Entering the deep swamp was no small matter for the adventurers from Ironboot Town.
Compared to the lizardfolk who had coexisted with swamps for generations, humans typically weren't adept at dealing with swamp environments.
The deadly toxic mists in the depths, the nearly indistinguishable paths, and the pervasive damp cold constantly cursed every adventurer who arrived.
Once lost inside, hypothermia, poisoning, fatal hallucinations... would follow one after another, until eventually being trapped alive inside the thick fog with no way out.
Not to mention the terrifying magical creatures lurking within, the occasional magical energy turbulence outbreaks... countless hidden dangers awaited.
Fortunately, this encirclement mission had experienced nature believers from the Rotten Moss Tribe leading the way.
They knew the swamp like the back of their hands, and having prior knowledge of the corrupted lizardfolk's intentions, they could keenly detect and disarm the traps set by the corrupted lizardfolk—whether concealed animal traps, poison spike pits, or triggered alarm mechanisms.
Only then could this temporary team of adventurers and lizardfolk hunters successfully cross the Death Swamp and approach the deep forest.
At the forest edge, the adventurers stumbled forward, one foot deep, one foot shallow, stepping on the soft, wet ground.
"Damn it, what kind of terrible path is this?"
"Do the lizardfolk deal with this stuff every day?"
The harsh reality caused scattered complaints among the loosely organized adventurer group, but having come this far, even the most cowardly among them wouldn't agree to return empty-handed.
Yano stabbed to death a giant carnivorous catfish disguised as dead wood and covered in sharp teeth, then turned to remind everyone.
"Stay alert, those walking gold coins are waiting for us up ahead. I don't want to see anyone still drinking that cheap ale after we return."
"Just think, how will the bards sing of us? The brave warriors who challenged the swamp? Or the miraculous adventurer group..."
The adventurers perked up immediately—nothing attracted them more than money and fame. Even farm-born adventurers once dreamed of having their names spread throughout the great kingdoms.
Thinking of the imminent wealth and reputation, everyone mustered their strength, even their steps becoming more powerful.
At the front of the team, the lizardfolk hunting party stood guard beside Sekashi, following her guidance to track the corrupted lizardfolk's traces.
Semiaya followed silently nearby, holding her wooden spear, a murderous aura already spreading from her dark golden vertical pupils.
Suddenly she seemed to sense something, stopping in her tracks. Her strong, powerful arm jerked violently, and the wooden spear flew from her hand, piercing through the thick mist.
"Whoosh—!"
"Ah!"
A corrupted lizardfolk preparing to ambush with blow darts had his shoulder pierced, falling into the swamp. He staggered up trying to escape.
This scene that happened in an instant immediately put everyone on high alert.
"Brothers, draw your swords! Those damned gold coins are hiding nearby!"
As Yano finished speaking, dark shadows raced through the mist. Several wooden spears, empowered by terrifying force, tore through the thick fog, shrieking as they shot forward!
"Whoosh—!"
The adventurers cautiously dodged, and even when occasionally hit, their worn, notched chainmail could save their lives.
Though their old equipment couldn't compare to the knights' fine gear in the army, it offered much better defense than most lizardfolk's crude bone spears and leather armor.
Ironically, they suffered the least losses in this ambush battle.
"Counterattack! Counterattack!!"
"Drag these damned swamp monkeys out!"
Without even exchanging words, both hostile sides launched into a swamp war.
[Swamp Stealth]
Under the enhancement of Sekashi's spell, Semiaya's figure moved like an emerald lightning bolt, swiftly darting and maneuvering through the rotten swamp.
Every swing of her bone blade created a dull whooshing sound, every thrust of her wooden spear was precise and vicious.
Her robust limbs erupted with primitive brute force, yet her movements contained cold, efficient killing techniques.
Blood sprayed, mud splattered, and in the blink of an eye, three or four corrupted lizardfolk had fallen by her hand.
The adventurers weren't about to be outdone either. An experienced hunter quickly drew his bow, took a deep breath, and closed one eye to aim.
[Precision]
A mentally draining arrow shot out, striking a skinny corrupted lizardfolk's head, securing the adventurer group's first kill.
"Swamp bugs, come out and face your grandpa!"
The dwarf adventurer showed exceptional bravery, wearing a full set of bronze heavy armor as he led three or four others charging into the mist, swinging his flail and creating a storm of blood and gore.
Most adventurers daring to participate in hunting corrupted lizardfolk were veterans, and when it came to real combat, they naturally didn't fear these gray-scaled brutes who lacked even iron weapons, relying only on brute force and primitive tools.
Moreover, they vastly outnumbered the corrupted lizardfolk. This didn't feel like a battle, more like a massacre.
Everything was too easy, so easy it felt wrong.
[Slash]
A cold light flashed, the sword's surface reflecting the crimson of hot blood as a corrupted lizardfolk lost his arm with a scream.
But Yano didn't press his advantage. He frowned tightly, his instincts honed from knight training camp making him sense something wrong.
But the surrounding adventurers were already blood-crazed, their eyes and hearts filled with desire for money and fame. At this point, they couldn't possibly listen to him.
Just as his mind raced, lost in thought, dense and chilling howls echoed from within the thick mist.
"This is... hyenas?!"
Yano's expression turned grim.
Unlike lizardfolk, gnolls lived around the Death Swamp, often hunting large beasts for survival, so they typically trained hyenas to assist in hunting.
Where hyenas appeared meant gnolls wouldn't be far away!
The corrupted lizardfolk had used their own tribesmen as bait to surround them in the swamp.
"Damn it! The intel was wrong!"
"Gnolls are coming!"
Before the adventurers could react, the hyenas, panting foul breath, roared as they tore through the mist, opening their ferocious mouths to bite the dwarf at the outermost front.
Though they couldn't penetrate the metal gauntlet's protection, they still slowed the dwarf's movements, allowing a tall gnoll to smash him away with a spiked club.
"Thud!!!"
"Xila! (Kill them all), Kuka! (Food)"
Gnolls charged out of the mist with vicious laughter, swinging great clubs and maces in pursuit.
"Quick, tighten the formation!"
In this critical moment, the adventurers and Rotten Moss Tribe lizardfolk completely set aside their differences, standing back-to-back, vigilantly confronting the continuously emerging gnolls and lizardfolk.
"Team leader, what should we do now?"
Yano felt a headache coming on.
He wanted to know what to do too.
Actually, this group of corrupted believers wasn't particularly large. If they really tried to escape, they could break through at some cost.
But the problem was, they were currently standing at the border between the swamp forest and Death Swamp. If they fled recklessly and the group scattered, even without the corrupted believers dealing with them, adventurers lost inside could only wait for death.
It seemed their only remaining option was to fight to the death.
In a fight to the death, they might not necessarily lose, but the losses would definitely be significant.
Moreover, these corrupted believers seemed to have other methods.
Just as Yano was feeling troubled, the little slime in his arms suddenly twitched, and the boss's voice echoed in his mind.
"Little Ka, ram it to death!"
"Yano, dodge... dodge, something big is coming!"
Before Yano could ask, he heard chaotic noises coming from the swamp forest.