Slime Immortal.

Chapter 212 The Great Slime Expedition
Ignoring Nellie's dilemma, Chen Yu excitedly skipped off to reorganize the army.

This will be an unprecedented military operation!

Their enemies will be mercenaries, adventurers, vampires, endless undead... and perhaps even more unknown threats lurking in every corner of the Underdark.

According to the mercenaries he had previously captured, the Underdark was a vast territory, comparable even to the Northern Territory, which occupied a small portion of the White Horse Kingdom.

Of course, the prosperity and wealth of a human kingdom cannot be compared to that of the Dark Land.

Food crops are difficult to grow in the dark. Apart from the relatively well-established territories of the Vampires' Eternal Night Territory and the Stoneborn's Gol, the Underdark has almost no decent large towns. Most of the towns are temporary trading camps scattered in various hidden corners.

For the White Horse Kingdom's regular army, who were unfamiliar with the complex terrain and dark environment of the Underdark, completely eradicating these rats hiding in the shadows was an almost impossible task.

Moreover, this land is neither as fertile and abundant as the Golden Harvest Plain, nor does it possess the diverse monster resources of the Eastern Swamp.

What you'll find here are ancient ruins scattered across mountains and valleys, dangerous magical traps, and an endless stream of undead creatures.

This place is a paradise for adventurers, mercenaries, fugitives, and ambitious individuals, but it is worthless to the White Horse Kingdom, which seeks stable tax revenue.

Over time, it became a gray area that no one cared about.

However, this land, which was "worthless" in the eyes of others, was extremely tempting to Chen Yu, who had been lying dormant in the swamp for a long time and was in dire need of expansion and resources.

Leaving aside the undead that can be used as "experience packs," the adventurers and vampires who frequent this place should be able to extort a lot of gold coins, which can greatly enrich the kingdom's treasury.

Nothing tastes better than a weak but rich neighbor.

Soon, Chen Yu's order to assemble his troops spread rapidly through the gel network covering the entire territory to the major fortresses of the Eastern Swamp.

Therefore, apart from the defensive legions that had to stay behind to guard the fortresses, almost all available combat monsters and logistical units were mobilized.

The army of stinging bees blotted out the sky, pouring out from the beehive watchtowers that covered the swamp.

They coalesced into moving dark clouds, emitting a low, unsettling hum, and flew towards the royal city's construction site in the center of the swamp.

Along the forest roads through the swamp, the ground troops quickly gathered their supplies and formed a long, winding line to head towards the royal city assembly point.

Among these, the largest group consisted of beetle transport teams responsible for logistical support.

Looking down from above the swamp, they are carrying supplies such as magical leaves, mossy twigs, and goblin ripper parts, flowing along the crisscrossing forest paths like black streams converging towards the center of the swamp, creating a spectacular sight.

Accompanying them were slime scholars responsible for tactical support and magical maintenance, as well as silver slime gunners.

This unprecedented large-scale troop movement was so significant that it quickly caused panic and unrest among the wild monsters in the swamp, artificially creating a monster migration wave that affected large areas of forest.

Such a commotion naturally reached the relatively quiet territory of the tree spirits.

Iselin had just stopped her work on the ancient tree ceremony and was still somewhat puzzled by Chen Yu's mention of "gathering" in the gel network.

Viola's spirit then floated out, sensing the chaotic magic emanating from afar, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"This is terrible! So many monsters gathered together, what is this little lord planning to do? Who is he going to attack?"

"Something's happened in the Slime Kingdom?"

"Who knows? But this guy isn't going to be taken advantage of so easily. Maybe someone else got the better deal." Viola floated leisurely, reverting to her lazy demeanor.

Iselin shook her head helplessly and could only ask Xiaohua, a netizen she often communicated with, for details through the gel network.

She soon received a reply—the Slime Kingdom was about to assemble a large army to attack the Underdark.

Viola swam over. "So, Iserline, do you need any help? I'll listen to you."

Iseline pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "We still need to summon some elves. We should be able to complete the ritual to protect the ten oak trees within the next few days."

"The expansion of the Slime Kingdom will not do us any harm. A powerful and friendly neighbor is always better than those chaotic undead and unknown dangers."

……

The heart of the swamp, the site of the royal city's construction.

After half a day of emergency assembly, the Legion's Stinger Bees finally all arrived.

Looking around, besides the slimes of various colors, there were swarms of stinging bees everywhere.

Surrounding the army were three towering ancient arcane trees, which, like mobile war fortresses, were enough to instill fear in any enemy simply by standing there.

After a long summer of expansion and reproduction, excluding the defensive legions that had to stay behind to guard the fortresses, the number of stinging wasps in this assembled reserve legion has surged to nearly 40,000.

Among them, the Blood Legion Stinging Bees, which have been specially enhanced, number around five hundred, and can almost be called the core of the army.

The remaining stinging bees were divided into four legions. The first legion had 5,000 stinging bees, almost all of whom were suicide bee soldiers. They were mainly responsible for early battlefield reconnaissance and battlefield cleanup. The other legions were all regular combat forces, but due to their large numbers, they should not be underestimated.

If it weren't for the constraints of food supply and the pressure of winter food storage, the number of monsters in the kingdom could easily multiply several times over.

This also means that the food production from the Treant Territory alone is no longer sufficient to meet the future development needs of the Slime Kingdom.

They must expand outwards to acquire more resources and land.

This is the first time since the Slime Kingdom was established that it has assembled such a large army.

This formidable strength filled the slimes standing at the front of the procession with pride and excitement. They puffed out their round little chests, ready to receive the king's inspection.

According to the conventions of the movies Chen Yu had seen, this should have been the time for an inspiring pre-battle speech.

But looking down at the army of monsters, he figured they wouldn't understand anyway, so he gave up.

With the efficient and convenient gel network in place, every order he gave could be instantly transmitted throughout the entire army and thoroughly implemented.

However, it is still very necessary to form a temporary command group. After all, the Underworld is so vast and the battle situation can change in an instant. It is impossible for him to take care of every corner.

His gaze swept downwards, meeting the adoring and expectant eyes of the slimes, and he issued the appointment through the gel network:
"Little Flower, I appoint you as the commander of this expedition. The other slime scholars will serve as commanders. You will be responsible for forming the command team in the rear, analyzing intelligence, and formulating strategies."

"Beetroot, I appoint you as the interim commander of the Grand Army, and you will be in charge of the actual command of the front-line battlefield."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The slime scholars raised their tiny gel hands, trying to put on serious expressions, and accepted the task.

Surrounded by a swarm of stinging bees, Beetroot fluttered its wings and flew to Chen Yu, solemnly extending its forelimbs to receive the small clump of gel representing the king's will.

“Very good.” Chen Yu shook the gel with satisfaction. “All troops, immediately assemble towards Gray Mist Lake. The primary objective is to clear out all hostile forces entrenched in the outpost ruins, using it as our bridgehead into the Underdark.”

"Boom!!!"

The Stinging Bee Legion buzzed and roared as they took off in orderly formations, like a disciplined aerial army, heading towards Gray Mist Lake in a mighty procession.

Meanwhile, ground troops marched eastward in long columns.

"Rumble..."

The three ancient trees of secret magic slowly uprooted themselves from the earth, took heavy steps, stepped into the dense forest, and left with the army, leaving deep marks on the ground.

At the same time, under Xiaohua's command, the newly formed command team immediately began to operate.

The slime scholars organized the fragmented maps and intelligence they had collected through various channels and began to plan their marching route and initial strategy after entering the Underdark.

The fastest way to enter the Underdark should have been to go directly through the Crack Pass, or to detour through the relatively flat area next to the pass.

However, if they really hold such a simplistic view, before the main force of the kingdom's army can advance into the Eternal Night Territory, they will probably be ambushed by the emerging goblin legion, or even have their fragile supply lines cut off, and ultimately be completely trapped in the Underdark.

Therefore, the best approach is to first capture the outpost ruins on the border of the Underdark and develop them into a bridgehead.

Then, using the bridgehead as a springboard, they gradually advanced into the depths of the Dark Lands.

Given the speed of the Stinger Bee Legion's march, Chen Yu estimated that the results of capturing the outpost ruins would be reported back as early as tomorrow.

However, many people are destined to have trouble sleeping tonight.

……

"Come, cheers to the enchanting treasure!"

"Drink! Tonight, we won't leave until we're drunk!"

The sounds of commotion could be faintly heard emanating from the brightly lit ruins of the outpost.

Here, the Wild Boar Tavern is almost the liveliest place in the entire camp at night.

Adventurers and mercenaries venture into perilous territories by day, battling the undead and exploring ancient ruins in search of treasure. But as night falls, they almost always return here, ordering a large glass of murky, cheap ale, using alcohol and boasting to numb their weary nerves and dispel the shadow of death.

They squandered the gold coins they had risked their lives for, laughing and talking loudly, playing drinking games, and often drinking until dawn.

Almost every night, this place is packed with people, bustling with noise.

"Heh heh... Hiram..." A drunken mercenary, his face flushed, swayed and patted the shoulder of an acquaintance who had just entered the tavern.

"What are you doing still hanging around here? Didn't you swear a few days ago that you were going to go with those guys from the Black Fang Mercenary Group to that Fard Front in the west to make a lot of money?"

He reached out his dirty hand, trying to touch the other man's face, but the mercenary named Hiram slapped it away with a look of displeasure.

Hiram took off his dusty, tattered hat, plopped down heavily on the high wooden stool in front of the bar, and spat out a mouthful of saliva.

"Don't even mention it. I made a wasted trip. Who knew that the battle was over as soon as I got to that damn front line? I didn't even get half a penny of the bounty."

"Damn it, I believed their nonsense."

The drunken mercenary chuckled gloatingly, mocking him mercilessly: "Black Fang Mercenary Group? Hahaha, you actually believed what those untrustworthy hyenas said? Serves you right for coming all this way for nothing."

He waved his wine glass, spitting as he continued to expose their shortcomings: "Didn't they boast last time that they were going to take down that castle by Gray Mist Lake?"

"And what happened? They were beaten to a pulp by those undead and... hahaha, hiccup, and slimes. Only a few of them managed to escape back in disgrace."

He tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine, slamming his hand on the table. "Black Tooth is nothing special. If I were in charge, I could crush these soft, bouncy slimes with one stomp."

Hiram listened and cautiously lowered his voice to advise, "Don't talk nonsense, I've heard those slimes are quite strange..."

Before he could finish speaking, the drunkard impatiently waved his hand to interrupt him.

"I told you so, so what? If these damn slimes hadn't blocked the entrance to the dungeon and cut off my source of income, I wouldn't have needed to go to the Underdark to make a living!"

"If they're so capable, let them come here and beat me up. I doubt they'd have the guts; they'd only dare hide in the swamp..."

After uttering these "bold words," he seemed to have exhausted all his strength, and then slumped down drunkenly against the cold stone wall, soon snoring loudly.

Another mercenary, who was relatively more sober, shook his head. Just as he was about to mock the drunkard a few more times to his companion, his ears suddenly twitched, and a look of confusion appeared on his face:
"Wait, did you hear some strange noises, like... a lot of wings vibrating?"

"What strange sound? Hahaha!"

The burly man next to him laughed loudly and patted him hard on the back. "You rascal, you must have been hallucinating from being scared by those screaming ghost banshees in the ruins, right?"

"Maybe...maybe." The mercenary wasn't sure either, and could only assume that he was hallucinating.

The clinking of glasses, boisterous laughter, and boisterous drinking games continued to echo in the tavern, and almost no one took his words seriously.

However, the deep hum did not disappear; instead, it became clearer and closer. Outside the tavern, one could even hear people running and shouting in panic.

"What happened?"

"What's going on outside?!"

The noise in the tavern gradually subsided, and the crowd looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

Several of the bolder mercenaries instinctively gripped their weapons, stood up, and prepared to go out to check the situation.

"boom!!!"

Just then, the tavern's wooden door was suddenly kicked open from the outside, and a panicked adventurer cried out "Ouch!" and stumbled in, falling to the ground in a disheveled state.

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn over.

Then, on the back of the fallen adventurer, they saw a figure wielding a small round shield and a small iron spear...

Slime?!

The silver slime paused for a moment, then winked at the people in the tavern, as if to say, "You guys drink, don't worry about me."

The entire tavern fell silent.

(End of this chapter)