**Chapter 109: Trap (Part 1)**
More than ten days passed in a flash.
In the opulent palace atop the floating island, the leaders of various races gathered once more.
Light and shadow danced within the hall, but the atmosphere was even heavier than before.
The wizard army’s offensive grew increasingly aggressive, and frontline reports piled up, each one more alarming than the last.
“The northern rune fortress has advanced to the ‘Giant’s Shoulder’! If this continues, the barrier to the central plains will be completely breached!” the human king’s voice carried evident anxiety.
The elven queen’s face was etched with worry. “Their summoned shadow creatures are corrupting our ancient forests, severely polluting the natural energy.”
After a long and heated discussion on countering the wizard army’s main offensive, the conversation naturally shifted to the “adventurer strategy” proposed last time.
“However, the strategy of offering bounties for the foreign demons has proven quite effective,” the orc chieftain rumbled, a note of satisfaction in his voice.
A murmur of agreement rippled through the hall. The tangible benefits of this strategy temporarily set aside their differences.
But soon, a noble voiced dissent.
“Your Majesty!” A lord clad in ornate robes stood abruptly, his voice impassioned. “I must point out that this policy has brought severe negative consequences! These adventurers are nothing but a pack of shameless jackals! For the sake of empty rewards, they’ve stooped to killing innocents, passing off our loyal subjects as ‘foreign demons’ to claim bounties!”
His righteous indignation continued, “This is an unprecedented atrocity! Several tragedies have occurred near my estates, with innocent civilians slaughtered! They’re gravely disrupting the peace of our people!”
The dwarf elder chimed in with his own grievances. “My mining districts have seen similar issues. Those adventurers barge in, looting resources and even targeting our miners, trying to pass them off as otherworldly intruders!”
On the surface, these leaders passionately championed justice for “innocent civilians” and “miners,” as if deeply concerned for their people’s suffering.
In truth, their real anger stemmed from the adventurers’ severe encroachment on local lords’ interests!
The lives of innocent civilians mattered, of course, but the loss of estates and tax revenue was what truly pained them.
Most of the “wizards” killed for bounties were quickly exposed—humans from the wizard civilization didn’t look much like those of the Elosia plane.
Centuries of deliberate intervention and aptitude enhancement had made wizard-world humans generally more refined, taller, and imbued with a transcendent elegance.
Aside from lacking pointed ears, wizard-world humans resembled elves more than anything.
In contrast, Elosia’s humans were rougher, more rugged.
Thus, while a few unfortunate souls were falsely claimed, most greedy adventurers’ efforts were in vain.
Even so, their actions significantly disrupted local order.
“These adventurers are utterly deplorable, truly shameful!” a priest in lavish red robes stood, his face full of pious compassion. “I propose the temple deploy forces to form holy knight patrols to monitor major cities and prevent such incidents.”
“Hah, spare me! Just trying to sell indulgences again, aren’t you?” someone sneered.
“What nonsense! This is about punishing evil and upholding good!”
“Then go deal with those wizards yourself!”
“No, those wizards are far too strong…”
After a fruitless round of bickering, the leaders reached a consensus: since hiring adventurers had proven effective, the policy would continue.
To curb the “killing for false merit” and stabilize the rear, they decided to allocate additional forces to set traps in areas where wizard apprentices were active, luring them in for concentrated ambushes.
Meanwhile, Jie Ming, Amy, and Victor’s team thrived in the plane, relying on Viola’s latest intelligence.
The value of this intelligence network had become evident over the past ten days.
No longer aimlessly wandering, they could now avoid dangerous areas and target high-value objectives with precision.
Each mission was efficient and rewarding.
This time, based on Viola’s intelligence, they arrived at a mining pit deep in a forest.
The intelligence suggested the pit contained unique minerals valuable for Alchemy Technique and potion research.
However, the vein was behind enemy lines, beyond the reach of the main forces, so wizard teams had to infiltrate to obtain samples.
The pit’s entrance was crudely fortified with wooden stakes and makeshift cloth, clearly the property of a native lord.
After Jie Ming’s micro-eyes confirmed no major guards nearby, the trio swiftly slipped inside.
The mine’s tunnels twisted and turned, the air heavy with damp earth and the metallic tang of ore.
The deeper they went, the more noticeable a searing heat became.
“It’s… getting kind of hot in here,” Amy said, wiping sweat from her brow.
“Be careful. The minerals have associated energy, and the fire elemental aura is strong,” Victor warned.
As they ventured deeper, the tunnels widened, eventually resembling a vast cavern.
“Is this really a mine?” Amy marveled, eyeing the stalactites overhead.
“The Elosia plane has an extensive underground world, and most veins are located there. So, these ‘mines’ are likely direct passages to that underworld…” Jie Ming explained, then suddenly paused, his brow furrowing.
“Enemies approaching. Stay alert!”
Cautiously pressing forward, they neared the core vein area indicated in the intelligence when a violent energy surge erupted from the depths.
A guttural, furious roar shook the ground beneath them: “Intruders! This is the territory of the Molten Clan!”
A towering figure stepped out from the shadows.
It was an underground demon elder, over three meters tall, with rough skin like solidified lava, etched with crimson patterns.