I Became the Progenitor Vampire Chapter 314 – Chapter 314 Chapter 316 Transcendent Ghost

Chapter 314: Chapter 316: Transcendent Ghost-faced Spider Emperor (12,000-Word Mega Chapter) Chapter 314: Chapter 316: Transcendent Ghost-faced Spider Emperor (12,000-Word Mega Chapter) When Lide led all the armies into the cave, only the Magic Language Bats, too large to fit due to the narrow terrain, remained outside the cave.

After communicating with Koso, Lide helplessly discovered that many parts of the passage leading to the underworld were not accessible to the Magic Language Bats; he had no choice but to have these armies, already prepared for battle, guard the surface passages to secure their retreat.

The sky was still obscured by the Magic Language Bats, and their piercing cries became the dominant theme above Giant Valley.

Tap tap~
Tap tap~
The marching cadence caused the ground inside the underground passage to tremble slightly while Koso, leading the way at the front, generated the most noise by himself.

Lide floated gently in mid-air, his black mage robe fluttering backward as they moved.

Beside Lide was the 18th Level Beastman King Kapp, with the shrunken Castro perched on his shoulder. Koso led the way at the front, the only one among them, this bronze One-eyed Giant, who knew how to navigate toward the Underworld.

18th Level Beastman King Kapp, 18th Level Bone Dragon Withered Bone, 16th Level Bronze One-eyed Giant Koso, 15th Level Dawn Bat King Castro, along with 18th Level Blood Clan Ancestor Lide.

Three 18th Levels, one 16th Level, one 15th Level–this powerful force was more than enough to deal with most crises.

Outside the passage, Grottle was rushing over as ordered, and Harrison was organizing the logistics supplies to provide rear logistical support for them.

Lide's exploration of the underground world was certainly no casual venture, and though it was a spontaneous decision, it had ample support.

“Koso, what's outside the exit of the underground passage? Does it lead directly to the Muddy Swamp home to the Black Dragon?”

Withered Bone, bored at the front, had cast a floating skill on himself and flew next to Koso, inquiring the giant.

“The Muddy Swamp is vast; the underground passage only reaches its outskirts and is far from the central region. It's even further from the venomous fog forbidden area, where the legendary Black Dragon is rumored to roam.”

Koso shook his head, his massive helm-covered head looking even more enormous.

“Venomous fog forbidden area?” Withered Bone seemed quite interested in this name, as the Soul Fire lit up quietly.

“Are there many poisonous Demon Beasts inside?”

Koso nodded, his voice booming, “Yes, but besides the Demon Beasts, the most distinctive feature of the venomous fog area is the intensely poisonous fog.

According to legends passed down among the Thunder Tribe, this fog is breathed out by the mysterious Black Dragon lurking in the depths of the swamp.

Even Transcendents who enter will find their power diminished.”

Could the breath of a Black Dragon create an entire forbidden zone?

Lide, following close behind Koso, couldn't help but furrow his brow.

If that was the case, then the strength of that Black Dragon was perhaps far more formidable than imagined.

Withered Bone's Soul Fire flickered as he muttered gloomily,
“Damn, just a Black Dragon brat, hmph, in front of the great Dragon of Destruction–Tusk from Dawn City.

The Black Dragon is nothing but a little crawler, ha ha ha, crawler, such a delightful name.

The great Withered Bone is the real dragon, the true one!”

Koso turned his head, peeking at Withered Bone, hidden under the cloak, with his huge single eye and just shook his head without speaking.

The implication was clear.

The legend of the Black Dragon had persisted for a thousand years in the Muddy Swamp… no one knew how powerful that Black Dragon was.

His father had once encountered that Black Dragon deep in the swamp and had returned from the encounter severely wounded only to have his soul taken by the Death God shortly after returning to the Thunder Tribe.

From his father's last words, Koso knew that the Black Dragon had merely been passing through the swamp, and his father had been dispatched as effortlessly as crushing a bug, a casual breath of dragon from the Black Dragon who didn't even stop…

Withered Bone, sensing Koso's gaze, became instantly irate.

“Damn you, you cyclopean fool, are you doubting the great Dragon of Destruction?

No, I suspect you're jealous of my title, yes, that must be it, I'm clearly a genius.

But don't you dare try to take my title, it's a marvelous name given by the darlings at the taverns in Dawn City!”

Koso shook his head, his booming voice echoing through the cave.

“Koso does not envy others.”

“Hmph, ignorant cyclops, your excuses are futile; the great Lord Withered Bones has already seen through you. Your heart of pure spite is twisted like twisted wire…”

Marching through the dark cave was a true test of patience.

The Holy Light Bloodline was well-adapted, with their Dark Vision they thrived in the cave, slowly regaining their vigor as they moved further from the surface.

On the other hand, the Beastman Army was rather irritable; although they are a Strong Battle Race, they did not enjoy cramped and confined spaces.

However, despite their discomfort with the environment, their faint Dark Vision ensured that the speed of the march was not slown.

Most Beastman warriors possessed the special abilities of beasts, and hunting in darkness was almost an instinct for them.

This was why Lide had chosen to bring Beastmen instead of Centaurs, although most Beastmen's Dark Vision could only perceive beyond the edge of a blade.

Dozens of Bloodline flapped their wings, flying above the marching soldiers.

With fireballs or Bright Light Skills in their hands, they expanded the field of vision for the Beastmen behind.

To Lide's surprise, he had expected a fierce battle when the army entered the tunnel, but the hollow passage seemed to have become deserted.

The previously brazen cave spiders had now completely disappeared.

The only sounds within the entire team were the footsteps and the conversation between Withered Bone and Koso, although it was more of a monologue from Withered Bone, as their conversation pattern involved Withered Bone speaking about a hundred sentences to which Koso would grunt in response.

This somehow eased the tense and oppressive atmosphere.

As they slowly ventured deeper into this underground passage with countless forks, the Blood-colored Blade scouts who had gone out to gather intelligence finally began to return one by one.

However, the information gathered by these Bloodline members greatly astonished Lide, as all the cave spiders were retreating.

And it wasn't just any retreat, but one marked with extreme urgency.

“Your Majesty, Marquis Frey has already taken the remaining tribe members up, perhaps we'll receive more detailed intelligence soon.”

Hearing this news made Lide frown.

The behavior of these cave spiders was quite peculiar.

Whether it was their sudden appearance on the surface or the current hasty retreat, both were highly abnormal.

“Kapp, send a hundred-man squad to follow them, with a Dawn Bat to send us updates at any time.”

Lide didn't waste words, as no matter how abnormal the situation, everything was trivial in the face of absolute power.

As long as no transcendent forces emerged, the army he commanded was more than capable of dealing with most dangers.

After giving the order, Lide turned to look at Koso, who had stopped moving forward. The One-eyed Giant seemed uncertain about whether to continue the exploration.

“Koso, keep moving forward. Until we clarify the movements of the cave spiders, let's proceed with the original plan. We need to reach the underground and establish a solid fortress.”

“Kapp, take control of all the passages we pass through. Whether there are cave spiders or not, we cannot afford any losses.

I need absolute security.”

Lide's gaze was stern, his tone brooking no argument.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Lion-man nodded decisively, waving his hand as several Beastman Governors immediately moved out. Moments later, a squad split off to start clearing and securing the various caves along the way, preventing any sudden appearances of poisonous snakes or deadly monsters.

The orders Lide had given to Kapp and Audie were simple.

These three thousand Beastman soldiers were just the vanguard.

Exploring a vast underground world was nearly impossible without a stable supply base.

So, he was heading to the underworld now to first establish a bridgehead.

Then they would reinforce it from both front and rear to thoroughly control the path leading underground.

This underground passageway was their only route before any alternatives emerged, and it had to be tightly controlled–otherwise, someone cutting it off would be tantamount to cutting off their retreat.

Harrison hadn't accompanied the Bloodline in battle not only because the other party needed to handle various political affairs, but also because, as the city hall chairman, he needed to mobilize various resources to support Lide's actions.

Future supplies, troop reinforcement, intelligence support… etc., War often boils down to logistics.

Once Lide approved this plan, it was bound to be a long and grand scheme. The riches of the underground world were far more substantial than those of the Dwarf Hills, even richer than the Fishman Tribe's.

This place possessed countless rare ore veins that were highly sought after on the surface, unimaginable beautiful creatures, unique Demon Beasts, and Magic Plants.

Moreover, according to Koso's previous information, this expansive underground world showed no signs of human presence.

This meant that he was the first to explore this underground world.

Opportunity and risk went hand in hand, and though the first to eat the crab might risk poisoning, they would also enjoy the crab's delicacy.

Lide had the confidence to explore this vast world, with Dawn City being his greatest reliance.

This rapidly developing city was currently fully capable of supporting his plan.

As the scouting party advanced over ten kilometers, any threats they encountered were mostly neutralized by the cooperation between the Bloodline and the Beastmen.

The specially trained bats accurately relayed messages back every time.

Thus, the journey progressed without any surprises.

After delving deep into the cave, the terrain gradually sloped downwards. While Lide floated in the air using a High-level Floating Skill, he could feel the cave gradually steepening.

Logically, after such a long time, it should have been difficult for Koso to remember the route to the underground world, but on the contrary, this One-eyed Giant, who held the title of Wisdom, was exceptionally clear about the route, even pointing out the traps in certain passages.

This impressed Lide, as it was no ordinary feat for a One-eyed Giant.

One day, two days, the third day.

The troop had been marching in the underground for a full three days.

The gloomy space, the winding narrow passageways with no end in sight, and not knowing where the caves led to.

Plus, the air was cold and moldy, occasionally filled with the roars of unknown Demon Beasts.

This dark underground passageway was like a labyrinth left from ancient times, seemingly never reaching an end.

The atmosphere among the troops grew increasingly tense, and the morale of the Beastmen sharply declined.

This was because the dry food the Beastmen carried was running low.

They could sustain themselves for one more day at most. After that, the army, mostly consisting of Beastmen, would fall into a dire food shortage.

When Lide felt weary,
a loud cheer came from Castro, who was leading the way at the front.

“Master, we've arrived!”

No inspiration was needed, just those words alone immediately invigorated everyone.

Marching for a long time in a claustrophobic and dark environment tested everyone.

Even the Bloodline, who favored darkness, felt irritated.

At that moment, they finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Everyone unconsciously quickened their pace.

After flying a distance of hundreds of blades, Lide abruptly burst out of the cave, and his vision dramatically widened.

The scene before him left him momentarily stunned; such scenes were only found in a magical world.

Above the sky, three thousand blades high, stretched a space rock face faintly glowing, the core material that formed the underworld.

According to the legends of Glory, the Divine had imbued part of their Divine Power into the earth when creating the world, forming an underworld of irregular, varying-sized voids.

These voids later developed into the Underworld, a fusion of Glory's rules and Divine Power. The key element was the space rock faces, incredibly solid, destroyable only by Divine forces.

The space rock faces were the Underworld's most vital foundation.

Looking at the rock face overhead, Lide was filled with emotion, truly a mythological world.

Because of the weak luminescence emitted by the space rock faces, the Underworld was not as brilliantly bright as the surface, but it was also not as dark as one might imagine, far better than the underground passages.

Even ordinary humans could see distances of a thousand blades here, though it still couldn't compare with the surface.

After looking around for a moment, Lide slowly shifted his focus to the ground, gazing into the distance.

Everything around was drastically different from the surface; the land was an unknown black, not the black of a fertile soil, but a disturbing decayed black, as if numerous decaying corpses had seeped into the ground, faintly emitting a foul stench.

Currently, there was an expansive, damp piece of land, not quite a swamp, but moister and muddier than normal soil.

The ground was covered with dense, waist-high plants; unlike those on the surface, these were mostly deformed and twisted with vicious-looking barbs on the green leaves which were pale or dark, contrasting starkly with the bright green foliage of the surface.

The air was tinged with a faint, muddy stench, growing richer as the distant wind blew.

Lide shook his head, not surprised by this. He turned to look behind him and saw towering mountains, whose peaks couldn't be seen.

Their position was on a high mountain void of any vegetation, directly connected to the towering space rock faces. They seemed like ants coming out of a nest, even the seven blades high Castro looked pitifully small against the exaggerated height of the mountains.

At that moment, Lide gained the most direct impression of the mysterious Underworld, and after observing for a while longer, the rest of the army had filed out.

However, unlike when they had entered the passage three days ago, now there were only about a thousand Beastmen left.

And from the Bloodline, only just over 300 Blood Donor Mages remained.

This was not due to any misfortune on the way, but rather because Lide left parts of his army periodically to fully control the passage behind them and to scout and clear surrounding caves.

Three days' journey had left two-thirds of the army behind.

Lide had a clear goal this time.

Exploration.

He was not naive enough to think that merely three thousand Beastmen and five hundred from the Bloodline could run unchecked in the Underworld.

From the information Castro provided, this part of the Underworld was vast and deeply established.

An underground city built by the Half-Elves, the Black Dragon in deep swamps, Dark Night Elves worshipping the Spider Queen, the cruel and bloodthirsty Snake Race…

There were too many races to count, and although Dawn City was strong, it wasn't strong enough to easily conquer this Underworld.

Everything needed careful planning.

“Dylan,” once the entire army was out, Lide immediately began issuing orders.

“Lead the scouting party to sweep the surrounding thirty kilometers comprehensively. I don't want any dangers lurking here.

Kapp, have the army set up camp and build defensive facilities, waiting for the reinforcements to arrive.”

After uttering his commands, Lide took a deep breath, excitement flickering in his eyes.

The land before him was like a freshly bathed maiden, lying seductively under the covers, constantly tempting his emotions.

Creak~
Creak~
At that moment, a thoughtful noise suddenly emanated from afar, as if something was rapidly approaching from a distance.

Just as Lide was about to send someone to investigate, his pupils suddenly dilated.

He witnessed a terrifying sight.

From afar appeared a dense, uncountable number of Cave Spiders.

The waist-high vegetation on the ground, now three blades high and five blades long, with eight sharp limbs, was instantly shredded into straw under the trampling of the Cave Spiders.

In front of the Cave Spiders, a figure with half-broken wings, barely able to fly, was frantically escaping, clearly targeted by the approaching spiders.

Lide's eyes suddenly widened, revealing some confusion.

Frey!

How could he appear here??

Frey had begun tracking the cave spiders that had suddenly withdrawn three days ago and had been sending messages to him periodically.

Just three Sunshine Hours ago, he had received news that Frey was preparing to delve deeper into the spider nest, so how could he suddenly appear in the underworld?

Could there be other passages?

In a flash, Lide couldn't ponder deeper, as he watched a severely disheveled Frey, who might be overwhelmed by the cave spiders chasing him from behind, and waved his hand to give an order.

“Army, get ready! Intercept the cave spiders!”

The command was absolute.

Lide's order was the supreme will, and thousands of beastmen immediately started organizing under the Beastman Governor's lead.

The beastmen warriors, donned in dwarf armor, formed a solid steel wall, and the Blood Clan spellcasters behind them immediately began casting spells.

Boom boom boom~
Approaching fast, the dense, dust storm-like swarm of cave spiders formed a long black line on the ground.

It surged like an avalanche, extremely exaggerated.

As the group of cave spiders closed within two hundred blades' distance from the military formation, the magic in the Blood Clan's hands began to crash down, and 300 Blood Mages unleashed a Blazing Fireball, forming a flaming river in the sky that brightened it intensely.

Boom, boom, boom!

The frenzied onslaught of cave spiders received the most brutal blow. The fireballs exploded upon impact, enveloping several spiders around each hit.

Second Circle Magic–Blazing Fireball.

This magic, modified by Lide, became a deadly weapon in the battle formation.

Puchi~
Hundreds of huge cave spiders turned into parched corpses under the scorching temperature,
The extreme heat directly raised the temperature of the wetlands above, and even thick fog began to rise, drastically reducing visibility.

Meanwhile, the heavily injured Frey finally got a chance to breathe, frantically escaping while his body, which was half-tempered and still permeated with Bloodline, flapped.

Lide's gaze sharpened. What kind of enemy had the 15th-level Crimson Hunter encountered to be so grievously wounded?

“Koso, go and save Frey.”

“Yes, master.”

Heeding the order, the Steel Giant pulled out two long swords fixed on his back, which, although termed long swords, had backs thicker than those of typical siege weapons.

Koso, originally fond of heavy weapons, fell in love with long swords after using dual blades to slaughter beastmen in the Dwarf Valley.

The sharp blades' cutting effects were infinitely superior to those of war hammers.

Clank, clank!

The towering seven-blade Steel Giant charged towards the collapsing tsunami of cave spiders.

Each stomp on the soft ground caused the dirt to explode several blades high, leaving deep footprints.

The single eye, protected by armor, emitted a ferocious light; the killing intent solidified in the air.

Dressed in 8 tons of armor, Koso charged like a heavy-duty truck at over 500 kilometers per hour,
Straight towards the cave spiders.

The short hundred-blade distance was covered in the blink of an eye.

Puchi~
Several slow-moving cave spiders were directly hit by Koso; he didn't even need to swing his sword. The solid armor and his explosive impact turned the spiders into splatters of mush.

Koso's speed only increased with a roar, brutally plunging into the spider swarm.

Wearing siege-crossbow-proof steel armor, Koso tore through them like a wolf among sheep, initiating a bloody slaughter.

All resistance was futile in front of his long sword.

The terrifying blade cleaved through, flipping over any spider that tried to resist.

Juice splattered all over.

Finally, in the midst of the spider swarm, Frey and Koso met.

Koso forcefully charged to Frey's rear, blocking the spiders intending to kill him.

He forcibly stopped those underground monsters.

Frey didn't waste any time, and with half a bat wing fractured, he attempted to flee from the spider's pursuit.

As their prey escaped their reach, the furious cave spiders went berserk.

The enormous abdomen bent slightly, shooting deadly spider silk directly at the recklessly moving Castro.

Castro's giant stature made him an easy target.

Zi la~
In just a moment, Castro's armor was covered with a dense layer of spider silk.

The potent venom on the spider silk began to corrode with a distinctly uncomfortable hissing sound.

But Castro paid no attention to the webs; armed with his longsword, he remained unscathed and continued his rampage, slaying one yingying monster after another.

Thanks to the abundant output of mithril from Dwarf Valley, the armor worn by Castro had been upgraded to Extraordinary by the blacksmith shop.

This suit of armor, consuming a substantial 120 pounds of mithril, was the precious output of over two months' labor from more than five thousand Beastman miners in Dwarf Valley.

It was precisely because of this that Castro's defense had been significantly enhanced.

To put it bluntly, even if Castro were to stand still and allow these Level 8, 9, or at most Level 10 Cave Spiders and Ghost-faced Spiders to attack,
these monsters would hardly be able to breach the weakest part of his armor, which was as thick as two fists put together, in a short time.

However, strong and domineering as Castro was, he alone couldn't stop the uncountable number of Cave Spiders swarming in.

The battle line drawn by the frenzied Cave Spiders stretched a thousand blades wide, and seen from above, the spiders swept forward like a school of fish.

A few isolated points could not hold them back.

Beastman warriors formed a semicircular steel wall, protecting the Bloodline guardians behind them in the underground passage, while the Bloodline continued to cast spells, providing firepower support to the Beastmen on the front line.

Bang bang bang~
The powerful fireball had always been a favored choice in battle, and the improved Blazing Fireball was an essential skill for the Bloodline.

At this moment, there were so many Cave Spiders that aiming was unnecessary before striking a target,
The blazing fireball, trailing a long tail of flames, resembled shells being fired, each explosion releasing a staggering amount of heat.

Yet, the number of Cave Spiders killed by the magic always constituted a minority. After several rounds of spells, these countless subterranean monsters had reached the defensive line formed by the Beastman warriors.

Level 18 Beastman King Kapp led the charge, facing the forefront with a cold longsword in hand, its sharp blade gleaming like lethal tusks, radiating cold light.

The enormous lion head, now donned in armor, stood firm like a steel sculpture, inspiring infinite vigor among the Beastman warriors behind him.

The first Cave Spider charged.

The three-blades-high, five-blades-long Cave Spider, with tusks sharp enough to tear through steel, lunged at Kapp with a foul stench.

Kapp remained unmoved until he could clearly see the fuzz on the face of the incoming Cave Spider, with tusks about to tear him apart.

With a single sweep of his sword, the wide-open mouth of the Cave Spider exploded.

The head split in two.

Puchi~ Green liquid splashed.

This fastest-charging Cave Spider could not even scream before it lay dead on the ground.

But this was merely the beginning, after one more fell, many more Cave Spiders surged forward.

The warriors of the Lion Tribe, seeing Kapp begin his slaughter, could no longer restrain their fighting spirit, swinging their longswords vigorously, clashing with these subterranean monsters in the most direct and frenzied manner.

Puchi~ A Ghost-faced Spider suddenly changed its form as it approached a Beastman; its eight sharp limbs swiftly pivoted.

One Beastman, caught off-guard, was stabbed directly through the unprotected face, his head exploding.

But that Ghost-faced Spider didn't live past the second, as two furious Beastman warriors leaped up, their sharp swords slicing through half of its head as easily as through tofu.

The second Beastman thrust his sword into its eye socket; the fiercely struggling spider collapsed and went limp instantaneously.

Close combat was often the most brutal and bloody; when both sides entangled, the weak had no right to survive, and only the victor earned the privilege to breathe freely in the next moment.

The immeasurable number of Cave Spiders surged like a vast wave, and the Beastmen were like rocks of steel, unyielding to the wildest storms.

The elite weapons forged by the Dwarves played a critical role during this battle; the armor worn by this group of Beastmen was all of the rare level.

Even the squad leader wore Perfect-level armor, and the longswords in their hands also started at the rare level.

Though the limbs of the Cave Spiders were sharp, they struggled against the rare and Perfect-level armor; the monsters could hit the Beastmen but failed to inflict fatal wounds.

This greatly reduced the mortality rate of the Beastmen.

Conversely, each attack by the Beastmen wielding sharp blades brought substantial gains.

Cave Spider fluids flew wildly, and severed limbs were scattered everywhere.

Though the storm was fierce, the rock stood solid.

Lide, who was commanding the battle from behind, furrowed his brows slightly.

He keenly sensed that the Cave Spiders faced now were more durable than those encountered on the surface; sometimes, a direct hit from a Blazing Fireball couldn't kill a spider.

Perplexed, he began to check the attributes of the Cave Spiders.

Cave Spider
Race: Cave Spider
Level: 9
Body Size: Large creature
Bloodline: Spider Bloodline (Automatically activates within 100 kilometers of the Spider Queen, increasing all physical and magical resistance by 200%)
Introduction: A predator of the Underground World, it likes to hunt using its highly venomous spider silk.

He remembered that previously, the attributes of a level 10 Ghost-faced Spider had been almost the same as those of the Cave Spider, even the descriptions were identical, the only difference now being the activation of the Spider Bloodline in the Cave Spider.

Spider Queen?

Lide's eyes narrowed slightly, but he could not afford to contemplate any further.

As more spiders gathered, and higher-level Ghost-faced Spiders began to appear in dense numbers, the defensive line formed by the Beastmen started to waver, only the center where Kapp stood firm, forcefully slaughtering the surrounding Cave Spiders.

However, the effect of one man's strength in a war of such scale was not significant.

The Blood Clan members behind him, although quick with their spells, were ineffective in suppression due to the dramatically increased magic resistance of the Cave Spiders and their overwhelming numbers.

The situation had become highly passive, and thus, the defense line was about to collapse.

“All Blood Mages, cast the Bloody Storm,” Lide commanded with a determined look.

At his command, the Blood Clan members quickly gathered together, and moments later, a shrill scream began.

Whizzing~
Unique*Restricted Skill: Bloody Storm (Consumes 50% of the blood in the body to summon 100 ethereal slaughter bats composed of magic power and blood to attack enemies. As the bats devour blood, they will continue to grow, reproduce, and divide until the blood energy is exhausted)
300 Blood Mages instantaneously released slaughter bats composed of blood and magic power from their bodies.

Sharp fangs and claws, terrifying forms, and ghastly screams–all these heralded death and carnage.

A bloody torrent formed by 30,000 slaughter bats devoured the Cave Spiders before they could react.

Hiss~
Cave Spiders unable to dodge were immediately struck fatally by the surprise attack of the slaughter bats.

One by one, the Cave Spiders were drained of blood, turning into skeletons, their green blood voraciously consumed.

The pressure on the Beastman warriors was suddenly alleviated; they reorganized their defense lines and began to counterattack.

In less than a minute after the Bloody Storm had been unleashed, nearly a thousand Cave Spiders were slaughtered, the killing effect was indeed unparalleled.

However, the good times did not last long; the slaughter bats encountered a fatal blow just after the second wave of attacks.

Regaining their senses, the Cave Spiders suddenly arched their abdomens, aiming their silk-spinning organs at the rampantly flying slaughter bats.

Bang~
A series of highly venomous spider webs, much like bird traps, immediately enveloped the ethereal slaughter bats.

The venom-laden webs directly corroded the slaughter bats.

The bats, having just formed and still containing relatively weak energy within, could not withstand the corrosive poison.

Each web decimated dozens of slaughter bats, their densely packed numbers now serving as ideal targets.

After the Cave Spiders had fired three rounds of webs, the air was instantly cleared of threats, and the slaughter bats, barely managing to muster strength, were immediately extinguished.

Only a few survived, clearly unable to pose any further threat.

Seeing this, Lide raised an eyebrow.

Indeed, real combat was the best method to test one's combat capability–the hitherto unstoppable slaughter bats were unexpectedly countered by the Cave Spiders' webs. While part of the reason was that the bats had not yet feasted on blood and grown stronger, the outcome was telling.

This raised some caution in him; no strong ability was invincible, and he must act prudently in the future.

Unexpectedly, after facing the slaughter bats, the Cave Spiders did not continue their attack.

As if receiving some command, they hurriedly retreated, leaving behind a field of corpses.

Watching the disappearing figures of the Cave Spiders, the scene fell into an eerie silence, with only a few wounded moaning.

Though the Cave Spiders had suddenly left, the Beastman warriors were still on guard, blades in hand, the ground littered with severed limbs.

Lide, who had not taken action from the beginning to the end, remained calm.

If he had intervened, the battle might have ended sooner, but that would have defeated his purpose of testing the strength in his hands.

Moreover, he could not always intervene in every situation; what he wanted was an iron-blooded army, not to become the nanny of this army.

Kapp now approached Lide, supported by a few Blood Clan members, helping Frey, who had single-handedly upheld one part of the defense line, his long sword weaving through the Cave Spiders.

However, the difference between a warrior and a spell caster was evident here; regardless of how powerful in combat, a warrior could not dictate the outcome of a war when outnumbered.

But by contrast, the Blood Clan spell casters ended this battle as soon as they took action.

“Your Highness…”

Frey's pale face, along with his broken wings, had Lide's expression turn somewhat solemn.

“Who caused you such severe injury? Drink the Magic Blood first.”

Frey took from Lide a large bottle of Magic Blood retrieved from the System Space and drained it, his pale face gradually recovering a hint of vitality after absorbing ample energy.

The broken wings no longer bled, and his body was healing at a visibly rapid rate. Bloodlines were undying beings; as long as there was sufficient blood, their resilience was astounding.

After collecting himself, Frey's eyes reflected an indescribable complexity.

“Your Majesty, there are extraordinary beings in the Cave Spiders' nest…”

Though his voice was weak, the weight of his words caused Lide's expression to change drastically.

Extraordinary… that word alone was immensely significant.

Taking a deep breath, he fixed his gaze on Frey.

“How did you escape the extraordinary hunt?”

Compared to the sudden appearance of the extraordinary, he was more amazed that Frey, who had just reached level 15, had survived the hands of the extraordinary.

Frey shook his head, “Your Majesty, the Cave Spider's nest is built within a shattered half-plane. I followed the Cave Spider into that half-plane and accidentally entered the spider's egg-laying chamber, where I unintentionally broke a few spider eggs and was discovered.

I couldn't withstand the power of the extraordinary-level Ghost-faced Spider Queen…”

Frey's face showed a hint of frustration. His proud nature made it hard to accept his defeat, even against an extraordinary foe.

“I was able to escape because that half-plane had restrictions; the enormous Spider Queen couldn't leave through the plane gate…”

Half-plane? Ghost-faced Spider Queen?

Lide's brows furrowed.

He hadn't expected the Cave Spiders to have such an immense background, occupying a half-plane as their lair, and that their boss had reached the extraordinary level.

“Since the Ghost-faced Spider Queen could enter that plane, why couldn't it leave?”

“Your Majesty, from my observations, it's not that the Cave Spiders occupied that plane, but rather that plane has always been the Cave Spiders' lair.

Because of an accidental fracture in space, that half-plane was anchored in spatial coordinates, establishing a connection with the Underworld.”

A half-plane usually refers to those planes that are shattered for some reason but haven't completely collapsed and can still exist.

Half-planes aren't rare. Some, due to peculiar plane rules, harbor many unique demon beasts.

Spellcasters capable of forming a space gate with their strong powers often favor exploring such planes.

Cave Spiders were merely a common type of demon beast.

“How far is this space gate from here?”

“About thirty kilometers…”

Lide breathed a little easier.

If not for necessity, he preferred not to face those inexhaustible Cave Spiders.

By now, he was deep underground, over 500 kilometers away from Dawn City. He couldn't open a space gate here to transport bodies to the Land of Bone-Burying, so the gains from killing Cave Spiders weren't substantial.

Although classified as demon beasts, Cave Spiders weren't highly valuable aside from their venom sacs and tusks.

“It doesn't matter, we don't need to get entangled with them.

Once we have built our defensive works, these Cave Spiders will no longer pose a threat, as long as the extraordinary Spider Queen doesn't intervene.”

Lide's goal was clear and he wasn't disoriented by these two sudden attacks. His purpose was to explore the Underworld.

Exploring the Underworld was to gather various rare mineral resources and materials to support the development of Dawn City.

There was no need to clash head-on with a race that occupied half a plane and possessed an extraordinary Spider Queen unless the stakes were considerably high.

Unexpectedly, Frey shook his head and revealed a wry smile.

“Your Majesty, I'm afraid we have no choice but to engage with those damned Cave Spiders.”

Lide was perplexed, “Why?”

He had never heard that Cave Spiders were particularly vindictive.

Frey took a deep breath and said gravely to Lide.

“Because that group of Cave Spiders occupies a large vein of magic crystals…”

Lide's pupils dilated instantly, his face turning stern.

“Are you certain?!”

Magic crystals were the most common and valuable energy source in Glory.

Low-quality inferior magic crystals could be used to make Magic Lamps; higher quality ones could be utilized to set up magic arrays, alchemical arrays, and even aid spellcasters in casting spells, offering a myriad of functions.

Their status was much higher than Earth's “black gold”–oil, qualifying them as an absolute strategic resource.

Almost all magic crystals were monopolized by the empire, and even powerful nobles found it difficult to intervene in their mining.

Everything in Dawn City depended on magic crystals–the production of alchemy bombs, cultivating magic plants, consumption by the Crimson Mage Tower, the Blood Pool's needs, and more.

Previously, nearly 80% of the acquired Gold Pucks had been used to buy magic crystals.

There were many things Dawn City lacked, but if there was one that was in dire shortage, it was undoubtedly magic crystals, placing them at the top of the list.

Now Frey mentioned discovering a large vein of magic crystals–that was tantamount to telling him that the future of Dawn City lay in the territory of the Cave Spiders…

If he really could own his own Magic Crystal Vein, then he could do much more.

Dawn City could save 80% of its funds to invest in development instead of purchasing Magic Crystals.

Lide took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

No wonder Frey was so sure, the temptation was almost overwhelming,
something no one could refuse.

“Are you sure?? Magic crystals are not some common junk.

Their value is enough for Dawn City to stake everything.”

If the Mithril Vein could make Lide go to war with the beastmen at all costs, then a large Magic Crystal Vein could make him go all-in with everything he had.

Because Magic Crystals represented the future.

Alchemy Bombs could be made without restraint, Magic Plants could be cultivated wildly, and Magic Blood could be nurtured regardless of the cost…

The strength of Dawn City would experience an unprecedented surge.

And as the ruler of Dawn, any matter beneficial to the development of Dawn City would ultimately benefit him.

“Your Highness, there is absolutely no mistake,” Frey spoke with unwavering certainty, “the quality of that Magic Crystal Vein is almost beyond my comprehension.

The reason why that half-plane occupied by Cave Spiders has stayed here is most likely because the powerful energy contained in the Magic Crystals has twisted space, anchoring the floating half-plane in the Chaos Void and stabilizing it.”

Upon hearing this, Lide's eyes narrowed slightly, and his brain worked rapidly.

“So, you mean that half-plane has stabilized? That Extraordinary is a problem we can't solve in a short time.”

He wasn't worried about anything else, only concerned about the Extraordinary Ghost-faced Spider Queen.

The power of the Extraordinary was something that Dawn City could not deal with yet.

Even though he had reached Level 18, he still couldn't confront an Extraordinary.

Extraordinary beings are called so because they surpass the normal life levels and reach another dimension.

The gap was indescribable.

However, Frey's next words made Lide's heart race.

“The rules of that half-plane are extremely incomplete, the Ghost-faced Spider Emperor, though it has reached the Extraordinary, owns massive power but cannot pass through the already fixed Plane Gate.

Moreover, it doesn't know space-related magic; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to escape…”

He not only infiltrated the Spider's Nest but also crushed its eggs, creating a deep-seated hatred. If possible, Frey would definitely be dismembered by that Extraordinary.

This was also why he was chased for tens of miles and hunted by numerous Earth Cave Spiders after escaping.

“Okay, you rest and heal up for now, and after your wounds are healed, come with me again.

I need more precise information.”

Lide's deep eyes flashed with a hint of cold light.

This matter was too important.

He couldn't rest easy without checking it out himself.

Because if the Magic Crystal Vein turned out to be real, he would have to face a race that occupied a half-plane and had an Extraordinary on their side.

Glory World was not a peaceful world; every race was competing and fighting over resources for survival.

Not to mention Glory, even Earth acts similarly, with some countries waging wars around the world to maintain their dominance, resulting in millions of displaced people and countless others dying directly or indirectly from those wars.

Even the highly civilized Earth was like this, let alone a purely might-makes-right fantasy world.

If Dawn City wanted to develop, it had to compete with other races, whether humans, fishmen, beastmen, or centaurs–all of them were competitors.

When Dawn City couldn't compete with them, it would be the moment of decline or even destruction.

There was no such thing as good and evil, only wars fought over the struggle for living space.

The victors would earn the right to live, while the losers would perish.

Survival or destruction, this heavy responsibility had always been borne by Lide alone.

As a member of the Bloodline, a pure dark entity belonging to the Evil Camp, naturally opposed by all Light Attribute, Nature Element, and Good Camps, the pressure to survive was exceptionally great.

Despite the current smooth sailing of Dawn City, that was because he had always adhered to a cautious and careful developmental approach.

Until now, none of the Light Camp forces had discovered the existence of Dawn City, enabling his so-far easy progress.

However, Lide could not guarantee that even as Dawn City grew, it could maintain this state of secrecy.

Once Dawn City reached a population in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, maintaining secrecy might not be as feasible as now.

So, he was desperately strengthening himself and bolstering Dawn City, to prepare for the crisis he might face in the future–one where Dawn City would need sufficient strength to deal with the danger.

Lide, the orphan, always had his crisis awareness at full alert.

In the early days, development was in opposition to players, but now players no longer posed a threat; instead, the greater danger came from the Glory Main Plane–
from those high above, from the Light Attribute Sects and Divine Powers, who were destined to be his enemies from the moment he became a Bloodline member.

Chapter end