Yumas Expeditionary Force

Hogg and that hobgoblin were the ones who returned, of course.

Seeing Landen greet his subordinates at a speed many times faster than when he greeted her, Vivian became increasingly displeased. Aside from other matters, her brother seemed to have become much bolder than before.

Thinking this, Vivian didn't stop. She followed Landen out. The Dark Dwarf remained loyally waiting outside the bunker for Vivian to dine. Seeing that Vivian had no intention of eating, he didn't say much and simply followed obediently.

When Landen walked out of the bunker, Hogg had already arrived with the hobgoblin. Looking at the group, even Landen was a little surprised. The number of people in the group had clearly increased significantly.

Those were Bear Hobgoblins. Over a dozen Bear Hobgoblins were bound together, strung up like a chain, at the very end of the group. They were all injured and listless, and it was clear Hogg didn't intend to let them off the hook because of this—they were all carrying bulging sacks on their backs. These were clearly the fish Hogg had caught. She didn't let the hobgoblins carry them, but instead used these captives.

"Lord!" Although surprised to see several more people beside Landen, Hogg first paid her respects to Landen meticulously before stealing a glance at Vivian, who was standing beside Landen.

"Is this the result of your troop training this time?" Landen pointed at the Bear Hobgoblins. They had clearly not only suffered the pain of battle but had also been thoroughly "disciplined" by Hogg after their defeat. As soon as the group stopped, they immediately stood in a neat line.

"Yes, Lord." Speaking of this, a hint of annoyance appeared on Hogg's face. She said, "There should have been more, but I didn't control the strength of my attacks well and let them charge one more time. As a result, only this many are left."

Landen smiled and nodded, raising his hand to pat Hogg's head. This action stemmed from an unconscious, unintentional gesture by Landen, which he did when praising Hogg. After performing the action, Landen himself was stunned, thinking that this "powerful Riverclaw Jackalman Lord" would be furious. Who knew that he would see Hogg with an expression of enjoyment? Thus, the head-pat became a regular gesture of interaction between them.

While they were communicating, Vivian was also observing Hogg and the troops behind her.

Vivian had always considered herself well-traveled and knowledgeable, yet upon seeing this combination, she couldn't help but feel astonished.

A Beast-eared Cutie riding a Vulture Turtle... as a mount? And a group of hobgoblins riding giant Rock Lizards?

Soon, this astonishment turned into a smile.

"So, these are your so-called powerful subordinates?" Vivian didn't hide the mockery in her voice at all. Her gaze moved from the hobgoblins to Hogg, finally settling on Landen, "Are you sure you're not raising a circus?"

Two sharp gazes instantly fell on Vivian's face. Of course, they weren't Landen's. He had already been called useless before, so being called a circus now wouldn't elicit much reaction from him. Therefore, the owners of these gazes were, naturally, Hogg.

Hogg had been curiously observing this woman who had appeared for the first time. The slight good impression she had initially felt due to the other party's unique and eye-catching appearance vanished instantly after hearing her words. She took half a step forward, her arms slightly bent—this was always her preparatory stance before launching an attack.

Vivian, who had already stepped into the Silver Domain, naturally didn't care about this. She looked at Hogg, a rare hint of admiration flashing in her eyes, "Only this little girl is somewhat interesting. But why dress like this? Is it another one of your perverted tastes?"

Landen shrugged. Vivian had truly blamed him wrongly on this point.

Vivian clearly wasn't prepared to continue this topic. Her tone returned to its usual calm, and she said, "If this is all the strength you have, I highly doubt you'll still be alive when I return after conquering Morata City."

After speaking, she ignored Landen's reaction and said to the Dark Dwarf, "Let's go dine." With that, she turned and entered the bunker with the Dark Dwarf.

Landen didn't follow. Looking at Vivian's retreating back, he grinned slightly, "So, she's already plotting for me to be 'destroyed'?"

Then, Landen turned to Hogg, "That's my sister. That's just her personality. No matter what she says, just ignore it. By the way, many people have arrived here, and the rooms are a bit tight. Put those Bear Hobgoblins in the hobgoblins' den for now. Also, don't take the hobgoblins out for the next couple of days. Be prepared. Soon, there should be a grand stage for you to perform."

"Really?" As soon as combat was mentioned, Hogg, a true war fanatic, became excited, completely forgetting about Vivian and the others.

"Of course, it's real. You must remember, you represent my reputation, so you absolutely cannot fail." Landen smiled and used the head-pat gesture again.

"Don't worry, Lord." Hogg narrowed her eyes, enjoying the sensation from above her head, and replied with even more vigor.

"What? You want your circus to accompany me?" Vivian looked at Landen as if he were an idiot. "Do you think I'm going on a tour?"

"Anyway, your subordinates are strong enough to deal with two Qivita Family members, so bringing them along won't have any impact." Landen shrugged. "Just treat them as cannon fodder. Let them charge forward when needed, and it can reduce the casualties of your own subordinates. It's quite cost-effective."

"Didn't you say they were very powerful? And now you don't want them anymore?"

"I remember a phrase you often say, sister: How can one become a true strong person without experiencing battle? I'm also giving them an opportunity to train themselves."

"Train? Hmph!" Vivian sneered and said, "I can't guarantee they'll make it back alive!"

"If their strength is insufficient, then dying is just normal, isn't it?" This time, Landen's tone was even calmer than Vivian's, as if he truly didn't care about the lives of these subordinates at all.

Vivian looked at Landen with some surprise. This was the first time she had seen Landen behave like this.

"Since you want them to die so badly, I won't stop you," Vivian said indifferently, then waved her hand. "Depart!"

The Underground Ponies began to move slowly. Behind them were the troops of Yatat City, already neatly arranged. At the very rear was Hogg, leading dozens of Hobgoblin Knights.

Seeing Landen look over, Hogg immediately began to wave goodbye, and didn't stop even after they had gone far away, until they had completely disappeared into the darkness of the underground world.

"This will be your first battle to shock the entire world. Perform well!"