Chapter 84 — More...
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 3
Gao Dai's desire to see the Great Wall was certainly not a matter of running off to the Watchtowers at the border of the Gondor Wasteland.
The nearest Watchtower stood at the far end of the belt-like plain on the southern slopes of the Dark Mountains; getting there would mean not only crossing that mountain range but also traversing tens of kilometers of barren wasteland—nothing to be considered at present.
But if it was merely a matter of gazing from afar, that was far simpler. The Great Wall was, just as its name suggested, a colossal barrier that could only be called a miracle: those Watchtowers, nearly a thousand meters tall, were merely the wall's anchors, while the wall itself was a layer of magical barrier connecting to the clouds. Standing anywhere high in the Dark Mountains, one could clearly see the upper reaches of the barrier, and Gao Yang would be able to determine the approximate condition of those Watchtowers.
With Amber and his own fleet feet, reaching the nearest high point in a short time would be no difficulty—but bringing along two serfs who were nothing more than ordinary folk was another matter. So the two guides would have to be sent back to camp first.
And a return was needed anyway, to settle people's hearts.
Gao Yang looked down at the twisted remnants still giving off faint wisps of black smoke: the flesh and blood muck upon them had already been reduced to nothing, but the blood-red bones that remained dispersed more slowly, likely needing two or three days to fully "evaporate." Before these remains vanished entirely, they ought to be put to some use.
Gao Yang raised the Pioneer's Sword and hacked with all his strength at those bones harder than steel, soon striking off their hideous skulls. Amber watched, appalled: "Oh my god... since when do you go in for flogging corpses... oh god, you're twisted..."
"This thing's got a wondrous effect for settling hearts when brought back," Gao Yang said, glancing up at Amber as he casually tossed the freshly severed skull into her arms, then bent to hack off the next. "I'll do one more."
"Eee-yuuu!" Amber let out a shriek as the monster's head was suddenly flung at her, catching it in a frantic scramble while shouting, "Are you sick in the head? You're sure bringing this back will settle people's hearts and not scare them out of their wits?!"
"For the Cecilians whose homes were just destroyed by the twisted, seeing the corpses of these killed monsters is the fastest way to grow their confidence and fighting spirit. It might be a bit of a mental shock, but the effect is the best."
As Gao Cen spoke, he hacked off another skull. Then, ignoring the other two monsters lying further off, he carried a head in one hand and shouldered his longsword with the other, striding toward the corner where they had previously hidden. The two serfs who had guided them here were still dutifully concealed within, exactly as ordered.
In truth, they had not dared poke their heads out even once from first to last to glimpse the situation outside—they had only heard the brief yet fierce sounds of battle. Though it sounded as if their own lord had won, neither had the courage to come out and check the result.
It was not until Gao Yang appeared carrying a huge blood-red skull that they came to their senses, and at the sight of that ferocious, horrifying head, both drew a sharp breath in unison: "God!" "My heavens!"
"God won't help you deal with these monsters," Gao Lan said. "All the twisted have been killed. We're heading back to camp first."
He deliberately affected ease, and added as if casually: "Though come to think of it, these things are as feeble as they were seven hundred years ago—one sword stroke each, just like that. A thing like this could threaten the camp's safety?"