一名石頭人出現在地道中。468Please respect copyright.PENANArTpDpW5sBB
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高大的身軀由石塊拼湊而成,頭部像是沒刻完的石膏像,五官粗糙且沒有雙目,全身的關節處皆如牆壁般透著火焰在內燃燒的光芒,但又略有不同,石頭人身上的並非紅光、而是炙熱的白火。牠每往前一步,腳下便跟著留下轉瞬即滅的火苗。468Please respect copyright.PENANA7Sih7fkQhT
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在此之前,霍金從未親眼見過炎魔,他知道大部份的城鎮裡都關押著幼年炎魔、牠們也是人類重要的火力來源,而炎魔的監牢與王子的生活完全沾不上邊,他對這種魔物的了解僅止於書本。468Please respect copyright.PENANAsVhnvcmEYr
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聽那步步逼近的腳步聲,霍金不禁冷汗直流,他依照與陌生狗群應對的方式緩緩倒退,對方也維持著不緊不慢的速度前行。468Please respect copyright.PENANA0GbZhHk6pJ
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當他退了五步之後,便注意到正前方的道路也冒出光源,果不其然是同樣的魔物。468Please respect copyright.PENANAg0ZRhkSPqv
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炎魔會不會吃人?習性如何?霍金的腦袋一時間竟挖不出任何相關的知識,只記得書裡說牠們怕水,可是現在他上哪找水去?468Please respect copyright.PENANAfqsOP2YWYB
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兩頭炎魔於交叉路相遇,停了下來,就在霍金以為他們能相安無事的時候,火焰「轟」地從炎魔身上爆起,兩個熊熊燃燒的人影動作一致地朝他跑來,霍金反射性地轉身就逃!468Please respect copyright.PENANAN4FkpQmvRt
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炎魔的動作沉重、速度也不快,霍金一下子便將牠們甩得老遠,然而他都還來不及鬆口氣,就驚見又有一頭炎魔堵在他先前走過的道路上,他只得立馬改變路線,跑沒多久、分岔口果然如他所想的不只兩個,這下子他算是在危急之中徹底迷路了。468Please respect copyright.PENANAvLkK3JaWgR
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他一路狂奔,也愈來愈多炎魔自岔路現身,霍金都懷疑身後跟著他的炎魔多到能組成一支小隊了──倏然之間,身後的腳步聲整齊地停了下來,霍金微微往後望,就見炎魔群站到一塊兒、下一刻,幾十道火柱一齊朝他噴來!468Please respect copyright.PENANATQHHZB9GVv
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「趴下!」468Please respect copyright.PENANAW4uMB6cuWe
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青年的嗓音從右側道路響起,霍金立刻被人壓倒在地,寬大的連帽斗篷蓋在兩人身上,霍金本能地曉得若不將身體縮在斗篷保護的範圍內就完蛋了,巫師四肢著地牢牢罩住他,白熱的火焰瞬間充斥通道內部,雙眼緊閉的霍金沒有感到一絲痛楚,等待魔焰燃盡,霍金才感覺壓在身上的重量消失。468Please respect copyright.PENANAdOdfWsAnPC
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涅澤爾喘著氣撐起身體,霍金毫髮無傷地睜開眼,周遭的石牆像是塗過顏料似的成了一片純白、從內透出刺眼的白光,霍金因為一時無法適應環境改變而瞇眼,接著才注意到巫師的容貌變化。468Please respect copyright.PENANAqb4Y86uo5L
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青年的左額長出山羊似的角,長角像是被燒過的鐵一般紅,角下的額頭至眼睛下方的左頰處全覆滿金紅色的鱗片,左眼也成了血紅色。468Please respect copyright.PENANAIH8Xg40kpc
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『大人,我們無意傷害祢。』468Please respect copyright.PENANAINWyK7Be7m
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其中一名炎魔往前跨步,感覺不到魔力波的霍金立刻抓著涅澤爾的手臂連退數步。468Please respect copyright.PENANAc1Zi67Xjl9
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『我知道,我沒事。』468Please respect copyright.PENANAUhi0pCZN3X
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『我們知道祢偏愛人類,大人,但是依照我們的規矩……』468Please respect copyright.PENANAALt2VD2vEc
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『我已經代他受罰了,這件事就算了吧?』涅澤爾瞥了霍金一眼,並沒有向少年多做解釋。『我保證他不會再出現在你們面前。』468Please respect copyright.PENANAtMEm7yMkyf
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炎魔們沉默數秒,慢吞吞地轉身離開,直至所有魔物皆從他們的視野中消失,涅澤爾才一派輕鬆的開口:468Please respect copyright.PENANAqiNZkyKNhY
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「我說萵苣,你是視力差到把我誤認為扶手還是什麼了嗎?想不到你力氣這麼大啊,看來鍋子他們沒白餵你嘛。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAtjqisUXkrm
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霍金一聽立刻就想把涅澤爾的手甩開,然而在察覺後者糟到不行的臉色之後,他總覺得要是他鬆手這傢伙搞不好會直接往前倒,「喂、你……」話才起了個頭,霍金就不知該如何問了,涅澤爾看起來完全沒受傷、就連衣服也半點未損,霍金不曉得巫師被火燒會不會怎樣、可是他明白若將人類置於方才的境地必死無疑。468Please respect copyright.PENANAaH8Qb1o7nu
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「怎麼?你是被傷到聲帶還是嚇傻了說不出話?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAG5jAljeB3n
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涅澤爾上下打量他一番,然後抽回手,「你沒受傷的話就走吧。」468Please respect copyright.PENANA8a5Cf8oAIL
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「我們要怎麼回去?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAPfflqLGE6Y
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「你身上不是長著兩條腿嗎,萵苣?走路還需要人教?還是你剛剛不小心被摔成殘廢了?我看不像呀。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAF8cEQV5guC
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霍金確信自己若在此時揍涅澤爾一拳,命中率絕對是百分之百,但在被如此嘲諷時,氣悶的情緒卻意外地沒有擔憂的心情強烈,最後他只是緘默著跟在涅澤爾身畔向前走。468Please respect copyright.PENANAY0Sd9uBnPk
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巫師的步伐很慢,王子斜瞥前者,暗自思索這人身體的改變是不是大火造成的後果,卻又隱隱知曉不可能是那麼回事。468Please respect copyright.PENANABnuhZNmLez
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他突然想起小白說過涅澤爾並非人類。468Please respect copyright.PENANAOpe2fbFkWK
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在開始行走後,身旁的人似乎就沒有了閒聊的打算,霍金緊張地注意周邊的環境與涅澤爾的一舉一動,他壓根不信方才的烈火沒對巫師造成任何影響。幾分鐘之後,霍金冷汗直流地扯住涅澤爾的袖子停下腳步。468Please respect copyright.PENANAp4gDzesRxg
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岔路口的右邊出現了一頭炎魔。468Please respect copyright.PENANATQjun4Ker2
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霍金的警戒心升到最高點,然而涅澤爾僅是反抓住他的手腕,帶他往炎魔的方向走。468Please respect copyright.PENANAc0GIbkzEgm
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在共同生活了好些時日後,霍金已經不覺得涅澤爾是那種瘋狂的邪惡巫師了,他心一橫,壓下心底的恐慌盡可能鎮定地跟著涅澤爾。468Please respect copyright.PENANA9I0fOOSyJt
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當他們一往前,炎魔便退離通道。468Please respect copyright.PENANA48YoJaNyI9
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接下來,每一條岔路都有炎魔駐守,霍金終於明白牠們是在引路,同時也注意到,只要炎魔退得慢了點,涅澤爾身上似乎又會多出幾片紅鱗,最初霍金還以為是錯覺,但當這人身上的鱗片蔓延到耳下時,他就曉得絕不是自己看錯。468Please respect copyright.PENANAQifUSwJdMm
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青年走得越來越慢,少年幾乎開始懷疑鱗片即是巫師這種生物的血肉、冒出的範圍和虛弱的程度成正比,在前者連右腕都憑空冒出幾片紅麟時,霍金忍不住握住涅澤爾的手腕,後者的體溫高得像在發燒,鱗片的觸感則似小白的龍麟般乾燥。468Please respect copyright.PENANAGiLzYYtrdx
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「你是不是快死了?」468Please respect copyright.PENANA4iRtzrS1qZ
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明明他想說的不是這個,但第一時間脫口的卻是這句話,霍金簡直想找個地洞把自己埋了,而他對面的涅澤爾頓了一下,旋即回應:468Please respect copyright.PENANA6V4F3AFU4T
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「放心吧,萵苣,就算全人類都死光了,巫師也不會死。還是你很想替我辦葬禮?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAFA84wpduYn
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「你走不動的話我可以揹你。」468Please respect copyright.PENANACVzxgi5fBs
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這回涅澤爾愣在當場,霍金尷尬地別過眼,隨後聽見巫師輕笑出聲,而且一笑就是一分鐘以上。468Please respect copyright.PENANAKqVs0ZssAd
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這傢伙是燒壞腦子了不成?就在霍金如此忖度的同時,涅澤爾才止住笑意說道:468Please respect copyright.PENANAnyWRL5Mv0m
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「其實你不是人類吧?萵苣。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAneu709Pebf
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霍金一時竟無法分辨這人是真心發問還是純粹沒禮貌,涅澤爾偏了偏頭,表情又換回平時調侃他的樣子,「你要揹的話就給你揹吧,我還真想知道你媽看到這一幕會有什麼表情。」468Please respect copyright.PENANA3sx5m0ifb8