The wizard starts by trimming the donkey's hooves

Chapter 342 Hammerfall Fortress (two chapters in one)

After more than four hours of flying, the Bloodfeather Hippogryph began to feel tired.

A few minutes later.

In an open space beside a forest lake, Ryan and Anna sat around a campfire, grilling bacon and pickled salmon for dinner, and by the way, letting Xueyu have a good rest.

"Ryan, if I was in danger this time, you would have come from so far away..." At this point, Anna blushed and stopped talking.

"Of course." Ryan nodded affirmatively and said with a smile.

"Ok!"

Considering that a set of mithril carved plate armor was too conspicuous, Ryan put on a gray-white wizard robe on the outside, which just happened to cover up the silvery-white color of the mithril.

At the same time, he had no weapons behind him or around his waist, only a dark cane in his hand, which was transformed from hardened refined gold. He put the rest of the metal on Xueyu.

Anna was dressed the same way, so from the outside, he and Anna looked like a wizard couple.

A few hours later.

"Look, Ryan, what a majestic mountain range!" Anna exclaimed, pointing her white fingers at the gray-black peaks in front of her that stood like blades.

Ryan looked in the direction Anna pointed and couldn't help but let out a light exclamation.

He didn't expect that there would be such strangely shaped mountains in this world.

The mountain is bare, gray and black, with sparse vegetation on it, but it is covered by large patches of black fog. The top of the mountain is gray and hazy, stretching into the distance along the mountain range.

As the Blood-Feathered Hippogryph approached, Ryan's keen perception allowed him to vaguely sense the danger lurking in the huge black air mass, which was flickering and filled with fog.

“Is this the black fog cyclone?”

"It is said that there are a large number of black fog monsters in there. This is a strange elemental creature that cannot be completely eliminated and will continue to regenerate. But fortunately, their range of activities is around the peak of the Hammerfall Mountains."

"No wonder Olena suggested that I choose to go through the Hammerfall Tunnel." Ryan thought to himself as he looked at the above scene.

"Anna, the fortress below should be Hammerfall. Let's look for it."

"Yeah." Anna nodded.

Anna had already learned about the general itinerary from Ryan at the previous campfire.

She could also feel that the large and small black mists in front of her contained unknown risks, so naturally she had no objection.

"It should be over there."

Ryan was seen controlling the Blood Feather and descending towards the lower left.

In the sky, he could clearly see the winding road behind him, leading to somewhere in the lower left. Obviously, that should be the road leading to Hammerfall Fortress.

"Huh? Why are there so many people?" Still hovering in the air, Ryan saw the entrance of the magnificent Hammerfall Fortress at a glance. It seemed that a lot of people were blocking the entrance.

Looking closely, it seemed like caravans and travelers were coming and going.

This gave Ryan a bad feeling.

Could it be that something unexpected happened at Hammerfell Fortress?
The landing of the Bloodfeather Hippogryph naturally attracted the attention of almost everyone at the scene.

After all, those who can ride a flying mount are obviously not ordinary people.

Just as Ryan had just stopped and was about to ask someone, suddenly, a fat middle-aged man with a big belly and wearing a silk robe walked up quickly, bowed respectfully, and said:
"Hello, sir. My name is Yannis, and I'm the head of the Cameron Caravan. May I ask if you two are also going to the Moselle Province through the Hammerfall Tunnel?"

Ryan looked at the other person and confirmed that he was just an ordinary person.

The other party just came from the caravan and seemed to be the leader of a caravan.

Ryan looked at the map and knew that after passing through the Hammerfell Tunnel, the border of the Moselle Province would be on the other side.

In addition, when he and Anna came to Hammerfall Fortress, any normal person could see that the two were planning to go through the tunnel. There was nothing to hide.

"Yes, please, what happened here?"

"You came at an unfortunate time. The tunnel was urgently closed two days ago due to an outbreak of underground lava snakes. It will not be opened until the Empire sends a special team to clear it out."

"The Hammerfall Tunnel is closed?" Ryan couldn't help but frown.

This is quite troublesome, because it only takes two or three hours to reach the other side by tunneling through the Hammerfall Mountains.

But if he took a detour, even if Ryan rode a flying mount, it would still take nearly two more days.

"By the way, is the lava snake very powerful?" Ryan couldn't help but ask.

"Well, a lava snake is a lava-type creature with strength close to that of a ferocious species. A proper knight can basically take care of one in a one-on-one situation."

"But the problem is that every time lava snakes appear, there are always large numbers of them. It is estimated that there are piles of them in the tunnel, at least hundreds of them." Fatty Giannis introduced very happily.

"Oh? If that's the case, it should be difficult to pass. Why are so many of you gathered here?"

“Is it about to open?”

"No, we don't know how long it will take for the empire's mopping-up team to arrive. We don't have flying mounts like you do, so it will take our caravan nearly half a month to take a detour."

"So, we plan to organize our own team to cross over. I wonder if you are interested in joining? On behalf of the Cameron Family Caravan, I am willing to pay you two a reward."

"By the way, we already have three official wizards here, plus a very powerful Cones mercenary group."

"I think if you two are included, we should be ready to set off." Fatty Giannis said with a big smile on his face, and at this time, he finally explained his purpose.

Ryan nodded, and at the same time, he glanced at the group of people behind Fatty Giannis.

There were a dozen men dressed as mercenaries, looking quite tough. They should be the Cones Mercenary Group that Fatty Giannis mentioned.

The three wizards, two men and one woman, did not seem to be familiar with each other and stood in separate places. However, the female wizard was wearing a white robe, had a good figure and a fair complexion.

As for their strength, the three of them seemed to have deliberately concealed their mental fluctuations. For a moment, Ryan was unable to tell who was stronger.

After thinking for a moment, Ryan shook his head and said, "Thank you, but no thanks."

"My Lord, would you like to ride around on your flying mount?"

"But in this case, you will have to spend at least two more days. If we go directly through, we can reach the other end of the tunnel in four hours at most." Fatty Giannis still persuaded unwillingly.

Ryan naturally knew this.

The map Olena gave him specifically marked why he had to take the Hammerfall Tunnel. If he wanted to take a detour, he would have to make a big turn and bypass the long and towering Hammerfall Mountains.

But the problem is that Ryan has no intention of taking a detour.

Because if the lava snakes are only at the formal knight level, then even if there are a large number of them, they will not pose any threat to him. They can just pass through directly and there is no need to join the opponent's team.

Seeing that Ryan disagreed, Fat Giannis returned to the crowd quite frustrated.

"Alas~ This lord seems to be dissatisfied with the reward I offered, Lady Melita, it seems we have to wait a little longer."

"That's normal. If I had a flying mount, I wouldn't accept your invitation." The white-robed female wizard said, looking at Ryan's blood-feathered horned beast with envy.

"This flying mount looks like some kind of eagle-horned beast. It's really beautiful."

"Huh? The other party didn't leave, what's going on?" Suddenly, the witch's gaze stopped.

"Huh?" Fatty Giannis followed Melita's line of sight and discovered that the two people just now did not leave on their horned hippogryphs, but turned towards the direction of the fortress gate.

"It seems that the other party also has urgent matters, otherwise, he would have flown away like the previous ones." The female wizard laughed when she saw this scene.

"Sir, our caravan is familiar with the garrison of Stone Hammer Fortress. Although you are powerful, the other party will not open the door for you." Fatty Giannis seemed a little unwilling and shouted from behind.

But Ryan pretended not to hear it and continued walking towards Stone Hammer Fortress.

"Don't worry, Giannis. After hitting a wall, the other party should be back soon."

"By the way, you can also bargain for a lower price. Isn't that a good thing?" The witch named Melita teased.

"Uh"

As Ryan approached the Stonehammer Fortress, the entire fortress came into his sight.

The Stone Hammer Fortress is located above the tunnel gate which is more than ten meters high. It seems that a small part of the mountain has been hollowed out, revealing a protrusion similar to a second-floor balcony.

Dozens of elite guards wearing chain mail and holding bows and arrows were stationed at this important traffic route from a high position.

"Please stop, the Stone Hammer Tunnel is closed and it will take a few days to open." A guard wearing chain mail and holding a bow and arrow shouted.

It seemed that because he saw Xueyu, he knew that the two people in front of him should be of high status, so the guard's words were relatively polite.

"I have an official letter that needs to be approved." Ryan said calmly.

This is the benefit of having an official letter.

As long as the official power of the empire can reach, Ryan can get convenience.

As for the Sword Bearer emblem, it is more known within the Sword Bearer system. In other departments or lower-level official organizations, many people are not familiar with the Sword Bearer.

"Official letter?" The guard's face was slightly moved.

He quickly said something to his companion, and at the same time, he shouted to Ryan, "Please wait for a moment, my lords. Please show me the official letter."

Soon, a hanging basket was lowered, and Ryan placed the official letter in it.

A minute later, a middle-aged man dressed like a knight came out and checked Ryan's official letter.

"Hey, it really is an official letter. Diamond-level swordsman Ryan. The issuer is Imperial Admiral Edward."

"Sigh~"

Soon, the knight captain, along with two guards, quickly left the fortress and came to Ryan's side, saying:
"Hello, Lord Ryan. I am Lyman, the garrison captain of Hammerfall Fortress."

"We naturally dare not stop you from passing through the Hammerfall Tunnel. But the problem is that there is a riot of lava creatures inside, so your safety is at stake." After hesitating for a moment, the Knight Captain still spoke out a reminder.

"Don't worry, Captain Lehman, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Okay, then please wait a moment, I'll open the door. If you feel something is wrong, you can always come back and knock on the door three times."

"Thank you." Ryan smiled.

"Boom!"

As the ten-meter-high stone gate was pushed open a crack, Ryan immediately walked in with Anna and Xueyu.

In the caravan not far away, the fat man Yannis's eyes suddenly widened and he said in a lost voice: "Huh? How is this possible? The defenders of Stone Hammer Fortress actually opened the gate for him?"

"Interesting, it seems that the other party is an official of the empire, and his status is not low." The female wizard smiled and expressed her judgment.

"Giannis, let's catch up in a few minutes. With him leading the way, it will be a lot easier for us."

"Why don't you follow him right away?" Fatty Giannis couldn't help but ask. "Haha, if you get too close and offend this gentleman, don't blame me for not reminding you." Melita couldn't help but smile.

five minutes later.

As Fatty Giannis and the others as well as the caravan entered, it wasn’t long before they were shocked by the scene before them.

In the tall and spacious tunnel, there was a faint breath of heat at this moment. Under the illumination of two rows of torches on the rock walls several meters high, in front of them, there were dozens of corpses of lava snakes, scattered all the way, extending into the depths of the tunnel.

"This, this." Fatty Giannis was so numbed by the sight!

They came in less than five minutes late, and the other side had already killed so many lava snakes?
Killing a chicken isn't that fast, is it?!
The witch Melita looked at this scene with a serious expression, and was stunned for a few seconds before she came to her senses.

The other two male wizards were also obviously shocked.

At this time, the two men in leather armor in front of the caravan had quickly stepped forward and were each looking over the body of the lava snake, examining it carefully.

These lava snakes are about three or four meters long, shaped like pythons, but thicker. Their bodies are covered with palm-sized pieces of red rock armor, which provide them with high defensive capabilities.

But at this moment, these lava snakes were lying motionless on the ground of the tunnel, and from the outside, there were no obvious scars on them.

"Sir, they were all killed in one blow. The sharp weapon must have penetrated the lava snake's hardest skull."

"To be precise, it penetrates the skull, piercing from the front and poking out from the back. It has this level of attack power."

Soon, the three wizards looked at each other and saw shock in each other's eyes.

Although they can kill lava snakes easily, that is through witchcraft.

But mental power is limited. If they want to kill so many lava snakes, I am afraid that the mental power of any one of them will be almost exhausted, and they will not be able to go on any further.

So, this is why they have to enter in as a team.

"An attack force of at least 25 degrees can achieve this effect, which is almost close to the power of first-level witchcraft." A male wizard said solemnly.

"Cast zero-level magic dozens of times in a row? Impossible," said another male wizard, shaking his head.

"But the killing of dozens of lava snakes obviously did not seem to be the result of group witchcraft. It felt more like they were easily cleared away one by one with a sword." Melita said.

Suddenly, the three of them fell silent.

"Could the other party be a second-level liquefaction wizard?" the male wizard said in a deep voice.

A level 2 liquefied wizard is already a big shot. No matter where he is, whether in the empire or in the major wizard schools, he is always at a middle or high level.

"It's possible." Melita nodded and said.

Just now, she looked at the faces of Ryan and Anna, both of whom looked very young, so it was impossible for them to be second-level liquefaction wizards.

But now it seems that this is not necessarily the case.

At this time, hundreds of meters ahead, the long sword in Ryan's hand flashed a silver light, and with a "puff", it pierced into the forehead of a lava snake rushing over as easily as piercing tofu.

Then, he pulled it out with a "swish".

The whole figure flashed, and he came in front of another lava snake and stabbed it again.

The speed was so fast that Anna, who was standing by, felt as if Ryan had created three or four clones in an instant and killed several lava snakes at the same time.

"Has Ryan's strength reached this level?"

"It's really amazing."

The girl's beautiful eyes were fixed on Ryan without blinking, and she was not worried at all that she would be attacked by the lava snakes around her.

Because as long as there is a lava snake within ten meters, it will be shot in the head by Ryan's sword in the next second.

"Chirp~chirp~"

Blood Feather chirped happily a few times, then used its iron beak to peck open a part of the lava snake's body and swallowed a red, ellipsoidal object.

Ryan killed in front and it ate behind, it was so happy.

But at this moment, Ryan paused slightly, stopped, and looked back.

Just now, he heard the door opening again.

"Ryan, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, there should be someone else coming later." Ryan shook his head and said.

"Is it that caravan?" Anna immediately thought of the fat man Giannis who had just invited Ryan and her.

"should be."

Ryan didn't mind if others took the opportunity to follow him through the tunnel.

Although it was a tunnel, Ryan discovered as soon as he came in that this tunnel could be most appropriately described as a hall.

At this moment, he and Anna were walking in what could be considered the central aisle of the underground hall.

There are towering round pillars on both sides, with round arched walls between the pillars, and torches are installed at the junction of the arched walls and the pillars.

Being able to dig out such a large space underground is a huge project that obviously cannot be completed in a short period of time.

Moreover, Ryan also saw the ancient patterns on the vaulted walls, which looked extremely old and did not resemble the architectural style of the Dragun Empire.

"After I go back, I can learn more about the history of Hammerfell Fortress." Ryan said to himself.

This time, he came in a hurry and did not have a thorough understanding of some of the dangerous places along the way.

"Ryan, this seems to be the architectural style of the ancient dwarves." Anna said.

"Ancient dwarf?"

"Well, I once read the introduction of the ancient race in the Druid Circle, and there was a similar pattern in it." Anna nodded affirmatively.

Ren nodded.

Elves have a long lifespan. Even ordinary elves have a lifespan similar to that of human wizards, not to mention the high elves. Therefore, the classics handed down are the most complete.

"I don't know if I'll have the chance to visit them in the future. If I could take a look at the elves' collection of books, I'm sure I'd gain something."

"Who knows, I might even find some rare metal-based witchcraft," Ryan thought to himself.

Ryan led the way a few meters ahead, followed by Xueyu and Anna.

Facing the attacking lava snake, Ryan killed it quickly like cutting melons and vegetables.

Soon, the two had walked about one-third of the way through the Hammerfall Tunnel.

At this time, the air became hotter and hotter, and the view in front of Ryan suddenly became clear. He saw a lot of dark red light appearing on the ground in front of him.

Ryan walked forward a few more steps and found that there was a long stone bridge in front of him. A few hundred meters below the stone bridge were tall and low, uneven rock buildings, most of which were abandoned, and part of the bottom layer had sunk into the magma.

However, it can be vaguely seen that this seems to be a fully functional city from ancient times.

I just don't know why it was abandoned here.

"Anna, you are right. This should be the original city of the ancient dwarves."

"what?"

At this time, Ryan raised his hand and signaled Anna to stop. At the same time, he looked at the darkness on the left side of the bridge with a little more seriousness.

"Roar!"

A ferocious-looking dog the size of a calf, with flames burning all over its body, suddenly jumped out from the ground and rushed towards Ryan.

"Whoosh!"

At the same time, a fireball the size of a washbasin suddenly shot out from the opponent's open bloody mouth.

"boom!"

A demonized silver kite-shaped shield suddenly appeared in front of Ryan, blocking the damage of the fireball. Then, a silver arc of light flashed across.

"Pfft!"

A big sword pierced into the vicious dog's head.

The other party twitched twice and then fell limply to the ground.

"Hey, how could there be such a thing?" Ryan couldn't help but look at the lava creature he killed with some confusion.

Obviously, the opponent is not a lava snake.

Moreover, in terms of strength, it is much stronger than the lava snake. Not only does it have the innate ability, namely the ability to spit fireballs from its mouth, but it also has both speed and strength.

At the same time, the witch Melita suddenly shouted: "Stop!"

"Did you hear any sound just now?"

"Hmm?" Fatty Giannis immediately waved his hand, and the entire caravan began to slowly stop.

"The sound just now seemed to be..." Melita looked forward with a serious expression.

Then, another sound similar to the roar of an animal was heard. Melita immediately turned around and said to the people behind her:
"Oh no! That's the sound of Lava Dog!"

"Lava dog?"

"Elemental creatures with strength comparable to that of official wizards?" The other two male wizards couldn't help but change their expressions and said.

"That's right!"

"Then shall we withdraw now?" asked a male wizard a little anxiously.

"It's too late! Lava dogs are social animals. If one appears, a group will appear immediately! Moreover, this is not the most troublesome thing." Melita muttered to herself.

"What should we do then?" asked another male wizard.

"There is only one choice now, hurry up and follow them!" Melita pointed ahead and said.

"Ah? Lady Melita, didn't you just tell me not to get too close?" Fatty Giannis said, a little confused.

"The situation is different now. Hurry up and get the caravan to speed up."

"Yes, my lord."

"Come on, everyone, speed up!"

The grooms were seen whipping the horses and pulling the cargo forward quickly.

(End of this chapter)