The Blaze Lion's Lair

In less than half an hour, the number of third-tier units in Alex's territory had doubled from six to twelve. Among them were five Poison Thornvines, three Treant Berserkers, and four Flower Sprites, with more than half possessing long-range magical attack capabilities. Of course, when it came to ranged attacks, the Flower Sprites, with their high affinity for nature, were the strongest. The Poison Thornvines and Treant Berserkers primarily relied on physical attacks.

With only five days left before the safety period ended, Alex couldn't afford to sit idle. He had to make all necessary preparations in advance. He opened the regional chat channel and scrolled through the messages, but no one seemed to have noticed the impending monster siege. The conversations were as usual—casual banter and information exchange.

After a moment of thought, Alex decided to send a warning: "A massive horde of monsters has appeared on the other side of the forest. There are at least ten thousand of them, many of which are third-tier or higher. You'd better prepare."

His reason for warning them wasn't out of kindness but rather to share the burden. If other territories fell, the monsters from those directions would likely swarm toward him. Alone, he wouldn't stand a chance. It was better to give them a heads-up.

As expected, his message was met with immediate skepticism.

"Ten thousand monsters on the other side of the forest? Are you serious?"

"No way. If there were that many, we'd have noticed something by now."

"You're exaggerating. Ten thousand, and many of them third-tier? Do you think we're idiots?"

"I'm near the forest right now, and I don't see any monsters."

"Haha, called it. The forest is too dangerous for anyone to cross to the other side."

"Yeah, this is obviously fake."

The chat was filled with doubt, disbelief, and even mockery, though a few remained cautiously neutral. Alex could only shake his head in resignation. He had anticipated this reaction. After all, he had no proof of the impending monster wave, and no amount of explanation would convince them. Still, he'd done his part by issuing the warning. The news would spread eventually, and when it did, people would take notice.

With that, he closed the chat and led his plant army out into the wilderness.

About twenty minutes later, Alex found himself deep in the forest. This time, luck was on his side. Less than two kilometers in, he stumbled upon a massive cave. Two Blaze Lions lay sleeping at the entrance, their bodies radiating heat as steam rose from the ground. Recalling his previous encounters with these creatures, Alex realized this must be their lair. It was uncomfortably close to his territory, and he knew he had to eliminate the threat before it became a problem.

"River, take the other Flower Sprites and fly up there. Be ready to support. The rest of you, follow me," Alex whispered to his plant army. Through their soul connection, the plants immediately understood his orders and began preparing for the assault.

Unbeknownst to Alex, while he was busy with his Blaze Lion extermination plan, the regional chat channel exploded with activity.

"Holy crap! Guys, there really are monsters on the other side of the forest! So many of them! They're all blocked by some kind of transparent wall!"

"I saw it too! The numbers are insane—at least tens of thousands, maybe more! That guy wasn't lying!"

The news of the massive monster horde spread like wildfire, quickly engulfing the entire region. More and more people ventured into the forest to see the transparent "wall" for themselves, confirming the reports. Those who had been skeptical were now panicking, and the chat channel descended into chaos.

"How is this possible? Tens of thousands of monsters? This is terrifying!"

"I heard they'll break through once the safety period ends. Please tell me that's not true!"

"I'm doomed! My territory is only two or three kilometers from the forest. I'm going to be overrun!"

"Same here. I just barely reached the second tier. I don't want to die!"

"Turns out that guy was telling the truth."

"He must be a big shot if he crossed the forest that early. Does anyone know who he is? I need his contact info!"

"What happened to all the mocking? Why aren't you laughing now?"

"I'm also looking for the big shot's contact info!"

The sudden crisis had everyone on edge. Tens of thousands, possibly even over a hundred thousand monsters, were no joke. Once they broke through, few would survive. The only way out was to strengthen themselves as much as possible in the remaining time, hoping to endure the coming storm.

Almost immediately, the region descended into chaos as people began fiercely competing for resources, turning the once-peaceful area into a battlefield.

In contrast, Alex was fortunate. His remote location kept him out of the resource wars, allowing him to focus on his hunt.

Back at the Blaze Lion cave, another lion fell with a thud. Alex had successfully dealt with the two guarding the entrance. He led his plant army over the corpses and cautiously stepped into the expansive cave. The interior was sweltering, and a wave of heat hit him as soon as he entered, carrying the faint scent of sulfur.

Soon, Alex reached a corner. Peering through a crack in the rocks, he spotted a pool of bubbling magma and a group of Blaze Lions sleeping nearby. They had made their lair in an underground volcano! Alex hesitated. Fire was the natural enemy of plants, and fighting in a volcanic environment would put them at a disadvantage. To make matters worse, there were at least sixteen or seventeen Blaze Lions inside, outnumbering his forces.

"Huh? What's that?" Alex's gaze was drawn to a fiery red lotus growing in the center of the magma pool. The plant was small but seemed completely unfazed by the scorching lava. Alex's eyes widened. This had to be a treasure! He had never seen a plant that could grow in magma before. There was no doubt it was something extraordinary.

His initial hesitation vanished, replaced by a surge of determination. After a moment of thought and a quick scan of the surroundings, he made his decision. He led his plants out of the cave, dragged the two Blaze Lion corpses to the entrance, and then waited patiently outside.

As expected, it didn't take long for three Blaze Lions to catch the scent of blood and leave the cave. When they saw the bodies of their fallen companions, Alex, hiding nearby, gave the order: "Now! Take them down!"

Before the lions could alert the others, vines shot out from the ground, wrapping around their limbs and muzzles, injecting paralyzing toxins. At the same time, River and the other Flower Sprites waved their staffs, summoning wooden spikes that pierced the lions' bodies. Their struggles ceased almost instantly, and they collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

The battle was over in less than ten seconds.