novelhk Chapter 21 Spearmen and Centaurs
Chapter 21 Spearmen and Centaurs
The shelter was overcrowded, but everyone could only stay in the front section, as the back needed to provide enough resting space for godmother Margaret.
At least ten solemn-faced men dressed like medieval soldiers stood motionless in front of the shelter, wearing half-armor and holding long spears.
Everyone knew that these were Margaret's "guards," a gift from "God" to this godmother.
In addition, Margaret will be accompanied by no fewer than six guards.
This makes her look less like a godmother and more like a queen.
"Noah, we have to get out of this hellhole!" Liam whispered to his companion beside him.
"But where can we go?" Noah asked. The two were college classmates, and the campus was only two or three kilometers away. When the catastrophe happened, they gathered together, but many people got separated afterward to escape the terrible monsters.
"Anywhere is better than staying here. That Margaret is a complete madwoman. She actually sacrifices innocent people to those monsters." Liam gritted his teeth. He couldn't understand or condone the actions of the people here.
"Besides, I've already learned some things. Anyone can recruit those spearmen; that guard tower over there is one, and similar things are found in many places. Also, there are those strange, glowing boxes that contain gold coins and can even enhance our physique. Don't you think this is a lot like a game world? A brand new world. We shouldn't be stuck in this damn place." Liam clearly had a plan.
Young people like him are more receptive to new things.
Noah was also a young man. After considering it for a moment, he nodded in agreement.
The two men made an excuse to go to the toilet and left the shelter. When they realized that the people following them hadn't noticed them, they suddenly took off running.
......
Outside the shelter, Noah and Liam were out of breath from running.
The shouts coming from behind grew closer and closer.
They dared not look back, and could only run desperately, through the misty swamp, stepping over the sticky moss and rotting leaves.
Liam tripped and fell, hitting his knee on a rock. He winced in pain, but Noah grabbed him without a word and pulled him up, continuing to charge forward.
"They're coming!" Liam turned around and looked up, his face pale.
In the fog, seven or eight spearmen, lined up in two columns, were rushing toward them.
The spearmen moved quickly and seemed tireless, their steps perfectly synchronized, like sophisticated killing machines.
At the back of the group, Margaret sat on the back of a motorcycle, moving even faster.
Her expression was one of obvious anger, and her eyes were cold.
"Traitors must be punished." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried far through the mist: "This is God's will."
Noah and Liam dared not stop; they couldn't imagine what terrible consequences they would face if this madwoman caught them and took them back.
After passing through a patch of low bushes, the view suddenly opened up, and we arrived at Central Park.
They used to come to this place often.
But the park has completely changed now, and some parts are even unrecognizable.
Huge trees rose from the ground, their canopies blocking out the sky, some trunks so thick that it would take five or six people to encircle them. Their roots bulged from the soil, like giant, lurking pythons.
Glowing mushrooms and unidentified wildflowers were scattered on the grass, and the air was filled with a sweet floral fragrance.
But Noah's attention was not on these things.
He was looking at the building in the center of the park.
A stable.
The structure is made of wood, with a pointed roof and horse head patterns carved on the walls.
Around the stable stood seven or eight centaurs.
Centaurs have the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse, and their bodies are full of wild, primal power. They hold spears in their hands and watch Noah and Liam warily.
A centaur raised a spear and blocked their path.
Noah raised his hands: "We mean no harm! Someone is chasing us!"
As he spoke, he glanced back.
The spearmen behind him were already thirty meters away.
At that moment, the gate of the stable opened.
A young girl came out.
She had blonde hair tied in a ponytail, wore sportswear, and held a short bow in her hand.
She has fair skin, big eyes, and looks no more than eighteen or nineteen years old.
Noah and Liam were stunned.
"Olivia?"
The girl was also taken aback: "Noah? Liam? What are you doing here?"
"We..." Noah wanted to say a lot, but the words caught in his throat as he thought of the pursuers behind them, and he quickly said, "Help us, someone is chasing us."
Olivia's gaze passed over them and landed on the spearmen in the mist.
Her face darkened.
"Form ranks."
At a command, seven or eight more centaurs emerged from the stable, quickly forming a line of over a dozen centaurs with their spears pointing forward. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, and their massive bodies exuded an aura of power.
At that moment, Margaret's motorcycle also came up from behind.
She looked down at Olivia and the centaurs with a condescending gaze.
His gaze swept over the stable, then over the centaurs, and he already knew that the stable must be a troop recruitment building.
Her gaze finally settled on Noah and Liam.
"In the name of God..." Margaret's voice was calm: "Hand over these two traitors to me."
Olivia naturally noticed the spearmen on the other side as well.
"Excuse me, they were my college classmates. What did they do?"
“Betrayal is blasphemy against God.” Margaret’s expression turned serious. “They received God’s protection but refused to take responsibility, refused to convert to the church, and fled the sanctuary without permission. According to church rules, they must be sacrificed to appease God’s anger.”
Liam couldn't help but shout, "Olivia, don't listen to her! That woman is insane! She even uses people as sacrifices to feed monsters..."
Olivia's eye twitched.
She believed Liam and Noah on this point.
Moreover, judging from the woman's words just now, it's clear that she's not mentally sound.
"Let's leave here!"
This serves as a warning.
A dozen tall, strong centaurs stepped forward, their spears gleaming with sharpness.
Margaret across from him had a gloomy face.
"Open your eyes and look at this world. This is God's wrath, this is judgment upon the world, but God has also bestowed blessings upon you. These are what you have received, yet you show no gratitude whatsoever. You haven't even said thank you to God..."
She looked at Olivia, her eyes holding something indescribable.
greedy!
She took a liking to this stable.
If she can take control of it, the power she can wield will increase exponentially.
At that time, no one in this area will be her match.
"Child," Margaret's tone suddenly softened, as if guiding a lost child, "You are a lucky person; God has given you these soldiers. But if you do not convert to the Church and disobey God's will, your good fortune will become a curse..."
Olivia was speechless and didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Hand over your stables and convert to the Church of Judgment." Margaret continued, "God will surely forgive your sins and make you a member of the Church. From now on, you will not need to fight or take risks; you will only need to obey God's will."
Liam and Noah couldn't stand it anymore and burst out, "Don't believe her! That woman is a complete madwoman!"
Olivia rolled her eyes at them, clearly annoyed.
That seemed to mean that I'm not that stupid.
"Get lost, and don't make me say it again." Olivia had lost all patience to listen to the other person's insane ramblings.
"What did you say?"
Margaret's expression froze. She felt deeply insulted, which she quickly twisted into a blasphemous act against God, according to her morbid understanding.
"I said, get out!" Olivia's voice was soft. "This is my stable, my centaurs, and I won't hand them over to anyone. Not you, not even the God you speak of... And Noah and Liam are my classmates, so don't even think about taking them with you."
Margaret's face contorted for a moment, followed by a visible display of extreme anger.
"You'll regret it, you'll all regret it!"
She suddenly raised her right hand.
"Kill! Kill them!" she screamed.
The spearmen behind him simultaneously raised their spears and charged forward.
Olivia also frowned.
"Centaur, attack!"
The centaurs also charged forward.
The spears and lances clashed together, producing a crisp metallic sound.
This was a chaotic battle, without any strategy or tactics; it was just a primitive clash.