Gu Xi gave the order, and three combat squads quickly entered the sewer through the well.
The sewer beneath the well was quite large, with hardly any branches or forks, essentially a kilometer-long and wide underground passage that could accommodate four or five people walking side by side.
On both sides of the passage, there were sewage outlets the size of a human head, connecting all the buildings in this area.
As soon as Gu Xi entered the sewer, he understood why it became part of the converted structures of Yalidu City.
It turned out this sewer was also one of those partially replicated yet impossible-to-perfectly-copy structures.
The layout of the sewer could be copied, but the age-old filth inside could not.
Coupled with the fact that Yalidu had been deserted for years with no inhabitants or drainage.
When Gu Xi came down, he found the sewer surprisingly clean, with hardly any traces of water.
At the same time, as they descended, the Skeleton Soldiers of Combat Squad 3 raised their shields, standing in front to guard against any potential ambushes.
Gu Xi glanced both forward and backward, noting that the well was positioned at the midpoint of the sewer, with approximately 500 meters in length in either direction.
With Gu Xi's sharp vision, he could clearly see that the ends of the sewer continued on, but were shrouded in a mysterious black fog, obscuring the view beyond.
This was akin to the white fog they encountered upon entering Yalidu, characteristic of this world.
Gu Xi didn't need to know the composition of this black fog, he only needed to know that the parts enveloped in this fog were territories he had not yet conquered.
This situation, however, left Gu Xi uncertain about how to activate the well.
What did it mean to conquer the sewer of the first district?
The sewer before him was empty.
This was completely different from what he saw on the surface through the ice.
Gu Xi exchanged a glance with Luna, then pointed forward.
"Advance, push to the black fog."
The Skeleton Soldiers of Combat Squad 3 swiftly lifted their shields, brandishing their longswords, and advanced forward.
Gu Xi led the remainder of the combat squads following behind, cautiously guarding the surroundings.
They first advanced in one direction, planning to reach the end and make contact with the black fog to observe any changes; if no changes occurred, they would turn back and head to the other end of the fog.
However, Gu Xi might have overthought, as when the Skeleton Soldiers of Combat Squad 3 touched the black fog, a swarm of rats surged out from it.
These rats varied in size, with the larger ones as big as sows, and the smaller ones as thick as a human arm.
As they charged out, all the rats activated a ramming skill, intending to dash through the sewer towards the other side.
There was no need for Gu Xi to say anything; Luna was the first to react, using Touch of Frost to slow the rats' movement speed.
Meanwhile, the Skeleton Soldiers of Combat Squad 3 stepped forward with their shields, blocking the larger rats.
Behind them, the Skeleton Soldiers of Combat Squad 2 raised their long spears, beginning to pick off the smaller rats.
The spear thrusts weren't particularly fast, and close combat effectiveness was diminished, but their attack power was formidable, hitting each small rat with precision; any rat struck would not survive.
In no time, the hundred or so small rats were impaled and turned into bloody clumps by the Skeleton Soldiers' spears.
Yet the larger rats had not managed to breach the defenses set by Combat Squad 3.
Gu Xi, staying mostly in the rear, didn't take much action, merely observing the continuously popping up notifications and collecting the souls of the rats.
[Skeleton Soldier (Summoned Creature) kills Deceitful Mouse (Level 0), you gain 0 Experience, Combat Squad gains 0 Experience, Summoned Creature gains 1 Experience.]
[Skeleton Soldier (Summoned Creature) kills Deceitful Mouse (Level 1), you gain 1 Experience, Combat Squad gains 1 Experience, Summoned Creature gains 3 Experience.]
[Skeleton Soldier (Summoned Creature) kills Giant Deceitful Mouse (Level 2), you gain 1 Experience, Combat Squad gains 1 Experience, Summoned Creature gains 11 Experience.]
[...]
[You gain Deceitful Energy Pearl (White) *3]
[You gain Mysterious Rat Meat (White) *2]
[Mysterious Rat Meat (White): Rat meat with a deceitful aura, consumable by deceitful, demon-type units.]
[You gain Mysterious Rat Hide (White) *4]
[Mysterious Rat Hide (White): Rat hide influenced by mysterious power, usable for leather crafting.]
[...]
As the battle progressed, Gu Xi gradually discovered that the Mysterious Rat Meat collected on the battlefield was used to activate the candle factory requiring deceitful corpses.
However, in terms of quantity, it seemed not much; killing five small deceitful mice yielded only about one piece of Mysterious Rat Meat, and the larger Giant Deceitful Mice did not drop such meat, instead dropping their internals as loot.
Not counting towards the deceitful corpse requirement range, and were of relatively high quality.
This left Gu Xi speechless; he initially thought that deceitful corpses were to be found on these large Giant Deceitful Mice.
Unexpectedly, it required finding them on the smaller rats.
Through piecing together, after eliminating the deceitful mice here, Gu Xi gathered a total of fifteen pieces of deceitful corpses.
At this time, the black fog at the end of the sewer transformed into a transparent white barrier, revealing the next segment of the sewer through the barrier.
Gu Xi realized this was the demarcation line of the sewer, indicating the territory beyond was not within his domain.
Of course, Gu Xi could secretly pass through here to attack other areas of Yalidov through the sewer, but the opponent could do likewise.
The current situation was akin to this membrane-like barrier, a thin layer, just depending on who broke it first.
Taking a glance at the sewer through the barrier, Gu Xi said nothing and pointed to the other end of the sewer.
"Head over there, clear it out."
Upon hearing this, the Skeleton Soldiers immediately turned and charged towards the other end of the sewer.
Luna followed beside the Skeleton Soldiers; the previous battle had shown that these rats possessed decent impact and speed.
Without Luna's Touch of Frost, it would be challenging to swiftly eliminate these rats, so Luna needed to go and see for herself.
As for Gu Xi, he didn't need to; carrying the Bone-breaking Wooden Rod in one hand and the Mysterious Skull in the other, he leisurely followed.
Gu Xi estimated that with this distance of over a thousand meters, by the time he reached, the battle would be nearly over.
There was no urgency in that.
Therefore, Gu Xi secretly slowed his pace further.
Approaching the battlefield when suddenly Luna flew over.
"Master, master, there's an unexpected discovery!"