Melee

The return journey was exceptionally peaceful.

The restless aura of the Other Plane in the wilderness had faded considerably, and the lingering stench of the battle was gradually dispersed by the evening breeze. Without any disturbances along the way, Lu Heng steadily returned to the territory of Moonview Valley under the twilight.

The valley remained peaceful and undisturbed. The Bloodthirsty Vine lay dormant in the crevices at the valley's edge, while the two mechs performed their respective duties. The entire sheltered area was orderly and tranquil. The continuous reconnaissance, combat, and probing had left the body and mind exhausted. The insane fighting style and chaotic brute force of the otherworldly invaders were completely different from any opponent they had faced before. The prolonged tension had taken a toll on their nerves far beyond that of ordinary battles.

Lu Heng plans to take a complete break.

He went into the shed's storage area and rummaged through the stockpiled premium animal meat. The meat chunks were firm and well-preserved, indicating that they were high-quality reserves left over from previous hunts of high-level wild beasts.

He summoned Furniture Puppet.

The Puppet was stiff in form, but its movements were precise and skillful. After receiving the piece of meat, it processed, washed, and roasted it methodically. There was no perfunctory meal; it was cooked in the most meticulous way. The oil sizzled under the high temperature, and the rich aroma of meat quickly filled the entire shed, dispelling the wild and bloody smell that clung to it.

A lavish meal of meat dishes was quickly laid out neatly.

Lu Heng sat down, letting go of his tense state, and slowly began to eat. After a long day, his tense nerves relaxed, and the warm, rich meat replenished his energy. His fatigue slowly dissipated in the aroma of cooking.

I've only taken a few bites.

The Wristband on my wrist suddenly started vibrating wildly without warning.

The screen lit up instantly, and a deluge of pop-up messages flooded the screen, filling the entire interface almost instantly. The public survival channel scrolled wildly, with message after message popping up, a mix of panicked cries and brief accounts of the emergency.

[The Withered Plains can't hold out any longer! The Green Demon are relentlessly charging in; there's nowhere to hide!]

The wild beasts and we each fight our own battles; we can't even group together!

[Another person has been tackled; there's not even a rock to hide behind on the plain!]

The most frequent updates came from the Withered Plains; most of the distress messages on the channel originated from this vast wasteland.

The vast, flat, and open Withered Plains offer no cover from trees, ravines, or terrain for ambushes. Once invaded, survivors are left with no choice but to confront the invaders head-on. The Withered Plains numerous native wild beasts, instinctively resisting the alien invasion and spontaneously fighting the Green Demon – a natural advantage. However, the beasts are untamed, and the human survivors are preoccupied with their own survival, preventing coordination and resulting in scattered, disorganized battles. This fragmented resistance is like a drop in the ocean, utterly ineffective against the relentless advance of the Green Demon vanguard.

Lu Heng swiped down on the screen, and the channel messages continued to scroll.

[The situation is slightly better in the Blackwater Swamp! Many Green Demon don't understand the Mud Trap and have sunk straight in!]

[A team of people was just targeted and forced into a deep pond. I wonder if they will survive.]

The Blackwater Swamp area is perpetually damp and gloomy, with a complex and intricate environment. It's covered in silt, concealing deep water pits and flowing mud pools. Survivors stationed here are accustomed to this harsh environment and know how to use the terrain to their advantage. The swamp's silt and undercurrents are natural traps; many reckless Green Demon, unaware of the swamp's dangers, blindly charge in and are swallowed up by this harsh environment, disappearing into the dark mud. However, the Green Demon possesses an extremely keen sense of smell and a powerful tracking ability, easily pinpointing the location of survivors even when they are hidden in the mud or behind cover. One side uses the terrain to ambush, while the other relies on their sense of smell to track and hunt. Both sides have their gains and losses; in the ensuing struggle, the situation is evenly matched, and casualties continue to rise.

The screen continued to scroll, and messages from the Mist Forest popped up one after another.

[Visibility is too poor in the fog; it's difficult to see the Green Demon charging in advance.]

[Fortunately, the Aberrant in the forest are also fighting the Green Demon, helping to relieve some of the pressure on us.]

The situation in the Mist Forest is relatively even. The dense forest, with its intertwined trees and pervasive mist, obstructs visibility year-round, greatly limiting the Green Demon's ability to track and hunt with its sense of smell. At the same time, the forest is home to many native Aberrant who spontaneously fight and battle with the invading Green Demon, indirectly relieving some of the pressure on the human survivors. While they don't have an absolute advantage, they are not about to collapse completely and descend into a protracted chaotic war.

Further down, there was news about the Cracked Rock Hills.

[The fissures and broken rocks of the Cracked Rock Hills are too useful; these Green Demon Goblins aren't very bright, they just charge straight ahead.]

[They ambushed from behind rock crevices, attacked, and then retreated, resulting in very few casualties.]

This area is crisscrossed with fissures and strewn with rocks, offering numerous natural hiding spots. The Green Demon is inherently unintelligent, plays erratically and chaotically, doesn't know how to utilize the terrain, and is completely unable to avoid traps. Human survivors, relying on the cliffs and crevices, can move around, ambush, and hunt with ease, making it highly likely that they can steadily defend their territory.

Lu Heng stared at the scrolling messages on the channel, understanding dawning on him.

The Green Demon forces currently sweeping across the entire territory are all small-scale infiltration vanguard probes.

Their goal is not to launch a full-scale attack and occupy territory, but to scout the terrain, test the combat strength of the native creatures, and search for weak points in the defenses of various regions, so as to gather intelligence for a subsequent large-scale Plane invasion.

The entire world is undergoing a silent test and selection process.

The thought had barely formed when the Wristband interface flashed.

All comments on public channels were instantly pushed down, and a glaring red warning popped up on the screen with the text rapidly and prominently displayed.

[Otherworldly Invaders have breached the borders of Moonview Valley and invaded the protected area!]

Lu Heng's eyes suddenly narrowed.

An unexpected danger.

He had assumed that the vanguard would only be probing and wandering in the outer wilderness, but to his utter surprise, a small team actually broke through and entered the outer perimeter of Moonview Valley out of thin air, heading straight for the Inner Region of the valley.

An external enemy had reached the very door of his Shelter.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Heng immediately put down his tableware, stood up instantly, gripped the Insect Armor Sword at his side, and rushed out of the shed.

At this moment, Moonview Valley has automatically entered a state of full combat readiness.

The two combat units stationed in the valley were the first to activate. Their metal bodies tensed instantly, and they moved forward rapidly by stepping on the ground, precisely blocking the Green Demon's advance route. Their optical modules locked onto the target and launched an active attack immediately.

The Bloodthirsty Vine that had been lurking in the crevices of the valley erupted simultaneously.

Countless dark red vines sprouted and extended wildly along the cracks in the rocks, like a blood-red spider web awakening, rapidly wrapping and sealing off the edge of the valley. The tips of the vines clung to the ground, and once they touched the Green Demon's body, they instantly pierced its flesh, greedily absorbing the blood of the alien race and the energy of the Other Plane.

The wind in the valley suddenly picked up, and a murderous aura instantly enveloped the entire Shelter. The wind whipped up gravel that swept across the rock walls, and the vines of the Bloodthirsty Vine Vines rustled softly as they rubbed against each other. In the distance, the hum of the mechanical transmission components rang out, and the cold metallic locking sound echoed through the valley.

Lu Heng strode forward, gripping the Insect Armor Sword, facing the otherworldly invaders who had stormed into the valley.

The brief respite came to an abrupt end, and a new round of fierce fighting suddenly broke out.