Blood-Soaked Path Through Darkmoon Forest

Led by Morfitos, the formidable Heron Knights advanced majestically towards Moonwatch Pond. However, compared to the earlier tranquility, their journey today proved significantly more arduous. They had gradually delved into the depths of the Darkmoon Forest, a place far from the serene quietude of its outer reaches.

Departing from their recent resting place, they had covered mere dozens of miles, yet it had consumed the better part of a day. Their path was a continuous series of bloody battles; even Morfitos was forced to intervene multiple times. High-tier magical beasts, such as Gloomcloud Demon Souls, Shadow Leopards, and Silverwing Wolf Kings, emerged relentlessly. Hundreds of Silverwing Wolves clashed fiercely with the hunting party. Though the wolf pack was ultimately decimated, humanity’s side suffered grievous losses. These magical beasts, ranging from Fourth-tier to Seventh or Eighth-tier, launched sudden ambushes from within the dense forest, turning the journey into an absolute nightmare. The formidable forces of the Mercenary Guild, the Church, and the Royal Knights fared relatively well. However, the smaller factions, grouped together, endured immense hardship. Under such overwhelming numbers, the vast majority of individual groups were reduced to cannon fodder. The sight of countless corpses and crimson blood stirred a deep dread within everyone present.

“Damn it, ahead lies… Dragonhawks!” someone shrieked from within the crowd.

Unlike the Royal Knights’ revered griffin mounts, Dragonhawks possessed a partial bloodline of true dragons, which imbued them with even more terrifying power. While their magical aptitude was comparable to griffins, their sheer brutality and untamed ferocity were something the domesticated griffins could never match.

With no time to spare for other factions, everyone drew their weapons, bracing for battle. Morfitos, from the Royal Knights’ side, bellowed, “Do not panic! Dragonhawks excel at aerial dives. We only need to evade their lethal initial strike!”

“After that, our vast magical army will unleash a torrent of spells!” Having declared this, Morfitos charged towards the leading Dragonhawk Queen. He silently unsheathed a great blacksword, channeling combat techniques that solidified beneath his feet, allowing him to ride the wind as he cleaved upwards. A fierce battle erupted in its wake.

Su Han and her companions could no longer concern themselves with the larger conflict. A dense swarm of Dragonhawks swooped down from the sky, plummeting towards the people on the ground without hesitation. Su Han ignited her blood, activating ‘Gluttony’ to evade the seven Dragonhawks lunging at her, though one still managed to peck her shoulder with its beak. After dodging the initial assault, Su Han struck decisively, dispatching the attacking Dragonhawks in an instant. Gazing at the dark, menacing flock, she mused, ‘After this battle, the strength of the major factions will undoubtedly be diminished. Yet, this is for the best; the weaker they become, the more advantageous it will be for us in the long run.’

Luo Shang, with his formidable strength, effortlessly dealt with the Dragonhawks surrounding him, immediately earning the admiration of the crowd. Bai Que, however, was relentlessly pursuing the Dragonhawks, startling the fierce creatures so much that they shrieked and fled. Magical beasts, scared away by a person? This was an unprecedented sight throughout history.

“The situation is settled!” Morfitos declared slowly, holding the Dragonhawk Queen’s lifeless body in his hand. “Follow my command, form ranks! Unleash your most potent magic without reservation!” The fresh blood staining his soft white and gold-threaded armor was a testament to the sanguinary battle he had just fought.

The Royal Knights, organized and disciplined, formed their formations and launched wave after wave of magical bombardments. However, the individual adventurers who had joined later, like Su Han and her group, could only watch from the sidelines, occasionally assisting with a high-tier spell.

Luo Shang alone could have annihilated the entire Dragonhawk flock with a single legendary-tier Holy Spirit Magic. Yet, to conserve strength and avoid revealing his full capabilities, Luo Shang merely joined the others, casually casting a few high-tier spells, such as the Blazeflame Art, among the Dragonhawks. While a single spell might only inflict minor injuries on a Dragonhawk, the combined power of thousands of spells converging was undeniably terrifying.

In this battle, the Heron Empire’s Royal Knights served as the main force and consequently suffered the most casualties among the three major powers. This brought a certain glee to the Mercenary Guild’s contingent. The Church, however, took a more long-term view. Yun Xun from the Church of Light and Luo Tianjin from the Dark Temple both approached Morfitos to offer their regards.

“Chen Yuan, why won’t you let me go over there? Look, both Yun Xun and Tianjin went, so why can’t I?” a purple-haired girl with a single ponytail from the Mercenary Guild grumbled discontentedly.

“It’s not that I’m scolding you, Xia Xuan, but Master entrusted this mission to us. We cannot betray their intentions!” the black-haired man, Chen Yuan, explained. He was one of the Mercenary Guild’s leaders for this expedition. “Let the Heron Empire suffer more losses; the more, the better. When we hunt Kiramei and divide the spoils, we can simply expel them, leaving only us and the Church to split everything equally!”

“But…”

“But what? The conflict between the Heron Empire and our Mercenary Guild isn’t new; it’s been going on for years. In past profit distributions, we were always the ones who lost out. This time, they need to suffer a significant loss!” Chen Yuan continued, his voice sharp. “And that Third Prince, with his arrogant demeanor, does he truly look down on me?”

“Isn’t it because you deliberately provoked them at that gathering three years ago… and ended up losing face?” Xia Xuan retorted, adding a jab.

“Hmph! Regardless, I forbid you to go!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t go then!”

On the other side, Yun Xun cupped his fist towards Morfitos. “Brother Mo, you’ve worked hard!” he said. “If not for you, the losses suffered by our major factions would undoubtedly have been far greater!”

“If not for him, wouldn’t you still be here? I say, old friend, there’s no need for such modesty. As one of the candidates for the Holy Son of the Church of Light, your methods are no less formidable than Morfitos’s!” Luo Tianjin, from the Dark Temple, teased him.

“You are truly disagreeable!” Yun Xun frowned. “Besides, I’m not even sure I could defeat you, esteemed Fourth Priest of the Dark Temple?”

“Cough, cough…” Luo Tianjin awkwardly cleared his throat twice.

“Speaking of which…” Morfitos interrupted their bickering, pausing for a moment before continuing.

“Hm?”

“Do you two have time to accompany me to meet an old acquaintance?”

“Who is it?”

“You’ll know once we get there!” Morfitos replied, casting a subtle, almost inadvertent glance in Su Han’s direction. ‘Did the Wind Whisper Art pick that up? Never mind, never mind.’

“An old acquaintance? I might already know who it is!” Luo Tianjin mused, a hint of interest in his voice.

Yun Xun, however, remained completely in the dark. “How do you both know?”

“Damn it, Morfitos knows about us!”

“Ah? How could he…?”

“I suppose he discovered me using the Wind Whisper Art to eavesdrop on their conversation!” Bai Que admitted, raising a hand awkwardly.

Luo Shang stroked his smooth chin in thought. “No, he likely knew of our presence long before. He must have detected us right after Hirus left.”

“What? Was it that Hirus guy?”

“No, familiar people carry familiar scents. Perhaps when Hirus went to complain to Morfitos, he caught a whiff of my unique aura.”

“Hey, hey, are you a bloodhound?” Su Han quipped.

“Morfitos is a Malevolent Spirit mage who also cultivates the knight profession, making him especially sensitive to my Holy Spirit element…” Luo Shang explained. “Plan A can no longer be executed. Prepare to implement Plan B!”

“Understood!”

“If soldiers come, we’ll block them; if water comes, we’ll dam it. We’ll simply wait for them here!” Bai Que declared, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. “I’d like to see what those fellows can do against me!” Without a doubt, Su Han knew instantly that the creature was about to act recklessly again.

‘Plan A was the most conservative approach, but it’s useless now. I wonder if Plan B will succeed…’ Su Han thought, as she and Luo Shang awaited the arrival of Morfitos and his two companions.