Pushing Down That Wall!

"Is this it?" Landen asked, frowning slightly as he looked at the stalagmites before him.

He was, of course, asking the captured Bear Hobgoblin, and they were currently in the Stalagmite Zone.

The Stalagmite Zone was vast, with numerous stalagmites. Once, a bored explorer had counted them, estimating there were over a thousand. Each stalagmite required at least three people to encircle it, and their height was astonishing. The shortest was over ten meters tall, while the tallest few connected directly to the ceiling above.

It was spectacular, but not captivating. Almost no one who came here was specifically drawn by the stalagmites. This was a ruin, and visitors were naturally here for what lay within.

Besides the stalagmites, there were only some architectural ruins, eroded by the underground winds to the point where only corners and edges remained. Yet, it was these remnants that attracted the attention of the vast majority of visitors.

Every nook and cranny had been searched no less than a hundred times. Even the ground nearby had been permanently lowered by repeated excavations. In fact, the entire ground level of the Stalagmite Zone was lower than the surface of the Blackwater River, all due to this.

Of course, the stalagmites hadn't been entirely ignored. After all, when an ancient intelligent race chose to build a civilization here, it was impossible that the stalagmites had no connection to it. Some had even speculated that the stalagmites were artificial, leading to their exploration and excavation.

However, the results ultimately disappointed them. After damaging over a hundred stalagmites without finding anything, they finally gave up. Consequently, fewer and fewer people came to explore. Until Matriarch Isis imperiously declared this her territory and gave it to Landen, no one came anymore.

And now, Landen stood before one of these hundreds of stalagmites. It wasn't the tallest, nor the shortest, nor the thickest or thinnest. However, at least for today, it was undoubtedly the most special.

This was because the captured Bear Hobgoblin had led Landen and the others directly here upon arrival and pointed out this particular stalagmite. The stalagmite bore various very fresh marks, clearly left by the Bear Hobgoblins recently.

"This one?" Landen continued, "So, should we dig down? Or, break it open?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and tapped the stalagmite. The sound was deep and resonant. Hmm, solid.

Hearing Landen's words, the Bear Hobgoblin shook its head frantically, its thick claws gesturing non-stop.

This was the tragedy of a language barrier. This clan of Bear Hobgoblins, wherever they had wandered from, didn't even know the common tongue of the Underworld, and no one in Landen's party spoke Goblin.

Landen was somewhat speechless. These creatures could clearly understand him but simply couldn't speak. No wonder people said that although Bear Hobgoblins were the strongest fighters among goblins, they were also the laziest. It seemed true. Even the Hobgoblins could speak the Underworld common tongue, but these wandering Bear Hobgoblins couldn't.

"Stop!" Landen halted the Bear Hobgoblin's wild gesticulations, which looked like a fit of madness, and tried to communicate with it.

"Charge!"

The command was issued, and the moment they heard it, fifty Hobgoblin Knights charged forward.

They had been at the rear of the entire formation. With this charge, they immediately split into two groups, flanking Vivian's team. Once separated, the formation, which had barely held together, immediately disintegrated.

Seeing this, Vivian's frown deepened. This circus troupe, charging forward in such a disorganized manner, looked like they wouldn't even reach the enemy. They'd probably collide with each other before even entering the passage. How could they dare to initiate the charge first? Who gave them such confidence?

It wasn't just Vivian; her subordinates felt the same. Most of them wore expressions of disdain and contempt. Even the Dark Dwarves, who were least adept at expressing emotions, showed varying degrees of contempt and speechlessness.

Amidst these emotions, the fifty Hobgoblin Knights charged chaotically towards the passage. At the same moment, Hogg, who had remained steadily behind, let out a long howl.

With the howl, the giant Rock Lizards leaped!

Not a single Hobgoblin Knight entered the passage, because all the Hobgoblin Knights were scattered on the mountain walls on both sides!

Rock Lizards could climb mountains. Having grown up near volcanoes, they often climbed into craters to find a suitably warm, semi-cool lava flow. Therefore, even these sheer mountain walls were like flat ground to them!

Not only Vivian's side, but everyone from the Qivita Family's forces, and everyone who witnessed this scene, was stunned.

However, this was just the beginning.

A second howl followed from Hogg's mouth.

Then, the Hobgoblin Knights, who had been scattered like loose sand, began to gather. In an instant, a Chinese character "二" (two) appeared on each side of the mountain wall.

Hogg could train these Hobgoblin Knights, but she was only a clan leader, not a tactical expert. Landen certainly wasn't either. Therefore, the focus of the Hobgoblin Knights' training was never on formations or tactics. Their formations were as simple as could be: either a straight line or a "two" formation. There was no third option!

A third howl arrived as expected. Amidst the howl, the first row of fifteen Hobgoblin Knights accelerated once more.

This was just a short burst of acceleration. After a few simple steps, the fifteen Rock Lizards leaped again!

The first leap saw these Rock Lizards ascend the mountain walls on both sides. The second leap saw them leave the walls.

Leaving the walls, they lunged towards the enemies blocking the passage!

THUD!

A unified sound, as all fifty Hobgoblin Knights, wielding their Warhammers, smashed fiercely onto the large tower shields blocking their path. The clash of forces created this deafening roar, and the roar, in turn, told everyone how powerful this collision was!

No one could have imagined that a few Hobgoblins could unleash such immense power. Yet, at this moment, this was reality!

Even the few incredibly strong Orcs couldn't withstand such force. They let out piercing wails as they were directly thrown back by the immense power. With them gone, the tower shields lost their support and were naturally trampled under the feet of the Hobgoblin Knights!

At the same time, the remaining thirty Hobgoblin Knights had already leaped into the Lizardfolk troops positioned behind them!