### Chapter 4: Prelude to the Great Offensive
—
Outside Evil Merman Cave,
the grand scene of the top three caves launching an all-out strike was indeed spectacular.
The Evil Merman led the other cave masters to witness the spectacle,
and the first to march were the eight hundred little demons from Thunder Mountain Cave, all decked out in shiny armor and brandishing sharp spears, marching in unison with a resounding battle cry—clearly, they were a seasoned fighting force.
Next came the swarm of demons from Seven Feather Cave, filling the sky as they flew over in droves,
and finally, the mysterious Mountain Crossing Cave made its appearance. It is said that the Pangolin Clan has an innate ability to traverse the land at will.
Thus, even though the cave masters didn’t see a single person from Mountain Crossing Cave, the ground began to tremble violently.
The booming sound came closer and closer, as if a massive army was marching through the earth.
The cave masters all bore astonished expressions,
never expecting Thunder Mountain, Seven Feather, and Mountain Crossing Caves to be so formidable. No wonder they were trusted lieutenants of the Evil Merman.
“Great King, with the combined might of these three caves, Cold Wind Cave will surely be a piece of cake.”
“Exactly, Great King! It’s only because of your lofty character that you disdain to fight for mere reputation; otherwise, even White Feather City would have to yield to you and think twice before acting.”
“The Great King will surely win! His name will echo throughout the demon realm!”
Listening to the cave masters’ flattering praises, the Evil Merman smiled and nodded frequently.
With such a powerful force, using it against a measly Cold Wind Cave was indeed like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
But that was exactly the effect he wanted.
With a thunderous momentum, he aimed to suppress any force that dared to oppose him without leaving a single survivor.
In doing so, the other cave masters under his rule would be utterly devoted to him, not daring to harbor even a hint of rebellion.
“Good! Very good!”
The Evil Merman declared loudly, “This King awaits good news, and when all of you return triumphantly, we shall feast and reward the meritorious!”
The crowd of demons roared in unison, “Thank you, Great King!”
…
Half a day after the army set out,
the neat and imposing formation that the Evil Merman had inspected had already vanished,
especially the little demons under Thunder Mountain Cave.
Halfway through, they began shedding their heavy armor, complaining about the burdens—if it hadn’t been for the Black Fish Monster’s oppressive pressure, some had even planned to toss their armor and travel light.
If it weren’t for trying to please the Evil Merman, they wouldn’t have gone through such a hassle.
Usually, battling meant charging in bare-chested; the heavy armor was more of a hindrance than help—it restricted their movements, so generally, little demons didn’t fancy wearing armor.
Thus, although the demon race’s advance looked grand and imposing, obscured by the treetops, one could barely see the end of the line.
In reality, it was mostly due to the little monsters acting unruly and not adhering to any military discipline, causing the formation to stretch too long.
The bird demons from Seven Feather Cave had it relatively easy, merely soaring in the skies and resting on big trees whenever they got tired before continuing to fly high.
Before long, the great demons from the three caves gathered to discuss the next stages of their advance.
The Black Fish Monster said, “Big Brother, I think we should just march straight in; the forces at Cold Wind Cave are barely enough for us to floss our teeth with.”
Seven Feather chimed in while preening its wings, “Third Brother, no need to rush. Let’s wait for the scouts to gather the necessary military intelligence before making any decisions.”
The Pangolin Monster agreed, “Indeed.
While the Tiger Wolf Cave’s strength might be third-rate, the Tiger Demon and Wolf Demon are no slouches.
If they fall into a trap laid by Cold Wind Cave because of carelessness, we need to be cautious.
After all, the Great King takes this expedition seriously; success is expected, but if we fail, we might end up losing our heads!”
The Pangolin Monster’s solemnity made the Black Fish Monster hold off on any talk of a quick attack.
“Let’s first meet up with Spirit Tooth Cave, Poison Butterfly Cave, and Fierce Spirit Cave before we plan our next move.”
The Pangolin Monster concluded.
…
Two days later, the army reached the vicinity of Spirit Tooth Cave.
Spirit Tooth Cave, Poison Butterfly Cave, and Fierce Spirit Cave were quite close to one another,
and the Hedgehog Monster, Flower Butterfly, and Bat Monster stood at the entrance, ready to welcome the Pangolin Monster and company.
“Three esteemed kings, thank you for your hard work. I’ve prepared drinks to welcome you and wash away your travel dust.”
The Hedgehog Monster bowed and nodded.
“Excellent! Thank you, three cave masters.”
The Pangolin Monster smiled back.
The Black Fish Monster’s gaze inadvertently drifted over to the flamboyantly dressed Flower Butterfly, who, frightened, lowered her head and dared not meet his eyes.
Once they entered the cave, the welcome feast was laid out with mountains of delicacies. Even the maids serving at the banquet were transformed Butterfly Demons, each with graceful figures and radiant faces.
Naturally, it was a night of jovial enjoyment for the guests.
Except for the leader, the little demons from the long journey also indulged in a sumptuous dinner.
Almost everyone sang praises for the hospitality offered by the three caves.
The only note of discord was when the Black Fish Monster, having drunk too much, suddenly attempted to make advances on the Flower Butterfly.
Although he was stopped by the Pangolin Monster,
the Black Fish Monster’s lewd gaze kept wandering back to the Flower Butterfly, causing her to turn pale with fright.
If it weren’t for the two Butterfly Demons who later came to keep her company, the Flower Butterfly would have undoubtedly been in serious trouble.
The Bat Monster was fuming, but due to the circumstances, could only stifle his anger.
After the feast,
the Pangolin Monster chuckled, “Three cave masters, my little brother gets a bit careless after drinking; I hope you won’t take offense.”
“It’s nothing, nothing… We’re all family here, just joking around. We understand.” The Hedgehog Monster waved his hands repeatedly.
“This hospitality was such a thoughtful gesture; I’ll make sure to report it to the Great King. Your names won’t be forgotten in the book of merits.”
“No, no, this is what we ought to do; we would never dare to take credit.”
The Pangolin Monster and the Hedgehog Monster engaged in a bit of humble banter,
ultimately ending with more Butterfly Demons being sent to join them.
After faint cries of distress were heard from the room, the Flower Butterfly trembled all over, secretly shedding tears.
“It’s truly unfair for my dear sisters; their frail bodies can’t endure the ravages of great demons.”
The Bat Monster gritted his teeth and said, “Haha, not only that, but these guys have managed to consume over half the assets of our three caves with just tonight’s wild feasting.
At the dinner table, they even demanded we must provide supplies, haha, are they trying to starve us to d*ath this winter after draining our resources?”
The Hedgehog Monster glanced around at the many little demons sprawled out on the ground, lightly shushed,
“Let’s hold off on complaints for now. Are both of you ready?”
The Bat Monster and Flower Butterfly both nodded.
“Then we must steady ourselves these next couple of days and not reveal any weaknesses in front of those three great demons.
Bat Brother, you’ll need to take a trip…”
“No problem.”
Before long, a tiny bat flew out from the forest, disappearing into the thick night.
The next morning,
the Black Fish Monster awoke, stretching contentedly.
In his bed lay two women who were battered and nearly fainting, particularly one area on them that was a bloody mess, too ghastly to look at.
“Ah, these grass-fed creatures are rather disappointing; if it were that Flower Butterfly, it would probably have been much more thrilling.”
“I say, Big Brother, can we not…”
The Black Fish Monster made a slicing motion with his hand.
The Pangolin Monster shot him a look and chuckled, “This cave encountered an enemy ambush during the mobilization, and the Third Brother disregarded danger to rescue the cave master, Flower Butterfly; it’s quite a tale, really.”
The Black Fish Monster beamed, “Thanks for the approval, Big Brother.”
“Just a few small caves; let them live or d*e, they won’t cause any storms.”
The Pangolin Monster sneered, “Let’s see how they entertain us next time, or else don’t blame us for being ungracious.”
Seven Feather, meanwhile, yawned as he stumbled out of the room.
“Why not take over this side’s territory too? If we link Cold Wind Cave, Tiger Wolf Cave, Spirit Tooth Cave, Poison Butterfly Cave, and Fierce Spirit Cave together, that’s quite a chunk of land.”
The Black Fish Monster glanced around, noticing there were no idle observers.
“Yeah, Big Brother, we have to think about our own retreat too; the Evil Merman is suspicious by nature and capricious, certainly not a good master.”
The Pangolin Monster waved his hand,
“It’s too early for discussions on that; let’s destroy Cold Wind Cave first, then we can negotiate.”
By the time the three arrived in the reception room, breakfast was ready, and just like the night before, it was clear it had been prepared with great care.
The three took their seats, satisfied, glancing at the Hedgehog Monster and others still standing respectfully beside them.
“Sit down and eat with us!” The Pangolin Monster invited.
“No, no, no, you three eat first; we’ll just wait here.” The Hedgehog Monster and the others hastily waved their hands.
Seeing their reluctance, the Pangolin Monster didn’t press the issue.
After a hearty meal, the Pangolin Monster asked,
“How much farther is it from here to Cold Wind Cave?”
“About two days’ journey,” replied the Hedgehog Monster.
“Oh, do you have any recommendations for a stopping point tomorrow night?”
“Well… if you esteemed kings don’t mind, the abandoned Tiger Wolf Cave is a good place to set up camp.”
Previously the scouts had reported that the Tiger Wolf Cave was deserted.
“Hmm, very well. Then it’s settled; we’ll gear up and set off soon. The three cave masters will lead the way, and we will follow to support you.”
The Pangolin Monster stated decisively.
“Yes, we will obey your orders!”
The Hedgehog Monster and others displayed excited expressions as if just being part of the larger army meant they might get a taste of the spoils too.
The Black Fish Monster secretly scoffed, already plotting when he could launch a surprise attack to force the Flower Butterfly into his harem.
…
Spirit Tooth Cave, Poison Butterfly Cave, and Fierce Spirit Cave didn’t have many forces altogether, numbering less than five hundred.
Moreover, in terms of equipment and the little demons’ strength, aside from the Hedgehog Monsters from Spirit Tooth Cave, who had some solid combat power,
the rest, like the Bat Monsters and Butterfly Demons could only be considered auxiliary troops, not capable of spearheading an offensive.
Especially when the dozens of untouched Butterfly Demons from Poison Butterfly Cave appeared before everyone, it sparked the greedy interest of many little demons,
causing them to huddle nervously behind the Pig Demons and not daring to show themselves.
Flower Butterfly’s face turned ashen, but there was nothing she could do.
The Black Fish Monster’s eyes were already glazed over; if it weren’t for being in the middle of the march, he would have seriously considered snagging a few more of those Butterfly Demons to let off some steam.
…
Inside Cold Wind City.
Feeling something wasn’t quite right, Lin Nan temporarily abandoned her “closed-door training” to step out.
Everything was so quiet, so peaceful.
As she suspected, after Cold Wind City had completely withdrawn, no one bothered them anymore.
She must have been worrying for nothing.
Well… no sense wasting time; off to my room to continue surviving,
I should hit level 20 in a couple of days—hee hee.
