Chapter 147
Chapter 147
The recent pursuit by the tribunal, despite being in the wrong direction, had brought significant trouble to Garrett Nordmark and his companions.
Why? Because of their sheer numbers.
Deputy Chief Judge Lusen, despite underestimating the strength of Garrett's group, spared no effort in deploying manpower. Twenty squads, 200 men, mounted on fast horses, spread out like a wide net.
Garrett and his team had been running through the mountains for two days, attempting to slip to the edge of the mountain path several times to find a way back to the main camp. However, they always encountered cavalry spreading out like a net, blocking the outer perimeter of the mountain area and every exit. They were tightening the circle inward.
"It's impossible, we can't get out," the stealthy one, Linde Ferrell, hissed as he slid down a grassy slope and entered a cave. "They're getting closer and closer... Hurry up, retreat inside!"
The warriors got up in a disorganized manner, grabbing spears, hoisting large swords, and carrying shields. Garrett, on the other hand, was being carried by a follower. The shield warrior, York, anxiously looked at the entrance of the cave and then turned his expectant gaze toward the captain.
"This won't work! We only have one day's worth of rations left. If we can't break through, we'll be trapped here! We need to come up with a plan!"
"A plan..." Captain Barnes furrowed his brow even tighter than before. In just one day, his face, covered in red stubble, had become disheveled, with a series of blisters forming at the corners of his mouth. He hesitated as he looked at the surrounding soldiers, then at Garrett, and finally at a few injured soldiers.
"There's one way, but it's too risky..."
"What way?" several voices asked simultaneously. Captain Barnes grimaced and then decisively spoke:
"Cross the river!"
They chose to cross the river in the middle of the night, just as the moon was approaching its zenith. At this time, the rising tide of the Dov River was about to end, and the ebb tide had not yet begun. The fleet of the Radiant Lord could hardly move upstream along the river at this time. With the power of the rising tide offsetting the current, they wouldn't be pushed too far downstream.
In the deep winter, the river water was ice-cold. Garrett undressed, stuffed his clothes into his bag, and cast a Bubble spell to envelop himself. Then, taking a deep breath, he activated the Cold Resistance Heat Resistance magic ring given by Linde.
Finally, he lunged forward, grabbing onto a tree trunk tightly.
Bernard clutched the other end of the tree trunk with both hands and lowly exclaimed, "Hold on tight!"
With a splash, they, along with the tree trunk, entered the water.
The river water felt slightly cool, like the refreshing sensation of swimming on a summer afternoon. Garrett knew it was the effect of magical protection. Cold Resistance Heat Resistance allowed him to feel comfortable in extreme cold glaciers and scorching deserts.
Almost immediately, a chorus of gasps and teeth chattering sounded around him.
How cold must it be for those without magical protection? Could they endure it? The warriors without magical protection, the ones who had just healed superficial wounds, could they endure it?
Garrett worried silently. As splashing sounds surrounded him, Bernard propelled the tree trunk, vigorously moving towards the opposite bank.
"Bernard, are you okay?" Garrett asked quietly. The barbarian roared softly, "Warriors on the glacier aren't afraid of the cold! Keep quiet!"
Yes...
Stay quiet.
Don't let the enemy discover.
Garrett clung tightly to the tree trunk, letting Bernard take him forward. In front and behind him, people swam silently. Some moved urgently, some at a steady pace, some slowing down... Suddenly, a low and miserable voice sounded urgently:
"Captain... I can't go on..."
"Hold on! I'll save you!"
"I can't... My leg has cramps... Captain, tell Lucia not to wait for me..."
The voice gradually faded away, gradually extinguished. In the darkness, Garrett couldn't see the person's face or identify who it was. In just a few days of being together, he hadn't been able to recognize each soldier solely by their voice.
It's all my fault, Garrett thought bitterly. If I had progressed further on the path of a mage, reached a higher level...
Cold Resistance Heat Resistance could make everyone fearless of the cold. Floating Disk could create a horizontal disk with a weight capacity of 100 pounds. Touch of the Sea could give people the ability to swim rapidly. At the very least, Activated Rope could pull people back...
But I don't know any of these! At that time, I only chose a few magic spells that seemed helpful for healing and directly improving combat power, and then I plunged into the hospital!
He leaned on the tree trunk, vigorously splashing water, lightening Bernard's burden a bit. A few hundred meters, not too short, not too long, as long as they didn't fear the severe cold, the speed wasn't slow. Before long, Garrett felt a tremor under his feet, and he had stepped onto the opposite riverbank.
Bernard turned back to help his comrades. Garrett, dragging his backpack and leaning on an oak staff just taken from the tree trunk, rushed desperately along the mountain path, finally finding a recessed mountain wall and hastily lighting a bonfire. For a while, soldiers from the special forces climbed onto the riverbank, each one frozen with a bluish complexion, huddling around the fire.
"Fortunately, there's a mage in the squad."
"Yeah, without that, in this cold weather, we couldn't even start a fire."
"Warm up by the fire for a bit, then move quickly." Old York stomped his feet vigorously on the outer circle. The physical fitness of a knight was a step above ordinary warriors, and the circulating battle aura dispelled the cold for a while. "We're too close to the riverbank here. Be careful not to be seen by the enemy's firelight... Run a few dozen miles further, away from pursuers, and we'll be safe!"
As he spoke, a loud voice suddenly rang out. On the opposite bank of the Dov River, on the top of a high cliff, a voice thundered like lightning:
"They're on the other side! They've crossed over!"
"Run!" Bernard was the first to jump up, grabbing Garrett and leaving. Garrett turned back and urgently shouted:
"Put out the fire! Put out the fire!"
The group rushed frantically into the darkness. In the chaos, Garrett glanced back and saw a warrior standing tall on the mountaintop, putting all his strength into throwing a shield. Another person leaped into the air, stepping on the shield, instantly crossing half of the river!
A master!
Such a formidable master!
Although he couldn't fly through the air yet and probably hadn't reached level ten, with this level of skill, he could catch up to the knight, Bernard, who was heavily injured!
Garrett shuddered. With such a master in pursuit, the special forces
couldn't take care of each other. Everyone had to run for their lives, and whether they escaped or not depended on individual luck.
A journey of escape, a journey of battle. The next morning, in the faint light of dawn, Garrett was finally cornered on the mountaintop.
On his left and right, only Bernard, the barbarian, and Captain Barnes, who had lost an arm, remained by his side.
Ahead, a small team of black-clad knights formed a formation, steadily approaching. Two held shields, two wielded spears, and one brandished a heavy sword. On the helmets of the leading two, there was a row of golden stars shimmering brightly.
One level eight, four level fives.
There were also shouts of people running uphill, and some were desperately crossing the river on the opposite bank...
"Little Garrett, I'm sorry." With things having come to this point, Captain Barnes gazed at the river water from a distance, smiling bitterly. "If I had known it would come to this, when blocking the river, I should have let you go first."
"Without me, how would you have blown up the ship?" Garrett smiled back. He put down his backpack, laid the oak staff horizontally at his feet, and once again gripped a tube of pure oxygen. "Let's fight first! With just these few, I don't believe we can't handle them!"
I still have seven tubes of pure oxygen in my bag!
And ten tubes of potassium permanganate!
Five opponents in total, burning one is one down, defeating three is breaking even, defeating four is a profit!
Even if not, I can time travel again!
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