Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
The rain had lasted for more than fifteen hours by now.
The terrain around Banlo City was mainly tropical woods and swamps. The shallow wet ground had turned into little ponds covered by algae.
Mud was constantly washing down from the Andes Mountains. The woods were soaked in a lake of mud, leaving little solid ground.
The Brown Rebels had already adapted to the environment. They were using the vines in the woods to create walkable paths.
It was similar to putting a net on the surface of water. Those who were familiar with walking on the vines could move freely around the swamp.
The Federation’s army was obviously not very good at it. A huge army had gathered outside Banlo City, but it stopped moving after it reached the swamps and the woods.
The country was still in chaos after the riot. The Federation would slowly lose its influence and power if it could not stop the negative news from spreading. The people would think the Federation was no longer the only ruler in the country. Other factions who were disloyal to the Federation would rise and revolt against it, and it would have difficulty handling the situation.
It was important to stop the revolt as quickly as possible. They had to drive the Brown Rebels back to the other side of the Scorching River within two days.
The Federation Army’s time was running short, especially since they had to cross the terrible environment that was the swamp and the woods.
The Browns had built walls and forts to stop the Federation Army inside Banlo City, but the Federation Army had still managed to break through them.
However, once they were in the swamps and woods, they might be trapped forever in them before they even saw someone to fight!
The whole army was hindered by the swamp. Having more men was not going to make a difference.
——
The army had no choice but to move forward under the heavy pressure from the leaders of the Federation.
They did not encounter any resistance from the Brown Rebels, at first.
However, when the army reached the swamps, some cunning fighters began using Water and Earth Spells to hinder their movement and split the assault troops off from the main army.
The Brown Rebels’ Wind Warships were able to move freely about the swamp. They began targeting the troops that had been separated from the main army.
Two hours later, the Federation Army realized something was not right. It quickly ordered its men to withdraw.
Even with their quick reaction, the Federation Army ended up losing a third of their men in the swamps. Those who survived did not catch even a glimpse of their enemies.
“Should we ask Ice Mages to freeze the woods?”
“We might need a Forbidden Ice Mage for that.”
“Those cunning Brown moles, they were luring us into the swamps and the woods on purpose!”
“What should we do now? Our superiors already gave the order that militia Mages like us have to cross the swamp to reach the enemy base in the woods, but I doubt we are going to survive if we go in again,” a disheveled Mage protested.
The captains of the volunteer Mages expressed their worries. They all realized the Federation had their necks under the edge of a knife, forcing them to keep pushing forward, yet the enemies ahead were lining up their bows at them!
“Why are you so scared? The woods are our territory. Just follow me, we will destroy their base and show them who’s the owner of the Scorching River!” the Black Chimpanzee shouted firmly, slamming his palm against a table.
“Our territory? Lt. Colonel Mason, do you have an idea how we can overcome the hindrance in the swamps?” the captain with disheveled hair asked.
“Victory will be ours as long as you follow my footsteps!” Mason declared.
Mo Fan was waiting for Mason to come up with a brilliant idea, but had an urge to slap himself on the forehead when he saw the confident look on Mason’s face.
Don’t tell me this idiot really thinks he’s possessed by a god?
“Mo Fan, we can’t put all our hope on this idiot to win the battle in the swamps. We have a thousand men in our regiment. We won’t be able to get too far without their help!” Mu Bai murmured to him.
“I know, but I don’t like fighting in an environment like that, either. Both the rain and the swamps greatly limit my Fire Element. The woods, vines, and algae will hinder my Lightning Magic from spreading too,” Mo Fan replied grimly.
The plants in the woods were too dense, basically providing the Browns with a natural barrier. Mo Fan’s Lightning had to go through all the obstructions to reach them if they stayed close to the plants.
His Lightning Magic would be a lot weaker than when it was used in an open and spacious area.
Zhao Manyan came closer and asked, “What about your Vengeful Seeds? Are they any good?”
“They are, but the problem is, the spikes won’t necessarily kill the enemies if they hide behind the trees or above the canopy,” Mu Bai answered doubtfully.
“You’re right, I bet these soldiers are going to die before they see anyone. The Vengeful Seeds aren’t going to do much,” Mo Fan agreed.
Lt. Colonel Mason came over as they were talking among themselves. “What are you three mumbling about? Don’t tell me you are scared, you are now Lieutenants with a few Intermediate Mages taking orders from you. You must live up to your expectations!” the man encouraged them.
“Sir, even though you are blessed by Forneus, I doubt she’s always free like a housewife who sits on the couch and eats sunflower seeds while enjoying your show. She would have to look at other followers, too. If you are in trouble when she switched stations, wouldn’t it be a pity for you?” Zhao Manyan suggested.
Mason seemed to agree with that. “So?” the apish officer asked.
“So, we can’t step into the traps the enemies have prepared for us. We have to come up with a plan to outsmart them,” Zhao Manyan recommended.
“What stupid ideas do you have?” Mason raised his brows.
Zhao Manyan’s face darkened. How dare you call my ideas stupid?
It was really strenuous talking to an idiot like him!
“The plants are dense in the woods, while the rain and the mist are limiting our vision. If we are having trouble seeing the Browns, how did they know where we are?” Zhao Manyan explained.
“I think I understand what you are saying!” Mason cried out. “We can cut down the plants to clear the mist!”
Zhao Manyan froze immediately.
My gods… even the black chimpanzees in the zoo are smarter than this guy!
How were they supposed to cut down all the trees of such a huge forest?
If cutting down the trees would drive away the rain, why would they go through so much trouble just to take down Wu Ku?