Arcane Emperor

"Burp~ Daddy, Yaya has eaten well!"

In a soft and affectionate voice, Yaya said a sentence in Matthew's mind; having just woken up and eaten, she lay down again with immense comfort.

Matthew gently picked her up, clearly feeling that she was heavier than before, weighing at least 25 pounds now.

As for where the 20 pounds of jerky she just ate went, Matthew stated, "A dragon's appetite—never guess it lightly."

He carried Yaya into the carriage to prevent her from being exposed to the moonlight that was about to sprinkle down.

Matthew took the thick cloak handed over by Butler Ralph and draped it expertly over himself, then looked up at the sky.

Beyond the layers of dark clouds in the distance, a distorted shade of dark red was gradually rising.

"Remember, never touch the moonlight with any part of your body; make sure your hood and mask are on, and never take off your gloves."

"If you find a companion's clothing or armor damaged, wrap him up in a cloth bag immediately, then tie him up; the target person must not resist!"

"Don't worry. Even if we're exposed to the moonlight, we carry Holy Water and cleansing potions with us, which can remove mild mutations."

"But be vigilant, the success rate of cleansing isn't 100%, and it will be very expensive; even if we only bear half the cost, it will surely cause you great pain."

"Later on, if we encounter other people, we can't approach them casually, no matter who they are—they may have already mutated. Before they are inspected, we must not come into contact with them..."

"Also remember, all living creatures we encounter are potentially deadly; hold your shields tightly and pay attention to protection."

"Only Guardian Soldiers and outpost soldiers are allowed to use weapons to avoid accidental injury..."

Butler Ralph's arrangements were well-ordered, and even Matthew nodded secretly, stealthily learning from them.

Meanwhile, Matthew also reflected silently that the moon, which countless poets in another world praised and longed for, had become synonymous with curses and destruction here.

Although he didn't know what happened on the moon, the mere fact that its light could have such a terrible effect on the entire material plane was enough to send shivers down one's spine.

First, he put on his thick gloves, then retied his trouser legs, checked his clothing, and finally put on his mask with practiced ease.

Through the special light-blocking lenses, Matthew could clearly see the surroundings, as if he was using an enhanced night vision device from another world.

This was the wonder of alchemy and magic!

Ralph checked everyone twice very carefully to make sure there were no oversights, then once more inspected the horse's condition and exchanged looks with Elder John, who had checked the carriage; Ralph then shouted with a deep voice:

"Let's go, home!"

A mysterious power spread from Ralph's voice; everyone felt an unending strength emanating from within, making them more energetic and their movements more nimble.

"First Tier Spell: Encourage!"

Unlike during the day, the caravan became eerily quiet at night, moving forward on the somewhat hardened dirt road.

This time, Ralph stood at the forefront of the team, vigilantly reminding everyone to pay attention to every puddle and mud hole on the road.

It wasn't easy to have transported these supplies here; losing any during this night would undoubtedly cause immense heartache.

Although Matthew had experienced night marches a few times, he could distinctly feel that this night under the Scarlet Moon was entirely different.

The mist and clouds in the sky dispersed.

A gigantic crimson moon hung in the sky.

In the center of the moon was a huge dark red spot, resembling a terrifying eye, coldly casting a dreadful gaze, transforming everyone it beheld.

Even with clothing and a mask as barriers, Matthew still reacted.

A strong feeling of dread, arising from the instinctual fear of life itself, was reminding Matthew never to touch the moonlight with his body!

The entire Misty Swamp was bathed in red.

Looking out, the churning mist was like a sea of blood, swirling with twisted waves of crimson.

Everyone in the team was breathing heavily, moving forward in silence with their heads down.

"Enemy!"

Angela, following the direction of the sound, sharply detected the presence of the enemy and prepared to draw her bow and arrow.

Matthew raised his hand to stop her and, facing her silver-white mask, spoke with a calm voice:

"Your strength is very important. Conserve your energy and command the battle as much as possible."

"Let them come. We will have to face them sooner or later. Let everyone get used to fighting."

Angela put down her longbow, drew her longsword, and shouted to the soldiers on the perimeter of the formation:

"All units, pay attention. The enemy is approaching. Maintain a tight formation."

"Combat team members, beware of enemies leaping over. Be alert not only in front, but also above!"

Twenty soldiers, along with several Wanderer slaves with professional levels, were divided into four sections—front, back, left, and right—jointly defending the team.

They watched the red fog warily, occasionally seeing grey shadows leaping through it and hearing piercing howls.

The sounds were filled with pain and despair, making one's skin crawl uncontrollably.

What used to be the quiet Misty Swamp had turned into a terrifying killing field.

Matthew, having seen scenes far more horrifying than this, thought with interest:

"If these thrilling scenes and sound effects were to be recorded, they could probably be referenced and used by many horror films."

It was unclear if it was the large number of people in the caravan that brought a deterring effect, or if the mutation hadn't had a complete impact yet.

The caravan had been traveling for about half an hour, covering 1/4 of the distance, when they encountered the first substantial attack.

The rolling blood fog tore open, and a figure about one meter tall dashed out, bringing with it a strong stench of blood.

It was a Black Wolf covered in blood, a common carrion Predator in the Misty Swamp, with a Challenge Level of 2+.

Its abdomen and back were covered in wounds that were slowly wriggling, giving a sense of horror that peaked one's fright.

It howled and pounced towards Butler Ralph with ferocity.

A flash of silver-white light streaked past.

The sharp Thin Sword pierced the wolf's muddy eyes and exited through the back of its head.

The pitiful howl ceased abruptly.

Strangely, although its vital head had been struck, its limbs still struggled violently, leaving behind terrifying claw marks in the soft, soggy ground.

Its constantly opening and closing jaws had become twisted and deformed as they clamped down hard towards Butler Ralph with a "clang."

Elder John, taking a step forward, swung his Polearm Greatsword with a "crack," decapitating the Black Wolf, and only then did its writhing remnants cease their movement.

Butler Ralph skillfully wedged open the Black Wolf's head, and his eyes lit up slightly as he carefully used his Thin Sword to extract a grayish-black clump of Flesh Essence.

"Basic Flesh Essence, with contaminative properties. After Purification treatment, it can be used for making Magical Tools and weapons. Its market value is 10 Gold Coins."

Familiar information appeared in Matthew's eyes; the comprehensive database prompts gave him quite a surprise.

The tenacious vitality of the Mutated Black Wolf did put substantial pressure on the soldiers, which Matthew naturally noticed.

Seeing Butler Ralph about to hand over the Basic Flesh Essence, he waved his hand and then spoke out loudly:

"As you all can see, though Mutant Creatures are dangerous, if you chop off their heads, you can kill them completely."

"Moreover, inside the bodies of Mutated Creatures, precious Magical Materials are often formed, which are quite valuable."

"For instance, this Basic Flesh Essence is worth 10 Gold Coins. The distribution based on the contribution to the kill will be 30%, to grievous injury, 25%, and participation, 15%. The remaining 30% will be shared equally among all participating combatants."

"Elder John gets 3 Gold Coins and 75 Silver Coins, while Butler Ralph receives 3 Gold Coins and 25 Silver Coins. The remaining 25 participating soldiers will share 1 Gold Coin and 50 Silver!"

"The spoils from this battle will be distributed like this, and I hope everyone fights bravely. At the same time, try to avoid getting injured!"

As soon as he had spoken, Butler Ralph's face filled with anxiety, and he was just about to object to what he saw as Matthew's somewhat absurd idea.

"All wealth of the land belongs to My Lord. A full meal as a reward is enough. Only those who perform exceptionally should receive real rewards. How can we distribute all the benefits?"

The other soldiers, however, widened their eyes; their breathing suddenly grew heavier, though many still seemed incredulous.

After all, it wasn't unheard of for Nobles to go back on their word!