Volume One: The Lord’s World of Hell Chapter 71: Crow’s Nest City

“What’s going on now?” Chen Gu noticed that after Saint Rock’s rank increased, its attributes changed yet again, and the number of troops under his command began to swell. Wave after wave of fire elementals joined Saint Rock’s ranks. Watching Saint Rock’s army grow from nothing to seven divisions, each with four thousand soldiers, a sudden question flashed through Chen Gu’s mind.

Can Saint Rock really control so many troops? With twenty-eight thousand soldiers, commanding them must be impossible.

Unbeknownst to Chen Gu, Saint Rock had never intended to command them all. His goal was simply to temporarily keep these fire elementals under control, preventing them from running wild. After all, with hundreds of thousands of fire elementals here, it was an immense force for Chen Gu. Letting them slip away would be a tremendous waste. So Saint Rock worked diligently, persuading each fire elemental one by one.

Chen Gu only saw the total number of fire elementals under Saint Rock rise to twenty-eight thousand, but he failed to notice they were continually changing. After organizing one batch, Chen Gu set them aside, then moved on to arrange another. After Saint Rock made his final count, there were 187,651 fire elementals still alive.

All the fire elementals started at level 2, making up half their number. Level 3 elementals were considered elite, accounting for a third. The rest were all level 4 elementals. Additionally, there were about twenty fire elemental elders. These elders were also only at level 4, but they could advance into new troop types at any time.

However, for Saint Rock, the most valuable aspect of these elders was their ability to communicate and manage the fire elementals. Their assistance eased Saint Rock’s burden considerably. Saint Rock believed that if Chen Gu could help him find some more hero credentials, he could convert these elders into fire elementals, allowing them to take command of the troops.

But at that moment, Chen Gu’s mind was entirely focused on the road ahead. He had no idea what was happening behind him.

If he knew Saint Rock had seized nearly two hundred thousand fire elementals, he would surely abandon his current objective and rush back. He could then synthesize these fire elementals into the units he desired. Yet Chen Gu remained unaware of all this.

Now, glancing at the map, he saw that the next city was an hour’s journey away, and hoped there would be good news there. As Chen Gu advanced, he had no idea that Saint Rock had not been idle either. After tallying all the fire elementals, Saint Rock had an idea: since the fire elementals needed food, he would lead his troops out to explore nearby, perhaps finding something valuable.

So Saint Rock proactively led his forces out, leaving the remaining fire elementals in Saint Helm Valley. They wandered as before, but now, instead of drifting alone, they moved in teams of four thousand. Previously, so many fire elementals already made people wary of approaching the valley; now, formed into armies, even fewer dared come near.

The released fire elementals wandered with no fixed number. The valley, once a ruin, was now flattened by their influence. Meanwhile, Chen Gu finally arrived near the third city on his journey south.

This city differed from the previous two. It was a rare swamp-type city among the elves. Initially, Chen Gu had planned to deal with the Black Mercury Knights here. But since the Black Mercury Knights had already fallen to Saint Rock, Chen Gu’s urgency faded.

Unlike Saint Helm Valley, where he could only pass by and had to leave without seeing the ruins, now Chen Gu could finally pause and examine the city. On the map, this city was called Crow’s Nest, a level 6 city. According to the elf map, Crow’s Nest was known for its druids and the training of special beasts.

Many beasts rare among elves were bred here. The hydra and the wild bull beast were the most important local specialties. The hydra was not only fierce in battle, but also highly poisonous; its sinews rivaled unicorn tail hair as the finest material for bowstrings.

The wild bull beast possessed a deadly strike, and its hide was an excellent material for leather armor. Its flesh was also a fine delicacy, so Crow’s Nest had once been renowned.

But now, the situation in Crow’s Nest seemed dire. Gazing at the rotting swamp piled high with corpses, and at the swarming insects nearly forming clouds in the sky, Chen Gu knew the city was finished. Even the undead would not linger in such a place.

Naturally, Chen Gu had no desire to enter for a closer look. But since he had come this far, he sent a pack of Blood Shadow Wolves into the rotting swamp. Standing atop the carriage, he watched as the wolves entered. They had barely taken a few steps before one was dragged underground. Chen Gu couldn’t even see what creature had accomplished it.

Next, swarms of insects descended from the sky, attacking the Blood Shadow Wolves, turning them into heaps of bones in moments. Witnessing this, Chen Gu was stunned.

“Carrion Vine, go in and see what’s underground.”

Upon hearing Chen Gu’s command, several Carrion Vines slithered toward the rotting swamp. At the same time, Chen Gu waved his hand, signaling the vine carriage to stop further away.

Once the Carrion Vines entered the swamp, they immediately encountered opponents: underground serpentine creatures, numerous and swift, surrounding the vines. Chen Gu’s Carrion Vines were different—they each had eighteen tendrils, able to cooperate or fight independently. The two sides battled fiercely beneath the ground.

Finally, a Carrion Vine dragged two underground beasts out of the swamp, allowing Chen Gu to see what lay within. The creatures resembled snakes in size, about as large as pythons, but their heads were not serpentine—more like sandworm heads, capable of splitting open wide to clamp onto prey like a bear trap, never letting go. Their bodies had powerful contraction abilities, able to drag enemies underground.

Such creatures were perfect for underground ambushes. But against Carrion Vines, also suited for subterranean combat, they were far less effective. Had their numbers not been so great, the Carrion Vines could have wiped them out in a single move.