You promised to wreak havoc on the dungeon, but instead you've got Dragon Slime!

This time, Perkins's tricks were much more cunning than the last time—he wasn't in a hurry to dismantle it; instead, he planned to see how many more times Bacchus wanted to play these tricks.

Outside Emerald Town, on the second floor of a secluded tavern, the windows were tightly closed, and the air was filled with the smell of cheap liquor mixed with tobacco.

Bakus sat by the window, a bottle of unopened red wine in front of him. Opposite him was an orc with broad shoulders like a door panel, dark gray fur, and a long scar under his eye.

Zul'mar, the leader of the orcish tribe.

After a moment of silence, Bacchus spoke first: "You saw that elite team today, didn't you?"

Zulumar nodded: "I saw it. They were all buried within five minutes of going in. The setup was very insidious, unlike the methods of an ordinary lord."

“It’s not just ‘not like,’ it’s absolutely not.” Bacchus raised his hand to pour a drink. “That kid Ron has hidden something in the Black Language Cave, and I need you to find it for me.”

Zul'jin grinned: "You can come looking, but the orcish band never does anything for nothing."

Bacchus tossed over a purple-gold storage ring. The ring flashed, revealing three rows of magical potions and bags of gold coins inside.

"Pay half upfront. Name your terms after it's done." Bacchus's voice was calm.

Zul'jin took the ring, his large fingers twirling it gently, clearly satisfied with the price.

Bacchus continued, "This time you don't need to send the whole team. Send in your best elite troops. Don't aim to clear the level, just aim to get the 'core item' of the Black Language Cave."

Zuluma squinted one eye and thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "Alright. But I'll probe first to see how many hidden tricks he has. If we rush in with all our might, we could very well be wiped out."

“That’s why I came to you.” Bacchus chuckled softly. “Others may die, but you won’t. Even if you die, no one will dare to hold me accountable.”

Zul'mar didn't respond to that. He grabbed his wine glass and downed it in one gulp. He turned and went downstairs, ordering his men to assemble the 'Grey Raven Oath' squad, which specializes in dealing with high-difficulty dungeons.

These people were the oldest and most seasoned veterans in the orc group. The one leading them was called Gul, who had a pair of broken horns and a scar across his face. He looked at everyone as if he were staring at prey.

Meanwhile, at the Black Whisper Caves, Ron had just come down from the observation platform when Claudia came to greet him.

“Someone from the guild just relayed a message that the orcish guild is active,” she whispered. “They seem to have been in contact with Bakus.”

Ron didn't stop walking: "That's perfect."

He had already guessed that Bakus wouldn't be content to just watch a few teams die at the entrance; he would definitely seek out even more ruthless opponents to test their strength. And the orcish group was the perfect target.

Ron walked to the control panel, shortened the respawn interval of the Sand Serpents in the middle section by half, and added a new trap zone—a dense array of barbed stones—to the Old Blind-Eye Murloc's activity area.

These barbed stones are usually tucked underground, only popping out when an enemy steps on them, resembling rows of sharp wolf fangs. Stepping on them doesn't necessarily kill instantly, but it slows you down, giving the monster enough time to finish you off.

“Let them in,” Ron thought to himself. “I was just worried about who would help me test this new gadget.”

As night deepened, the orcish 'Grey Raven Oath' had already assembled outside the Black Whisper Caves. Their armor gleamed coldly under the magic lamps, and the heavy boots pounded on the stone pavement like war drums.

Deeper into the carnival maze, Bacchus leaned back in his chair, holding a wine glass, seemingly already envisioning Ron's defenses being breached.

He didn't realize that this time, those sent in might be the first batch of "test subjects" sent to Ron's new killing formation.

The air outside the Black Whisper Cave was somewhat dry. The orcish "Grey Raven Covenant" was already lined up in the outer plaza. All eight men looked like veterans, their armor worn dark and their boots covered in dried bloodstains.

Lilith turned away from the window and went back inside. Vanessa was squatting on the floor, helping her organize a batch of spare magic crystals, occasionally glancing up to chat.

These past few days, Vanessa's attentiveness has been almost impeccable—fixing lights, cleaning the yard, bringing food, and even helping to sort through monster hides. But the more she does this, the more tense Lilith becomes.

She remembered very clearly that three days ago, when Vanessa came to repair the teleportation array at the entrance, she left a very fine scratch.

Although she had used a fake guide to find the mark, its very existence indicated that Vanessa was probing or searching for a way.

Chapter 116

Today, she discovered something else. The spare terrain scroll in the warehouse had been tampered with. The original wax seal on the scroll had been replaced with a lighter-colored new wax, which was still warm to the touch. This was a method that an ordinary person wouldn't do, and had no reason to do, touch.

"Should we put these magic crystals in the cave?" Vanessa stood up and moved a small basket to the table.

Lilith smiled, took the item, and set it aside without answering. She had already made up her mind to meet with Ron that evening and clarify things.

However, she didn't intend to confront them directly. Vanessa definitely had contacts outside, and exposing her now might alert them. Besides, the orcish group was already eager to make their move, and if there were indeed spies, this would be a good opportunity to observe her next action.

As evening fell, Gul, the orc leader, led his troops into the teleportation array, causing everyone on the street to stop and watch. The orcs' imposing presence made the air seem heavier.

Lilith looked out the window for a moment, then turned to Vanessa and said, "It's about to start outside. Haven't you always wanted to see the battle at Blackwhisper Caves? Today is your chance."

Vanessa paused for a moment, then quickly smiled and nodded: "Perfect, I also want to see how powerful the orcs are."

The two walked towards the spectator area one after the other. Lilith deliberately lagged behind by half a step, noticing the small bag in Vanessa's hand—it was bulging inside and shaped like a scroll.

Meanwhile, Ron was already positioned at his observation point high above the cave, setting the traps in the Sand Serpent area to maximum. The barbed stone array was already lurking beneath the ground, reducing monster spawn rates to 70% of their original frequency. This was done to prevent the "Grey Raven Covenant" from gaining any breathing room.

The orcish group's teleportation beam flashed, and the eight of them landed neatly in the entrance area. The slime's acid was immediately thrown at them, but it was blocked by the orcish shields. The old blind-eyed murloc's water mist was dispelled by the defensive runes in the front row, and the team's formation remained intact.

Ron could see clearly that this group was coming to force their way through—they had no intention of going around any side routes and were going straight for the main route.

Lilith watched from the other side of the spectator area, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vanessa looking down and rummaging through her small bag, her fingertip lightly pressing on a scroll inside, as if confirming something.

She didn't speak, but she was even more certain in her heart that what this girl held in her hand was more than just an interest in watching the game.

As soon as the orcish group disappeared into the depths of the first passage, Lilith turned and headed towards another passage. She needed to get to the middle section ahead of time to see what Vanessa was planning to send there.

Deep within the grotto, sand snakes slowly rolled their massive bodies in the sand pit, while the barbed stone array silently awaited its prey.

The orcish forces advanced very quickly.

The slimes and old blind-eyed murlocs at the entrance couldn't even hold out for three minutes before being forcefully breached. Two orc heavy shields cleared a path like an iron gate in the front, while archers and mages took turns suppressing from behind, and the priests' healing shields were almost nonstop.

Ron stared at the energy graph on the control panel from his vantage point, tapping his fingers lightly twice. The breach of the first line of defense was expected; what he wanted was the effect of the "fangs" biting down in the middle.

As the orcish group stepped into the canyon entrance, the ground suddenly trembled slightly. The sensing runes of the barbed stone array were triggered, and hundreds of stone spikes sprang up from the ground like springs, their tips gleaming with a cold, grayish-white light.

The shield warrior at the front reacted quickly, planting his shield in the ground to block in front of him, but the archer on the flank didn't have time to dodge and was pierced in the calf by a stone spike, causing him to kneel on the ground and immediately slowing his movements by half.

Gul growled, signaling the priest to go and remove the spikes, while he himself swung his battle axe, cleaving several stone spikes in half. But this delay gave the sand snake an opening.

The first sand serpent slid down the canyon wall, its half-body coiling around a heavy shield like an iron chain, the immense force dragging the person off the ground. Another sand serpent followed, bursting forth from the ground, its tail sweeping across and knocking down the mages and priests in the back row.

On the other side of the canyon, the old blind murmur's low growl echoed. A barbed harpoon whistled through the chaotic ranks, striking the archer wounded by a stone spike in the shoulder. With a hook, the archer was dragged away and flung into the sand serpent's jaws.

The stench of blood spread through the narrow canyon.

Ron watched from his vantage point as the energy curve surged, indicating that the monsters had pressed forward relentlessly, leaving the orcish group no room to breathe.

In the spectator area, Vanessa stood quietly among the crowd, watching the scene on the screen, her fingers subtly fidgeting with the scroll in her arms. The scroll was slightly warm, as if responding to something in the distance.

Lilith, standing on her other side, had already caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. She didn't speak, but simply took a step to the side so that she could see the faintly glowing rune marks beneath Vanessa's sleeve.

The orcish group in the canyon began to counterattack. Gul roared, his battle axe slamming into the sand serpent's neck, sparks flying from its thick scales. Taking advantage of the sand serpent loosening its grip, he kicked open a path, leading the six survivors towards the other side of the canyon.

Before they could run ten steps, the second wave of barbed stone formations was triggered, with spikes jutting out from both sides and blocking the exit. Sand serpents, as if they had been waiting behind them, poked their heads out from between the spikes, opened their blood-red maws, and bit down on an orc guard who was trying to climb over.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd in the spectator area. Vanessa lowered her head, her finger lightly gliding across the scroll. The rune's light dimmed instantly, as if a signal had been transmitted.

Lilith already knew what was going on—she was certain that the signal was sent to the people inside the Black Language Cavern.

The bloody battle in the canyon continued. The sand serpent's tail swept across, sending the last backline mage flying. He crashed into the stone wall and vanished in particles of light before he could even slide down. Gul was still holding on, his arm muscles bulging as he swung his battle axe like a windmill, but less than half of his team remained behind him.

Ron looked away, a slow smile playing on his lips.

The stench of blood in the canyon grew stronger. The sand snake's scales were splattered with dark red, and the corpses coiled around it were still dripping blood.

Gul gritted his teeth, holding his battle axe horizontally in front of his chest to block the sand snake's frontal bite. At the same time, he pushed off with his feet, trying to use the recoil to break out. But after taking only two steps, another sand snake emerged from a crevice in the rock wall like a shadow, its tail lashing hard across his waist. The blow was as dull as hitting a metal barrel.

Gul grunted as he crashed into the barbed stone array at the edge of the canyon. The sharp spikes immediately pierced his armor, leaving him hanging in mid-air.

Chapter 117

Before he could break free, the old blind merman's harpoon shot from the side, striking him squarely in the neck. The barb got stuck in the bone, pulling and yanking, causing half of Gul's body to lurch violently to the side.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, a low growl emanating from his throat, yet his grip on the battle axe remained firm. But now, behind him lay empty—the remaining orcs of the "Grey Raven Covenant" were either dragged into the acid pit by sand serpents or riddled with holes by murlocs.

The air in the canyon seemed to freeze. The last orc guard who could move was caught when a sand serpent emerged from below, biting his calf and pulling him down, where he fell lifelessly onto the pile of rocks.

Ron breathed a sigh of relief from his vantage point. The energy curve had completely returned to its initial level—meaning monster respawns had resumed and the battlefield was cleared.

The orcish group was wiped out.

He raised his hand and pressed a rune key on the control panel. The barbed stone array in the canyon retreated back underground, the sand serpents slithered back to their lair, and the murlocs disappeared into the depths of the mist. When the next wave of challengers arrives, it will be as if nothing ever happened.

The crowd in the spectator area was still discussing the incident. The orcish group had always had a good reputation in Emerald Town, and their swift defeat was quite a shock to everyone watching the spectacle.

Vanessa walked through the crowd with her head down, the runes under her sleeves already extinguished, and she quietly tucked the scroll in her hand back into the bottom of her bag. Lilith followed her all the way, seemingly unintentionally, but never missing a step.

Ron switched the viewing view on the console, switching to the plaza outside the spectator area. On the runic water curtain, Vanessa walked around the edge of the crowd and headed towards a secluded alley.

Ron tapped the runestone three times lightly with his fingers. At the other end of the runestone was a concealed sensor embedded in the outer perimeter of the Black Whisper Cave. It would record signals within Vanessa's rune trigger range and transmit them back to Ron's control panel.

Simply put—as long as she makes a similar movement again, Ron can pinpoint the location of the signal.

This was a "fishing trap" he specially set up for Vanessa.

Lilith had already seen Vanessa walk into the alley and lean against the wall, as if waiting for someone. A short while later, a tall, thin man wearing a hood came from the other end. As they passed each other side by side, Vanessa subtly raised her hand and slipped something to him.

The man didn't even turn his head before disappearing around the street corner.

Lilith gritted her teeth, having already made up her mind—she would make Ron witness this scene with his own eyes.

Deep within the Black Language Cave, Ron watched the red dot on the runestone move and whispered:

"The hook has taken hold."

The night weighed heavily on Emerald Town, making it feel somewhat oppressive. The streets were sparsely populated, with only occasional patrolling adventurers carrying magic lanterns passing by, their glowing circles disappearing in a flash.

Lilith jogged and slipped into the path outside the Black Whisper Cave. Ron was just getting off the control panel, still holding the blue runestone in his hand.

She said in a low voice, "I followed her. She handed the things to a hooded man, and the movement was very discreet."

Ron didn't ask who it was, but instead handed her the runestone to look at.

"This is the signal that she made her move just now."

The red dot on the runestone had stopped in an abandoned alleyway in the eastern part of Emerald Town. It was a place near the black market, rarely visited by outsiders, but where almost all the dirty work was done.

"Are you planning to arrest them now?" Lilith asked.

Ron shook his head: "No rush. She definitely has more than just this one lead. We need her to lead us to the whole set herself."

As he spoke, he brought up a topographical map of the area surrounding the Black Language Cave on the control panel and tapped several locations with his finger.

“These places have been arranged as new entrances, which on the surface seem like a layout adjustment, but in reality they are all dead ends. As long as she spreads this false information, the people on the other side will expose the deception as soon as they step on it.”

Lilith nodded, already understanding his meaning—a counter-entrapment tactic.

The next morning, Ron began his work. Several new passages appeared at the entrance to the Blackwhisper Caves, and temporary guild signs were hung on the stone walls, seemingly to guide challengers. The passages were filled with low-threat monsters, making them appear easy to pass through.