After using several powerful skills in quick succession, Unas felt dizzy as soon as he landed, but seeing everyone safely on shore, the weight in his heart finally lifted.
The Lava Monsters caught up with them and reached the shore, but land was not their home ground. With the enhanced barrier of the Crimson Diamond protecting them, the group didn't even need to dodge the fire rings. Angela then unleashed a few more Cone of Cold, turning the Lava Monsters into clumsy stone golems—strong but difficult to hit.
To give those who came later space, Unas led the group in a retreat while fighting, feigning defeat, and slowly lured the Lava Monsters away from the crevice in the riverbed.
The second group encountered no resistance and successfully stormed the riverbank, thus encircling the Lava Monsters. With the arrival of the third and fourth groups, the enemy was quickly wiped out.
Unas has gained experience from all fifty-plus monsters, plus from the battles to capture the mines and farms, and the clash with the Dark Horde. His experience has reached 91%, and he will soon level up again.
So, despite being exhausted, he rallied his spirits and ordered the newly arrived troops to scout out enemy positions upstream and downstream.
The downstream section turned out to be a dead end; the lava river narrowed as it flowed downstream, eventually entering a nearly sealed cave entrance. The only way to continue exploring was to "dive underwater."
They hadn't gone far upstream when they encountered some wandering Fire Elemental creatures, forcing the scouts to retreat.
"What's going on? Miss Angela, didn't you say Flamewaker Island was downstream?" After receiving the two reports, Unas could only consult with the others.
"My calculations are correct. Based on the geographical location, this place is definitely upstream of Flamewaker Island," Angela pondered. "But according to the report, it gets narrower as you go down, which doesn't make sense. I suspect this is just a branch stream."
"That also explains why we haven't seen the elemental army emerging from Molten Core," Huoye agreed. "Judging from the battle with the Lava Monsters, they're not very intelligent; they have no leader, no subordinates, just a bunch of wandering 'wild monsters.' This place has been overlooked, so such a valuable passage hasn't been utilized."
"If your speculation is correct, going upstream from here will lead to the main stream, and following the main stream will lead to Flamewaker Island?"
That's right.
"There's no time to lose; we have to try first. Once the last group arrives, we'll set off immediately. We must swiftly eliminate any enemy roaming the road and absolutely cannot let our whereabouts be revealed."
Huoye climbed ashore with the last of Windsor's soldiers. He was exhausted from continuously casting fireproof barriers on more than 400 people, so Unas quickly threw him the Crimson Diamond to recharge it.
Marshal Windsor quickly lined up the soldiers, and at Unas's command, the entire army launched an attack.
The sudden appearance of the army caused trouble for the "monsters" upstream of the tributary. Unas gave a strict order: not a single one should be lost. Anyone who saw them should be eliminated, and even those who fled into the lava river should be hunted down. This inevitably slowed down the speed of the army, and it took more than an hour to reach the junction of the main stream and the tributary.
Scouts ahead reported that a group of Fire Elemental creatures were indeed found marching downstream on the main stream of the lava river. This confirmed the mages' predictions: they would surely find Flamewaker Island if they continued downstream.
Unas personally went to a hidden spot ahead to observe. Various Lava Hounds, Flamewaker, and Fire Elemental were walking along the riverbank in groups of three or five, numbering about a hundred in total. After all, they were just creatures equivalent to Horde tribal society, and there was no strict discipline.
After one batch left, the next batch wouldn't appear for more than ten minutes. There was a large gap in between, so it wouldn't be a problem to send a few spies in.
The safest scouts are, of course, the Fire Elementals. Angela and Huoye summoned a squad of Fire Elementals, which they would send out immediately after the enemies passed by.
This time, it only took half an hour to find Flamewaker Island. When Unas saw the black island surrounded by lava again in the Water Mirror, he couldn't help but cheer softly. The way home was right in front of him!
Some Fire Elementals roamed the barren island, likely left behind after Du'an and his group retreated. The arrival of a new group of Fire Elementals didn't attract much attention.
The lava pool on the island was still intact, indicating that the spatial passage had not been discovered. Angela controlled a Fire Elemental to jump into it, and she immediately felt the connection with her summoned creature become weak. This was due to the great distance and spatial isolation, indicating that the spatial passage was still unobstructed.
If Unas were to abandon his promises to Rendaen and Windsor, he could now take the rescue team ashore and return home, then have Du'an close the spatial portal and say goodbye to this place forever.
But at least, he couldn't give up the Firekiss, so he didn't do that.
His plan was to first help Rendaen conquer Shadowforge City and retrieve Gordon's family heirloom sword, then lend Windsor a hand, and only then go home.
"Too many people here would be too conspicuous. Leave a small team to keep watch, the rest of you retreat and rest," Unas ordered immediately, having made up his mind. "Inform Rendaen of the situation here, and wait for his instructions."
"Shouldn't we go back now?" Huoye asked immediately.
Unas thought for a moment, "It would be good to send a few people back to let them know they're safe. Who wants to go back?"
No one responded now. Saying they wanted to go back would be tantamount to desertion, and nobody wanted to bear that stigma.
"There's no need to send someone back to report that I'm safe. My Fire Elemental is there, and although the connection is weak now, it can still convey a simple message," Angela said, trying to lighten the mood.
"That's good. Everyone, take a rest. The war is far from over."
During the process of eliminating the monsters in the tributary, Unas leveled up to level 39, with +3 Strength, +0 Agility, +3 Constitution, and +2 Stamina. He also learned the skill "Crusader Strike" (instantly attacks the target, dealing an additional 75% damage).
This is a standard single-target offensive skill, and it's the Paladin's primary source of damage in the game, so it can be used frequently.
Resting in the sweltering heat felt like torture. Many soldiers inhaled too much sulfurous fumes and began to cough slightly, which was not good news; this place was not a safe place to stay.
Fortunately, news soon came from behind that Rendaen had personally arrived through the U-shaped gap.
Unas wasn't particularly surprised; anyone with even a basic understanding of military matters should know the value of this passage.
After secretly observing the movements of the Fire Elemental creatures at the confluence of the lava rivers with Rendaen, the group carefully retreated.
"Such a good secret passage and you don't even know how to use it, hehe," the Dwarf lord laughed excitedly, "Since the Fire Elementals don't know how to poke my ass, don't blame me for poking theirs!"