Slime Immortal.

Chapter 139 Take the initiative
Deeper into the swamp forest, far from the roar of artillery fire, two figures stood silently, like withered trees blending into the shadows.

One of them twitched his ears slightly and whispered, "The test failed; the commotion was much bigger than expected."

The other person hummed softly.

"The intervals between the cannon shots are abnormally short, and the frequency is wrong, unlike what the intelligence said. Moreover, the guys inside react very quickly."

The first person to speak nodded, took out a simple leather notebook and charcoal pencil from his pocket, and quickly took notes.

"The threat level of the Eastern Swamp forces has been upgraded. They possess high-powered weapons, are suspected of taming bee-like monsters, and have rapid response capabilities. It is recommended that the threat level be upgraded from B to A."

After finishing writing, he left the shade of the tree and headed away from the fortress.

"Let's go. Those three unlucky guys are definitely not coming back. At least they were useful, as they helped us figure out the level of threat this force poses."

The other person chuckled, his tone mocking, "Our Black Fang Mercenary Group's deposit isn't so easy to get. These money-grubbing bastards will take any job."

He glanced one last time in the direction of the fortress, and then left the spot.

……

Outside the fortress walls, three adventurers, dejected, were driven by a swarm of stinging bees to a relatively open construction site.

After some "friendly exchanges," Chen Yu, who had been hiding behind the scenes, finally figured out the origins of this group of people.

To be honest, the "Skullbreaker" squad, consisting of these three guys, was quite famous in that lawless area of ​​the outpost ruins—infamous, of course.

Captain Baal was once a mercenary with some skill, but later took on dirty work. Dwarf Hank was a warrior who was expelled from his clan for committing a crime. He was a heavy drinker and worked for money. "Skinny" Rex was a thief and trap expert of unknown origin with ruthless methods.

They are adept at double-crossing and ambushing, making them a formidable force even in the shadowy corners of the ruins.

Unfortunately, this time they ran into a much tougher obstacle than they had imagined, and were utterly unlucky to encounter Chen Yu and his army of monsters.

The mastermind behind it all is far more complex and dangerous than these three cannon fodder—it is the "Black Fang" mercenary group entrenched in the shadow of the outpost ruins.

Mentioning "Black Fang" evokes a sense of disgust and fear in anyone who makes a living in the ruins of the outpost, whether they are wandering adventurers, smuggling merchants, or fugitives evading capture.

They are not the largest force in terms of numbers, but they are definitely the most troublesome and unscrupulous.

Black Tooth's core members are a group of thorough pragmatists and skeptics.

They do not worship any known gods; if they have any faith at all, it is their fanaticism for gold coins and their naked submission to and exploitation of powerful forces.

Their membership is as complex as the ruins themselves, including former noble private soldiers who have fallen from grace in the human world, rangers who have betrayed the elven race, artisans who have been expelled from the dwarven guild and are obsessed with forbidden forging techniques, and even rumored to include dark elf warriors who have defected from the Underdark.

They gathered under this banner embroidered with hideous fangs dyed black, driven by greed and violence.

At the outpost ruins, it is almost common knowledge that "Black Fang" has a dirty but deep-rooted connection with the goblin army.

They are the goblins' white gloves and trading partners—helping to sell looted treasures, procure food, weapons, and special supplies found only on the surface, and even secretly providing information about caravan routes or weak villages.

But Black Tooth's business goes far beyond that.

Their influence extends in all directions; as long as the price is right, there is no job they dare not take, and no one they dare not betray.

They also search for rare offerings or materials for certain slumbering undead lords in the Underdark, and occasionally even take on some sinister commissions from the infighting within human kingdoms.

The goblin army must have spent a lot of money to hire them.

However, he doesn't have the habit of standing around and getting beaten up.

Slimes are very vengeful.

……

Ironboot Town, Adventurers' Guild.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the stained glass windows of the union building, casting dappled light and shadow on the floor.

The counter was rather deserted; most adventurers had already finished their busy day and were either relaxing at the tavern or going home to rest.

“Mr. Arno, please wait a moment. This is your reward for completing the 'Submit 30 grams of Moonlight Moss' commission. It is one gold coin and seventy-five copper coins.”

The clerk behind the counter skillfully counted the money and pushed it over.

She hesitated for a moment, but still kindly reminded him, "Also... Mr. Arno, the swamp area on the west side of town, near the riverbank, has been very unsettled lately. The lizardman tribe there has gone mad for some reason and has become extremely xenophobic and aggressive."

She lowered her voice: "I heard they are fanatically devoted to a swamp spirit called something like 'Putu,' and believe that the mysterious forces recently rumored to be active deep in the swamp are related to their gods."

"They hate any adventurers who trespass into the swamp, and several teams have already suffered losses. If you take on any missions recently, you'd better avoid that area."

Arno put away the bounty, his face showing surprise and gratitude: "I understand, thank you for reminding me, I will pay attention."

He greeted the few adventurers still chatting in the guild warmly, then pushed open the heavy wooden door of the guild and went out.

The setting sun bathed Iron Boot Town in a warm orange-red hue, and pedestrians hurried along the streets, rushing home to enjoy a rare moment of peace during the day.

Arno felt much more at ease upon hearing that a lizardman tribe was spontaneously preventing other adventurers from venturing deeper into the swamp.

He admired the tranquil sunset over the town as he strolled back to his cheap hotel room.

Since Laura and her child were safely sent to live in Fei City, this temporary home has felt unusually cold and empty.

He missed Laura's stew, which contained a warmth called "home".

And the boss's mossy meat steak, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, is another kind of comforting.

As he was thinking, his stomach started growling.

"Sigh, I'll just have to eat this." He sighed, carefully took the still "sleeping" little slime out of his pocket, and placed it on the corner of the table to "supervise" it.

He put on an apron, lit a fire himself, and prepared to fry some ham and eggs.

The oil sizzled in the pan, and a fragrant aroma began to fill the air. Just as he was intently flipping the ham, he suddenly felt a gaze fixed on him from behind.

Arno turned around abruptly and found that the small business owner on the corner of the table had woken up at some point and was watching him flip the spatula with great interest.

Chen Yu lightly jumped onto his shoulder and said cheerfully, "Yano, I didn't know you had this skill. You're a typical stay-at-home dad."

Arno coughed awkwardly and unconsciously touched the back of his head.

"Cough... It seems that because of the exposure of the swamp forces, there have been quite a few eyes watching me lately, so I thought I'd keep a low profile and just make myself something to eat at home."

Chen Yu surveyed the simple yet tidy room from his shoulder, and finally "made the decision," saying, "Very good, make one for me too, I want to try your cooking." "Okay, please wait a moment," Arno immediately perked up.

Dinner was served shortly afterward.

On the white plate in front of Chen Yu were perfectly fried ham, golden fried eggs, and well-cooked chickpeas, along with a small bowl of steaming mushroom cream soup, which smelled delicious.

Although it's simple, you can tell that it took thought.

Chen Yu tried every kind of food, and the delicious food made his stomach bulge.

Arno probably used all his special skills just to entertain him.

How come he never realized this guy was suited to be a chef?

At the dinner table, Arno talked about what he had seen and heard that day, with a focus on the lizardman tribe, believing that they had inadvertently helped the swamp avoid a lot of trouble.

Chen Yu then told him about the plan for tomorrow—to go to the outpost ruins camp to find out more detailed information about the "Black Fang" mercenary group.

When Arno first heard the name "Black Fang," a clear look of worry flashed across his face.

Those jackals entrenched in the ruins are not to be trifled with.

But then he thought, with his boss by his side, what was he afraid of?

So his mood immediately returned to its cheerful state, and he even began to look forward to it.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Arno got ready and set off when there were the fewest people around.

He rented a packhorse that looked fairly docile at the post station at the entrance of town, prepared dry food and water, and checked the necessary equipment again and again.

Once everything was ready, the horse carried him slowly out of Iron Boots Town. Only then did Chen Yu peek out from inside his breastplate, his round little head peering out curiously, experiencing the world firsthand from the perspective of an "adventurer" for the first time.

The birdsong was especially crisp in the early morning, and the dew on the roadside grass reflected the sunlight.

As they passed by the babbling brook, the rushing water and the damp air filled Chen Yu with a sense of wonder.

This was quite different from how he felt looking down over his territory from the swamp fortress.

The outpost ruins and camps were located further south, and Arno walked almost entirely downstream along the river.

The further south you go, the more difficult the road becomes, and the surrounding landscape gradually changes from woodland to a more humid and dangerous swamp.

At midday, when the sun was at its fiercest, he finally saw the bustling camp built on the ruins.

However, as soon as he stepped into the camp, he immediately felt countless gazes, some bright and some dark, focused on him.

But when he subconsciously looked back, those people hurriedly looked away or lowered their heads, as if afraid of being noticed by him.

Arno touched his face, then chuckled, a little puzzled: "Boss, am I that famous here?"

"How could he not be famous? I reckon that the story of 'Miracle' Arno stripping adventurers naked in the Fog Zone of the dungeon has already spread far and wide."

Arno was immediately embarrassed upon hearing this: "Ah... Boss, isn't it too conspicuous for us to just swagger in like this? Is there any way to hide our identities?"

"You're so stupid. Don't you know that 'evaporation illusion' technique? Just change your appearance."

"Oh right!" Arno suddenly realized and quickly tried to activate the newly acquired power within his body.

A barely perceptible layer of steam seeped from his facial skin, quickly twisting, condensing, and covering his face. A few seconds later, he transformed into a middle-aged man with a somewhat pointed face and shifty eyes.

Chen Yu looked at the new face with curiosity: "Who is this person? You've become quite adept at it."

Arno's voice came through the illusion, tinged with disdain: "Oh, this is an annoying neighbor of mine from Ironboot Town."

"This guy idles away his days, does nothing productive, and just comes to borrow money. He also often sneaks peeks at my house, so I gave him a good beating and chased him away. I don't know where he's wandering off to now; he's probably long gone."

Ok……

He really is an annoying guy.
However, Chen Yu discovered that Arno was somewhat similar to him in some ways, both of them holding grudges.

With the face of an "enemy," Arno felt much more at ease.

He walked through the noisy, chaotic streets of the camp, piled with all sorts of odds and ends and tents, and first stored his packhorses in a reasonably reliable temporary stable, paying for the care of them.

His first target was naturally the Wild Boar Tavern, the most well-informed place in the camp.

Before he even reached the tavern's iconic dilapidated wooden door, he saw a furtive-looking man in a hooded cloak whispering information to a hunter selling goods on the bustling street.

You can vaguely hear words like "Eastern Swamp," "monsters," and "powers."

Arno immediately became alert, silently thinking to himself, "Boss, look at that person, he's acting suspiciously, constantly asking about the swamp. I find him very suspicious."

Chen Yu looked over and said, "Let's go and see."

"it is good."

Arno immediately went into stealth mode, his figure becoming blurry and difficult to catch, and silently followed the hooded man.

After inquiring about the information, the man looked around warily before quickly disappearing into a dark alley filled with discarded wooden crates and garbage.

Arno followed without hesitation.

However, the moment he stepped into the depths of the alley...

In the dim alley, a cold, gleaming light silently emerged from the shadows on his side and pressed against his throat.

A wary voice rang in his ear: "I have no grudge against you, why have you been following me?"

Before Arno could speak, the leather armor on his chest moved, and a round slime squeezed out a small head, curiously tilting its "head" to examine the knife-wielder.

He felt that this person was somewhat familiar.

The hooded man was clearly taken aback when he saw the slime.

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly sheathed his dagger, while using his other hand to lift his hood, revealing a familiar face.

With sharp features and piercing eyes, he was none other than Kane, who had been missing for several days.

Kane's gaze darted back and forth between Arno's unfamiliar face and the familiar slime, finally lowering his voice and asking in a tone of confirmation:
"Your Majesty...is that you?"

(End of this chapter)