「白色人類……該不會是婭基昂絲的騎士團也來過這裡吧?」236Please respect copyright.PENANAcQvI5J6LG1
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一路上,心中未止的疑慮使伊咘西萊緊皺眉額,一副木訥神緒跟隨走在前方的阿爾法和貝塔。走著走著,茫茫前路間眾人看到前面隱約有幾個尖頂帳篷般的建物,白金相間中清楚刻有莊嚴而浮誇的騎士團紋章,印有「艾普拉騎士團」幾個大字。236Please respect copyright.PENANAUcDCnbukGc
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看到如此景象,伊咘西萊率先便是一副懼色,兩手分別抓住阿爾法和貝塔的肩膀,阻止兩人再靠近營地一步。236Please respect copyright.PENANAXKJQRiCqDR
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「不要!那裡面的人不是什麼善男信女。」以低聲且嚴厲的聲線叫住兩人,並把他們拉到一旁草叢裡觀察著。「那是婭基昂絲精銳部隊的大本營,要是讓他們看到我,我就完蛋了。」236Please respect copyright.PENANA1v4u2BOgv8
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伊咘西萊深明要是被駐守營地裡的白鎧騎士發現自己,就一定逃不過被強行帶到婭基昂絲本國的命運。對創世神艾普拉一面倒的濃厚信仰使這個看似和善的國家變得不擇手段,活體獻祭、獻血供奉……一切狂信被金光景色包裝,在伊咘西萊眼中卻歷歷在目,生怕自己會成為這連串鬧劇的下一個亡靈。236Please respect copyright.PENANAMbGrCasQFy
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戰戰兢兢從一旁小路繞過大本營,三人繼續踏上遼闊的幻神高原,朝著山脈的最高峰~以太峰邁進。起初,走過的道路仍然筆直平坦,空氣亦如同山腳下一般濃厚清新;然而隨著一步一步接近以太峰,地勢開始變得崎嶇險要,空氣也愈來愈稀薄和寒冷,四周仿佛滿佈著殺意和怨念。236Please respect copyright.PENANAG4vKwxL23w
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「跟之前那個什麼蒼鐵遺跡一樣……」一路上,伊咘西萊見崎嶇地面上散佈著屍骨碎片,雜亂得已經分不清那是什麼動物,抑或是歿沒此地的人類。除了大堆骸骨外,地面還滿佈著點點餘暉,那些正是精靈們嘗試登峰失敗所留下的遺骸,在失去生命後結晶成精粹,長年置於無人之境下。236Please respect copyright.PENANAafArS2HRKN
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「之前我從其中一名目標口中聽回來的……這些精粹在人類社會中有價有市,很多商人為了採集它們,不惜到處捕獵精靈族;正因為它們的殘骸,能夠賣到不菲的價錢。我肯定這些遇難者之中不乏為了收集這些精粹的人們……」貝塔撿起其中一顆水藍色的精粹,憶述起過去所聞關於精粹在人類社會中的重要性。236Please respect copyright.PENANAePu7C1Nfkr
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「其中一名……目標?」而阿爾法卻只注意到話語中有這麼一個詞語。236Please respect copyright.PENANA6QFQerEI2y
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「就是那些即將要死在我手下的人們……」貝塔語氣平淡地答道。「很深刻呢,那個女人曾經和我有過交情,可是,友情還是不能戰勝非情。」236Please respect copyright.PENANAAau6YobtkX
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「不過還是不要提起那種惱人的事了……」說到這裡,想到話題變得沉重之下,貝塔又刻意加快腳步前行。236Please respect copyright.PENANAD071QWs6a6
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「貝塔……她在哭,對嗎?」阿爾法察覺到她轉身前眨下的一點淚光,抱起另一個疑問來。236Please respect copyright.PENANAC4blM2SfXB
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「我只覺得她很可怕……」伊咘西萊在旁低聲回應道,「別忘記她可是個暗殺者。」236Please respect copyright.PENANAifPvNj3KRT
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對伊咘西萊心中稍露出猜忌,阿爾法仍舊面不改色,只緊盯住前方的貝塔,不發一語。236Please respect copyright.PENANAmPEjygsUuu
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踏過無數死屍,跨過險要山路,逐漸邁入登峰之路。霎時間,天氣突變,無常暴雪傾注,久未停下;加上天色漸暗,前路茫茫,他們只好找來一個雪洞,在其中靜候天氣好轉。236Please respect copyright.PENANAe1zD6ny3G8
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然而,苦候良久,天色未見好轉,反而轉變得更惡劣起來。低溫配以激烈鼓動之元素磁場,彷彿讓人置身於冰凍煉獄中。236Please respect copyright.PENANAfMD6diF3Yo
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「天亮了,我們還是起行吧……」密雲中透出微薄陽光,告示一行新一天的開始。見暴雪未見有停下來的跡象,貝塔只好提議冒著嚴寒繼續前行。「阿爾法,不用為我取暖了,你還是先照顧好伊咘西萊吧。」236Please respect copyright.PENANAVaIrTooqjH
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無視阿爾法和伊咘西萊的她率先步出雪洞。而伊咘西萊則依靠在阿爾法的披風下,一手抓住披風一端蜷縮成一團,緊隨著兩人的步伐。236Please respect copyright.PENANAEagaTSffl3
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前方某處,隱約看見一副半埋於積雪中的骸骨。三人上前一看,這副骸骨看起來跟先前散佈地上的不盡相同:它的左手鉤在山崖之下,右手則屈曲於身子上,拿著小型權杖插入崖牆中,彷彿在其之上寫下了什麼。236Please respect copyright.PENANAhHvlnbfJRH
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「陌生的旅人,請於此地停止你們登頂的慾望。」阿爾法抹去一重積雪,唸出刻在崖牆上的文字。從隻字片語中,已經暗示死者生前正正就是一位神族。無意揭發這驚人真相,貝塔和伊咘西萊亦始覺到異變到臨;他們的力量在嚴寒與冰能夾擊下,逐漸步入衰竭……236Please respect copyright.PENANAuM5iC84U48
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「阿爾法,不覺得……愈走愈無力嗎?」一段時間過後,開始感到體力不支的伊咘西萊減慢了步速,不久後更從阿爾法的披風中甩出,倒在地上一動不動。而走在前方的貝塔,往前行走沒多少步,亦終於因抵禦不下刺骨酷寒環境而倒下。236Please respect copyright.PENANA2WcUdZyM5e
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「貝塔?伊咘西萊?」眼見身邊兩人相繼倒下,剩下阿爾法一人停下了腳步,站在漫天暴雪下,只見不支倒地的同伴那痛苦的模樣,自己卻未能身同感受,也未能體會。他感覺到自己並沒有如此能力駕馭這嚴寒天氣,然而心中卻充滿著要保護貝塔和伊咘西萊的強烈意識,於是他左手摟起伊咘西萊,右手抱住貝塔繼續前行。236Please respect copyright.PENANAGW6cCzP54e
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他抬頭望向那直插天邊的山峰,腦海閃起過去以魔旅者指針到訪此地的畫面,化成光團的一刻愈見鮮明,彷彿與將見之未來連繫起來。至此,他緩緩放下貝塔和伊咘西萊,翠綠色的雙目凝聚著力量,雙手向前伸直,全神貫注把潛藏之力引出。頃刻間,四周被熟悉的光輝圍繞,直至高速拂拭的氣流屏息下來,光芒才徐徐消散,把三人帶到頂峰上那溫暖的白銀世界裡。236Please respect copyright.PENANAeFfYnrtlaB
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日照下,貝塔終於甦醒過來,她睜開雙眼,發現自己正身處於一小片白茫茫的平地上。環盼四周,白銀地面並不是積雪的好事,而是粗糙的純白沙石,圍繞中央處鋪展開來。236Please respect copyright.PENANAGa1aJvLXC1
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「我們在哪裡了?」躺在貝塔身旁的伊咘西萊亦逐漸恢復了意識。兩人雙雙站了起來,舉頭望向前方。純白的小天地中央是一塊巨大尖石,它的外圍呈半透明狀態,包圍著中心一團白色的石塊,如同水晶生長於白石之上。藍色披風的騎士挺直站在尖石前方一動不動,若有所思。236Please respect copyright.PENANAKMZGpl0WU5
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「阿爾法……哇!」貝塔快步走到阿爾法跟前,當她站到阿爾法旁邊,清晰看到埋藏於白化水晶中的「石塊」,一切就像平靜之中轟出一聲雷鳴,把她嚇得尖叫一聲,霎時間再難承受映進眼裡的事實。236Please respect copyright.PENANARNY4CV2nSP
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那所謂的「石塊」,靠近一看就能夠明顯看出是一個遭到石化的男生。他雙手展開,頭部仰天,一副痛苦的神緒連同半仰身子深嵌白水晶之中,似乎早就逝去多時。236Please respect copyright.PENANA6YEJjxu41Z
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「這就是……我要找的原初之力?」貝塔整個人定住了,歷經年月之艱辛,死去活來過後,終於到達了目的地,以為一切就此完美落幕……只可惜,事情並沒有她所想一般簡單。236Please respect copyright.PENANAcQWgZfUBGF
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「開……開玩笑的吧?!」她觸摸在冰冷死寂的軀體上,那對石像來說過於逼真的手感刻畫掌間,讓最後寄託逐步崩塌。236Please respect copyright.PENANAdYmfNhM0kL
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「不是這樣的,不是這樣的!」她跪坐在地上,意識陷於崩潰中,不斷失聲叫喊,極其痛苦的扭曲容貌。她其後又吃力地爬到枯竭的結晶體前,哭暈於其下方。236Please respect copyright.PENANAKeFv9Fs13N
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阿爾法這時蹲在地上,把貝塔上半身從粗糙地面拉上來,卻意外地看到白銀之上遺下一攤深紅色的鮮血。他轉過頭來,赫然發現貝塔露出的半邊臉淌著血淚;揭開遮蓋另外半邊臉的秀髮,鮮血從包裹右眼的紗布滲出,甚至沾染在他手上。236Please respect copyright.PENANApwcQtDxnFH
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「貝塔,妳的眼睛受傷了……」阿爾法隨即繞到她後方,染血雙手掩蓋她的雙眼,口中唸起止血的咒語來。然而,一直以來湊效的方法這次卻無法止住長淌的血淚。似乎知道一切徒勞無功的貝塔這時一手推開阿爾法,不讓他浪費精力在她身上。236Please respect copyright.PENANA7Xyaan86Ad
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「阿爾法,貝塔她……沒事嗎?」幾乎被如此場面震懾的伊咘西萊顫步走到阿爾法跟前問道。而阿爾法沒有回應,亦不知該怎樣回答,只是愣住神坐在地上,注視仍淌著無止血淚的貝塔。236Please respect copyright.PENANAuDmzwXsZJ7
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「艾斯托利克……」伊咘西萊顫著音,打算把那無意中得悉的方法告訴阿爾法。「阿爾法,記得那時那個艾斯托利克使節嗎?也許他可以幫助我們……」