Chapter 595: The Contamination Begins!
"Roar...!"
The monsters let out sharp howls, greedily devouring the corpses scattered all over the place.
Their sense of smell was extremely acute, able to sniff out the scent of "meat" through soil and rubble.
They spared no effort, directly digging through the dirt and ruins above, not missing a single drop of blood or scrap of flesh.
These actions of the twisted treefolk caused extreme discomfort among the Cole Elven Warriors.
Watching them defile their fallen comrades' corpses, an indescribable rage surged endlessly within them.
Yet the orders to retreat and regroup forced them to leave.
Even so, there were still Cole Elven Warriors who clashed with the twisted treefolk.
The former were trying to save comrades not yet dead, while the latter would not let any flesh slip from their grasp.
The twisted treefolk were incredibly powerful in combat; normal attacks were nearly ineffective.
Wounds inflicted by blades and swords healed within mere moments.
And the blood-red vines they swung were not only fast, but also tough and powerful.
Once entangled, it was nearly impossible to break free on one's own.
The Cole Elven Warriors suffered losses in the clash, naturally causing discontent among the Cole Elven elites.
They retaliated without mercy—enchanted arrows and various spells rained down, swiftly exterminating the twisted treefolk who had crossed the line.
The remAnnieng twisted treefolk quickly became much more subdued.
The Bloodthirsty Ancient Tree, however, paid no mind to the results of this probe.
It continued to ravenously consume the transported corpses, steadily strengthening its body.
Soon, the Bloodthirsty Ancient Tree reached a height of thirty meters, and the number of its twisted treefolk sub-entities grew to over a thousand.
Some of these individuals were as tall as five or six meters.
Within the fusion of plant and flesh bodies, remnants of constructs and combat puppets could vaguely be seen.
It was clear that the Bloodthirsty Ancient Tree had gained many memories and growth from devouring souls.
Just as it was about to continue awaiting fresh flesh, a barrage of spells crashed down upon it.
The surrounding twisted treefolk were instantly blasted apart, with dozens killed outright.
This was a warning!
The Bloodthirsty Ancient Tree turned its head to glance back, sneering as it noticed the twisted treefolk that had devoured their companions' remains slowly standing up.
It had already sensed the rage of the Cole Elves, but it remained obsessed with them.
"Such flavorful food... I must indulge in more of it next time..."
This terrifying monster staggered toward Icewind Fortress.
The Ail Elves who had just cleaned the battlefield had already received orders not to look at it.
The high-tier Professionals permitted to observe it faintly sensed the eerie and twisted red glow emitted by the Bloodthirsty Ancient Tree.
Upon closer inspection, it was as if all sight and souls would be absorbed, falling into an absurd illusion.
High-tier adventurers witnessing this couldn't help but feel deeply alarmed.
Especially when they noticed some Ail Elven Warriors and captured Cole Elves suddenly going mad.
Only then did they faintly understand that the territory's insistence on mental and willpower trAnnieng for all adventurers was to defend against such horrifying monsters.
They vaguely sensed that certain hidden truths lurking in the world's darkness were now unveiling before their eyes.
Even more adventurers began to wonder about the Scarlet Moon that Bay Territory had long guarded against, and the numerous emergency drills.
Was there truly a deeper meaning behind it all?
Only Jifan remained calm, swiftly analyzing every aspect of the Bloodthirsty Ancient Tree and decisively issuing various combat orders:
"Prepare the magic cannons. Once the target enters within 500 meters, concentrate fire on the lower half."
"Ready the Dragon Hunter Ballistae. Once within 300 meters, prioritize aiming for its eyes!"
"Magic muskets, target..."
"..."
The soldiers on the walls immediately got busy.
In this situation, they even forgot their fear of the monster.
The previous battles had taught them a profound lesson:
"Do your duty well, and you can win the fight, defeat the enemy, and survive!"
Whether it sensed the impending attack or this was its intent all along...
The Bloodthirsty Ancient Tree stopped about 800 meters from the city wall.
Its bloodshot eyes stared greedily at the wall, faintly sensing the presence of much-needed nourishment within.
However, it also sensed a deadly threat.
Thus, it did not approach further but cautiously controlled the twisted treefolk to continue seizing more flesh.
The area below the city walls was littered with the corpses of Cole Elves.
Under the light of dawn, their battered remains were clearly visible.
These were the casualties from the Cole Elves' overnight assault.
Tens of thousands of corpses would become nutrients for the Bloodthirsty Ancient Tree's growth.
But the soldiers of Bay Territory and the Ail Elves had no intention of indulging the twisted treefolk. Under Jifan's orders, they fired on the horrific monsters without hesitation.
The twisted treefolk had astonishing defenses; their thick hide and twisted blood-red vines rendered most physical attacks ineffective.
But against the terrifying cannon blasts, their wooden fiber bodies could no longer hold up.
These temporarily-grown twisted flesh forms were not as resilient or tough as true treefolk.
Under the fierce bombardment of spinning shells, they often couldn't withstand more than two or three hits before huge holes were blasted through them, sometimes even being torn in half.
And when facing the Dragon Hunter Ballistae, the twisted treefolk fared even worse.
They had no defense against the piercing bolts; once struck, they were dragged to just outside the city wall.
Wanting to extract more information from them, Jifan did not order immediate execution, instead instructing each group of soldiers to conduct a variety of experiments on them.
"Test the lethality of ordinary crossbows and swords!"
"Check the damage from standard armor-piercing bolts!"
"See how long they can withstand regular fire!"
"Gauge the strength of their attacks..."
"..."
As more twisted treefolk were killed, it became much harder for them to acquire fresh flesh.
Some soldiers were puzzled—why didn't Bay Territory just burn all the Cole Elven corpses?
They had no answers and simply followed orders.
As their understanding of these monsters deepened, they began to think: though terrifying in appearance, the twisted treefolk weren't that fearsome once engaged in real combat.
Jifan silently observed the twisted treefolk collecting and consuming the remains of their dead companions, slowly growing stronger and more horrifying.
"Next time we fight these monsters, we must prioritize burning their corpses."
"In addition to that, eliminate surrounding flesh and blood first..."
"Keep a safe distance, attack from range..."
"And after battle, purification and cleanup are essential!"
"..."
This frontline intel would receive the utmost attention.
Bay Territory would conduct more in-depth research.
Targeted specifically at this type of enemy.
They would develop even more lethal weapons.
From policy to education, Bay Territory feared no hardship, always pursuing the most efficient solutions, never allowing problems to fester.
Any minor issue, if left unchecked, could one day grow into a terrifying disaster.
If problems continued to pile up without resolution, the end would eventually come—either from outside pressure or internal chaos.
Thus, Bay Territory did not fear mistakes; they only feared not correcting them.
Whoosh!
The dull sound of air being pierced echoed ceaselessly above the city.
Countless bolts of all sizes were fired without regard for cost.
Each arrow fired carried its own mission and purpose.
The archers would try to ensure that not a single shot went to waste.
Because not only were they costly, but their significance in the current battle was extraordinary.
If arrows failed to serve their purpose, they would have to rely on flesh and blood to face the enemy.
According to Bay Territory's battle code, this was the last resort, something all archers tried to avoid.
Yet in Annie's eyes, the situation looked completely different.
Each bolt fired represented a cost of over 3 gold coins and a market price of more than 10.
It was this relentless spending of gold that had held back the mad charge of the Cole Elven army.
It was how they managed to endure this brutal, meat-grinding war in a way she could hardly have imagined.
From yesterday to this morning alone, Bay Territory had provided more than 3 million gold coins worth of bolts!
Enough to pile into a small mountain of gold!
And that wasn't even the key point!
To transport these supplies, they had to break through the war curtain set up by the Cole Elven Kingdom and use super teleportation arrays for precise delivery.
Every instance of personnel and supply transfer...
Required Bay Territory to spend increasing resources and gold to achieve spatial pinpoint breakthroughs.
For just this Icewind Fortress war alone, Bay Territory had already invested at least tens of millions of gold coins.
And that didn't even include the rewards for warriors and adventurers...
Matthew hadn't even mentioned any of this to her.
But precisely because of this, Annie felt a heavy sense of pressure.
Though her wounds had healed, the weakness and fatigue still left her helpless.
She longed to join the fight—that way, she'd worry less.
Just as she was getting lost in thought, Yaya had already arrived beside her at some point, wearing a radiant smile and cheerfully saying:
"Finally gave those Cole Elves a good beating! I've been wanting to do that for ages."
In Annie's impression, Yaya had always loathed spending money. Why was today an exception?
As if reading Annie's doubts, Yaya gently patted the curious Menglan in her arms and patiently explained:
"Don't feel too pressured. This battle is one we at Bay Territory chose to fight ourselves."
"There's a saying in the East: One well-aimed punch now spares a hundred later."
"The Cole Elves have been pressing us for too long. We can't just let them get comfortable..."
If the Cole Elves conquered the Ail Elves and unified the elven factions...
They wouldn't just gain a population of thirty to forty million.
They'd also get a huge territory and an abundance of resources.
Plus, they'd obtain a large force of "soldiers" and "cannon fodder."
Bay Territory would lose a potential ally, a generous client, and a target to draw enemy fire.
More importantly, the Cole Elves would gain the Ail Elves' legacy!
Their already strong and unified technology would accumulate and break through even further.
That was something neither Matthew nor Bay Territory could accept!
So even if it came at a cost, Bay Territory had to be involved in this war.
That said, Annie's expression still didn't improve.
Even now, the Ail Elves had sent no reinforcements, not even a message asking about the battle.
Their own people had given up, while Bay Territory was still here, fighting in blood and fire.
Annie couldn't help but feel lost and sad. But when she met Yaya's excited gaze and pondered her words, she involuntarily perked up.
That's right—this was no time for melancholy!
The battle wasn't over. The enemy wasn't defeated. There was no time for sentiment!
Seeing Annie bounce back, Yaya even chuckled and eagerly added:
"Besides, it's not like we came away empty-handed. We've already made a fortune..."
Annie turned her head in shock, seeing Yaya's delighted expression, disbelief all over her own face.
They made money from this?
No way!
It's not like Annie hadn't studied in Bay Territory. She was familiar with developing new industries and products.
But still, she couldn't imagine how Bay Territory managed to profit from a war that had already cost tens of millions of gold coins.
And judging by Yaya's look, it clearly wasn't just a little money!
Yaya didn't hesitate and explained all of Bay Territory and Matthew's moves to Annie.
Dazed, Annie instinctively widened her eyes. Her weakness vanished as she showed both shock and excitement:
"You can sell information? And make millions of gold coins doing it?"
Yaya excitedly nodded, counting on her fingers as she explained to Annie:
"Exactly. Even if other Ail Elves families and factions didn't come to Icewind Fortress..."
"They were still very eager to know what was happening."
"So when we sold them memory crystals recording the battle, they all paid high prices for them..."
Furious at those people's behavior, Annie still felt extremely satisfied that Bay Territory managed to sell memory crystals and information for 4 million gold coins.
"And that's not even the end of it. What we sent them covered only the daytime battle yesterday."
"If they want details from last night, the price doubles..."
Brimming with excitement, Yaya clenched her pale fist before Annie, clearly proud and eager:
"And those Ail Elves families and factions were just the first wave of customers."
"The entire northern continent has tons of powers. I bet many would gladly shell out a few hundred thousand gold to learn what really happened, or the details on the Cole army."
"If we sell twenty sets, that wouldn't be a stretch. We could even give them a slight discount—maybe 500,000 gold each..."