By the Gray Mist Lake, mid-June.
It was the hottest time of the year. The perpetually damp, watery mist hanging over Gray Mist Lake blocked most of the sunlight. Compared to dry heat, the air here was heavy like a soaked woolen blanket, making people uncomfortable.
Only the occasional one or two carriages would pass through here, but they never lingered.
However, today, the quiet of this place was broken by a burst of clamor on the lakeside road leading to the dungeon entrance.
The vanguard formation of the Blacktooth mercenary company had arrived here and was bustling with activity.
Brawny mercenaries swung axes and saws, felling swamp trees. The mages accompanying the team chanted softly, their hands flickering with an earthen yellow glow, repeatedly casting "Earth Shaping" spells onto the muddy ground, laying the foundation for a temporary camp that could accommodate the main force, horses, and supplies.
These mercenaries were uniformly equipped, wearing leather or heavy armor dyed in dull, dark hues. Their weapons were well-made, and their eyes held a wariness towards this unfamiliar region.
They had been urgently assembled from various Blacktooth strongholds across the Dark Realm for this A-rank bounty mission codenamed "Slime Purge." The mercenary company had even, unusually, dispatched an Elite Professional to oversee the operation.
In the center of the camp, several thick white canvas tents had already been erected. The largest one was surrounded by torches, their flickering flames barely dispersing the swamp's damp mist.
The sand table roughly simulated the terrain southwest of Gray Mist Lake, with several small flags representing friendly and enemy forces stuck into it.
The man's name was Galvin. The mercenaries only knew he was originally a knight captain from the White Horse Kingdom's Border Garrison. Later, he defected from the kingdom, concealed his identity, and joined the Blacktooth mercenary company, which only cared about money, not origins.
However, this guy's personality was rigid, meticulous, and even somewhat reclusive, clashing with the mercenary company's generally lax and profit-driven atmosphere. Many mercenaries secretly looked down on him.
Galvin's finger moved slowly across the sand table, his voice steady as he gave the final tactical briefing to the several squad leaders gathered around him.
"...Based on the intelligence previously gathered by Derrick's squad, cutting in from this small path on the southwest side allows us to bypass large swathes of the swamp, reducing physical exertion before entering the forest."
"As for the specific formation... Once in the forest, the first squad of heavy shield warriors will take the front, advancing slowly in a wedge formation. Mages and rangers will be in the center. Assassins must be deployed continuously on both flanks for reconnaissance, alert to any form of ambush or traps... Our primary objective is to reach this open area, establish an advanced base, and then..."
The squad leaders standing around the sand table crossed their arms, appearing to listen. Only after the briefing ended did they begin to speak up with praise.
"Very good."
"As expected of Commander Galvin. The tactics are very rigorous and detailed. I can't find any fault."
In truth, these mercenaries who lived by the sword were mostly illiterate. Even if they wanted to find fault, they lacked the knowledge to do so.
Rex, standing nearby, smiled and said, "With a professional commander like you, this A-rank bounty should be in the bag."
"However, you must have seen the intelligence I recorded. When dealing with those green skins at Riftrock Pass last time, some goblins said the true lord behind the force in the Eastern Swamp might be a 'Death Knight,' strength unknown, very likely an Elite Silver-rank."
"If the intel is true, how do we deal with him?"
Hearing the word "knight," Galvin's movements paused for an instant. Then he raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Rex.
"No need to specially detach forces. If it appears, I will handle it personally."
His voice carried a steady confidence that made everyone present believe him.
Only after everyone refocused their attention on him did Galvin turn his gaze back to the sand table, his tone becoming even more serious. "Gentlemen, I think you all understand very well what price the mercenary company has paid for this expedition."
"Just the advanced Antidote Potions, healing potions, protective scrolls issued to each person, plus the fees for hiring the mages, have already cost hundreds of Gold Coins."
"This money is not charity, nor is it a stake that can be easily wasted. What an A-rank bounty target means requires no further explanation from me. Any underestimation or carelessness could cause us to lose our entire investment, or even leave our lives forever in this swamp."
"I hope no unexpected situations arise during the mission. I don't have time to give psychological counseling to everyone. You should understand what I'm referring to." Galvin's words carried an implicit meaning, reminding them to keep their subordinates in check.
The atmosphere inside the tent immediately grew more solemn. The several Official Professional squad leaders nodded in agreement.
"Good. Gentlemen, let's cooperate well."
Having said that, Galvin prepared to leave.
Rex, standing nearby, followed, taking a wineskin from his waist and offering it, trying to build rapport.
"Commander, the weather's stifling. Have a drink to ward off the damp. This is good stuff brought from Zeyarila..."
"Unnecessary."
Galvin raised a hand to refuse and walked directly out. "Maintaining clarity during a mission is more important than anything. If you have that kind of thought, you'd be better off checking the equipment again or supervising the progress of the camp's defenses."
Rex was rebuffed, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face, but he quickly masked it, putting the wineskin away with an awkward chuckle.
"Haha, the commander's lesson is correct. I wasn't thinking clearly. I'll go keep an eye on those lazy bones right now."
With that, he also left the tent. Instantly, the chaotic noise from outside enveloped them.
The mist outside seemed to have thickened. In the distance, the forest was now just a blurry outline, like a lurking giant beast, exuding a sense of oppressive tension before a storm.
However, the ordinary mercenaries in the camp seemed unaffected. Most wore expressions of excitement, polishing weapons, checking bowstrings, whispering about bounties and loot.
Like sharks smelling blood, the more dangerous it was, the more restless they became.
After walking a few steps away, one of Rex's trusted subordinates approached and muttered in a low voice, "Boss, everyone says this Commander Galvin has a nasty, hard-ass temper, like a rock in a latrine pit. Seeing him today, the reputation is well-deserved. He wouldn't even accept a drink..."
Rex took out the wineskin and took a swig himself, wiping his mouth.
"He's a proper Kingdom Knight by origin. He's got big rules. How could he look favorably upon us mercenaries who only see Gold Coins?"
"If it weren't for that planar rift suddenly appearing deep in the Dark Realm again, drawing all the Elite Professionals to handle that S-rank bounty, the task of leading the team to exterminate this magical creature force wouldn't have fallen to this rigid guy either."
"Kingdom Knight? Hah, still a stray dog in the end, relying on our mercenary company for a bite to eat."
The subordinate's eyes widened in surprise. "A planar rift? This... this is already the third rift to appear in the Dark Realm this year, isn't it?"
Rex waved his hand.
"Who knows? Every summer when the Mana gets restless, a few of these damn things always pop up. Nothing to be too surprised about."
"But they're extremely dangerous. Even those lawless goblins at Riftrock Pass took heavy losses, losing quite a few people. That's not something we can get involved in right now. Let's focus our efforts and take care of this fat job in front of us first."
With that, he stuffed the wineskin back at his waist and strode with his subordinate towards the busy edge of the camp, his figure gradually swallowed by the increasingly thick gray-white mist.
Rex had left. The camp mercenaries continued their noisy exchanges, completely unaware that on the outskirts of the camp, several Beetles were quietly clinging to the rough bark of oak trees, watching them.
Unlike ordinary beetles, they were exceptionally quiet, and each wore a squishy gel cap on its head.
They were precisely the Beetle scouts dispatched by Chen Yu, all equipped with the Lv.1 【Stealth】 talent, which effectively reduced their presence.
Moreover, due to their small size, even if the occasional assassin from the formation team passed by during perimeter patrols, it was extremely easy to overlook them.
Undisturbed, the Beetle scouts meticulously collected intelligence on the formation team's personnel distribution, equipment types, and more. Then, through the gel caps, they transmitted this information in real-time back to the distant swamp fortress.
A few seconds later, Chen Yu, standing on the fortress city wall, suddenly received frontline intelligence compiled and forwarded by the Strategist Slime.
Also receiving the summarized intelligence were Arthur and the elves wearing gel rings.
"Is this the frontline intelligence coming back?"
A trace of surprise flashed across Eserin's face.
Being able to instantly obtain real-time movements of a distant enemy camp without leaving the safety of the fortress—the wonder of this communication magic far exceeded her imagination.
According to what the Slime King had mentioned in passing, even if the Dryad domain and the Slime Kingdom were separated by a great distance, as long as subjects from both sides held this kind of "communicator," designated a contact person, and sent a communication request through the magic, subjects could even engage in remote conversation as if face-to-face.
This efficiency of information transmission simply overturned traditional magic messaging or courier systems.
This unheard-of Slime magic... fortunately, it was born in this nameless swamp... If it appeared before those old fossils of the Ancient Tree Council who rigidly adhered to tradition, who knows what they would think.
Eserin sighed inwardly. She felt she was only a few decades old, still young. How had she become unable to accept new things so quickly?
Was her psychological age getting old already?
Her thoughts wandered for a long while before she snapped back to reality, shifting her gaze to the Slime King in front of her.
"The enemy this time is quite well-prepared, Sir Slime. How do you plan to respond?"
She shared the intelligence she knew.
"That leader, Galvin, originally came from the White Horse Kingdom's most elite Border Knight Regiment. Over a decade ago, he was still a young knight with a promising future. For some unknown reason, after completing a mission at an outpost ruins, he suddenly betrayed the kingdom and joined the Blacktooth mercenary company."
"This knight is proficient in the strategies and tactics of regular armies. Personally, he's an Elite Professional. He's a very dangerous individual."
"The Blacktooth formation team has clearly come prepared. From the intelligence, they are equipped with targeted heavy shields and a large number of protective scrolls to counter the magic battery arrays."
"In fact, this is a conventional tactical method for dealing with Magic Crystal Cannons, and it's quite effective, greatly reducing the operational scope of such cannons."
The Slime Kingdom seemed to rely quite heavily on this magic battery array similar to Magic Crystal Cannons. Once targeted, it would likely be difficult to stop the formation team's advance.
Chen Yu's soft, glutinous voice sounded in her mind. "Don't worry, Miss Eserin. We have already prepared a contingency plan."
He blinked his eyes but did not reveal what the so-called "contingency plan" actually was.
"It's best that you have preparations, Your Excellency."
Eserin gave a slight nod and did not press further. However, her elven companions beside her seemed quite curious about the so-called "contingency plan," exchanging glances and guessing what it might be.
"It's getting late. Once these mercenaries finish resting, they will advance into the swamp, heading straight for the fortress."
"We should also assemble our army."
Chen Yu gave a little hop, landing on Arthur's shoulder armor. Everyone followed him to the central training ground of the fortress.
Just as the several elves were surveying the empty training ground—
"Bzzzzzzzz!!!"
A low, dense buzzing suddenly erupted from the Wasp Nests on the city wall watchtowers.
The next moment, Poison-stinger Wasps converged into several massive black clouds pouring out of the nests. Then, like a well-trained army, they swiftly descended onto the training ground, arranging themselves into neat square formations.
The number of these Poison-stinger Wasps was astonishing. Even just the permanent garrison force, at a rough glance, numbered at least five hundred.
Among them, the most numerous were the conventional Explosive Wasp Soldiers. Next were the more slender Assassin Wasp Soldiers, and the Medical Wasp Soldiers with life energy stored in their abdomens.
Even more eye-catching were several columns of a newly appeared special unit—the Jet Wasp Soldiers equipped with "Pea Shot" and "Promote Growth."
While they couldn't directly shoot peas, their stingers could connect to the magical pea seedlings cultivated beneath the city wall battlements. Using 【Promote Growth】, they could stimulate the pea seedlings to quickly produce plump pods and control the pods to shoot out hard, large peas.
The single-shot lethality of these peas was low, but as long as they could form a dense barrage, it would be sufficient to effectively delay the enemy's advance and interfere with climbing, making them excellent auxiliary forces for defending the city walls.
Following the Poison-stinger Wasps' entrance, the second most numerous magical creatures in the domain took the stage—the Beetles.
Most of them lacked direct offensive capabilities but were diligent logistical troops maintaining the fortress's lifeline, capable of transporting strategic supplies like Gray Gravel Crystals, repair materials, Moss Monster jerky, etc., to the front lines.
Next, a slight tremor came from the ground.
Peachy, with a build like a small battering ram, huffed and puffed as she gathered. On her back lay Little Ka, his gaze resolute, ready for battle at any moment.
In addition, Slimes of different professions also began busy preparations for battle. Some were diligently drawing Talismans, while others inspected every corner of the city wall, ready to repair damaged fortifications at any moment.
Witnessing this solemn scene, the elves finally truly realized that war was coming, their expressions showing some tension.
Standing beside Arthur, Eserin gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
This magical creature army was clearly larger and more powerful than the one that came to their aid last time. Its war-making capability was not to be underestimated.
However... even so, to directly crush a well-equipped human mercenary formation team led by an Elite Professional would likely still entail a brutal war of attrition.
Even if they could win, the Slime Kingdom might have to pay a heavy price.
But she had a feeling that this magical creature kingdom that had suddenly emerged from the swamp wouldn't be so easily crushed.
She hoped her premonition was correct.