However, the Tale Was Far from Over
Charles observed the swarms of The Five Venomous Toads beginning to encircle his foolish slave girl and immediately understood that they had fallen for a feigned weakness.
These toads, although possessing terrifying strength, had maintained an excessively low profile.
Seeing Catherine caught in a standoff, Charles conjured a blade in his right hand, one that was similar to hers but uniquely designed for a Zerg Overlord—the Blade of Dominion.
Simultaneously, a pair of thin, enormous wings unfurled from his back—wings that only high-ranking Zerg were privileged to awaken.
As a Zerg Overlord, it was inconceivable that his true strength would be inferior to that of his slave girl. He had simply seen no need to intervene until now.
It should be noted that while other Overlords might serve merely as commanders, Charles's dominion extended beyond leadership into the realm of warfare.
In a fleeting moment of distraction, his insect wings propelled him into the air. In an instant, he had wrapped his arm around Catherine's waist. With a cold, indifferent expression, he declared, "Foolish slave girl, are those wings on your back merely ornamental? Watch as your master slaughters this rabble!"
Indeed, she deserved to be harshly "disciplined" for her incompetence!
At his words, Catherine stuck out her tongue, her wings fluttering gently but making no move to leave Charles's embrace.
It was clear she was doing this intentionally.
She gazed admiringly at her master as he plunged into the swarm of The Five Venomous Toads, slaughtering them with the precision and grace of a deadly weapon. His elegant swordsmanship resembled a dance, leaving not a single stain upon him.
This was her master, Charles, a formidable Zerg Overlord.
The venomous toads quickly realized something was amiss upon encountering this deadly adversary. In their haste to retreat to the dark river, those nearest to its edge were the first to be cut down.
Thus unfolded the absurd spectacle of the venomous toads being gradually driven away from the river's domain. By the time they reached the shore, only three of the original twenty toads remained.
Charles waved his Blade of Dominion with an air of boredom and remarked, "Foolish slave girl, now it's your turn to perform."
"My subordinates shall harbor no weaklings!"
Fortunately, Charles understood that Catherine had been merely toying with them. Oherwise, he would have had to train his foolish slave girl rigorously.
In the realm of the Overlord Continent, combat strength was the key to survival.
Upon hearing her master's command, Catherine's eyes gleamed with cruelty. The Queen's Blade, her true skill, was fully unleashed, forming two ten-meter-long blades of flesh. With a sweeping motion, she decimated all The Five Venomous Toads in an instant.
This was the true power of Catherine's Queen's Blade skill, a technique worthy of its name. The previous blade was merely her passive ability.
Charles nodded in satisfaction. This power might even challenge a second-tier adversary. From the perspective of a Zerg Queen, her development was quite promising.
The dark river returned to its tranquil state, and the worker bees began to drag the carcasses of the toads and crows back to serve as nourishment for the fungal mats.
Meanwhile, Charles's Eye of Data had already registered over twenty treasure chests.
Charles did not hesitate, he immediately opened all the treasure chests with a single command. A batch of mid-tier, first-level treasure chests should still be considered top-notch boss loot at this stage. Hopefully, he could get that one special item he had been looking for.
[Congratulations, Overlord, for obtaining the blueprint for a Basic Moonwell and a Silver-grade Heart of the Overlord]
For Charles, only these two items were truly useful. One would allow him to complete the beginner elf set and manually create an Elven Forest, while the other would enable an upgrade to the Heart of the Overlord, thereby increasing the power cap for both him and Catherine.
As for the other items from the chests, they were a mixed bag of mostly useless things, primarily blueprints for mundane household items like filters, with a few containing magical elements. Charles kept some of these items, but they would ultimately be traded at the parchment-based trading center for resources necessary for the Zerg.
Charles was already aware from his previous life that the Heart of the Overlord limited the strength of the Overlord and their subordinates. This was no secret in future times.
A Bronze-tier Heart of the Overlord could accommodate non-tier and first-tier Overlords and their subordinates, while the Silver-tier heart they had obtained could support up to third-tier.
Both Charles and Catherine were currently constrained by the Heart of the Overlord. With an upgrade, they could successfully step into the second tier.
Charles glanced at the parchment, checking the time. About four hours remained until dawn.
"Let's head back, Catherine. Our exploration for tonight ends here. Your master has something even more exhilarating for you to experience." he said after some thought, deciding it was better to return and sell the surplus resources before upgrading the Heart of the Overlord.
At his words, Catherine's eyes reddened. Were they not in the wilderness, she might have reached out to touch herself.
There was no helping it, her master's words always carried double meanings. Making herself wet would hasten her climax.
...
In the District Exchange Forum
[ID 8213: My goblins are reproducing so rapidly that I can't sustain them anymore. Does anyone have breadfruit for trade? High prices and low hassle, sincerely seeking help!]
[ID 1453: Does anyone have a filter? Damn it, are you all saying your reincarnated beings don't need water, and I'm the only human here?]
[ID 438: This is hilarious. I'm an Elven Queen, but my place has zero natural resources, just a lone sacred tree to feed me.]
Charles scanned the trade listings and found there were still very few items posted.
Considering this was just after the first night, it made sense. The first wave of darkness had blessed the Overlords with valuable items, unlikely to be up for trade so soon.
He took a moment to glance at the extensive blueprints and resources in his system space, a slight smirk curving his lips.
The time for harvest had come.
When it came to blueprints, weapons, or skill books, those other folks might fall short. But minerals? They had to have plenty of those.
Charles immediately dumped all his surplus items onto the trading platform, specifying a barter system to collect the resources needed for upgrading the Heart of the Overlord.
Three hundred tons of lumber, one hundred tons of iron ore, and one upgraded Heart of the Overlord—deal sealed!
[ID 1 uploaded Filter * N]
[ID 1 uploaded...]
The entire exchange channel erupted into chaos. Had this big shot raided an entire horde of bosses or what?
Subsequently, They Followed the Data Stream Directly to the Trading Center.Upon discovering that those elusive blueprints and skill books could be exchanged merely by gathering raw materials, they were utterly ecstatic!
"What? A Dragonfire Magic Skill Book for just ten tons of iron ore? I'll gather it with my subordinates right away!"
"What? A filter blueprint for just one ton of wood? I'll gather it with my subordinates right now!"
In this era, the novice lords had no shortage of time to collect basic construction materials. They worked tirelessly, six hours a day without rest, and now they could actually obtain magical skill books!
Charles quietly observed the scene unfolding before him, a smile playing on his lips.
He needed these raw materials to swiftly ascend to a Silver-tier Overlord, while the new Overlords urgently required blueprints and skills to enhance their own strength. It was a win-win situation.
Just as he was reveling in the influx of materials, a private chat window suddenly popped up. To his surprise, it was from that elf girl with the ID 438.
Attached at the end is a picture of an elf girl that is obviously from the internet, with the software watermark still intact.
Charles's lips twitched.
[ID 1: ???]
[ID 438: You are so powerful. Do you have anything useful for an elf?]
[ID 1: Yes, I have the beginner Elf Empress set, including a Moonwell. So, what do you have to trade?]
Though Charles did need an elf to obtain the Tree of Life, it was evident that the other party was trying to get something for nothing. There was no way Charles would fall for it.
The other party remained silent for a long time, and after realizing that her seductive tactics wouldn't work, she finally typed out a response.
[ID 438: Other than my title as the Elf Queen, I have nothing else. If we are talking about a trade, all I can offer is my body as the Elf Queen and the Tree of Life. The former, even if I were to offer myself to you, you wouldn't be able to get here. The latter is my lifeline. Is there anything else you might want?]
[ID 438: I do have a high-level contract, which would bind both parties to the agreement. My conditions are twofold: you cannot make me your sexual slave, and you cannot demand the Tree of Life.]
[ID 438: By the way, my name is Augustine Eve, the future Queen of the Elven race.]