Lord: I can see loyalty.

Albright's route overturned the common sense of the local hunters.

They sometimes passed through natural corridors provided by ancient trees, and sometimes stepped over a patch of strange fungi floating on the mud.

The deeper you go, the fresher and more moist the air becomes, carrying the fragrance of earth and unknown flowers and plants.

Various small creatures, rarely seen by them, began to appear in the forest. They curiously peered at the group, accustomed to the Cooper people, but chirping at Vio and the others' armor.

After this dreamlike journey, the view suddenly opened up before us.

They arrived at a valley hidden inside the mountain.

A Cooper village is built beside a clear stream. Unlike the primitive and rudimentary camp one might imagine, this village blends seamlessly with nature, showcasing their wisdom.

The houses were not built from the roots of giant trees, but rather cleverly utilized the space around them, or were woven from thick, flexible vines and covered with large leaves or treated animal hides on the outside.

The treehouses are connected by rope bridges or natural tree branches.

In the center of the village was a wide grassland, where men, women, and children were all busy with their tasks, and everything seemed orderly, a stark contrast to the frenetic atmosphere of the Haro people.

Many Cooper people stopped what they were doing and looked at the group of fully armed outsiders with curiosity and vigilance.

Albright gestured for his troops to wait in the open space at the village entrance, while he led two warriors quickly toward the largest hall in the center of the village, which was integrated with a towering ancient tree.

A moment later, he returned with a furrowed brow, his tone filled with confusion: "The King is not here... The elders said that the King left the main hall this morning, and no one knows where he went."

Vio's heart stirred slightly. This was something he hadn't expected. Did they have to wait for the other party outside the village until they returned?

But this was also a good opportunity. Vio looked up, about to ask more about Haroman Village, when...

Ugh—!

A long, mournful alarm, sounded from some kind of huge beast horn, shattered the village's tranquility!

"Enemy attack! It's those Haro bastards!" roared the warrior watching from a high point in the village.

Almost simultaneously, from the woods surrounding the village, a tidal wave of deformed figures emerged—barbarian warriors with their faces painted with colorful patterns, far outnumbering those encountered in the forest!

"How did these bastards find this place?!" Albright's eyes widened in fury, and without hesitation, she ordered, "Protect the village! The elderly and children, hide deep within the treehouses!"

He then turned to Vio, his tone urgent: "Lord of the mountains, it seems there's no need to discuss cooperation anymore! These Haro bastards somehow found their way here... Consider it yourselves, fight!"

"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Vio answered without hesitation. He turned around, his voice instantly echoing throughout the ranks: "Jimmy! Have the Sky-Top Knights form ranks and guard the village entrance! Archers and hunters, use the houses and trees as cover for free fire!"

The well-trained Sky-Top Knights moved swiftly, their heavy shields crashing to the ground to form a defensive line at the village entrance. Under the command of Glenn and Gertow, the militia and hunters also began to quickly seek cover.

The Cooper warriors did not hesitate. They spread out quickly like cheetahs, using their familiarity with the terrain to launch precise counterattacks from high ground, their wooden spears and stone blades aimed at the vital points of the Haro tribe.

However, everyone sensed something was wrong from the very beginning of the battle.

Albright pierced the chest of a barbarian warrior charging at the front with his spear; based on past experience, this blow was enough to prevent him from healing in time.

But the soldier only paused for a moment, then, with his spear still hanging from his arm, stared at him with those lifeless eyes, grabbed the spear tip with both hands, and tried to close the distance!

"This is outrageous!"

Albright jerked back his spear, staring incredulously at the massive, gaping wound in the other man's chest.

The wound did not heal immediately, but the blood flowed at an unusually slow rate, and the other person seemed to be in no pain at all.

He looked closely and finally recognized the face under the distorted floral pattern, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"It was you?! I clearly killed them with my own hands in the open space earlier!"

As if in response, the recognized soldier made a series of gurgling sounds in his throat, and then continued his frenzied attack.

He wasn't the only one in the same situation!

Many of the Harlow warriors who charged forward bore old wounds that should have been fatal. Their movements were slightly stiff, but they had completely lost their sense of fear and pain, like the dead.

"They don't need to eat corpses anymore?" Jimmy swung his sword and felled one of them, only to find that the other's limbs were still twitching as he tried to get up. Only by completely cutting off his head or severing him in half could he stop him from moving.

"They're not immortal! We can defeat them by cutting off their heads or destroying their bodies!" Vio shouted calmly during the battle.

He glanced at the enemy ranks, his panel flashing as he monitored the status of each Harlow warrior: [Unconscious], [Dead], [Under Control]...

His gaze didn't stop, eventually settling on a figure behind him.

The man did not charge ahead. Although he was taller than the other shorter warriors, there was no sign of training on his body.

He wore a bizarre mask made of wood and white feathers, and held a wooden staff wrapped in vines, which he was rhythmically shaking while chanting incantations.

Vio peered through the crowd, and the information on the panel finally appeared:

Name: Desmond

Race: Human

Age: 51

[Faction: Haro Tribe Priests]

Hobbies: None

【Features: Necromancer, concocts potent poisons, mental resistance】

Loyalty: Not loyal to you

[Status: Casting Necromancer's Spell]

"Jimmy!" Vio shouted to Jimmy beside him, "That masked priest! Take care of that guy first!"

The Cooper warriors, who were fighting fiercely, also came to investigate upon hearing the commotion.

Albright instantly understood Vio's intention. He let out a deafening battle roar, and several of the bravest Cooper warriors around him immediately moved closer to him.

"Knights, cover the Earl's charge!" Jimmy brandished his longsword, and several valiant knights followed Vio in the charge.

The priest noticed this and was forced to interrupt his chanting. He looked up in shock and anger, only to meet Vio's approaching figure!

He hurriedly raised his bone staff to block, the staff still slowly oozing magic, but Vio's sword had already struck down, severing the priest's mask along with it.

scoff!

The wooden mask was shaved in half, revealing a pale, decaying face underneath.

The priest staggered backward, his eyes filled with terror and resentment, as Jimmy's longsword swept across and landed heavily on his neck.

Almost instantly, the barbarian warriors who were frantically attacking on the front line froze in their movements, and then roared like puppets with broken strings.

"Now! All troops, counterattack!" Vio raised his blood-stained sword high.

The Cooper warriors and knights were greatly encouraged and launched a general attack with shouts. Most of the barbarian warriors had already lost their lives and lay on the ground, leaving less than one-tenth of them alive.

After the last barbarian warrior was beheaded by Vio, the open space in front of the village temporarily returned to calm, leaving only a strong smell of blood.

Albright leaned on his spear, his chest heaving violently. He looked at Vio, who was slowly sheathing his sword not far away. The initial wariness in his eyes had long been replaced by shock and gratitude.

He walked up to Vio and, according to the most solemn Cooper etiquette, pounded his right fist against his left chest and bowed deeply:

"Foreign lords, forests and the Cooper family, thank you for your courage and help. You are our saviors today."

The other Coopers in the village, young and old, also cast approving and grateful glances at Vio and his warriors.

Vio also reached out to help Albright, who was bent over. He knew that although this battle could not completely erase the rift between them, it was a good start.

Just as everyone was recovering from the ordeal, another shout reached their ears.

"Everyone, the King has returned!"