Chen Yu crouched on Arno's shoulder, looking down at the Merchant Alliance legion reorganizing its order in the canyon below. He tilted his head slightly and quickly formulated a tactic.
"Nilly, block the rear canyon passage. Don't let the Extraordinary professionals from the legion's rear guard or any reinforcements get through."
"Sekashi, Semiaya, you two provide cover."
"Little Ka, be ready to provide support at any time."
"Tam... um, you stay close to Nilly and be careful."
"Yes... yes, Envoy."
Entrusting the task of cutting off the support route to an assassin initially made the Sekashi sisters freeze in confusion, thinking they had misheard.
Then they saw Nilly pat her flat chest and confidently declare, "Leave it to us. Let us show you the might of an Assassin Master."
Her petite figure melted into the shadows. After a few flickers, she swiftly plummeted towards the rear of the legion.
Slow down! Slow down! This Slime is just a scholar slime, yaaah!!
"Arno, you can summon the Gargoyle Legion now," Chen Yu then said to Arno beneath him.
Although Arno harbored deep doubts in his heart about whether his unreliable aunt could complete the task, he still chose to trust the Boss's judgment.
"Boss, I never thought we'd be fighting side by side again."
He sighed, extended his right hand, slowly reached into the shadow cast by the rock wall beside him, and forcefully pulled out a massive two-handed greatsword from the shadows.
As the greatsword was drawn, the surrounding shadows churned like living creatures, rapidly coiling around Arno's body and solidifying on his surface.
In an instant, only a burly, towering Sword-Wielding Gargoyle remained in his place.
The startled Claw Terror Birds and Shadow Bats flying chaotically nearby all shrieked and fled further away.
He made no extra movements, merely gazing down imperiously at the ground.
On the canyon walls on either side, riddled with holes and cracks, pairs of crimson eyes suddenly lit up. Gargoyles stood up as if breaking free from the rock, flapping their wings and taking to the air.
Their numbers were staggering. Like a swarm of bats sensing blood, they flew out from behind Arno and launched diving attacks on the Merchant Alliance soldiers below.
The Merchant Alliance legion also noticed the anomaly in the sky by now.
The mages raised their staves again, casting Illumination spells in an attempt to dispel the darkness and see the approaching enemies.
When the light illuminated that dark cloud, many soldiers couldn't help but take half a step back.
Gargoyles!
And a massive Gargoyle Legion at that!
"Enemy attack! Take cover, quickly!"
"Raise shields! Archers, ready!" the officers shouted themselves hoarse.
The gargoyles dove with incredible speed. They nimbly avoided the sparse arrows and pounced on the soldiers on the ground. Their sharp stone claws grabbed soldiers' shoulder armor, lifted them off the ground, and then released them from dozens of meters high.
Amidst screams, the fallen soldiers lay on the ground, no longer breathing.
On the ground battlefield, the gargoyles' eyes shot Petrification rays. While insufficient to completely Petrify fully armored soldiers, it made their movements extremely sluggish, turning them into easy targets to be torn apart.
Some of the mages accompanying the army turned pale with fright at this sudden aerial assault, trembling as they tried to chant protective spells.
Strangely, however, those gargoyles seemed to have no intention of harming them, deliberately avoiding them, swooping over their heads to pounce on soldiers and constructs further away.
The legion then organized an effective counterattack.
Archers gathered under the cover of heavy shield warriors for volleys. Enchanted arrows inflicted some damage on the gargoyles.
Construct golems coordinated attacks, swinging their massive arms to swat at gargoyles flying low, shattering them into rubble.
Further back, the massive golems at the legion's rear began moving forward with heavy, thudding steps, preparing to support the battle in the canyon's midsection.
But just as these golems had started up and hadn't gone far, a petite figure somehow appeared on the narrow path ahead of them.
It was Nilly.
She patted non-existent dust off herself, raised her small face, and with hands on hips, shouted at the several metal giants, "Hey, you big lumps! This road is closed. If you want to pass, you'll have to ask your auntie here for permission first!"
The construct golems paid her no mind, taking heavy strides to crush her underfoot.
Seeing the oncoming metal giants, Tam trembled with fear in its gel form, tightly closing its eyes in terror.
Just as it thought it was about to become slime paste, several seconds passed, and the expected crushing didn't come.
It cautiously opened one eye.
It saw a huge black slime blocking the path in front of Nilly, completely obstructing the golems' advance.
Moreover, it vaguely seemed to see this black slime winking at it in greeting.
Mmm?
Just as Tam was feeling puzzled, Nilly said with a giggle, "Teacher Tam, your courage really isn't up to par. How will you serve His Majesty on the battlefield in the future?"
"Big Coal, show it the power of a slime."
As soon as she finished speaking, the pitch-black slime in front of her, as if provoked like a pufferfish, its eyes turned crimson, and its body swelled dramatically.
Its form became towering and massive, almost filling the entire canyon passage, and it pressed down towards the several golems attempting to advance.
The sounds of twisting metal rang out one after another. Those massive golems were easily flattened like children's toys, completely submerged in that writhing mass of shadow.
Only a few components splattered out from the edges, proof they had ever existed.
The soldiers in the rear who had been preparing to follow the golems forward to provide support all stopped in their tracks now, staring dumbfounded at the terrifying scene before them that defied their comprehension.
They looked up at that colossal shadow that almost reached the canyon's ceiling, their faces filled with fear and bewilderment.
Some even cried out involuntarily, "The Demon King! It's the Slime Demon King!"
The mountain-sized Shadow Slime attracted the attention of almost everyone on the battlefield, including Nolan at the legion's front.
Nolan frowned, his gaze piercing through the chaotic battlefield to land on that black slime.
Was this the rumored Slime Demon King?
It certainly looked evil.
Samuel, having ridden his horse closer at some point, looked at the mages who had emerged unscathed from the gargoyle attack, then gazed at the black slime, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face. He slowly spoke up, "No, Lord Nolan, that should merely be an unrecorded slime variant by the Adventurer's Guild, not the true Demon King."
"If my deduction is correct... the true Demon King should be over there."
Nolan followed the direction Samuel pointed, his gaze piercing through the chaotic battlefield to land on Chen Yu perched on Arno's shoulder.
It was a gel slime wearing a small crown and draped in a red cloak.
It certainly had the bearing of a king.
So *that* was the Demon King?
Aside from the kingly attire, the color and texture of that slime seemed no different from the ordinary gel slimes he had seen before.
It even looked more harmless, plump and round, as if it would pop if poked.
But the very presence of a seemingly ordinary slime in such a battlefield was, in itself, extraordinary.
He quickly suppressed the underestimation in his heart and said gravely, "Master Samuel, please assist us here. Be wary of those gargoyles and any potential other ambushes."
"Lucas, you stay here and protect Master Samuel."
"Alright."
Lucas understood Nolan's implied meaning—clearly, he didn't trust Samuel.
He grinned and gave Samuel a humble bow.
"Rest assured, Master. With Silver Lucas here, no one can harm you."
"I hope so," Samuel said nothing more.
Seeing this, Nolan hesitated no longer. He spurred his horse, which neighed and carried him galloping towards the direction where Arno and Chen Yu were.
His right hand reached behind his back again, taking down the metal longbow.
Just as Nolan charged forward on his horse, the two other Extraordinary warriors in the legion had already broken through the gargoyle blockade by sheer force.
One wielded a one-handed sword, the other used a flail and shield. They exchanged a glance and wordlessly locked their target on Arno, who was commanding the Gargoyle Legion from the air.
Just as they were about to launch their attack, an eagle's cry cut through the noisy battlefield, coming from above the canyon.
They saw the massive form of the snow eagle Penny circling down like a silver-grey lightning bolt. On its broad back crouched the Lizardfolk sisters.
Sekashi clung tightly to Penny's neck, mustering her courage, raising her staff, and shouting with all her might at the two Extraordinary warriors below, "Your opponents are us! Don't even think about going to disturb the Envoy!"
[Summon Blizzard]
Centered on the two Extraordinary warriors, the temperature within a radius of dozens of meters plummeted. Countless tiny ice crystals materialized in the air out of thin air, then expanded and swirled.
Howling winds generated from nothing, sweeping up dust and rubble from the ground, mixing with dense snowflakes to form a blizzard.
The biting wind cut like knives. The ground quickly froze over into an ice sheet. Nearby wagons were frozen in place. Some ordinary soldiers who were too close, caught off guard, were directly blown off their feet by the gale, even swept up and thrown to the ground in the distance.
Snowfield Priest?
The two Extraordinary warriors were surprised that the Slime Kingdom would have Extraordinary professionals from the snowfields. What surprised them even more was that the spellcaster was actually two Lizardfolk.
The blizzard enveloped them. The severely reduced visibility and the slippery ice surface greatly restricted their movement and perception.
They seemed trapped in a howling maze, momentarily unable to discern direction, let alone locate their enemies.
Just as the two stood back-to-back warily within the blizzard, trying to find their foes, a dull thud of something heavy landing came from ahead in the obscured snowstorm.
A tall figure stepped onto the smooth ice, slowly emerging from the churning snow mist.
It was Semiaya.
This warrior stood amidst the ice spikes as if returning to her familiar jungle hunting grounds. She exhaled a breath of white air laced with ice shards, her vertical pupils fixed on the two men, containing no emotional fluctuations, only pure coldness and killing intent.
She seemed to mutter something under her breath, her voice covered by the snowstorm. The two men only vaguely caught a few words: "Finally... no more classes..."
What?
Before the two could comprehend the meaning of this seemingly random statement, Semiaya moved in the next instant.
Her figure blurred instantly, as if merging into the howling snowstorm.
She darted at high speed between frozen wagons and ice spikes, so fast that she left only a few dissipating afterimages in her original spot before charging at the two men.
...
Nolan mentally calculated the distance. Upon noticing the sudden blizzard ahead, he reined in his horse and stopped.
He did not go to aid the legion warriors trapped in the blizzard. Instead, his gaze fixed on the slime perched on the shoulder of that Sword-Wielding Gargoyle.
If that was the Demon King... not dealing with it meant this battle would never end, and support would be meaningless.
What he needed to do now was slay the Demon King.
Nolan raised his longbow to chest level. He took a deep breath and began a prayer.
"Great God of Wealth, Gildor, please protect your faithful follower, let his arrows be ever-victorious..."
Scattered golden armor pieces, coins, even gold embedded in some magical items on the battlefield seemed to be pulled by an invisible force during his prayer, beginning to tremble slightly, converging into a golden torrent that flowed into his hands, transforming into a massive golden bow.
He began to nock an arrow and draw the string.
The longbow in his hands once again erupted with golden light. A huge golden arrow gradually materialized. On the arrow shaft, faint phantom images of coins, scales, and other holy emblems even appeared.
This symbolized wealth and also represented his faith in the God of Wealth, "Gildor," and his loyalty to wealth.
In other words, this arrow would be very expensive.
[Golden Arrow]
Nolan's gaze was focused, firmly locked onto Chen Yu on Arno's shoulder in the distance. Then he released his fingers.
"Whoosh!!!"
The golden arrow tore through the air, transforming into a dazzling rainbow that spanned the canyon, like a golden spear cast down by the God of Wealth, illuminating the canyon's darkness, shredding gargoyles in its path as it charged towards Chen Yu.
Arno felt some concern in his heart; he feared he couldn't block this arrow. He instinctively wanted to move, to shield the Boss in a safer position behind him.
Chen Yu, however, puffed out his round chest.
"Don't worry. Stand firm."
In the distance, Nolan kept his target locked through Hawk Eye, waiting for the other to make a move. Then he saw the crown-wearing slime seem to give a little hop, and then movement began.
[Dragon Bloodline]
[Gel Mimicry]
Half of Chen Yu's gel body began to violently swell and stretch. The gel churned as if boiling, its color rapidly deepening from emerald green to dark green, then transforming into a profound black.
Thick, hard pitch-black dragon scales quickly grew on its surface. The gel contracted inward, outlining the contours of strong, powerful limbs.
It was precisely the iron claw of a Giant Dragon.
Under the astonished gazes of Nolan and Samuel, the pitch-black dragon claw reached out along the arrow's trajectory, forcefully grasping the massive golden arrow in its palm, easily stilling the raging wind.
Then the claws tightened and crushed it.
"Crack... Bang!"
A crisp sound like shattering glass rang out. The huge golden arrow turned into golden fragments scattering to the ground, mixing with the dust and obscuring its luster.
Instantly, the battlefield fell silent.
Simultaneously shattered along with the golden arrow was Nolan's confidence.
The arrogant Ranger felt as if his throat had been gripped by shock, unable to utter a single word or swallow his saliva.
His entire body froze in place.