"General Gawoo, this situation is entirely plausible."
Seated across from him, a fox tribe general stroked his beard while shaking an information scroll in his other hand. "The Storm Kingdom has hired over a hundred mercenary squads, most of which operate within the confines of Lushuan Town. Perhaps they coordinated with the Storm Knights to ambush our stationed forces."
"General Foxche is correct, especially regarding those formidable golden-tier mercenaries, who have caused us considerable trouble…"
The orc messenger, kneeling in the hall, initially echoed the fox general's sentiments but then shifted the conversation. "However… it seems that the main force behind the assault on our garrison in Lushuan Town was not the Storm Knights; they had just arrived in the town proper. The acting commander, Caroline, claimed that it was a bronze-tier mercenary group that executed this… ah, no, this brutal and bloody act!"
"Bronze chickens?"
The orc generals exchanged bewildered glances. "Is there a mercenary with such a name among the platinum-ranked?"
"It's not 'chicken,' it's 'tier…'"
The messenger chuckled awkwardly and carefully corrected himself. "A bronze-tier mercenary squad, seemingly consisting of five individuals, annihilated our stationed forces in Lushuan Town…"
"Ha!"
General Gawoo of the baboon tribe laughed heartily, scoffing, "How can it be that the humans speak in an even more bestial manner than the orcs? Five bronze mercenaries obliterating eight thousand Thunder soldiers—surely this is impossible!"
The other generals voiced their agreement: "This is an utter humiliation! We must make those arrogant humans pay dearly!"
"It must be that Caroline is deliberately exaggerating their achievements to satisfy their pathetic sense of honor!"
Bang!
A dull thud suddenly resonated, silencing the orc generals. It was Kane, the First Warrior of Thunder, who had lifted his massive hammer only to let it fall back onto the ground, easily indenting the stone tiles.
"I know Caroline; she is an honorable knight, purer of heart than even the Storm Knight Nicholas Gake. She would not fabricate lies, especially regarding publicly announced achievements."
Kane's voice was deep, lacking any deliberate emphasis, yet it conveyed an undeniable conviction. He turned his gaze towards the messenger and inquired, "What else did Caroline say? The High Priest should have been in Lushuan Town these past few days; could he have also been defeated by that bronze mercenary squad?"
"The Storm Knights did not reveal the specific details of the battle, nor did they mention the High Priest, only informing us to return to Bishi Town as soon as possible; otherwise, they would soon launch a direct assault…"
Upon hearing the murmurs of the surrounding generals growing agitated again, the messenger hurriedly added, "I had my fellow priests conduct a discreet investigation; there is residual magical energy from the High Priest within Lushuan Town. Given the scale of the destruction, it is highly probable that it was caused by the legendary ninth-tier ultimate spell, Lightning Storm—Hammer of Devastation!"
Hiss…
The orc generals inhaled sharply, and Kane's expression turned grave. After a moment of silence, he rose to issue a command: "Convey my orders: all divisions are to hold their positions; no one is permitted to enter or exit Bishi Town at will! Once the next shipment of supplies arrives, we will determine our next course of action!"
The generals, though reluctant, did not dare to defy Kane's orders, each wearing a glum expression as they left to carry out their commands.
Once all the orcs had exited, Kane slowly resumed his seat, sorrow etched upon his face.
Kane understood that, given the current condition of the High Priest, he would not be able to use the [Lightning Storm—Hammer of Devastation] until the most perilous moment.
And having wielded such a formidable spell while losing contact with the main army indicated that the High Priest was in dire straits!
"Even if Bellmour were present, the High Priest should not have been defeated so thoroughly… Who exactly is the enemy?"
Kane pondered this for a moment before summoning several trusted subordinates. "Investigate the mercenary group that triumphed over our forces in Lushuan Town; I want all information on them!"
...
In the external world, after extinguishing Bellmour's defiance, Wang Hui harvested source energy for a while, pausing when the value reached B-60%.
There remained ample reserves above the clouds, but he decided to address the Thunder High Priest first.
"The High Priest's life must be affected now that I have seized the relic; to assist me in controlling the Thunder Kingdom, merging him with an ordinary creature from the miniature world will certainly not suffice, and I cannot locate a dragon at the moment…"
Wang Hui surveyed the courtyard, contemplating which small creatures from the outside world could serve as fusion materials.
He had already used ants and small moths; what else nearby could be utilized?
Earthworms? Their size would be too large; in the miniature world, they could easily be considered disastrous monstrosities!
Moreover, fused creatures would inevitably inherit some characteristics of the source materials, and Wang Hui certainly did not wish for any overly grotesque appearances among his subordinates.
Mosquitoes? They seemed incompatible with the High Priest's character; after all, he was not to be transformed into a bloodsucking fiend…
"What should I merge with you…"
Wang Hui crouched at the edge of the courtyard, pondering deeply. He suddenly glanced at a flowerpot and his eyes lit up!
Who said that fusion materials must be animals or insects?
He had previously fused vegetable seeds, which aligned with the [Yin-Yang Fish] definition of "organism," so merging plants should pose no issue, right?
Considering the High Priest's attributes, adept at employing various natural elemental spells, and given the Thunder Kingdom's arid climate and persistent sandstorms, transforming him into a plant-based fusion beast might even promote environmental health…
In front of Wang Hui was a pothos plant.
This particular plant was easy to care for, thriving with just a bit of water, and it was beneficial for purifying the environment.
Another trivial reason was that it was inexpensive; merging it into the miniature body wouldn't invoke any regret…
Wang Hui carried the flowerpot to the side of the Gulf World, realizing that the size comparison was somewhat exaggerated, so he merely plucked a small branch connected to the roots and tossed it into the empty desert of the Thunder Kingdom.
Whoosh!
His projection body transformed into a beam of light, descending with the power of a quarter of the [Eternal Eye]. In his contest against the world's rules, he had gained considerable influence, landing in a suburban area not far from Lushuan Town.
"It seems more convenient here; the rules confine me to a fixed location, yet I can shift my landing point at will, unlike in the clan world, where there are no rules to guide me, resulting in random landings…"
Wang Hui surveyed his surroundings, finding no signs of life; it appeared that the orc patrols had been mostly cleared out.
He unfurled his light wings and soared into the sky, this time unencumbered by the need to accommodate Lilith or Meg's pace; he could dash at full speed.
Whoosh—
With each powerful flap of his enormous wings, Wang Hui propelled himself forward, swiftly entering the desert region of the Thunder Kingdom to retrieve the small branch of pothos he had previously discarded.
However, it would be more accurate to refer to it now as an "ancient giant tree..."
Afterward, Wang Hui turned and flew toward the hidden location of the captive, where the weakened High Priest Salliman looked up at the sound, his frail body trembling.
What did this grotesque creature dragging a terrifying giant tree intend to do with him?!