Chapter 54: Chapter 36: A Short Rest in the Woods
The party advanced in the direction leading from the first Wyite Bone Altar to the second. Along the way, the forest grew increasingly sparse, the land gradually turned barren, and the animals became fewer and fewer.
According to observations from the scouts flying in the sky, the farther they went in that direction, the more Wyite Bone Altars there were.
This piqued Lin Yu’s interest. He decided to postpone his return to the territory and explore in that direction instead. In any case, the territory was protected by the plants, so he had no reason to worry about its safety.
As the sun was about to set, the party stopped by a river. On this side of the river was a small grove where birds occasionally flew by and small beasts scurried through the trees.
The other side of the river, however, was completely barren. Even the fertile soil had turned a dark, ashen gray.
Lin Yu felt an instinctive revulsion toward the land on the opposite bank.
Lin Yu frowned as he gazed at the opposite bank. "It looks like there’s a high concentration of undead buildings over there."
"For now, let’s rest here for the night. We’ll cross the river to scout it out tomorrow."
Meiying stood ramrod straight behind him. After hearing Lin Yu’s command, she acknowledged it with a sound and went to arrange the camp.
The many Druids in the party began to cast spells, raising shelters within the woods. The others went to forage for wild fruits and vegetables or to hunt.
Before nightfall, dozens of tall trees had sprouted in what was once a grove of short trees near a highland by the river. Within their dense branches, dozens of treehouses were hidden.
Near the roots, several caves had also appeared. These caves were expertly made—deep and large, yet without harming the trees’ roots. They were also a tangled maze with numerous forks, making it impossible for any enemy to sneak in while they slept.
Between the large trees, over a dozen bonfires blazed. A group of people in varied attire, all of them handsome and beautiful, gathered around the fires, eating barbecue.
Lin Yu took a bite of an unknown fruit, polished off a skewer of grilled beef, and then ate a piece of grilled wild vegetable that Chenxi handed him, feeling utterly content.
He was surrounded by his own troops and perfectly safe. The environment was beautiful. And while the barbecue wasn’t exceptionally delicious due to the scarcity of seasonings, its saving grace was that the meat was wild game, with an excellent, firm texture.
That, combined with the delicious wild fruits the Druids had found or magically grown, made the experience wonderful.
The treehouses high above and the caves to the side, though simple, were filled with an exotic charm.
The insects of the forest, suppressed by the aura naturally emanating from Lin Yu and his group, didn’t dare to come close—unlike his past camping trips on Cuiwei Star, where he was constantly chased and bitten by bugs!
’Ah, this is the adventure I’ve always dreamed of!’
Lin Yu sighed as he gazed at the full moon in the sky.
The only thing was, the barren land across the river was a real eyesore.
"My Lord, have you never spent a night in the wild before?"
Chenxi asked curiously, leaning close to Lin Yu.
"Of course not. I have, but it was very different from this."
"Let me tell you, one time I went camping, I went in a friend’s car..."
Lin Yu enthusiastically began telling Chenxi about his past camping experiences. The others nearby gathered around curiously to listen to their great lord’s stories.
Lin Yu didn’t mind. The rules of the tournament didn’t forbid lords from revealing their personal information to their territory’s inhabitants.
So, he wasn’t afraid of being penalized for saying too much.
As he got carried away, Lin Yu even started talking about the world of his past life.
The people around him didn’t realize Lin Yu was mixing stories from two different worlds; they just thought their lord had led a rich and colorful life.
In the end, when they learned that the territory’s divine tree had been obtained and planted by Lin Yu through his own talent, allowing the territory to grow larger under its protection, they began to look at him as if he were the Creator God, their reverence for him growing even deeper.
The night deepened. Lin Yu found a small treehouse and went inside to sleep. Chenxi and Meiying slept in the treehouses on either side of his.
With two Legendary-grade heroes flanking him, one on his left and one on his right, Lin Yu fell asleep with complete peace of mind.
The night passed peacefully...
In the early morning, Lin Yu awoke to the sound of birdsong in the jungle.
By the time he climbed down from his tree, everyone else was already up, had eaten breakfast, and had begun their morning exercises.
"Morning, my Lord!"
"Good morning, my Lord!"
...
Seeing Lin Yu appear, everyone came forward to greet him.
"Morning! You’re all up bright and early."
Lin Yu remarked, looking at the morning glow on the horizon.
"There’s a big battle today, so none of us could sleep. That’s why we’re up early."
"Yeah! I’m still excited just thinking about yesterday’s fight." The one who spoke was a Shape-shifting Druid. Their battle yesterday had been the most intense and dangerous one of the entire day.
"I hope we meet a worthy opponent today!"
"Yeah, yeah! Yesterday’s fight wasn’t satisfying enough."
’I didn’t expect my subordinates to be such warmongers,’ Lin Yu thought.
"What nonsense are you talking? Weren’t the last few battles yesterday good? They were easy, and we got experience. What’s so great about a difficult fight? The rewards are the same."
Chenxi, who was following behind Lin Yu, had a different opinion and retorted. Lin Yu nodded repeatedly in agreement as he listened.
"Right, right, easy is good too." The others nodded in agreement after hearing her.
...
"Well, I hope you all have a rewarding day," Lin Yu said as a final parting word, then took Chenxi to get some breakfast.
After breakfast, the group reassembled by the river. Several Elemental Druids cast their spells, and with the rustling sound of rampant vine growth, a large thicket of vines concealed the previous night’s campsite.
At the same time, another Elemental Druid cast a spell to raise an arched bridge over the river.
Once the preparations were complete, Lin Yu stood before the crowd and announced, "Today, our mission is to explore the situation on the other side of the river."
"Yesterday, our scouts surveyed the terrain on the opposite bank. About 50 kilometers from here, there is a complex of buildings. It contains many Recruitment Offices, is completely surrounded by Wyite Bone Altars, and has many other unfamiliar structures in the center."
"Therefore, our mission today is to ascertain the situation. If the enemy is weak, we’ll steamroll them. If they’re too strong, we’ll retreat to the territory first and come back to conquer this place after we’ve amassed more troops."
"Now, move out!"
The last sentence was directed at Meiying.
Under Meiying’s command, the exploration team quickly adjusted its formation. This time, the front of the column wasn’t just comprised of Shape-shifting Druids transformed into great cats; there were also more than a dozen yao of various forms. They also possessed stealth and scouting abilities, but with higher stats and greater power.
This was to ensure that if they suddenly encountered an enemy, the message could be relayed back in time.
They weren’t afraid of ordinary guards. What they feared was encountering an exceptional type like yesterday’s Energy Gathering Skeletons. Even with low levels and ranks, a group of them could pack a nasty punch.
In the sky, more scouts flew ahead to survey the situation even farther out and prevent any surprises.
