Chapter 135: Berserk Infection Potion
Whoosh!
Fierce flames burned the piled corpses.
Thanks to the oil that had been poured on them, these bodies would eventually be fully incinerated.
In the end, only a few ashes would remain, swallowed by the Misty Swamp.
Thick black smoke billowed upward, straight into the sky.
It stained the blood-colored world with a shade of dark gray.
The adventurers on the wall were excitedly chattering.
Every adventurer who had joined the battle had received their reward.
The reward was very generous!
The adventurers who hadn't participated were full of regret, silently listening to the others' discussions, but inwardly they made a firm decision.
Next time, they couldn't miss out!
Smelling the faint scent of blood, Matthew thoughtfully gazed out at the Misty Swamp under the scarlet moonlight.
In his mind, he recalled that night.
The caravan had crossed the Misty Swamp on its way to Bay Village when they encountered those mutated fishmen.
"The influence of the scarlet moon has indeed weakened..."
Matthew recalled the scene of others taking the purification potion and subconsciously furrowed his brow:
"But it shouldn't have weakened this much!"
Today, the Misty Swamp was too quiet!
Although they had fought fiercely with the bandits, the commotion alone wasn't enough to suppress the greedy desires of the predators in the Misty Swamp.
With such a strong smell of blood, why hadn't it attracted any reckless creatures?
"Yaya? Daddy, there are a lot of small enemies approaching, and they're noisy!"
Yaya's puzzled voice entered Matthew's mind.
Matthew instinctively looked up, just in time to see Yaya fluttering down, her gem-like blue eyes filled with confusion:
"Yaya? These creatures are strange; they're not afraid of me at all!"
"Daddy, they're so ugly!"
Shaking his head slightly, Matthew's expression grew serious as he watched the thickening mist. Instinctively, he turned and saw the oblivious adventurers on the wall.
Above their heads, he saw patches of "-3" and "-4" in bright red!
A sudden danger!
"So, this is where you were waiting for us!"
"Pfizer Merchant Guild, what are you up to?"
Thoughts raced through Matthew's mind as he quickly pulled out his staff and cast "Sound Amplification."
His booming voice echoed across the hill:
"Enemy attack!!"
"Combat personnel, prepare for battle! Everyone else, stay in the tents!"
The once quiet hill instantly burst into activity.
Bloodshot-eyed Adam Smith rushed out of his tent and quickly approached Matthew, following his gaze warily.
In the thick fog, nothing could be seen!
But Adam Smith knew that the Arcanist wouldn't sound the alarm without reason, so he immediately turned and began commanding the combat personnel who had just emerged from their tents:
"Archers, split into two teams, front and back."
"Shield-bearing soldiers, get on the wall, spearmen, move up!"
"Heavy infantry, hold your position for now, await my command!"
"Logistics team, prepare the arrows and deliver them to the crossbows immediately!"
After yesterday's battle, everyone had great trust and confidence in Adam Smith's commands.
Although there was some chaos, no one panicked.
After all, they had defeated over a thousand bandits. They were confident they could handle any opponent now.
Soon, reality gave them a huge surprise!
The chaotic sounds of "chittering" and "yapping" began to emerge from the swirling mist.
All the combat personnel grew increasingly alert, and their hearts began to pound with unease.
What was hiding in the mist?
More bandits?
Or some kind of terrifying magical creatures?
It was the unknown that made it so frightening!
Suddenly, a sound came from beneath the wall, as if something was violently striking the ironwood.
Beelzebub, who was at the front line of defense, lowered his head and looked closely, his eyes widening in shock as he exclaimed:
"What kind of monster is that?"
The pale red moonlight shone on a terrifying figure without skin.
Its entire body was wrapped in trembling muscles, with dense white lines vaguely visible, connecting its muscles and bones.
As horrifying as that was, Beelzebub had seen skinned prey before.
But these terrifying creatures had bloody bone spikes protruding from their backs and limbs.
At first glance, they bore some resemblance to the mutated monsters affected by the scarlet moon.
Beelzebub cautiously gripped his axe, sensing the dangerous aura emanating from this small creature.
"Fishman, Challenge Level 5+, Deep Berserk, remaining survival time: 12 hours."
"Special Ability: Berserk Infection. If scratched or bitten, a Willpower check of -10 is required. Failure results in infection with Deep Berserk!"
"Special Status: Deep Berserk. Burns the soul. All attributes +3, physical attack +3, movement speed +3."
Seeing through the strange creature's attributes, Matthew felt a chill run down his spine and suddenly realized:
"Berserk Infection Potion?"
"Pfizer Merchant Guild? Are they part of the Apple City Alliance?"
"Could it be that the Berserk Infection Potion was originally developed by the Pfizer Merchant Guild?"
"Was the Tide of Scourge orchestrated by them?"
"..."
Years later, the "Tide of Scourge," which originated in the Kingdom of Falcykor and spread rapidly throughout the Northern Continent, resulting in millions of casualties and transforming them into terrifying monsters, actually came from here?
Matthew forced himself to stay calm and focused on the present.
He had already guessed the enemy's plan, which both startled him and made him feel more composed. He loudly commanded:
"Everyone, avoid getting injured at all costs."
"Form defensive positions around the clay golems, shield-bearers, and heavy infantry. Their weak point is the head!"
As he spoke, Matthew turned and quietly whispered to Adam Smith beside him:
"Hold the defense, don't hesitate to use scrolls, and make sure to 'handle' the wounded promptly."
Adam Smith caught the seriousness in Matthew's tone and immediately realized the gravity of the situation. After watching Matthew enter the tent, he quickly resumed commanding.
Yaya soared through the sky, flying beyond the Misty Swamp.
Even her vision couldn't penetrate the mist.
All she could see was more and more berserk fishmen converging from all directions.
It was as if they were drawn by some fatal attraction, endless and terrifying!
Seeing this scene through Yaya's eyes, Matthew thoughtfully stroked his staff and turned to the burly Gold-Fang, saying:
"Take everyone and expand the underground space. Do it quickly!"
The burly Gold-Fang bowed respectfully.
Unlike the others who couldn't discern Matthew's disguise, Gold-Fang's draconic instincts allowed him to sense something was off.
With a low growl, Gold-Fang roused the kobolds, who had been sleeping soundly after eating their fill.
Matthew watched the now-busy kobolds, his dark eyes flickering with complex emotions.
Outside the tent, the howls of the berserk fishmen and the shouts of soldiers had merged into one.