Mushroom Lord in the Underground City-Chapter 295 - 287: Commanding

As for whether to kill the Lizardman scout, it didn’t really matter, but the Demons, when facing the seemingly invincible Empire, were not cowed but deeply worried.

Lin Jun straightforwardly used the scout as a sacrifice to boost morale.

The fact is, there was more than one Lizardman tribe.

Two days later, Puki caught another scout from the nearby Half-demon Tribe.

Through Shao, Xing Huo, and Louisa, Lin Jun learned about these Half-demons.

The so-called Half-demons are those hybrids born from the combination of the Demon Race and other alien races, or even different races within the Demon Race. They are collectively known as Half-demons.

Unlike the Demon Tribes and Lizardmen, who chose self-exile out of loyalty to the Demon King by the older generation, Half-demons were cast out.

Although occasionally, a few talented individuals would emerge among these hybrids, most of them were too weak.

The diluted bloodline weakens or even causes the disappearance of their Racial Talent. Moreover, possessing multiple bloodlines means that drawing a Talent Skill every ten levels becomes a gamble with luck.

Belonging to different races, skills that have nothing to do with each other cannot be used in conjunction, resulting in their combat power being weaker compared to purebloods as they reach higher levels.

Moreover, this weakening continues to worsen with the constant interbreeding among different kinds of Half-demons, showing a trend of each generation being inferior to the last.

The Empire has never kept useless beings.

Every year, a large number of Half-demons are ostracized and exiled, and those who remain in the Empire only have a status slightly higher than that of slaves.

Occasionally, someone exceptionally talented, who successfully integrates the best traits of the different races, may rise to possess extraordinary combat power, but they can only change their own fate, not that of the Half-demons.

As for fleeing to the humans, Elves, or Dwarves?

They would just be killed directly as if they were from the Demon Race, practically courting death.

There’s no choice; some Half-demon predecessors in history blocked this escape route for their descendants in attempts to change their own fate.

Therefore, when the Empire promised the autonomy, the Half-demon tribes in the Northern Territory were the most active in responding.

Before them was a Half-demon tribe closest to the Demon Race.

Though closest, they were still at least four or five days of travel apart — the Demon Tribe lived too far away, at the far northern tip.

It’s worth mentioning that even among the tribes living in the Northern Territory, the natural barrier of extreme cold was still present.

The reason there are no other tribes around the Demon Race is that other races’ Cold Resistance cannot reach the level of seven or eight.

They live in a frozen tundra area where the temperature is relatively higher, and even if the level reaches five or six, they can barely survive.

The two scouts were probably among the more cold-resistant ones among them, only had a resistance level of seven, requiring them to wear fur coats for local movements and have fires at night to stay warm.

In other words, even if these tribes could form an attack force, they couldn’t sustain it long-term and would definitely aim for a quick victory.

And Lin Jun favored opponents who pursued quick victories!

After clarifying the direction of the two tribes, the fungal mat, which was originally spreading evenly outward, began to converge and spread in that direction to detect enemy movements at the greatest distance possible.

It’s uncertain whether these two tribes will fight individually or coordinate with each other.

Preparing for the first large-scale offensive and defensive battle, there’s a slight excitement within!

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Meanwhile, in the large tent of the Lizardmen.

The Lizardmen leader, Tuck, was gulping down fat meat, while opposite him sat the Half-demon Tribe leader Bastardos, a supreme hybrid with blood from dragons, goblins, snake men, enchanting demons, and more.

They sat on opposite sides of the tent, with the three imperial messengers seated at the head.

If Shao were here, he’d recognize the man sitting slightly back, who looked utterly miserable — it was Gray, whom he’d seen once among the Demon Race.

Though accused by Gallon’s ’last words,’ fortunately, the chieftain wasn’t someone incapable of distinguishing right from wrong.

Gray had only reported on the Demon Tribe’s situation at the time and hadn’t brought up anything else; it was completely the chieftain’s idea for Gallon to go to the Far North afterward.

After a little thought, it was clear this couldn’t be Gray’s conspiracy.

However, after dispatching personnel and confirming through the tribes along the way that Gallon’s last known movements were heading to the Demon Tribe area via the Lizardman Tribe, Gray couldn’t escape the crime of faulty intelligence leading to the fall of an important member.

This time, he was sent to earn merits to offset his offenses.

Even though he had rivalries with Gallon, at this moment, no one wanted Gallon to be alive more than he did...

Accompanying him were fellow Demon Race members, Pine and the Vampire Yuni’er.

The chieftain originally sent him and Pine just to use these two tribes as a test, to probe what strength this Demon Tribe, that even Gallon couldn’t escape from, truly held.

After understanding the situation, they would make a response.

Yet, for some reason, the Emperor suddenly parachuted Yuni’er to take over command.

Looking at Yuni’er’s posture, it seems she wants to crush the Demon Tribe at once and report back?

Gray didn’t find this inappropriate.

Yuni’er herself was a Level 60 Blood Race Earl, and Pine was of the same level.

Among the two driven tribes, Half-demon Bastardos was also at the Palace Level, only his actual combat power as a hybrid was still debatable.

With over twenty Diamond Levels in these two tribes, sweeping over a Demon Tribe shouldn’t be too difficult.

After all... speaking of the Demon Race, besides powerful combat strength, the most notable attribute is their scant population.

Much less a declining Demon Tribe.

Nonetheless, Gray remained alert, since Gallon had already stumbled there.

Even if the opponents employed traps or schemes, it indicated they had means to harm experts, and thus had to be wary.

On the main seat, the Vampire Yuni’er impatiently tapped her slender, pale fingers on the frost-covered stone table, making a light "tap, tap" sound.

Her scarlet eyes swept over the two below with slight contempt: "We’ve already waited here several days, chiefs, when do you plan on setting out?"

Lizardmen leader Tuck swallowed the last bite of meat and wiped his mouth with his claws: "Your Excellency the Messenger, continuing north, it’s freezing cold, and we must make more preparations! And... even if I’m ready, what about the Half-demons? We can’t just have my tribe rush over, right?"

Bastardos glanced at the Lizardman, pulled an awkward smile, and spoke in his shrill voice: "What’s Tuck saying!

You all can go ahead; I will naturally catch up later. The Lizardmen’s scales are tough, they’re not afraid of ambushes, so sending you ahead to probe is most strategic for the overall situation."

"Nonsense!" Tuck instantly widened his eyes, slapping the stone table, causing it to buzz, "The old man’s scales might be thick, but they’re not iron! Besides, is my life worthless? Your cheap mixed-blood brats are the ones more suited for searching the way!"

"Enough!" Yuni’er’s scarlet eyes narrowed dangerously, fixed on the two leaders passing the buck, "The Empire’s patience isn’t infinite!"

"Three days! I’ll give you three more days to rest and gather, mobilize all your ’elites’!" She deliberately emphasized these words with undisguised sarcasm. "After three days, if you’re still dawdling here... ahem..."

Bastardos and Tuck exchanged a glance and could only comply together, saying "yes." (One or two more Chapters will appear at around one or two in the morning, which can be read the next morning.)