At the forefront of the stone fortress stood a colossal steel.

Captain Primo stepped forward, hacking away at the vines that obscured the steel, revealing the clear inscription.

Glorious cemetery.

Indeed, this was the place.

A look of joy spread across Primo's face upon reading the inscription.

Chapter 386.

The quicksand trap while the various teams directed their subordinates.

Fonggho's attention was drawn to the dragon scale mercenary core at the forefront as Primo parted the vines to reveal the inscriptions on the stone tablet.

Fongghao was able to discern the words from a distance, the cemetery of glory.

Upon seeing the name, he realized that behind the castle lay a burial ground.

Constructing a city into a cemetery was indeed a monumental endeavor, one that even Rebecca of Lysa's city could not achieve.

Reassessing the towering castle, he confirmed once more the symbols and angelic reliefs etched upon it, which indicated that this vast cemetery was erected by the church.

Yet, the reasons for its eventual abandonment remained a mystery.

In stark contrast, the highest ranking high priest in the temple of Lysa City was merely a 10th tier elder priestess.

Such grandeur juxtaposed with decay evoked a profound sense of disparity within Fongo's mind.

He then observed the members of the Dragon Scale mercenary corps huddled together, engaging in quiet conversation.

This site rekindled Fong how suspicions regarding the true purpose of their expedition.

It was evident that the mercenary group harbored a specific objective, not merely to eliminate monsters, but to acquire something tangible.

But what could possibly lie within a burial ground? Perhaps burial goods.

It was a distinct possibility.

Each squad should rest for 10 minutes.

Once we enter, we may still encounter those white monkeys.

So, check your gear and exchange arrows if needed, Primo announced loudly.

The group settled back down to rest.

While the members of the Dragon Scale mercenary corps commenced their search of the castle's chambers, Fong Ha and his companions took a seat on the ground.

Eric leaned in closer, stating, "There must be valuable treasures within.

They're bound to let us have some.

" Curiosity peaked.

Funha inquired.

Do you know what they're searching for? I'm not certain, but relics of this nature often harbor considerable treasures.

It's a pity we signed a contract that grants all spoils to them, Eric lamented.

Although the city lay in ruins within the debris, there remained a wealth of valuable items, noble collections and treasure chests buried beneath the rubble.

With meticulous searching, one could even uncover the hidden savings of past residents.

In the ruins, anything was possible.

and tales of overnight riches were not uncommon.

The group remained still, merely sitting together and sipping water to restore their strength.

Occasional shouts and clamor echoed from within the stone fortress, suggesting that hidden monsters still lurked within the chambers.

However, the dragon scale mercenary core did not exhibit much reaction, indicating that these were likely only scattered foes.

Before long, the spoils collected from the castle were amassed outside its walls.

Funho cast a casual glance, but did not spot any chest belonging to the time travelers.

"All right, we have one final stretch ahead.

Once everyone has rested sufficiently, let us depart swiftly to complete the battle before nightfall and leave this place.

" Captain Primo declared with authority.

It seemed that the Dragon Scale mercenary corps had not found what they were searching for within the fortress.

Everyone rose and began to regroup, continuing their advance through the desolate stone fortress.

Behind them lay an expansive graveyard, its grounds dotted with flower beds and shattered statues, now entirely enveloped by verdant foliage and creeping vines, a scene of utter desolation.

At the heart of the graveyard stood a multitude of closely packed tombstones.

Some are fractured, while others had collapsed entirely.

Their remains overgrown with wild flowers and grasses.

Suddenly, with a sharp crack, a tombstone shattered, and a white furred monkey leaped into view, perching a top the broken stone.

The weathered monument split open, and soon, one after another, white monkeys emerged from the shadows, their numbers far surpassing those of the mercenaries.

The white monkeys gazed at the group, their tongues flickering like serpents tasting the air.

A collective gulp echoed among the mercenaries.

All except those from the dragon scale mercenary corps expressing their discontent.

Was tis supposed to be an easy task with ample rewards? This situation hardly seemed profitable.

It felt like they had disturbed a nest of white monkeys.

Preparing for battle, the mercenary groups exchanged protective glances, ensuring their comrades were shielded from harm.

At this moment, Primo issued the command to prepare for combat, leaving the teams momentarily stunned.

Shoot and te they collectively retreat for mutual protection.

Yet reality afforded them no time for contemplation.

The white monkeys suddenly emitted a piercing shriek, prompting a cacophony of screams from their ranks.

In the next heartbeat, they charged toward the mercenaries.

"Maintain formation," the commanders shouted, and the various groups issued their own commands to prepare for battle.

Swiftly, the archers unleashed a volley of arrows.

The projectiles slicing through the air with a whistling sound.

The white monkeys, agile and swift, dodged many of the incoming arrows, leaping high into the air and brandishing their razor-sharp claws as they lunged into the ranks of the mercenaries.

The graveyard erupted with cries of combat and agony.

Initially, Fong Hao s team and Eric s mercenary group provided mutual cover, but under the relentless assault of the white monkeys, their formation shattered.

Each member began to fend off the attacks while retreating toward the wall for shelter.

Using it as a barrier against the onslaught, Fong Hao joined the fry, gripping his iron sword, and conjured a frost armor around himself to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances.

As the battle raged on, the ranks of the mercenary groups dwindled.

While his own team remained intact, the others faced total annihilation, and even their small group now found itself in peril.

Contemplating whether to take cover and let the bone dragon unleash a sweeping breath attack on the area, he weighed his options carefully.

The thought had scarcely arisen in Fonggha's mind when from the corner of his eye he observed the dragon scale mercenary core fending off the assault of the white monkeys while swiftly maneuvering to the right in proximity to the stone fortress wall.

They produced a brownish scroll and unfurled it.

The ground beneath the feet of the dragon scale mercenaries began to tremble.

In the next instant, an earthn wall ascended, forming an oval, earthn hued canopy that enveloped the entire team.

The manifestation of this earthbased defensive magic captured everyone's attention.

Damn it, Primo.

What are you playing at? Dragon scale, you cowardly lot, hiding like turtles at a time like this.

Brothers, retreat.

Let us abandon this.

As they witnessed the dragon scale mercenary corps sheltering within the earth magic, the other mercenary groups were incensed beyond mere curses.

Many turned and fled with their own teams.

Yet the speed of humans could scarcely rival that of the agile monkeys.

Before they could escape the fortress's confines, they found themselves entangled in battle once more.

Deidia Fonho called softly understood.

My lord," Deidia replied, taking a deep breath before exhaling a cloud of mist that enveloped their team.

With their numbers already few, the mist was limited in scope.

The intelligence of the white monkeys was evidently lacking.

Upon seeing their target vanish into the fog, they immediately halted and turned to attack the remaining teams.

The mercenary group's position quickly crumbled, falling prey to the relentless pursuit of the white monkeys.

Not far away, Eric sat helplessly on the ground.

His once respplendant armor now marred with scratches.

His body was drenched in blood, rendering him powerless.

"Mr.

Fonggho, are you still alive?" Eric shouted desperately.

All his men had perished, leaving him as the sole survivor, fortunate to have remained alive only because he had fallen into a collapsed coffin.

Yet, he knew his time was limited.

He glanced toward the rising mist, recalling that it was the location of Fonggha's team.