Noon.
The fully rested mercenary company began to assemble, the low commands breaking the swamp's silence.
They quickly formed a standard expeditionary formation—warriors wielding tower shields and greatswords on the outermost ring, with mages tightly protected at the formation's center.
Assassins and rangers were scattered like ghosts around the array and its flanks, vigilantly scanning for any suspicious movements.
At the front of the group, Galvin rode on a strangely-shaped mount.
A swamp salamander, an amphibious magical creature with thick limbs, broad webbed feet, capable of easily traversing muddy and damp environments, and with a gentle temperament, making it suitable as a mount.
He steered the swamp salamander back and forth in front of the array, his gaze sweeping over every captain and mercenary. The invisible pressure made even the official professional squad leaders unconsciously straighten their backs, their palms slightly sweating.
Once the formation was fully arrayed, Galvin reined in his mount and faced all the mercenaries, his steady voice reaching everyone's ears.
"I know why you're standing here."
Galvin paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, seeing the glint of agreement and greed in many mercenaries' eyes.
He knew full well that the commotion of their encampment and movements couldn't be completely hidden from the master of this place.
What awaited them ahead couldn't possibly be just the natural dangers of the swamp.
Therefore, to exterminate this target, he needed the company to have greater cohesion.
"Since the goal is clear—we're all here for money—then it's simple. The prerequisite for getting this money is that we stay alive and complete the mission."
"So from now on, discard all notions of luck, underestimation, and unnecessary personal thoughts. Remember your duties, obey orders, coordinate with each other, and give your all to deal with everything we're about to face."
"I don't need you to fight for honor. I only need you to fight for the bounty, and to stay alive to collect it. Understood?"
"Understood! For the bounty!"
The mercenaries' voices gathered. Though not perfectly synchronized, the desire for wealth was exceptionally fervent.
Galvin gave a slight nod. With a *shing*, he drew the knight's longsword from his waist. The blade carved a cold flash through the grayish mist, pointing straight toward the depths of the swamp.
"Move out! For the bounty!"
"For the bounty!!" The mercenary company erupted into even more fanatical roars, their momentum fierce.
Everyone took out expensive antidote potions, pulled the stoppers, and drank them down in one go. The slight warmth from the potion dispelled the numbness and nausea caused by inhaling the poisonous mist.
The heavy-armored warriors stepped into the mire first. Their heavy boots sank into the mud, then were firmly pulled out as they steadily advanced.
Further ahead, several thieves and assassins melted silently into the mist-shrouded forest. With sharp, experienced eyes, they scrutinized every inch of the forest floor, searching for possible traps or ambush points.
A company of fifty men might not amount to much in open terrain, but moving through a dense swamp forest stretched them into a rather sizable line, making quite a racket.
As they advanced, the warriors in front occasionally swung their swords to cut through obstructing vines and shrubs, incidentally clearing away some lurking poisonous insects.
When encountering impassable patches of deep swamp, the mages at the center would, in unspoken coordination, collectively wave their staffs and chant incantations.
【Earth Shaping】
Earthen yellow magical light gathered. The muddy, impassable swamp ahead seemed kneaded by an invisible hand. Water within the muck was briefly expelled, and hard earth and stone churned upward, rapidly forming a temporary, solid earthen path wide enough for several people to walk abreast.
Though its duration was limited, it was enough for the entire group to pass through quickly.
Thus, the company's marching speed was unexpectedly not slow, gradually penetrating deeper into the heart of the swamp.
The surrounding mist grew thicker, laced with toxins, but the antidote potions were effective. Apart from obstructed vision, the mercenaries felt nothing else.
At the front of the group, Galvin took out a map marked with a safe route, frequently cross-referencing it with markers left by mercenaries who had previously scouted the swamp, trying hard to discern the direction.
In truth, this map, though seemingly crude, was expensive route intelligence bought by the Blacktooth mercenary company with an upfront investment of over a hundred gold coins and several lives.
The reason Derrick's mercenary squad had managed to find the fortress's location was pure luck. Before him, many desperate souls had gotten lost in the swamp, never to emerge again.
If not for the antidote potions and map guidance, almost no one would venture into this godforsaken place.
Even an elite professional like him was no exception.
It was no exaggeration to say that losing one's way here meant waiting for death.
Galvin's voice rang out again, carrying a warning. "Follow the markers. Don't deviate. Pay attention to the front and the movements in the woods on both sides. Be alert for ambushes."
Upon hearing this, the mages chanted softly, casting auxiliary spells once more.
【Detect Magic】
A faint blue glow veiled the eyes of several mages. Their gazes swept the surroundings, observing for abnormal magical fluctuations, attempting to find traces of magical traps.
Others lightly tapped their foreheads.
【Keen Ears】
【Hawk Eye】
Their hearing and vision were temporarily enhanced, capturing faint sounds and signs of movement in the distance.
Magic, combined with the professional reconnaissance of the thieves ahead, almost wove an invisible early warning net.
Just then, a thief responsible for flank reconnaissance suddenly emitted a low bird-call warning signal.
Soon, squad leader Rex retrieved a rather strange-looking beetle from the branches of a nearby tree.
The beetle was motionless, seemingly possessing some ability to reduce its presence, but the most peculiar thing was the small gel cap on its head.
"Commander, look at this..."
Rex handed the beetle to Galvin, who rode over on his mount.
Galvin took the beetle, glanced at it, and his expression darkened slightly.
"Don't forget, our enemy isn't human, but a group of magical creatures. This isn't an ordinary beetle. It's most likely a reconnaissance unit they sent out."
As if to confirm his words, soon, scouts from other directions also successively discovered several other beetles with small gel caps on their heads.
"Damn it, these beetles really are scouts."
In an instant, cold sweat broke out on the foreheads of all mercenaries who received the news, a chill running down their spines.
Their supposedly stealthy march had actually been under the enemy's surveillance from start to finish.
This was utterly inconceivable.
Galvin's expression remained cold and hard, but a touch of wariness entered his eyes. He gave the order without hesitation.
"The entire company, increase vigilance. Raise reconnaissance frequency and range. Any creature here—even if it's just a seemingly harmless slime, an ordinary frog, or even a flying insect—could be an enemy spy. Absolutely do not overlook anything suspicious."
"Yes!"
All mercenaries tensed up and responded in unison.
The already cautious group became even more taut. Everyone scanned the mist for any possible threats, and their marching speed slowed down.
………
The intelligence about the beetle scouts being discovered and captured one by one quickly made its way back to the fortress.
On the city wall, the atmosphere was heavy.
The metal slime artillery stood motionless beside the battery array, their smooth silver surfaces reflecting the gloomy daylight, their expressions serious, ready for battle.
Arthur sat in the shadow beneath the city wall battlement, meticulously polishing his knight's lance, preparing for the upcoming fight.
Meanwhile, at the forefront of the wall, Chen Yu and Eserin, along with several other elves, were gazing toward the southwest direction of the forest, reviewing the final intelligence transmitted by the beetles.
Chen Yu was somewhat surprised.
This mercenary company had discovered the beetle scouts he sent out so quickly. This company was indeed much more troublesome than previous enemies.
He immediately issued orders through the military slime, commanding all remaining beetle scouts to retreat to avoid further losses.
Simultaneously, the assassin wasp soldiers had already arrived at the company's inevitable path ahead of time, lying in ambush amidst the high branches and leaves, completely still, peering into the dark forest.
These guys were smaller than beetles, equipped with a higher-level "Stealth" ability. The downside was they emitted a buzzing sound when flying, making them unsuitable for close-range infiltration and easily discovered by the enemy, hence the need to ambush them along the predetermined route in advance.
After receiving the intelligence, Eserin fell into thought.
"Galvin, true to his knightly origins, is even more cautious than imagined."
Chen Yu bobbed up and down once.
"It's fine. They rely on traditional maps and markers. They know nothing about the 'new changes' in this swamp."
"We can prepare some small gifts in advance to welcome them."
Small gifts?
Before Eserin could ask, news came back from the distance that the company had triggered a trap.
……
In the poisonous mist-filled swamp forest.
The mercenaries had cautiously advanced only a short while when the mist ahead suddenly became abnormally thick.
This mist not only obscured vision but also instantly disoriented the several thieves who entered it. They struggled for a good while before returning to their original spot, their faces etched with confusion and fear.
"What's going on?" Rex growled in a low voice.
The mages in the group immediately stepped forward, raising their staffs and chanting incantations.
【Gust of Wind】
A powerful gust of wind blew forth, temporarily dispersing the thick mist ahead.
However, the moment the spell's effect ended, that eerie mist, as if possessing a life of its own, converged again from all directions, once more blocking the path.
"It's a magic formation!" a mage judged with a grave expression. "Someone has set up a confusing formation!"
Rex's heart sank heavily. "The intelligence didn't mention these magical creatures being able to set up magic formations. This discrepancy is too large."
He truly couldn't imagine how a group of magical creatures could master such a technique requiring precise knowledge and mana control.
Could it be that behind this force lurked undiscovered human mages or other intelligent beings?
A sense of unease began to spread among the mercenaries.
Just then, Galvin urged his swamp salamander forward.
His gaze swept over the misty area before him as he calmly explained.
"Quiet."
"The structure of the formation exposed inside is quite crude and primitive, like something set up by a beginner. It's not strange for magical creatures to imitate it."
"Now, mages, focus on detecting abnormal mana points in this area. Find the formation's core and destroy it. Everyone else, carefully survey the surroundings to see if there are any traps."
With clear orders, the mercenaries immediately sprang into action.
Soon, a mage pointed to a certain location deep within the mist.
"Over there. There's something glowing."
A spell ray hit the mark accurately. Sure enough, the surrounding thick mist began to visibly thin and dissipate, quickly returning to normal.
"Success!"
"So it was that simple."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief. The previous fear of the unknown magic formation dissipated for the most part. Some even felt that the magical creature force wasn't much to worry about.
But Galvin's intuition, honed over years on the battlefield, told him danger still lurked. He didn't immediately order the entire force forward. Instead, he had the thieves inspect the seemingly normal ground ahead even more carefully.
This inspection indeed revealed a problem!
A thief gently inserted a probe into the soft mud, touching a soft, springy object.
He carefully dug away the surface soil, revealing several lumps of gel-like substance, extremely well camouflaged.
Before those around could react to what this was, Galvin's pupils contracted. He instantly tore open two prepared protective scrolls.
【Blood Thorn Shield】
Crimson magical light instantly enveloped the several thieves at the very front.
Those lumps of gel suddenly shone with a piercing red light and rapidly expanded.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Violent explosions sounded one after another. Mud and rotting leaves were blasted in all directions. The powerful shockwaves slammed hard against the magical protective barrier, stirring up violent ripples.
Though they escaped unscathed, the force of the explosion still left those few thieves pale-faced. They plopped down on their backsides, staring at the small crater that had appeared where they'd just dug, hearts filled with lingering fear, as if scared out of their wits.
The other mercenaries also gasped sharply, their expressions extremely grave.
"This stuff is slime gel, right? ...It actually explodes?!" Rex's voice even changed pitch.
"The intelligence is true. The slimes here are more terrifying than imagined,"
Galvin glanced at them. "Continue advancing. Be careful of the ground underfoot and anything suspicious."
"Yes." This time, no one dared to be careless.
The company began advancing again, but the atmosphere became even more oppressive and tense. They hadn't gone far when a second, similar confusing misty area appeared.
"Oh, damn it, this thing is endless." The mercenaries couldn't help but curse under their breath.
This magical creature force might not be the strongest they'd ever seen, but it was definitely the most insidious, the most annoying.
They really knew how to be a pain.
This time they were even more cautious.
After the mages quickly located and destroyed the formation node, the thieves, clutching protective scrolls, advanced inch by inch as if facing a formidable enemy.
This time, there seemed to be no explosive gel buried around the magic formation.
Even Galvin relaxed his guard slightly after careful perception.
However, after three thieves crossed the formation's location and walked over ten meters out...
"BOOM!!"
A violent explosion erupted beneath their feet.
The three thieves only had time to let out a short, sharp cry before their entire bodies were blasted into the air, landing heavily on the ground, their legs a bloody mess.
"Alert! There are more traps ahead!" Galvin's expression changed, and he immediately roared.
The group fell into commotion. Mercenaries quickly rushed forward to pour healing potions down the injured thieves' throats and treat their wounds, thus saving their lives.
After this ordeal, all the mercenaries' expressions turned extremely ugly.
They once again revised their understanding of just how "devious and cunning" this magical creature force was.
"Damn... If I didn't know we were facing a bunch of magical creatures, I'd think it was some group of fellow mercenaries even more black-hearted than us."
"They play so dirty!"
The mercenaries muttered curses under their breath, their resentment steadily accumulating. Their nerves were stretched to the limit. Now, even the slightest rustle could trigger an overreaction from them.
However, their nightmare wasn't over yet. They hadn't advanced much further when a third maze formation loomed ahead.
"..."
Numb. They were utterly numb.
Fortunately, after careful inspection this time, the mercenaries didn't trigger any new traps nearby.
Probably because Chen Yu really hadn't set any there.
On the distant fortress wall, Eserin, hearing the intelligence relayed back through the gel ring, was somewhat curious.
"Lord Slime, just how many of these... 'welcoming ceremonies' have you prepared?"
"Hmm... Not many. Probably just over a dozen or so."
As for the explosive gel, it was placed by his clone, the locations chosen purely on a whim, wherever seemed suitable.
Hearing this, Eserin was momentarily speechless.
She could already imagine the brilliant expression that would appear on those mercenaries' faces if they knew what awaited them further on.
Chen Yu said calmly, "These are just appetizers."
"To delay their steps a bit, drain their energy, scrolls, and patience. The real battle hasn't even started yet."
Just as Chen Yu said, after encountering a continuous stream of magic formations and traps along their advance, the company's morale directly collapsed, and they had consumed quite a few protective scrolls.
They hadn't even reached their destination, yet the mercenaries' resentment was about to overflow.
Galvin's face was like still water. He only continuously ordered increased reconnaissance and steady advancement.
Finally, after traversing the thirteenth maze formation, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
The dense forest thinned out. Long-lost sunlight dappled through.
At the edge of the woods, the silhouette of a fortress came into view.
"We're here! We've arrived!"
"Damn it, we're finally here!"
At this moment, the mercenaries were almost moved to tears of joy. Simultaneously, all the frustration, anger, and exhaustion accumulated along the way instantly transformed into blazing fury and greed.
"Bastard magical creatures, daring to mess with us like this."
"Breach it! Plunder everything! Show them what's what!"