's body, retracted the sword, adjusted the position of the long sword, and stabbed the tip of the sword from bottom to top into the opponent's lower ribs.

Following the opponent's body's movement backwards due to the injury, he gently turned his wrist and slid out the long sword, a deep red blood line slid out in a perfect arc along the tip of the sword.

Hafen stepped back. He knew that he had successfully cut open the opponent's right lung. He just needed to be careful of the possible counterattack at the end, and he could go to the side to provide support.

Always be wary of wizards, their evil magic will make every innocent civilian suffer.

"Are you done?" A voice came from behind, staring at the mage lying on the ground without making any move, and then put away the sword.

The people on the side were calming the frightened horses, and the mage injured by Jinx was tied aside.

This unfortunate woman was constantly suppressed by firepower, and eventually her shield couldn't hold up. If Jinx hadn't reacted quickly and moved the gun away, this person wouldn't have just had a few more holes in her body, but would have been torn in half.

Seeing this, Hafen walked up to Enoch and said, "I don't know what you want to do by capturing the wizard, but be careful of their vicious words. They are like the fangs of a poisonous snake and can cause irreparable harm at any time."

Enoch looked at the knight in front of him, as if he was seeing him for the first time. "Do you mean to kill her? I thought you would protect the weak and treat prisoners well."

Hafen shook his head. "I did this just to protect you. We won't be able to find the Forbidden Magic Stone Potion here anytime soon, and the team can't stay alert all the time. The mage's soul has been corrupted by magic, and we can't trust what she says or does."

Enoch shrugged. There was no point in getting into a quarrel with the guide over a dying bandit. "You are a professional. We will listen to you."

Hafen nodded, drew his sword and stood in front of the wizard. "In the name of the king, I will free you. May your soul rest in peace and stay away from the harm of evil magic from now on."

Looking at the knight who seemed to have completed a sacred ritual, Jinx smiled softly while lying behind Enoch, "Look at the executioner guide you hired. He is so interesting. I am beginning to like him."

Enoch said nothing, but picked up the blanket from the ground, dusted it off, and put it on himself and Jinx again. "It's time to rest."

Jinx frowned, as if she was very dissatisfied with Enoch's lack of response. She turned to Hafen and shouted, "Hey, poet, what would you do if your girlfriend was also a mage? Would you kill her for your king, or would you run away quietly?"

Hafen sat back down by the campfire and replied softly, "No, I know that, and she's not a girlfriend, I just... admire her."

"That's not necessarily true," Jinx yawned. "Tell me her name. Let me see if it's the same as the song you wrote."

Hafen smiled, and the slightly downcast knight in front of him suddenly became infinitely tender, staring at the fire, as if he was looking at the goddess he longed for.

"She's not a mage, we all know that"2

"She is as warm as the first ray of sunshine in the morning, as subtle and soft as the moonlight, she is so gentle and kind"

“She is my light among lights”

"Her name is so clear and pleasant to the ear, she is..."

Laxana Crownguard11

PS

This chapter's swordplay is inspired by the Spanish longsword style of destreza, which relies heavily on footwork and entanglement, prefers close combat, and emphasizes flexible changes in moves and more footwork. Compared with Italian and German swords, it is lighter and is a very efficient and deadly armorless swordplay.

Chapter 19: Lost Something Serious

The following night was unusually quiet compared to the exciting first half of the night. After hearing Halfen introduce his dream goddess, Enoch changed the subject.

In any way, Enoch was not optimistic about this relationship... Whether it was from the perspective of being a "Crown Guard" or other more sensitive aspects.

After using such a long list of titles to describe his own light among lights, Haven himself felt a little awkward and strange. He changed the subject abruptly and began to teach Enoch some survival skills in the wild.

Enoch thought to himself, "I understand your embarrassment, and I'm not going to continue digging into your first love. There's really no need to drag me through all that stuff."

Enoch really wanted to rest now, especially since he had to hold Jinx who was half lying in his arms. He tried to put her on the sleeping bag a few times, but before he could take his hands out, he was stared at by blue eyes.

After spending a few years with Jinx, Enoch found that he was really not good at rejecting this crazy little girl.

While chatting with Hafen and gently moving his numb body, Enoch felt extremely painful and secretly vowed to himself that he would not choose camping next time even if he had to travel in a hurry.

........................

I don't know how long it took, but Enoch suddenly felt something rubbing his face gently. He took a deep breath, and the smell of chamomile mixed with grass filled his nose.

Enoch was familiar with this smell, it was a smell that appeared in his office all year round. Enoch remained silent, carefully pretending to be still asleep, but quietly looked forward to the girl's next move through his lowered eyes.

There was a brief pause during which Enoch only heard the slight friction of clothing, and the feeling of a gentle brush against his face was replaced by a low exhalation. The breath of the two seemed to blend together, being exhaled and inhaled by both parties.

Enoch opened his eyes, his sapphire eyes were as refreshing as a spring, his eyes flickered, and he saw the braid in the girl's hand... The braid playfully moved from her forehead to Enoch's ear.

"Someone fell asleep while on guard at night." A slightly hoarse voice echoed in my ears, and the smile in the words could hardly be concealed.

Only then did Enoch realize that his head was resting on Jinx's thighs. It was already dawn and the waiter nearby had already started packing up and preparing breakfast before leaving.

"When did you wake up?"

"Let me think, it was probably when you fell asleep during the night watch and fell on me." Jinx would not give Enoch a chance to change the subject. She liked to see Enoch embarrassed.

"Sorry," Enoch said, giving in immediately when he saw that he couldn't get through this. "I need some bread. Want some?"

Jinx didn't say anything, but jumped onto Enoch's back as he walked forward with his back turned, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "My legs are numb from being pillowed by you, you have to carry me, my night watchman."

"Yes, my lady."

Everything is ready. We are about to cross the river and head to Jandel... This was the original plan.

"I have a small question. How did you manage to lose 4 trucks without anyone noticing?"

After Enoch counted the number of people, he suddenly doubted his math and checked the list again. Only then did he realize that he had made such a big mistake without realizing it.

Although the fleet was not large, the items on each vehicle were clearly classified. For example, the vehicles filled with account books, contracts signed with Demacia nobles, and maps were not lost, the vehicles loaded with crafts were not moved, and even the vehicles stacked with gold coins were left in place.

Instead, two supply vehicles for transporting food, a fodder cart for horses, and a vehicle carrying wine and beverages were all missing.

What Enoch found most ridiculous was how they prepared breakfast when the baggage cart was lost and no one noticed?

Faced with Enoch's question, everyone looked at each other and became speechless.

"Maybe it's my fault," Hafen said. "Maybe the target of last night's attack was not money, but supplies. In addition to the three bandits who were killed, there should have been an illusionist as well."

"How did he push four cars by himself?" Enoch looked around. There were some traces on the road he came from yesterday, but there were no new tracks leading to other places.

"It's a teleport... Damn it." He threw the document in his hand onto the carriage. He needed to retrieve the lost item immediately.

Enoch rubbed his brows and asked with a headache, "Do you have a way to track the traces, Hafen?"

"There's no way to find the exact location. As for the general direction, although it's difficult, we can try," Hafen replied. It seemed that something serious was lost.

From the perspective of value, these vehicles are not something that must be recovered. However, Enoch once ordered a food supply vehicle to be modified. In addition to some food on the outside, the inside is filled with weapons to deal with large-scale enemies.

Not to mention a very small portable communication base station, which, in conjunction with a micro-drone, has been recording and mapping the topography of Demacia.

This was done in secret, and no one knew about it except Enoch himself.

Enoch had already imagined the scene where this thing would eventually be presented to the King of Demacia, and then he would be tied up and interrogated.

Is it too late for me to run away now?

Hafen scattered a small packet of powder in the air, and the tiny crystal dust drifted away. "It should be heading towards the eastern border."

After a pause, Hafen quickly explained, "Those evil wizards probably wanted to go east and cross the border, so they had to resort to despicable means to steal food supplies."

"You mean the stuff has already reached Noxus?" Enoch asked.

Great! It seems that I don't have to be tied to the royal court anymore. It is more likely that Noxus will follow the route drawn by the base station to attack Demacia and find the inventor by the way, so that I can choose death or loyalty.

It's hard to tell which ending is better

"They shouldn't be able to escape. During this period, there are usually mountain troops patrolling the border to prevent the invasion of Noxus. These mages can only wait until winter and take advantage of the heavy snow to escape. They should be in Tobysia or Vollen, depending on whether they stole the ship. Let me help you recover the lost items."

"No," Enoch refused immediately. Who knew what the baggage truck would look like when they really found it? It would be fine if it was dismantled. If the base station could still work normally, it would bring trouble to Enoch.

After thinking for a while, Enoch explained, "I have already lost some of my vehicles. I cannot afford any more losses. I need your help to lead the convoy to Miyin City to find Benso on time."

"I'll try to look for it near the border myself. Please tell Benso that I will arrive at Miyin City on time."

"I'll go with you." Jinx raised her machine gun and took some supplies from a nearby vehicle and stuffed them into her saddle bag.

“You’ll just fall asleep during your vigil, you hear me, Littlefinger?” Jinx climbs onto her horse. “You can’t leave me. You swore.”

PS:

Thanks to o(≧v≦)o for the monthly ticket and blade

Thanks to Doubi Giant Panda for the monthly ticket 1

Chapter 20 Hammer Form Cannon

Enoch lay in front of the receiver, turning the button gently, not missing any possible sound.

Unfortunately, there was no response from the receiver except for the noise of electricity. How many times had he tried this? The repeated tests made Enoch feel tired.

Maybe I should go to the Secret Silver City as planned. Maybe those wizards will dismantle the iron box as scrap metal because they think it is useless.

I took out my pocket watch to check the time. Thanks to the good weather in Demacia, I could hardly feel the passage of time under the bright sunshine.

I have been on the road with Jinx for three days. The original plan was to travel light and go back quickly, but I couldn't get rid of my tail, so I had to set off as soon as possible.

When Enoch said that he could go faster alone, Jinx's performance almost scared him. The situation seemed a little bad. He originally thought that the girl was just lonely, so he tried to get closer.

Now the situation seems to be even more troublesome. Jinx seems to have transferred some of her feelings for her sister to Enoch, clinging tightly to the little bit of hope and never letting go.

Enoch could only persuade himself that at most he just needed to prepare more things, saying that it would be easier if he could not keep watch at night.

Who knew that by the second day, the situation would be reversed. Enoch was busy monitoring passive signals most of the time. Whether it was camping or hunting, most of it was done by Jinx.

In fact, apart from Jinx's habit of graffiti on her mounts and packages, she does a little better than the average person.

Thinking of this, Enoch looked up and around. Although he needed quietness during the test, Jinx would still be beside him, lying or sitting, rarely leaving. He didn't know where she had gone now.

"Jinx? Where are you? Jinx?" After calling out several times but getting no response, Enoch shook his head and began to try to prepare lunch.

Opening his pockets, which were not very full, Enoch counted the remaining food and water. He had resupplied in a village before.

However, because they need to deviate from the main road and continue to explore along remote mountainous areas or caves that are easy to hide, even if there are only two people, the consumption is faster than before.

Where did Jinx put her stuff? She searched through two pockets in a row, and found that they were either filled with Jinx's grenades, bullets, or some crayons and paints.

After searching for a while, Enoch finally gave up and picked up the AR rifle with an acog scope installed beside him. He originally hoped that the nobles of Demacia would like this precise, lightweight and expensive weapon, but because personal bravery has become a backlog of goods from the traditional concept.

I wish I could hunt a rabbit. Damn, I should have developed a motion detection electronic eye earlier.

........................

Jinx was hiding in the bushes at this moment, patiently waiting for the opportunity.