Under Chen Yu's gaze, the magic organ within the gel body was undergoing a wondrous transformation.
Faintly glowing magic patterns spread outwards from the core like living roots, then crossed and wove together, ultimately forming bundles of magic fibers of extremely high intensity.
These fiber bundles displayed a deep emerald green color, their texture appearing as soft as the gel itself, yet radiating a cold, metallic luster.
Soon, the magic fiber bundles spread throughout the entire gel body like the most precise weaving net, constructing a complex and resilient three-dimensional network.
Could "muscle" be born within gel?
Chen Yu felt a sense of novelty.
He tried to control these newly formed magic muscles, but quickly discovered their difference from real muscle.
These magic muscles possessed excellent flexibility and extensibility, capable of stretching, contracting, and changing shape at will, yet their instantaneous burst strength and toughness were comparable to refined steel.
He could concentrate these magic muscles to wrap around a specific part of the gel body, forming internal armor that greatly enhanced defense, or weave them into a magic shield to protect his front.
Chen Yu tried to contract the gel, then release it.
"Whoosh—!"
His entire round body instantly transformed into a blurry emerald-green afterimage, shooting out at an astonishing speed, crossing hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye, and smashing heavily into the distant snowfield.
The tremendous impact caused the accumulated snow to explode with a boom, forming a shallow crater. Chen Yu bounced several more times before coming to a steady stop, completely unharmed.
Why does this feel kind of fun?
He began using this incredible jumping power and newly acquired strength to rapidly traverse the snow-covered forest.
His speed was shockingly fast, only a green shadow could be seen flashing between the trees, the gust of wind he stirred up shaking snow from the branches.
A northern elk, which had been lowering its head to gnaw on withered grass and moss, was startled by the commotion. It warily raised its head and pricked up its ears, but aside from drifting snow powder and slightly swaying branches, it saw nothing. In the end, it could only lower its head again in confusion.
Chen Yu was having a blast. He quickly discovered that ordinary collisions couldn't harm him at all. He deliberately accelerated, charging headfirst into a thick oak tree.
"Boom!!!"
The deeply rooted oak tree was actually uprooted by the impact, its trunk twisted and broken, sent flying several meters away before crashing onto the snowfield, kicking up a cloud of snow dust.
Chen Yu only felt a slight vibration in his gel head. The magic muscles absorbed the vast majority of the impact force, not even a hint of dizziness.
Too exaggerated.
He now felt like a dragon in the shape of a slime. A single bounce could create a large crater in the ground, and his head was hard enough to smash rocks.
And this was merely in his regular state, without activating "Demon King Form" or "Giant Dragon Mimicry." If all his talents were fully unleashed, combined with the magic muscles... even he found it somewhat difficult to imagine just how powerful he could become.
Isn't a Gold-Rank Slime a bit too overpowered?
Hehehe... One day, I will make all these so-called Nature's Foes fall under the shadow of Geluomu's gel, making them weep with fear when they recall the terror of being ruled by Geluomu.
However, since the first two talents of the Gold Rank, "Mana Siphon" clearly points to energy, and "Magic Muscle" points to the physical body, then logically, the final talent should be related to spirit or soul.
Strange... he muttered.
Energy, body, spirit—these three seem to be synthesizing some kind of rare talent.
He had a feeling that gathering all three talents would yield an unexpected surprise, possibly related to the promotion path of an Epic Slime.
It seemed that in the historical records and even legends of Zeyarila, an Epic-level Slime had never appeared. Every step he took forward was a step on a completely unknown path.
Or rather, he was the pioneer on this path, the unprecedented First Slime!
Just thinking about it was exciting!
Chen Yu happily bubbled with pleasure.
But for now, he had more important matters to handle. It was time to return to Storm Territory.
Chen Yu looked towards the east.
According to intelligence, the orc army from the north was gathering and moving south. Having lost the original defense of the Border Corps, the northern border defense line of Storm Territory was relatively empty. Those orcs could invade at any moment.
With him present to oversee things, he could at least form a deterrent, making those green-skinned fellows think twice before acting rashly. It would also buy Louisa and her legion more time for deployment and preparation.
He commanded his Flying Sword, transforming into a streak of light as he returned to Slime City, immediately beginning to assemble the legions.
The Magical Creature Legions of the Slime Kingdom had now formed a relatively complete system, mainly divided into two major parts: the aerial army and the ground army.
The aerial army was led by the "Dragon Cavalry" unit. They would command the three "Poison-stinger Wasp" legions as the vanguard, arriving at Storm Territory first to provide strategic support such as aerial reconnaissance, rapid strikes, and harassment.
The ground army was even larger in scale, including the newly formed "Slime Knight Regiment," "Slime Artillery Regiment," and the currently still small-numbered "Treant Legion."
Furthermore, there were some special units—Wild Boar King Peachy, the Elemental Giant, and the "secret weapon" mysteriously mentioned by Anvil.
According to Anvil, the inspiration for this secret weapon came from that ancient alchemical cannon captured from the vampire's Ancient Castle. After he and the Slime Engineers disassembled, researched, and improved it, they manufactured an experimental new-style magic cannon, which would likely serve as one of the main cannons for the "Floating Fortress" in the future.
This time, he entrusted the legion to transport it to the front lines precisely to test the power of this new cannon and observe what improvements were still needed.
The ground legions had already set out for Storm Territory several days earlier.
Their task was not only to march but also to assist in surveying and opening a supply transport route directly from the Slime Kingdom to the northern border of Storm Territory. They were responsible for continuously transporting strategic supplies like weapons, equipment, provisions, and engineering materials to the frontline fortress.
Chen Yu had a premonition that once spring arrived, with the ice and snow melting and the roads becoming clear, the dormant flames of war within the White Horse Kingdom, silent throughout the winter, would reignite.
Neither the northern orcs, nor the Demon Legion and the King's Army, would let this opportunity slip by.
He had to prepare in advance.
....
Northern Border of Storm Territory, Iron Thorn Fortress.
This fortress stood at the edge of the Golden Tassel Plain, backed by rugged mountainous terrain. The winter plain was covered in thick snow, an endless expanse of white gleaming with a cold luster under the gloomy sky, dotted only by sporadic snow forests, appearing desolate.
Iron Thorn Fortress itself was a typical stone fortress, built from piled rocks. It possessed double-layered city walls. The outer wall was relatively low, equipped with battlements and arrow towers. The inner wall was taller and thicker, with the top of the wall allowing soldiers to walk and set up defensive equipment.
The fortress's main gate was a heavy iron-clad oak door. In front of it were a drawbridge and a dug-out moat. The interior of the fortress included the main keep, barracks, armory, granary, stables, artisan district, and clusters of stone houses for soldiers and civilians.
This fortress held significant strategic importance. It guarded the key passage leading to the heartland of Storm Territory. It served both as a forward fortress against northern orc raids heading south and as an important strongpoint defending against incursions from the demon legion or the King's Army in the northeast direction from the royal city.
Precisely because of this, over the past few months, countless prying gazes from various factions had fallen upon this fortress.
At this moment, several hundred meters outside the fortress, beyond the snow-covered birch grove, a team of knights wearing Storm Territory's standard studded leather armor and white cloaks had just passed by on patrol, the sound of hoofbeats gradually fading into the distance.
Not long after the knights left, several shadows deep within the birch grove twisted slightly. Three figures wearing tight-fitting black leather armor and face masks silently manifested.
They were New Sun followers who had come from the north, carrying out the church's orders to monitor Princess Louisa and the Slime Kingdom's movements here, assessing their military strength and defensive weaknesses.
One of them scanned the heavily guarded fortress in the distance. "The defensive layout is very tight. The outer wall watchtowers have overlapping fields of vision, patrol sequences are regular, and the inner wall has ballista and catapult positions. Furthermore, the other side also has shadow-type professionals. Their perception is sharp. It's difficult for our stealth to approach for long without being detected."
The lead assassin gave a slight nod. "No matter. Our main task is observation and assessment, not the usual infiltration and sabotage. According to intelligence, the main target of the orcs moving south is precisely Storm Territory. As long as nothing unexpected happens, those stupid green-skinned beasts will strike here first. At that time, regardless of who wins or loses, both sides will be weakened."
Those orcs probably don't realize that the current Storm Territory is no longer what it used to be. The Princess has integrated the remnants of the Border Corps and even gained the support of the Slime Kingdom's Magical Creature Legions.
Through their months of intelligence reconnaissance, they had also managed to get a rough idea of Storm Territory's military deployment.
Storm Territory's current standing military forces mainly consisted of three parts. First was the reorganized remnants of the original Border Corps, the Second Protectorate Legion, approximately five thousand strong, including knight teams, infantry, longbowmen, and mages.
They were well-equipped, well-trained, and more familiar with the local terrain and climate.
Second was the Third Covenant Legion stationed by the Slime Kingdom. It was currently known to include the Slime Knight Regiment, Slime Artillery Regiment, and Poison-stinger Wasp Air Force. Their numbers were unknown, estimated in the thousands. Their combat methods were peculiar and required attention.
Third were the militias provided by nobles and freemen across Storm Territory according to the traditional conscription system. This part had the largest numbers, estimated to reach over a hundred thousand. However, their equipment varied in quality, and their training level was limited. They were mainly responsible for logistics, fortification construction, and serving as supplementary forces for city defense.
Furthermore, they possessed a complete fortress defense system. Iron Thorn Fortress, as the main forward fortress, was equipped with wall-mounted ballistae, catapults, reinforced gates, and a drawbridge. The fortress interior had independent wells and large reserve granaries, capable of supporting a prolonged siege.
Overall, this was a force not to be underestimated.
The lead assassin crossed his arms. "Currently, neither the King's Army from the royal city nor the Demon Legion dare to provoke them easily. They can only let these slimes erect high walls and fortresses on Storm Territory. If the orcs want to break through head-on, they will undoubtedly pay a heavy price."
A follower questioned, "Is there a possibility those slimes might cooperate with the orcs?"
Just as the lead follower was about to answer, his body suddenly stiffened slightly. He issued a low warning, "Someone approaching. Not a patrol."
The three reacted swiftly, their figures becoming blurry almost simultaneously, melting rapidly into the shadows cast by the withered trees, their presence suppressed to the extreme.
A moment later, a small team emerged from the snow forest to the northwest. The members of this team made the hidden New Sun followers' hearts tighten.
Orcs!
The team consisted of about a dozen members. Leading were three wolf cavalry riding tall frost wolves. They wore thick leather armor and furs, holding long spears, warily scanning their surroundings.
Following behind were seven or eight orc warriors on foot, equipped with fairly decent iron plate armor. The team also included an orc shaman wearing a long robe of animal skins.
This didn't look like an ordinary reconnaissance team. What were they doing here...? The hidden followers felt puzzled.
The composition of this orc team was too "luxurious," especially that shaman who seemed to hold a not-low status within the orc tribes. Usually, such figures wouldn't easily appear in frontline reconnaissance teams.
Unless they weren't here for reconnaissance.
Just as they were wondering, that orc shaman suddenly stopped walking, slowly turned his head, and his gaze actually fell in the direction of their hiding spot.
Before the three assassins could react, they only felt their vision go dark. Huge dark shadows had somehow appeared around them, blocking all escape routes.
After a brief but intense struggle, the snow was trampled into a mess, leaving behind several rapidly freezing dark red bloodstains.
Soon, an orc warrior holding a giant hammer, his face and weapon stained with blood, walked out from the woods. In his thick hand, he held several heads that had just been brutally torn off. He approached that shaman.
The orc warrior reported in a deep, resonant voice, "Shaman Geluomu, resolved. They were those rats who like to hide in the shadows, human heretics."
The orc shaman named Geluomu slowly nodded. "Hmm, keep these 'gifts' properly. The Princess of Storm Territory should be satisfied with our sincerity."
The orc warrior casually stuffed the heads into a leather bag, then couldn't help but ask, "Shaman Geluomu, those slimes... will they really cooperate with us? I heard from guys who escaped from the south that they are very powerful, and they have dragons..."
Shaman Geluomu turned around, gazing at the distant, imposing outline of Iron Thorn Fortress for a long time before replying:
"This is not cooperation, Wogake. This is giving them a choice."
He paused. "The Kargaron Royal Court possesses the power to overwhelm any southern kingdom. If they are smart enough, they should know how to choose. If they don't listen..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Shaman Geluomu took one last look at the southern lands and murmured, "This royal land will eventually belong to the orcs."
"Our descendants will also be able to inhabit warm lands blooming with flowers and green grass, instead of being forever trapped in the ice, snow, and fierce winds of the north."
"Let's move forward. Those human fortresses lie ahead."