Chapter 953

At night, Panda and the others who were exploring in the forest started camping to rest.

The weather is clear today, the sky without snow can see the bright moon. Panda, who had already entered the Silent Whispering Forest area, had a serious expression on his face, and he was constantly throwing wooden branches into the bonfire in front of him. Although the jumping flames warmed his body a lot, the atmosphere in the team was much colder than when he set out.

This is naturally because of the "miracle" shown by the moon a few days ago.

There are four arcanists, eight arcane warriors, and fifteen members of the holy congregation with good skills. This small mercenary group can be said to be complete, with melee and long-distance magicians. The professions are very complete, but it is absurd What's more... they now suddenly realize that they no longer seem to be Arcanists.

"My lord means to forget about our past, so Denzel, don't use arcane skills when you light a bonfire next time."

Panda's voice was a little tired, and the arcanist who was busy cooking dinner on the opposite side of him nodded suddenly: "Yes... my lord."

After speaking, he hesitated again: "But...then we can only light the fire slowly with a scythe, that would be more troublesome—"

"Trouble is trouble, it's better than losing your life."

After Panda finished speaking, he turned his head and looked at the two pale-faced fellow arcanists: "Are you feeling better?"

However, they all shook their heads, and then turned their attention to the Arcanist lying beside the campfire.

"My lord, what about Corey?"

One of them barely supported his body, and also picked up firewood and threw it into the campfire, but after speaking, he covered his mouth and coughed violently. When he took his hand away, the bright red blood on his palm was shocking.

This is not caused by the attack of monsters, but the impact on the cognition of the arcanists after the "miracle" came—they, like Black before, found out that the "miracle" was true, and they studied for themselves for a long time. The arcane arts produced deep doubts and shakes, changed the foundation of power, and even caused damage to the body.

Although their bodies have recovered a bit now, their expressions are sluggish. They look like they have suffered a serious illness, and their combat effectiveness has been significantly reduced by more than half. This made Panda, who was also in poor condition, feel anxious, because the Holy Master Black just sent someone to catch up with his team yesterday and explained a series of things, which means that he can't even give up the mission now, he can only follow what he said The way to go on and find the ruins.

"Remember the words that Lord Holy Master specifically explained to us. Only by abandoning the past from the heart and embracing everything in front of us can we be redeemed from the disaster."

When Panda said this, he felt awkward. Because what an arcanist hates the most is the magic stick, but now he has become the one he hated the most... He glanced at the people in front of him, including the arcane warriors who were cooking, and everyone's faces were helpless and even wronged look like.

There is only a little more than a day away from the destination. According to the previous mercenary Ludi's information, if we walk another 30 kilometers, we need to pay attention not only to monsters, but also to those powerful magicians who come without a trace.

In order to deal with possible enemies, Panda and the others made quite adequate preparations: they carried all kinds of scrolls, as well as props, medicines and various consumables specially used for magic battles. At the same time, under their seemingly ragged linen coats, there are sophisticated robes and armor inlaid with spar. This squad can be said to be armed to the teeth, but on the surface, it deliberately creates the illusion of a "third-rate mercenary regiment".

Thanks to this effort, and the fact that they all wore necklaces made by Holy Lord Black himself, Panda and others, who prayed and chanted sutras along the way, never attracted the attention of the intelligence agency—on this point, Black It was indeed a clever move.

However, Panda and the others managed to get past the surveillance of the intelligence agency, but they couldn't get past the gaze of the gods. After dinner, the "symptoms" of the arcanist named Corey became more and more serious. He vomited up the little broth from dinner, and his whole mind became confused...

Panda embraced the Arcanist who was joking with them a few days ago,

He gritted his teeth and whispered: "Cory! Don't be stubborn, you have to believe in His existence! Stop questioning and resisting, if you continue like this, you will die..."

"I...I can't understand..."

"If you can't understand, you have to understand. Seeing is believing. We have all seen it. Why do you still tell yourself that it is fake?"

Panda tried his best to persuade him to believe in the existence of the Moon God, but how could the concepts instilled by the "Holy Society" for so many years be easily changed? Black and Panda are more "time-conscious" in comparison, and can give up anything for survival and purpose. However, most of the arcanists who have studied arcane arts since they were young and regarded themselves as "the purest descendants of the high elves" all day long, could not make themselves into magic sticks.

This is actually tantamount to denying one's lifelong belief.

Arcanist Corey kept shaking his head, his face became paler and his breath became weaker and weaker, no matter how Panda tried to persuade him, he couldn't change his "atheism" point of view—finally, at midnight, Corey Li's eyes widened with anger, and he suddenly shouted, "All gods are lies!"

After a while, his body relaxed, and he was silent again.

Panda clenched his fists tightly, watching the scene in front of him but could do nothing. Two seconds later, he slammed his staff on the ground, covering his face and crying because of the sudden sense of helplessness.

The bright moon above the head still exudes soft light, but Panda finds it dazzling.

He understands... he and these people are all "believers of the moon god". They recite prayers, preside over sacrifices, and hold ceremonies. Fundamentally speaking, they are already considered standard "clergymen". Corey's death had a serious conflict with the power given to him by the gods and his thoughts, and his head could not accept it. As a result, the body could not bear it in the conflict of power, leading to death...

When they came out to perform missions, none of the enemies were encountered, but comrades died because of such things, and the morale of the entire team fell to the bottom.

Panda was crying bitterly in the snow, but when he tried to wipe away his tears, he stood up abruptly, and broke his most beloved staff with a "crack".

Everyone in the camp stood up - they got along day and night, and they all knew how much Panda cherished that staff. Seeing this scene, they all realized the seriousness of the problem.

"In the name of the captain, I order you to throw away all things related to the Arcanist and destroy them."

Panda lowered her head in pain: "Then...forget about them."

No one objected, and the Arcanists and Arcane Warriors began to take out the magic props on their bodies one by one. Many people put these props under their feet with red eyes, and gnashed their teeth to destroy them into pieces—although this They are just props, but they also represent their belief in life.

The feeling of trampling a lifelong belief underfoot is hard for anyone.

Someone couldn't help crying, but Panda rushed forward and slapped her face, roaring as if out of control: "Why are you crying! That's already in the past! We are all the most devout believers of the Moon God!"

He shouted until his voice became hoarse, but there were also two lines of tears on his face. The blushing companion bit his lip, but in the end he tore his robe into pieces without a word of rebuttal.

The light of the bonfire rose higher and higher, because they threw everything that could burn into it. Panda took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice steady: "We have bid farewell to the past...Now, pray with me like the great moon god Strian..."

Instead, he knelt down toward the moon and chanted the prayer aloud. The people in the camp followed one after another. No matter what their attitude towards the moon god was before, their posture at this time was all uniform.

And at the end of the prayer, Panda's eyes widened in surprise at the power that suddenly surged from his body.

He turned his head to look at his companions, and everyone felt the mysterious power that was different from arcane arts. Looking down, the moon pendant hanging on their chests exudes a bright luster.

The fatigue in his body was dispelled, and Panda's full strength made Panda completely forget about the cold around him. He raised his hand, pressed it on a bare tree trunk beside him, and then slowly closed his eyes—in an instant, the branches and leaves of the dead tree were luxuriant, and the flowers were in full bloom, and then the ripe fruit grew from small to large. "Crackling" fell to the ground.

"In the future...there will be no title of 'arcanist'."

He looked up at the only big green tree on the frozen land, and whispered.