Looking at the vast, densely populated Beastman encampnt, and countless monsters wandering and fighting inside, the timid Ashfield was already on the verge of tears: "Hilude, are you sure we need to pass through this camp? I’ve already seen at least a dozen watchtowers."
Hilude’s heroic face showed no sign of wavering, with a firm determination, she decisively said: "Save your strength and prepare for action."
After speaking, she gazed deeply one last ti at the massive monster camp. Such an expansive horde of monsters, its size might be even greater than the Lord had anticipated!
This is, after all, the strongest force in the entire western province of Blood Pine Forest, equivalent to the army of a human Count, or even a Duke.
The monster camp was adorned with battle banners and totems, showcasing the scale of this tribe. The breeding grounds for the Two-legged Flying Dragons deeper inside indicated the elite nature of this army’s strength.
The pressure on Hesse Territory to oppose such a powerful monster legion is probably greater than anyone expected.
If Hesse Territory were a Duke’s Territory, and the Lord had ten thousand Heavy Cavalry, they could certainly crush them directly.
But Hesse Territory is only a Pioneer Territory, so Hilude must risk her life to deal with this monster legion and bring back more and stronger artifacts to the territory.
Dwarf Ranger Dorglin took the lead, his seemingly clumsy body demonstrating incredible agility. As a ranger, he was very skilled at climbing among the mountains.
Arriving at this high ground felt like returning to his ho turf. Riding his Combat Rams, he could easily climb over cliffs that seed impassable.
The goat’s ease in navigating steep cliffs amazed everyone, it looked as if they were walking on flat land.
Then, this short and stout guy, full of strength, used a rope to pull his teammates up one by one.
So what seed like a terrifying monster camp was actually quicker to traverse than the outside, and the talent of the Combat Rams to walk on steep ridges and cliffs littered with jagged rocks greatly accelerated the process.
This changed Ashfield’s attitude toward Dwarves dramatically, saying: "My friend, you’re nothing like the Dwarves we Half-Elves are used to, you might be a unique Dwarf, I think we can get along very well."
Dorglin’s eyes widened, glaring at him, and he growled lowly: "Don’t you know calling a Dwarf Ranger an anomaly is an offense?"
His idea of a low growl was, however, a loud roar to the others.
Vandar, acting as the peacemaker in the team, had to wave his hand hurriedly, saying: "Don’t fight, don’t fight. We’re almost to the Dragon’s Nest, let’s not fail at the last mont."
But Dorglin was unwilling to relent easily, his vice-like hand grabbed Ashfield and asked: "Tell , what preconceived notions do you despicable Half-Elves have about us powerful Dwarves."
Ashfield, already prone to grin as a Half-Elf, grimaced even more as Dorglin grabbed him, his arm hurting.
He said, rather irritably: "My Aunt Bessie might be the stingiest miser I’ve ever seen, but compared to Dwarves, she’s practically a saint. These Dwarves’ eyes bulge bigger than the moon at the sight of gold, and they can’t bear to hear anyone ntion it, otherwise, they yell as if you stole their last honey cake, and then take out a shabby notebook to write who knows if it’s their family trivia or so other nonsense."
Upon hearing this, even Hilude couldn’t help but smile, saying this stereotype is quite fitting of Dwarves’ image!
Due to a shared greed and desire for gold, Dwarves and Dragons have extrely sharp conflicts, leading to intense wars and confrontations between them.
Dwarves regard dragon slaying as a glorious and noble undertaking, inventing specialized Dragon Slaying Runes, entering dragon territories to kill dragons, and seize their treasure.
Dorglin’s eyes widened instantly, grumbling and asking: "Is this how you view your distant relatives? If I were the Supre King, I’d imdiately pull out the Book of Hatred and mark down the Half-Elves."
During their noisy quarrel, the team was already nearing the roots of the Green Crown.
With six or seven squadrons of Gnoll warriors guarding around the ancient tree, ard with spears and bows, they spread out poised at key checkpoints and positions.
Moreover, Two-legged Flying Dragons hovered in the air, patrolling, so tight that not even a fly could enter the Dragon’s Nest.
But fortunately, due to Hilude’s effective tactics, the monsters here believed the intruders were hundreds of miles away, unaware that the Adventurer Squad had already arrived, so their alertness was low.
Hilude and her team cautiously maneuvered around the Gnolls, passing the checkpoint so close to the monsters they could even sll their urine and stench.
Luckily, with no real danger along the way, with Vandar’s vines providing cover, they used three hours to successfully climb up to the Dragon’s Nest atop the tree crown.
At this ti, dawn had already broken, and the morning light illuminated the distant horizon.
In the dawn’s light, everyone in the adventurer squad could see clearly the majestic dragon’s nest constructed amidst the dense treetops.
Though the Dragon Race is rugged, they possess a unique aesthetic, one that even different races can perceive as the distinct artistic beauty unique to the giant dragons.
This enormous dragon’s nest is not made of rotting dirt and broken branches. As Hilude and the rest reached the treetops, looking ahead, they saw the dense foliage, lush and verdant, swaying with the mountain breeze, resembling a vast green sea.
And in the middle of this green ocean stands a towering Erald Ring, isolated from the world, magnificent and grand, like a spectacle floating between the clouds and the sea.
Dorglin looked at this scene in shock, his mouth agape, and after a long while, he exclaid, "I always thought dragons were barbaric creatures hiding in caves. This colossal Erald Ring piercing the sky completely shatters all my preconceived notions about dragons."
Vandar, erudite and knowledgeable, gazed at this grand spectacle and said, "Not surprising. There are so many kinds of dragons, and so have artistic talents. Ancient dragons also left behind nurous valuable relics. So giant dragons dwell atop sky-piercing stone columns, so in bronze palaces, and others in the Black Dragon Pool, showcasing exquisite murals and craftsmanship. Yet, the hallmark of all their art is the imnse scale, reflecting their might and majesty through gigantic structures."
Hilude took a deep breath and said, "Stop staring, hurry inside. We’ll try to finish our search in a few hours and quickly leave when the sun is strongest at high noon while the monsters can hardly keep their eyes open."
"May the Fiery Sun protect us and make everything go smoothly!"
Following Hilude’s command, Ashfield removed the ring that always made it feel ravenous, and everyone swiftly headed towards the interior of the dragon’s nest.
This is the core location of the dragon’s nest, where the noble Green Dragon wouldn’t even allow the Two-legged Flying Dragons to approach, let alone the Gnolls. They absolutely cannot set foot in this noble green ocean.
Thus, the adventurer squad’s most crucial task now is speed! They hurriedly advanced over the vast green ocean, smoothly reaching the interior of the dragon’s nest.
But their good fortune on the way ended as soon as they entered the dragon’s nest.
In the tunnel leading into the Erald Ring, a massive Elental Giant Bear thoroughly blocked the only entrance.
This green Elental Giant Bear, standing tens of ters tall, sat in the passageway, nearly fitting perfectly, obstructing all space.
Green runic patterns flashed across its skin, demonstrating its unparalleled power.
This is not an ordinary battle bear but a Holy Beast of the forest capable of wielding arcane energy.
Each Elental Giant Bear has a lifespan of thousands of years, and upon maturity, its power is no lower than Divine Chosen Level.
Dorglin, seeing this, was infuriated, asking, "Is this Green Dragon a socialite!? Where does its legion get so many Divine Chosen Level creatures?"
Its loud voice echoed through the passage, imdiately attracting the attention of the Elental Giant Bear. With a roar, it lowered itself from a sitting to a battle stance.
Vandar lanted in distress, "Oh dear, oh dear, this is terrible! Well, you are all young, let this old skeleton of mine lure it away. Use your ti wisely, and don’t let it wake the Green Dragon."
No one could take a mont to consider what was up with this Green Dragon, how could it have so many Divine Chosen Level subordinates, could it be a Green Dragon princess? Or a green tea Green Dragon!?
Everyone imdiately sprinted backward, while Vandar rode the Giant Shepherd Deer outward at full speed, continuously summoning vines to attack the Elental Giant Bear to draw its attention.
Upon reaching a corner, Ashfield decisively pulled Hilude and Dorglin into an invisibility state, hiding in a crevice of the tree canopy.
Fortunately, the Elental Giant Bear was successfully enraged by Vandar and did not detect the few intruders who squeezed into the narrow crevice, continuing to pursue Vandar outside.
After the Elental Giant Bear roared away, the Dwarf Dorglin imdiately put his hands on the branch, straining to pull himself out of the gap, "Co help , I’m stuck in this branch. It’s too narrow here, my belly can’t co out."
Hilude drew her sword, a bright sword light flashed, severing all the branches in front of the Dwarf, who hurriedly covered his beard, "I say, Hilude, be careful! Don’t harm my precious beard! We Dwarf n value our beards imnsely, more than others can imagine. We never cut them ourselves, only groom and braid them. Only enormous sha and pain would cause a Dwarf to damage his beard, which represents losing honor and dignity!"
But clearly, Hilude’s swordsmanship was exceptional, cutting each branch without harming even a single hair of the Dwarf’s beard.
She swiftly sheathed her Rune Sword and pulled Dorglin out from the vines, not even having ti to mourn for Vandar, she sternly said, "No nonsense, we need to quickly gather the treasures. Vandar can’t hold on for long, we must take the treasures before the Elental Giant Bear returns to block the exit."
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