Stray

    "Why does it have to be us?" The red-haired young man fiddled with the tin badge on his chest, sitting carelessly on the branch. In front of him, dozens of light screens the size of palms floated out of thin air, and countless images of living or dead people flickered on it. "Hey, Fenrir - I'm talking to you, a third-rate mercenary group in such a shabby place can be shaken."

    The man who just preached the rules frowned. "Stop complaining, Thorne. It's only once a season, it's just bad luck."

    One of the screens suddenly went out, and Thorne smacked his lips.

    "That Savage killed another surveillance bug. Speaking of which, I think of an interesting rumor - it is said that Horizon invited her last year?"

    "Yes." Fenrir seemed reluctant to say more.

    "Come on, I'm going to die of boredom. Are you old acquaintances? If you join Horizon, you can get the official status directly from the king - isn't this the ultimate goal of the black chapter, why is she? Don't want to?"

    "I don't know," Fenrir said coldly. "We're not acquainted. I just happened to be running a couple of her quizzes."

    "Will she be that-" Thorne made a nasty gesture after confirming that the light screen was back to normal. "The kind of person who kills new people for fun? She has to take more than two dozen quizzes, which doesn't make sense."

    "There are not many people who don't like big organizations." Fenrir looked around alertly. "Shut up."

    "You're protecting her—ouch." Thorne tutted, "Did you see her?"

    "No." Fenrir drew his machete and forced back the giant snake that was about to collide. "I just know she's not that kind of person."

    He remembers it well.

    Ann Savage was only fourteen when she first took the test, among a group of teens. Children of this age are hardly uncommon in the test, which must have been another disaster. Young Fenrir didn't care about her—he was in charge of the Ombudsman's job, as Thorne was now.

    These children would be the first victims, he thought at the time.

    But that chestnut-haired girl is undoubtedly a genius, her fighting awareness and magic level are all top-notch—enough to save her life in a test of her level. It's a pity that Ann Savage wanted more than life. She led the children to form a team to resist the attack of the devil together, and she still did a good job. Then, naturally, countless voices for help rushed to her. Her team kept growing, the deadline for the test was getting closer, and everything seemed to be going well.

    Fenrir still remembers the scene.

    The organizer of the test is not a fool, and naturally expected this kind of cooperation to pass the test. Excessive crowds attract pre-released Seymour worms to prey on—its massive body runs over hopefuls, leaving behind a mix of bone and flesh.

    Only Ann Savage survived that episode.

    The second time she met in the quiz, she began to consciously control the number of rescuers, but she miscalculated how hungry the worms were. The third time she went straight to attack the worm. Then use the lessons of blood to prove that it is indeed prepared by the test organizer. The real ceiling of strength - Seymour Worm's strength is considered to be the very top among the intermediate demons, and the experienced senior mercenary must also have sufficient props. , and cooperate closely with each other to kill it.

    And she has no expensive props, no teammates with the same mind, and only one person forever.

    The fourth time, the fifth time... Eighteen years later, she still appears here, but—

    "Her two teammates are good-looking, her little white face?" Thorne was still observing Savage's group with interest, "It doesn't look like a warrior at all. , can she really endure those two burdens?"

    "If it were you, you wouldn't be able to protect two ordinary people in a place like this?" Fenrir squeezed his eyebrows unbearably, "I'm going to start reconsidering your application for joining the group. already."

    Thorn closed his mouth sharply. Then less than five seconds later, he forgot all about it, and started broadcasting live again with great interest. Fenrir sighed.

    "There is a 'hero' in this issue, ouch." "There's still a lot of people assembled, heading for Savage - there's a show to watch."

    It's not that Nemo didn't think about finding a chance to chat with Oliver. He does have a series of unusual worries about himself, but opening up is no easy task. They need the right time, the right place, to speak with seriousness and skill as two adults. He didn't want his status to affect their plans—if being a black badge mess was the plan.

    Ann has no intention of becoming a companion, but if Oliver leaves because of this, it will be two different things. No matter how you look at it, he is the lesser one—devil believers are not welcome anywhere, and his knowledge of the outside world only comes from books. What's more, Oliver's own crime is not unsolvable. In the final analysis, he is the one who implicated him.

    Thanks to his righteous declaration "I will definitely not leave you" before, he is the one who doesn't want to be left behind - he just said the questioning words just now. sorry.

    However, he didn't expect Oliver's behavior to be so... direct. He gave a twitchy smile and tried to twitch his hands, only to find that the other was holding them tightly.

    "Thank you." He stopped trying to struggle, "I really don't feel offended. It's natural to have questions in this situation, and I'm the one to apologize... uh , hand, Oliver, your hand."

    Oliver released his hands solemnly and stared at them as if he had accomplished something.

    "I won't go." He seemed determined, "At least until you figure out what's wrong with yourself, I won't go."

    "My God." An couldn't bear it any longer, "Do you want me to get you a room?"

    "Is this a marriage proposal?" said the grey parrot, "My human knowledge tells me it is, are you getting married?"

    Nemo coughed heavily: "We don't—"

    His words were interrupted by screams not far away. The chaotic footsteps were getting closer and closer, and An frowned and made a gesture of silence, quickly sticking to the wet and cold stone wall.

    "There is a place to hide here!" A very young voice came from outside, "Hurry up - hurry this way, all keep up!"

    "Damn." An scolded very unlady, "Trouble is coming."

    She charged out with her hunting spear in hand. Nemo and Oliver looked at each other and followed carefully.

    "Disband your team immediately." As soon as they got out of the gap, they saw Ann pointing a hunting spear at a young man who looked down and embarrassed. "Or stay away from here."

    "I can't!" the youth shouted, "They are all injured, and they can't continue the test alone. If you leave it alone, you will definitely die-"

    "Maybe a few lucky ones will survive." Ann's cold tone appeared again, and Nemo swallowed. "You're outnumbered. If this goes on, the Seymour Worm will kill everyone."

    "You don't know that there will be this time. I bought information, and the devil they prepare is different every time—"

    "It's a pity, I know." She said softly, "It's better to get out of the way and choose one for yourself."

    Nemo glanced at the team behind the youth and found the young mother they had met before—her child was still firmly tied to her chest. She herself was pale, one sleeve was stained with blood, and she looked a little dazed.

    An and the young man were still talking, and a scorpion wolf took the opportunity to jump out of the forest and ran towards the crowd. The wounded ran away screaming like frightened sheep, rushing towards their hero. The young mother's reaction was half a beat, and she even turned around subconsciously—

    Nimo found that the previous agreement with Oliver was of no use at all, because the two of them rushed out together now. At this time, advancing against the flow of people is a technical job. Nemo was hit several times by the desperately rushed injured and almost fell, and the gray parrot hurriedly flew away from his shoulder. And Oliver didn't dare to draw his sword in a crowded place, the two of them could only push forward with their physical advantages - at least they caught up.

    Then they found that the word "catch up" was not accurate, the manticore did not mean to attack people.

    It also came to escape.

    "Damn!" Ann shouted in the crowd, desperately pushing the crowd away. And the young man has been squeezed into a little panic at this moment. "Hurry up!"

    There was no use in shouting at this time, she propped her hunting spear to the ground, leaped into the air beautifully, and charged at the two fools on the shoulders or heads of the wounded.

    The ground rumbled and shook, and with the sound of tree trunks breaking, a monster nearly ten meters high protruded out of the soil. It was so huge that Nemo and Oliver could only see the front of it—a huge, round mouth embedded in its black, smooth skin, surrounded by sharp teeth.

    The scorpion wolf and the mother escaped harmoniously at this moment, and only the two of them stood at the forefront stupidly.

    Oliver reacted faster, and he pulled out the sword in the next second. The huge ice thorn exploded from the monster's mouth - unfortunately, it was really too big, and the damage caused by Oliver's hand was far less than the anger he provoked. The monster swung its tail angrily and let out a low growl, the breath of a hurricane that made Nemo nearly vomit.

    "Escape!" Nemo said immediately. "There's no way we can do this shit—"

    However, things did not go the way they hoped. Crimson filaments of light drilled out of the soil, firmly surrounding them and the people huddled behind them, creating a cube-shaped cage out of thin air.

    "Don't touch anything!" Ann shouted sharply behind them, "It's still too late—come here!"

    The Seymour Worm didn't care what its lunch was talking about, it didn't hesitate to march towards the crowd. Although today's pre-dinner exercise was unsatisfactory, the meal itself was quite rich.

    No one cared about face at this time, Nemo and Oliver turned around and ran.

    Someone passed them by.

    The young man who was arguing with Ann just got rid of the crowd and rushed over, holding a broken iron sword in his hand. He rushed towards the monster awkwardly, the tip of the iron sword slipping away from the monster's smooth skin.

    "You can't deal with it!" shouted Ann who stopped not far behind.

    "I know," the youth roared back, "it was my misjudgment that hurt them—and you guys, I can at least do something—"

    Before he finished speaking, he disappeared. The monster's skin seemed to turn into water, and the young man fell into the lake as if he had fallen into it. In a few seconds, there was more minced meat and bone residue on the skin. No miracles, no heroic scenes, not even screams. He didn't even win five seconds.

      He stared at the Seymour worm that was wriggling in this direction.

     Death is behind and **** is ahead. With no forewarning, everything is going too fast for no reason. The usually tenacious and warm life is now like biscuits on the table, and with a flick, it disappears lightly and completely.

    Twenty-sixth. If Ann has experienced such a scene more than 20 times, then witnessing a person's death is really nothing compared to it. Why would a civilized world allow this to happen? Nemo ran frantically, his lungs hurt like two hot knives had been stabbed, and vague thoughts floated up and down in his mind.

    Is this monster prepared in advance, why do such a thing?

    The cry would puncture his eardrum.

    "Sorry." Oliver said suddenly, slowing down. "I may be breaking the contract."

    "Oh - there are still people who want to be heroes." Thorne turned up the screen where Seymour Worm was, and commented without emotion. "Looks like they're really not Ann Savage's pets."

    Fenrir was silent.

    "Don't have that expression, I don't like this scene at all. I just died, isn't it good to learn a lesson..." He couldn't go on.

    The light screen turned white.

    The nearly ten-meter-high Seymour worm was sealed with thick frost, and the light-wired cage disappeared like a melt. People won't be curious about what happened at this moment, and they have crossed the corpses on the ground. Block crazy escape. Oliver's new sword crumbled into powder without any suspense, and he put his hands on the ground, gasping for breath.

    "Come on—!" Ann's voice was a little broken, and she simply rushed over to carry Oliver. "Take this opportunity, hurry up!"

    "What are you saying, it's not already-" Nemo tried to calm his breath. "Has been taken by Oliver—"

    There was a loud cracking sound from behind him, accompanied by an extremely angry, deafening howl.

    (m..=)