深夜從山上湖泊內跑出一隻巨怪，擾了大家的清夢，也讓隊伍中的兩人永遠長眠
夜色籠罩了山中湖泊，銀白月光從碎雲間傾瀉而下，灑落在瀑布激起的水霧上，彷彿為這片幽靜之地披上了一層薄紗。營火在石堆旁跳動，發出劈啪聲，幾個守夜的士兵正在低聲交談，偶爾傳來笑聲，掩不住白日緊繃後的鬆懈。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsFpVs4KaB
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但平靜，往往只是假象。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrjTpONM9S
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「啵——」244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPmu1BrHZ7
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最先察覺異樣的是塔庫魯，他猛地睜開眼，目光掃向湖面。那聲音不像魚類戲水，更像是某種龐然之物從水下吐出氣泡，深沉又黏膩。下一刻，湖中心「轟」地一聲炸起浪花，一根比戰槍還粗的水柱衝天而起——244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1QQ1r1YCV
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然後它就出現了。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUpacywSVU
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那是一頭體型龐大、鱗甲如鋼的湖怪，渾身閃著鐵藍色的光澤，背上布滿如珊瑚般的骨刺，雙目如燒紅的熔岩珠子，在夜色中格外駭人。牠從水中拔身而起，嘴中發出嘶啞尖鳴，猛然一甩尾，水濺如雨！244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFOpuVAHTE
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「警戒！是湖怪！」夸斯特拔劍大吼，整個營地瞬間亂成一團！244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFp50ah0gbu
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露西反應最快，立刻跳上岩石，手中長弓拉成滿月，連珠箭如雨點般射出——鏘！鏘！鏘！全數被湖怪的鱗甲彈開，連擦傷都沒有。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBKWVdffEX
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「去死吧，水生畜生！」派緹怒吼一聲，拉出重劍射去，口念咒語，是爆裂箭，劍隻是狠狠地命中湖怪的頸側。轟然一聲爆響，但湖怪只是不爽地低吼了一聲，皮都沒破。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjg06lvpdsJ
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韓寧雙手結印，吟唱古老咒文，一道雷光從天而降，直擊湖怪頭頂。電光閃爍之中，那怪物晃了一下，卻依然活蹦亂跳。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡernOZ4NuG2
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「該死，它根本是披了鐵皮的魔龍！」韓寧咬牙，臉上汗珠直冒。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQa7XuJF9VQ
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湖怪猛撲過來，一記甩尾直接掃飛了兩名金蝗城士兵，其中一名男兵連慘叫都沒來得及發出，便跌落山壁，屍骨無存。另一名女兵試圖躲避，卻在混亂中被牠張口咬住，鮮血飛濺，場面慘烈。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepbrqd6EhZ
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「讓我來！」這時，塔庫魯怒吼一聲，如一尊鐵塔般衝上前，硬是撲在湖怪身上，雙臂如鐵鉗死死扣住牠的脖子與肩背，雙腳深陷湖邊泥濘，竟然硬生生將那怪物按住！244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCTSp4WbSm
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湖怪瘋狂掙扎，口中發出尖銳嘶嘯，爪子拍打，尾巴亂掃，但庫魯咬牙硬撐，如巨岩般巋然不動，口中怒吼：「現在！趁現在！！」244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6nszyE0QZ
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「喝啊——！」泰倫斯從側翼奔出，手中握的正是那柄永夜所贈的「龍骨聖刀」，刀身在夜色中泛著微光。他躍起，順著庫魯壓制的縫隙，狠狠劈下——244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97VLk9CsbW
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咔！244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYmFooobTt
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龍骨刀深深斬入湖怪的脖頸，鮮血如噴泉般狂湧。牠嘶吼了一聲，身軀劇烈抽搐，最後一聲悶響後倒進水中，濺起一大片血浪，湖面再次平靜。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lOVSIEtqy
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湖怪，死了。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLArDMp1Lq
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但營地一片狼藉，兩條性命就此斷送。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGhMzlcwbp
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夸斯特緩緩將劍收回，望著仍在喘氣的庫魯和滿身血污的泰倫斯，低聲道：「這座山……真不肯輕易讓人通過。」244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ViIR1Ye19
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天色剛破曉，山中的雲霧尚未散去，晨風從湖面拂過，帶來一股帶血腥味的濕涼。小瀑布依舊嘩啦啦作響，彷彿對昨夜那場激戰渾然不知。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJBrsWQZig
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營地格外安靜。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfS94aRMFo
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沒有人說話。每個人都低著頭，忙著整理裝備、重整思緒，心中懸著的，既有餘悸，也有沉痛。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpM1sgHNiL
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夸斯特站在湖邊，看著仍浮著血絲的水面，眼神銳利而沉重。他不是沒見過死，但這次，死的是跟隨自己出征的士兵，是為了他們這趟任務賠上性命的戰士。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAK8fldJuO
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而那些人，還有名字。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubEDYxqlB8
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隊伍聚在湖邊一處平坦的山坡上，兩具遺體已被小心收殮，男兵屍體是在山壁下尋回來的，骨折幾乎無一完好，女兵則幾乎沒有了完整的上半身。韓寧站在一旁，臉色凝重，她那另外兩位男女戰士沉默不語，眼神裡滿是悲戚。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXAm6J05YJ
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「我們沒有時間把他們送回金蝗城……」夸斯特的聲音低沉，卻清晰地傳入每個人的耳中，「但他們的靈魂，會回到神明身邊。」244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOR4OeXBXl
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塔庫魯主動搬了兩塊石板，蓋在遺體上。他粗壯的手指竟異常小心，彷彿生怕驚動了他們最後的安寧。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHaTvA91HZ
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韓寧走上前，雙手交疊在胸前，低聲唸起一段古老的祈禱咒語，那是金蝗城的葬儀傳統，祝願亡者的靈魂在黃沙彼岸得以重生。她的聲音柔和而莊嚴，就連一向活潑的派緹也安靜地站在一旁低頭聽著，眼中閃著淚光。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYA5KjzEvB9
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露西沒說話，但她將自己的箭筒拆下一根特製箭，插在石板之間，箭羽隨風搖曳，像是戰士的旗幟。艾利歐特則將自己的水袋灑下一小勺水，表示最後的敬意。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcOO4MiVOC
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「他們為我們爭取了活著繼續前進的資格。」泰倫斯開口，聲音沙啞，「所以我們不能讓他們的犧牲白費。」244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqE4DfsifY
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「對。」夸斯特緊了緊劍柄，環視眾人，「我們走的每一步，都是為了讓這場犧牲有意義。整隊吧，離開這裡，繼續往山頂前進。」244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzs6E8HniY
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儀式結束後，隊伍默默整裝。每個人的臉上都多了一層嚴肅與決絕，疲憊的身體在責任與榮譽的驅使下再次踏上前路。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hDUEuNKSL
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陽光終於突破雲層，一道金光落在石板上，彷彿為那兩位戰士鋪上一層神聖的光輝。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBw4xZ6vXv
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他們或許死於黑夜，但他們的英魂，將在山巔之上長眠。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzzs5E11Zv
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太陽越升越高，雖然晨霧已散，但山徑卻變得愈發兇險。隊伍再次出發，這回由塔庫魯與金蝗城的老兵甘特打頭陣，兩人一前一後領路。這片山道，若還能稱得上是「道」，那也只對野獸而言了。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQL1KKqadb
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這可不是給人走的。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyu4r065uwp
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岩壁像被風斧削過，滿是斜坡與碎石，地面鋪著苔蘚與濕滑的落葉，每一步都可能是陷阱。比起人類的腳，這兒顯然更適合有蹄的山羊，或長爪的雪豹。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0awTY3PeV
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「這路是誰鋪的啊……山神的寵物嗎？」甘特喘著氣，話一出口就差點腳下一滑，整個人往斜下方跌去。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIru4EHgMzE
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「小心！」塔庫魯反手一抓，單手就把甘特整個人像小雞一樣拉回來。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaV8cDBapcv
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甘特連連點頭感謝，心裡暗自覺得這山蠻人的手根本就是鐵做的。而塔庫魯呢？對他來說，這種地形就像是自家後院。他那雙與生俱來的獸蹄般腳掌，加上山蠻人特製的戰靴，無論是碎石、青苔、還是尖角岩壁，他都能穩穩踩住，一步一個山神印記似的往上爬。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cBaOgYI7h
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隊伍後方，其他人就沒這麼幸運了。每走十步，幾乎都得低頭彎腰，用手抓著突出的岩石或樹根爬行。汗水浸透了背脊，喘息聲此起彼落，連派緹都忍不住咕噥：「我們是在爬山？還是被山爬？」244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlG3OC44fKZ
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走了將近一個時辰，終於找到一處略微平坦的緩坡可以歇腳。幾個人直接一屁股坐下，手都還在顫抖。夸斯特則立刻動身，從腰間抽出了他的法寶──青環索。244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7MbWnIqed
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