Chapter 157
Maybe then none of us would have to die...
"Damn it! Damn it!!" Gragas fell to his knees, his huge Riot Games pounding the ground repeatedly.
Soon, his Riot Games were bleeding.
And the ground was also...
It shook from being hit...?
Gragas was astonished by the immense power he possessed in the heat of his rage.
He realized the ground was still shaking even after he stopped.
He looked up in confusion.
Then he saw a group of eerie black shadows—they glowed red.
Those were... a large horde of beast-like creatures.
They roared and charged forward, their red eyes seeming to yearn for fresh flesh and blood.
After a moment of surprise and fear, Gragas stood up angrily.
"Come on! You damned monsters! Eat my muscular muscles! I've got some good wine to go with it!!"
"Roar--!" A terrifying roar from a wild beast echoed through the night.
This isn't a pack of wolves, this is...
Bear pack?
No... they look somewhat like humans... but are much larger than humans...
Gragas had never seen such strange and twisted creatures before, and for a moment he didn't know how to deal with them.
But in any case, it's always a good idea to lift his Explosive Cask.
"Come! Try my fine wine!!"
Gragas threw the Gragas of wine he was holding with all his might.
That's definitely fine wine, but perhaps not the kind of fine wine that's so well-behaved.
Boom--!
A violent explosion rang out among the beasts, like a cannonball loaded with gunpowder.
In an instant, several enormous monsters were blasted away, and then crashed into several other monsters like lead balls.
But this is nothing compared to the sheer number of monsters, which is in the dozens.
They were incredibly fast, rushing over in just a few dozen seconds—and Gragas didn't even have time to prepare a second barrel of "wine" for his guests.
When those things rushed up to him, he finally saw their true forms—they were indeed a group of twisted monsters.
They resemble neither humans nor bears, with large patches of bright red flesh exposed to the air, and in some parts without skin, protruding bones are even visible.
A group of cursed, brutal monsters!
"Die!!" Gragas threw another Explosive Cask, then swung his Riot Games at the monster closest to him.
However, his proud, robust physique offered absolutely no advantage against these monsters that were several meters tall.
He barely managed to defeat one monster before being overwhelmed by the others that followed.
Those saliva-covered fangs were right in front of him, and the strong stench and blood made him want to vomit.
Just as he was about to be devoured by the bear, another burly figure suddenly flashed before his eyes.
Thump!!
With a dull thud, the monster that had been pressing down on Gragas was knocked to the ground.
Then, a huge, plate-like object smashed the monster's head, splattering its brains everywhere.
"Are you alright, my friend?" A large hand reached out.
When Gragas looked up, the first thing that caught his eye was a slightly comical mustache.
Next up was a standard bald head.
"Braum?" he exclaimed with delight, recognizing the burly man whose hairstyle matched his own.
They had met in another village... They had drunk together all night.
"Looks like I've arrived just in time." Braum grasped Gragas's hand and effortlessly pulled the several-hundred-pound body to his feet. "Let's fight side by side, my friend!"
"Just what I wanted!" With Braum's help, Gragas had another chance to tinker with his Explosive Cask.
The super shield that Braum wields, which is as tall as two people, can stop anything!
"Stand behind Braum!" Braum roared, and the object in his hand—which could be called a shield or perhaps a door—slammed heavily to the ground.
The two monsters, unable to stop in time, crashed straight into the shield.
Thump thump--!
Two more dull thuds followed, and the monster's head smashed open.
The shield standing on the ground remained completely still.
"You can completely trust Braum!" Braum flashed his two rows of bright white teeth.
Under his cover, Gragas, who was preparing to Explosive Cask, could also wreak havoc once again.
"Come on! Drink to your heart's content!!"
Boom--!
Rumble--!
Several Explosive Cask were thrown out in succession, and the menacing monsters were instantly blown away and disoriented.
The ensuing battle became exceptionally easy.
With Braum and Gragas focusing on defense and offense respectively, they were practically invincible, and it was only a matter of time before they took down these damned monsters.
When the moon was directly overhead, the roars of monsters ceased in the night.
The two burly men sat down on the ground with a sigh of relief, then laughed and bumped fists.
But after a brief moment of joy, they were saddened by the sight of the dead villagers.
"Those monsters are from the Ursine," Braum sighed heavily. "You could also call them 'The Lost Ones'... They're a bunch of cannibalistic monsters."
"I see." Gragas spat on the bear-man corpse beside him. "Damn it!"
"They used to live in harmony with humans, but for some reason, they've recently started launching large-scale attacks on human tribes..."
"You were attacked over there too?"
"Yes... I rushed here hoping to save as many other tribes as possible..." Braum sighed again, his gaze unable to linger on the villagers who had perished so tragically. "But the result..."
"I'm so sorry, my brother." Gragas patted his friend on the shoulder, also sighing with regret.
He met Braum in a village in the north, hundreds of miles away... He never imagined that it would also be attacked by monsters there.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly realized something. "You mean... the entire Freljord is being attacked by those bear-men?"
"That's about right..." Braum nodded worriedly, "The Ursine's territory spans the entire Freljord. If they wanted to attack humans, there's probably nowhere they could escape."
"Then perhaps we should hurry and move the remaining tribes to a safe place."
"A safe place?"
"Yes, the South." Gragas stood up and appreciatively stroked Braum's Shield.
"I know a very powerful man who told me recently that he's going south... maybe he'll need your shield."
Chapter Thirty-Six: The Sultry Nun? It's Me Lissandra!
News of the possibility of seeking refuge in southwestern Freljord had spread quickly.
People had heard that the Avarosan Tribe and Winter's Claw Tribe there led many smaller tribes and even formed an organization called the "Freljord Alliance".
Rumor has it that the Freljord Alliance does not discriminate against anyone—including elderly Hearthblood and young children. They welcome all and treat everyone with equal respect and protection.
Most importantly, it is rumored that Ashe, the supreme leader of the Freljord Alliance, is the reincarnation of Avarosa, one of the Three Sisters.
She inherited Avarosa's legacy—a unique Frost Crystal Longbow. She mastered the longbow's power perfectly, enabling her to deliver powerful blows to enemies even without arrows.
In this situation, more and more refugees persecuted by the Ursine flocked to the Avarosan Tribe —or rather, the Freljord Alliance —hoping to find refuge there. Ashe welcomed them all without discrimination.
Some of them were merchants, some were Hearthblood, and some were Iceborn who served as warriors to protect their tribe before it was destroyed by the Ursine.
The refugees come from all walks of life.
This even includes...
Lissandra, the Lissandra rules over most of Freljord.
Of course, she wasn't actually a refugee.
She was only here at someone's "invitation"—she had already heard from her Frost Priests that someone in the Freljord Alliance had asked her to come by herself.
I cannot repeat the exact words, but they were mostly arrogant pronouncements.
However, she didn't mind.
So she came.
She came in person just to see this arrogant man—on the condition that he refused to come to her castle.
But... perhaps it's inconvenient for her to reveal her true face to the world directly—the title of Lissandra isn't exactly a positive one in the South.
Here, far more people want to kill her than want to follow her.
Therefore, she needs to hide her true colors.
As for how to hide it... that's also very simple.
The process consists of three steps: First, find a secluded spot to remove the luxurious robe, then use the True Ice to recreate a set of "clothes" that look like linen clothes; second, remove the hood covering your eyes and replace it with a pure black strip of cloth, like a nun from the South covering her eyes; third, undo the fishbone braid, letting your long silver hair fall freely down to your waist.
Now, she seems to have absolutely no connection to that terrible "Lissandra".
Now she is simply a blind nun who always wears a smile and behaves with dignity.
She followed the large group of refugees into the Freljord Alliance camp, where, with the thoughtful guidance of the logistics officer, she received a small tent to shelter herself in and some hot food that, while not exactly delicious, was enough to fill her stomach.
She chatted briefly with the Ul officer, Ur, who had no doubt about her identity as a nun—just like everyone else in the camp.
That's good.
She began to use her magic to sense the vast camp.
Finally, she turned her head toward the camp entrance—even though her blind eyes could not see anything.
In the pitch black, she spotted a reclining figure...
As usual, Chen Ce secretly borrowed Ashe's deck chair and then diligently guarded the perimeter of the camp to prevent any dangerous individuals from suddenly breaking in.
Like a security guard, protecting the peace of the area.
Today, he unusually placed the Darkin Blade and the Darkin Scythe separately, giving Aatrox some peace and quiet.
Well, at least I got some peace and quiet.
He basked comfortably in the sun, his eyes occasionally glancing at the crowd not far away—more and more refugees were pouring into the Freljord Alliance.
This indirectly proves the great fame and good reputation of the Freljord Alliance, but it may not be entirely a good thing.
While the masses are indeed a powerful force, the Freljord Alliance cannot sustain the food supply for such a large population for an extended period.
If the Ursine don't attack and just block the way from the outside, the alliance will eventually collapse—internal Honkai often precedes external pressure.
If all outdoor activities are stopped, the savings will eventually run out.
Agriculture alone cannot meet the needs of so many people.
"Volibear also knows this kind of siege tactic... How can that bear's brain come up with so many ideas..." Chen Ce rolled over again, letting the warm sun bask in his back.
"Hmm... but maybe it's just preparing for war... we can't assume that reckless bear is too clever..."
"Otherwise, you'll eventually be too clever for your own good..."