This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 422, Section 421: Xenophon

The shadow of war looms over Redstone.

As dusk fell, Nova stood atop the city wall and could see the smoke rising from the distant demon army camp.

On the other side, a long line of people fleeing the city could be seen.

Even though the demons only sent a detachment, the supposedly easy-to-defend Earth Peak Fortress couldn't hold out for more than two days, and no one thought Redstone City would fare any better than Earth Peak Fortress.

Nova felt uneasy as well.

“It’s all cleared up.” A lazy voice came from the shadows. Night Owl had appeared at the corner of the wall at some point, stretching his long body rather ungracefully. “The one leading the team is Xenophon, that pig-headed duke.”

"Xenophon!" Nova's eyes lit up slightly upon hearing this name!
"Hey, you're not still thinking about that decapitation plan, are you?" Night Owl raised an eyebrow. "That's not just a Hall of Fame level, it's a Duke level! Are you going to stick magic crystals into your body like that old man and ruin your head?"

“I’m perfectly clear-headed.” Nova stood up and paced back and forth along the battlements. “If it were any other duke, I would have turned and left. But Xenophon is different… He was severely injured by the Sword Saint and is certainly not fully recovered yet. And the most powerful ability of this piece of wood is to amplify the life loss caused by the injury. If it hits, we have a great chance to severely injure him, or even… kill him!”

His tone grew increasingly excited: "And as far as I know, Xenophon is a notorious brute. If we provoke him by acting like the weaker party, he might just take the bait!"

The night owl disagreed: "You're making too many assumptions. What if his wounds have healed? What if he doesn't get provoked? What if this branch can't kill him?"

“Then,” Nova stopped and said calmly, “you are probably the only one among us who can escape alive.”

"Why go to this extent?" Night Owl asked, his voice filled with confusion. "We could have just put up a token fight and then retreated in the chaos. That would have made sense to the kingdom. Was it really necessary to risk our lives?"

"This is a high-stakes gamble!" Nova turned to face his companions, his eyes gleaming with fervent light. "If we succeed, we will be the undisputed heroes of the United Kingdom! Fame, fortune, power! As long as the Kingdom survives this war, we will have it all! Haven't you always wanted to set up those weird traps and enforce the law? As a fiefdom noble, you can do whatever you want on your own territory. Of course, I bet you'll make a complete mess of your territory."

The night owl pursed its lips, offering no rebuttal.

Nova took a deep breath and continued, "Moreover, Gar, Ivan, and I don't want to see the kingdom completely defeated by the empire. That kind of future... is too terrible."

The night owl stared at Nova for a while, then suddenly reached out its hand.

"how?"

"Tree branch! I'm a Shadowwalker, perfect for ambushes. Besides, I'm an elf, with a long lifespan. Look at all the white hairs on your forehead; if you used your full power, you'd probably kick the bucket. What about reputation, wealth, and power?!"

Nova knew Night Owl was telling the truth. He gave a wry smile, took out the wooden core from his pocket, and solemnly placed it in Night Owl's hand: "Remember, if you fail in one attack, run away immediately with it. Never use it repeatedly... that will kill you."

"I'm not going to court death."

clang--

The sudden noise instantly alerted the two men, and they quickly located the source of the sound—a standard-issue guard's spear lying on the ground.

"Which lazybones left the weapon lying around?" Nova frowned and stepped forward, assuming the wind had blown the spear over.

The night owl remained silent, its gaze quickly sweeping across its surroundings.

The next second, she darted into the shadows of the corner like a fish.

Just a few breaths later, she suddenly leaped out from the shadow of the city wall in front of Nova, a black dagger in her hand with an equally black and illusory worm skewered on it, which she then fiercely pinned to the stone wall.

The insect struggled silently for a few moments, then died. Its body decomposed and dissipated at a visible speed, leaving not a trace behind.

"What is this?" Nova asked gravely; he hadn't even noticed it before.

But Night Owl was clearly unsure: "Never seen it before, but it lurks in the shadows; it must be a tactic used by the demons." Nova nodded and quickly walked down the city wall; he was going to rearrange and strengthen the patrols.

……

As the sun set, the demon camp not far from Redstone City remained bustling with activity.

"Aaaaaahhhhhh—!" A snake-man missing half a tail writhed in agony on the ground, but no one paid him any attention.

Not far away, a group of demon soldiers formed a circle, nervously approaching the center with torches in hand. In the torchlight, a dark figure darted left and right in the center of the circle, trying to avoid the scorching light.

"Quick, quick, surround it! Don't let it escape!"

"Shrink your circle! Shrink your circle!"

"It's coming out...it's coming out!"

The Shadow Bug that had jumped out soared into the air, only to be pierced through by an arrow from a Lizardman, prompting cheers from the surrounding crowd.

However, the cheers were quickly interrupted by another scream from afar, and the soldiers had to raise their torches again and rush to the next riot site under the orders of their officers.

Similar chaos erupted throughout the camp.

Inside the central command tent, Duke Xenophon's sword wound in his abdomen throbbed with pain, and the commotion outside made it impossible for him to rest. He angrily flung open the tent flap, about to unleash his fury, when he keenly sensed something amiss above him.

The long axe flashed through the air, and a balloon-like monster burst open.

With its death, a nauseating stench filled the air.

It wasn't toxic, just an unbearable stench that clung to the tent for a long time.

With a loud crash, the long axe slammed heavily onto the ground: "Stop using these low-down tricks!"

One of the staff officers, who clearly had more knowledge in this area, stepped forward and said, "Your Grace, these should all be summoned creatures from the Abyss."

"The Abyss? Like Veraris's Abyss Beast?"

"Yes, but these are much weaker; it's probably a group of low-level evil mages causing trouble."

Xenophon scoffed, "Humans say they strictly forbid abyssal magic, but when it comes to life and death, they still use it! Since it's a summoned creature, go find those evil sorcerers, chop them all up, and feed them to the goblins!"

The staff officer lowered his head somewhat awkwardly: "I've already sent people to search, but... the other party is hiding too well..."

“A bunch of evil sorcerers, yet not a single one can be found…” Xenophon stared at his subordinates who dared not raise their heads and snorted coldly.

A sudden flash of inspiration struck him, and he grasped the key point: "Their commotion is simply a way to buy time. Pass down the order: regardless of how well you rested tonight, the entire army will attack Redstone City first thing tomorrow morning!"

Having said that, he turned and went back into his tent, ignoring the commotion in the camp.

……

Meanwhile, hidden within multiple anti-reconnaissance magic circles, next to Aidin, who looked like he'd drunk too much magic potion, Puji was frantically pulling summons from the Abyss Ritual, even showing signs of getting agitated: "Stop sending those trashy Shadow Bugs or Stink Bugs! I'm almost exhausted after eighty-odd attempts, it's time for something better!"

(End of this chapter)