On the other side of the region, after finalizing the escape plan, Alex closed the private chat and immediately reached out to Ryan Mitchell. He explained the situation regarding the regional blockade in detail.
Alex had his reasons for inviting only Ryan. He knew all too well that even the Tier 6 individual they had encountered in the mines hadn't been able to escape. For ordinary Tier 5 lords, attempting to cross the Gray Mist would be tantamount to suicide. Among the people Alex knew, Ryan was the only one with the potential to reach Tier 6 quickly and gather the required 60,000 Mana.
As for others… Alex wasn't a saint. He wouldn't risk his own safety to save others, nor would he bring along anyone who might become a liability. He could barely ensure his own survival—how could he possibly worry about others? Besides, dragging others through the Gray Mist might not be doing them any favors. It could very well lead to their demise. Staying within the region might actually give them a better chance at survival.
Soon, Ryan replied. The news of the regional blockade shocked him to the core, leaving him almost speechless. Yet, he didn't doubt the authenticity of the message. He had noticed some suspicious signs before. After collecting his thoughts, Ryan quickly agreed to join the plan, promising to gather the necessary resources himself. After exchanging a few more details and words of gratitude, Ryan ended the conversation and rushed off to collect resources.
As for Alex, he led his plants out of the territory to hunt Tier 5 and above monsters, accumulating Mana while leveling up his plants. With River, now a Tier 6 unit, by his side, the efficiency of their hunts had increased dramatically. They cut through Tier 5 monsters like a hot knife through butter, earning both Mana and experience at an astonishing rate.
By midday, one of the Explosive Mushrooms finally reached its experience cap, triggering a long-awaited notification.
[Congratulations! Your Explosive Mushroom has reached its experience limit and has successfully advanced to Tier 6!]
A flash of light enveloped the little mushroom as it grew in size. Its cap split into two, surrounded by a cluster of smaller red mushrooms, each adorned with spiky, ball-like spores.
[Name: Twinspore Mushroom]
[Race: Plant]
[Level: Tier 6 (0/500)]
[Strength: 100]
[Constitution: 322]
[Agility: 322]
[Spirit: 405]
[Skills: Devour, Explosive Spores, Dual Fission (Explosive effects trigger twice.)]
[Description: An evolved form of the Explosive Mushroom, with enhanced fission capabilities capable of triggering devastating chain explosions.]
While the Twinspore Mushroom's overall attributes didn't quite match River's, its Spirit stat was exceptionally high, nearly rivaling River's. Alex recalled that Spirit influenced the effectiveness of skills, meaning the mushroom's explosive power had significantly increased. Moreover, its Dual Fission skill now triggered explosions twice, making it even more destructive and far-reaching. With this little mushroom guarding his territory, Alex felt confident enough to venture further out for exploration.
With that in mind, Alex decided to stop hunting and led his plants back toward his territory.
Meanwhile, outside Alex's territory, two figures appeared with a large group of units in tow.
"Look! There's a territory over there!"
"Huh? You're right. I didn't expect to find a territory in a place like this."
The two intruders, having just emerged from the forest, were surprised to stumble upon Alex's territory. But their surprise quickly turned to greed, their faces twisting with malicious intent.
"Let's check it out. If the lord isn't around, we'll destroy the territory core and take all the resources!"
"Agreed. We split the resources fifty-fifty."
After a quick exchange, the two moved closer to Alex's territory. One of them commanded a group of Mechanical Iron Golems, while the other led a squad of Minotaur Axemen—both formidable Tier 5 units. Together, they had over thirty units, a force that would overwhelm most Tier 5 lords. No wonder they were so brazen, eyeing Alex's territory with the intent to plunder it in his absence.
After some cautious probing, they confirmed that the territory was unguarded, and their excitement grew.
"Perfect! The lord isn't here. Let's hurry and destroy the territory core!" the thinner of the two said eagerly.
"But what about these vines?" the other asked, eyeing the massive vines sprouting from the ground. "They look… strange."
"They're just oversized plants. What's there to worry about? Hurry up before the lord comes back!"
The thinner man dismissed his companion's concerns and ordered his Mechanical Iron Golems to push through the vines and enter the territory. He had already spotted the territory walls not far ahead. Once they breached the walls and destroyed the core, the resources would be theirs for the taking.
Seeing his partner rush ahead, the other man panicked. After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and ordered his Minotaur Axemen to follow. The two stood outside, directing their units with practiced ease. Clearly, this wasn't their first time raiding someone else's territory.
But what they failed to notice was the faint pink mist that began to rise within the vine-covered forest. The mist thickened rapidly, soon enveloping their units and obscuring their vision.
"Crap! It's a trap! Pull back!"
Realizing their mistake, the two intruders shouted in alarm, frantically ordering their units to retreat while backing away from the encroaching mist. But before they could escape, massive vines erupted from the ground behind them, blocking their retreat with a thunderous crash.
"Damn it! We've been ambushed! Run!"
Panicking, the two men scrambled to escape, weaving through the vines as they fled. But before they could get far, countless smaller vines snaked across the ground, surrounding them from all sides. Their units were quickly ensnared, dragged into the mist, and silenced by agonized screams and the sound of metal breaking. The intruders' faces turned pale as they watched their forces decimated in mere moments.
They couldn't comprehend how a territory could be so terrifyingly fortified. In just a few breaths, they had lost nearly all their units. Desperate, they fled with their remaining forces, hacking at the vines that closed in around them. But to their horror, the vines they cut regrew almost instantly, entangling their units and dragging them into the mist.
"We're almost out!" the thinner man shouted, spotting a glimmer of light ahead.
But just as hope began to rise, a blood-curdling scream echoed behind him. He turned to see his companion caught by several vines, pulled to the ground and wrapped tightly like a cocoon.
"No! Help me! Please! I don't want to die!"
The man clawed at the ground, leaving deep gouges in the soil, but the vines only tightened their grip. With a final, desperate scream, he was yanked into the mist, leaving only silence in his wake.