Chapter 1049: Twin Essence

Ice and Snow Kingdom, the north.

Wendy wore a set of crude Leather Armor and gripped the longsword in her hand tightly.

She was a caravan guard, currently escorting the goods of the "Nutcracker" Chamber of Commerce to "Kahn," the largest city in the Ice and Snow Kingdom.

This caravan had a total of over thirty people, with fifteen guards alone; the defensive strength could be considered quite formidable.

Their Captain was a high-level Warrior who had once been an adventurer and later retired, possessing rich experience in guarding, so they hadn't encountered any major problems along the way.

It was just that she felt...

Aaron laughed heartily, took Erha out from his embrace, and watched it stick out its small pink tongue to lick the milk.

The reason he spared the life of this ice wolf cub was not because he suddenly wanted to keep a dog, but because he was preparing to refine it into his own "Twin Essence."

Aaron pressed down on Erha's dog head and continued to chant the secret mantras.

"Ao oh!"

A Goblin Warrior roared and launched a charge, arriving right in front of that bard.

The elements around the Goblin Warlord were in a state of chaos, and the unformed Fireball Technique instantly dissipated.

The wilderness was never the home turf of humans; as long as one relaxed even slightly, goblins, gnolls, ogres... all kinds of beasts and humanoid creatures would emerge from who knows where to occupy more living space.

She calmly followed the teachings of her teacher from when she was trained, paying attention to her breathing and conserving her stamina...

As the target for most adventurers' first missions, they also had the title of "Rookie Killer."

After all, there were still a few Gimo among these guards, so they had to be looked after: "What are the casualties?"

The little wolf let out a low growl, only to be fiercely ruffled a few times by Aaron and stuffed back in.

They were also the most cruel and Evil Domain creatures, generally not very strong, short in stature, with green skin and pointed noses and ears.

"Mm."

Wendy's face was full of confusion.

This kind of behavior had been going on for some time.

The Captain of the guards' expression became incomparably grave: "Everyone... prepare for battle!"

"Awoo!"

Wendy answered subconsciously: "My village took in a group of Gimo refugees a long time ago... It is said that I inherited the talent from my maternal line, which is why I am particularly resistant to the cold."

"This... of course you can!"

He looked at Wendy, and a light flashed in his purple eyes: "Wendy... do you have Gimo ancestry?"

The first target Aaron prepared to fleece was the "Fierce Wolf-Headed Vajra Protector," whom he jokingly called the dog-headed Vajra!

The initial target shouldn't be too strong, and since the opponent was just a Dharmapala, equivalent to a 【Lesser Divine Power】, it was just right.

The flute music became high-pitched once again.

Even the little wolf had a bowl of milk brought to it by the curious Wendy.

And at this moment, the Captain of the guards also took advantage of the heaven-sent opportunity to kill the Goblin Warlord, holding the opponent's head and roaring to intimidate the other goblins.

Healing these people was not difficult for Aaron.

That wasn't a dog, it was a wolf! And an extraordinary creature known as the Ice Plain Hunter!

"Since I cannot find a Kapala Bowl and a Guru, I can make do with this..."

—Counterspell!

"Go, assist the Captain!"

This one was found in a certain wolf den.

The life of an adventurer was never smooth sailing; it was always accompanied by hunger, disease, and pain.

Another merchant replied: "Sigh... prepare for battle!"

Aaron spoke, and then he saw Wendy jump up excitedly and run to find the Captain.

A scout in front shouted, making Wendy shrink her neck.

Goblins were creatures with very strong reproductive capabilities; deserts, forests, islands... their traces could be seen everywhere.

Goblins were stinky, and once you got that smell on you, it was hard to wash off; the key was that there wasn't much loot.

This was the core ability of the Warrior profession—Damage Reduction!

The Captain of the guards knew the caravan couldn't hold out for long and wanted to launch a charge to take out the Goblin Warlord.

"It's here, this stupid dog, I tricked it so easily... Then again, there are so many people receiving empowerment, how could the gods keep track of them all?"

Wendy felt that in her body, which had previously felt like a depleted desert, a new layer of strength had suddenly appeared, moistening it like flowing water.

"The most important thing right now is the Ice-Sealed Great Rift defense line in the south! Once that place falls, the entire kingdom is finished..."

Yes!

Most of them didn't wear any clothes, at most a rag wrapped around their waists, and they carried weapons like wooden spears.

The Captain of the guards pointed at Wendy at random.

Wendy leaned over and discovered that the Captain also had several ghastly wounds on his body.

—Whirlwind Slash!

A chubby merchant complained.

The Goblin Warlord was somewhat flustered at this moment, chanting a spell rapidly; the power of fire elements was gathering, and what it was casting was likely a "Fireball Technique"!

Once this kind of Fireball exploded, its power would be comparable to a small grenade, enough to severely wound the Captain of the guards!

Mentioning this, the expression of the Captain of the guards became even more despondent: "Three died... they were all good men..."

"There are actually over a hundred of them..."

'What a pity... they didn't turn into my believers either.'

……

"Goblin Warrior? Goblin Elite Spearmen... and a Goblin Warlord? What the hell, which goblin kingdom's army is this?"

What's more... these poor-as-dirt goblins have absolutely no loot.

——Slow!

——Charge!

He roared fiercely, the two-handed greatsword in his hands sweeping through the goblins like a whirlwind, causing the surrounding monsters to fall like harvested wheat.

Led by the Goblin Warrior, the other goblins began to charge like a tidal wave.

At this moment, the experienced Captain realized that a powerful spellcaster had come to their aid, and his spirits were greatly lifted; he swung his two-handed greatsword again, cutting down the few Goblin Warriors in front of him.

"Awoo!"

Wendy agreed reluctantly, walked to the front of the caravan, and sure enough, saw a group of goblins.

At the same time, they are highly fertile, giving birth to a whole litter at once; although their combat power is not high, they are very troublesome.

"Yeah..."

Hearing the flute music, the guards were all invigorated, while the goblins inexplicably became Weakness.

And the result of this was that Aaron, who had only intended to help his believers, gained widespread respect when the caravan set off again.

【You have gained the buff effects: Cat's Grace, Bull's Strength!】

He sensed that someone was praying to Him, and the sacrifice was of a very high standard!

"But..."

This former God of Gnolls should at least have a slightly higher innate affinity for werewolves, wolves, and similar creatures, right?

Erha is quite suitable.

In the wilderness, the thing that can least withstand testing is the human heart!

"My name is Aaron, a bard!"

"But Erha is an Ice Wolf and an extraordinary creature, so its Stomach shouldn't be that fragile... Thanks!"

Two rows of clearly stronger goblins walked out, and behind them was a group of spearmen carrying wooden spears.

Aaron suddenly opened his eyes and saw golden Light descending, falling into the center of Erha's brow.

Today's battle was a complete loss.

Some were even still running away, grabbing protective gear, weapons, and even corpses from their companions...

"Ao oh!"

As omnivorous Animals, they can eat anything, including humans and their own kind!

After all, the caravan's strength is currently Weakness, so one cannot afford not to be on guard.

It was an Ice Wolf cub with mutated azure eyes and two black spots above its eyes.

Wendy looked on with some envy: "Adult Ice Wolves are extraordinary creatures. It is said that when they move in packs, even white dragons dare not provoke them easily..."

"Ao oh!"

"If you don't mind, I can help out... Bards always know a little bit of everything."

Aaron, inside the carriage, muttered a complaint, pulled Erha out again, and rubbed its dog head vigorously for daily training.

And after this time, Aaron felt more and more that Erha had been refined by him to be of one mind, and was a qualified 'Twin-Born'.

The 'Fierce Wolf-Headed Vajra Protector' opened his eyes.

He advanced at a high speed, but the elderly goblin riding the dire wolf was equally cunning; it wasn't until the Captain approached that it shouted a note in a high-pitched voice.

He roared, and a point of golden Light flew out along the line of faith.

But it was precisely under this flute music that all the guards felt a jolt of spirit and began to howl as they launched a counterattack.

These guards were all strapping young men, but perhaps because of the injuries on their bodies, they would have to retire or even be left disabled after returning—the divine spells of priests are very expensive and not something just anyone can enjoy.

"Captain!"

The crudely made wooden spears were easily blocked by shields, but one unlucky fellow still had his thigh pierced and fell down screaming.

Aaron nodded reservedly.

The caravan guards did not pursue; this time they had actually won by sheer luck, and one careless move would have meant total annihilation.

This is the fate of the men of the North, or rather, of all humanity during the Time of Troubles.

In a certain Divine Kingdom.

Bang!

Instead, the bard picked up his bone flute and smashed it hard against the other party's forehead.

……

Bang bang!

"Then... let's begin the empowerment!"

Just at this moment!

Just at this moment, the Captain roared and his figure dashed into the goblins.

"Thanks, but puppies can't drink cow's milk, goat's milk is best..."

He didn't know why, but he just felt that the bard in front of him was very kind, and he unconsciously wanted to talk to him and tell the truth.

"I want to go to Kahn City, I wonder if I could hitch a ride?" Aaron looked at the Captain and showed a friendly smile.

The Captain glanced over, his bearded face wearing a look of gravity; even ants can bite a person to death if there are enough of them.

——Intuitive Evasion!

Even if a goblin's weapon hit him, it couldn't cause him much damage.

He had been wandering around the Far North Wasteland recently; he hadn't seen any white dragons or frost giants, but he had killed a few litters of Ice Wolves.

As he spoke, a furry head poked out from his embrace.

……

The Captain's movements suddenly slowed.

This gratitude and respect from the bottom of the guards' hearts was indeed very different from their previous politeness.

Inside the carriage.

If the Captain had an attribute panel, one could see a line of information like this:

【Affected by an aura-type skill, Morale +1!】

Not to mention the Secret Mantra he had mastered, even just the 'Medical' skill he possessed, combined with some herbs, could produce great results.

The Captain hesitated for a moment, but still agreed, letting the caravan clear out a carriage for Aaron and having someone prepare water and food.

Aaron said to Wendy, "Dogs are suitable for drinking goat milk when they are young; it's good for their stomach... well, this is from my experience raising dogs back in the day."

Besides, Aaron couldn't really go and catch a gnoll to refine, could he?

At this moment, placing the ignorant little wolf in front of him, Aaron let it sit still, then formed seals with both hands, changing through several gestures, finally settling into the 'Inner Binding Seal', and chanted the 'Twin Origin Secret Mantra': "Tai... Tuo Mo Ye... Meng Na Ya..."

Accompanied by the high-pitched roar of the Goblin Warlord, first the Goblin spearmen threw wooden spears at the caravan one after another.

The goblins fled in panic; they were never a very united group of creatures to begin with.

Wendy looked at the injured guards, a look of sadness appearing on her face.

Even if it's just goblins, if you handle things improperly, people will die!

"Wendy, come with me to take a look... these goblins are not right. They are best at bullying the weak and fearing the strong; to dare to come and rob the caravan when they see so many people... there's a problem!"

In the past, only a few super-large gnoll tribes had that kind of scale, enough for Him to bestow Divine Grace!

Following the thread of faith, He saw in a tall temple, a Red-Robed Master was performing an empowerment on a giant wolf.

Only then did he see clearly the source of the flute sound; it was actually a bard!

The other party was wearing a wolf-skin cloak with a wolf-head skin pattern on his right shoulder, wandering through the battlefield with nimble steps, playing a white bone flute.

Aaron smiled in response.

This Goblin Warlord was actually a natural Goblin Warlock!

Just as the Captain was feeling somewhat desperate, he suddenly heard a burst of flute music!

This flute sound was desolate and ancient... it even had a chilling quality to it.

He hacked a goblin to death and led the charge toward the Captain.

The Captain paid him no mind, tossed the Goblin Warlord's head aside, and came before the bard: "I am the Captain of the Walnut Cracker Chamber of Commerce, thank you for your help, sir!"

He tried his best to keep his back straight, carrying a sense of intimidation.

The originally cute Erha, at this moment in the eyes of the 'Fierce Wolf-Headed Vajra Protector', was an adult ice wolf, and was cunning, cruel, bloodthirsty, and powerful... exactly the appearance that He had loved most in the past.

The elite goblin throwers aimed their spears at him, but he dodged them, even attacks from his blind spot.

"There are goblins ahead again, who is going to clear them out?"

"Is it an ice wolf? It's so beautiful..."

Not long after, the exhausted-looking Captain came over: "Mr. Aaron... thank you for lending a hand!"

Occasionally, those who could wear an iron helmet or a broken iron sword stripped from some corpse were already considered elites among the goblins.

"Anyway, the most important thing is to sense the 'Fierce Wolf-Headed Vajra Protector'... and gain attention."

Wendy's hand holding the sword was steady, hacking down one goblin, but then came a second and a third.

Finally, there was an elderly goblin riding a warg, carrying a rough banner, on which mysterious sacrificial symbols were painted with unknown dark brown blood.

"This trade route is becoming less and less safe, and the Ka'en City guards don't come out to clear it periodically either..."

"There were a few others who came with me, unfortunately..."

Just then, those green-skinned dwarves suddenly shouted and cleared a path.

In Erha's sea of consciousness, an extremely terrifying image of the deity suddenly appeared!

He had two heads and four arms; one head was a ferocious gnoll head, and the other head was a human head, appearing in a wrathful state, with hair rising like crimson kalpa fire!

His body was cyan-black, with a necklace made of thirteen human skulls hanging around his neck, his upper body bare, and wearing a tiger-skin skirt on his lower body.

His four arms held a Vajra Pestle in one hand, a bull skull in another, a butter Lamp in a third, and a human bone skeleton in the last!

Just by appearing, this image of the deity emitted various cruel and terrifying thoughts, intending to plant the firmest brand seed deep in Erha's soul!

(End of chapter)