The lizardmen pointed at by Ziyuan were somewhat different. Compared to ordinary lizardmen, they held weapons and wore tattered cloths or leaves around their waists.
These lizardmen were clearly well-equipped, possessing leather armor, leather skirts, and neck warmers. Their weapons also appeared to be much better. Furthermore, in terms of build, these lizardmen were significantly stronger and larger in size.
Bai Ye asked, "Where is the lizardman leader?"
Ziyuan shook her head, "I haven't seen him!"
Bai Ye scratched his head. This wouldn't do; he hadn't seen him. One of his hidden quests was to rescue the lizardman chieftain.
With this thought, Bai Ye moved forward.
"Let's go!" Bai Ye said, "Help!"
As he spoke, Bai Ye exhaled forward.
In the next instant, semi-transparent, purple bubbles were suddenly spat out by Bai Ye.
The bubbles drifted forward, and then...
*Pop, pop, pop...*
As the bubbles entered the fray, they began to shatter, bursting with crisp sounds.
Then...
Both the pig-headed men and the lizardmen felt a stinging in their noses and a burning in their eyes, causing them to shed tears uncontrollably.
Poison Gas Bomb (spitting out tear gas bubbles to attack)
Using this method, Bai Ye temporarily halted the fight between the pig-headed men and the lizardmen. Then...
Bai Ye strode forward, continuously conjuring poison balls and throwing them at the pig-headed men.
Upon impact, the poison balls exploded, covering the pig-headed men's bodies with venom. The pig-headed men immediately let out tragic screams.
Their flesh and blood were continuously corroded, and their white bones were soon exposed.
The pig-headed men in the rear quickly turned, looking in Bai Ye's direction, then brandished their weapons and charged towards him.
Bai Ye commanded, "Gengar, Shadow Ball!"
Gengar leaped in front of Bai Ye, raising its short arms above its head. A black Shadow Ball was condensed by Gengar and then forcefully thrown forward.
*Boom!*
The Shadow Ball landed with a deafening roar.
A section of the ground was shattered, and layers of shockwaves pushed outwards, sending the pig-headed men surrounding Bai Ye flying.
Bai Ye commanded again, "Sludge Bomb!"
Gengar quickly spread its arms. Spheres of mud condensed from the ground around them, and were then continuously launched forward, striking the bodies of the pig-headed men.
The pig-headed men staggered as they were hit by the Sludge Bombs. While the damage seemed minor and the impact of the Sludge Bombs couldn't even push them back, however...
Sludge Bomb was a Poison-type move!
Combined with the toxicity of Bai Ye's Poison-Poison Fruit, after the pig-headed men stabilized themselves and tried to advance, they couldn't take more than a few steps before their bodies began to sway, and then...
*Thump, thump, thump...*
One by one, the pig-headed men fell to the ground, their bodies convulsing as they were continuously corroded by the poison.
"You have completed Hidden Quest 1: Assist the Monster Country in rescuing the lizardmen of the Wetland Marsh. Defeat thirty Pig-headed Demon Men. Reward: Permanent increase of 5 points to a random physical attribute."
Quest 1 was completed. Bai Ye glanced at the glowing screen. The random increase was in Speed...
Honestly, a 5-point increase in Speed was imperceptible without running at full tilt, but an increase was still a good thing, better than nothing.
With this thought, Bai Ye stepped over the corpses of the pig-headed men and approached the lizardman guards. He casually grabbed one of them and lifted him up, asking, "What is your name?"
Ziyuan rolled her eyes. "Monsters do not have names, because monsters who receive names are blessed with power and can evolve."
Bai Ye asked, "Don't you have a name?"
Ziyuan replied with reverence, "That is a gift from Lord Rimuru."
Bai Ye was speechless. Were names that important to monsters? He had just asked casually.
With this thought, Bai Ye changed the question, "Are you the leader's personal guards?"
The lizardman nodded.
Bai Ye said, "We are from the Monster Country. We received your plea for help, so we rushed over. Where is your leader?"
The lizardman pointed to the side. "There is a secret passage there. The leader left through the secret passage. We stayed behind to cover the retreat."
Bai Ye nodded, then pointed to the cave behind him. "When I came in, there were no pig-headed men outside. You should leave on your own and head to the Monster Country. Someone will meet you there."
The lizardman bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you very much!"
Bai Ye didn't say anything further. He beckoned to Ziyuan and followed the secret passage indicated by the lizardman.
The random increase in a physical attribute was just a small reward.
However, saving the lizardman chieftain would grant him the Ruby Scepter, which Bai Ye thought would be quite useful.
With this thought, Bai Ye moved to the side.
Behind a large boulder, a hidden passage could be seen. The boulder had now been moved aside, and the entrance to the passage was visible beneath some green vegetation.
Bai Ye signaled to Ziyuan, indicating that he would enter first, then slipped into the secret passage.
The secret passage also had torches, but it was much dimmer than outside. Moreover, there were no signs of a struggle, indicating that the pig-headed men had not discovered the secret passage, or at least, had not been able to enter it.
This was definitely good news, as it meant the lizardman leader was likely still alive.
Furthermore, since there were no signs of a struggle, it meant there were no pig-headed men. Bai Ye and Ziyuan proceeded smoothly, without any obstruction.
However, after an unknown amount of time...
The sounds of fighting erupted again!
Bai Ye and Ziyuan exchanged glances, understanding each other's intentions perfectly, and immediately quickened their pace.
Only the lizardman leader had exited the secret passage. With the sounds of fighting now, it was certain that the lizardman leader had fallen into trouble.
As Bai Ye and Ziyuan increased their speed, they soon saw a light ahead.
Bai Ye emerged into the light and found himself back in the forest.
Bai Ye exclaimed, "What is this?"
"This should be the forest south of the Wetland Marsh," Ziyuan said, pointing to a large bird's nest in a tree. "That is the nest of a Cuckoo Bird. Their territory is south of the Wetland Marsh."
Bai Ye nodded, then listened intently, pinpointing the direction of the fighting.
"This way..."
Bai Ye pointed to one side, then quickly ran forward.
After passing through the forest, Bai Ye soon saw pig-headed men and lizardmen engaged in battle within the woods.
The numbers were unequal; there were at least a hundred lizardmen, and only thirty to forty pig-headed men. However...
The lizardmen were being thoroughly beaten!