At dusk, the afterglow of the setting sun slowly dims, the color of everything gradually fades, and everything becomes hazy and indistinguishable.

On the cliffs in the distance, the vague towers stand majestically above the sky, looming in the dim light, and the nearby stone houses are filled with smoke, and the air is filled with an icy smell of fireworks.

Thorne looked up at the tower that seemed to disappear into the light at any time, and the beautiful image of the sorceress Andrina suddenly appeared in his mind.

Recalling the scene where the two met when he walked out of Stallman Town, her beautiful eyes as bright as water exuded a clear light, and the touching smile that swept across her eyes, as if in his body. Passed by frequently.

Gradually, looking at the direction of the tower, Thorne lost his mind, and involuntarily revealed a faint smile.

"Why do you stand here smirking alone?" Carlos in a gray robe appeared behind Thorne, followed by a mocking question.

Thorne's expression quickly returned to calm, and he stood quietly and remained silent.

"Are you still angry?" Carlos sighed slightly, patted Thorne on the shoulder, stood side by side with him, and asked tentatively.

"There's nothing to be angry about, it's just a different position." Thorne shook his head and denied: "You guys in the lower city are trying to occupy the territory of the upper city in order to fight for your own interests. It is not wrong for you, and I am just protecting the upper city half. The elves live peacefully, so I didn't do anything wrong."

"You and us are so clearly divided. Is this the plan to completely draw a line from our lower city in the future?" Carlos glanced at Thorne's calm expression and laughed.

"Although our positions are different, my goal is always the same. Waterfall Town is still the one I deserve to protect. When faced with an enemy invasion, I will still stand up with a sharp blade." Thorne didn't look at all. A trace of fluctuations, standing in place without moving, replied indifferently.

"It seems that the sacrifice of the ranger mentor has dealt a huge blow to you. If I were you, I would have disappeared without a trace." Carlos sighed and looked at the sparkling emerald river for contemplation. For a moment, he said slowly:

"I reminded them a long time ago that your feelings for Shangcheng are better than those of us outsiders, but they don't believe it, and they must test your bottom line, but this is good, at least it dispels their attempts to Shangcheng. , and finally can concentrate on thinking about external development.

A group of short-sighted people, the vast emerald fields and the Great Sword Mark Mountains, the mineral veins hidden in the underground of these two treasures, the ferocious animals and cherished beasts in groups, and the primitive jungles without civilization are what we really are. A priceless treasure, these guys keep their eyes on the one-acre and three-point land in the upper city. "

Carlos is right, the vast emerald fields and the continuous Great Sword Mark Mountains have never had traces of human activities, resulting in rich natural resources, which is why those ambitious players are obsessed with establishing territories here. main reason.

But the problem is that with their current capabilities, they do not have the strength to mine.

However, in the face of Carlos's words that seemed to shirk responsibility, Thorne looked at him with doubts in his eyes.

Although Carlos has always treated him well, today's meeting has also made him fully understand that the people in the lower city are almost a group of egoists, and they are more like using their own weaknesses to gain more benefits for them.

"Hey, half-elf ranger in Pushang Town, don't look at me like this, I'm only responsible for foreign enemies' invasion and territory development. As for the internal economic development and construction of our Pushang Town, I will not participate, mainly because It’s too much of a brain, it’s better to fight and kill quickly and easily.” Noticing Thorne’s suspicious eyes, Carlos explained to him with a calm smile, and then changed the subject and said seriously:

"Let's get down to business, I'll tell the truth. You privately arranged orc players to settle in Horn Town. I feel very uncomfortable, and I'm also very unhappy." Carlos glanced at the expressionless Thorne, with a very depressed look The tone said:

"Currently, Pushang Town is in a state of inexorability. Except for our confidants, most people's mentality is swaying. If it continues to develop like this, it will only be a matter of time before disbanding. Finally, there are more than 200 orc players, you But I changed my hands and sent it to Horn Town. When I heard the news at the time, I was so depressed that I spat out a mouthful of old blood to express my dissatisfaction."

"If the problem of their shaky mentality cannot be effectively solved, no matter how many orc players are given to you, it will only be a relief. For the future development, people's hearts are the most important." Thorne noticed Carlos' depressed expression. Slowly, he said.

"I understand all of this, but I just want to complain to you, the culprit, otherwise the tone will never be straightened out." Carlos waved his hand and said indifferently.

"Really?" Thorne looked at Carlos and said thoughtfully: "Why do I always feel that your purpose is not so simple."

Although Thorne didn't quite understand whether the other party was talking to him to blame or complain, he didn't forget Andrina's solemn warning to him when he met Carlos, so he had to face up to every inadvertent time of the other party. whether there are other meanings in the words.

"It seems that you are also a guy who forgets your friends. It's really a mistake to make friends. It's a waste of me to be so good to you before." Carlos looked stunned, then suddenly showed a look of surprise, and complained to Thorne with a question. With a smile, he said, "To be honest, did the sorceress beside you guess my identity and speak ill of me to you."

"That's not true." Thorne shook his head, pondered for a moment, and chose to say truthfully: "It's just that I should be careful when I come into contact with it in the future."

Since he was guessed by the other party, he felt that he had nothing to hide. Through today's showdown, he was destined to not have much contact with people in Xiacheng in the future, and he had nothing to do with him except the land in Shangcheng. Something that people are jealous of.

"It's quite in line with her character." Carlos heard the words, smiled bitterly, and muttered to himself.

"Do you know each other?" Hearing Carlos muttering to himself, Thorne blurted out subconsciously. As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly regretted his gaffe.

"It's not an acquaintance, just a slight hearing." Carlos replied casually, looked up at the tower on the cliff, pondered for a moment, and looked at Thorne with a half-smile: "I want to know her past. ?"

"Not interested!" Thorne noticed the other party's mocking gaze and refused without thinking.

"Really have no interest at all?" Carlos took a step forward, stood with his hands behind his back, leaned slightly, looked at Thorne's face thoughtfully, and joked with a smile.

"I don't gossip that much." Thorne snorted coldly, left a sentence, and turned away.

Carlos looked at Thorne's back without hesitation, shook his head and laughed: "A silly boy who is in the midst of happiness and doesn't know happiness."

...

Waterfalls in the upper town of the town.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The hammer hit the dark red metal, and the brilliant sparks burst out from the anvil and disappeared into this slightly dim stone chamber.

Thorne was in a small, stuffy room, and a middle-aged half-elf blacksmith wearing only trousers and a leather apron wielded a heavy sledgehammer that flew up and down again and again, until the hard iron succumbed to the ground. Under the hammer of the sledgehammer.

"Thorn is here, what's the matter?" The half-elf blacksmith threw the formed iron block aside, and was about to continue the next process when he suddenly noticed the figure standing at the door, stunned for a moment, and asked in confusion.

"Uncle Bogar, I'm sorry, I want to ask, do you still have the batch of arrows I ordered half a year ago?" Thorne took a few steps forward and said hello, explaining his purpose directly.

"I'll keep it for you." The half-elf blacksmith wiped the sweat from his forehead with the towel draped over his shoulder, and said with a smile, "Our half-elves in the upper city haven't participated in battle for half a year, and the wear and tear of arrows and weapons It's not that serious, and the batch of arrows you ordered may not be easy for others to use, so they have been kept for you, wait, I'll get them for you."

After the half-elf blacksmith finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the inner room. He quickly walked out with two bundles of arrows, handed them to Thorne, and asked curiously, "It will be dark soon, what are you doing? Are you planning to go out?"

Thorne calmly glanced at the two bundles of arrows that were well maintained with grease in his hands, put them in the dimensional bag, and replied, "It's been a long time since I came back, I want to go around."

"Then be careful, the wilderness at night is the most dangerous." The half-elf blacksmith kindly reminded: "There are more and more people in the town on the waterfall, so be careful of the bandits wandering outside."

"Uncle Boga, I want to ask you a question." Thorne was about to leave when he suddenly thought of something, so he looked at the half-elf blacksmith and said, "You said that the influence of the people in Xiacheng on the entire Fallstown is beneficial. More harm than good or more harm than good.”

"How to say it? Although we half-elves are a group of races that are rejected by humans and elves, but if someone is willing to accept us sincerely, who wants to hide in a corner where no one cares."

The half-elf blacksmith scratched his head, wiped the bituminous coal on his chest with a dirty towel, and continued: "I think life is good now, as long as you have money, you can drink the water of madness from Twin Towers Town at any time. , Occasionally looking at the lively crowds in the lower city, I feel that my heart is no longer so lonely, and I even have a feeling of wanting to blend in, which is more pros than cons."

Thorne glanced at the half-elf blacksmith, then turned and left with a hello.

Leaving the blacksmith shop in the upper city, with the sound of beating and beating gradually disappearing without a trace, Thorne came to the courtyard of the half-elf leader Oster.

"Crench!"

The wooden door was gently pushed open by Thorne. The living room of the half-elf leader's wooden house was still so simple. Except for a few seats made of tree stumps, there were no other redundant buildings.

Thorne glanced at the half-elf leader with a meticulous expression on his face, leaned down slightly and saluted, then sat on the wooden chair closest to him.

"Thorn is here, what's the matter?" The half-elf leader held a wooden sacred emblem carved with a unicorn in his hand, leaning on the chair as if closing his eyes and contemplating, when he noticed the movement of the door, Glancing at Thorne asked.

"I'm here to tell you about the tower on West Cliff," Thorne said. "That tower has been used as a place of seclusion by my friends, so I came here to say hello to you."

"That tower left by the wizard." The half-elf leader recalled: "I invited Bishop Lausian from the temple to come here to try to explore everything in the tower, but unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break the gate's prohibition. , In order to prevent the tower from being destroyed, this matter is left alone. I didn't expect it to be cracked by your human friend. Since she is your friend, let her live with confidence. "

Even the high-ranking priest, Bishop Lausian, couldn't crack the ban, why was Andrina so easy to open it?

Thorne remembered the doubts he had asked her in the tower. Andrina's answer to him was just a wave, and the restriction was easily lifted, and it was not as difficult to open as expected.

Did she hide something from me?

Thorne temporarily suppressed his doubts and thanked the half-elf leader: "Thank you for your generosity, leader Oster."

"It's just a tower that's useless to us, we don't need to be so outspoken." The half-elf leader waved his hand and said with a smile: "Besides, your human warlock friend has already expressed her gratitude to me. ."

"Huh?" Thorne looked at the half-elf leader suspiciously: "Have you met?"

"That's right." The half-elf leader nodded with a smile and continued: "She is a generous human warlock who volunteered to buy the entire tower, but I refused. Donate a sum of money to the Temple of Merika in your name."

Donated a sum of money to the Temple of Merika in my name?

Thorne, who left after chatting briefly with the half-elf leader, glanced in the direction of the tower and sighed helplessly.

When he was about to walk down the city, a figure appeared at the corner of the jungle to stop his movement.

This is a half-elf girl who looks only seventeen or eighteen years old. She wears a white long gown with green edges. Covering the gown is a short green cloak woven with spider silk and natural dyes. Wear a unicorn holy symbol made of animal horns.

I saw her thin body standing in the wind, her shoulder-length black hair fluttering slightly on both sides, and her two pale blue eyes were startled when they noticed Thorne, and then she slowly stepped forward and asked softly: "coming?"

"Well, here we come." Thorne looked at Lilia, the half-elf girl in front of him, and nodded lightly at her sickly pale cheeks.

"Do you know where I went just now?" The half-elf girl bowed her head slightly, hesitated, and said softly.

"Where?" Thorne's tone didn't mean the slightest question.

"I went to your friend, the tower of the human sorceress." The half-elf girl took a step forward and looked at Thorne quietly: "I asked her a lot about you."

Thorne's calm expression fluctuated, and he was silent.

The half-elf girl Lilia walked up to Thorne, gently stroked the few strands of hair on his forehead that were slightly curled from being untreated for a long time, and said slowly, "Why don't you do this, two years ago? , From a wanderer that even the wild goblins dare not face, he has grown step by step to what he is now, Thorne, you have changed too much."

"As long as people are still alive, there will be hope in the future. We can't say that some things won't happen because we don't have enough patience to wait. We can't say that the world is cold because the sun has not yet shined." Thorne stood still. Without moving, let the cold little hand of the half-elf girl in front of him brush his face.

"You better go, your ability won't change anything." The half-elf girl withdrew her right hand, her expression returned to calm, and she said in a flat tone: "Since this place is not suitable for you, why do you insist on staying here?"

"Chirp!"

A loud eagle roar cut through the sky, and the fierce eagle hovering in the sky swooped down, floated in front of Thorne, and swept a few strands of straight long hair from his forehead, and floated gently on his face.

Thorne stared at the disappearing back of the half-elf girl, until she disappeared from his sight, and then he looked back.

Then his sharp eyes looked directly at the distant emerald field, tightened the hilt of the sword in his hand, and walked towards the city gate without making a sound.