Full health is the kill threshold, no matter if you're a god or a demon!

After the three of them finished off the monsters, they could now clearly see the entrance to the Rusty Water Canyon, shrouded in a foul green mist, from where they were standing.

A strong, pungent odor, a mixture of rust, sulfur, and some kind of putrid smell, began to fill the air.

The ground beneath our feet gradually transformed from hard soil into a reddish-brown, barren wasteland.

Twisted, skeletal trees are scattered about, and the ground is covered with hissing puddles of acidic water and cracks from which yellowish-green toxic gas slowly rises.

The Xiushui Canyon truly lives up to its name.

As the three of them silently climbed to a high point overlooking the interior of the canyon, Liu Nian's pupils contracted slightly.

The canyon itself resembles a scar on the earth cleaved open by a giant axe, with steep, rusted rock walls on both sides.

At the bottom of the canyon, a murky "river" with a metallic sheen and oil stains flows slowly; that is the Rust River.

The ratmen's outpost was built on a relatively flat area along this river.

The outpost was crudely and crampedly laid out, full of the race’s distorted pragmatism that made the most of small spaces.

Rough logs and rusted metal plates were pieced together to form a wall, on which hung dried bones and tattered battle flags, radiating a silent terror.

On several crooked wooden watchtowers, ratman sentries, holding blowguns or crossbows, warily scanned the perimeter of the camp with their small, scarlet eyes.

However, the most eye-catching thing was the huge device in the center of the camp that kept emitting a dull "gurgling" sound.

A rough metal base supports several thick pipes that connect to a spherical core that constantly spews out dark green steam. The pungent stench can be faintly smelled even from a distance.

"Is that the Plague Steam Core?" Liu Nian murmured.

Dark green poisonous clouds rose continuously from the core, spreading through the air like living things, shrouding the entire outpost and surrounding area in an ominous green mist. Even from a great distance, Liu Nian could feel a sense of suffocation.

Inside the camp, large numbers of ratman laborers were carrying ore and materials under the urging of whips, while more ratman warriors formed patrol teams that moved between the crowded shacks and fortifications.

Beside the core was an exceptionally burly ratman wielding a massive chain hammer, who was loudly cursing something; this must be the level 22 ratman overseer.

In addition, Liu Nian also saw several fixed plague sprayers scattered throughout the camp, intermittently spraying venom in all directions.

"The defense is very tight," Sun Yao muttered involuntarily. "Should we launch a full-scale attack?"

Liu Nian remained calm upon hearing this.

Based on the previous encounter with the level 15 Ratman Overseer, it's highly likely that this level 22 Warlord doesn't have as much health as him.

The difference in levels can no longer be used as the sole standard for measuring strength given his current attributes.

Moreover, the human players are already much stronger than the ratmen of the same level, and with Wu Zhan, the former number one expert, leading the team, Liu Nian felt that this mission was still achievable.

However, he was still a little puzzled. These ratmen weren't high-level, so why weren't they leveling up?

Is their game strategy different from that of human players?

Wu Zhan had now completely abandoned his nonchalant attitude, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

He observed carefully for a moment, then pointed to a cliff downstream of the Rusty River: "Look there, there's a crack behind the vines, and water is constantly seeping in. If I'm not mistaken, there must be an underground river beneath the outpost in the Rusty River." He pondered for a moment, then an idea came to him: "If we blow up the entrance to that underground river, forcing the river to rise and flood the camp, it will definitely cause large-scale chaos. At that time, it will be much easier to take action."

Sun Yao's eyes lit up: "Great idea! We can also set up an ambush near the underground river and wait for their reinforcements to come out, then wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"

Liu Nian, however, pointed to an area at the edge of the camp piled with discarded parts and garbage, suggesting another possibility: "Look over there, the ratmen are coming and going frequently, behaving suspiciously. Could there be a passage hidden behind it?"

Wu Zhan looked in that direction, his face instantly darkening: "The ratmen are cunning by nature, love to dig holes, and are accustomed to leaving an escape route. You guessed right, that's most likely a hidden passage! Once we make a move, no matter how many enemies we attract, their reinforcements can keep pouring out through there, and then we'll be at a disadvantage."

"Then let's split up!" Liu Nian immediately replied. "I'll use my stealth skills to sneak into the camp. Once you've destroyed the underground river and caused chaos, I'll take the opportunity to blow up the passage. This will cut off both their reinforcements and their retreat."

"No! That's too risky!" Wu Zhan flatly rejected the idea, then proposed a safer plan: "Sun Yao, you'll be in charge of blowing up the entrance to the underground river. Once you've succeeded, retreat immediately and don't linger. Liu Nian and I will infiltrate the camp. When the ratmen are attracted by the sounds downstream and send out forces to investigate, I'll be responsible for blowing up the passage behind the garbage heap. Liu Nian, you'll lie in ambush near the core. Once the ratman overseer is alerted and shows himself, launch a surprise attack and behead him! Once the overseer is dead and their retreat is cut off, the ratmen in the camp will surely collapse in morale. After clearing the camp, we'll go back and deal with the ratmen who were sent out."

After a moment's thought, Liu Nian agreed that this plan was more comprehensive.

"Understood! Boss, Liu Nian, I'll wait for your signal!" Sun Yao replied.

Wu Zhan's expression was solemn. He gave a final warning: "Remember, we are not facing monsters that follow fixed logic, but players who possess intelligence just like us and can communicate in real time! We must never let our guard down."

The analysis of the military battle made the atmosphere even more tense.

That's right, the ratmen on the other side are a group of intelligent players, not wild monsters that follow a fixed routine.

Any slight movement could be instantly transmitted throughout the outpost via their communication channels, and might even attract reinforcements from further away.

"The operation must be swift, accurate, and ruthless!" Wu Zhan said in a deep voice.

With the plan finalized, the three immediately took action.

Sun Yao moved silently down the cliff face downstream, using the shadows of the rocks to his advantage, along the edge of the canyon.

Wu Zhan and Liu Nian avoided the rat-men's sight and began to approach the outpost along the rusty river.

The closer they got to the ratmen's outpost, the more foul the smell became, and the two began to lose blood.

That's right, these deadly poisonous fogs have an area-of-effect damage effect. Any non-skaven race that enters them will lose 5 health points per second, and their health regeneration will be halved. Moreover, they cannot be dispelled or healed while inside the poisonous fog.

However, Liu Nian has the Unending Expedition Leggings, which reduces the effect by 60%. The 2 drops of blood lost per second are completely harmless and can even be offset by his own halved health regeneration.

As they approached the wall behind the outpost, they spotted a hole near the garbage heap through a gap in the wall, just high enough for the ratmen to crawl through.

The occasional squeaking sounds characteristic of rat-men inside confirmed that this was indeed a passage.

"This is it." Wu Zhan lowered his voice and gestured for Liu Nian to take cover.

Three more minutes passed.

"Boss, I'm in position!" Sun Yao sent a message.

"Okay! Let's do it now!" Wu Zhan sent the message less than 10 seconds ago.

Sudden--

Boom!

A deep, yet extremely penetrating roar came from downstream, even causing the ground beneath our feet to tremble slightly!

Almost instantly after the loud noise, the water level of the Xiushui River began to rise abnormally at a visible speed. The turbid river water, carrying silt and garbage, violently crashed against the riverbank, and the area near the outpost immediately experienced backflow!

"Squeak?! What...what's going on?!"

"River water! River water is rushing in!"

"Report to the Commander-in-Chief immediately!!"

"Something went wrong downstream!"

The camp erupted into chaos! The laborers ran around in panic, while the soldiers peered down the riverbank. The camp was in complete disarray.