Under a blanket of gray mist, a Skeleton Axeman dragged its heavy axe aimlessly through the field of corpses.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, save for the scraping sound of the axe against the ground and the gnawing of the walking dead. A cold wind howled through the area.
Suddenly.
A vine appeared out of thin air, coiling around the skeleton's feet.
Before the skeleton could react, it was yanked off its feet with a loud "thud," dragged away from the pass, and the sound of bones shattering followed.
"Good job."
In the mist, Alex quietly praised the Poison Thornvine beside him.
As a third-tier plant, the Poison Thornvine could extend its vines over twenty meters, making it nearly invisible in the fog.
Using this ambush tactic, Alex had already eliminated over a dozen skeleton zombies, clearing out most of the monsters near the entrance. Only about twenty remained deeper inside.
After confirming that the area near the entrance was clear, Alex led his plant army further in, advancing toward the heart of the gathering.
The zombies and skeletons within the gathering soon noticed them and charged with guttural roars.
"Leave none alive!"
With the advantage in numbers, Alex saw no need to hold back. He immediately ordered his plants to attack.
In an instant, green light flared, and wooden spikes materialized out of nowhere, pinning several of the leading zombies to the ground with a sharp "whoosh."
The Poison Thornvine and Treant Berserkers followed up, swinging their heavy swords and lashing out with vines to meet the remaining skeleton zombies head-on.
But the most ferocious were the three Explosive Mushrooms.
They hopped along behind the others, plucking the freshly grown red mushrooms from their bodies and gleefully hurling them forward.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The violent explosions shook the air itself.
The skeleton zombies at the forefront were blown away, some even killed instantly.
[Killed a third-tier Skeleton Axeman, gained 11 Mana.]
[Killed a third-tier Skeleton Axeman, gained 9 Mana.]
[Killed a third-tier zombie, gained 12 Mana.]
In just one encounter, Alex had gained fifty to sixty Mana.
The battle was almost entirely one-sided. Under the control of the vines, the remaining skeleton zombies were swiftly decapitated by the Treant Berserkers, collapsing to the ground.
Something's not right.
Suddenly, Alex frowned.
He noticed that after these monsters died, a black mist would rise from their bodies, drifting into the air.
Then, as if drawn by some unseen force, the mist converged toward a massive tombstone deep within the gathering.
An ominous aura began to emanate from the tombstone, spreading outward.
Could it be... a fourth-tier monster?
Alex's heart skipped a beat. He quickly rallied his troops into a defensive formation.
At that moment.
The ground in front of the tombstone cracked open with a loud "snap," and a chilling wind swept out, forcing Alex and his plants to retreat.
Then, a massive arm burst from the ground.
Followed by a head, and then a body.
In just a few breaths, a towering zombie over three meters tall stood before him, radiating an overwhelming aura of death!
[Name: Rotting Corpse King]
[Race: Undead]
[Tier: Fourth]
[Strength: 85]
[Constitution: 96]
[Agility: 70]
[Spirit: 82]
[Skills: Rotting Corpse Toxin, Death Bite]
[Description: The king of zombies. Wherever it goes, all things rot, and life withers.]
A fourth-tier Corpse King!
Alex was stunned by the information before his eyes.
With average stats in the eighties, it was more than twice as powerful as a third-tier monster.
Now he understood why those people had been wiped out. With such monstrous stats, even a typical third-tier would be instantly killed!
"Roar!"
While Alex was still processing, the Rotting Corpse King noticed him. With a deafening roar, it leaped high into the air, landing directly above him.
"Look out! Move!"
Alex shouted in panic, diving and rolling away.
With a thunderous "boom," the ground shook violently. Two Poison Thornvines that hadn't escaped in time were crushed into pulp, killed instantly.
So strong!
Alex's pupils contracted to pinpoints.
He had expected a fourth-tier monster to be powerful, but not to this extent.
With just one strike, it had obliterated two of his third-tier units, leaving no chance for healing.
Without hesitation, he barked orders to the remaining plants: "Spread out! Attack with everything you've got!"
As he spoke, he quickly got to his feet, drawing a dagger made from beast bone and holding it defensively.
The plant army obeyed, vines shooting out to ensnare the Corpse King, while wooden spikes erupted from the ground, piercing its ankles.
"Roar!"
The Corpse King roared in fury, tearing the vines apart with its bare hands, completely unaffected by the potent toxins.
Even the wooden spikes through its ankles were ignored, ripped out as if they were nothing.
But this momentary distraction gave the other plants an opening.
Several Treant Berserkers charged forward, swinging their heavy swords and hacking chunks of rotting flesh from the Corpse King's body.
Vines reappeared, coiling around its legs like serpents, restricting its movement.
Cornered, the Corpse King went berserk. It turned and bit into the neck of a Treant Berserker, tearing its head off with a single yank.
Then, it opened its gaping maw and spewed a cloud of Rotting Corpse Toxin.
Two Treant Berserkers that were about to attack were caught in the toxic cloud, their bodies rapidly decaying as they collapsed.
Alex's heart ached.
These were units he had spent considerable Mana to cultivate, and now they were gone just like that.
"River!"
At his command, River raised her staff, firing several sharp wooden spikes.
"Thud!"
"Roar!"
The Rotting Corpse King, still entangled by the vines, was pierced through the chest, howling in pain.
Seizing the opportunity, the Explosive Mushrooms hurled their mushrooms, which exploded on the Corpse King's body, finally knocking it to the ground.
However.
Even with such grievous injuries, the Corpse King remained ferocious.
With a violent tug, it tore the vines apart and swatted away a charging Treant Berserker.
Fortunately.
The healing skills of several Flower Sprites landed just in time, saving its life.
Meanwhile, the Poison Thornvine's vines regrew under the healing effects, coiling around the Corpse King's body, their thorns digging deep into its flesh.
By now, the Corpse King was battered and bruised from the relentless assault of the plants.
It struggled violently but couldn't break free from the vines, thrashing in place.
"Perfect chance! Aim for its head!"
Alex wasn't about to let this opportunity slip. He immediately ordered his troops to attack.
Under the 10% attribute boost from River's Aura of Affinity, the plant army fought with increasing ferocity, quickly regaining control of the battle and surrounding the Corpse King with a barrage of attacks.
Finally.
After losing another Treant Berserker and two Poison Thornvines, River seized the moment.
A sharp wooden spike shot out, exploding in the Corpse King's skull, splattering black, rotting blood.
The Corpse King let out a final, unwilling roar.
Then, it collapsed into a lifeless heap on the ground.
[Killed a fourth-tier Rotting Corpse King, gained 25 Mana.]
Before Alex could even celebrate, a notification rang in his mind, and his expression darkened.
"All that effort to kill a fourth-tier monster, and it only gives 25 Mana?"
He had lost eight units in the fight. At 20 Mana each, that was a loss of 160 Mana.
A total rip-off!
But then, another voice chimed in.
[Congratulations, you have successfully cleared a third-tier monster gathering. Reward: Third-tier Territory Essence x1]
Territory Essence!
Alex's excitement surged as he turned to the Corpse King's corpse.
A black mist rapidly gathered above its body, condensing into a crystal-clear gem that floated in the air.
The gem's information appeared before Alex's eyes.
[Name: Territory Essence]
[Tier: Third]
[Description: A primary material for upgrading territories. Formed from the concentrated energy within a monster gathering. Essential for upgrading to a third-tier territory.]
Just as the earlier notification had hinted, clearing the monster gathering had rewarded him with the final material needed for his territory upgrade: the Territory Essence.
Alex stepped forward, carefully taking the crystal.
With this, he could finally upgrade his territory to the fourth tier. It was worth the effort and the long journey.
As he took hold of the Territory Essence, another notification sounded in his mind.