"Yes, the spatial-temporal vortex here is incredibly intense, a veritable knot of chaos, making spatial positioning nearly impossible. It's not that direct return is impossible, but the failure rate for using items is terrifyingly high!"

This statement was originally uttered by Zi, but from the Orc encampment six or seven kilometers away, someone spoke the exact same words, and astonishingly, with an identical tone to Zi's voice.

This person was named Bo Xiwen, a renowned expert in lip-reading before entering the Nightmare World. Four or five people sat beside him, their faces etched with deep solemnity.

Bo Xiwen's voice echoed faintly, carrying an indescribably eerie quality.

These few individuals were gathered around, with an incense burner placed in the center. What burned within was not typical incense, but a black object resembling half a cigarette butt, emitting wisps of red smoke. A vicious-looking three-headed hound lay sprawled next to the burner. This creature was incredibly stout, nearly the size of an ox, and seemed to be sleeping soundly with its three heads resting upon its paws.

The red smoke was drawn into the massive, moist black nostrils of the three-headed hound, allowing it to sleep even more soundly.

Accompanying the creature's steady breathing, a considerable amount of saliva dribbled from the corners of its gums, flowing along a pre-placed plastic sheet into a basin.

This basin already held nearly half its capacity of saliva. Yet, the accumulated saliva possessed the peculiar properties of mercury and oil; its surface acted as a perfect mirror, clearly reflecting a vast image—the very surroundings of Fang Senyan and his group.

"What the Eye Demon sees is utterly incomprehensible to humans. Only the saliva of the three-headed hound can receive the signals fed back by the Eye Demon and reflect them clearly." This was the original text from page seventeen, paragraph eight of Black Magic Alchemy. To deepen understanding, the text used the analogy of television signals and a television set to explain their relationship.

Suddenly, the mirrored scene fluctuated violently, and then, without turning her head, Zi calmly raised her right hand toward their location. Zi's right hand was slender and long; seeing her fingers instinctively brought to mind the artistic elegance of fingers dancing across piano keys. However, at this moment, the hand was encased in a black silk glove with gold patterns, lending it an air of opulence and nobility.

Bo Xiwen suddenly cried out:

"Bad news!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the image in the basin became chaotic and turbulent. Then, a piercing shriek echoed, followed by absolute darkness. A grizzled man with a viper tattoo on his arm cursed heartbrokenly:

"That wretched woman! My Eye Demon! ... You can't just stand by! My Eye Demon is worth at least a hundred thousand Universal Points; I worked so hard to earn the contribution points for it!"

"Shut up, Rolos! Take this Silver Plot Ring! It's worth at least fifty thousand Universal Points. Find Blood Butterfly for the difference in price; she'll give you a fair valuation!" said another man, who was also carrying a shield. This man's shield, however, was wooden, but its surface was studded with three shrunken heads—one human, one giant ape, and one shark—confirming he was indeed an MT.

As this MT spoke, Rolos immediately fell silent, muttering aggrievedly:

"Fine. Since Laksiri has spoken, this matter ends here."

Bo Xiwen couldn't help himself:

"Rolos, the cost of your Eye Demon shouldn't exceed twenty thousand Universal Points. Greed is the original sin—Lilith, did you find out why the Eye Demon was discovered?"

Lilith was a tall sorceress adorned with a flaming red phoenix feather in her hair. She nodded:

"That woman has likely entered the ranks of the Refiners. Bo Xiwen, when you lip-read her words, the latent energy within her automatically gave a warning. She possesses a very sharp aura; she has likely touched upon the mysteries of time and space. Under such vigilance, detecting the Eye Demon is not surprising."

Rolos, who had just benefited, suddenly chimed in:

"But I think the strongest one in that team is the MT named Reef. He withstood the combined assault of their nine members without fear and immediately counterattacked. The enemy he grabbed and instantly killed was likely their core member, or at least someone with high prestige! Subsequently, he repeatedly blocked fatal attacks aimed at his teammates, making him the MVP of this battle."

Laksiri, who had been stroking the three-headed hound to keep it awake, suddenly looked up with disdain:

"Hmph. Those ambushers were simply too foolish, probably never having seen a true MT. That Reef likely possesses an escape talent similar to mine: if the burst damage received within a few seconds exceeds a certain threshold, the excess damage is ignored. As for protecting teammates, isn't that what an MT is supposed to do?"

"And he has a specialized support class deputy assisting him. If I had a similar sub-MT, I could do a hundred times better than him! However, that Roney is truly a demonic blade; his strikes always draw blood, making him a top figure in this campaign. I wonder how Reef managed to recruit him."

Bo Xiwen seized the opportunity:

"Although Reef has that sailor as his deputy, Laksiri, don't you have Heber assisting you? As the unique Beast King MT in this space, the strongest MT on this battlefield must be you."

A hint of pride flashed in Laksiri's eyes as he replied coolly:

"Strongest might be an overstatement, but top three should be achievable."

Laksiri was a Dual-Talent Contractor. His Beast King talent allowed him to instantly acquire an animal companion with whom he shared life force. His MT talent was the S-rank talent 'Escape': if the cumulative burst damage received within two seconds reached or exceeded one-fifth of his maximum health, not only would the excess damage be nullified, but all subsequent damage taken for the next ten seconds would be halved. The cooldown for this escape mechanism was thirty seconds.

Such a powerful individual would naturally not settle for serving under others easily. Although the Blue Light Team valued him highly and sought to recruit him intensely, Laksiri outwardly complied while secretly establishing a Maritime Alliance, clearly intending to rival the Blue Light Team.

The battle Fang Senyan and his group had just fought was undeniably fierce, but it was as swift in its end as it was in its beginning—an attack launched in a breath concluded in a breath! Only the large craters left behind, the ground looking plowed, and the lingering scent of blood and faint gunpowder in the air testified to the reality of what had transpired.

The post-battle healing procedures were routine for them: staunching blood, sprinkling powder, bandaging, and then consuming life-regeneration drugs (which were interrupted if attacked again). Finally, tallying the spoils of war and distributing shares—everything was executed in an orderly manner. The group of Half-Orc laborers, however, were profoundly startled to hear that they had to continue moving forward.

These fellows clearly lacked courage, otherwise, they wouldn't have been assigned tasks like digging timber or quarrying stone. Witnessing the preceding great battle, they were naturally terrified out of their wits and felt immensely fortunate to have kept their meager lives.

Upon hearing Fang Senyan's command to advance, they immediately recoiled in terror, refusing to move. But they forgot one crucial detail: they were merely Half-Orc laborers, the lowest caste of Half-Orcs, with no right to refuse. Roney's vicious whipping quickly sent them scattering in panic, while the few canned meat rations Reef tossed out boosted their work efficiency by over 50%.

The Rosanachi Valley was inherently picturesque, with the Gutrees, bearing reddish-brown leaves, resembling burning flames, complemented by babbling clear streams and clean pebbles. The air carried a fresh scent of eucalyptus, making it seem a waste not to picnic or camp there.

Regrettably, the diligent work of the Half-Orc laborers was scarring the beautiful landscape, leaving bald patches across the valley floor resembling leprous sores. Furthermore, their current method of collecting stones was primitive: laborers would heat the stones until they were scorching hot, then douse them with water to make them naturally crack apart. Consequently, plumes of black smoke constantly rose everywhere.

Just as they entered the valley mouth, Fang Senyan and his group saw four or five fleeing Orc laborers screaming as they bolted from the distance. Pursuing them relentlessly were several enormous azure wolves, bounding with impressive agility, clearly holding back their full strength during the chase. Upon seeing these giant wolves, San Zai immediately remarked:

"These are summoned creatures! This summoner is strong!"

As San Zai spoke, one azure wolf leaped effortlessly, pinning a Half-Orc laborer. Its sharp white fangs easily pierced the laborer's throat; it first sucked the blood, then devoured the limbs, seemingly uninterested in the Half-Orc's foul internal organs or head.

Fang Senyan, however, commanded:

"Save them!"

These Half-Orc laborers were extremely valuable assets. If Fang Senyan's team accepted the mission through standard means, they would only be allocated four Half-Orc laborers and ten Half-Orc slaves. To illustrate, slaves performed the most unskilled labor, like hauling bricks, whereas Half-Orc laborers handled slightly more technical tasks, such as laying bricks or mixing mortar. Undeniably, securing an extra three Half-Orc laborers would definitely lead to an additional contribution point for this venture.

What about the willingness of the remaining three Half-Orc laborers to help? That was never a consideration for them. Since Fang Senyan had saved them, their very lives belonged to him; surely they couldn't refuse a small request for labor hours?

An azure wolf lunged again, its movements fluid, its long fur and muscles spreading smoothly in the wind. Even without looking, it was certain its prey was done for.

But the space before it was suddenly empty. The azure wolf felt as though it had slammed head-on into an unyielding wall, one that was hurtling towards it at high speed. The wolf's nasal bridge shattered completely, eliciting a piercing shriek that was immediately choked off by boiling, gushing blood—a dark crimson dagger had swept across its throat!

Since Roney learned about Reef's 'Hand of God' ability, he had become even more reckless in his advances. He already delighted in dancing between life and death, bringing the sensation and experience of death to his enemies—an experience as intoxicating as any drug. After slashing across the azure wolf's throat, he followed up with a backhand strike that severed the paw of another lunging wolf. Though the azure wolves roared furiously, Roney toyed with them effortlessly, his superior speed keeping them entirely within his control.

When Zi delivered a finishing blow with a Force Needle, finally killing the throat-slashed azure wolf, the remaining wolves decisively scattered and fled without hesitation. They had pursued their prey decisively, but the moment the tide turned against them, they escaped with equal resolve. However, Fang Senyan's group was no easy mark, and they wouldn't let a pack of beasts simply run away. After a brief pursuit, they managed to dispatch two more azure wolves.

Unsurprisingly, the pursued Half-Orc laborers and slaves, though trembling and desperate to return to the camp, were forced forward (or backward) under duress. In the once-scenic, now devastated Rosanachi Valley, finding a good collection spot proved difficult. Fortunately, Fang Senyan was always a cautious man; he had no intention of mining through the night, so this collection was the last for the day. To gather enough volume, they had to venture deeper into the valley.

After proceeding about four hundred meters and rounding a patch of woods, they encountered the wreckage of a battlefield. Large swathes of forest had been felled, and even the rocks bore scorch marks from gunpowder. Blood stained the leaves in splatters, as if an early frost of autumn had arrived prematurely.

Roney, an expert in this field, quickly circled the battlefield once, scattering a few Mandrake seeds. These seeds, when crushed after being fumigated with vinegar and pepper powder, would emit shrill screams, making them the best impromptu sentinels.

After Roney gave the all-clear, Zi coldly snorted:

"Those guys ran fast enough."

Fang Senyan glanced at her, then walked over to take her hand, smiling gently:

"Why have you been so irritable lately?"

Zi shot him a look. Her irritability stemmed from Fang Senyan's tendency toward promiscuity, didn't it? But Zi had no proof, and more importantly, she knew it was nearly impossible to keep such an outstanding man tied down like a pet dog. So, she could only grit her teeth and accept it. When Fang Senyan offered a rare moment of tenderness, she merely huffed, but allowed him to hold her hand, feeling a complex mix of shyness and sweetness in her heart.

San Zai, however, commented:

"If those azure wolves were cultivated one step further, they could advance into Wind or Earth-type magical beasts, capable of releasing Wind Blades or Stone Spikes, multiplying their destructive power. Their master must be heartbroken over the three we killed, yet they withdrew so decisively, indicating the leader holds extremely high authority and their orders are unquestioned."

Perhaps because Fang Senyan's group arrived so quickly, they managed to reap an unexpected windfall—the attackers had only managed to kill people and hadn't yet destroyed the timber and stone collected by the previous team, thus conveniently benefiting Fang Senyan's group. However, the timber and stone extracted by that team were far from satisfying Fang Senyan's appetite, so with a command, he had several Orc slaves push the carts, and the group proceeded deeper into the valley. If all else failed, they could always call on Ramtas for assistance.

They traveled about another kilometer when the terrain began to spread out to both sides, forming an inverted 'V' shape. Consequently, the river valley widened abruptly, resembling a horn's mouth. During flash floods, large boulders washed down and piled up near the exit—a natural quarry site.

Upon reaching this area, since teams frequently quarried stone here, the relative safety level was much higher. Just as Fang Senyan's group selected a spot, they saw a rush of people coming down the nearby mountain path. A woman wielding a silver longbow led the charge, but when she spotted the crude, large wooden cart being pushed by the Half-Orc slaves, her face instantly flushed red. She immediately drew her bow and aimed at one of the Orc laborers.

However, the woman's action had already been noticed. With a gesture from Zi, the terrified Orc laborer was pushed aside. The archer shrieked:

"That's our cart! I remember that rock. My second brother even joked at the time that the yellow streaks inside meant there was gold ore!! It's them, it must be them who ambushed us!"

As the woman spoke, the people behind her immediately assumed fighting stances. Clearly, however, a different leader was in charge. A man carrying a Wolf-Tooth Mace stepped forward. His gaze lingered momentarily on Reef's shield before he advanced and said in a deep voice:

"Gentlemen, judging by your appearance, you shouldn't be the opposing party. I require an explanation."

Roney retorted with a sharp, mocking tone:

"We came in to complete a mission, encountered a pack of guarding dogs, chased them off, and picked up two cartloads of timber and stone. It's that simple."

The woman with the bow let out a sharp laugh as if she had heard the greatest joke:

"Fifteen strong enemies from two entire teams ambushed us!! Plus a Summoner Awakened releasing magical beasts to dominate the field. You expect us to believe that you few managed to drive them away? You must be spies, colluding with the opposition!"

Even San Zai found the woman's unreasonable ranting unbearable. He sighed, stepped forward, and said:

"Honestly, with a mouth smellier than an anus, I don't know how you've managed to live this long... Are the magical beasts you mentioned suppressing the field these things? We killed a few; we plan on having wolf-meat hotpot tonight."