Dark, damp, eerie—this was Austin's first impression of the Wet Bone Forest ahead.
Under the cover of towering ancient trees, the ground was covered with moss, and certain empty spots seemed slightly rounded and slippery. Other than the fern plants that reached half a person's height, there were no other plants on the ground.
The crooked branches of the surrounding trees appeared extremely menacing in the dark fog, as if some demonic creatures were hiding deep within.
The somewhat oppressive environment around didn't give Austin much of a feeling. Just entering a bit into the periphery, he hadn't noticed anything unusual so far, but considering the heavy, damp mist surrounding him, he had some guesses.
He estimated that living deep within the Wet Bone Forest were probably not demons, but some powerful tribes of magical beasts, particularly those with a water attribute.
Standing in the Wet Bone Forest, Austin could clearly feel that the Water Attribute Magic Power in the air was much denser than outside, making the entire forest environment extremely damp.
It was precisely this environment rich with Water Attribute Magic Power that attracted those tribes of magic beasts attuned to water, who occasionally ventured out to plunder beastmen from the outer Beastman Tribe as food, hence being referred to as demons by those beastmen.
However, creating such an environment likely wasn't the work of those hidden magic beasts, but rather because there was possibly some latent magic ore vein of water attribute or some powerful magic plants with water attributes within the forest, enveloping the whole Wet Bone Forest in layers of mist.
Whether it was a magical ore vein or those magic plants, things containing powerful Magic Power were beneficial for Austin's growth, which was the reason Austin selected the Wet Bone Forest as his first target.
Austin looked far into death, but his vision could only penetrate about fifty meters before being blocked by the fog and layers of branches.
The dense Water Attribute Magic Power made the water vapor in the air coalesce into thick mist. Combined with the mountain-ringed terrain surrounding the Wet Bone Forest, which prevented ventilation, the entire forest was shrouded in lingering mist year-round.
"Rodney, take a squad of elites to explore nearby, take the Blood Wolves, but don't go too far."
Returning to the camp where trees were being chopped and beastmen were coming and going, Austin called Rodney over to instruct him.
The Wet Bone Forest was unusually quiet inside, and danger surely lurked. It's possible that the magic beasts were watching them from the shadows, simply avoiding direct confrontation for the time being due to the large-scale entry of the Dragon Nest Legion and Austin.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Rodney selected the majority of elite Dragon Vein Attendants from the Dragon Nest Legion assembled for this expedition, forming a squad and bringing the Blood Wolves along, leaving the camp to explore the periphery of the Wet Bone Forest.
In fact, Austin didn't have high expectations for Rodney and his team's scouting. This was just a normal precaution, given they had barely ventured a hundred meters into the Wet Bone Forest. Discovering its secrets so easily was unlikely.
From the onset, Austin had already devised a battle plan for the Dragon Nest Legion, which was to advance step by step, relying on their formidable strength to push through and penetrate the entire Wet Bone Forest.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Nest Beastmen not only cleared and established a camp but also had the task of removing obstacles along their path. A large group of Dragon Nest Beastmen organized themselves to cut down the trees and ferns blocking the road, laying the chopped leaves and fern grass on the ground and placing the trunks horizontally alongside the road as barriers, forming a rudimentary boardwalk leading outside the Wet Bone Forest.
This way, even the buffalo-formed transport teams could use this to enter directly into the Wet Bone Forest, ensuring transportation with the exterior.
Of course, if Rodney and others could discover any additional clues, that would be even better. After all, the Blood Wolves had been tamed and now cooperated seamlessly with the Dragon Nest Beastmen, having contributed significantly multiple times.
Time swiftly passed, entering night,
The temporary camp's road to the outside had already been opened, building a makeshift road connecting it with the outskirts of the Disaster Forest.
A makeshift fence was also erected around the camp, with teams of beastmen patrolling the perimeter.
And at this time, the Rodney squad, who had been exploring and standing guard on the periphery all day, returned to the temporary camp for rest, having found nothing along the way.
However, what caught Rodney's attention was that the usually energetic Blood Wolves seemed a bit off when leaving the temporary camp, with their fur on their backs standing erect, occasionally growling at certain spots. But, as a bunch of beastmen cautiously approached, they found nothing.
This left a lingering shadow in Rodney's heart, prompting him to strengthen patrols in the middle of the night.
With the previous experience of the Spider Cave, the Dragon Nest Beastmen had already produced enough torches, ensuring there was no shortage of light during nighttime patrols. Teams of beastmen troops rotated patrols, taking turns and resting.
The night passed uneventfully, seemingly making their prior fears feel like mere illusions, yet no one relaxed because of it.
The next day, the Dragon Nest Legion ventured another hundred meters deeper.
Like the previous day, Rodney led the team to explore the periphery, while the Dragon Nest Legion set up outposts, cutting trees and constructing roads, connecting with the previous outpost.
The entire day remained uneventful, with nothing more than a bit of agitation from the Blood Wolves.
On the third day, Austin led the Dragon Nest Legion another hundred meters deeper.
As on the previous two days, Rodney led the exploration, while the Dragon Nest Legion built outposts, opening up roads and connecting with the previous outpost.
This was the sweeping plan Austin had set from the start—to advance methodically until the hidden enemies within the Wet Bone Forest were forced out, breaking through the entire forest.
The fourth day, the fifth day...
As the Dragon Nest Legion pressed forward step by step, the Blood Wolves within the group grew increasingly restless, and Austin could distinctly feel that the hidden enemies seemed increasingly unsettled.
Austin gazed deeply into the heart of the mist, looking at the forest shrouded in layers of fog, lost in thought.
By the sixth night, the enemies in the shadows could wait no longer.
In the darkness, massive shadows glided through the forest, pressing down the tall ferns to the ground, creating a rustling sound as they slowly approached the camp.
At this moment, the lead Blood Wolves of the patrolling team around the camp suddenly halted, their ears perked up, sharp eyes fixed on the deep darkness outside, and started howling loudly.
"Awhooo!!!" Chapters first released on ⓝovelFire.net