A journey of Shadowverse and Honkai Impact 3rd

"Ah, uh..."

Roland showed a subtle expression. Like Raven, her fighting power also came from fair and square fighting on the battlefield. She used her consummate martial arts and battle-hardened body to destroy the enemy's body and mind, rather than facing strange monsters with strange shapes and fighting a difficult battle with incompatible nature.

"It's okay. Even if you get knocked down by a strange creature, I will make sure that you are taken to the sanatorium while you are unconscious!"

Roland tried to justify himself, but was then met with the cold stares of Schrödinger and Shakespeare.

If you don't know how to speak, then don't speak. What a defeatist counselor you are!

The silent wind moves extremely slowly in the atmosphere, and people's footsteps move extremely quickly in the atmosphere, but in the end, the speed of the wind still exceeds that of people's footsteps. When the team of world snakes walks in the right direction without stopping for a moment, a wonderful smell rushes into people's nostrils.

The strong fragrance is like the incense offered to the statues of gods. In addition, there is a cool and calming smell flowing through it, which flows directly into the lungs through the nasal cavity, cleansing the body and mind.

It can be said to be a shock. Every normal person has a feeling of clear ears and eyes, and then they are alert that this smell can penetrate the protection of power armor and masks.

Along the way, they had lost two people in public, and they didn't know how many people had been tricked in secret. Now they encountered a strange smell, how could they not be vigilant?

Thus, surrounded by the aura of the burning gem that reaches the soul, everyone is ready to open fire. No reminder from the leader is needed, everything is ready to go.

And in this atmosphere, three iron men with the same pale white body color walked out from the small tent where they were camping outdoors. They looked the same as the natives that Gray Snake and Raven had seen before.

The Iron Man, who seemed to be the leader, clearly looked at the black box held by Gray Snake. Then, a strange voice began to exchange words...

330. Spell

"Well, it seems just as Miss Ochis said. They don't see us as ourselves, but the temporary identity we have now."

Shakespeare casually chatted with the gray snake for a few words, and the words he spoke turned into another obscure language. He didn't know whether it was the world itself or another unknown magical force that maintained such changes.

But all in all, it was thrilling.

The passionate playwright actually transformed himself into another person on the stage called Real Dream, responding to other people's scripts as an indigenous person, and opening the curtain of a big drama.

Nothing could make me happier than this!

After discovering another function of real dreams and completing this adventure, Shakespeare had already imagined how he would use real dreams to complete the ultimate play performance in the future, turning the various plays that only existed in books into the sharpest swords, showing the world the most real coldness.

"Captain, please stop being distracted. If you continue like this, you will mess up the task that Miss Ochis has entrusted to us."

Schrödinger reminded Shakespeare not to get carried away. In the eyes of the World Snake Team, the three Iron Men started their own internal discussion after talking with the Gray Snake.

"What are they talking about?"

The current situation of language barrier has helped Gray Snake's status rise rapidly. He has already gained the feeling of being the most important person in the team. This is the benefit of mastering a difficult language.

Hearing the jackal's question, the gray snake explained the content of the previous conversation and the current discussion of the three "natives".

"They were three merchants roaming this land. They were very curious about our existence. After seeing the black box as an offering, they asked about our needs."

While listening, the Jackal compared the language information in his mind and that stored in the mask. Those were the things mentioned in the report that Gray Snake submitted to the organization. In his spare time, the Jackal also dabbled in it, but without the language environment and the need for repeated use, he had not learned it completely.

Now, she feels that it is very necessary to learn and master a foreign language to improve her survival rate here.

Tsk, what an unpleasant place. The monsters here are hard to stop with machine guns and soldiers. If it weren't for the fact that even Honkai energy can be suppressed, how could I rely on these primitive technologies that don't use Honkai energy?

"Du, ka..."

The difficult language floated out again, circling in the small clearing in the forest. As the leading resident among the three spoke and nodded, the gray snake's response came as expected.

"Okay, the cooperation deal has been reached. They know where the safe area on this road is, and they agreed to take us there in exchange for a portion of the offerings."

"only……"

Gray Snake's speech was very fluent at the beginning, but when it came to the word "just", there was a sudden pause. When the Jackal, Catherine and some soldiers were confused, the three "natives" and the raven had already attacked the abnormal soldiers in the team.

With swift steps, he dodged the sudden roar of machine gun bullets. At the same time, he received a forced shutdown order from his superiors. When he saw that the power armors were still firing as if nothing had happened, Raven knew that this matter was not that simple.

Yes, if it was invaded by that thing, perhaps even the power armor would be one of the targets of the invasion.

Recalling the situation of the Yin God being divided into eighteen pieces, it was also a large iron frame, and there was indeed no reason for the power armor to be spared. Raven thus developed a ruthless murderous intent.

Only after seeing the methods of the natives did the coldness in her eyes fade a little when she appeared before people. But this was not to show mercy, but to make it easier for her to escape.

——Seven pale hands suddenly appeared in the void. Amid the resounding incantations and clapping of a “native,” a soul-shaking feeling of instability arose spontaneously, resonating in everyone’s hearts and shaking their rationality.

Among these palms are human palms, but not only human palms. In the eyes of naturalist Catherine, there are bear palms, bird claws, cow hooves, etc. It seems that everything related to feet has responded to the call of the "indigenous people" and has made it clear what they should do in the exaggerated performance like a shaman.

That is to bind and crush them, and make all these weird creatures that don't listen to humans disappear, and die completely.

The mechas did not move under the command of the team leader, and the remaining soldiers, regardless of whether they felt sad or not, were not allowed to intervene at the moment of clear instructions. When all the damn monsters were caught by the hands and dragged into the void where life and death were unknown like chickens, the native with high martial arts ethics stopped his actions.

"Hmm..."

"They said they helped deal with these unclean creatures. It's best not to travel in large groups in the Gloomy Forest, as this will only allow the unpredictable Mindless Creatures to take advantage and slip in."

"Catherine, please record this. This is new information."

Jackal reminded his assistant to quickly write down the valuable information about the ruins. His calm tone remained unchanged by the death of several soldiers.

In her eyes, these people are nothing more than consumables, and it is no exaggeration to say that there are a lot of them in the organization.

"I...I understand, Lord Jackal."

The lingering feeling of unease in her heart was still affecting her rationality. In a trance, Catherine quickly suppressed the discomfort in her heart and wrote down the strange situation in the log book, indicating the number of casualties of seven people.

At this point, even with the six elite personnel originally from local villages and towns, the team that came from the World Serpent Branch had lost nearly half of its members.

The sad atmosphere did not linger in the air for long, and the remaining people set off again. In the clear fragrance brought by a burning gem, a peaceful atmosphere gradually emerged in the team.

"Shakespeare, where did this magic take them? A sanatorium?"

After confirming the effectiveness of the shielding magic, Roland asked about Shakespeare at Schrödinger's nod, and was very curious about the helper she had summoned through the shaman dance.

"It should be Miss Ochis's. After all, it was Miss Ochis who taught me the spell. Being a summoner feels really good!"

"After that extravagant performance, whether summoning a devil or an angel is cool! It's decided. Now I have one more reason to form the King's Troupe in my real dreams."

Shakespeare nodded to himself, his face beaming. The joy that spread out seemed unable to be concealed even by the magic that blocked communication, which made some people in the World Snake team wonder where the inexplicable happiness of the three natives in front came from.

Is the trade particularly lucrative? It seems the Honkai Energy Crystals are indeed incredibly valuable as offerings.

This thought popped into Raven's head.

331. Moon Demon

As someone led the way and headed towards a safe area, the communication between the gray snake and the natives continued uninterrupted.

Various sounds that were completely different from human language were uttered from unknown vocal organs, and more and more information was conveyed, allowing them to gain a better understanding of the Gloomy Forest.

There is no day here, night takes over everything.

Trees do not live by absorbing sunlight. For them, the moonlight in the sky is enough to provide them with life.

"Are they saying that above these trees there is a huge moon?"

Raven asked curiously, and got a positive answer from Gray Snake.

"That's right. Moreover, this moon is a terrifying existence for them. According to local legends, it might be the corpse of a god or a monster."

"Because they are dead, their presence in the sky creates an atmosphere of near-eternal silence here, giving this place a completely different ecology."

Gray Snake answered all the questions from the team until the Jackal asked if they could do anything about the two unconscious soldiers.

One is old Ford who climbed up the tree and came into contact with the moonlight, and the other is Martini who turned into a "vegetable" when collecting tree ghost materials.

"Let me ask."

After saying this, the gray snake began to communicate with the natives. Perhaps because of the black box in his hand, the three natives were more willing to communicate with the gray snake rather than talk with ordinary people around them.

"Master Jackal, can these natives really be trusted?"

On the other side, Catherine asked the Jackal worriedly. Although she tried her best to remain calm, traces of worry were still revealed on her face, and she seemed to be prepared for danger in times of peace.

"Since Gray Snake has confirmed that it's credible, then treat it as credible, Catherine. Don't overthink it."

Jackal replied to her subordinates coldly, but she also knew that she, like everyone else, still had a sense of vigilance in her heart.

It's not a lack of trust in the gray snake's judgment, but a suspicion caused by the deep feelings towards this gloomy forest. The impact of several strange things on people can be eliminated by temporary stability from time to time.

In secret, some people were gloomily speculating whether these indigenous people were also part of the monsters in the Gloomy Forest, and were wandering ghosts who had died suddenly here long ago.

The peaceful atmosphere created by the burning gem became increasingly intense. While soothing the uneasiness in people's hearts, it also dispelled the strange creatures around them. Within the range covered by its scent, any strange creatures would be suppressed, resulting in an extremely uncomfortable feeling.

After some communication, Gray Snake gave the answer to the two people's governance methods.

"To be exposed to the moonlight in the sky without any defense, one must consider one's own willpower. It is not only the strength of one's willpower, but also the height of one's spirit."

"If he cannot conquer the obstacles within himself, he will become a moon demon, one of the strange creatures that roam these woods."

After talking about the consequences of contact with Moonlight, Gray Snake talked about Martini who became a "vegetable" after collecting tree monster materials.

"In this forest, the moving trees represent the eliminated in the competition to absorb the moonlight. They also have a certain connection with the moon. Perhaps Martini is also experiencing a similar mental torture as old Ford."

"However, the pressure should be much less, and once we go through the baptism ceremony in the temple, it shouldn't be a problem."

A series of things are related to the moon, but after such an explanation, no one wanted to deal with the moon anymore. At most, they wanted to let the mecha take some photos when there was a chance.

There are many crises, but fortunately, everything is on the right track now and we are temporarily safe.

Raven thought so, and felt a long-lost sense of relief in her heart. In this depressing area, as the person in charge of the military, she was finally able to let go of some of the heavy stones weighing on her heart and face the surrounding black and blue forest calmly.

Each tree has a rough, twisted appearance, with countless wrinkles rising and falling in the cracks of the bark, giving the vague illusion of a face, revealing an unsightly sense of tranquility.

It was as if in the place where the meaning of burning gems was pervasive, the meaning turned into a warm quilt, wrapping each tree in it and providing a warm sleeping environment.

The land they walked on subtly acquired a harder feel, and the smells in the air gradually became richer and richer, as if the forest was now showing more details to outsiders, or perhaps, before that, their senses were blinded by the things in the forest and they had not discovered the essence of the forest.

Mechanical detectors were unable to display all environmental information in a digital and orderly manner. With peace of mind, Raven walked normally in the group like everyone else, until she saw a path suddenly appearing at the end of her field of vision.

A very ordinary path, a frequently walked path without any trees. Only weeds and fallen leaves covered the soil and covered the ground.

As you walk along the path, you can see treeless mountains with many buildings scattered around, giving it the appearance of a village.

More importantly, the raven saw the existence of the temple. Surrounded by the obvious yellow color, a lofty and distant temple was located at the highest point of the village, worshiping and supporting all the houses and accepting the offerings as a matter of course.

Phew, in this damn place, there is really no symbol more reassuring than a temple.

Such thoughts popped up involuntarily in his head. Raven's eyelids twitched as he looked at the gray snake and the three natives who stopped in front of him. He also stopped for no apparent reason, and a ray of moonlight flashed behind him.

"There's a safe village ahead, but before you enter, you must follow some strict rules."

Shakespeare spoke in a bright and serious tone, but to others it sounded like a very cold emphasis, and coupled with the difficult characteristics of the "indigenous language", it was really a torture to the ears.

Gray Snake nodded.

"Anything related to the moon must be placed in a specific location and guarded by a dedicated person until it is confirmed that there are no problems before it can be released."

Gray Snake began simultaneous interpretation.

"Outsiders must live in specially designated areas for outsiders and cannot move around without permission."

There was some commotion in the team, obviously a reaction to the measures restricting personal freedom.

"It is strictly forbidden to look up to the Holy Temple unless the object of your gaze is the Holy Spirit."

No one had any objection to this commandment because they knew there was a strange moon in the sky and would not break the commandment out of curiosity.

"Gray Snake, please ask if the mecha can be filmed."

The gray snake asked the "natives" the same questions as the jackal.

"Any act of looking up is strictly prohibited!"

Shakespeare began to think that the Jackal was a bit dull.

"This Mr. Gray Snake seems to be living a much more troubled life than the one back home."

"Indeed, it's a bit pitiful to be ordered around."

Schrödinger and Roland quietly discussed the World Snake team.

In the temple high up, the doll girl with a dull expression took a fancy to those mechas that were particularly easy to control, and felt that such "golems" were quite similar to the inferior products of her sister.

332. Water Mirror

In compliance with the commandments, the World Serpent's team obtained a large house specially built for traveling outsiders as a temporary base.

Just before moving in, the native transformed by Shakespeare confidently extended his hand to them, and immediately received the three Honkai energy crystals promised by the Gray Snake. All of them were packed in cylindrical containers, emitting a faint purple light through the transparent cabin wall. At first glance, they looked like three natural works of art.

At the same time, the black box dug out from the abandoned area was taken by Schrödinger. Considering it an important mission prop, she treated the black box with great courtesy, and her movements were gentle and slow.

"Phew, now we are safe for the time being."