Lord: I can see loyalty.

The Allied forces on the high slope held their breath, trying to see more of the valley floor through the thick fog and dim light in order to ascertain the number of the enemy.

However, the corrupted land beneath their feet seemed to possess a life of its own.

"Rustling..."

The almost imperceptible sound came from the side and behind—the sound of a dead branch snapping underfoot.

Several Cooper hunters on the flanks turned sharply and hissed, "Watch out behind you!"

But it was too late.

Right at the edge of the high slope where they were standing, several seemingly natural mounds of earth covered with moss suddenly began to move!

The disguise was removed, revealing the Haro barbarian warriors huddled below, their bodies covered in mud, blending seamlessly into their surroundings!

They had clearly been lying in wait for a long time. There were only a dozen or so of them, but they appeared very suddenly, and were only a dozen steps away from the nearest Southern Militia!

"Enemy attack! Enemy coming from the rear!"

The alarm blared! The ambushers let out strange roars and sprang out like hunting beasts, wielding poisoned bone blades or blowguns, rushing straight for the rear of the allied forces!

"Circle formation! Turn around!" the captain of the rear squad shouted sternly.

A brief period of chaos was inevitable. Two militiamen, caught off guard, were shot in the neck with blowgun darts and quickly turned pale before collapsing to the ground.

But the militiamen who came here were elites after all, and after their initial shock, they quickly realized what was happening.

The nearby Cooper hunters reacted even faster, firing their bows almost touching the barbarians at close range, their arrows hitting their mark every time. The Southern Militia quickly turned their shields, thrusting with spears and slashing with swords.

This skirmish broke out suddenly and ended quickly.

In less than two minutes, the carefully disguised ambush force was completely wiped out, and the allied forces suffered three casualties.

"Clean it up! Check the surrounding area for any ambushes!" Jimmy's face was grim as he gave the order in a low voice. It was a disgrace to be discovered only after the enemy had gotten this close.

Vio and Albright also quickly came to the back of the line to check the situation.

Vio's gaze swept over the small number of ambushers, and he felt a sense of foreboding. This did not seem like an ordinary ambush; it seemed more like they were trying to delay them!

He suddenly looked up, gazing in the direction of the altar at the bottom of the valley.

As if to confirm his ominous premonition, the valley floor also changed.

On the altar, among the priests who were chanting with hunched backs, the one in the very center, wearing the largest deer bone crown, suddenly raised his voice, making it sharp and piercing.

The tip of the wooden staff he held aloft began to emit an unsettling dark light, and then his entire body began to convulse violently, with a viscous liquid of white foam and black mud spilling from his mouth.

The barbarians below, who had been roaring wildly, seemed to sense something, and their voices faltered.

Then, a horrifying scene unfolded.

The churning black mud in the swamp seemed to come alive, suddenly sending up several viscous tentacles that spanned dozens of meters and precisely grabbed the convulsing priest's body!

The black mud covered and then receded, as if a pouring process had been completed.

The priest's convulsions stopped, and he slowly raised his head. In the shadow beneath his deer bone crown, two crimson lights replaced his original eyes.

He was no longer alive, but replaced by coldness and death. The priest slowly turned his neck and raised his head.

Those two crimson dots seemed to pierce through the fog and ignore the distance, directly locking onto Vio and his group on the high slope!

Vio's hair stood on end as an instinctive sense of crisis surged through his body.

"Retreat! Get away from the edge of the high slope!" he roared, but it was too late.

The priest at the bottom of the valley, whose transformation had occurred, plunged the wooden staff in his hand, which seemed to come alive and was wrapped in black mud, into the altar rock beneath his feet!

Boom-! ! !

A deep, muffled roar came from the bottom of the valley!

Immediately afterwards, the entire valley began to shake and twist violently!

It was clearly not an earthquake; it was as if an invisible hand was manipulating Mount Loba!

The entire terrain began to change! The terrain below the valley began to change and rise, boulders rolled down, and the originally concave terrain began to be parallel to them.

"Hold on! Grab onto something nearby!" Albright shouted, gripping a tree root tightly. Valerie and the hunters also scrambled to find something to hold onto.

The southern soldiers were thrown into chaos, with men and horses falling and cries of alarm filling the air.

But this terrifying change in terrain lasted for less than ten seconds.

As the tremors gradually subsided and the dust and chaos subsided, everyone struggled to their feet and looked around, almost dumbfounded, a chill running down their spines.

Their environment has completely changed.

The high slope that once overlooked the valley floor has disappeared; they are now standing on a mountaintop in a vast, dense primeval forest!

Towering ancient trees rise from the ground, their dense canopies blocking out the sun, making the light extremely dim, and the air is filled with damp mist and a lingering stench of decay.

But that's not the worst part.

Immediately afterwards, the terrain around them changed again. Thick, thorny, and eerie vines and twisted black trees rose from the ground, forming a high wall that forcibly separated the once-unbroken coalition force!

Vio, Gina, Glenn, Albright, and Valerie, along with almost all of the Cooper Hunters and about a hundred Southern Militia, were surrounded in a relatively open forest clearing, with their backs against the strange, massive wall.

Jimmy, Ansquie, Xavier, and some of the militia captains, along with all the Sky-Top Knights and the remaining Southern Militia, were separated to the other side, where they could only faintly hear shouts coming from the other side.

Their escape route, the narrow passage they had come from, was now completely blocked by wildly growing thorns and raised ground.

"The forest...the forest is alive!" A young Cooper hunter's voice trembled as the scene before him, beyond his comprehension, challenged his faith.

The forest is the home and sanctuary of the Cooper tribe, but now it is filled with malice and distortion.

Albright's face turned ashen. He tried to use [Forest Sanctuary] to alter the giant wall before him, but only felt a will isolating him, preventing him from controlling his surroundings as usual. "It's that monster's power..."

Vio forced himself to calm down quickly. He glanced at the divided ranks around him, then at the writhing plant walls, and at the barbarian figures approaching from the depths, emitting excited roars.

The change in terrain not only separated them, but also apparently pulled some of the enemies who were originally at the bottom of the valley into this twisted forest.

"Jimmy!" Vio shouted in the general direction, circulating his breathing technique. "Fight individually! Regroup towards the mud pit!"

The sound echoed through the twisted trees, its clarity uncertain, but there was no time for them to hesitate.

"Count Vio, what do you intend to do?" Albright gripped his weapon tightly and looked at Vio, the young count who had completely won his trust with his strength.

Vio's gaze swept over the rapidly approaching enemy, and he quickly assessed the terrain they had been assigned to.

The open space they were in connected to several forest paths separated by giant trees. The complex terrain was not conducive to the deployment of large armies, which also limited the enemy's numerical advantage.

"The enemy is also scattered. Let's use the terrain and fight in small teams. Cooper's warriors will handle guerrilla warfare, while the militia will advance in small circles!"

"Target: Move forward and rendezvous with Jimmy and the others!" Vio's voice was resolute. "Gina, stay close to me. Leader Albright, Valerie, the flanks are your responsibility!"

"Understood!" the crowd responded in unison, their desperate situation not causing them to despair.

The battle erupted in quick succession across multiple forest trails and open spaces.

The charging Haro barbarians, as expected, lost their overwhelming numerical advantage and could only attack from all directions in small teams of a dozen or so.

They also seemed to be affected by the change in terrain, appearing somewhat chaotic, but their madness remained undiminished.

The Cooper hunters were in their element, quickly forming groups of three. Using their familiarity with the forest environment and the trees or vines as cover, they carried out efficient hunts.

Under the command of their captains and veterans, the southern militiamen quickly formed small shield formations of five or six men each, leaning against giant trees or supporting each other, using spears and crossbows to defend against the barbarian attacks.

Although the pressure on individual squads is immense, they can manage to support each other to some extent.

Vio and Gina naturally rushed to the front. Vio activated the sand breathing technique again, his dark skin began to show, and his strength and speed increased dramatically as he actively faced the direction of the enemy's densest attack.

The will of the Southern Territory transformed into gusts of strong wind in his hands, and wherever it passed, barbarian warriors fell, and as the sword flashed, severed limbs flew up.

Gina followed closely behind, wielding her magic broadsword to clear out the remaining enemies that had slipped through the net. The two worked together seamlessly, quickly clearing an area and relieving the pressure on the main force behind them.

Albright and Valerie were equally fierce.

Albright abandoned the spear, which was unsuitable for large-scale close combat, and instead wielded a machete and a bone shield he had seized from the barbarians. He leaped and charged like a giant bear. Although [Forest Sanctuary] temporarily lost its ability to control the forest, it still made him more agile and powerful.

Valerie, on the other hand, uses her hunter's instincts, wielding dual swords like the claws of a wild beast, targeting weaknesses and joints. Combined with Albright's frontal assault, this makes her extremely efficient at clearing out enemies.

They fought their way forward with difficulty.

The forest terrain is extremely complex, often requiring one to cut through vines blocking the way or navigate around small, suddenly appearing mud pits.

The enemy's attacks were relentless. Although each attack was small in scale, the frequency was extremely high, which greatly depleted the team's strength.

After forcibly breaking through several narrow paths and clearing out several groups of barbarians, they arrived at a relatively open clearing in the forest.

The open space was about the size of a large square, with a hard, black rock surface bearing strange patterns. There was even a small, clear pool of water in the center of the open space, but it still made people feel uneasy.

"This place..." Albright gasped, glancing warily around, "is like a valley floor and a mountainside forcibly pieced together into this mountaintop forest!"

Vio shared the same sentiment; the twisted terrain was like a jigsaw puzzle, almost defying all the laws of nature. He was just about to order a swift crossing of this somewhat eerie clearing...

"ah--!"

A sharp bird cry came from the dense canopy overhead, the sound filled with murderous intent.

Immediately afterwards, several enormous black shadows tore through the dense foliage and swooped down!

Those were three giant birds, each the size of a bison, with filthy feathers and glowing red eyes! On the back of each bird rode a Haro barbarian cavalryman wielding a spear and uttering strange cries!

"It's a beast tamer! Scatter!" Valerie seemed to recognize him and warned sharply.

The giant bird swooped down at incredible speed, its sharp claws gleaming coldly, while the barbarian knights on its back hurled their spears, attempting to stab the people on the ground with the tips.

"Raise your shields!" The militiamen hurriedly raised their shields, but the attack from the air was hard to avoid. One militiaman had his shoulder crushed by a swooping bird's claw and fell to the ground screaming.

Another javelin pierced deeply into the wooden shield that a Cooper hunter was raising to block, knocking him back several steps.

Almost simultaneously, the bushes at the edge of the clearing shook violently, accompanied by the roars of wild beasts and heavy footsteps, as another wave of enemies rushed out... a group of barbarians riding wild beasts!

There were about seven or eight large, drooling forest wolves, and two or three wild boars with menacing tusks and festering skin!

Barbarians rode on the backs of the wild beasts, wielding stone axes and bone clubs, howling as they charged!

"Albright! Valerie! The aerial cavalry are yours!" Vio judged; the Cooper hunters were clearly better at dealing with these unconventional targets. "Gina! Militia! Form ranks and deal with the remaining ground cavalry!"

"Good!" Albright roared, taking from his waist the Cooper tribe's specially made throwing rope that he had never used before, and together with Valerie and several hunters skilled in throwing, they faced the swooping giant bird.

They used trees as cover, throwing ropes specifically to trip the giant birds' legs, while hunting bows were aimed at the eyes or exposed vital points of the riders.

Vio then led Gina and the militia, who had formed a battle line, to face the beast riders and dozens of barbarian warriors who were charging alongside them.

These barbarians seem to have not received the previous [Earth Priest's Blessing], possessing only pure madness and ferocity.

"Hold your ground! Spearmen in front, crossbowmen fire freely!" Vio gave the order, but he himself was the first to charge out of formation.

With the aid of the sand breathing technique, he was like a tiger among sheep. Every strike from the Southern Will easily took a life, and his skin made him immune to the scratches from most weapons.

Gina followed closely, filling the gaps he left during his charge.

Seeing the Earl's bravery, the militiamen were greatly encouraged. They unleashed a barrage of crossbow bolts and thrust their spears, quickly shattering the infantry's momentum.

Meanwhile, the battle between Albright and the Cooper Hunters was also nearing its end.

A giant bird got its leg tangled in a rope and crashed to the ground. The rider on its back was killed with a hunting knife before he could even get up.

The other one was pierced through the eye and throat by Valerie's precise triple shot, and fell to the ground with a mournful cry.

The wolf riders and boar riders suffered heavy losses under the militia's shield formation and accurate shooting, and the remaining few riders fled into the dense forest in panic.

The open space was finally cleared, and everyone, panting, treated the wounded and remained vigilant for the next wave of attacks.

"Looks like this godforsaken place is hiding most of their warriors." Albright kicked the carcass of a giant bird, which was covered with a thin layer of black mud.

Vio nodded and was about to speak when he suddenly heard a roar, different from the barbarian's howl, coming from deeper in the forest, across countless twisted tree walls.

Interspersed among them were shouts and Jimmy's familiar battle cry.

The source of the sound was clearly Jimmy and his group. Vio's heart sank; it seemed Jimmy and his friends were in big trouble.

……

Meanwhile, in another part of the Twisted Forest.

Jimmy spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, wiped the foul-smelling black mud splattered on his armor, and looked around.

He, along with Ansquie, Xavier, some of the militia, and all the Blue-topped Knights, were separated from this area, which was slightly sparsely wooded but had a more rugged and slippery ground.

They also encountered several waves of barbarian attacks, but under Jimmy's command and the Blue-Topped Knights' assaults, they managed to evade them all and advanced towards the deepest part of the mud pit.

Their ranks maintained a relatively intact structure, with knights patrolling the perimeter for cover and infantry forming ranks in the center.

Jimmy has given a death order: with the rear destroyed, the only option is to fight to the death and reunite with the Earl.

"Stop!" A knight who was scouting ahead suddenly raised his hand, his voice trembling slightly.

The procession slowly came to a stop, and everyone looked ahead, gasping in surprise.

They arrived at the edge of a huge swamp in a forest.

From above, this place looks very small, but when they actually arrived, they couldn't help but widen their eyes; this swamp was far larger than the main square.

Moreover, this swamp is not made of water and mud, but rather churning with viscous black mud! The muddy swamp is quite large, blocking the way, with only a few passages formed by fallen giant trees and jagged rocks allowing one to continue.

On the opposite bank of the muddy swamp, and along the various paths, countless figures were slowly emerging from the darker shadows, blocking all their paths forward.

That's not the Haro barbarians.

They were a pack of wild beasts, or rather, they used to be wild beasts.

They come in various species and sizes.

There were giant bears with their fur peeled off, revealing rotting flesh, and their eyes darting around in crimson; and there were wild boar kings covered in black mud and armor, resembling miniature buildings.

In the air, there were flocks of birds and beasts with torn wings gliding at low altitudes, and even several giant pythons as thick as buckets, with black mud seeping from the gaps in their scales...

They all share one common characteristic: they are all covered with varying amounts of wriggling black mud.

At the same time, it emitted the same nauseating stench as that swamp of filth, which was also the work of that black mud monster!

Several of the particularly large ones, such as the Black Mud Giant Bear and the Wild Boar King, exuded a sense of oppression that was no less than that of the giant ape that Vio and the others had killed earlier!

This is an army of corrupt beasts!

"Knights! Form ranks and raise your spears!" Jimmy's voice drowned out the beast's growl, cold and resolute, without a trace of panic.

He slowly lowered his longbow, holding his spear level. "Militia, assemble your spears! Load the crossbows! Ansquie on the left flank! Xavier on the right! Glenn, follow me!"

"We have no way out but to step over their corpses! For the Earl!"

"For the Southern Territory! For the Earl!" The Azure Peak Knights roared in unison, their strength growing ever greater after repeated bloody battles.

With Vio's resources and Jimmy's rigorous training, the entire Knights Order had already surpassed the threshold of advanced basic swordsmanship. Some of the best members had even grasped the basics of knightly swordsmanship under Jimmy's tutelage. Combined with their excellent magic ore weapons and knightly armor, they were no match for ordinary soldiers.

"roar--!!!"

As if enraged by the knights' fighting spirit, the corrupt beasts let out a deafening roar, and a nauseating stench swept over them!

The next moment, the black beast tide surged suddenly and launched a devastating charge against the isolated and helpless human team!