Versatile Mage (Web Novel)
chapter-2309

Chapter 2309: Zhao Manyan, the Spotlight

Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

It was dark by the time the army was done setting up tents to rest for the night. Pushing forward at night was no different from killing themselves.

The army would advance in the morning. If they could find the enemy’s camp, they would have to fight the army of the Brown Rebels before night tomorrow.

The influence of the Frenzy Liquid on people’s minds grew stronger as the rain kept pouring down. Even the slightest conflict might provoke Mages into fighting one another to the death, regardless of which side they were on.

The most ideal outcome was to start the battle before it was dark tomorrow!

A kilometer ahead of the swamp was a jungle of Moss-Coated Trees. Their trunks stuck deep into the firm ground, yet their branches spread across the wetland either above the surface or under the water.

These Moss-Coated Trees did not break easily. They were strong enough to be used as stepping stones. The soldiers were resting on them.

The troop of Savage Bull Riders had four hundred men and four hundred and fifty Savage Bulls.

Savage Bulls were a common species in swamps. Their hides looked like pitch-black glass. The sticky mud and soil could not stick to their smooth skin, allowing them to move and swim freely in the swamps.

The Savage Bulls were lying in the mud resting, while their Riders were sitting on the trees in silence.

Meanwhile, Lt. Colonel Mason was greeting every Rider passionately, despite being their new superior. The Riders looked down on him even more.

“Do you have a plan? I wouldn’t want my Riders roaming in the swamp and the woods aimlessly. We will only fall into the enemy’s traps,” Benson said.

“Well…” Mason was lost for words.

What plan could he have? His only plan was to murmur Forneus’ name and charge forward recklessly!

“The enemy has Necromancers. I don’t think Bucker is the only Necromancer they have. I’ve checked the nearby swamps and picked up traces of Undead,” Mu Bai spoke up professionally, looking at his report.

“Which means we might be fighting Undead tomorrow? It doesn’t matter, those Undead are no different from a pile of reeds in front of our Savage Bulls,” Captain Benson scoffed.

“We have discussed this with Lt. Colonel Mason. The enemy clearly has better scouting ability than we do. I’m betting they are using the Undead hiding under the mud to keep an eye on us,” Mu Bai went on, as if Benson had not spoken.

The Undead were able to conceal themselves perfectly under the water. They could sense living creatures’ movements in the swamp without showing themselves.

Bucker had given Mu Bai the clue about how the enemy knew their whereabouts at all times.

“I see, it sounds like not all of you are idiots,” Captain Benson snorted.

“We have to move when the sun rises. Once we deal with the Undead that are watching us, the enemy won’t have any idea which way we entered the woods from,” Mu Bai went on calmly.

——

Mu Bai’s speculation was on point. The Brown Rebels had hidden Undead in the swamp. These particular Undead were only good for scouting.

While everyone else was resting, a man wearing a raincoat and emitting a faint glow walked into the swamp.

He was grumbling while murmuring the Sacred Chant of Light Magic. “Damn it, why do I have to do this filthy work?” Zhao Manyan cursed.

He swept his finger across the air. A cluster of glowing orbs of Light circling his finger turned into tiny fairies before Zhao Manyan fired them into the swamp like bullets.

The little Light Fairies with transparent wings dove into the mud and tracked down the Undead hiding in the swamp. The Light Fairies turned the Undead into sludge in no time.

Zhao Manyan kept moving deeper into the swamp. He did not want to do the same thing again tomorrow, and decided to get rid of all the Undead in the swamp.

He finally realized something after he went deeper He stopped, turned around, and stared at the unfamiliar woods behind him. His expression fell.

“Did I f**king forget to leave markings so I could follow them back to the camp?” Zhao Manyan swore in agitation.

“This is bad!

“Is this the right way?

“Why do these trees look exactly the same!?

“Hello? Are there any Undead that are still alive? I’m not going to kill you. I just want to ask for directions!”

——

It was past midnight. Mo Fan stared in the direction of the swamp sternly, like a father who had no clue where his naughty son had gone for the night.

It was normal for Zhao Manyan not to come home if they were in a city.

However, they were in the middle of a deserted swamp. It was not like the guy was going to sleep with a female lizard, right?

“Did he bump into the Brown Rebels?” Mu Bai asked as he came over. He was obviously confused when Zhao Manyan had yet to return to the camp.

“Unless the Brown Rebels are all women,” Mo Fan answered blithely.

“Do you think he might have encountered an expert of the Brown Rebels? After all, we have shown a little of our strength. The Brown Rebels will no longer think of us as some weak scouts,” Mu Bai commented.

“It’s not like it’s your first day knowing Zhao Manyan. He would have run if he stumbled into a strong enemy,” Mo Fan pointed out.

Zhao Manyan was very good at guaranteeing his safety and running away.

Even Mo Fan was not confident of defeating Zhao Manyan. How strong would an enemy have to be to stop Zhao Manyan from escaping?

——

It was almost dawn, and Mo Fan was dozing off. His eyes sprang open when he heard quiet movements nearby.

A man in a raincoat was heading his way. He glared at Mo Fan angrily.

“I’ve been gone for so long. Shouldn’t you guys be worried about me instead of dozing off here?!” Zhao Manyan yelled at him.

“Mu Bai and I had a long discussion. We both agreed on the possibility that you got lost,” Mo Fan replied.

Zhao Manyan blushed and snarled, “Nonsense, I went to scout the enemy’s base!”

“Since when are you so proactive?” Mo Fan asked in disbelief, eyebrow raised.

“Take a look at this!” Zhao Manyan tossed a torn flag of the Brown Rebels to the ground.

Mo Fan took a quick look and saw that it was indeed the flag of the Brown Rebels’ base!

Did Zhao Manyan really spend the whole night looking for the enemy’s camp? How unbelievable!

“You’re insane! We can go straight to the enemy’s base!” Mo Fan raised his thumb to Zhao Manyan.

“Humph, don’t assume that you know me that well!” Zhao Manyan straightened up proudly.

He turned around and snatched the pack of jerky from Mo Fan’s bag. He drank a mouthful of water before devouring the jerky.

He was starving after being away for the whole night.

He was also too ashamed to tell Mo Fan he had actually lost his way. He had found the enemy’s base by chance!