"Is this thing a magic organ?" he asked curiously.
Arthur nodded. "According to Lord Viola, this is the core produced by a mutated pea pod within her territory that was affected by chaotic mana. After being roasted, the taste... is quite good, with a unique roasted aroma."
"Let me try."
Chen Yu's curiosity was piqued. He extended a gel-like little hand, picked up the pea, and swallowed it into his gel body.
The pea's outer skin was quickly decomposed by digestive fluids, and an extremely astringent, bitter taste instantly spread.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft!"
This flavor was way too strong;
it was nothing like he imagined it would taste.
Chen Yu instantly understood why Arthur had emphasized "roasted." Eating this thing raw was simply torture.
However, just as he was complaining, a panel notification surfaced in his consciousness.
[Devour Digestion Lv.7 triggered — Magical Pea Pod characteristics recorded. Talent incubating (2/10).]
Chen Yu's eyes instantly lit up.
Plant-type magical creatures could actually be recorded!
In that instant, it seemed as if countless peculiar plant-type magical creatures were enthusiastically waving at him.
He immediately adopted a serious posture and said to Arthur, "The Goblin Army spreads plague poison winds, endangering our allies. This behavior is despicable and shameless. Assisting the dryad territory in resisting this common threat is a duty our Slime Kingdom cannot shirk!"
Halfway through, his tone shifted. "Of course, necessary labor fees and material compensation are also the foundation for maintaining a lasting alliance. Our Magical Creature Army's mobilization for security services isn't cheap. This point must be made clear to Lord Viola."
After speaking, Chen Yu jumped onto Arthur's hand, preparing to personally accompany him.
Since there were a large number of magical creatures, of course, his main body with greater stomach capacity had to go personally to eat more.
Arthur carefully placed his Majesty on his shoulder armor and stood up.
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. Lord Viola has already informed me in advance that she is willing to exchange grain produced by the dryad territory for our security assistance and has promised to prioritize supplying us."
"The situation is urgent. The toxins are eroding the forest every moment. I will lead the team and depart immediately."
Soon, an elite magical creature army assembled on the training ground of the swamp fortress.
Captain Beet took the lead, followed by three hundred Poison-stinger Wasps and forty strong, elite Beetles. Their broad carapaces were not only fixed with the recently dismantled battery array talisman components and spare Gray Gravel Crystals from the city walls but also carried three vigilant Metal Slimes.
As for food rations? The dryad territory had plenty. A labor dispatch couldn't possibly not include meals, right?
...
Rootwhisper Forest, border area.
Sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting a tranquil and peaceful light into the forest. Sparrows hopped among the branches but were soon startled away by a group of uninvited guests.
On a clearing at the forest's edge stood over a dozen goblin underlings wearing simple leather armor and holding rusted weapons. They were currently clustered around a goblin shaman wearing feather and bone ornaments and holding a twisted wooden staff.
Opposite them stood the elf mage Eserin and her elf squad.
Both sides seemed to be in a tense standoff at the forest border.
"Leave this place."
Eserin's warning voice was not loud, but it carried a chill.
"Rootwhisper Forest does not welcome the filth of goblins. This is the final warning."
The goblin shaman grinned, revealing uneven yellow teeth, and let out a grating "cackle" laugh, responding in its broken Common Tongue.
"Leave? Elf, if you submit to our great Goblin Army, perhaps I can grant your request."
The underlings behind it also erupted in mocking laughter, waving their weapons.
There was not the slightest fluctuation in Eserin's eyes;
she merely tightened her grip on her staff.
"It seems negotiations have failed."
"Failed? They never succeeded!"
The goblin shaman screeched strangely and suddenly slammed its wooden staff heavily on the ground.
[Profane Orb]
A wave of dark purple energy instantly condensed and shot towards Eserin.
Eserin was well-prepared. Her figure leapt back gracefully while her mouth rapidly chanted an elegant incantation in the elven tongue.
[Thorn Barrier]
A barrier composed of entangled thorns and emerald-green light instantly materialized before her.
"Boom!"
The Profane Orb crashed against the Thorn Barrier, exploding into a nauseating cloud of purplish-black mist. Corrosive energy sizzled but was firmly blocked by the power of nature.
"Attack! Tear her apart!" the goblin shaman shrieked furiously.
The goblin underlings howled as they charged forward.
But the elf squad moved faster. The ranger in the team nimbly retreated while drawing his bow and nocking an arrow.
[Multi-Shot]
Three arrows imbued with the power of nature's punishment shot out in a triangular formation, accurately striking the throats of the three foremost goblin underlings. They screamed and fell.
[Entangling Vines]
Eserin chanted again. Vines on the ground suddenly came to life, slithering out like green snakes, firmly entangling two more goblins.
The battle erupted almost instantly and approached its conclusion in a one-sided situation.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, a flicker of panic crossed the goblin shaman's face. It suddenly pulled out a handful of unknown powder and scattered it into the air while pointing its staff at the ground.
"Scram!"
[Stinking Cloud]
A dense, foul-smelling black smoke instantly billowed forth, obscuring vision.
"Cough, cough!" Eserin was forced back a step by the sudden stench-filled smoke, waving her hand to dispel the filth before her eyes.
As the smoke cleared slightly, the goblin shaman had already scrambled away, fleeing far into the distance, leaving behind only a few underlings who were entangled or scared out of their wits.
It glanced back and shrieked, "Elves, just you wait! This forest will be ours sooner or later!"
After delivering its threat, it plunged headlong into the deeper shadows of the forest, fleeing in disgrace.
Eserin did not pursue. She quickly dispatched the remaining goblin underlings, but her brow furrowed slightly.
The shaman's look and words before fleeing gave her a sense of unease.
Sure enough, not long after, the forest's wind direction subtly changed.
A faint purple mist, like an ominous veil, slowly drifted over from the direction the goblin shaman had fled.
The familiar odor of decay began to waft through the air, even more concentrated than before.
"Plague poison wind... and stronger." Eserin's expression darkened slightly.
Negotiations had not only failed, but the goblins didn't even have the intention of retreating.
"Fall back, retreat to the forest field defensive line!"
She decisively gave the order. Simultaneously, the elf ranger shot an arrow into the air that emitted a sharp, whistling sound.
[Warning Arrow]
Old Bloom and the Glimmerlings, who were driving away mutated plants near the forest fields, heard the signal. Seeing the gradually spreading purple mist, their expressions changed.
"Why is it endless?"
If he weren't worried about setting a bad example for the children, Old Bloom really wanted to curse those damned green-skinned shorties.
"Children, fall back!"
Old Bloom swung his hayfork, deftly flicking away a wild, aggressive weed that was trying to entangle a sapling with its vines. His movements were as practiced as if he were clearing weeds from his own vegetable garden.
Several Glimmerlings behind him were frantically using their little shovels to beat back a plump "rolling tuber" that was trying to push open the fence.
Hearing his words, they hurriedly grabbed their little shovels and retreated.
Not far ahead, the elf squad was returning.
[Nature's Punishment]
The elf ranger drew his bow and shot. A luminous arrow accurately sank into the center of the cap of a "Sleepy Mushroom" that was trying to spew paralyzing pollen, instantly purifying it into a wisp of smoke.
Eserin's gaze swept over the slightly chaotic battlefield, and her cool voice rang out.
"Prioritize eliminating targets that spread spores. The treants are responsible for intercepting the big ones."
While Eserin was busy, Viola's annoyed voice sounded in her mind.
"These green skins only know how to use such disgusting methods. They don't dare to actually fight their way in, just hide in the distance farting to pollute the air. My forest is almost stinking."
"Eserin, do you think that interesting Slime Lord from the Eastern Swamp will send people to help? They seem quite good at dealing with these 'little things'."
[Thorny Grasp]
Eserin had just immobilized several jumping-bean-like magical creatures. Hearing this, her movements imperceptibly paused for a moment.
"Knight Arthur has already taken the request for aid back. As for whether they will come, and in what manner... I cannot predict."
She didn't dislike those bouncy slimes full of natural essence. It was just that Arthur's undead status forced her to be cautious.
However, after these days of interaction, she felt this undead was rather dull and not very scheming.
That's why she had actively suggested seeking aid to Lady Viola.
As for whether that little Slime Lord was willing to help them, she didn't know either.
Her thoughts flowed, and she quickly refocused her attention on the battle.
The fighting in the forest fields wasn't particularly intense, but it was grinding.
These polluted magical creatures weren't individually threatening, but like buzzing mosquitoes and flies, after driving away one wave, they would soon sprout from polluted corners again, slowly but steadily eroding the borders of the forest fields, causing severe harm to the farmland.
They seemed endless, emerging one after another, exhausting everyone.
Just then, steady yet somewhat hurried footsteps came from the forest.
A tall figure charged through the thinning poison mist, its lance sweeping aside a large swath of magical creatures. It was Arthur and Chen Yu arriving.
Chen Yu, crouched on his shoulder, saw the ground covered with magical creatures, and his eyes seemed to sparkle.
This old antique really hadn't lied to him.
There were so, so many magical creatures!
"Lady Eserin, Mr. Bloom."
Arthur returned before the group and nodded in greeting, the soulfire in his eye sockets burning steadily.
"By the Lord's command, I have arrived first. The Kingdom's army has already set out through the underground passage and is expected to reach the battlefield soon, responsible for clearing out these harassing magical creatures."
His arrival boosted everyone's spirits.
"An army? Are they those powerful bees?" a bold Glimmerling peeked out from behind Bloom's leg, asking curiously and expectantly. It remembered the disciplined swarm from last time.
"Yes, Captain Beet and its subordinates will be responsible for the main clearing work," Arthur confirmed.
He surveyed the battlefield. "The Lord instructed that everyone need only hold the existing defensive line to avoid friendly fire. The army will enter the battlefield directly from the preset exit."
"Thank you for the generous assistance of the Slime Lord and Knight Arthur," Eserin said, bowing.
Arthur's news brought a sliver of relief, but the trouble before them didn't immediately lessen.
The magical creatures were still tirelessly surging forward. Although they couldn't break through the defensive line, they were continuously draining everyone's energy.
But fortunately, with the addition of a top-tier combatant like Arthur, everyone could catch their breath slightly and temporarily hold this forest field.
Before the forest field, Arthur stood like an unshakable rock against the tide. Each swing of his lance burned away large swaths of magical creatures, clearing an empty space before him.
Some Glimmerlings, following Chen Yu's instructions, would sneak forward to help retrieve the magical creature corpses, peel open the magic organs inside one by one, and feed them to him.
"Lord, I've peeled it."
"Eat mine, eat mine."
The Glimmerlings seemed to treat the feeding as a game of "whoever feeds more is more impressive," each waiting their turn to feed the slime in their arms.
Chen Yu accepted them all, swallowing them into his large belly. Before long, he was full.
[Devour Digestion Lv.7 triggered — Magical Pea Pod characteristics fully recorded. Talent acquired: Pea Shot Lv.3]
[Devour Digestion Lv.7 triggered — Forest Earthworm characteristics fully recorded. Talent acquired: Repair Slime Lv.4]
[Devour Digestion Lv.7 triggered — Fertile Soil Mycena partial characteristics recorded. Talent acquired: Soil Improvement Lv.4]
"Achoo!"
Chen Yu suddenly sneezed, his body trembling. A blob of gel shot out and splattered onto a randomly running Fertile Soil Mycena.
It stood there dumbly, seemingly pondering where this sticky gel had come from. Then, in the next second, it was blasted away.
The propulsion ability granted by "Pea Shot" didn't have much power, but when paired with "Mana Explosion," it could produce wonderful effects.
Just like how a peashooter's peas would explode.
And "Repair Slime" seemed to be a versatile talent. The secreted slime was basically a universal adhesive, able to bond wounds, stones, or wood.
It would be good to equip the medical wasp soldiers with it.
As for "Soil Improvement," this thing was probably a divine farming skill.
Whoo-hoo, those few barren fields in his territory were saved.
Everyone held on for a period of time that was neither short nor long. Just as Bloom felt his old bones were about to fall apart and the Glimmerlings' little shovels were about to become too heavy to swing...
From the direction of the dungeon passage entrance came a low, rhythmic humming sound.
Then, squadrons of Poison-stinger Wasps orderly navigated through the chaotic forest, quickly assembling into tight combat formations in the air as they flew over.
Following closely behind were the strong Beetles responsible for carrying supplies and equipment, and the three Metal Slimes riding on Beetles.
"They're finally here..." Bloom sighed in relief, wiping sweat from his forehead that didn't exist.
Eserin observed this peculiar army closely, her eyes filled with scrutiny and curiosity.
Captain Beet flew to the front of the formation, issuing simple pheromone commands silently.
The next moment, the swarm moved!
They split into several small teams, like experienced cleaners, accurately pouncing on the areas with the densest concentration of magical creatures.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!"
Dense volleys of poison stingers shot out like a sudden storm, prioritizing the elimination of those area-polluting magical creatures that released spores and poison mist, as well as those trying to burrow and damage tree roots.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The small-scale explosions that occurred after the poison stingers hit their targets effectively curbed the spread of the magical creatures. The clearing efficiency was extremely high.
Captain Beet itself patrolled the air. The water droplets it condensed always accurately found the energy cores or joint parts of the magical creatures, quietly disintegrating them from within.
The pressure on the elves, treants, and Bloom visibly lessened. They could even take a few steps back, watching the swarm "clean up" the battlefield with astonishing efficiency.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Explosive poison-stinger wasps. They work really efficiently," Bloom remarked, leaning on his hayfork, his tone carrying a mix of surprise and appreciation.
Eserin only glanced a few times, paying special attention to those explosive poison stingers. Then her gaze fell on the Beetles behind them that were setting up magic formations.
Compared to these poison-stinger wasps, she always felt the magic formations the Beetles were setting up were more mysterious.
Viola's voice sounded at this moment.
"These guys really work well. That little lord is quite capable too."
"Eserin, pay attention. Certain green-skinned fellows are probably going to be furious and will definitely continue to act."
...
In the distance, hidden in the shadows, the goblin shaman frowned with displeasure.
"Tch... Damn slimes again. They really came to meddle."
It muttered, its eyes rolling, revealing a sinister smile.
"Like cleaning up, do you? Then let's find you something bigger to try your hands on."
It waved its bone staff, chanting a profane incantation. Large amounts of poison mist gathered in its palm, eventually transforming into a dark green seed.
At first, it hesitated slightly, seemingly pained, then made up its mind and slapped the seed hard into the ground.
"Grolush, please nourish this sacred object!"
The ground shook violently, soil churning. A giant man-eating flower emitting a terrifying stench broke through the earth.
Its huge flower, covered in spots and mucus, was like a twisted trumpet, filled with barbs inside. Countless thick vines covered in thorns waved about like tentacles.
This terrifying magical creature emitted a silent psychic roar. Moving on legs composed of thick roots, it strode step by step towards the battlefield. Its massive size and the evil aura it emitted immediately exerted pressure on the swarm.
"In the name of Sedalian!"
Eserin's expression turned serious. She immediately raised her staff, powerful natural energy beginning to gather on the gem of her staff.
Arthur also raised his lance, positioning himself at the very front.
But a slime was faster than them.
Behind everyone, the battery array had been assembled. The three Metal Slime gunners adjusted their aim, targeting the enormous man-eating flower.
The "Goblin Ripper" shimmered with starlight.
"Hummm— BOOM!!"
A condensed silver light beam suddenly shot out, accurately striking the giant man-eating flower's thorn-covered maw.
Amidst the loud noise, the man-eating flower's massive body jolted violently. A large hole exploded where it was hit, splintered thorns and petals flying everywhere. It let out a roar of pain, its movements noticeably slowing.
Before it could regain its footing, the second charged shot arrived.
"BOOM!!"
Another strike slammed heavily into its roots.
This big guy looked massive, but its defensive capabilities were pitifully low. On the verge of collapse, it toppled over with a crash.
It suddenly raised its head and let out a long howl. Roots rapidly grew from its base, firmly embedding into the soil as it lunged towards the forest fields.
It clearly possessed some kind of rapid regeneration ability.
Eserin's gaze, still filled with curiosity, lingered on the "Slime Gunners." Glancing at the enemy's move, she raised her staff and aimed at the charging man-eating flower.
[Moonbeam]
A beam of pure, cold, radiant energy shot out, illuminating the man-eating flower's enormous blossom.
"Sizzle, sizzle!"
The light pierced the petals, causing the giant man-eating flower to howl in agony. It thrashed its limbs chaotically, momentarily losing its sense of direction, attacking wildly.
Under the control of the Slime Gunners, the Goblin Ripper continuously bombarded the man-eating flower, accurately striking the wounds burned by the moonlight.
The moonlight seemed to also carry an effect that inhibited growth. The man-eating flower could no longer undergo frenzied regeneration. The Goblin Ripper blasted through layer after layer of thick petals, exposing its core.
Simultaneously, Arthur took a powerful step forward, his lance igniting with ghostly blue flames.
No technique, relying purely on brute strength.
He swung his arm. The lance left his hand like a falling ghostly blue meteor, tearing through the air with a sharp shriek, and pierced accurately into the man-eating flower's core.
"BOOM!!!"
The explosion was deafening.
Furious ghostly blue flames surged out from within, instantly bursting apart and devouring the man-eating flower's deformed body.
The man-eating flower let out a shrill wail. Its massive body convulsed violently, then collapsed with a crash, turning into a pile of rapidly decaying organic debris.
The goblin shaman hiding in the distance saw this scene and its eyes widened in shock.
What in the world are these things!
Not only is that magic formation different from the intelligence that said it could only fire four shots...
Even with the elves helping, for this undead knight to be able to tear the big guy nurtured by the sacred object to shreds purely by strength is too terrifying!
Could it be that the so-called Slime Lord is actually just a front?
Of course, he wasn't questioning the intelligence brought back by Commander Hammerbone... It's just that this undead knight was hiding deeper and was very cautious, not showing himself.
Yes, that's it!
This undead knight is definitely the true master of the Eastern Swamp!
It felt it had grasped secret intelligence about the Eastern Swamp and inwardly rejoiced.
With this piece of intelligence, after returning, Army Commander Splitfang would surely reward it handsomely.
Thinking this, it no longer wasted its mana. Its figure quietly melted into the depths of the forest and slipped away.
At the edge of the forest fields, the onslaught of the magical creature tide was quickly contained and dismantled under the efficient and calm clearing by the swarm.
The Glimmerlings holding their little wooden shovels were so tired they plopped down on the grass, wiping sweat from their foreheads and exhaling slowly.
When they realized the forest fields had been protected, they cheered and jumped for joy again.
Some of the little ones even picked up the three Metal Slimes and kissed them repeatedly, as if expressing gratitude.
This made even the usually steady Metal Slimes somewhat embarrassed.
Arthur retrieved his lance from the distant forest. Along the way, he thoughtfully dug out the man-eating flower's magic organ and brought it back for his Majesty.
The man-eating flower's magic organ was surprisingly small for its massive size, looking just like a tiny seed.
After Chen Yu swallowed it into his stomach, it was digested cleanly in no time. But this time, the panel that popped up was quite strange.
[Devour Digestion Lv.7 triggered — ??? characteristics recorded. Talent incubating (1/3).]
Huh?
What magical creature is so mysterious it doesn't even have a name?