Chapter 171: The Ambusher in the Shadows

Chapter 171: The Ambusher in the Shadows

In the year 1259 of the Starlight Era, during the Frostfall Moon.

This was the first gathering after the ambush on the Eternal Society, and the number of attendees had drastically decreased.

Apart from Nightowl and Su Nan, only Rose was present.

"The others have all entered seclusion to prepare for the Starlight Tower in six years," Nightowl explained.

"I will also be entering seclusion to focus on my cultivation. During this period, the gatherings at the forest cottage will be temporarily suspended," Su Nan said, to which there were no objections.

Rose also had no objections. She, too, needed to prepare for the Starlight Tower, as it was crucial for her advancement as a wizard. She needed to secure as many resources as possible within the tower.

In the year 1260 of the Starlight Era, during the Revival Moon.

Su Nan successfully constructed the seventeenth star ring, and his mental power surpassed 53 points.

At the same time, the required proficiency for upgrading the Star Ring Meditation Technique soared to seven million points.

Su Nan estimated that even with the elemental pool's meditation bonus, it would take at least three years to construct the final star ring.

"This leaves only three years to complete the talent crystal model," he thought.

"It's a tight schedule, but not impossible."

Su Nan stood up, left the meditation room, and headed to the laboratory.

After nearly half a year of research, significant progress had been made in constructing the talent crystal model using the magic rune core as the base. It was more than sufficient to complete it before his star rings and mental power met the advancement standards.

After all, it was just a lower-level talent crystal model, which wasn't too difficult.

Notably, the third small magic golem army had also been established.

Its elite forces were entirely composed of steel golems, elite steel golems, elite dual-blade spiders, and gold golems.

In terms of elite forces, this army was slightly stronger than the other two magic golem armies.

Su Nan planned to leave this magic golem army to expand the Star Alliance's territory and send one of the other two armies to support the Starlight Kingdom.

After receiving the cooperation intentions from the Thornflower Kingdom, Kai began secret negotiations with them, and a coalition against the Azure Gold Empire was quietly forming.

The war broke out faster than Su Nan had anticipated.

In the year 1260 of the Starlight Era, during the Spring Dawn Moon.

As the snow began to melt, nine countries, including the Starlight Kingdom and the Thornflower Kingdom, simultaneously declared war on the Azure Gold Empire.

The Azure Gold Empire, which had been preparing to start a war soon, was caught off guard.

While the Azure Gold Empire had considered the possibility of the Starlight Kingdom launching a preemptive attack and had prepared for it, they never expected that eight other countries would join the assault simultaneously!

Suddenly, the Azure Gold Empire found itself under attack from all sides.

A large-scale war involving ten countries thus erupted.

Su Nan paid little attention to the surface war, only having the palace send him monthly war reports. He continued his cultivation and research, occasionally checking on the exploration missions and the development of Dragon Forest.

After more than two years of recovery, Dragon Forest was now fully restored.

Zone 2 had returned to its original state.

However, without dragon cultivation, Zone 2 could only be used as a large magical plant garden.

Su Nan decided to plant a large number of magical plants, with nearly a third of the area dedicated to dragon blood fruits.

After all, the Magic Rune Knights would expand every year, and the demand for dragon blood fruits would increase significantly. Su Nan's decision was a preemptive measure.

Planting only magical plants required less energy circulation.

According to Butler 1's calculations, Zone 2 only needed to maintain an 18.48% energy circulation ratio.

Zone 1, where the dragon-like creatures were kept, maintained a 35.12% optimal energy circulation ratio.

The Dragon Skeleton Tower, due to the limited number of wizard apprentices, only utilized less than 10% of the energy circulation ratio, with more than half of that being used by Su Nan.

In summary, Dragon Forest's energy mostly remained in surplus, and there was no need to worry about energy shortages for a long time.

On the other hand, the first batch of dragon antelopes, raised in the large cultivation room, had grown out of their juvenile stage and were transferred to the dragon antelope pasture.

It was estimated that in another four to five years, the first batch of fully grown dragon antelopes could be used to form a dragon antelope cavalry.

At that time, the Magic Rune Knights' combat strength would further increase.

Now, Dragon Forest was on a stable development track and required little of Su Nan's attention.

Time flew by swiftly.

Four years passed in the blink of an eye.

In the year 1265 of the Starlight Era, during the Thunder Moon.

In the underground world, fifty kilometers north of Nolan City.

The dark underground tunnel was deathly silent, with only the faint sound of footsteps echoing softly.

Xie Man cautiously observed his surroundings, ensuring that all his team members were in their designated positions. He let out a slight sigh of relief and pulled his magic cloak tighter around himself.

They were at least ten kilometers below the surface, the air cold and damp, chilling to the bone.

Even though Xie Man had lived in the underground world for six or seven years, he still found it difficult to adapt.

Fortunately, his magic cloak provided resistance to moisture and warmth, which was a standard piece of equipment for all wizard apprentices and Magic Rune Knights who joined the exploration missions.

Kore and Arthel trailed a few steps behind Xie Man, also vigilantly guarding their surroundings.

Since advancing to the rank of Second-class wizard apprentice, Arthel had returned to his old habit of acting alongside Xie Man and Kore.

The three of them had been working and fighting together for years, gradually becoming more and more cooperative, achieving numerous accomplishments.

Their outstanding performance had a significant impact on their successors, leading more and more second-class wizard apprentices to choose to form teams of three.

In addition to the three wizard apprentices, the entire team included two squads of Magic Rune Knights, totaling twenty knights.

Throughout the journey, everyone remained silent, avoiding unnecessary conversations to prevent any interference with their vigilance of the surroundings.

After more than ten minutes, the team arrived at a spacious area.

Xie Man gestured, and the group immediately dispersed, checking the area to ensure there were no issues. Once they confirmed it was safe, they found a spot with a clear view and sat down.

Except for the knights on watch, everyone else took out food and water, taking the opportunity to rest and eat.

Xie Man nibbled on his dry rations, with an invisible tower shield still floating behind him.

Years of exploration and battles in the underground world had transformed him into an experienced adventurer.

He always kept in mind that many monsters in the underground world could move through rock, so he never chose a resting place near the walls.

Additionally, the underground world was always prone to sudden monster attacks, so they never let their guard down.

At least one spell or protective magic item was always kept active.

"Have you heard that the base is planning to form a Dragon-Lynx Cavalry this year?"

During the break, Arthel relaxed and started a conversation.

Xie Man nodded. "It's the Dragon-lynx riders. I've seen the Dragon-Lynx Ranch from a distance; there are quite a few Dragon-Lynxes, all of them well-developed."

He paused and looked at Kore. "Kore, did you get your Dragon-Lynx familiar from the breeding room?"

Kore, as usual, was quiet and simply nodded in response.

All three of them now had their own familiars.

Kore had a Dragon-Lynx.

Xie Man had a Storm Dragon Beast.

Arthel had a Pterodactyl.

All of them were young sub-dragon species that had been contracted.

After more than four years of training, their familiars had all grown to the Legendary realm.

Of course, they still couldn't compare to their teacher’s familiar.

It was said that Hidden Dragon had already reached the Fourth Circle Legendary level, with a bloodline concentration very close to that of dragons.

Standing before Hidden Dragon, even the three of them felt a sense of awe and unease.

It was a powerful pressure that was very similar to the might of dragons.

It was only a matter of time before Hidden Dragon evolved into a true dragon.

Xie Man's dream was to one day raise his Storm Dragon Beast to the same level as Hidden Dragon.

"Have you heard that Prince Yabei is going to participate in the aptitude test this year?" Arthel brought up another topic.

"Right, Prince Yabei is twelve years old now, which is the minimum age for the aptitude test," Xie Man mused. "I wonder if he'll pass."

"Prince Yabei is of royal blood, so the chances of him passing should be high, right?" Arthel said.

"That's not necessarily true. The royal family only has outstanding knight potential, but their wizard aptitude is no different from others. Failing the aptitude test is more likely."

Arthel realized that was true. Duke Kui was only a Legendary Knight, not a wizard apprentice, so his descendants didn't have much of a genetic advantage in that area.

But their teacher, if he had any offspring, might have a high chance of having wizard potential.

"Speaking of which, the teacher has been appearing less and less lately. According to Carolina, the teacher often spends one or two months at a time in the meditation room. Do you think the teacher might be about to advance to the rank of wizard?"

Hearing Arthel's words, Xie Man and Kore's expressions changed.

To be honest, they had similar thoughts.

Although they had gradually come to realize that the current Starlight Continent was almost impossible to produce a true wizard, the notion still lingered.

But the teacher is different.

Although they haven’t interacted with other third-tier wizard apprentices, they know that a third-tier wizard apprentice like their teacher, who has access to vast resources, is extremely rare on the Starlight Continent.

If anyone on the Starlight Continent has the best chance of advancing to a full wizard, it’s undoubtedly their teacher!

"There’s a possibility," Xieman’s face lit up with hope.

If their teacher truly succeeds in advancing to a full wizard, it would undoubtedly be a huge morale boost for them and the other apprentices.

At the very least, it would give them a glimmer of hope that the Starlight Continent can still produce full wizards.

"I don’t dare hope for becoming a wizard," Athir sighed. "I’ll be content if I can become a third-tier wizard apprentice in this lifetime."

Xieman pursed his lips but didn’t speak. Deep down, he still harbored a faint hope of becoming a full wizard, even though he knew it was far-fetched.

The number of apprentices in the base has increased to over 350, with the number of second-tier wizard apprentices reaching double digits.

With more second-tier wizard apprentices joining the Star Alliance’s explorations, the expansion of the Star Alliance has been significantly accelerated.

Compared to four years ago, the Star Alliance’s territory has more than doubled.

Four years ago, the Star Alliance only had four city-states: Dark Lake, Matu, Aoson, and Giant Eye City, plus Kasham, which had become a magical plant garden.

Now, the Star Alliance has grown into a massive entity with fifteen city-states and over a hundred resource points.

However, as the territory expanded, the resistance the Star Alliance faced also increased sharply.

More and more city-state forces have noticed the threat posed by the Star Alliance and have banded together to oppose its expansion.

This time, they were leading a mission outside because a sphinx scout had spotted traces of dark elves in the area, resulting in the loss of several sphinx scouts.

"We’ve circled around several times and found nothing. Could they have been mistaken?" Athir brought up the main issue.

Xieman shook his head. "I don’t think so. Sphinx scouts are extremely skilled at concealing their presence. There are few creatures around Nolan City that can detect them. Moreover, the body of the dead sphinx scout had wounds from a dagger and traces of shadow power, which is definitely the work of dark elves."

"What do we do now?"

"Keep searching! Although dark elves are also very skilled at hiding, I don’t believe they can hide forever. We’ll find them eventually!"

"Spider City is about 700 to 800 kilometers away from here. I wonder why those dark elves came all this way?"

"Perhaps they’re uneasy about the Star Alliance’s expansion."

Athir thought about it and agreed. In just four to five years, the Star Alliance’s territory had expanded by 500 to 600 kilometers. If he were the matriarch of a dark elf clan, he would also feel deeply uneasy.

Just then, a low shout from the on-duty magic rune knight came from the front.

"There’s a situation!"

In fact, Xieman and the others had already sensed it the moment it happened.

The three of them immediately stood up, activating magic items or chanting spells.

The other magic rune knights also reacted quickly, activating their rune constructs and raising their weapons, their eyes wary as they looked forward.

The surroundings were silent, and about six to seven seconds later, heavy and clear footsteps came from the front, as if some massive crawling creature was moving toward them.

Its speed wasn’t fast, but its weight was clearly immense, causing the nearby rocks and soil to shake slightly.

The magic rune knights instinctively gripped their sword hilts, their expressions serious.

Xieman, Cole, and Athir remained calm, showing no signs of emotion, but they had already discreetly placed rune gems in their palms.

Soon, a round, black shadow appeared in their field of vision.

It looked like a giant black maggot, about three meters long from head to tail, with six short, stubby claws and a triangular, pointed head. Its mouth was a long, thin tube, and it had no eyes.

"It’s a soundless blind terror!"

Xieman immediately recognized the creature.

The base-issued Underworld Creature Compendium mentioned the soundless blind terror.

This creature lacks vision but has highly developed ears. Its tubular mouth can produce precise resonances, emitting sound waves powerful enough to shatter stone walls.

To give you an idea of the combat power of third-tier wizard apprentices, as mentioned in earlier chapters, the combat power of third-tier wizard apprentices can vary greatly. Depending on their mental power, equipment, and bloodline abilities, their combat power can range from a first-circle to a fourth-circle legendary level. Additionally, legendary knights only have levels from first-circle to fourth-circle, with no fifth-circle; anything beyond that is no longer considered a typical knight.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end