Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords.

Chapter 511 Absolute Power

"Everyone, calm down. What exactly happened, Brother Worebel?" Mil walked out from the depths of the passage and hurriedly asked, looking at Zart in the bear-man's arms, "Who injured Brother Zart? Was it that legendary fire mage who escaped?"

He and Little Swan went into the cave first to maintain order, and only squeezed in after hearing the commotion.

"Damn it!" Vorebel trembled with rage, clearly furious. "Zarshuai and I were maintaining order at the back, so after everyone else entered the cave, we were about to come in when that Shadow Warrior ambushed us at the entrance. If it weren't for Zashuai's quick reflexes, I'd be lying here!"

"Damn it! That shadow mage is definitely not dead. He was just waiting for us to enter the cave so he could trick us."

The tunnel fell into a deathly silence, with only muffled thuds coming from deep within the soil and the heavy breathing of the group.

The barbarians gritted their teeth, and Vorebel's roar echoed through the tunnels, every word soaked in blood and tears.

“That bastard turned into a shadow and hid in my shadow.” The bear-man looked down at Zart’s pale face, his voice hoarse as if it had been sanded: “Two shadow blades pierced Zart’s heart from behind.”

Mir knelt down to examine Zart's injuries, and when he saw the two ripped holes in his chest, his eyes were filled with uncontrollable rage.

Moreover, there was a dark element at the wound site, constantly eroding the flesh. If it weren't for the special energy within Zate's body resisting it, he would probably have died long ago.

“This is Shadow Corruption.” A young man dressed in simple linen clothes with emerald green skin appeared out of nowhere on the outskirts of the crowd. Behind him were about a dozen orcs like him. He glanced at them and said, “This is a curse left by the other party. It will continue to erode life. Originally, the Ironspine Oak seed could keep him in a near-death state for at least a few days, but now your seed can only last for two more hours at most before this orc dies.”

Before he could finish speaking, dozens of murderous gazes instantly fixed on the young man.

The barbarians' hands gripping their battle axes bulged with veins, and Vorebel even entered a semi-berserk state, his hair standing on end.

The orc youth and his kin behind him had emerald green skin, a slender build, a long neck supporting a long head with long, narrow eyes, and a foldable, serrated green greatsword embedded in each of their elbows. Two thin, membrane-like wings were tightly pressed against their backs.

Although they were much thinner and weaker than the barbarians, their eyes were very unique. They were the same kind of eyes that you would never forget once you saw them – eyes that never surrendered!
"Don't move!" Layton's stern voice rang out just in time.

The goblin struggled through the crowd to stand in front of the young man, staring at him: "May I ask your name, sir? I apologize in advance for my brothers' offense against you."

“If you can save Zate, neither Gaoyabao nor I will ever forget your kindness.”

Compared to the barbarians, the goblins knew that asking for help required a certain attitude, so they softened their tone.

Layton's amicable manner immediately eased the tense atmosphere between the two sides.

“I’m sorry, I just happen to know about this spell and the Ironspine Oak seed. I have no way to help this orc warrior.” The orc youth shook his head: “We are Green Mantis people, my name is Kahn.”

The orcs looked disappointed.

"So they're the Mantis race." Only Layton seemed to realize something.

It had witnessed the dazzling performance of these green-skinned swordsmen on the War Tree platform and wondered what race these unique orcs were. It turned out they were the Green Party.

Records of this race date back to the time when the orc kingdom existed.

The Green Mantis are natural sword masters among orc warriors, and were the only sword instructors in the army when the orc kingdom existed.

They are born with two foldable bone swords at their elbows, capable of cutting through gold and jade. Their swordsmanship is superb, and the wings on their backs make them move like the wind, extremely agile.

Although these insectoid orcs cannot go berserk like the barbarians, they can comprehend sword energy. Once they advance to the level of Sword Saint, they can even create mirror images of themselves with the same strength as their original bodies, which are in no way weaker than when they go berserk.

Just then, the entire tunnel suddenly shook violently!
The rock wall above slowly cracked open like a spider web, and scorching air surged in from the cracks, accompanied by the sickening sound of melting rock overhead.

"Obislach, how can this spell be so powerful? We're at least ten meters underground!" the barbarians exclaimed. "The rocks on the ground are probably vaporizing!"

"After all, it's a top-tier spell comparable to Nebula Chain Lightning, so it's not surprising that it has such power." Little Swan sighed, holding her sword in her arms, giving off the feeling of a sentimental swordsman with a ruthless sword.

"Keep going down!" Layton quickly urged his men to continue deeper underground.

It had considered this situation from the very beginning, so it had been having the Zai'ai people dig downwards. In addition, some Medusa priests also mastered earth elemental magic and could help, so the speed was much faster than expected.

Finally, the group all stayed in a fairly spacious cave. Because the Zhaidai people had reinforced the surroundings with earth elemental magic, no groundwater flowed in; on the contrary, it was extremely dry.

The noise above our heads has stopped, which means we are safe in this position.

Layton moved through the crowd, counting heads by the faint light created by the Medusa priests using magic.

Three hundred orc barbarians, five hundred bear warriors of the Pier tribe, and one hundred griffon riders were all present. Only some bear warriors were injured, but their injuries were not serious and they would recover quickly thanks to their self-healing abilities.

It then counted the number of people in the Medusa tribe. There were still four or five hundred Medusas, but the vassal tribes, including the pigmen and hedgehogmen, only had about a thousand left. The Green Party's mantis people were even fewer, with only ten including Kahn.

These vassals were all wounded, and their condition was far from good.

Most importantly, in order not to waste time, they left all the supplies outside the Medusa tribe. They didn't know if the spell's range covered any area. If the supplies were burned to ashes, feeding so many people would be a problem.

Given that Zart is currently seriously injured and in a coma, staying here is not a wise move at all.

"Lady Ifra, while the spell 'Infernal Fury' is powerful, its duration is short," Layton said to the beautiful snake chieftain. "We need to get out of here as soon as possible."

“You’re right.” Ifra nodded. “Leyton, whatever you want to do, I’ll make them all listen to you.”

Ifra was no stranger to this goblin; the fact that Levi trusted her and entrusted her with the position of advisor already proved her ability.

"I would also like to ask if Lady Ifra knows about the Flower Camel Giant in Fallen Spring Forest. Zart is on the verge of death, and I think only this mysterious and powerful being can save him," Layton asked finally.

“I’ve met him a few times before.” Ifra nodded. “Zate did this for the sake of our Medusa clan, and I won’t pretend I didn’t see it. Once we get out, I will find him and ask this giant camel to treat Zate.”

“Actually, if Abdul hadn’t taken the Life Crystal, there would have been no need for anyone else to save Zart.” Ifra said this with a hint of helplessness.

Although the Life Crystal, formed from the Fountain of Life, could make Medusa pregnant, it could also heal her injuries.

She simply couldn't understand why King Fern IX would send people to steal the Crystal of Life.

For humans, life crystals can not only heal the body but also prolong lifespan.

But given the current perilous state of the Gulf Empire, which is on the verge of collapse, even if his lifespan were extended, how long could he possibly live?

“But now is not the time to think about these things.” Ifra put aside her distractions and said to Layton, “Let’s get people together and dig a tunnel up to see what’s going on outside.”

Layton nodded in agreement: "Peya, please lead the Zhaidai people to dig diagonally upwards, and be careful to avoid areas that may still be burning."

Peiya nodded, and soon the Zhaidai people began to cast earth elemental spells. The solid rock walls were easily shaped like soft mud in the hands of these iron men, and an upward sloping passage began to slowly form.

“Brothers Kahn,” Layton turned to the Green Mantis, “your vision is superior to ours in dim light, and more agile. Could you please help us investigate?”

The barbarians were too large, and the griffin riders couldn't take off underground. Only the mantis people with wings were suitable for moving through the dark passages, and could quickly return even if the flames outside hadn't died down.

Kahn blinked his narrow eyes, and the bone knife at his elbow clinked lightly. "It's my pleasure to do your service. We Green Party members never owe favors. We've remembered your kindness in taking us to safety."

"Be careful, it might still be very hot outside," Layton warned.

Kahn made a knowing gesture.

It turned around and made a few gestures to the nine members of its kind behind it, and the mantis people immediately and silently followed the passage to the front.

It approached the end of the passage alone, placed its palm on the rock wall to feel it carefully for a moment, and then gently cut a small hole at the top with a bone knife.

A wave of heat suddenly rushed into the passage, but it was much gentler than expected.

The mantises quickly retreated.

Kahn recounted everything he had seen: "The fire has gone out, but the ground is still scorching hot."

As everyone climbed out of the passage one by one, the sight before them made them gasp in shock.

The canyon where the Medusa tribe was originally located has been completely changed. The surrounding ground has been burned into glass-like crystals, and the place where the war tree used to be is covered with a thick layer of ash. Occasionally, some tree trunks that have not been completely burned can still be seen, still emitting wisps of smoke.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur, and the high temperature distorted and warped distant objects in the heatwave.

“Obi-Slach, this is like hell,” a barbarian muttered.

The mountains of corpses and stone statues that once littered the ground have completely disappeared, leaving only the ground crystallized from the high temperatures.

Layton quickly organized a team to assess the extent of the damage.

Unfortunately, almost all of their supplies left outside the Medusa tribe were lost. Only a few wagons covered with thick mud survived, but the food inside was mostly carbonized due to the high temperature.

From high above, the griffin riders could see that the area within a radius of at least twenty miles centered on the Medusa tribe was a barren wasteland, a stark contrast to the lush green forests surrounding it.

The power of magic amazed everyone.

"The food will only last for two days," Layton said gravely to Ifra after taking stock of the remaining supplies.

Medusa's tribe was gone, so there was no way they would have any food left. Their supplies were also gone. It was already quite good that the barbarians could last for two days with just the little rations they carried with them.

The beautiful snake chieftain pursed her lips, surveying her utterly destroyed homeland. A flicker of pain crossed her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "The most urgent task is to save Zart. I know where the Flower Camel Giant is; the Hot Spring Valley in the northeast of Falling Spring Forest is where he lives."

"As for food, the Fallen Spring Forest is full of all kinds of magical beasts. As long as we hunt some, we will not have to worry about food shortages in the short term."

Layton nodded, then asked, "How many people are needed to accompany us?"

Ifra shook her head: "Too many people will only slow things down. Kahn and I, plus a few others, will be enough. It's fast, and we can report back in time if anything happens."

“I’m going too,” Voreber insisted. “Zachar became like this to save me, so I have to go.”

Mir also stepped forward: "I'll join too, more people means more support."

Ifra nodded in agreement: "Alright, Layton, I'm entrusting my people to you."

"Vorebel, select another twenty griffin riders to accompany and protect you." Layton began to quickly assign tasks: "I will take the others to meet up with Lord Levi."

Ifra turned to Kahn and Worebel: "Let's go, time is of the essence."

So the barbarians used whatever materials were available to build a simple stretcher, which they then hung on the four griffins with ropes.

Fortunately, the griffin riders had long since become a unified unit, and even their flying movements were almost identical. Even with the ropes hanging from four griffins, there was not the slightest sway.

Just as they were about to take off, Layton suddenly remembered something, quickly caught up with Ifra, and handed her a magic disk engraved with complex runes: "This is a communication alchemy disk given to me by Lord Levi. If you find the Flower Camel Giant, you can use it to contact us."

Ifra took it, put it in her bosom, and nodded: "Take care on your journey to Layton. See you at High Cliff Castle."

"Goodbye, Lady Ifra, High Cliff Fortress." The goblin replied with a smile, watching the squad disappear into the sky before turning to face the warriors awaiting orders. He swung his sword forward, and the group headed towards the outskirts of Falling Spring Forest.

(End of this chapter)