Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 577 - 402: Group Summoning Array, the Factions of the Mythical World

As for Ye Yinzhu and his Thunderfire Squad, they weren’t part of the most recent group to enter. They had accepted an exploration order from Sea City Military Academy earlier and had entered the Forest of Nature spatial fragment for exploration and rescue ahead of time.

This explained why Fang Zhou’s team, despite riding at full speed on their Skeleton Warhorses, still encountered the Thunderfire Squad besieged by Demon Swamp Frogs deep in the swamp.

However, none of this concerned Fang Zhou; he just wanted to get some useful information from them.

"By the way, Ye Yinzhu, did you encounter any Demons or other similar evil beings during your exploration?" Fang Zhou asked tentatively.

Upon hearing this topic, the minstrel Ye Yinzhu’s expression became a bit unnatural. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "To be honest, we did encounter some strange signs. But the specific situation is still unclear, and we are investigating further."

Fang Zhou immediately knew there was a lead, and it probably involved their own interests.

Could it be that they also received a mission related to this?

Sure enough, when faced with Fang Zhou’s slightly scrutinizing gaze, Ye Yinzhu gritted his teeth and finally decided to tell him everything. After all, the other party had done him a favor. Moreover, without a powerful ally like Fang Zhou, it would be extremely difficult for him and his team to complete the task issued by the Flower Elves. As for having to share a portion—or even a large portion—of the mission reward, that was something he would have to accept.

At least it was better than getting nothing at all.

"Recently, the swamp has been behaving oddly," Ye Yinzhu began. "The Demon Swamp Frogs, normally neutral under the influence of the Flower Elves’ Power of Nature, have started indiscriminately attacking all creatures that enter the swamp. Although their power is relatively weak, this change in behavior might indicate a hidden evil force at work. That’s why some Flower Elf Scouts came to investigate, but they never returned."

Fang Zhou’s mind stirred. He connected this to what Zhang Wu had mentioned about the terrain changes in this large area and said, "Indeed, and the environment here is also gradually changing. What was once a forest turned into a swamp, and now the swamp is nearly dry."

Hearing Fang Zhou mention this detail, Ye Yinzhu just sighed heavily. "Yes, those Magma Demons are unexpectedly tough to deal with. Though we haven’t witnessed their Demon Power, their Evil Fire Monster servants are already a handful. Our strength isn’t enough to break through their blockade."

Not Demons, but Magma Demons, and Evil Fire Monsters too?!

Even with all his prior speculation, Fang Zhou couldn’t help but be surprised when Ye Yinzhu finished speaking.

"Magma Demons?" Fang Zhou frowned. "They usually dwell in the Magma Abyss. What are they doing here?"

Ye Yinzhu explained, "We’re not sure of the specific reason. But according to information from the Flower Elves, these Magma Demons seem to be guided by some Mysterious Power. They utilized the surge in the Forest of Nature’s Energy Level to emerge from the deep Magma Abyss. Their appearance has not only altered this area’s ecosystem but has also brought numerous Evil Fire Monsters and other low-level Demons."

Fang Zhou nodded, quickly analyzing the information in his mind. The appearance of Magma Demons was no small matter; it wasn’t just a simple terrain change but involved a deeper, more sinister power.

He continued to ask, "Have you discovered the specific whereabouts of these Magma Demons, or do they have a fixed lair?"

Ye Yinzhu shook his head. "We tried tracking them, but they are very cunning and always manage to evade our searches at crucial moments. However, we did find some traces left by the Magma Demons, like scorched trees and rocks, and some peculiar Runes. These Runes look ancient and are filled with an evil aura; we didn’t dare to touch them."

Fang Zhou contemplated for a moment, then said, "This information is crucial for us. If the Magma Demons have indeed established a stronghold here, we must find and destroy it quickly to prevent them from causing greater harm to the Flower Elves and the Forest of Nature. Where are these Runes and traces located? Have you marked them?"

Ye Yinzhu pulled a hand-drawn map from his coat and handed it to Fang Zhou. "This map shows some key locations we’ve identified, including where we found those strange Runes and traces. You can take a look; perhaps it will be helpful. These places are typically quite dangerous, so we’ve been cautious."

Fang Zhou took the map and examined it carefully, a rough plan forming in his mind. He looked up at Ye Yinzhu and said, "Thank you very much for this information; it greatly aids our mission. We can cooperate, if you’d like."

A smile appeared on Ye Yinzhu’s face. "That would be great, Master Fang Zhou. Just let us know if you need anything."

Just as Elves could be divided into multiple factions such as High Elves, Wood Elves, Dark Elves, Zor Elves, and rarer subspecies like Moon Elves, Flower Elves, and even Sea Elves, humans also had numerous subtypes. Blue Star People like Fang Zhou and his team, regardless of their country of origin, generally belonged to the more benevolent and orderly alignment. In contrast, Magma Demons, aligned with the Abyssal Demons, employed far more brutal methods. In terms of sheer evil, they might not be far behind actual Demons. Besides capturing slaves and killing, they used coercion and temptation to capture creatures of all races, which they then modified through evil Magic, Alchemy, and mechanization. This practice of capture even extended to genuine Demons. The Evil Fire Monsters were their most loyal subordinates, specifically tasked with capturing and guarding slaves from various races. Apart from the Zor Elves, Magma Demons were perhaps the race in this world most fond of taking slaves. And unlike the Zor Elves, who primarily needed slaves for labor and sacrifices, the Magma Demons did more—they used their captives for all sorts of cruel and bloody experiments.

Numerous thoughts flashed through Fang Zhou’s mind, but he revealed little on the surface, only asking, "Ordinary Evil Fire Monsters are apprentice-level units, while the elite ones can reach the Black Iron level. Even regular apprentice-level Evil Fire Monsters can be tricky to deal with when in formation. How many have you found?"

Seeing Fang Zhou’s familiarity with these matters, Ye Yinzhu and his team members completely dispelled any lingering doubts.

Ye Yinzhu gestured with his hand, a trace of helplessness in his voice. "Each patrol consists of nearly a hundred Evil Fire Monster soldiers and ten Black Iron-level Evil Fire Monster elites. And they have three such patrol units, which collectively guard a camp. The crucial part is, if we can’t end a fight quickly, the elite Evil Fire Monsters will send a signal, and the other two patrols will immediately rush over to provide support. In that situation, we simply can’t reach the camp to destroy the Magma Demons inside. We can’t even get close enough to see if there are other enemies in there."

Fang Zhou’s eyes narrowed slightly. "So, the key to the battle is to prevent the Evil Fire Monsters from sending a signal?"

Ye Yinzhu looked frustrated and nodded. "Yes. But those Evil Fire Monsters are not only strong but also very cunning. They can throw nets. Once you’re trapped, the others swarm you, making them impossible to defend against."

Fang Zhou couldn’t help but turn to look at his team members.

Gu Yueyuan, Liu Diewu, and Zhang Wu all nodded firmly, expressing their confidence in handling such a situation.

Fang Zhou smiled. "Perhaps we can give it another try."