Based on Edin’s view, after the Demon Race breaks through Earth Peak Fort, they will probably head straight for Red Stone City.
While Red Stone City has been a trade route with considerable revenue in the past, it is not an important military location, otherwise Alama would not have entrusted it to the Silver Thorn Squad.
In short, Edin believes Red Stone City’s defenses won’t last long and may fall before the Church’s reinforcents change the battle outco.
As for the "decapitation plan" Nova and the others hope for, Edin holds a reserved stance.
After all, he has never witnessed the true power of that Divine Artifact firsthand, making its success rate hard to estimate.
Overall, allowing the situation to develop naturally is too risky.
Once the wooden core falls into the hands of the Demon Race, retrieving it will beco infinitely more difficult.
"Can’t we just steal it directly?" Lin Jun genuinely wants to complete the mission.
Edin shakes his head helplessly; he is an Illusionist, not a Thief.
Moreover, the Silver Thorn Squad includes high-tier assassins like Night Owl, attempting stealth theft in front of them is like showing off one’s skills before an expert.
The Fungal Mat is still working on spreading over here, but obviously cannot extend to the Red Stone City range within a few days.
The Fungal Mat is indeed spreading this way, but can’t possibly cover Red Stone City in just a few days.
Without support from the Fungal Mat, there’s no talk of forcibly taking the wooden core or aiding in defense.
Could it be that we must wait for Red Stone City to fall into chaos, until the Silver Thorn Squad is exhausted, then seize the chance to recover the wooden core?
Lin Jun really dislikes this plan due to its nurous uncertainties.
No, that’s not right...
Lin Jun reorganizes his thoughts and suddenly realizes a key point.
He doesn’t actually need to help defend Red Stone City, as long as the Demon Race doesn’t cause trouble there before the Church’s reinforcents arrive at Three Mountains City!
Red Stone City is not a strategic location; the Demon Race attacks it to clear human posts before the decisive battle at Three Mountains City.
In other words, if trouble can be created for the Demon Race elsewhere, delaying them for a couple of days will allow the plan to secure the wooden core to proceed.
In this case, there is indeed a thod worth trying, although Lin Jun is uncertain of its success, but there’s no loss in trying, failure will simply lead to Plan B!
Under Lin’s direction, Edin casts illusions to change his appearance and quietly searches for certain materials in Red Stone City’s markets and warehouses...
...
The walls of Earth Peak Fort have collapsed, its charred banners casually discarded amidst the smoking ruins, and the air is filled with a heavy stench of blood and the dust from magic explosions, intermingled with a faint sll of rotting corpses.
A hunched Goblin drags a blood-soaked sack, larger than itself, laboriously collecting the surrounding corpses.
As the lowest in the Demon Race army, regular Goblins receive only minimal food rations and are, in special cases, gobbled up themselves.
After major battles, Goblins can fill their stomachs for a short period.
Even among Demons, eating corpses is stomach-turning, but for Goblins, stuffing themselves is the only concern; nobody cares if a Goblin refrains from corpse consumption.
The battlefield still contains other Goblins, collecting food similarly, with luck they might find Demon-overlooked equipnt, a real windfall.
Of course, not every Goblin is focused on their future.
Nearby, amidst the ruins, two Goblins chose to play, emitting harsh laughter.
They play with a round object like a ball, kicking it across the scorched earth and rubble.
The "ball" is covered in dirt and congealed dark red blood, yet remains recognizable as human remains, hair matted with blood can still be seen, belonging to the fortress’s master.
The two Goblins fight over it, occasionally argue coarsely over who kicked it further, enjoying themselves.
The hunched Goblin has no intention of joining; in a few days, these starving ones will surely include them.
Soon, it surprisingly pulls a gleaming dagger from the mangled at and cloth!
It hastily wipes the blade with dirty rags, spreading the blood more like decoration but still admiring it.
Suddenly its actions pause.
Sothing seems wrong?
It looks at the other Goblins wavering in the distance, unsure what’s causing the unusual feeling.
Oh!
The harsh laughter has disappeared!
It turns to look for the two Goblins but sees no trace.
Have they run off? So quickly?
Hesitantly stepping forward, it finds the ball—a severed head—alone in the rubble.
At that mont, a soft "squelch" sounds, like a thick liquid flowing.
The hunched Goblin peers toward the sound, instantly terrified.
A shadow slithers on the ground, slowly consuming most of a Goblin’s body with only an arm exposed.
The Goblin’s hand claws the air desperately but grips nothing.
Thud—
With a soft noise, the last arm vanishes into the shadow.
The shadow pauses and then starts moving toward the hunched Goblin.
The Goblin, terrified, drops the heavy sack, screams in fear, and scrambles back towards the camp.
Later, a drunken Pigman soldier drags the trembling Goblin back to the ruins.
After a cursory glance around, he kicks the hunched Goblin far away, breaking its leg.
"Damn fool..." The Pigman curses drunkenly, sent on this farce because of the Goblin’s hallucination.
He had chopped down two human soldiers earlier, intending to enjoy the spoils, not hunt so phantom "shadow."
Halfway back, he realizes the Goblin hasn’t followed.
Halfway back, the Pigman notices the Goblin isn’t following.
Could it be? Did it die from his kick?
The Pigman feels sobering, if it’s dead, he can be punished!
He searches the kicked-Goblin area twice but finds nothing, puzzled he suddenly steps on air!
The Pigman’s right foot sinks into a thick shadow pulling him down with irresistible force. He struggles fiercely but cannot free his foot.
"Help... Help !!!"
His pig-screech echoes over the ruins, alarming the distant Demon camp.
...
On a cliff distanced from the Demon camp, Scout Puki sits on an Abyss Magic Array, serving as the information receiver.
Edin crouches at the edge of the Array, carefully maintaining magic transmission while frequently drinking magic potions to replenish.
Soon, a blurred silhouette rises from the Array.
[Race: Shadow Worm (Rejected Draft)]
[Level: Level 5]
[Skills: lting Shadow Level 2]
Off you go!
Puki raises his small leg, kicking the freshly ford Shadow Worm off the cliff, cutting the connection.
These Abyss-summoned Shadow Worms instinctually converge on places with life, dragging prey into darkness.
The nearby liveliest place is naturally the Demon camp.
These recalled drafts disintegrate after the Summoner cuts the connection upon magic exhaustion; they are quite handy.
However, Shadow Worms are too weak, though they have surprise-kill chanisms, their small size limits damage potential.
Lin Jun plans to continue using this Array, further exploring the Abyss, hoping to find stronger creatures.
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