Chapter 77: Infiltrating the Enemy
The Sisk Plains, the largest plain within the Necromancer Empire, boasted abundant resources, containing three wetlands, two forests, and countless species of flora and fauna.
A vast necromancer army marched across the Sisk Plains. Their formation was not a marching one but rather spread out in a horizontal line, sweeping across the plain in a pincer movement.
The necromancer forces inspected or dug up every puddle, suspicious cave, and other potential hiding spots on the plain, ensuring that a certain individual was not concealed in any of these locations.
Behind the main force, several hundred wounded soldiers trailed along. Their injuries ranged from severed limbs to slit throats, with some surviving only due to their tenacious vitality.
These wounded soldiers all bore varying degrees of fear in their eyes. Perhaps, in the dead of night, they would all wake from nightmares, and the human wielding a long blade, covered in blood, was the source of terror in those nightmares.
Six hundred thousand necromancer troops had surrounded the Sisk Plains, yet even so, they could not find any trace of Su Xiao. It wasn't that Su Xiao's stealth abilities were exceptionally strong, but rather that the plain was simply too vast.
Su Xiao had been hunted by the necromancer army for over five hours. During these five-plus hours, Su Xiao occasionally encountered the necromancer forces, but fortunately, each time he managed to break through toward the center of the Sisk Plains.
The Dark Moon Swamp was located at the edge of the Sisk Plains, so Su Xiao was already very close to it. Bubu Wang and Amu had not yet found the exact location of the Shadow of Law Destruction ruins, so Su Xiao could only use the terrain of the Sisk Plains to hold off the necromancer army.
Inside a dense forest, dead leaves were swept up by the forest wind, revealing a dark, deep hole in the ground.
Inside the hole, Su Xiao, covered in blood, sat on the ground. He held a roll of bandage in his hand, wrapping it around the hilt of Dragon-Slaying Flash. This would provide a non-slip grip; if he killed too many enemies, blood would inevitably splash onto the hilt.
At this moment, Su Xiao was bare-chested, his body covered in dried blood and mud. Compared to survival, bathing was not a necessity. Most water sources on the Sisk Plains were guarded by necromancers.
"Huff."
A beastly snort came from beside Su Xiao. The hole Su Xiao was in was the den of a white-bellied bear. This "fierce" white-bellied bear was now huddled in the depths of the den, not daring to breathe loudly.
Su Xiao's dinner was originally supposed to be raw bear gallbladder, but since this bear was cooperative, he changed the menu on the spot.
Su Xiao took out some jerky and put it in his mouth to chew. The white-bellied bear in the den licked its nose.
After a few bites of the jerky, Su Xiao found its texture unpleasant, so he tossed the jerky to the bear in the den.
This was his seventeenth hiding spot. Half a kilometer from this spot, there were several piles of necromancer corpses.
Su Xiao was waiting for Bubu Wang and Amu to find the Shadow of Law Destruction ruins. Once they found the ruins, he would find a way to break out of the necromancer army's encirclement. As for how to break out, he had already planned it.
Just as Su Xiao was about to take a short nap, faint footsteps came from outside the den. Su Xiao's eyes opened, and he slowly sat up. The white-bellied bear beside him also heard the sound, but after Su Xiao glanced at it, the bear sat up straight like a scolded elementary school student.
Su Xiao walked slowly toward the entrance of the den. A few seconds later, a short, sharp scream came from outside. Before long, Su Xiao dragged the corpse of a necromancer soldier back into the den.
For the next half hour, no suspicious sounds came from around. This time, Su Xiao was finally able to take a short nap.
...
Dark Moon Swamp, the swampy area beneath the Dark Moon Vines.
Gurgle, gurgle.
A string of bubbles emerged from the muddy water. The mud swelled, and a dog head covered in mud poked out. Its big, watery eyes were particularly striking.
Gurgle, gurgle~
Another string of bubbles, this time a bull head emerged. The bull head was clearly a bit confused, but the muddy water around it was slowly freezing.
This dog-and-bull duo was, of course, Bubu Wang and Amu. They had not let Su Xiao down. Two hours ago, they had found the approximate location of the Shadow of Law Destruction ruins.
Just finding the approximate location was not enough. Su Xiao needed the exact location, so Bubu Wang planned to sneak into the necromancer city above the Dark Moon Vines to steal a map.
This was the capital of the necromancer race, so the defense intensity was imaginable. But this did not trouble Bubu Wang; what he cared about was whether he could find a map with the detailed location of the ruins.
Bubu Wang, covered in mud, climbed up the vines. He shook the mud off his fur and, after a moment, blended into the surrounding environment.
Amu in the muddy water saw this, sank down, and a string of bubbles rose as Amu submerged into the mud, leaving only the tips of his bull horns exposed.
Bubu Wang was entrusted with high hopes by Su Xiao, so he could only succeed, not fail.
...
Inside the bear den, Su Xiao, who had taken a short nap, opened his eyes. His right arm was still sore, a side effect of using Ring Break multiple times. It would take at least a few days to recover.
Su Xiao was awakened by footsteps. A large number of footsteps were approaching his location, and occasionally, the sound of digging could be heard. The necromancers were searching for Su Xiao by digging three feet into the ground. The hatred between the two sides was no longer just about the death of the Enlightened One; the number of necromancer soldiers who had died at Su Xiao's hands was certainly a massive figure.
Interests create contradictions, contradictions create hatred, and hatred becomes mortal enmity. This was the current relationship between Su Xiao and the necromancer race.
Just as the surrounding footsteps grew closer, Su Xiao received a message from Bubu Wang. Bubu Wang sent a strategic-level map to the adventure group channel.
Another piece of good news was that Bubu Wang had successfully infiltrated the enemy. He was now deep within the necromancer base camp, lying in ambush at a very important location.
As for Amu, that honest bull had been soaking in the swamp beneath the city for a long time and was about to turn into a water buffalo.
Su Xiao sent a message to Bubu Wang, instructing him to maintain his environment-blending state and stay put.
According to Su Xiao's estimation, as long as he could enter the Shadow of Law Destruction ruins, he would not be far from leaving this world.
The sounds outside the bear den grew closer. Su Xiao crouched in the den, holding his long blade.
Five minutes later, a necromancer soldier entered the bear den. Upon seeing Su Xiao inside, he immediately tried to shout.
Su Xiao pulled his left arm, tightening the Realm Severing Thread he had already set up inside the den, which wrapped around the necromancer soldier's neck.
Before the necromancer soldier could let out a loud shout, Su Xiao pulled him over. He thrust his long blade forward, stabbing it into the soldier's lower jaw, the tip emerging from the top of his skull.
The necromancer soldier's body went limp and fell to the ground with a thud.
As the soldier fell, Su Xiao kicked the white-bellied bear. The bear let out a low, aggrieved growl. This was the most undignified day of its bear life.
The bear's low growl reached outside the den. The dozens of necromancer soldiers outside exchanged glances, thinking there would be extra rations tonight.
A moment later, a necromancer soldier with a staggering gait walked out of the bear den. His strange steps immediately put the other necromancer soldiers on alert.
Ring Break.
A ring-shaped blade aura expanded. The dozens of necromancer soldiers in front of the bear den felt a chill in their chests before they could even react to what was happening.