Mercenary Wars

Chapter 245 Ambush
Gaucano wandered deep into the Valley of the Deceased, traversing hillsides and cliffs, passing through wetlands and paths, and finally found four pieces of Forget-Me-Not moss in a few hidden corners.

The quantity wasn't large, but the quality was quite high: two pieces were level seven and two pieces were level eight, which was higher than most of the Eternal Forget-Me-Not moss that Gao Jiano had seen before.

This is undoubtedly related to the characteristics of the Valley of the State of Cai.

The canyon is long and narrow, so the core area is relatively small. The appearance of the Forget-Me-Not moss is completely random, and since it is small in area, there are not many of it.

Meanwhile, the Valley of Deceived Kingdoms has been closed for nearly a hundred years, and the level of the Eternal Forget-Moss is naturally higher due to the long period of closure.

The four pieces of Eternal Forgetfulness Moss happened to represent one of each of the four attributes, which was undoubtedly good news for Gaucano, who was preparing to make a Lesser Enlightenment Elixir.

Carrying their findings, Gao Jiano returned to the vicinity of the swamp before dawn to reunite with his teammates. Morning mist began to hang over the swamp, and the chill of the night had begun to dissipate.

Moreno returned first, sitting on a rock polishing his bow and arrows. When he saw Gaugano, he immediately showed off a patch of Eternal Forgetfulness Moss, saying with no small amount of pride, "Level 7 Fire-type Eternal Forgetfulness Moss, how about that? I told you I was lucky! In fact, I can find a patch of Eternal Forgetfulness Moss every time I come to the Tidelands!"

Gaucano calmly asked, "May I take a look?"

“Of course!” Moreno handed over the Eternal Moss, already calculating his impending wager. “Don’t forget the five gold coins!”

Gao Jiano took it in his hand and looked at it for a moment, then suddenly shook his head slightly: "If this is all you have to show for it, then you definitely won't get my gold coins."

Moreno was taken aback: "You found two pieces of Forget-Me-Not Moss?"

“No, that’s not it.” Gao Jiano didn’t boast about finding four pieces of Eternal Forgetfulness Moss. Instead, he changed the subject, “But I did find one piece of Eternal Forgetfulness Moss, and it’s level eight, while yours is only level seven. So strictly speaking, I should be the one who won.”

As he spoke, he took out a piece of Eternal Forget-Me-Not.

Moreno blinked: "This is level eight?"

“That’s right.” Gao Jiano handed over the Eternal Forget-Me-Not.

Moreno was obviously also capable of examining the Forgotten Moss. After examining it, he realized that what Gaucano said was true, and he couldn't help but show a frustrated and hesitant expression.

Needless to say, anyone would feel frustrated when a bet that seemed certain to be won suddenly turns around.

The hesitation was probably because he was considering whether or not to give Gaucano five gold coins.

After all, the bet didn't specify the winner in this situation, so he had every reason to renege on the bet. However, it wasn't worth it to renege on the bet for just five gold coins. Moreover, in a place like the Tidal Lands, maintaining trust among teammates was more important than a few gold coins.

Gao Jiano guessed his thoughts and offered a win-win solution: "How about this? I happen to be making a potion soon. I can buy this Forget-Me-Not moss from you for five gold coins less than the market price. What do you think?"

After a moment's thought, Moreno immediately agreed: "Okay, I'll sell it to you."

The two then exchanged money for goods.

Transaction complete.

Gaucano carefully put away the newly acquired Eternal Forget-Me-Not, then looked at Adrian, who had been keeping an eye on the ambushers: "How are those guys doing?"

“They’re waiting too.” Adrian shrugged slightly, his tone tinged with frustration. “They’re obviously waiting for another group to come and hunt the Hydra so they can take advantage of the chaos… They’re nothing but a bunch of bandits!”

Moreno, who had secured a guaranteed income through the Everlasting Moss, seemed to have become more determined. He said, "Let's wait and see who can hold out the longest!"

Adrian sighed, "As long as we can take down this hydra, that's all that matters."

The four of them waited like that.

During that time, every night, Moreno and Gaugano would go out for a stroll, collecting herbs and ores, and occasionally hunting magical beasts.

Time passes slowly.

With less than twenty hours remaining before the Valley of Deceived Nations closed, another group finally couldn't wait any longer—the pressure of time finally allowed greed to overcome their caution.

"They're about to move!" Adrian, who had been listlessly leaning against the tree trunk, instantly perked up, springing up as if struck by lightning and turning to look at the swamp. The long and almost relentless wait had left him somewhat exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes, but this news immediately invigorated him.

The other three also perked up and looked towards the swamp one after another.

They then saw five figures who had been lying in ambush finally emerge from the dense bushes, talking as they walked toward the waters where the multi-headed snake was.

They looked serious and held their weapons, clearly prepared to risk everything to hunt the multi-headed serpent.

Gao Jiano and his three companions quietly adjusted their hiding place, choosing a better vantage point to keep a close watch on the enemy's movements. They needed to wait for the perfect opportunity, neither missing it nor revealing themselves too early.

Moreno said excitedly, "Haha, this is really interesting! Now it's our turn to ambush them!"

Charlie's expression turned serious: "No matter what, we must uphold our honor and faith, and we cannot launch a sneak attack on our fellow Mosas."

Adrian: "Of course, we'll only be targeting the Hydra later. But if they attack us first, we don't need to hold back; it's only right to retaliate when attacked!"

He gripped his staff tightly and began checking the various potions and spell scrolls he had prepared, making sure everything was within easy reach. Gaucano and his two companions did the same, beginning their final preparations for battle.

As Adrian said, although the opposing five-man squad had one more person than them, their average strength was clearly inferior. From the quality of their equipment to the coordination of their tactics, there was a significant gap.

For example, the hunters on the other side—three hunters, who frantically tried to concoct a bait that could attract the hydra.

Moreno was getting impatient: "What are these idiots doing? Why haven't they made the trap yet? With this level of skill, they actually dare to target the Hydra!"

Adrian: "Their skill level is obviously not as good as yours. For them, it would probably be a better trap to have someone jump down."

Another half hour passed.

The opposing team finally finished their preparations. They threw another bottle of suspiciously colored bait into the water. The liquid spread rapidly in the water, emitting a peculiar smell.

This time it finally worked.

Just like when Moreno cast the bait, the once calm surface of the water began to ripple, quickly developing into concentric circles of waves. Something enormous seemed to be awakening beneath the surface, preparing to rise to the surface.

"Splash!" The sound of water grew louder and louder, gradually changing from a gentle ripple to a violent crash.

Then, accompanied by the violent waves crashing against the shore, the enormous, dark green form of the multi-headed serpent emerged from the water, its four ferocious heads baring sharp fangs, roaring simultaneously: "Roar—"

The sound was deafening, filled with primal wildness and anger.

Undoubtedly, the return of humans deeply angered it. As the ruler of this swamp, such frequent disturbances were nothing short of a provocation to it.

Using Eagle Eye, Gaucano noticed that most of the injuries on the Hydra had disappeared.

Whether it was the wound caused by his blood arrow or the wounds inflicted by Charlie and Adrian's flames, they had all vanished without a trace, clearly having already healed.

The fact that these injuries healed in just over two days without leaving scars left Gaugano in awe of the hydra's powerful regenerative abilities. However, there seemed to be some lingering damage from the larval acid. Although the wounds had scabbed over, traces of corrosion were still visible.

It seems the acid from the larvae is indeed quite potent.

After the multi-headed snake appeared, the five-person team immediately launched an attack.

Their team consisted of three hunters, one warrior, and one mage.

The hunters and mages stood scattered at a distance, immediately unleashing a barrage of arrows and spells, attacking the hydra from four directions.

"Roar—Roar!" The multi-headed serpent was enraged, and its four heads naturally responded simultaneously, spitting out four streams of venom. The venom drew dark green trails in the air, emitting a suffocating stench.

The hunter and the mage quickly dodged.

Their dodge was timely enough that they didn't die in the first wave of the hydra's attack, but they were all in a sorry state, with at least some of their clothes corroded off.

Meanwhile, while the four snake heads were busy dealing with their teammates, the warrior, wielding his battle axe, roared and leaped up, using astonishing explosive power to jump directly onto the multi-headed snake's broad back.

Then he gripped the axe handle tightly with both hands and swung it violently.

"boom!"

A sharp, cold light flashed from the battle axe, and the immense force caused it to embed itself deeply into the snake's neck, from which dark green blood gushed out like a spring.

"Roar--"

The multi-headed serpent roared, all its heads turning in unison, eight fierce gazes fixed on the warrior.

The warriors were fearless.

He let out a loud roar, and his skin immediately took on a metallic sheen and texture.

When the hydra spewed its venom, most of it was blocked by his armor. The remaining venom struck his body but did not cause fatal damage.

The warrior then swung his battle axe again.

"boom!"

With another loud bang, a snake's head was finally severed completely amidst the spray of blood and venom, crashing heavily onto the water's surface and creating a huge splash.

At the same time, ranged attacks from hunters and mages rained down once again.

This time, they only needed to attack three snake heads, so their firepower was more concentrated, and each snake head suffered a more ferocious attack.

Therefore, the hydra had to split off two more heads to deal with the hunter and the mage, leaving only one head to deal with the warrior on its back.

A single snake head seems no match for a warrior.

The warrior darted and weaved across the hydra's broad back with the agility of a mongoose, dodging attacks and seizing opportunities to swing his battle axe. He quickly found another opening and severed the second head.

Watching this scene from afar, Moreno couldn't help but remark, "They look pretty impressive..."

Adrian replied, "It's a long way from killing this hydra. I've never heard of a hydra dying from a few simple decapitations."

After a while.

The five-person team seemed to have the upper hand.

The hydra's four heads had been chopped off by the valiant warrior, and the blood had turned the entire body of water a terrifying dark green.

The last remaining one was also badly damaged, and its roars were much weaker.

A hint of excitement appeared on the soldier's face.

A hint of excitement and pride shone on the warrior's face, sweat and blood mingling on his skin, but his eyes gleamed with the light of victory. As he swung his battle axe again, nearly severing the neck of the last serpent head, his excitement intensified: "Ha! The legendary multi-headed serpent isn't so formidable after all!"

By this time, the metallic sheen on his body had faded, and he had returned to his normal flesh and blood skin. Clearly, the spell's duration had expired, and his physical defenses had returned to the normal level of a mortal.

"Watch out!" a hunter shouted.

Unfortunately, the soldier misunderstood his teammate's warning.

Upon hearing the warning "Watch out!", his first reaction was to kick the axe handle hard, using the force to completely sever the last snake head.

But as soon as the snake's head was severed, the roar that had just stopped immediately resumed.

"Roar--"

But the snake's head, which had been severed first, grew back!

The most terrifying characteristic of the multi-headed snake was revealed in a stark way at this moment.

The newly formed snake head was initially incomplete, just a bloody, mangled mass that looked like a rapidly expanding tumor. However, its growth rate was astonishing, rapidly taking shape at a visible speed. What started as a bloody, mangled mass would, within seconds, open its ferocious snake eyes and stare directly at the unsuspecting warrior.

Immediately, a stream of dark green venom was spat out!

Caught off guard, the soldier was immediately sprayed in the face with poison.

With the venom smeared on his face, he couldn't even let out a complete scream. He only let out a short, muffled groan before collapsing straight down, then falling limply from the multi-headed snake's tall back into the deep water.

With their only melee teammate dead, the hunter and mage both showed signs of panic. What they thought was a sure victory suddenly turned into a nightmare.

Fortunately, the multi-headed serpent only had one head at this time, while the other three heads were still growing. It was not yet able to launch a powerful attack, which gave them room to negotiate.

"What do we do?" a hunter asked, his voice tinged with obvious panic.

The monk said, "Cut off or subdue this snake's head immediately, and we still have a chance!"

"Don't let it grow another head!"

A burly hunter hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and, imitating the warrior, leaped onto the hydra's back. No one was willing to back down at this moment; the warrior's death could not be wasted, and they were even less willing to give up the hydra they were about to capture.

He then thrust his spear fiercely, piercing the newly formed snake head! The sharp spear tip sank deep into the snake's skull, attempting to stop its movement and self-healing.

(End of this chapter)