Mercenaries and Adventurers

After igniting the prepared fire by the swamp, Zhao Ji observed the situation of the four small islands along the wider tree path than he had made before.

I don't know how the slime monsters reproduce, but the slime monsters that Zhao Ji slaughtered once have become more numerous now. Zhao Ji guessed that it is very likely that the slime monsters from other parts of the swamp migrated naturally. Of course, it is also possible that the slime monsters have a unique way of rapid reproduction.

It is also possible that both are possible.

As the Harvest Festival, the most important festival of the year in Kendall City, is approaching, the temperature in autumn is gradually getting lower, and the animals of all colors in the swamp are displaying their last vitality in a wild way. When winter comes, they Either they died and turned into dust mixed with the soil, or they hid in the hardened swamp mud.

As the top link of the predation chain in the swamp, the slime monsters also become active after night to hunt those small animals that have today but no tomorrow. Zhao Ji saw that as far as the fire could illuminate, there was a slime monster lying on the pile of low glowing flowers, stretching out its various tentacles and sticking to small flying insects that gathered pollen. .

On the small island where the slime monster is going to be caught, there are also slime monsters crawling out of the muddy water wandering around, catching jumping frogs.

Due to the need to act together with others, today's Zhao Ji is not equipped with his unique armor - the cloak of branches. This requires Zhao Ji to be careful to deal with these soft and sticky little things.

However, before doing anything tonight, he decided to eat and drink first.

He still didn't let go when he was eating just now. When he finished one loaf, all the other meals were eaten up by the hungry people. Zhao Ji, who was not full, carefully took the barbecue steak and beer out of his clothes, and turned his back to the direction of the camp. Zhao Ji unwrapped the clean leaves that wrapped the barbecue steak, unscrewed the opening containing the new brewed beer, and took a bite Cool down the tender and tasty steak, followed by a sip of fresh beer.

Although the stench in the swamp somewhat affects the delicious flavor of the food, Zhao Ji has been able to get used to this rotten and smelly food these days. My own nose also took the smell of the swamp everywhere as a background smell and gradually ignored it.

After eating the steak and drinking the last sip of beer, Zhao Ji returned to the fire on the shore and carefully put the beer container away. Wipe your mouth casually, and wipe the gravy on your hands on your clothes. Zhao Ji took off the shield and helmet behind his back, put on the helmet, fixed the shield on his arm and grasped it. With his right hand, he drew out the long sword at his waist, and Zhao Ji walked to the depths of the swamp again.

-------------------

As expected, Zhao Ji first came to the deepest one among the four small islands that were prepared for capture this time. According to the plan he had prepared before, he would first attract the slime monster from here. This location is deeper into the swamp and attracts a wider and stronger slime monster. When the capture here was successful, Zhao Ji retreated, leading the slime monsters to follow him, while retreating to the previous island, and finally retreated to the shore.

The innermost island was already a little closer to the depths of the swamp, because the small island chosen by Zhao Ji and the others roughly formed a straight line, extending from the west of the swamp to the center. Zhao Ji, who came here, carefully lit the torches in three places on the small island, and while kicking away a small jumping frog that jumped on his feet, he adjusted the position of the helmet.

On the way here just now, he used the faint light of a small torch to avoid the slime monster he found all the way, and slipped over carefully. At this moment, the scattered slime monsters here are not yet in battle.

Zhao Ji stared at a slime monster on the edge of the island. This slime monster was driving a few sharp-toothed worms towards the shore of the island. While the slime monster was busy hunting, Zhao Ji carefully aimed his long sword at the slime monster, and then suddenly stepped forward and stabbed down. .

The heavy step caused Zhao Ji's left foot to sink slightly into the soft mud on the edge of the island,

And the sharp long sword pierced the slime monster. Beware of the slime monster's spitting and struggling, Zhao Ji put the shield close to the tip of the long sword, letting the slime monster stick to the surface of the shield without giving it an angle to attack Zhao Ji.

While suppressing the injured slime monster, Zhao Ji turned around and walked to the middle of the island. Avoiding the mouths of wooden barrels and clay pots, Zhao Ji placed the slime monster in the deliberately vacated space in the middle. Use the wooden stick that was prepared in advance to be inserted on the side to pierce the slime monster along the wound pierced by the long sword.

Pulling out the long sword, Zhao Ji used the shield to hit the top of the wooden stick several times fiercely, fixing the wooden stick into the ground more firmly.

Careful of the struggle of the injured slime monster, Zhao Ji stepped back, returned to the place where the torch stood and stood still.

After pulling up a handful of weeds on the ground, Zhao Ji cleaned up his long sword. The anti-rust sword oil is somewhat resistant to the acidic tissue in the slime monster. Zhao Ji carefully cleaned the slime on the tip of the sword with weeds, not letting go of any grooves. It cost a lot of money to buy this sword, and Zhao Ji has been very precious these two days.

Fortunately, he also knows what the main purpose of weapons is, and he is not so precious that he is not willing to use it.

After a while, the slime monster strung in the middle of the island was still struggling repeatedly, but it was no longer so energetic.

And the surroundings of this small island gradually became quiet. Zhao Ji understood that there were a large number of slime monsters surrounded here. The other animals were scared by the large number of slime monsters and hid.

All the small animals that were still buzzing and swaying without hiding were given a shot of acid by the angry slime monster, and then melted into the mud of the swamp with a sizzling sound of acid corrosion.

Zhao Ji stood still and did not move. This was a new type of evasion method he had only discovered while hunting. Slime monsters have no eyesight, and they rely more on sound and vibration and smell to distinguish the world.

As long as Zhao Ji doesn't move, and there is no slime monster's tissue smell on his body. No slime monster could detect his presence.

Gradually, the slime monsters surrounding the island climbed onto the shore one after another, and they slowly crawled towards the injured slime monster. While crawling, it stretched out a tentacle above its head and swayed from side to side.

Zhao Ji snorted secretly, he had already seen through the three tricks of the slime monster. As long as you are familiar with the slime monster's attack routine, this kind of monster that the Kendall people hate so much and can't deal with it will become easy to deal with.

Although it is easy to deal with, if you don't have enough protection, you still have to be careful not to be hit by mucus acid in the process of hunting them.

Of course, Zhao Ji's goal today is not to hunt slime monsters wantonly, but to catch them alive. You don't need to take the risk to kill them one by one, as long as you make bait and traps, other slime monsters should fall into the trap, right?

He held his breath, because by the light of the fire, Zhao Ji saw that the fastest crawling slime monster was already approaching the position of the trap. Now let's see if these slime monsters will fall into the barrel.

The fastest slime was obviously the strongest in the vicinity, and it was about two circles larger than the other slimes. At this moment, it was approaching the mouth of a wooden barrel, and the slime monster crawled forward unaware. When a part of its body protruded into the hollow mouth of the barrel, it seemed to hesitate for a moment, and its body paused for a moment. . But instinct couldn't give it enough answers to live in the swamp, and its whole body still crawled forward.

"Boom." With a dull sound, the slime monster fell into it entirely.

Zhao Ji under the helmet visor showed a big smile, and waved the long sword with his right hand.

Then Zhao Ji watched the slime monsters crawling to the vicinity of the injured slime monster one by one, and then they were trapped in three wooden barrels and clay pots arranged closely. Of course, there are always some slime monsters that can step on others The tops of slime monsters crawled out of barrels, but those were a handful after all. There are also some lucky slime monsters that crawled straight to the side of the injured slime monster, waving all the tentacles angrily, and crawling left and right indiscriminately.

Then fell into the jar behind them.

Zhao Ji almost laughed out loud. A monster is a monster, how can something without a brain be a cunning human opponent. Besides, the slime monster is only a tiny bit, if the slime monster is about a hundred times bigger, it may be a bit difficult to deal with.

Hey, capturing the action is still a little too easy. Zhao Ji thought while slowly putting the long sword back into the scabbard without making a sound.

Zhao Ji felt that the most troublesome part of the whole operation might not be catching the slime monsters, but how to keep the slime monsters in the city and find a way to obtain their acid.

But this is none of his business. It has nothing to do with him, he just needs to do his part and get the bounty.

After a while, it was estimated that each barrel or clay pot contained at least four or five slime monsters. Zhao Ji had to find a way to put the lids on the wooden barrels and pots. I don't know if the slime monster breathes or not, but at least Zhao Ji knows not to fill the space too full.

Bend down slowly, next to the torch where Zhao Ji is standing is the tree trail, and three covers stand there.

Zhao Ji slowly clamped the three covers under his arms, trying to keep the whole process as quiet as possible.

Stealthily avoiding the slime monsters, Zhao Ji walked forward step by step, slowing down every step and being careful. With the three covers sandwiched, Zhao Ji clamped them firmly as if facing three fragile glasses.

After getting close to the three traps, Zhao Ji estimated the distance, and there was only two meters between them.

Then his movements can't be like this, he has to be slower.

Be careful not to disturb any of the other slime monsters and then move forward, close to the point where it can no longer move forward. Zhao Ji handed over the three covers held in his right arm, and handed two of them to his left arm to hold them carefully. Holding the edge of a lid with your right hand, slowly put it on top of the barrel.

Zhao Ji knew that just putting the lid on the barrel was not very safe. He had to cover it with some more soil to prevent the slime inside the barrel from pushing the barrel open. These things have been prepared in advance in the afternoon.

In the afternoon, Zhao Ji was discussing with the Punica craftsman how to prevent the slime monster from falling into the barrel from lifting the lid. Zhao Ji's solution was to cover the lid with the soil dug out of the pit. But how to cover the soil when there are slime monsters all around?

This is simply impossible, unless all the slime monsters around are killed.

A Punica craftsman came up with an idea. The soil excavated around can be erected into a short column of soil. It doesn’t need to be very high, only about one meter high. overwrite.

Feeling that the idea was feasible, Zhao Ji and the craftsman of Punica specially tested it for a while. Sure enough, the soil pillar can be kicked with just one kick, and the collapsed soil will not collapse the cover. After all, it was specially made to catch monsters, and Punika craftsmen spent a lot of effort on it.

Zhao Ji put a cover on it first, now is not the time to kick down the dirt pillars. He had to wait until all three covers were put on.

After finishing one, Zhao Ji carefully stepped back a little distance. Then put the second lid on, and then the third.

During the whole process, he didn't dare to swallow a mouthful of saliva, his breathing slowed down, and the heart in his chest was beating at a high speed.

Fortunately, only he could hear the sound of his heart beating.

After all three covers are closed. Zhao Ji took a deep breath, then stopped hiding himself, ran forward quickly, kicked out, and knocked down a dirt pillar. Then he changed his position to prevent the slime monster from spitting out, and kicked down the second dirt pillar with another kick. It is moving position again, and by the way, use the shield to cover the figure and resist the acid spit.

After approaching the third dirt pillar, Zhao Ji kicked from the side of the shield, knocking down the last dirt pillar as well.

Then, pull out the center stick and sprint all the way to the torch with the injured slime.

Because he was not wearing a cloak of branches, Zhao Ji squatted all over his body, leaving only the head and neck protected by the helmet outside the shield. Facing the raging and angry slime monster, Zhao Ji stood back with his shield. The reinforced and spacious tree path guaranteed the speed and safety of Zhao Ji's retreat. Zhao Ji waved a short wooden stick wearing a slime monster while retreating.

Lure those slime monsters to abandon this island and follow him to the next island.

Zhao Ji suddenly felt like a black-hearted wild tour guide, and the angry slime monsters were like tourists. But Hei Xinye's tour guide only wanted money from tourists, but Zhao Ji was terrified.

Thinking of this, Zhao Ji couldn't help but let out bursts of laughter even though the acid from the slime monster kept spitting out.

-------------

In the camp, most of the people did not rest, they sat or stood watching the light from the torches in the distant swamp. Although everyone couldn't see anything because of the distance, everyone still stared there, hoping that little brother Kiel would succeed and not get hurt.

Suddenly, Keel's laughter came from the torch like a bright star in the distance, which was very clear in the quiet field.

Captain Proka folded his arms and listened carefully to Kiel's laughter. After a while, he finally smiled: "It's done!"

Everyone else finally let go of their hearts.