Chapter 660: The Grand Battle
Chapter 660: The Grand Battle
"Lord Lindsey, please allow me to be the vanguard for this mission!"
"I will continue to prove that I am the sharpest blade in your expeditionary force!"
The underground tunnel was illuminated by the flickering light of torches.
Lei Vi rode on the back of a bug-like soldier, still pleading with Lindsey for a chance to fight.
It had been a month since the campaign against the Deviators began, surrounding the Underground Fortress.
The new insectoid army arrived on time at the Dungeon and was reorganized by Lindsey, combining with the existing forces within.
After the speech in the square, most of the warriors who had endured the hardships of battle naturally obeyed orders and remained in the Dungeon to recuperate.
However, there were a few exceptions.
Some were new members of smaller tribes who wanted to demonstrate their loyalty to Lindsey, while others, like Lei Vi, were warriors driven by hatred.
In response to Lei Vi's plea, Lindsey shook his head in refusal.
"Lei Vi, I understand your hatred for the Deviators."
"I agreed to include you in this expedition for that very reason."
"However, while I can empathize with your experiences and thoughts, you must not push yourself to such extremes in the heat of battle."
"This is for your safety and the well-being of others."
Lei Vi fell silent, contemplating Lindsey's advice.
If anyone else had made such a suggestion, the Awakened, driven by their thirst for vengeance, would have likely disobeyed.
But this was Lindsey, the one who had saved him and his beloved, altered their destiny, granted him power, and guided him to the Deviators' main camp.
In Lindsey's presence, Lei Vi could control his impulses.
He suppressed his emotions and nodded, "I understand, Lord Lindsey."
Lindsey offered an encouraging smile and continued leading the group forward.
His mind was already planning the next steps for development.
With each Deviator they defeated, their kill count accumulated on the Dungeon's altar, and their souls gathered in the Soul Pool, forming a powerful force.
Once this expedition was complete, he should be able to construct numerous buildings upon his return.
The real challenge for future development was still the requirement to advance to the next level of civilization.
The Forest Capital required the settlement of a special race.
The Insect Nest, with its brute force, needed a massive population.
The Dungeon—its demands were particularly outrageous! It required the destruction of an entire kingdom!
To be blunt, this was as challenging as the Forest Capital.
The former was virtually impossible to find.
As for the latter, even the Green Swamp in the south was just a human city-state, not a kingdom.
The only option with a chance of upgrading was the Insect Nest.
The previous requirement of 3,000 population had now skyrocketed to a six-digit figure.
"The challenges only increase as we progress."
"This is a common trend in strategy games."
Lindsey sighed inwardly.
He pulled his thoughts back to the present and focused on the more immediate issues that furrowed his brow.
With the Swift Boots' boost, the army's progress was faster.
This final leg of the journey was expedited.
However, it was due to the stronger and more ruthless insectoid forces they now commanded.
This battle was less strenuous than their previous expeditions, but what troubled Lindsey was the lack of change in the Deviators' strength.
Phase Five Deviators still occasionally appeared underground.
Yet, not a single one of the powerful Deviators from ancient times had been encountered during this final stretch!
"This doesn't align with the typical pattern of approaching the enemy's main camp."
"..."
Lindsey looked ahead, his gaze fixed on the path ahead.
According to the map they had drawn, he estimated that in three days at most, they would reach the Deviators' main base in the north.
But up until now, they had not encountered any large-scale, formidable enemies.
"..."
"There must be a conspiracy!"
Lindsey made this judgment with absolute certainty.
He analyzed the intelligence in his hand and, at the same time, opened the Strategic Map.
With their advance, the Strategic Map revealed the entire terrain of their rear.
There was no conspiracy at all!
There was no sign of an ambush or a surprise attack from the rear.
Even the Dungeon's main base had been quiet for a month, and they had not encountered any enemy attacks since.
In reality, the situation was even more absurd than Lindsey had imagined.
In the newly conquered underground tunnels, there were no Deviators filling the conquered cave spaces as there had been in previous expeditions.
This made Lindsey's logistical preparations seem somewhat redundant.
"No blockades or ambushes?"
"Then, are they gathering their forces to defend their main base?"
Lindsey could only make such speculations.
Without any interception or ambush from the rear, the most reasonable deduction was that the Deviators remaining in the main base were gathering their strength for a decisive battle.
"A tough battle awaits."
Lindsey immediately turned to Levi:
"Levi, go and inform everyone that the Deviators we've encountered recently are not ordinary. They are probably gathering their forces to fight us to the death. Everyone must be on high alert!"
Levi rode back on an Insectoid, spreading the message.
The atmosphere within the human team shifted, and each human face grew solemn.
The following day.
The situation was exactly as Lindsey had envisioned.
Aside from some scattered low-level Deviators wandering around, they had not encountered any formidable enemies, and each cave was left deserted and empty.
The Deviators had indeed mobilized their forces.
It was also due to this combat-free environment that allowed them to advance directly that, on the second day, Lindsey had already reached the center of the northern world.
At this point, he ordered the team to halt their advance.
He switched the Strategic Map to the Adventure Map to conduct reconnaissance before the battle.
"..."
"............"
"Huh?"
Lindsey stared at the screen before him, frozen in place.
Not far ahead, in the direction of the Deviators' main base, there was indeed a massive underground cavity covering thousands of acres.
Through map reconnaissance, he could also make out some human-usable buildings, presumably constructed by the high-intelligence Deviators.
But what puzzled Lindsey now was the absence of any Deviators! In this vast cave, there were only a few scattered red dots symbolizing hostility, and there was no sign of the anticipated grand battle army!
So...
Where had the enemy gone? Could it be that these intelligent creatures had fled out of fear of battle?
Considering the Deviators'—or rather, the Abyssal Forces'—violent nature towards the living.
Lindsey had never considered the possibility of their escape.
But the facts were clearly laid out before him! "..."
In the silence, Lindsey continued to expand his reconnaissance range, almost to the limit, yet still, he found no trace of the enemy.
Ding!
Just then.
The Sky Compass, which had been dormant in his bag for a long time, sent him a message.
There was a hidden space nearby!
(End of Chapter)
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