A Farmer's Journey To Immortality

Chapter 642: Emerald Cove’s Counterattack Begins

The sea was calm in the early morning light as Heebyuk, Renyen, and the Kalingoot warriors stood on their ship, waiting for the right moment.

When Renyen gave the nod, several fighters stepped forward and activated the forged identity tokens. Each token gave off a faint glow, almost matching the pulse of the real Emerald Cove tokens.

Almost.

Heebyuk knew it. Renyen knew it. Everyone did. These tokens would fool the protective formation only for a short time—just long enough to slip through. But that was enough.

They leapt off the ship and landed on the sandy shore of the Emerald Cove Island.

The moment their feet touched the sand, the ground trembled as if testing them. Thin roots under the earth shifted like snakes sensing prey. For a breath, the entire forest seemed to pause.

Then the forged tokens flared, projecting the illusion of “authorized identity.”

The vines relaxed. The pressure faded.

“It’s working,” Renyen whispered, relief clear in his voice.

“But we only have a minute,” Heebyuk reminded him, his face sharp and cold. “Prepare the disks.”

At once, the Kalingoot warriors pulled out small, round array disks—each carved with runes that glowed in pale blue light.

One by one, the disks floated up from their hands, rising into the air and spreading out around the group. Within seconds, dozens of disks were floating in a wide circle, humming with power.

A faint shimmer formed between them.

To the protective formation, the entire circle became a “dead zone,” a silent pocket in space that carried no signs of intruders. The island couldn’t sense them anymore.

Heebyuk nodded in satisfaction. “Move.”

They stepped deeper into the forest, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of leaves. Thanks to the array disks, their bodies flickered like heat mirages, blending into the trees and vines around them.

In daylight, they should have been clearly visible. But now, they were just shifting shadows—human shapes that melted into the bark and mist like loose smoke drifting through the woods.

Behind them, the sea trembled slightly as the Kalingoot sea army tightened their circle around the island. Dozens of ships across the water prepared their siege-breaker-type Spirit weapons. Soon, the frontline assault would begin, drawing attention away from the forest’s inner paths.

Heebyuk glanced back once, just to make sure their route remained hidden.

“Don’t hurry,” he said quietly. “We reach the center without disturbing anything. The higher-ups want this island intact. Every precious herb, every plant, every vein of high quality resources on the island must stay untouched. Especially the vineyards and distilleries that produce Bachuus’ Blessings.”

Renyen nodded. “Understood.”

Together with their teams, they moved deeper into the heart of Emerald Cove, silent and blurred, leaving no trace behind.

For more than half an hour, they slipped between trees and thick bushes, never leaving a sound behind. But the constant effort of feeding Spirit essence into the disks was draining them fast.

By the time they reached a large clearing covered in soft moss, Heebyuk lifted his hand.

“We stop here,” he ordered.

Everyone exhaled in relief. Renyen dropped to one knee, breathing heavily as he let the array disk near him lower to the ground. Several warriors sat down with their backs against trees, rubbing their temples and drinking Spirit-restoring pills.

“Keep the disks active at minimum power,” Renyen said. “We recover first before launching the strike.”

The warriors nodded. Some leaned back and let their eyes close for a moment. Others loosened their grips on their weapons. Even Heebyuk allowed himself to relax, sitting cross-legged and letting his aura settle.

For a moment, the forest seemed calm and peaceful.

And then suddenly.

A faint twitch ran through the ground. Then another.

Renyen opened his eyes. “Senior Heeby—”

He didn’t get to finish.

The earth suddenly burst open as thick roots shot out like spears, wrapping around several warriors before they could even scream. Vines dropped from the branches above like snakes, binding arms, legs, and weapons in an instant.

“What—?!”

“Aaaaa…. ambush!”

But the shout came too late.

The roots slammed two warriors against trees with enough force to crack bones. Another warrior was dragged across the ground before being lifted upside down like a caught animal.

Heebyuk rose to his feet at once, but even he had not reacted in time.

“Damn it!” he cursed as a massive shadow descended from above.

Two twisted, humanoid shapes fell from the sky—dragged down by vines. Their bodies were made of wood and flesh, but their faces were carved with eerie smiles, and faint green light glowed in their hollow eyes.

Sentient Scarecrow Fiends. The one-time-use disposable type variant.

Each landed with a heavy thud, the ground shaking under their weight.

Renyen stumbled back. “How—? Did… did our array disks malfunction?” After asking the question, Renyen discarded it on his own as he could still feel with his Spirit Sense that the disks were working fine.

Heebyuk’s face went cold as he realized the truth.

“The formation…” he whispered. Then with a grim expression, he spoke louder, “It seems we were tricked into believing we breached it.”

He slowly pulled out his sword from his storage ring. The metal hummed sharply, responding to his killing intent.

“This is a trap.”

The Scarecrow Fiends tilted their heads. All around them, more vines slithered forward, tightening around the trapped warriors. Their weapons dropped uselessly to the ground.

Heebyuk didn’t spare them a glance now. He had already evaluated their chances.

“Renyen,” he said in a low voice, “be ready. Attack with your full force. We… we might have to lose the deadweights.”

Renyen gritted his teeth, drawing his saber.

“We… we’re abandoning them so soon?” he asked, eyes flicking to the warriors struggling helplessly.

“If things get too difficult, yes,” Heebyuk said without emotion. “Those small fries are already lost.”

As if answering his cold words, the roots dragged another warrior screaming into the trees.

The clearing filled with the sound of tearing vines, snapping bones, and the eerie laughter of the Scarecrow Fiends.

Renyen and Heebyuk did not hold back.

The moment the two Sentient Fiends rushed at them again, Heebyuk’s sword shot into the air with a sharp whistle. The blade spun like a silver storm, cutting through three thick vines in a blink.

Renyen’s saber followed soon after, blazing with Spirit light as it flew around him in tight circles, slicing away roots that tried to bind his legs.

The Sentient Fiends leapt into the air—carried upward by the vines like puppets lifted by strings. They twisted mid-air, their wooden jaws stretching open as they lunged at the two experts.

“Together!” Heebyuk barked.

Their weapons moved with practiced force. Heebyuk’s sword darted forward like a hungry beast, piercing through a scarecrow’s chest. At the same time, Renyen’s saber sliced the head off the other one. But even headless, the creatures kept attacking, flailing violently as vines held them up.

“Keep cutting!” Renyen shouted.

For several minutes, steel clashed against wood, roots, and bone-hard vines. The two men were drenched in sweat, panting, but still pushing forward.

One scarecrow finally collapsed after Heebyuk tore out the glowing core hidden inside its ribcage. The second was ripped apart when Renyen channeled everything into one heavy strike that burned through its body.

The warriors behind them were not as lucky.

One by one, they were dragged underground or strangled mid-air by the vines. Their screams vanished into the forest as the roots swallowed their bodies whole.

By the time the last Sentient Fiend fell, only Renyen and Heebyuk remained standing inside the clearing—bloodied, exhausted, but alive.

Heebyuk smirked weakly. “We… made it.”

Renyen leaned on his saber, breathing hard. “We should regroup with the sea forces. If we hurry, we can still—”

He froze.

Two shadows stepped out from between the trees.

Ruan and Shuan.

Ruan’s aura was still unstable, showing that he had only recently entered Foundation Establishment. But he stood tall, eyes cold, saber in hand, showing similar weapon expertise as Renyen. Shuan, on the other hand, walked with calm steps, his Spirit pressure sharp and heavy, almost predatory.

Heebyuk instantly raised his sword. “Damn… not good.”

Renyen gritted his teeth.

“I’ll take the new one. You handle the older one.”

Ruan didn’t wait for any further talk. He leapt forward, his saber glowing with fresh but fierce Spirit force. Renyen met him head-on. Their sabers clashed again and again, sparks flying with each strike. Ruan was inexperienced, but his Spirit reserves were full and his speed was relentless. Renyen, already drained from the earlier battle, could barely keep up.

Meanwhile, Shuan lifted his hand calmly.

His shadow twisted.

Four Sentient Fiends rose from the ground behind him—silent, obedient, and ready to die for him. Each one glowed faintly with a dangerous, unstable Spirit essence surrounding them. One could tell that these puppets were not meant to last long.

“Suicide units…” Heebyuk muttered in dread.

Shuan pointed at him.

“Go.”

All four creatures rushed Heebyuk at once, vines wrapping around their limbs like war banners. Heebyuk slashed one open, but the Fiend exploded violently in a burst of wild Spirit energy, throwing him back.

He rolled across the ground, coughing blood.

Source: .com, updated by novlove.com