Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 799 Ironwood Hills
At dawn and dusk, a thick, grayish-white fog rises from the Ironwood Hills.

Despite the sandstorm that ravaged the land all night, as dawn broke, thick white vapor mixed with a dark fog arrived as expected.

The air was unusually damp and cold, and the ground beneath our feet was soft and slippery... This is a rare sight on the grasslands during the dry autumn and winter seasons, a characteristic unique to this vast lowland hilly region in northwestern Eisengard.

A dozen or so people dressed in tattered clothes and wearing dirty cloaks, dressed as mercenaries, quietly walked through the low, dense ironwood forest. Although the weather was already quite cold, everyone was still walking barefoot, their soles and calves covered in gray-black mud so that their original skin color was no longer visible.

"Captain... there's a muddy swamp ahead. Should we stop and send two people to scout out the situation?"

The man leading the group had a thick beard, with a few drops of dew still clinging to his light brown hair. He narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and nodded in a low voice, saying, "Let's rest here for a while. Send two of the more alert ones to sneak over and check it out..."

If the intelligence provided by another resistance group active nearby is correct, a small alien army should have appeared near the Mud Swamp. It seems to be just sentinels who happened to arrive here, and after patrolling the area for a while, they returned to the swamp to lie dormant.

The Eisengard resistance forces, currently active in the alien-occupied territories, have already figured out many of the characteristics of these alien monsters... They are called the Demon Lizardmen from the far north by the Saint Valen people. Their entire bodies are covered in an exceptionally tough skin shell, and they need to immerse themselves in water to hibernate every once in a while to keep their skin moist and supple.

These monsters cannot be away from water for too long...

This means that as long as you can figure out their movements and ambush them near the water source in advance, you may be able to successfully kill them.

Of course, all of this is contingent on... that the humans participating in the battle should ideally possess a powerful and magical weapon, like the Saint Valen people, a magical weapon known as "Thunderfire".

The "Thunderfire" weapons initially flowed into Eisengard from the border of the neighboring country of Darius. As more and more spontaneously organized resistance armies emerged on the grasslands, the ability of a resistance army to gain a foothold in the occupied territory surrounded by alien races and to contend with the scattered demon lizardmen depended entirely on the number of "Thunderfire" weapons they possessed.

Although the resistance force gathered by Alva numbered less than a hundred, they were fortunate... They not only possessed five "Thunderfire" weapons, but also had four former Papal Inquisition warriors, including Captain Alva, in command, making them one of the stronger alien resistance forces in the Ironwood Hills area.

Alva knew very well that he and his three colleagues, who were also low-ranking bloodline warriors, could not possibly fight the demon lizardmen head-on with just cold weapons... These monstrous alien races were even mostly immune to the offensive divine spells of the priests of the Holy See, and in their eyes, bloodline warriors were nothing more than ants that were faster and stronger.

But ever since they acquired "Thunderfire," this silent magical weapon that can ambush targets from a distance has become their strongest trump card for killing enemies... The armored shells of the Lizardmen, which are difficult to penetrate with swords and spears, are as fragile as paper under the fire of magic stone bullets, which can easily penetrate them from a distance of nearly 100 meters.

The locals who have lived in the Ironwood Hills for generations are mostly hunters and herdsmen. As long as they have enough experience and skills in using bows and arrows, they can quickly master this powerful and novel magical weapon and use its power to launch a counterattack against the alien enemies who have invaded their homes.

"Unfortunately, we're almost out of magic stone bullets. I wonder if those magic merchants from Daus will bring any more supplies..."

As Alva frowned in thought, one of the scouts quietly returned. "Captain, there are no winged monsters in the sky, and no unusual activity in the muddy swamp, but we found lizardman footprints and some clear drag marks at the edge of the pool." "They've probably all sunk into the water to hibernate. If even the winged monsters aren't active or on alert..." Alva clenched his fist and said decisively, "It means they're not many in number, and they're carrying those worm-like monsters that spray black water!"

Those worm-like monsters that look like giant maggots, besides spraying large amounts of black crystal spikes to kill targets during battle, have the greatest function of carrying that sticky, foul-smelling black water for the Demon Lizardmen who are far from water sources and the main force to replenish their supplies.

Alva had previously stumbled upon several instances of worms, clearly drained of their bodily fluids, being carelessly discarded in areas where the Lizardmen had fought. The plump worms were mouthless and eyeless, and could be easily disemboweled with a simple cut from an ordinary sword or knife. Once the black water was gone, they posed no threat whatsoever.

"While the morning mist is still thick, we need to find a way to lure them out of the pool..." Alva squatted down, scribbling on the muddy ground with his finger as he planned the next move. "Everyone split into two teams, each carrying two Thunderfires. The foggy Ironwood Forest will blind them, so we just need to focus on killing the lone ones."

"What if we encounter a winged monster?" someone whispered in response.

After a moment's thought, Alva decisively said, "I'll keep an eye on those guys... Once they spot me, I'll find a way to lure them away from the main force. You guys get out of here as soon as you've completed the attack."

The second-in-command frowned and hesitated, saying, "Captain... this is too risky."

Although winged monsters also have limited visibility in the misty forest, they are, after all, flying monsters with large, fleshy wings. Their agility and speed far surpass those of ordinary demon lizardmen. Once they lock onto a target, they can quickly approach and launch an attack. Their red lightning, which is like magic, is often difficult to react to and dodge.

Alva was well aware of the danger, and raised an eyebrow with a wry smile, saying, "We don't have many magic stone bullets left. Every extra alien we kill is a bonus... Once the bullets are completely exhausted, we will eventually have to leave this area."

He thought for a moment and continued, "Whether I escape successfully or not, leave immediately after you launch the attack and quickly head to the east side of the hills to join up with the resistance army led by Lord Vili. Remember to bring the wounded from the hidden camp."

The deputy, with a mournful face, was about to speak again to dissuade him when another rebel soldier, who had been sent to scout the sewage swamp, hurriedly ran back.

"Captain! Something's wrong!"

He took a deep breath and exclaimed in alarm, "The alien races in the pool... they've been disturbed by something and are all surfacing and coming ashore!"

Alva felt a chill run down his spine and asked in a trembling voice, "How many alien monsters are hiding in the pool?"

"At least...at least fifty! I...I even saw the silhouette of a winged monster!"

(End of this chapter)