Chapter 555, Section 554: The Regular Army

A snake-man mercenary swam back to the temporary hall he had occupied, his scales torn and his breathing rapid, bringing back chilling news!

They encountered an unspecified force composed of half-demon warriors, a small number of murlocs, and a large number of combat puji. The enemy reacted swiftly and was well-organized, resembling a regular army!

"Half-demon? Combat puji? Regular army?" Ironjaw's vertical pupils contracted to pinpoints in shock. He instinctively wanted to deny the information, but he also knew that his subordinates had no reason to lie to him.

I simply can't connect these three words together no matter how I think about it.

Having participated in the landing battle and fought his way into the western Serpent People of the United Kingdom, Ironjaw naturally knew about the new profession of Puji Master.

The news that a snake-man army had suffered heavy losses in Golden Valley City, with its organization scattered, had already spread among the snake-man community.

But as far as Ironjaw knows, there aren't any Puji Masters in the Empire yet, right?

Where did these half-demon Puji Masters come from?

The description of "regular army" made Tie Ja's heart tremble even more.

It's not just about worrying about the opponent's fighting strength, but also about fearing the hidden meaning behind it.

Most likely, this is a secret force under the command of a powerful and secretive lord of the empire.

The other party concealed or moored their ships at a distance, deliberately avoiding detection.

And it has been here for some time now.

After all, there were no other ships on the sea when they arrived, and the other side was clearly not like them, coming down once and leaving.

But even though they were both under the empire's command, this realization did not bring Ironjaw any sense of security; on the contrary, it made him feel even colder.

The fact that the other party is acting so discreetly suggests that they are carrying out some dirty work that must never be known to outsiders.

Of all times, their newly formed mercenary group had to stumble into this mess...

To silence them!

Based on his understanding of the ways those noble gentlemen operated, they wouldn't even blink an eye to eliminate a group of mercenaries who had strayed into the area in order to cover up a secret.

If you put yourself in his shoes, you would definitely do that!

"Brother, what do we do now? The employer is still..." A trusted subordinate approached and asked in a low voice, his eyes filled with unease.

"The employer?" Ironjaw hissed through gritted teeth, his scaly face tense. "In this situation, who cares about the employer?! Survival is the priority! Stop smashing that reinforced wall, retreat the way you came! Quickly!"

"They're coming!" a mercenary guarding the passage shouted, then added, trembling, "Their numbers... are countless!"

Ironjaw cursed under his breath, a flicker of pain crossing his golden vertical pupils. He coughed up a bead that emitted a faint blue glow from deep in his throat—a treasure he had captured during the war.

This was no time to hesitate. He hardened his heart and threw it with all his might toward the pursuers' path!

The pearl struck the mural and shattered.

Space tore at the shattered point, and an extremely unstable rift appeared out of nowhere! A tremendous suction force emanated from within the rift, frantically drawing in the surrounding seawater and forming a massive vortex that almost completely filled the passage!

The fastest swimmers, especially the ones in the lead, were swept in and torn apart before they even reached the crevice.

The pursuing half-demon soldiers were hindered by this sudden turn of events and had to fight against the suction force, retreating repeatedly and unable to get close for the time being.

The water flow was turbulent, visibility was poor, and the passage was completely blocked.

"Go!" Iron Jaw gave one last look at the treasure he had used, then rushed back the way he came.

The other snake-men mercenaries followed closely behind, leaving only the partially destroyed wall of the secret passage.

They swam back hastily, the gates of the underground city were right in front of them, but Ironjaw suddenly raised his arm and made an emergency stop gesture.

Although confused, the surviving snake-men mercenaries quickly took advantage of the terrain and assumed a defensive posture.

【Blood Manipulation】

A fine network of blood sealed the gate, with petals outlined by blood lines blooming on it.

Vampires! They really are from the Empire!

Louisa was faster than the snake people, and even though she took a detour, she managed to get to the exit before them.

Behind her, the expeditionary force also poured out from other passages, and a large number of plops filled the empty spaces.

Even behind them, after the rift closed, the soldiers who had been blocked chased after them.

They're a real regular army!

These Puji soldiers moved in an orderly and silent manner. Iron Jaw could tell at a glance that they were not only a regular army, but also the elite of the regular army!

With this number added, their mercenary group of about a hundred people probably has no chance of winning at all. The best-case scenario is that they can escape on their own based on their own strength.

But then he would be too ashamed to continue living in the clan.

"Friends ahead! Please stop!" Ironjaw's voice tried to remain calm, but it was inevitably tinged with tension. "We are the Ironjaw Mercenary Group, hired to explore this place. We intruded unintentionally!"

He paused briefly, as if carefully choosing his words, his tone becoming more cautious, even revealing a deliberate air of humility:

“We had no idea that this place was already occupied by your forces. This is a complete misunderstanding! We are willing to leave immediately, never to return, and never to divulge a single word!” His vertical pupils were fixed on Louisa, who was clearly the leader, trying to catch any reaction on her face. “Would you please let us leave? We will serve you in any way you may ask. I, Ironjaw, swear on my snake scales and my integrity!”

"You... seem to have some strength?" Louisa's voice came through the water.

"It can be considered that it has the strength of a hall." Hearing Louisa's leisurely tone, Iron Jaw realized that something was wrong, but he still held a sliver of hope that the other party was concerned about his strength.

To everyone's surprise, Louisa's reaction was not one of fear.

She nodded with apparent satisfaction, her tone still unhurried, but it quickly extinguished any glimmer of hope in Iron Jaw's heart: "Not bad. My boss doesn't like unnecessary casualties. Here's what I'll do: I'll give you a chance. Defeat me, and I won't stop you from leaving."

Ironjaw was unsure of Louisa's strength, but he could tell from the current situation that his group was likely in grave danger.

The opponent must have a certain level of confidence to dare to challenge him to a one-on-one duel when he heard that he was a Hall of Fame level expert.

But this might truly be the only hope.

"Do you stand by your word?" Iron Jaw's voice was hoarse as he stared intently at Louisa.

Louisa tilted her head slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in her blood-red eyes as she toyed with her prey: "Do you have any other choice?"

If Little Pig loses, he will indeed keep his word and stop stopping them, but then Lin Jun will be the one giving the orders.

However, Ironjaw was no naive newcomer.

Knowing that this battle was inevitable, the humble posture of negotiation quickly disappeared from his face. Iron Jaws slowly straightened up, and the aura that had been deliberately restrained became like a blade that had been unsealed, turning cold and sharp once again.

The fine scales flared slightly from the tension in his muscles, and his vertical pupils locked onto Louisa, all traces of humility gone, replaced by the ferocity of a predator in the wilderness.

He understood that the only way to survive was to defeat and capture this arrogant vampire in this duel! Only by taking her hostage could he possibly secure a chance for his mercenary group to live.

Seeing that her opponent had entered battle mode so quickly, Louisa smiled and flicked her dark cloak, revealing the tightly fitted, almost revealing, magic crystal armor beneath.

(End of this chapter)