In the Legendary continent, William had ascended to the status of an epic figure, earning himself the reputation of a strong and formidable man. However, with great power came the need for subtlety and careful planning.
William found himself in a peculiar predicament; he had to move something substantial, something that couldn't be tucked away discreetly. The idea of clearing out a warehouse crossed his mind, but that would only lead to humiliation if he were discovered. No, for someone of his stature, he needed a grander endeavor, a city.
The thought alone was daunting, far from a pleasant prospect. Relocating an entire city was a task that transcended petty theft; it was a strategic operation of immense proportions. William rationalized it as strategy rather than theft.
In this critical moment, he took refuge in the shadows, unfurling a scroll of invisibility and concealing his presence. He had the confidence that no orc would detect his movements. Even the city's mightiest inhabitants were no match for his newfound epic powers.
Legend was a rare commodity, not as common as cabbage. William's level had yet to reach the echelons of Legendary leaders, which meant he had to tread carefully in their presence. The orcs, however, couldn't fathom anyone daring to brazenly pilfer their possessions. Their trust in their security was their Achilles' heel.
So, William roamed the colossal city for an extended period, meticulously mapping out the location of eight immense warehouses. Four of them housed a vast array of raw materials, while the remaining four contained an abundance of finished products. Each warehouse was surrounded by a formidable contingent of one hundred masterful Orc guards, both inside and outside.
The exterior guards were to be expected, but the interior security took William by surprise. The orcs had truly gone to great lengths to safeguard their treasures. However, one conundrum persisted: the orc Empire remained blissfully unaware of William's epic transformation.
It was worth noting that within the seven cities of the orc Empire and their treasuries, a wealth of precious treasures lay concealed in William's space ring. Established at the end of the second era, the orc Empire possessed a substantial heritage and abundant resources. In the event that humans and Elves decided to engage in a protracted war, the orc Empire could sustain itself for several decades, provided they still had the means to equip their soldiers.
Orcs, despite their robustness, paled in comparison to Elves and humans in terms of average strength. The casualties and fatalities among orcs far exceeded those of humans and were significantly higher than the Elves.
With a calculated glance, William concluded, "Even if I were to empty this city, it would hardly shake the foundations of the orc empire. Would the Sage secretly hold a grudge against me for this? But then again, it's unreasonable to expect me to simply walk in and start looting."
William was convinced that the Sage of the Elves wouldn't harbor genuine animosity towards him. After all, his life was currently protected by Bernice. Any future attempts on his life would depend on Altai's opportunity. In the grand scheme of things, William knew he had more to lose.
The Elves' Sage was relentless, and William had no doubt that she would continue to pursue him relentlessly. William was willing to take risks and stake everything on the success of Dawn City, even if it meant destruction. He knew that even in the worst-case scenario, he could find refuge in another faction or live as an Elf prince.
Contrastingly, Altai had chosen to align himself with the dark world, sacrificing countless soldiers in the process. As the demon army remained uninvolved in the current war, the orc Empire's defenses were significantly weakened. Perhaps Altai hadn't realized it yet, but humans and Elves had grown complacent after their victory at the Orc Fortress.
Leaders from both races held meetings, questioning Altai's passive approach. They interpreted his actions as a sign of concession six months after the war began. While Altai may not have explicitly admitted defeat, his actions spoke volumes.
Instead of reinforcing the black Great Wall, Altai had dispatched numerous legions to provoke Elves and humans. William couldn't help but question the wisdom of such provocations. Some orcs may be impulsive, but without explicit orders, leaving the black Great Wall was unthinkable.
In reality, Altai was intentionally allowing his legions to depart the black Great Wall, using their deaths to appeal to the empathy of humans and Elves. Elves and the Sage might be lenient and grant them passage.
William couldn't help but ponder the predicament of a massive race being led by a single Sage. "A race of such magnitude, reliant on a single leader, is truly exhausting to survive," he mused. He decided to take shelter in a nearby cave, intending to stay there for several days.
His goal was to understand the rules governing this cave thoroughly. Without knowledge of the cave's peculiarities, he risked exposure, which was unacceptable. He had one chance to carry out his grand plan, and he couldn't afford to squander it. Altai wouldn't allow him to embarrass the orc Empire again, and William intended to make off with the most significant haul of his life in this daring operation.
Days turned into weeks, and William's meticulous planning continued, inching him closer to his audacious heist.
William delved deep into the underground passages, strategically connecting all seven cities, meticulously calculating his next move. As he embarked on this mission, he couldn't help but browse the latest updates on the forums, where news about Chu Liuqiu and his team's victory in the world championship once again dominated the headlines. There were also reports of a recent version update.
However, what truly piqued the interest of countless factions across the continent of gods was the mysterious disappearance of tens of millions of Chosen Ones. The Sages, in particular, cast their gaze upon the Chosen Ones, as if attempting to discern their whereabouts.
Yet, William was confident that these Sages would ultimately be in vain. If all went according to plan, the powerful figures of the Legendary Continent would believe that he, the master of numerous candidates, was tirelessly searching for the missing individuals.
Tonight, however, William had other plans. He had located his next target, the third city, which promised even greater riches in terms of materials. As the sun began to set, he infiltrated the underground of a warehouse and began digging his way inside.
But just as he was making progress, he overheard a piece of unexpected news from the orcs. The rumor was that there would be a large-scale transfer of resources, leaving only half of the materials in each city. More shockingly, the two "holy veins" of their empire were also slated for removal.
"The two holy veins are being removed?" one orc exclaimed upon hearing this news.
Another orc quickly hushed him, cautioning, "Lower your voice, don't spread such information."
Perplexed, the first orc questioned, "But why would they remove the holy veins? Won't that significantly slow down our cultivation speed?"
"Whether they move them or not, it doesn't matter to us. We live in Capital City, and the holy veins have little impact on us."
Frustrated, the first orc conceded, "You're right. I'll go catch an eyeless beast later. Let's have a feast!"
"That sounds like a plan. Don't forget to bring some salt!"
With the conversation taking a culinary turn, the two orcs continued chatting, and one of them even departed to procure an eyeless beast.
In any other circumstance, this would have been the ideal moment for William to silently eliminate the orcs and proceed with his mission to empty the warehouse. With his Epic Level skills, dispatching these master orcs would be effortless. However, he had momentarily forgotten about the significance of the holy veins to the orc Empire.
The holy veins were essentially composed of countless Magical Stones, a veritable treasure trove of resources. William realized the enormity of this revelation and swallowed hard. Dawn City, where he resided, currently possessed nearly two million magic crystals, which served not only as valuable resources for cultivation but also as currency for trade with kingdoms and imperial forces.
However, even two million magic stones wouldn't suffice to support the cultivation needs of the Professionals in Dawn City. Allocated fairly, they would be depleted in less than a month. Only by pooling them together to create magic arrays could they be stretched to accommodate the needs of the city's inhabitants. Yet, even with two million crystals, the doubling effect of the magic array was insufficient.
William was aware of the existence of certain undisclosed Magical Stone veins, but their locations remained elusive, as they were situated on isolated islands. He couldn't determine their whereabouts, let alone access them. Any Magical Stone veins on the Legendary Continent were swiftly seized by powerful factions, leaving nothing behind.
Altai, for instance, had likely paid a steep price to extract the two holy veins. This also explained why he had allowed the orcs to leave the black Great Wall to die. The prospect of removing these veins had evidently motivated him.
Frustration welled up within William as he contemplated the situation. "They'll be moved away in two days? Why wait when I can act now?" he muttered to himself. "I can't resist it any longer. I'll steal one of those Magical Stone veins. Just a tenth of one will suffice for Dawn City's development."
With determination, William began to recite Bernice's name, mentally conveying his sincere request. He believed that the queen should be able to hear his plea. Ignoring him would be tantamount to acquiescence.
Ten minutes elapsed, and William's eyes took on a cold, determined gleam. He knew that the queen's silence was likely a tacit agreement. With renewed resolve, he activated his manual hiding technique and burrowed through the ground at lightning speed, heading toward the orc Capital City hundreds of kilometers away.
Meanwhile, in the distant Frost Forest, Queen Bernice pursed her lips in a wry smile. She had never encountered a supplicant quite like William, who seemed more interested in seizing treasures than courting her favor. Yet, she understood the allure of magic crystals. She muttered to herself, "Just take it. If you're discovered, it's your problem. As long as Altai doesn't do it, how much you manage to seize is your own ability."
After all, no one could resist the temptation of magic crystals.