Mist Lord

Perhaps because it possesses a trace of bat blood, the fourth-tier bronze gargoyle guarding the top of the misty lighthouse does not object to bone-winged bats entering its territory.

Similarly, bone-winged bats also like to hover around the misty lighthouse.

In addition, the area is close to the forest, where food is relatively abundant, so naturally, this place became a new habitat for bone-winged bats.

During the day, they mostly hide inside the lighthouse and sleep soundly.

Thus, the Misty Lighthouse became Celia's second home, and she would visit it almost ten times a day. She would feed the bats, groom them, and when she got tired, she would sleep upside down like a bat.

"Master, my master..."

Startled by the sound of footsteps, Celia lost her footing and was about to fall off the roof beam. Fortunately, she was quick and used the shadow to regain her balance.

Luckily I wore a mask, otherwise I would have been killed on the spot.

"cough."

Xia Yuan hadn't expected Celia to have this kind of hobby, so he quickly explained his purpose, "In the past few days, more and more mist monsters have been crossing the border to attack. You've heard about it, haven't you?"

"Master, is there anything I can do for you?"

When it came to serious matters, Celia immediately switched to her cold, shadowy assassin mode, ready to act at any moment.

"Could we send bone-winged bats into the misty area to investigate and find out who's driving these mist monsters?"

Xia Yuan didn't stand on ceremony.

"No problem! I can take the bats and go to investigate myself."

Bats don't rely on sight to see; instead, they use echolocation to hunt prey. This gives them a natural advantage in foggy areas, as they are less likely to be disturbed by the fog.

"Then I'll have to trouble you. Find out who's behind this as soon as possible, but please be careful."

No, not at all.

Celiad immediately roused the half-asleep bone-winged bats, jumped onto the largest one, flew out of the misty lighthouse, and quickly disappeared into the mist.

After the healing scroll cooled down, Xia Yuan cast a group healing spell on the bone-winged bats. The bone-winged bats, which would normally need at least ten to fifteen days to recover, were now able to take flight.

Of course, they didn't forget the injured half-elf either.

The existence of the healing scroll has indeed been a great help to the territory. However, the three-day cooldown period is certainly not as convenient as the first-aid tent, which allows for immediate treatment. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

.........

After leaving the Misty Lighthouse, Xia Yuan went to the border for a stroll.

These past few days have been incredibly busy for all departments. First, they had to clear the newly opened 20 square kilometers of land, and then the fog monsters took the initiative to cross the border, keeping them in a constant state of combat.

Fortunately, the territory's military strength is now vastly different from what it used to be.

The swarm of sword-and-shield dogs led by Sword and Shield No. 1 is rapidly growing at a rate of 15 per day. Although stray sword-and-shield dogs are constantly dying in battle, others are continuously advancing to become elite sword-and-shield soldiers.

Its overall strength is changing rapidly.

The skeleton warriors led by the black-armored warrior were naturally even stronger, consisting entirely of peak second-tier units. Furthermore, using the two warhorse corpses previously gifted by Pei Ye, they had also converted two third-tier skeleton knights.

With the addition of the Black Armor at the peak of the third tier, their overall strength should be in the top tier.

After resting, Elua's half-elf archers also joined the operation to annihilate the mist monsters, splitting into two teams to provide ranged support to the sword-and-shield hounds and the skeleton warriors, respectively.

Nighttime is the domain of the bone-winged bats.

Under Celia's command, in coordination with the skeleton warriors and sword-and-shield dogs on night patrol, they resolutely retaliated against and eliminated the mist monsters that dared to cross the border to attack.

Even the more than 120 militia prisoners, after being released from military service, did not immediately participate in land reclamation. Instead, they continued to participate in the fighting as unskilled soldiers under the guise of military service.

They have received basic military training, after all.

Whether it's carrying corpses, treating the wounded, or fighting low-level mist monsters like gray mist rats, the militia are capable of doing it all.

With their sheer numbers, they represent a force to be reckoned with.

Because of these characteristics of the militia, even as first-tier soldier slaves, they are more expensive than ordinary serfs. After all, they have received basic military training and can be used immediately.

When lords purchased serfs, they preferred those who came from militia backgrounds, in addition to artisans.

Unbeknownst to many, Mingguang Village has formed a multi-system combat force network consisting of melee and ranged units, infantry and cavalry, and air force units, with virtually no weaknesses.

Although they are not yet large in scale, their prospects are undoubtedly very promising.

.........

After making his rounds, Xia Yuan returned to the village. As he passed the gate, he ran into Lu Chenggeng, the militia captain who was on duty there.

"My lord!"

Lu Chenggeng stepped forward respectfully and bowed.

Unlike heroes like Celia, the militia, while retaining a degree of loyalty to their former lord, had limited loyalty. After being imprisoned in the slave camp for a few days, they were essentially incorporated into the army.

The saying goes, "A new emperor brings a new court."

The original militia captain and several key members had long been taken to Yunyang City and sold out by Xia Yuan. The newly appointed Lu Chenggeng and the others were all promoted by Xia Yuan.

With such a combination of kindness and severity, there are even fewer hidden dangers.

"Are you familiar with operating the ballista?"

By concealing information, Xia Yuan had specifically investigated these militia members beforehand. Among them, Lu Chenggeng had the greatest potential and considerable leadership skills, which was why he was entrusted with this important task.

After the wooden city walls were upgraded to earthen city walls, all the previous ballistae were installed on the city walls.

The newly recruited militiamen became the best candidates to operate the ballistae. Previously, using sword-and-shield dogs was unavoidable; their small arms and legs made operating the winch difficult.

"Reporting back to my lord, I am already proficient in its operation and am ready to serve at any time!"

Lu Chenggeng was equally unambiguous.

"Very good, I look forward to your performance!"

Regardless of who is hiding behind the fog monster this time, Xia Yuan has a premonition that a new war is about to begin. The ballista will inevitably make a grand appearance again, becoming a powerful long-range weapon.

.........

"Master, we've found out. It's the kobolds who are causing trouble behind the scenes, deliberately driving away the mist monsters."

Celia, as expected of an assassin, is not only skilled in assassination, but also adept at intelligence gathering and reconnaissance. In less than half a day, she had already figured out the enemy's situation.

"Well done!"

This is pretty much what Xia Yuan guessed.

If it were some high-level mist monster, it probably wouldn't have the patience for this kind of probing; it would have simply amassed a beast horde and launched an attack on Mingguang Village.

Of course, guessing is one thing, confirming it is another.

I won't be able to sleep soundly at night until I find out the truth. Who knows what kind of terrifying thing might be behind this?!

"Master, should we send troops to wipe out the kobold camp?"

Satir clearly had no liking for the kobolds either. It was just a little strange; how could a kobold, with its intellect, come up with such a scheme of using one enemy to devour another? Perhaps some genius had emerged in the tribe?

"Need not."

Xia Yuan shook his head. "The kobolds are helping us hunt and drive away the fog monsters. There's no reason not to accept this great gift. There's no need to rush to retaliate."

If the mist monsters are hiding in the misty area, they are not only extremely difficult to find, but also very difficult to hunt.

Injuries or fatalities can occur if one is not careful.

Now things are much better. Driven into their territory by the kobolds, hunting them is much easier, much to the delight of the kobolds with their swords and shields. These past few days, they've been doing nothing but hunting, except eating and sleeping.

Newly recruited wandering swordsmen and shieldmen undergo combat training, with the winners advancing to the rank of Warrior Swordsmen and Shieldmen.

Where else can you find such a good thing?

The kobolds' initial intention to use the mist monsters to deplete the forces of Brightlight Village was correct. Little did they know that Brightlight Village had no shortage of soldiers.

It was destined to be a miscalculation.

"Now that the kobolds have made their move, they will most likely launch an attack on our territory, which gives us a geographical advantage. It saves us the risk of venturing into the fog zone and fighting deep into the kobold mines."

The mine is narrow and dark, and while an offensive attack is not impossible to win, it will inevitably come at a heavy price.

it's good now.

If the kobolds are truly stubborn and launch an attack, the earthen city wall will be an insurmountable barrier for them.

I just don't know what kind of brilliant mind came up with in the kobold tribe to come up with such a terrible idea.

Isn't this just blatant blatant fodder for food?

"Celia, continue reconnaissance of the Mist Zone. See if there are any other Mist forces behind the kobolds. Don't let your guard down."

Since the safety of his territory was at stake, Xia Yuan remained cautious.