Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Discovery of the Nest

Because the area surrounding this small town was a standard plain, the only obstacle nearby was a river barely ten meters wide and less than three meters deep. With ten tanks leading the way, the Xuanlü army swiftly exterminated most of the green goblins around the town, leaving only a few that had managed to hide within its walls.

Across the vast, chaotic wheat fields, the once golden crops had been devoured, leaving behind numerous deep pits about a meter in depth and moderate in size. These pits were remnants of the green goblins’ breeding, and the soil nearby showed subtle signs of sandification.

“Cleanup of Clara Town completed. Most green goblins in the surrounding area have been eliminated.”

Within the town, the azure eagle had landed, and the female mage supported her two companions. The trio of thieves descended from the lighthouse as well. The six gathered before Olina, bowing in unison, “Your Highness, Princess Olina.”

Olina’s reputation was illustrious throughout Dawn, known to all who had even a shred of insight into the realm’s affairs. Simply being a princess who had risen from the slums made her unforgettable to the masses.

Seeing the hunter guild badges on their chests, Olina asked, “Were you sent by the Hunter Guild to deal with the green goblin disaster?”

“Not entirely,” replied the knight in black armor, shaking his head. “With just us few third-tier transcendents, there’s no way we could resolve the green goblin plague. Our main task, commissioned by the king, is to handle any possible emergence of demons.”

The greatest danger in the early phase of a green goblin disaster was not the goblins themselves, but the demons spawned by them or other circumstances. These demons possessed bizarre powers, often remaining undetected unless they revealed themselves, creating lasting threats. Like the corpse demon this time—if it had gained some intelligence and learned to hide, the consequences would have been dire.

Olina frowned slightly upon hearing this. “That old codger would rather pay you than send the Royal Knights.”

Though Olina knew it was impossible—firstly, the old man was gravely ill and couldn’t have the Royal Knights leave the capital. As Aimeya had said, Count Senna’s knight order had already exceeded its bounds.

“Uh…” The black-armored knight and his fellow guild members were at a loss for words. They certainly couldn’t tell the princess that the king cared more for the lingering threat of demons than the lives of the peasants lost.

At that moment, a ladder descended from the helicopter. Qin Le, Iron Fist, and Aimeya slid down. After a brief introduction, Qin Le quickly understood their backgrounds and got straight to the point. “Does the Hunter Guild currently have any intelligence regarding the Green Goblin King?”

Now, the Xuanlü army was unstoppable, overwhelming the fearsome green goblin disaster. Yet military operations consumed immense resources. Qin Le had spent a whole month transporting the ammunition needed for this campaign. Much of the transport capacity was taken up by base construction and food supplies; with limited portal capacity, saving wherever possible was crucial.

Moreover, the faster this matter was resolved, the greater Xuanlü’s deterrent force would appear. Resolving the green goblin disaster, for various reasons, was best completed within twenty-four hours.

The black-armored knight shook his head. “Since the outbreak began, the guild has been highly vigilant, repeatedly sending hunters into the Dead Marsh. But the sheer number of green goblins cost several hunter squads their lives. We’ve only managed to identify a general location.”

The green goblin disaster was first discovered by the Hunter Association, who immediately alerted the Kingdom of Dawn and neighboring countries upon confirmation. They had hoped to quell the disaster before it spread, but no nation had stepped forward even now. Half of the Daina domain had fallen, nearly a hundred thousand civilians were dead, and demons had emerged, but the surrounding countries watched coldly. Even relaying it to headquarters had brought no help.

“May we ask for this location?” Qin Le said.

The guild members exchanged glances. At last, the black-armored knight drew a piece of parchment from his armor. “It’s a map of the Dead Marsh, pinpointing the Green Goblin King’s territory. Although the guild has never seen the king in person, the area is swarming with green goblin priests. It should be accurate.”

Qin Le took the map. Though it was crudely drawn, he managed to discern the location.

“There are many green goblin priests, shamans, and greater goblins there. We’ve tried several times but couldn’t reach the heart of the area. If the Royal Knights could hold off the goblin main force, sending a few Silver-tier…”

Qin Le interrupted, “Are you certain about the location?”

The map was so rough that finding the exact site would take effort.

The black-armored knight nodded. “That’s our scouting assignment.”

“Take us there. You’ll be properly rewarded afterward.” Qin Le returned the map.

The knights and their companions exchanged quick looks, deliberated briefly, and decided to lead these people to the goblin stronghold.

With those flying iron beasts, perhaps they could slay the Green Goblin King and end the disaster.

The azure eagle soared again, followed by over a dozen helicopters, heading toward the Dead Marsh.

Originally, the black-armored knight had wanted the eagle to fly slower, but soon realized the steel monsters below advanced just as quickly, perhaps even faster! The tide of green goblins was powerless before these iron beasts; even when higher goblins appeared, they were swiftly dispatched by the airborne machines.

...

Three hours later, the Xuanlü army finally reached the Dead Marsh.

The marsh was not a traditional wetland but a vast stretch of pitch-black mire, endless and occasionally dotted with floating animal carcasses.

Seeing the tanks halt below, Olina, aboard a plane, asked curiously, “Why aren’t they moving? Do tanks get stuck in the marsh like horses?”

“At dozens of tons, they certainly would,” Qin Le replied casually, then ordered the helicopters to advance.

Entering the Dead Marsh, they found the terrain peculiar—a network of massive mud pools crisscrossed by narrow strips of land, resembling spider webs.

Strange creatures appeared now and then, but the most common were green goblins.

Within minutes, they spotted an island in a mud pool, swarming with goblins.

The goblins on the island noticed the odd flying machines overhead, hurling projectiles and killing their own comrades. Some even cast spells, but none touched the helicopters.

Looking down at the vast numbers of goblins and the barren island, Qin Le wondered, “With so many goblins, where do they get enough food?”

“These little goblins can survive on anything. With such a huge marsh, they just grab a handful and stuff it in their mouths,” Aimeya volunteered, acting as a knowledgeable guide, which was part of her employment by Xuanlü.

“They eat almost anything and breed quickly. Many beasts prey on them, but they prefer meat—especially human and elven, maybe because ours is more tender.”

“So, what will you do now?” Aimeya pointed at a small hill on the island, riddled with countless holes.

“If nothing goes wrong, the Green Goblin King should be inside. Your helicopters might be useless now.”

“What will we do? Set off fireworks, of course.” Qin Le ordered the helicopters to move to the right side of the island, avoiding the imminent fireworks.

Just then, Fireworks spoke up, “Sir, target coordinates have been measured.”

As Olina and Olinna watched in confusion, Qin Le took out a walkie-talkie and spoke in a language they couldn’t understand.

...

Several kilometers away, outside the Dead Marsh, ten Xuantian 105mm howitzers slowly raised their massive barrels.

A gunner waved a flag and shouted, “Orders received! All batteries, fire on Target Two, approximately one thousand square meters of land, set range at fifteen, high-explosive shells, intersecting test shot!”

The artillery crew swiftly adjusted their howitzers’ positions and barrel angles.

“Ready! Fire!”

The flag dropped, and a thunderous blaze followed.

Boom!

A cannon roared with earth-shaking fury. The shell soared along a curved trajectory toward the distant target.

...