Dense experience notifications flashed through his mind—possibly over a hundred. Anser could not even read them all in time.
That was only because the Fireball had covered part of the cliff's iron chains. If it had been fully hurled into the tightly packed kobold crowd, the effect would likely have been even more explosive.
'This Fireball… is a bit brighter.' Anser's eyes showed surprise.
Previous Fireballs had been primarily orange-red. This one carried a faint yellow hue, with noticeably greater brightness.
Not only that, the radius seemed to have expanded slightly—by about one or two meters. The outer ring was predominantly red; from a distance, it truly resembled a small sun.
He remained motionless on horseback. Elemental orbs circled and danced around him, while at their core the suspended essence of fire left a faint streak of red light in the night sky, flickering in and out of view.
'They'll come back, right?'
He gazed at the retreating kobold horde, feeling somewhat… reluctant.
The amount of experience gained in battle was directly tied to combat intensity and contribution. Kobolds were relatively weak, yet the experience decay was minimal. A single Fireball had earned nearly two thousand experience points—far more efficient than clashing head-on with higher-level monsters or professional combatants.
'Who doesn't enjoy crushing weak enemies!'
Unfortunately, situations where monsters clustered so densely were rare.
As the kobold horde vanished into the night, waves of suppressed cheers rose around the castle. The sound gradually grew noisier.
The crowd unconsciously turned their gaze toward the knight on the black horse. Their expressions were complex—reverence, admiration, hope, curiosity…
An elite warrior, given enough time and stamina, could also kill hundreds of kobolds. But could the effect be the same?
When that blazing Fireball rose, many adventurers felt for the first time the stark difference between a full spellcaster and a blade-focused profession.
In Faerûn, the status of mages was by no means exaggerated.
Salian and the others returned, and the crowd instinctively parted to make way.
Seeing this, Anser avoided the crowd and walked with them to a secluded corner.
"Are we still leaving?" Salian asked in a low voice.
Those words could not be heard by the refugees. If the hope that had just risen were shattered, they might collapse on the spot.
"We leave," Anser said after a moment's consideration.
After that Fireball, this place would surely be marked by the enemy as a priority target. Forces would begin concentrating here, leaving other areas more lax. Seizing the chance to depart might be a good option.
"Is Your Excellency intending to leave this place?"
The voice suddenly sounded by everyone's ears.
Their expressions changed drastically. Nerves taut, they instinctively closed ranks around Anser. Yet after scanning their surroundings, they found nothing.
"I am here. I mean no harm."
As the words fell, a gaunt figure gradually revealed itself in the night, no more than two or three meters away from them.
Anser narrowed his eyes. He had not expected someone to get right up to him without him noticing. But since the holy symbol had not given any warning, that meant the other party did not belong to an evil alignment.
"My name is Sandray—Sir Casanova's friend." The man pulled back his hood, revealing a weathered face. By the looks of it, he was at least in his forties.
"What is it?" Anser focused his attention on Sandray.
The dice rotated slightly, and his information popped up quickly:
[Sandray, Human, Level 9 Rogue (Thief)]
'Cliffkeep's strength isn't bad.' he thought.
Sandray's gaze fell on Anser's face, his expression full of admiration. "Thank you for relieving us, Your Excellency. There is a waterway beneath Cliff City. It can pass through the peninsula and lead straight to the bay. We can withdraw together."
"A smuggling passage?" Salian frowned.
He had run this route before. He had heard that merchants and smugglers from Claw Bay, in order to avoid the "toll" of Dusk City, had dug a waterway—but no one knew whether it was true.
"You know?" Sandray stared at Salian's face, feeling that it looked somewhat familiar.
"I've heard a few rumors," Salian said, not dwelling on the issue as he continued pressing. "If there's a waterway, why don't you take it? Why not let these refugees take it?"
"The waterway is narrow—you can't fit through," Sandray said with a pained expression. "This isn't the place to talk. Please come into the castle with me."
Salian and the others looked to Anser.
After a brief moment of consideration, Anser nodded slightly. "All right."
For now, this waterway might be the key to getting out of here.
Salian gathered all the crew, and together they followed Sandray to the castle's back entrance. One of the doors was already open, and the inside was packed with refugees as well.
The Cliffkeep guard unit that had been waiting moved the crowd aside and cleared a passage, making it easier for Anser and the others to enter.
The castle was not large, but its walls were thick and solid. Military installations took up most of the space. The main keep stood at the center, with corridors connecting the front and rear walls.
When they reached the entrance to the main keep, Kaleno remained outside with his people. Anser, Salian, and Giant Tail entered the hall together.
The hall was brightly lit and extremely spacious—enough to hold two to three hundred people.
More than a dozen people were waiting in the center of the hall. The man at the front wore finely made leather armor. His beard and hair were gray-white, his posture upright, and his gaze sharp, giving off a powerful sense of pressure.
"Welcome, welcome." The man strode forward, a smile appearing on his face. "I am Tim Casanova, the master of Cliff City. Thank you for your help, Your Excellency."
Anser removed his hood, lifted a hand, and swept his slightly messy hair back behind his head. His eyes quietly circled Tim once. "I'm Anser. This is Captain Salian."
Tim's eyes shifted slightly. He realized he had heard both names more than once. He asked in confusion, "Mr. Anser, the Ashen Knight—and Mr. Salian, the elf ship captain who can command storms?"
"If there aren't any others with the same name." Anser lifted a brow, his expression slightly awkward. The title was too embarrassing.
"We met a few years ago, Sir Casanova." Salian chuckled.
"When Silver Scale Bay fell, I thought you…" Tim's expression turned grave. Clearly, what had happened at Silver Scale Bay had affected him deeply.
"By luck," Anser replied.
At that moment, the dice rotated slightly and Tim's attributes appeared:
[Tim Casanova, Human, Level 10 Fighter (Knight)]
Tim was only one level short of becoming a high-level professional. However, knights relied heavily on mounted combat. Without a mount, their combat effectiveness would be greatly reduced.
"I heard from Mr. Sandray that there is a waterway beneath Cliff City. We would like to borrow the passage to leave." He had no interest in exchanging pleasantries and took the initiative to shift the topic.
"Of course. In fact, I would like to take all the civilians with us. Unfortunately, the waterway is too narrow—only one small boat can pass at a time…" Tim briefly explained the situation.
The waterway had originally been opened up from an underground river, first used for smuggling and tax evasion. Later, the Casanova family discovered it, set a trap to eliminate the smuggling ring, seized control of it, and moved the entrance beneath Cliffkeep.
The waterway stretched approximately two to two and a half kilometers. At its widest, it was no more than a dozen meters across; at its narrowest, only three to four meters. There were several small rowboats, and each could carry only a few people.
After working for most of the day, the Casanova family had barely managed to send off their own members, part of the guard unit, and their valuables. The evacuation of refugees had only just begun. At this rate, the vast majority of the refugees would not be able to escape.
Tim did not state it outright, but Anser understood immediately. He wanted him to help defend the city and buy time so that as many people as possible could withdraw.
"What's on the other side of the waterway? Are there large ships? How do we leave the bay?" Anser asked.
"There's a coastal estate over there. It's been taken by kobolds, but the pier is on a shingle beach, hidden by trees. It's very concealed and hasn't been discovered yet. The enemy has no navy—the bay is still in our hands. There are plenty of ships…"
"Hm. How long do you intend to hold out? We don't have much time." Anser stared into Tim's eyes. "The Emerald Kingdom has fish-men. If the Green Dragon Queen gives the order, they can move downstream and quickly fill the entire bay."
"Until before dawn. Three in the morning at the latest," Tim replied immediately, his voice firm.
"Our people go first," Anser said calmly.
"As is only right." A smile instantly spread across Tim's face. "I'll make the arrangements at once. If you have any needs, tell me at any time."
A quarter of an hour later, beneath Cliffkeep, in the underground passage.
Dim lamplight flickered. The sound of water flowed softly. Five small boats were lined up in a row, already filled with people.
Salian sat in the first boat. Kaleno sat in the last. The five boats barely accommodated more than forty crew members.
Anser remained behind with Finn, Bratt, and Giant Tail. That way, even if both sides encountered danger at the same time, they would still have sufficient ability to respond.
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