Chapter 388 The departure of the expedition (5k)
afternoon.
After mobilizing the "bishops" before the Holy Crusade for the church's clergy and players,
From morning to noon, the clergy and players were ready and gathered in the inner courtyard of the church. Together with their "bishop" Rossiu Carlos, they embarked on a holy journey to conquer the Dark Principality.
Red Maple City Church, outside the main entrance of the church.
"Presiding over the high ceremony" - Anthony, now the "acting bishop", led more than a hundred clergy who stayed in the church to stand on both sides of the main street.
A solemn and solemn look appeared on their faces, and pairs of scorching golden eyes stared in the direction of the main entrance of the church - their "Bishop" Rossiu Carlos, who had mounted the "Golden Pegasus" and led the expedition that was about to take place. The clergy were divided into three columns and walked out of the main entrance of the church in an orderly manner.
The priests who were watching from both sides, who were staying behind, were holding slender holy trumpets in their hands and were already blowing the resounding "Holy Tune" - it was a high-pitched and melodious sacred music, preparing for the "holy expedition" that was about to begin. The comrades paid their last respects and made a grand gesture.
Riding the "Golden Pegasus", Luo Xiu has arrived in front of "Acting Bishop" Anthony.
Anthony's right hand was now lightly placed on his left chest, and he bowed slightly to Luo Xiu, performing the devout sacrament.
"May the light of a moment bless you, Bishop——"
He is a "Bishop", a friend, and a blessing for "Rosio Carlos":
"He will light your way and point you in the right direction."
"He will keep you from being confused and will make your ambitions come true."
"May your expedition go well and may you triumph soon, Bishop."
"..."
His voice seemed calm, but the expression on his face and the twinkling light in his eyes were full of piety and determination.
Luo Xiu nodded in response, continued to ride the golden Pegasus, and galloped towards the end of the main street and towards the east city gate.
The clergymen and players who will embark on the holy journey will follow behind their "bishop".
The figures in white robes moved forward resolutely amidst the high-pitched and resonant hymn melody - moving forward resolutely with devout faith and the will of the Holy See on the sacred journey to enlightenment. .
……
Outside Hongfeng City.
On the gravel plain that was a battlefield half a month ago——
"Thunder General" Albert, he led the "Side Court" eight 'Judges' and 'Knights of the Throne', one hundred and sixty 'Arbitrators', 'Knights of the Guard', and four hundred 'Law Enforcers' , "Conquest Knight",
As well as the 200,000 soldiers who were about to embark on the expedition in Hong Maple City, they had formed a mighty military formation on the gravel plain outside Hong Maple City.
Then the army spread out completely in the wilderness outside the city, like a dark cloud covering the dome of the earth.
The flags like the sea are roaring, rolling with colors that complement each other, showing majesty and glory.
At this time, Albert was stationed in front of the city gate of Red Maple City, waiting for another figure to appear from the city gate——
When the bell on the city wall rang for three rounds, the sergeant in the tower blew a loud horn to the sky, and waves of neat, tidal footsteps rustled from inside the city gate.
"Bishop" Rossiu Carlos, he walked out of the east city gate riding the "Golden Pegasus".
When he saw Luo Xiu, Albert also galloped towards Luo Xiu's direction.
A smile appeared on his face full of battle scars, and he greeted Luo Xiu in a low but kind voice:
"You're here, Luo Xiu."
Albert looked behind Luo Xiu, at the more than 300 clergymen who were all wearing white robes, and at the more than 2,000 "church patrols" and "saint protectors" who were participating in the expedition, and slowly nodded.
"I am waiting for you. The knights and guardians of the side court, as well as the 200,000 expeditionary army, will set out with you and your priests towards the border of the empire."
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"Greetings, Lord Albert."
Luo Xiu responded to his greetings, with the same gentle smile on his face, and rode the "Golden Pegasus" to Albert's side, riding alongside him.
"My colleagues in the church are also fully prepared."
Keeping pace with Albert, Luo Xiu said in a firm and solemn tone:
"This will be a sacred expedition—a sure-win expedition. We will surely return the tainted country to purity, and we will triumph in the songs of all peoples."
"..."
When Luo Xiu and Albert were half talking and half declaring.
The church's clergy and players were still closely following Luo Xiu, moving forward in an orderly manner.
The knights and guardians of the side court led the mighty military formation to move to both sides, making way for the "bishops" and clergy of the church to make way for a broad and open passage.
At the same time, the musicians accompanying the army began to play high-pitched vocal music, and the sound of the fierce wind swaying with swaying flags echoed in the sky.
Feeling the respectful and firm gazes from both sides, Luo Xiu and Albert were still walking side by side and had reached the front of the military formation.
The clergy of the church, as well as the players embarking on the holy journey, moved toward the military formations in the center on both sides.
A hundred "guard knights" riding armored horses and 20,000 sergeants guarded the formation of 500 chariots engraved with sun patterns.
That is the chariot of the "church" - the clergy and players of the church board the chariot one by one.
As for "Thunder General" Albert, he finally stopped his horse when he came to the army formation, raised his red heavy sword high, and announced to the whole army in a majestic and high-pitched voice——
"We will embark on the glorious, magnificent expedition called 'Judgment'!"
"In the name of the Nolan Empire, in the name of Emperor Augustville;"
"I-Albert Perez declares!"
"I will pierce the enemy's throat with a sharp blade, and my war horse will trample every inch of the enemy's land. The pain and humiliation we have suffered in the past six months will be inflicted on them with the flames of anger, and they will pay the price with their lives. Pay it off!”
"Our blades have long been sharpened, and our souls have long been toughened. Now, it is time to capture the enemy for the empire and Emperor Augustville!"
"For the empire, for our [Supreme] supreme glory——"
"——Follow me to the battle!"
He declared this to the entire army, and the mighty army of 200,000 responded with loud, high-pitched, overlapping shouts like giant waves——
"Go to war!"
"Go to war!"
"Go to war!"
It was a sound that was exciting, forging, full of hope and passion.
Then, Albert slowly lowered his raised giant sword and steered his horse towards the direction of the Dark Principality.
The army began to move forward.
Move forward slowly, but firmly and unstoppably.
The mighty black tide gradually surged into the distance. The soldiers left behind on the walls of Red Maple City were still watching. Until the sun was about to set, the expeditionary army finally merged into a line and finally disappeared into the overlapping mountains.
This was the "Holy Crusade" - the first day of the expedition.
……
March 18, 768 in the Tianqi calendar.
"Holy Expedition" - The third day of the expedition.
The Red Maple City Expeditionary Force has driven into the border of the principality, and the main force has camped on the plain thirty miles away from the first border fortress "Kaffrey Fortress".
In the meantime, the Expeditionary Force has dispatched 10,000 vanguard troops to conduct intelligence reconnaissance in front of Kaffrey Fortress and clear many obstacles on the marching route.
First, they need to pass through the territory of the Dark Principality, the Andrian Blackstone Mountains——
That is the natural barrier surrounding the west, south and north of "Kaffrey Fortress".
……
March 18, late at night.
It's halfway up the Andrian Blackstone Mountains.
The night has covered this steep natural cliff with a black veil, and the light blue moonlight also shines down obliquely, pouring on the skirts of the treetops like a stream, reflecting sparkling ripples like water.
Next to a towering cliff, there is a low slope in front of a beast cave.
The original owners of the cave, the two steel-bristle wild boars, now only have the steel manes and bones left on the ground, as well as two round, smoothly cut off pigs, two as dark as grapes, staring with unyielding eyes. Pig head with eyeballs.
A dozen people wearing "Saint Protector" equipment set up a bonfire next to the pile of bones of two steel-maned wild boars, and used repaired willow branches to roast the fragrant wild boar.
The firelight cast a white light and shadow on the silver-white armor. The paladin had taken off his heavy helmet and placed it on the smooth stone nearby. His eyes were looking directly at the sizzling meat skewers in the campfire. Tears flowed down from the corner of his mouth.
"...Old crocodile." Next to the paladin, a "priest" wearing half scale armor lowered his voice and smiled, saying:
"If you keep grilling like this, the meat will burn."
"What do you know, little train."
The Paladin skillfully turned over the meat skewers in his hand and responded casually:
"Pork needs to be burnt before it becomes fragrant."
"..."
——This group of people gathered around the campfire, roasting the wild boar that was still alive not long ago, are the players of the "Church"!
"Big Crocodile Stewed in Iron Pot" and "Thomas the Tank Engine" were assigned to join the 10,000 vanguard troops sent by the expeditionary force.
And they players are the vanguard of the vanguard army. Before the main force has arrived, they have already arrived here first and climbed up the Blackstone Mountains surrounded by the Caffrey Fortress on three sides!
Three thousand "Adventors" like them, who belonged to the church and the side court, were now divided into hundreds of small teams, scattered on the Blackstone Mountains.
They all have their own tasks, but the overall goal is the same——
"Bishop" Rossiu Carlos has assigned them a mission - to sneak into the Caffrey Fortress, use their methods to convey information about the garrison outside the fortress, and try their best to stay dormant inside the fortress!
Check out the 16-9 book bar and see the correct version!
This is the reason why they sneaked into the Blackstone Mountains.
And the team composed of Thomas, Crocodile, and more than a dozen people is undoubtedly one of the strongest teams among the "Adventors".
Now, both Thomas and Crocodile have been promoted to the third level of [Glory] - Thomas is now the "Great Priest of Sins", while Crocodile is the "Great Rider of Fire"!
The people who formed a team with them were also the best members of the "Glow Mirror" guild founded by Thomas. They were all extraordinary people with the second life path of [Glory], and more than half of them had reached the full level of the second life path. lv.20.
Now, Thomas, the predator, and the players in the same team are taking their final "rest."
The bonfire they were surrounding was swaying with orange light.
Looking at the sizzling pork that was turning completely black in the constantly jumping and dancing flames, "Thomas the Tank Engine" looked with some contempt in his eyes.
He immediately reached into his arms and took out two small, round things like "garlic heads" from his arms, and began to peel them.
He quickly peeled off a piece of "garlic clove", put the white, milky moon-like clove into his mouth and chewed it. He soon "burped" and said to the crocodile:
"If you bake it again, it will be really burnt. Stew it in an iron pot."
"...stewing in an iron pot?"
"You kid...ahem."
Knowing that Thomas was calling him "Little Train" before retaliating against him, "Iron Pot Stew" covered his nose and responded to Thomas in a muffled voice.
While he was speaking, he had not noticed that the grease from the meat skewers in his other hand had dripped into the bonfire, and then exploded like a cannon, splashing on his face.
The fried grease was obviously hot, and the muscles on the big crocodile's face trembled twitching at the same time. His eyes narrowed slightly, and the hand covering his nose moved away from his nose and wiped his face.
And the pungent smell, coming from the chewed "garlic cloves", poured into his nasal cavity the moment he released his hand from his nose.
He felt a tingling sensation like eating chili peppers with his nostrils, and at the same time, he felt as if there were ants burrowing into his nostrils. He couldn't help but frown and said:
"Damn it, why do people eat garlic in the game!"
Thomas chewed and looked at the big crocodile who was grilling meat and resisting the urge to sneeze, with a look of neediness on his face:
"Steamed buns, are you not convinced?"
"..."
Resisting the urge to pick up the giant sword and gently wake up his sleeping mind, the predator continued to cover his nose with his left hand, while his right hand focused on turning the barbecue in his hand.
……
About three minutes later.
"Okay, the meat is roasted."
Just before grilling the wild boar skewers until they were black and charred, the crocodile skillfully raised his arm and moved the wild boar skewers away from the campfire.
The temperature of the barbecue cooled rapidly, and its aroma suddenly burst out at the same moment it was removed from the fire,
Smelling the mouth-watering aroma of barbecue, tears flowed not only from the corners of the predator's mouth, but also from the mouths of dozens of players around him.
The predator immediately began to distribute the meat skewers - three skewers per person, no more, no less, just enough to finish all the grilled meat skewers.
Thomas was the first to enjoy it.
He pulled off a large piece of wild boar meat and put a "garlic clove" into his mouth. While chewing, he said excitedly:
"Who knew this smell was so strong!"
"The specialty of Songyuan Territory, 'Spiny Cage Garlic', is more exciting than eating garlic in the real world!"
As he spoke, he peeled off another piece and put it in his mouth.
"You said, if we have this kind of barbecue in the future, can we roast the garlic directly?"
"I think in the real world, my favorite thing is to eat it grilled with garlic cloves and willow branches on skewers."
"Would you like a piece, old crocodile?"
"..."
"No."
The predator shook his head firmly.
The surrounding players also looked at Thomas with quite shocked eyes——
Even though the same scene has been seen many times, the teammates still feel explosive.
Just like in the real world, you really meet a fierce person who eats raw dried chili peppers and raw garlic as rice,
However, they were also accustomed to the pungent smell of chewing the "scallioned garlic", and each began to concentrate on enjoying the delicious barbecue in their hands.
Soon, the players finished the meat skewers in their hands, stood up with satisfaction, and prepared to leave this temporary camp.
They were just passing by and happened to encounter two wild boars, so they stopped briefly.
Just after finishing the barbecue, Thomas licked his tongue. He stood up, picked up the war hammer with his right hand, and came to the cliff with a wide view next to it——
Looking down from here, you can see roughly three-quarters of the scene within Kaffrey Fortress.
Caffrey Fortress is located in the heart of the mountains of the Blackstone Mountains. Looking down from the height where Thomas is, one can roughly see the outline of the fortress and a few light spots as big as sand and stones.
Those might be lights - but the distance between them is still a bit too far. You have to go down to a certain height to see clearly what those rows of bright light spots are.
While looking down, Thomas had already fetched a package and took out a "kite"-like device from inside.
Those are the creations of the [Intellect] Monument Academy - "Rune Wings". If you equip them behind your back, they will unfold like gliders. The runes engraved on them will inspire spirituality, allowing the wearers to move silently and quickly. Glide to a predetermined position.
The current location of the team of Thomas and Crocodile is the best "take-off and landing point" for gliding into the Caffrey Fortress——
"So, rush?"
Thomas had equipped the Rune Wings, with the [Silver Scythe] and [Saint's Hammer] hanging on his left and right waist respectively, and asked his teammates aside.
The predators and other players also quickly equipped their wings, and a dozen "Saint Guardian" players from the church were already standing in a row in front of the cliff——
Just the next moment.
A total of eighteen silent, huge "birds" glided down from the Black Rock Mountains.
They soon dropped to half their original height,
And Thomas has also seen clearly what those previous "light spots" were——
Those are the soldiers patrolling the Kaffrey Fortress holding torches!
Thomas had taken off the silver-cutting sickle from his waist and aimed at the neck of one of the soldiers.
As if aware of the commotion in the air, a soldier suddenly turned around. He saw a dozen figures swooping straight towards him, and his eyes widened——
——Shua!
The silver sickle in Thomas's hand cut the soldier's neck at the moment he turned his head!
Blood gushed out from his throat, an expression of disbelief, confusion, fear and despair appeared on his face, and his hands were tightly covering his throat.
But blood still flowed uncontrollably from between his fingers.
Thomas, who had given him a blow, had landed firmly on the fortress wall at the same time, and took off the war hammer from his waist. There was a "bang" sound - the war hammer had hit his head, splattering golden light and blood. Light!
The soldiers guarding the city spun down and fell, twitching on the ground for a while before turning into corpses.
And Thomas, who had sneak-attacked him, had already passed over his body, and his eyes were already fixed on the next defender.
……
(End of chapter)