Slime Immortal.

Chapter 146 Grand Duke of the Stone Clan
After Chen Yu led the monster army back to the territory, it was already completely dark. The stinging bees placed glowing gray gravel crystals on the tree branches, briefly illuminating the castle's night.

It wasn't until the next morning, when the night had faded and the golden dawn was shining on the fortress, that Iron Anvil and Earl Bran, who had gone out to buy supplies, returned in their carriage, chatting and laughing all the way.

"Hahaha, as expected of a nobleman of the kingdom, Earl Bran is indeed knowledgeable, even knowing the embarrassing stories of the southern dwarves."

Count Bran perched on his shoulder, looking up haughtily. "Oh, don't be too surprised. This Count is knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, so I am naturally aware of these local rumors as well."

"Those dwarfs always have those clown-like, red noses; it's really ridiculous."

"Hahaha, yes, yes, they're just clowns. I can always picture those ridiculous guys with their arrogant looks, like roosters with phoenix feathers stuck in their hair, hahaha..."

Seeing that they had returned safely, Chen Yu finally felt relieved.

However, judging from Tiezhen's still flushed cheeks, he must have drunk quite a bit yesterday.

Forget it.

This guy hasn't drunk alcohol in years. If we have to control him even for one indulgence, then he's practically an unforgivable demon.

As a qualified king, it is also necessary to care about the mental health of his subjects.

After basking in the sun for a while, Chen Yu began his day of drawing talismans.

There are just too many bad neighbors around the swamp.

It always made him feel uneasy.

No, we need more cannons, much more.

After the territory returned to normal, the Treant Territory kept its promise and indeed sent a lot of food, as well as magical organs that the monster army had seized in the Root Forest.

After upgrading all his talents, he fed the slimes that liked farming with talent balls that included "soil improvement" and "growth promotion," and then let them develop their own potential.

Moreover, in order to grow the medicinal herbs as soon as possible, he also allocated a huge investment of thirty "spirit stones".

Over the next two days, Chen Yu spent his time either drawing talismans or secretly gathering intelligence on the Black Fang Mercenary Group's movements, making preparations for war in advance.

However, instead of the Black Fang Mercenary Group, he was greeted by Arno's cries for help.

"Boss, are you there? Help!"

broken.

These past few days he's been so busy drawing talismans that he's completely forgotten Arno is still in the Dark Land.

No wonder he's been feeling like he's forgotten something lately.

So he quickly took over the consciousness.

……

The Dark Land, a ghostly place shrouded in mist in the eyes of the kingdom's inhabitants, where sunlight never shines.

This place is filled with rugged canyons, swamps shrouded in poisonous miasma, and endless black mountain ranges. Countless ancient ruins lie half-buried among the silt and rocks, with broken arches, collapsed stone walls, and wandering spirits scattered everywhere.

The people who live here have long been accustomed to coexisting with the shadows.

They exchanged goods beneath the rocky pass, built temporary shelters amidst the ruins, and sustained themselves through clandestine transactions and silent contracts.

Those who come here are either sinners banished from the outside world or heretics who deliberately avoid the light.

No one asked about his origins, and no one talked about tomorrow.

Not far from the outskirts of the ruined city of "Gol," which was overrun by gargoyles, a small black market built on a giant fungal forest had just been left behind.

Four figures draped in dark cloaks were moving swiftly through the silent ruins.

Only after they were sure they were out of sight of that area did the leader pull down his hood, revealing Lyon's wary face.

He glanced back at the taller figure at the end of the line, and finally couldn't help himself:
"To be honest, are you really a warrior?"

"I've never seen a soldier who can stealth."

Arno pulled down his hood, unsure how to answer, and said, "It seems no one stipulates that warriors can't learn stealth."

He can't exactly say that the boss fed him a ball and he suddenly learned it, can he?

The three Shi descendants fell silent after hearing this.

Ironically, there does seem to be some truth to what he's saying.

Even the highest gods have never set a rule that warriors cannot learn stealth. It's just that different professions train different attributes, and it's not cost-effective for warriors to learn stealth. Moreover, combat skills are inherently difficult to master, so no one does that.

In other words, this guy is a weirdo.

However, it doesn't completely violate Belmont's stealth honor.

Lyon weighed the bags of hard bread, dried meat, and water that had just been "replenished".

"These supplies are enough to get us back to the castle. Let's go."

Arno subconsciously touched his bulging bag, recalling the heart-pounding excitement he felt when he "petty swindled" something in the market earlier.

Ella, one of the three, also had a reasonable explanation for this theft: "Those who operate around Gore are either Blacktooth's spies or hyenas who sell stolen goods for Blacktooth. These guys don't get along with us Stoneborn, so how can taking their things be considered stealing?"

Okay, that's a very blatant reason, but also very reasonable.

After filling their stomachs, the four continued on their way in silence.

Half a day later, the surrounding scenery became increasingly desolate and dilapidated. Huge building ruins began to emerge from the mist, as if giants' toys had been carelessly discarded here and then swallowed up by sparse trees.

It's hard to imagine that in ancient times, a magnificent city full of life and vitality once stood here.

"We're almost at the outskirts of Gore, be careful," Leon warned in a low voice.

Looking ahead at the endless ruins stretching out their ominous outlines in the dim light, with only a few trees growing there.

Arno recalled what Ella had said and asked curiously in a low voice, "The relationship between the Black Fang Mercenary Group and the Stoneborn seems to be very bad. Is there some kind of grudge between them?"

“A blood feud,” Max replied sullenly.

Ella slowly continued, "Because behind Blackfang stand those vampires from the Underdark who should be burned to ashes by the sun. To be precise, these winged old bats are the true mortal enemies of the Stoneborn."

Through her slow narration, Arno learned a great deal about the past of the Underdark.

The Vampire Grand Duke was once the undisputed ruler of the Underdark, and his shadow even loomed over the surrounding kingdoms.

They acted with impunity, abducting civilians as blood slaves, weaving a vast, dark web with hidden and dangerous blood ties.

With their mysterious spread and terrifying speed of propagation, the vampire clan ushered in its golden age a century ago.

However, the principle of decline after prosperity is an eternal truth. A group of Stoneborn who call themselves the "Sons of Gol" returned to this forgotten wasteland, bringing with them a turning point in the fate of vampires.

They originally only wanted to return to their roots, but they were ruthlessly suppressed and enslaved by vampires, and their fate was in grave danger.

But where there is oppression, there is resistance.

A fourth-generation Stoneborn named Castor, seeking to change all this, resolutely embarks on the path of trials.

He endured numerous hardships and used his absolute power to subjugate the gargoyle army, thus ascending to the position of Grand Duke of the Stoneborn.

Having gained sufficient power, this Stoneborn ancestor delivered the ambitious Obsidian Declaration amidst the ruins, vowing to drive the vampires from his homeland.

So he led the gargoyle army to conquer all directions, advancing triumphantly and reclaiming the core territory of the Underdark, driving the vampires to the brink of despair.

Unfortunately, just as the dawn of victory was about to break, fate did not favor this ancestor of the Stoneborn. He ultimately failed to completely eradicate the vampires, and his life came to an end.

After recuperating, the vampires returned with renewed vigor, even more cunning and terrifying than before.

They colluded with certain mad mages who sought forbidden knowledge, secretly capturing lone Stoneborn individuals, extracting their blood for dark experiments, and attempting to obtain the secrets hidden within their bloodlines.

"The Stone Tribe is very powerful. I didn't expect there to be such heroic figures. It's just that the ending wasn't good," Arno said honestly.

“Who says otherwise? It was so close,” Max sighed.

“And then there’s Black Fang, whom the vampire duke has been raising for decades specifically to deal with us,” Leon added.

Arno suddenly realized why all these Stoneborn were masters of stealth.

In this environment, anyone who doesn't know how to hide would have been devoured long ago, leaving not even bones behind.

Ella seemed to read his mind and raised her chin with a hint of pride.

"Hmph, you don't understand. An assassin's power is not for hiding and escaping. Concealment and assassination are the true honor in Belmont's bones."

Arno gave an embarrassed smile, too ashamed to refute.

He didn't know this before, until he met his boss, and then he realized how satisfying it was to secretly scheme against someone.

However, if they knew about his notorious reputation for "stripping people of their clothes" at the outpost ruins, they would probably expel him from the Shiyi ethnic group on the spot.

Just then, Lyon seemed to notice something, suddenly signaled everyone to be quiet, and then shrank into the shadow of a broken stone pillar.

Arno immediately composed himself and followed Leon's gaze.

Not far ahead, a few flickering torchlights approached, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps and complaints.

"Damn it, that Shi Yi kid is as slippery as an eel. We've searched for so long and haven't even smelled a fart."

"The boss has given the order: even if they're dead, we have to find them..."

"Alright, stop complaining, search carefully."

They are Black Fang's mercenaries.

Arno's heart tightened, and he subconsciously touched his chest.

The little slime is still asleep, and due to the distance and environment, its communication with the boss has become intermittent and severely laggy.

He always felt a little uneasy when the boss wasn't around.

Suddenly a voice came from the shadows, silencing all the mercenaries who were searching.

"No need to waste any more time going in circles over a mouse."

A figure slowly stepped out.

This was a mercenary, dressed in superior Black Tooth standard leather armor, with pale skin and scarlet pupils that seemed to be flowing with blood.

“You guys, first take that batch of scrolls to the outpost ruins and hand them over to Overseer Glock. Those green-skinned dwarves are pressing us hard; the ‘little trouble’ in the Eastern Swamp needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.”

"Yes, Lord Vladimir." The mercenaries bowed respectfully and quickly left.

"The Eastern Swamp?" Arno was startled.

It turns out that the scrolls stored in that warehouse were indeed intended to be used against them.

The Black Fang mercenary group was definitely up to no good.

While he was still thinking about how to send the message back to his territory, the man named Vladimir did not leave. Instead, he slowly swept his blood-red eyes over the area where Arno and the other three were hiding.

“I can smell you, you rocky lumps of Gore. Are you going to come out on your own, or do I have to come to you?”

A sense of unease settled over all four of them.

Fearing that Arno might not be aware of the situation, Max said in a deep voice, "'Blood Bat' Vladimir, the old vampire from Black Fang, is extremely powerful."

"Go!" Lyon said decisively in a low voice.

The four of them instantly turned into shadows and fled rapidly into the depths of the Gore ruins.

"Ha, rats always choose the dirtiest sewers."

Vladimir chuckled, and with a whoosh, huge leather bat wings unfurled behind him. With a gentle flap, his figure transformed into a blood-red shadow and flew over the four people who were using the shadows to move, landing steadily on a dilapidated archway in front of him, blocking their path.

"The major guild is very pleased to have captured you."

"Vampire scum, don't even think about it!"

Leon gripped the dagger in reverse and crouched low.

Ella and Max separated, one on each side, their eyes filled with resolute determination.

"Count me in."

Arno gripped his broadsword tightly, took a step to the side, and stood slightly in front of him.

Clearly, the vampire wouldn't care about his identity as an outsider of the Stone Race; his fate was temporarily intertwined with that of the three.

At this point, it would be incredibly foolish to think about running away alone.

Vladimir's figure blurred, appearing like a ghost directly in front of Leon, his fingers outstretched as he reached for Leon's throat.

【Scarlet Tear】

Lyon stabbed and parried with his dagger, but the force of the blow made his arm go numb and he staggered back.

At the same time, Ella and Max's daggers darted from the left and right towards the vampire's ribs and back.

Batwing Strike

Vladimir didn't even turn around; his bat wings flapped violently, and the powerful impact sent the two of them flying.

"Too slow," the vampire commented dismissively.

Leon and his two companions barely managed to hold on thanks to their Stoneborn defense and agility. Although they managed to injure their opponents each time, Vladimir, being a vampire, possessed terrifyingly powerful regenerative abilities.

As long as it's not a fatal injury, they can recover quickly, and they don't bother to hide from some attacks.

Vampires and Stoneborn, two mortal enemies, are also so similar.

Seeing that the three were at a disadvantage, Arno cleverly took advantage of the information gap and slashed down with his broadsword, accompanied by a dull whistling sound.

[Powerful Attack]

Vladimir seemed surprised by the Stoneborn's immense power; he was hardly like an assassin.

He had to withdraw his hand, his fingertips glistening with blood, as he slammed it hard against the side of the broadsword.

Clang!
The clang of metal on metal was deafening. Arno was jolted back two steps, his hand tingling. Vladimir also took two steps back.

“Abandoning Belmont’s traditions? Interesting stone.” His gaze fell formally on Arno for the first time, a hint of interest flashing in his scarlet pupils.

Although Arno's arrival slightly eased the pressure, the four were still completely suppressed, and defeat was only a matter of time.

At that moment, the little slime in Arno's arms seemed to have been woken up.

During this violent shaking, Chen Yu felt as if his gel was about to become evenly mixed.

"No, Arno, are you tearing the house apart?"

"Boss, you're finally awake."

Arno shouted inwardly with delight, "We're trapped by Black Fang's vampires, we can't hold on much longer!" "Vampires?"

How did this vampire thing suddenly appear?

What exactly did Arno do to deserve this?

Chen Yu's dazed little head peeked out from under the collar of Arno's leather armor, and his gaze swept across the vampire opposite him.

Vladimir also noticed him.

But upon discovering it was just a slime, he didn't even bother with it. Suddenly, a slender rapier appeared, transforming into a cold star, and pierced towards Arno's heart.

"You look down on slimes?"

Chen Yu narrowed his small eyes.

【Small Archery】

The next moment, the water sphere condensed in front of his chest, elongated into an arrow, and silently met the sword star.

"Pfft!"

The water arrow shattered the rapier and hurtled straight toward Vladimir. He felt a sharp force in front of him, the rapier slipped from his hand, and he was instantly sent flying.

When he got up to look, he discovered that the leather armor on his chest had a hole in it.

He stood up and stared at the seemingly harmless slime, a look of surprise and uncertainty on his face.

"Spell? A slime..."

His words were interrupted by Leon's attack.

[Sneak attack]

The dagger pierced the opening left by the vampire's shock, and Ella and Max attacked simultaneously. Arno's spirits soared, and he swung his broadsword in a wide arc once more.

Vladimir was put on the defensive for a moment, and had to parry and dodge in a sorry state.

To Chen Yu's surprise, this vampire's regenerative ability was terrifying; even if its arm was pierced, it could recover quickly.

Not to mention, she even withstood one of his small arrows, and was completely unharmed.

Are the elite monsters in this new map really that powerful? It's definitely an example of inflated stats.

Chen Yu suddenly realized that he should update his Taoist techniques.

His thoughts shifted, and his gelatinous body wriggled, spitting out all the stone swords from his stomach.

[Mud Ball Sword Casting Technique]

Boo hoo hoo-!
The eight stone swords seemed to come alive, shooting at Vladimir from all sorts of tricky angles.

He swung his rapier and bat wings to parry, but still managed to inflict several more wounds on his body in an instant.

"What the hell is this?!"

He was horrified. It could use magic and manipulate stones; it was clearly not a slime.

He was forced to retreat steadily, relying entirely on his speed and recovery ability to withstand the attacks.

Just then, a lot of footsteps and shouts came from afar.

"There's some noise over here!"

"Quick! Surround them!"

Vladimir's reinforcements have arrived.

"Let's go!" Leon's expression changed, and he shouted.

Taking advantage of the situation, the four of them turned around and fled for their lives into the depths of the Gore ruins under the cover of the stone sword.

Vladimir watched them flee and chased after them without a second thought.

"Chase them! They've entered Gore!" he ordered the approaching mercenaries.

At the same time, he took a deep breath and chanted an ancient vampire incantation. In an instant, dozens of small vampire bats screamed and flew over from a distance, pouncing on Arno and the others.

He himself spread his bat wings and gave chase.

"Boss, what should we do? That old bat seems to have its eye on us, and we can't shake it off."

Arno ran frantically among the crumbling boulders and decaying columns, shouting anxiously.

Chen Yu's small body was jostled around in Yano's arms, and the severe delay and interference in his connection with his main body made it difficult for him to make the right judgment.

"I've only been gone for four days, how did you manage to mess with this guy?"

This thing is indestructible.

If all else fails, throw the clones out like bombs.

I confronted him.

Just as he was figuring out how to start the conversation, Lyon, who was running in the lead, suddenly let out a soft cry of surprise.

"Quick, hide in those ruins. Those guys won't dare come over easily."

Arno looked in the direction he pointed and saw a large cluster of ancient building ruins hidden in the forest. The huge archway was tilted and about to collapse, and the broken statues were reduced to their bases. Everything was shrouded in an unsettling silence.

The area above was completely obscured by massive, intersecting, broken stone beams and trees, making it pitch black and impossible to see anything clearly.

Although they didn't understand what Leon meant by safety, they had no other choice but to plunge into the shadowy ruins.

After they took refuge in the broken wall, Vladimir led the Black Fang mercenaries to the edge of the ruins.

His pale face showed apprehension, and he gestured for his men to go and test the waters.

"Bring torches and find these rats."

The mercenaries, carrying torches, cautiously approached to investigate. One of the bolder mercenaries discovered an unusual shadow and tried to probe it with his torch.

As the firelight flickered, a pair of eyes, as black as polished obsidian, suddenly lit up from the depths of the shadows.

The mercenary screamed in fright and retreated repeatedly, almost dropping the torch from his hand.

However, he only met those eyes for a moment before his retreating movement abruptly froze. The look of terror on his face solidified, and his skin visibly lost its color, turning a rough, grayish-white stone-like sheen.

In just a few seconds, he was completely transformed into a stone statue from head to toe!
"Damn it!"

Vladimir's face turned ugly. "How can there be such a monstrous thing on the outskirts!"

At this moment, the owner of those eyes slowly revealed part of his figure from the shadows.

It was a humanoid monster crouching on a broken stone pillar, its skin like rough, gray-black rock, with a pair of huge, equally stone-like wings folded behind it, its face twisted and ferocious, and its claws and teeth sharp.

It was a gargoyle that struck fear into the hearts of all.

Its cold, stone-like eyes swept over the living creatures below, filled with pure malice.

Vladimir made a decisive decision and turned around without hesitation: "Retreat!"

He immediately spread his bat wings, transforming into a blood-red shadow and fleeing the scene at top speed, showing no intention of saving the ordinary mercenaries.

The gargoyle let out a low growl, seemingly wanting to give chase.

But the swarm of vampire bats that Vladimir released before fleeing swarmed at him fearlessly, trying to interfere.

The gargoyle swung its claws in frustration, easily swatting the bats into a bloody mist.

It was utterly enraged, petrifying all the fleeing mercenaries, then flapping its stone wings and chasing after the direction the vampire had fled.

Only after confirming that the danger had temporarily passed did Arno and the other three emerge from their hiding place, still feeling lingering fear.

Lyon urged, "We need to get out of here quickly; the gargoyles could come back at any moment."

Arno stared at the blood-sucking bats on the ground that had been smashed by the gargoyles. He quickly stepped forward, drew his dagger, and deftly cracked open the still relatively intact bat heads, removing the tiny magical organs inside.

"Boss, this."

Huh?
Unexpectedly, there was an unexpected gain.

Chen Yu swallowed all the magical organs in one gulp.

[Devour and Digestion Lv.7 triggered - Vampire bat characteristics fully recorded, talent gained: Bat Wings Lv.2]

Unfortunately, the new talent can only be used directly by the main body. This clone must return to the main body and make contact before it can "equip" itself with the talent, so it is not yet useful.

Arno and his companions fled to a great distance, even attempting to use stealth to reduce their presence.

But the gargoyle had no intention of letting them go and flew back.

It hovered in the air searching for its target, its mouth still holding the vampire's petrified arm, its cold gaze sweeping across the ground.

[Petrifying Gaze]

That invisible, terrifying force instantly enveloped us.

"Don't look into its eyes!" Leon whispered.

But Ella subconsciously glanced up, and in that single glance, a layer of grayish-white stone shell instantly covered her legs and below, causing her to freeze abruptly.

Although the Stoneborn bloodline's strong resistance allowed her to quickly break free of petrification, and the stone shell shattered and peeled away, the noise it made was enough to alert the gargoyles to them.

"Damn it!"

Leon and Max quickly supported Ella from the left and right, while Arno brought up the rear.

【Shadow Glide】

They once again disappeared into the shadows, trying to shake off the gargoyles that were chasing them.

However, the continuous escape and battle with the vampires had already exhausted them. In particular, the three Stoneborn assassins, whose endurance was average, were too weak to continue and were forced to fall out of the shadows, staggering and exposed in the open space among the ruins.

Behind them, the gargoyle, carrying a suffocating wind pressure, swooped down.

The sharp stone claws reached straight for Arno, who was at the very back.

Just as Arno opened his eyes wide, Chen Yu's small body suddenly sprang out from his collar.

【Small Archery】

[Mud Ball Sword Casting Technique]

The water arrow shot towards the gargoyle's face, forcing it to turn its head and dodge.

At the same time, eight stone swords covered in gel shot out and stuck firmly to the gargoyle's chest, wings, and joints.

[Magic Explosion]

Boom——! !

An explosion ripped through the gargoyle, sending debris flying and dust billowing everywhere.

The gargoyle let out a shrill, painful howl, its massive body lost its balance, and it plunged headfirst into the nearby ruins. Half of its body and one wing were blown to pieces, and it struggled to get up for a while.

Chen Yu's body had visibly shrunk to less than the size of a palm, lying limply in Yano's hand, looking rather listless.

"Quick, bring out all the food!" Arno shouted urgently.

Leon, Max, and a still-shaken Ella immediately and frantically brought all their rations, jerky, and even water pouches to the little slime's mouth.

The little slime writhed laboriously, slowly devouring its food in an attempt to replenish its energy.

However, misfortunes never come singly.

Perhaps the explosion was too loud, or perhaps the cries of their companions had drawn their attention, for another heart-stopping whooshing sound came from the air.

The other two smaller gargoyles, like two shadows of death, slowly descended around them, completely sealing off all escape routes.

Those cold, merciless stone eyes plunged the four people, who had just begun to have a glimmer of hope, into an icy abyss.

Despair, like a cold swamp, engulfed everyone.

But at the same time, a fifth figure silently emerged from the shadows.

Her movements were faster than anyone could imagine. Arno only saw a blur before the figure passed right by the broken gargoyle.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

The next second, the two gargoyles suddenly froze in their forward charge, and a very thin gray line appeared at the junction of their hideous heads and bodies.

Immediately afterwards, the huge stone head slid down silently, hitting the ground with a dull thud, rolling a few times before coming to a stop.

The entire process was silent, swift, and deadly.

Only then did Arno get a clear look at the figure.

She was a girl who looked younger than Ella.

She flicked her short blade as if it were a trivial matter, then walked lazily toward the four of them.

"Look at the pathetic state you all look in."

The girl spoke, her voice clear and crisp, yet carrying a hint of old-fashionedness, "Being chased by a few broken stones at your own doorstep, crying and screaming for your parents, you really don't have the demeanor of your aunt back in the day."

When Ella saw the girl, her tense nerves instantly broke down, tears welled up in her eyes, and she threw herself into the girl's arms, crying loudly, "Auntie, sob sob...we almost didn't make it back."

Arno's eyes widened as he pointed at the girl and stammered a question to Leon.

"She...she's one of your parents?!"

Upon hearing this, the girl raised her foot and gave Arno's shin a light kick.

"Hey, you big oaf, look at you, all naive and ignorant."

"Leon, where did you pick this savage from? He looks so stupid."

Lyon's expression was somewhat complicated, a mixture of respect and helplessness, as he explained in a low voice, "Aunt, he... he is also a descendant of the Stone race."

"Stone Descendant?"

The girl's eyes widened instantly, filled with surprise and curiosity, as she looked Arno up and down.

"The Stone People from Abroad?"

"Oh, damn it, the descendants of those old geezers have been found."

(End of this chapter)