Kyle's face was calm as he carefully examined several key traces of battle.
The damage caused by the huge blunt weapon, the precise landing point of the arrow, and the remaining holy light energy fluctuations with a strong sense of "annihilation".
He frowned slightly. The nature of this holy light... If he said he was not familiar with it, he would be deceiving himself.
After all, it was this power that rescued him from underground.
In the past, he was still an academic and did not realize that there were differences in holy light. Now he is no longer a simple newbie.
What's more, the traces of this battlefield were exactly consistent with the damage caused by the team he knew.
He raised his head, his gaze cast towards the dark depths of the swamp to the northeast, and spoke in a deep, powerful voice, "More than one group is chasing the Deadwood Tribe. The group that attacked us up front... might be someone we know."
"The Deadwood Tribe is indeed heading towards the heart of the orcs. Let's follow them, keep our distance, and observe first. Remember, our primary goal is the Bloodvine Heart, and... to find out everything about the Rotten Ivy Alliance and this place!"
The twelve people, like light blending into the shadows, led by Kyle, also followed the trail, maintaining high vigilance and advancing to the northeast.
The last group to arrive consisted of only three people.
They wore gray-green cloaks that blended in with the environment, and their aura was almost completely restrained.
The leader had a slender figure, with only his graceful jaw visible from under his hood.
She ignored the corpse on the ground, but stretched out her fingers wearing black leather gloves and tapped the air a few times, as if trying to capture the remaining traces of magic.
After a moment, a snort of amusement and a hint of disdain emanated from beneath the hood: "Ha... you've truly fallen, huh? The world outside is a little more lively than I expected."
Without any extra words, three figures floated up like ghosts, and shot directly into the darkness in the northeast at a speed far exceeding any previous team, as if there was a target they had already locked onto there.
The desolate camp of the Deadwood Tribe returned to complete silence, with only the howling night wind blowing the solidified blood and the withered strange petals.
…
The four members of Mark's team moved as fast as lightning as they swiftly passed through the Lor Swamp filled with rotten leaves and miasma.
They were few in number, well-equipped and efficient in action. In addition, Monica used the [Ring of Truth (IX)] to accurately lock onto the fresh traces left by the evacuation of the Deadwood Tribe, and the tracking speed was astonishingly fast.
In just less than two hours, the outline of the swamp wetlands ahead appeared in the dim sky, and a huge migrating group came into view.
It’s the Deadwood Tribe!
The team was not small, with families, the elderly, the weak, women and children who were staggering among the strong warriors. The heavy bags and simple trailers made their marching speed far slower than that of Mark's team.
The entire tribe is here, and it is obvious that they have migrated here to protect the vital "Heart of Blood Vine".
"Found it!" Enzo roared, a lava-like light flashed in his eyes, and the huge rune forging hammer was tightly grasped in his hand, and his fighting spirit rose.
Mark's eyes were sharp, and he instantly scanned the entire team, searching for the target's scent.
"Be careful, they have a high-level shaman in charge, they won't let us succeed so easily."
As soon as he finished speaking, as if confirming his worries, the great shaman at the front of the Deadwood Tribe who was leaning on an ancient wooden staff suddenly stopped.
His cloudy but extremely sharp eyes seemed to penetrate the fog of the swamp and a distance of one mile, accurately locking onto the direction where Mark's team was hiding!
The perception of high-level strong men is by no means false.
A trace of solemnity and determination flashed across the great shaman's wrinkled green face.
He turned quickly and gave orders in a low, rapid voice in Orcish.
Dozens of the most elite orc warriors in the tribe, whose aura was obviously stronger than that of ordinary warriors, immediately left the main force.
Armed with weapons, they quickly gathered behind the Great Shaman, forming a solid line of defense.
Their eyes were fierce and vigilant, staring at the direction of Mark's team.
The remaining orc warriors urged the elderly, the weak, women and children to evacuate deeper into the heart of the orc-controlled area as quickly as possible.
The atmosphere in the entire team instantly became extremely tense.
The Great Shaman took a few steps forward alone, facing the direction of Mark's team, and suddenly raised the thing he had been holding tightly in his hand high up!
It was a heart-shaped object that emitted a deep red, almost black, light that was so intense that it was palpitating and pulsating.
It is the Blood Vine Heart mentioned in the mission!
The deep red, almost black, light was extremely dazzling in the dim swamp. Every beat seemed to pull at the vitality of the surroundings, emitting an ominous and powerful aura.
"Human!" The Great Shaman's voice was hoarse but infused with magic. Like the sound of a dull drum, it clearly spread throughout a mile and directly pounded into the ears of Mark and the other three. "The 'Heart of the Blood Vine' you want! It's right here! In my hands!"
He raised the beating heart again, and the light shone on his wrinkled yet fierce face.
"You want it?! Then come and get it yourself! Bet your lives on it!"
The Great Shaman's intentions are clear.
Use the Blood Vine Heart as bait to attract and delay pursuers.
Leaving behind elite warriors to fight to the death and buy precious time for the tribe's evacuation.
He knew very well that the enemy who could chase him here was definitely not a good person.
Rather than putting the entire tribe in danger of being held hostage, it is better to take the initiative to show your cards and use the most elite forces to eliminate these greedy hunters far away from the tribe!
"You're so brave, old man!" Enzo's temper immediately surged upon seeing this. Lava light flowed beneath his obsidian-like skin, and his huge war hammer hummed. He was about to rush out, "Leave it behind!"
"Wait!" Monica's icy voice rang out immediately. Her wine-red eyes, sharp as an eagle, scanned the enemy's formation and the deep wood magic flowing from the Great Shaman. "He's goading us into charging headfirst. Those remaining orc warriors are elite, and with that old shaman, a headfirst charge is very risky."
Anna's emerald eyes were fixed on the beating heart, and she held the elven longbow in her hand, the bowstring slightly taut. "He deliberately revealed it, wanting us to rush forward recklessly and be surrounded."
The smile on Mark's face completely disappeared, and his eyes became cold and focused.
He looked at the great shaman in the distance who was holding the Blood Vine Heart high, his aura as heavy as an ancient tree, and glanced at the elite orc warriors who were on high alert with bloodthirsty eyes.
"By the Holy Light," Mark said in a low voice, filled with the excitement and solemnity of a pre-hunt. "'No tiger's den, no cub'? Since he dares to reveal the 'tiger's cub', then we must break into this 'tiger's den'!"
He pinched the cross necklace on his chest, and the shadow of a huge cross sword condensed in his hand.
"Prepare for battle! Target the Bloodvine Heart! By the way, send a greeting from the human race to these greenskins blocking our way!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
