Chapter 235: Knife in Hand, Follow Me!
July 2.
Bay Territory.
Dark Forest, Logging Camp.
As the first light of dawn barely broke, a slight chill crept through the lush forest.
The bright sunlight gleamed down on the logging camp that resembled a fortress.
The thick, sturdy stone walls, towering watchtowers.
The fortress's peaks dotted with various shooting ports.
Soldiers patrolled in orderly formations, constantly standing guard, with sentinels everywhere.
The logging camp was bustling with activity.
Even after the establishment of the Troll Valley Base, more than half of Bay Territory's adventurers remained here.
The reason was simple: the logging camp connected the northeast to Troll Valley, the south to Bay Town and Silvermoon River, and the west to the vast Dark Forest.
Its convenient location, abundant adventure zones, and easy access to supplies made it an ideal gathering spot for small adventuring parties and beginner adventurers.
Especially after the lord's announcement last evening, more and more adventurers flocked to the logging camp.
Following the generous Lord Matthew meant not only soup but meat as well.
This had become common knowledge among adventurers and adventure teams!
The bustling noise didn't wake Chris.
He was roused by the alarm he had set for himself.
Checking the time, it wasn't too early anymore.
Putting on the gear he had maintained and inspected the previous day, Chris cheerfully stepped out of his door.
As one of the first adventurers in Bay Territory to reach 1,000 contribution points, Chris had received a free house anywhere in the territory.
As long as he didn't do anything against Bay Territory's interests, this house would always be his.
Upon stepping outside, Chris immediately ran into several members of his team.
They greeted him enthusiastically, eyeing his house with envy.
"Knife in hand, follow me. Haha, the mission descriptions in Bay Territory are too amusing!"
"If only I had a house like that!"
"There's a way. Just boost your contribution points to 500!"
"Take on ten trolls yourself, and you can easily make it."
"I think clearing out the murlocs upstream in Silvermoon River suits a newbie like me better."
"Don't worry, just join a few more team expeditions, and everyone will take care of you."
"Exactly, that's how Chris started, but he grew fast!"
"Where did Captain Alice go?"
"Where else? She's probably off digging for insider information!"
"What insider info could there be in Bay Territory? There's detailed public records of every area within 20 kilometers!"
"You never know. Captain Alice, with the highest contribution points, might get some privileges, right?"
"That's possible..."
"..."
Chris heard their conversation but kept walking toward the dining hall, where he happened to see Alice return. He instinctively approached her.
Alice, calm outside, burst into excitement once she stepped inside, shouting:
"Chris, come with me to get more supplies."
"Everyone, get ready and bring your travel gear. Also, leave a message."
Chris's heart skipped a beat, surprised that the others' predictions had come true.
He nodded excitedly, but as he glanced at the others, he started feeling conflicted and shook his head, thinking:
"If you want to get rich, you can't overthink it."
An adventurer's life is one of licking blood off the blade, and if you're not mentally prepared, you're the one who will suffer.
Of course, in Bay Territory, things were a little better.
Alice's adventurer squad wasn't the only one mobilizing.
The entire logging camp suddenly buzzed with activity.
Large quantities of supplies were being transported, escorted by soldiers, all heading for Troll Valley.
Close behind were neatly organized soldiers.
Adventurers, eager and restless, followed right after, all heading toward Troll Valley.
Two hours later.
Matthew and his soldiers arrived at Troll Valley.
The excited Leon led his soldiers out to greet them.
The two armies merged, bringing together 70% of Bay Territory's military forces.
The heavily expanded Troll Valley Camp was now just as large as the newly established Murloc Castle.
Adventurers, their fists itching for action, gathered there too.
Many had heard of Bay Territory's military prowess but had yet to witness it.
This time, they'd be part of it from start to finish.
Many adventurers were gathering their friends, preparing for the big operation ahead.
In the war room.
Matthew was studying the map, with the now much more seasoned Leon beside him.
This young warrior had lived up to Matthew's trust.
Not only had he held the perilous Troll Camp, but he also led frequent offensives, capturing trolls with soldiers and adventurers.
After many battles, Leon's strength had improved significantly.
His professional level had reached Level 6, making him a mid-tier warrior.
He was briefing the others on Troll Valley's situation:
"In the southern jungle hills, there are about a thousand scattered trolls, suppressed by the adventurers, so they're not a big concern."
"To the east is a large kobold camp. Lord Gold-Fang often 'recruits' there, so it poses no threat to us."
"The western plains used to be hunting grounds for trolls and ogres, but we've mostly secured that area."
"But in the north, there are three troll groups, each with over a thousand trolls, and one stronghold with over 5,000 trolls!"
"That stronghold belongs to the Rotten Moss Clan, and it was once very fortified and hard to attack."
"But now, it's old and dilapidated, mostly used as a troll settlement!"
"Here's the detailed report on the Rotten Moss Clan..."
Everyone in the room picked up the documents in front of them, even a slightly confused Elona.
Thanks to Bay Territory's generous bounties.
Adventurers had spent over two months gathering information on the Rotten Moss Clan.
They were located north of Troll Valley, occupying a vast hilly area with around 300,000 trolls.
Normally, a clan with hundreds of thousands of trolls would be an enormous threat to Bay Territory.
So why did Matthew dare to launch an attack?
The reason was simple: the Rotten Moss Clan was in the middle of internal strife.
A clan with hundreds of thousands of trolls had splintered into three factions.
They had been waging war against each other for decades.
The most powerful faction in the northern stronghold was the Gurubashi!
They were the strongest of the three factions, requiring the other two to team up to resist them.
Gurubashi trolls?
Matthew raised an eyebrow, reviewing the information, thinking quietly to himself:
"So it's the Gurubashi trolls that replaced the Rotmoss trolls... No wonder I hadn't heard much about Rotmoss trolls..."