Battle in the Jungle

The mercenary Wild Dog ran into the depths of the jungle, wanting to bring news of the good news to his companions. However, what he was met with was the sudden change in their expressions when they looked at him.

Wild Dog's heart sank. He turned around abruptly and saw a dark shadow tearing through the rain, rushing towards him at high speed with a chilling killing intent!

In a panic, the mercenary hastily drew his sword to parry. The bone blade in Ruixiuli's hand, with a whistling sound that tore through the air, slammed into the spine of the sword! The ear-piercing shriek of metal clashing exploded, and the enormous impact caused the Wild Dog's tiger's mouth to split open, and he staggered backward in a sorry state.

Before he could regain his footing, Ruixiuli's foot slammed down on his unbalanced sword like a hammer, using the momentum to perform a nimble somersault, his agile figure instantly sweeping over his head.

The weapon flew from his hand, and the Wild Dog staggered several steps before barely managing to stand. Still shaken, he looked up and saw a woman with flowing pink hair reflected in his pupils—it was Jielusi, who had followed closely behind.

At the tip of the staff in the girl's hand, a tangible white blade-shaped energy condensed. It pierced through the dense rain curtain, carrying a chilling aura, and smoothly grazed his throat.

Jielusi landed lightly behind the Wild Dog's stiff, fallen body, her cold eyes utterly calm. She reached out with her slender hand and forcefully pulled the Wild Dog's soul, still radiating a faint glow, from the corpse.

"Is he an orc?" Jielusi realized from the shape of his soul that the mercenary Wild Dog was not human. He had been wearing a rain cloak and a headscarf, so she hadn't noticed from his appearance.

However, there's no difference in using the souls of orcs!

With a flick of Jielusi wrist, Gerus sent the soul flying like a stone into the center of the enemy.

"Soul Disperse!"

With a sudden clench of her fist, the Wild Dog's soul exploded above the crowd! Soul fragments shot out in all directions like poisoned ice crystals.

In an instant, excruciating pain assaulted the bounty hunters' minds, causing their vision to go black.

The enemy spellcasters, who were chanting softly, had their magic forcibly interrupted, and the backlash made them groan. Ruixiuli seized the opportunity, his figure flashing like a ghost as he swept his bone blade, which drew a pale arc of light, towards the nearest mage.

With a crisp "clang," the bone blade was momentarily blocked by the light membrane that suddenly lit up on the mage's body.

A sharp crack echoed as a magic crystal shattered from the pendant around the mage's neck. The remaining force of the bone blade still struck the mage, but was blocked by his staff.

The impact still sent the mage flying, his hood opening in mid-air to reveal a terrified elf face with pointed ears.

Ruixiuli felt a chill run down his spine. Even with such a coordinated sneak attack, they hadn't managed to injure their opponent. This elven mage's equipment and strength were quite impressive!

****

Several thick, dark green vines, as thick as a child's arm, flashed towards Ruixiuli's legs. He quickly touched the ground with his feet, his body moving backward like the wind, avoiding the vines' attack.

"Forest, answer my call!" the leader of the group chanted. Emerald green magical light burst forth from his hands, and the ground around him trembled. More vines were infused with wild life force, sprouting and expanding from the soil, their rough bark quickly hardening, and sharp, gleaming thorns protruding.

"Kailesi!" Ruixiuli recognized the other person. He was a druid warrior, a rare sight among mercenaries, with formidable strength and extremely rich battlefield experience.

Those greedy goblins must have gone to great lengths to hire such a character.

"Withering!"

Jielusi's spell followed her everywhere. A large swirling, lifeless gray energy wave instantly spread out, climbing up the dancing vines like a plague. The emerald green on them quickly faded, covered by a layer of withered gray.

But with this back-and-forth exchange of spells, the initial advantage gained by their surprise attack had vanished. Ruixiuli stopped, ceasing his advance, and began scanning the enemy opposite him.

Not counting the dead Wild Dog, the bounty hunter team still had eight members left. Besides the elven mage they had just fought, and the druid captain, Kailesi, there was also a human priest, a short, stocky dwarf shieldbearer wielding a massive shield that almost covered his entire body, and a female warrior wielding dual scimitars and moving as nimbly as a cheetah.

The other three were still missing, but Ruixiuli and Jielusi could sense that they were in the vicinity, clearly lying in wait and hiding.

****

Raindrops pierced through layers of leaves, striking fallen leaves and ferns. The night was so dark that only the occasional flash of lightning briefly illuminated the forest.

Jielusi took a few steps forward and stood side by side with Ruixiuli.

"Ruixiuli, the Curse Blade, ranked third on the necromancer wanted list!" The druid's voice rang out, his gaze immediately shifting to Jielusi, but with a noticeable hesitation. "This one, a Shadow Priest?"

Jielusi's magical power possesses both pure light and profound darkness, befitting the characteristics of a rare shadow priest. However, he had never heard of the sinister skill that had just detonated soul-shattering energy and impacted the mind.

"We fucking got a great job! This mission is practically a death trap!" The female warrior wielding twin scimitars cursed through gritted teeth. "Boss, give us a heads-up, what's the next step?"

"Take care of these two together first, then retreat!" The druid captain decisively ordered, his arm swaying sharply, his voice rising abruptly, "Everyone, charge!"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, all the bounty hunters, including himself, suddenly turned and fled in a frenzy!

Running is actually the unspoken understanding this team has achieved!

Since this place is a trap, and also the enemy's home turf, how could there only be two people in front of them? Shouldn't they flee immediately, or do they want to die even faster?

Ruixiuli and Jielusi were not surprised at all. At the same moment the hunter turned around, the two of them shot towards the leader Kailesi, like arrows released from a bow!

"Damn it!" Kailesi cursed under his breath. He knew that at a time like this, he would definitely be the first target! This morbid custom of prioritizing killing the leader on the battlefield should not be changed!

The elven mage in the group tossed out several alchemical potions. The potions smashed on the ground in front of the two pursuers, exploding into thick clouds of smoke that obscured their vision.

Jielusi frowned slightly, about to force her way into the smoke, when Ruixiuli reached out to block her way, whispering, "It's a counterattack!"

The smoke was pushed aside the next moment, and the dwarf warrior, who should have fled, charged out from within, holding his giant shield high! His thick arms were bulging with muscles from the exertion, and the hideous tattoos covering them gleamed faintly.

Without hesitation, Ruixiuli and Jielusi dodged to the left and right. Sure enough, right behind the dwarf, the female warrior emerged from the smoke, wielding two curved swords in a crisscrossing motion, aiming straight for Ruixiuli's door!

Ruixiuli raised her bone blade to parry the twin swords' strangulation attack, then shifted her position to dodge the opponent's follow-up, sharp side kick that whistled through the air. As her skirt armor billowed, the female warrior's cold, hard metal leg armor was revealed.

The female warrior's attacks were dodged one after another, causing her to falter slightly. Ruixiuli seized the opening and thrust his bone blade straight at her, forcing her to retreat hastily.

A chilling glint appeared from behind Ruixiuli's blind spot! A figure as small as a child suddenly materialized—a halfling assassin!

As expected, Ruixiuli flipped his wrist, and the bone blade slashed upwards from behind, making a crisp "clang" sound, once again firmly blocking the sneak attack.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle--!

Several poisoned arrows suddenly shot out from the dark bushes on the side, heading straight for Ruixiuli!

"Tsk, you're just targeting me and bullying me!" Ruixiuli sneered.

A soft yet resilient translucent halo descended from above, illuminating Ruixiuli's surroundings; it was the ranged protective shield released by Jielusi.

The arrows then slammed into the light barrier, creating violent ripples of energy. The light barrier dimmed abruptly, but ultimately blocked all the deadly arrows.

"Even if I kill you, I can still get a portion of the bounty!" The halfling thief's eyes gleamed with greed and ferocity as he swung his blade and lunged forward again.

****

Jielusi waved her staff, casting a protective ranged shield on herself. Ignoring the dwarven shieldbearers, she locked onto the enemy priest. A condensed "Chain of Light" appeared in her hand, coiling towards the priest like a serpent.

Seeing that Jielusi was off guard, the dwarven shield guard was about to launch a charge when a sickening crackling sound suddenly rang out from the edge of the jungle! Two eerie green lights, like will-o'-the-wisps, tore through the rain, and a dark shadow, carrying the chill of death, crashed towards him!

The dwarf roared, and his giant shield slammed into the ground, his entire strength instantly concentrating on its surface.

"Bang--!!!"

Amidst the deafening crash, mud and fallen leaves splattered everywhere. A skeletal undead warhorse and the bone-armored knight on its back came into view. The immense impact pushed the shield-wielding dwarf backward, carving two deep trenches.

The dwarf warrior roared, his feet sinking deep into the mud, managing to stop his retreat. He twisted his waist and abdomen, his muscles bulging with power, and actually threw the undead knight and his horse back!

However, another similar dark figure appeared immediately afterward, and a second undead knight crashed into the dwarven shield!

This time, the dwarf could no longer maintain his balance, and his heavy body was thrown off the ground, crashing heavily onto the slippery mud.

A necromancer clad in black robes entered the battlefield from the side, his fingers tracing patterns in the air as dark Magic Power flowed into the undead knight's body.

The soulfire in the undead knight's eye sockets suddenly intensified, and its skeletal body glowed with a grey light. It raised its massive bone axe high and brought it down fiercely on the fallen dwarf!

"Freeze!" The elven mage's chilling chant rang out. The arcane light at the tip of his staff transformed into a biting cold current, and vast swathes of frost spread, freezing the two undead knights, along with their weapons, into two enormous ice sculptures!

****

On the other side, the priest, enduring the searing pain from the "Chain of Light," cast a healing spell on the dwarf warrior, helping him to quickly get up. The priest then tried to dispel the restraints Jielusi, but two beams of negative energy pierced the air as two other necromancers appeared in the jungle on the other side.

So the priest had to turn around and cast a spell to defend this side.

"Hmph! You've brought quite a few of you!" Kailesi said resentfully. He waved his hands, and a verdant aura swept across the woodland. With a dull thud, several tree-like beings made of gnarled roots and thick branches rose from the ground, blocking the path of the precarious priest.

"Plant-type Druid, Ice-type Mage." Ruixiuli swung his bone blade, forcing the dual-wielding female warrior back once more, his tone laced with sarcasm, "You two aren't bad either, quite adept at the challenge arena."

The rainy night in the jungle was indeed a perfect opportunity for the two strongest players on the opposing team to perform.

****

Behind them, the necromancers focused their fire on the treants. The dim gray energy struck multiple points, causing their skin to visibly shrivel and turn black, and their movements to become as unsteady as those of an old man. Though not completely destroyed, they had lost their value on the battlefield.

The druid's gaze swept rapidly across the battlefield. His plan to ambush Ruixiuli and Jielusi and clear the way for their escape, aided by the smoke trap, had failed. Continuing the fight would only drag them into a war of attrition.

We have no choice but to reveal our final cards!

The druid abruptly closed his eyes and slammed his palms heavily onto the rain-soaked mud. The badge on his chest, engraved with strange patterns, lit up, radiating an eerie energy.

"Desecration?" Jielusi frowned. The sudden burst of aura from the druid reminded her of the "Desecration Totem" pillars she had encountered on the Lake Watuke.

The surrounding jungle, including the slippery lichen on the ground, crawled up the druid's limbs and torso as if they were alive. His body swelled up as if inflated, and he was completely enveloped in a layer of wood.

"Roar--!" The druid, having completed his transformation, let out a roar that was not human, like an enraged bear, charging straight at the mage controlling the undead in the back row with a ferocious aura!

"Ring ring--! Crash---!"

A sudden, sharp clang of metal and the ringing of bone bells echoed through the jungle! A gaunt yet towering troll appeared. Her bare upper body was painted with oil, and in her withered hands she brandished a staff adorned with animal bones, feathers, and copper bells, dancing a frenzied war dance full of primal rhythms!

All the bounty hunters shuddered! A layer of energy light, interwoven with pale blue whirlwinds and earthy yellow halos, covered each of them like armor.

"Windfury Totem!"

"The Wind of the Eagle's Wings!"

Their movements quickened instantly, each attack carrying extra power! Even the druids, whose size had increased dramatically, benefited from this, their charge becoming even more terrifying.

The necromancer's Bone Spear and curses struck his body, which was covered in tree trunks, but only caused a few shards of magical light to splash up, having no effect whatsoever.

The pressure from the enemy suddenly increased dramatically!

But this is not the end!

The priest raised his staff, and the "Prayer shone brightly, giving the bounty hunters a comprehensive boost to their strength, stamina, and reaction speed!

"Using the shaman's group buffs, combined with the priest's team blessings," Rupert exclaimed from the rear, "Instantly stacking multiple enhancements, attempting to disrupt our formation with explosive combat power—it seems this is their trump card!"

He counted the number of enemies, confirming that they had all been exposed and the tactical objective had been achieved!

"Fire!" Rupert commanded.

Boom--!

The warehouse next to the farm, hastily built from broken planks, had its door smashed to pieces! Countless streams of light poured out of the warehouse, tearing through the rain curtain, passing through the gaps between friendly forces, and with a destructive shriek, ruthlessly plowing through the entire enemy formation from front to back!

From the very beginning, all members of our side deliberately chose their battle positions, intentionally avoiding the pre-designated firing channels!

The dwarven shieldbearer was the first to be hit! He tried to roll away in horror, but the torrent of metal traveling at three times the speed of sound arrived in an instant, giving him no chance at all!

The Dou Qi shield around him shattered like a soap bubble, followed by a series of blinding sparks and deafening clangs erupting from the heavy tower shield! Then, his enchanted armor exploded like a lit firecracker, emitting a blinding flash of light!

Boom!

The dwarf warrior's massive body, along with his shattered armor, was repeatedly struck and thrashed backward, exploding into large chunks of flesh and blood that were torn into several pieces and spread out on the ground!

"Tsk tsk, it withstood over twenty hits before it broke!" Rupert exclaimed in amazement. "That dwarf's equipment is really good! The enemy really went all out this time!"

The druid, charging forward, was terrified at the sight. He abruptly turned to flee, but a hail of bullets, as dense as a swarm of bees, swept over him, easily catching up with the massive body constructed of tree branches!

Wood chips mixed with tree sap shot out like a torrential rain, leaving deep holes.

However, the druid had already slipped away and jumped onto a nearby tree. He watched with lingering fear as his powerful "cheat code" wooden armor, constructed with that magical badge, was riddled with holes under the onslaught of the metal storm.

On the warehouse side, as the thatched shed completely collapsed, a creation formed from a mixture of undead and machinery crawled out from the wood chips and dust, revealing a ferocious figure. It resembled the skeleton of an ancient giant mammoth, with four long, cold metal gun barrels extending from its back, the dark muzzles still emitting wisps of blue smoke.

Bone Model Anti-Aircraft Type, with a quadruple 14.5mm machine gun!

Jielusi smiled and tapped her staff lightly. Streams of pink light, like graceful Butterfly, flew towards the surviving bounty hunters in the arena.

"The Forbidden Fruit Pact!"

The druid, the priest, and the troll shaman all raised their hands simultaneously, attempting to dispel the spell. But their movements froze, and they couldn't recall a quick version of the dispel spell for this charm spell.

No, you're a shadow priest, why are you so skilled at this kind of spell?!

And who the hell would use this on a life-or-death battlefield?!

The sense of absurdity that filled the hearts of all the bounty hunters suddenly filled their chests!

But this pink magical mark, which no one knew how to dispel, was so conspicuous in the pitch-black rainy forest!

Back at the warehouse, the shooter whistled cheerfully, adjusted his gun, and re-aimed at the group of adorable pink dolls.

The next moment, an even more violent metal storm roared and surged forward!