In this regard, the forest elves agreed very easily, even claiming that both parties were allies and that they were willing to do these tasks for free. They also mentioned that this was a way for spellcasters to cultivate their abilities.
Sophia, Skye, and other commanders naturally accepted these free benefits without any embarrassment.
---
Time flew by.
In the dark forest, monster villages were constructed one after another, and wide roads were repaired. With rampant reproduction and unrestricted food supplies, the number of ordinary monsters exploded at a terrifying pace.
Two and a half million, three million, four million.
A pair of goblins would give birth to a litter of about five or six goblins. After giving birth, these goblins could become capable of working in only half a month and could reproduce again after a month.
When these five or six goblins formed families and reproduced, half a month later, another twenty or thirty goblin cubs would be born. By analogy, just a few months were enough for the monster population to explode.
These new monsters, those with qualifications, would learn blood professions, and those with exceptionally strong qualifications would be transformed by the blood of the void and accepted by the Black Wing Lair for unified training. Whether they became Dragon Vein Warlocks or powerful monsters depended entirely on their talents.
The Black Wing Nest in the south was expanding its power at an extremely rapid pace, and wars were constantly breaking out between the Crimson Nest in the east and the human-centered camp.
---
A large number of monsters and warriors on both sides fell on the battlefield.
The intensity of the war gradually escalated.
At the same time, there was movement among the sahuagins in the Albit Kingdom.
After the sahuagins who had previously attacked the kingdom captured the southern region, they returned to the Laputa River with a large number of human captives and relinquished most of the conquered southern lands to the centaurs, allowing the centaurs to claim a significant portion of this massive cake.
However, this does not mean that the sahuagin's ambitions stopped there. They are still secretly redirecting the flow of the Laputa River, and a large number of tide warlocks are casting spells, transforming the land into lakes, one by one. They were encroaching on the kingdom's territory bit by bit, altering the very shape of the continent.
After more than five years of transformation, thousands of lakes and branches of the Laputa River appeared in the southern territory of the kingdom, forming a massive strategic front.
---
Off the coast of the South Sea, in an underground cave on an unknown desert island.
The small altar teleportation array flickered faintly, and I, in the form of a dragon-man, appeared on it.
The giant dark-blue-scaled beast that was guarding the cave's entrance saw me and approached hurriedly.
With a flash of black light, I reverted to my true form as a black dragon, more than fifty meters long. The dark-blue-scaled beast, originally over thirty meters long, suddenly shrank into a puppy.
The thick dragon claw touched the mosasaur's head, as if stroking a pet.
"Take good care of your home."
With that said, a ball of dragon blood condensed and flew toward the mosasaur.
The mosasaur was so excited after consuming the dragon's blood in one gulp that it licked the black dragon's claws. Its current wisdom was no less than that of a seven- or eight-year-old human child. Within the next six months, it was expected to rival normal human intelligence.
I played with it for a while before dismissing it.
As soon as the thought occurred, ripples appeared in the space, and the corpses of abyssal creatures fell through the ripples, landing on the ground with bursts of dust.
These were the spoils I brought back from the abyss.
Every other month, when the cooldown of the feast was about to expire, I would go to the abyss to hunt through the teleportation altar a few days in advance.
My hunting targets were at least high-order abyssal creatures.
Looking at the corpses of abyssal creatures piled into a hill, I couldn't help but sigh, "Only the abyss allows me to kill so freely."
There were dozens of high-order abyssal creatures and three top-order abyssal creatures among them. Although they were only 15th or 16th order, they were not as formidable as the 18th or 19th-order abyss fire pythons. After all, abyss fire pythons of that order were not everywhere.
However, a force with creatures of this level of strength could already be considered a small- to medium-sized power in the Tal Plane after all many small kingdoms only have these, more than sufficient to establish a weak principality or independent faction.
Although the Tal Plane is vast, numerous small- to medium-sized powers rise and fall every year.
Still, my monthly hunting and devouring needs make me too conspicuous on the Tal Plane.
Nowadays, in the Tal Plane, the only resource that can satisfy me for an extended period is the ocean.
But compared to the abyss, the oceans of the Tal Plane are far more dangerous—not because there are more powerful creatures in the ocean than in the abyss, but because most ocean territories in Tal are ruled by dominant overlords.
The Abyss, on the other hand, is different. Aside from Abyssal Cities, it is largely a wilderness unclaimed by any organized force.
Hunting high-order sea beasts freely in the Tal Oceans is equivalent to provoking those overlords and would result in their pursuit. In contrast, hunting high-order abyssal creatures in the wild abyss draws no such attention. The only concern is the possibility of encountering a wandering abyssal powerhouse who might interfere.
Between the two, I naturally chose the abyss.
This is also why Noah refrains from hunting indiscriminately.
After all, even in the abyss, legendary powerhouses are relatively rare. Most legendary figures reside in high-tier abyssal cities or are summoned to the Material Plane to 'work,' and they generally don't roam freely.
Even if I encountered a legendary powerhouse, as long as it wasn't one of the stronger ones, I am now confident enough to escape. If the opponent were a very weak legend, I might even test myself against them. Even in defeat, I could retreat easily with my Overdrive Mod on.
This conclusion was drawn from repeated hunts and the purchase of battle crystals of legendary powerhouses from the Chamber of Commerce of All Realms.
After several actual battles, I can now easily kill ordinary 19th-order abyssal creatures, barring those with extremely powerful escape abilities.
According to the strength classification defined by the abyss and many material planes, I am now in the first echelon [Extreme] of the 19th order. Although I have just crossed the threshold of this echelon, I already possess the potential to kill regular master-level powerhouses and escape from newly promoted legendary ones.
But this is not enough. My short-term goal is to at least become a formidable presence in the extreme echelon, capable of fighting newly promoted legendary powerhouses head-on without resorting to the limited-time state of Overdrive Mode.
Finding a good position in the cave, I cast a guard enchantment to shield the area.
[The feast begins]
In an instant, the black dragon transformed into a gluttonous beast, greedily consuming all matter and energy before me.
The corpses of abyssal creatures were devoured one by one.
One day later, I awoke from my enhanced slumber.
Shaking my massive dragon body, I felt the increase in power. It was roughly estimated that the strengthening effect of this feast was equivalent to two to three ordinary feast enhancements.
Ordinary feast enhancement means consuming medium- and low-order creatures and mineral veins and tresures. Most of which derived magic eye sarcoma also belongs to this level, being the most common food consumed during my feasts prior to entering the abyss.
Glancing at the creature order, which had reached [Intermediate 15th], I smiled with satisfaction.
I just broke through to the fifteenth order a few months ago, but shortly after, I managed to raise my rank again.
If it were the same feast food as before, it would have taken at least one or two years, and the efficiency could be said to have increased several times.
Lifting the barrier, I called the Mosasaurus over, then pointed at the five or six uneaten high-order abyssal creatures remaining on the ground and said,
"It's for you."
After receiving the reward, the Mosasaurus rushed forward excitedly, chewing and tearing at the corpse of the abyssal creature with its bloody mouth.
Every time I go hunting in the abyss, I make sure to hunt more to avoid failing to make enough progress with the feast, so there is always leftover food each time.
I don't bother taking the remaining food with me and let the Mosasaurus deal with it every time.
Watching the Mosasaurus eat happily, without lingering too long, I summoned the any door and stepped through it.
As soon as the perspective shifted, I found myself back at the Black Castle's Dragon Pond.
After returning to the Dragon Pond, I dedicated myself to practicing magic for only a few days before war broke out once again in the Albit Kingdom.
---
The Sahuagin, who had been dormant for over five years, reemerged.
However, this was not the worst for the Albit Kingdom. The real threat was that the Sahuagin clan had successfully persuaded the Centaur clan to ally with them, resulting in a devastating invasion against the kingdom.
In response, the Kingdom of Albit made a cruel decision. When attacked, they would retreat, evacuating as many civilians as possible and leaving large swathes of territory to the Centaurs and Sahuagin.
This strategy was akin to quenching thirst by drinking poison.
But at least, in the short term, it was effective.
The Centaurs, limited by their population, were unable to sustain a prolonged or deep war. Even after more than five years of reproduction, the Centaur population had barely exceeded 100,000, only returning to the numbers they had ten years ago.
For the Centaurs, who had already claimed the northern wasteland and half of the kingdom's southern lands, acquiring more territory was unnecessary. The territory they currently occupied was already too vast to manage with only 100,000 members.
Eventually, stretched too thin, the Centaur clan retreated to their original lands after wreaking havoc.
The Sahuagin, however, did not retreat, though they were unable to launch deeper attacks.
Low-order Sahuagin cannot remain out of the water for long periods, and since their armies primarily consist of low-order warriors, this massive offensive, which initially appeared as a kingdom-destroying force, turned out to be no more than a threat that never fully materialized.
Still, anyone with a discerning eye could see how frightening the Sahuagin truly were.
The Sahuagin began casting spells on the surrendered lands, creating lakes, directing underground water, and diverting the Laputa River. They did everything possible to establish new water bodies.
These newly formed lakes, tributaries, and waterways became habitats for Sahuagin tribes to migrate, reproduce, and grow.
This gradual transformation was steadily eroding the foundation of the kingdom.
Unlike the Centaurs, whose limited population prevented them from significantly destabilizing the kingdom, the Sahuagin's strategy was far more insidious and threatening.
Their actions left the kingdom's leadership—King Ivan, nobles, and commoners alike—feeling as if they were suffocating under the weight of impending doom.
---
"Damn it," the seventh king, Ivan, muttered, his face darkening as he reviewed magical reports.
The contents of the reports deepened his frown.
Things were spiraling out of Ivan's control.
According to Ivan's plan, both the Sahuagin and Centaurs were merely tools, sharp blades meant to slice away the kingdom's rot.
What he hadn't anticipated was the Sahuagin's resolute determination to invade. Nor had he foreseen the immense power they had amassed.
Seven or eight years ago, the Sahuagin invaded the kingdom with only a million troops. Now, their second invasion, seven or eight years later, had grown to multiple millions.
Ivan realized that many of these Sahuagin were bred and raised within the kingdom's waters.
"This won't work. Continuing to retreat is not an option," Ivan thought calmly.
He could accept the loss of a few nobles—after all, uncontrolled power was a liability.
But the loss of too many civilians was unacceptable to Ivan.
The population was the foundation of any kingdom.
Previously, Ivan didn't care when millions of civilians perished because he believed the kingdom could recover within a few years. But if this retreat continued, resulting in tens of millions of casualties, the kingdom's foundation would truly be shaken.
"Should I recruit a legendary powerhouse?" Ivan considered.
With the kingdom's thousands of years of accumulated wealth and resources, recruiting a legendary warrior was feasible, though it would stretch their coffers.
If a legendary powerhouse could slay the Sahuagin Duke and eliminate some Sahuagin nobles, the threat would be reduced by at least half.
As for Albit Kingdom's own long-lost legend?
Ivan had given up on that possibility. That particular individual had never been nurtured by the royal family, but rather had emerged as a legend among the people. The kingdom had virtually no control over him.
Contacting that legend was impossible.
"Perhaps he's dead," Ivan mused.
The Albit Kingdom had been in turmoil for so long without any sign of the legendary warrior. Moreover, the individual had been missing for over 200 years, potentially perishing somewhere on the Tal Plane.
Alternatively, he could have ventured to other planes to explore. Ambitious legendary warriors often leave their homelands to seek greater challenges, resources, and opportunities for growth.
"I'll wait a little longer. If I can't break through to the legendary threshold myself, then I'll hire a legendary warrior with historical ties to the kingdom," Ivan resolved.
---
Meanwhile, the actions of the kingdom, Centaurs, and Sahuagin had little impact on Blackwing Lair.
Development there continued uninterrupted.
After all, none of these factions harbored intentions to attack Blackwing Lair.
The kingdom was preoccupied with its own survival.
Although the Centaurs resented the invasion of their Dark Forest territory, the formidable strength of Blackwing Lair kept them at bay. They had no knowledge that the Black Dragon Lord was Lyanna's descendant, now a consort in the world eyes. Like surrounding factions, they assumed this was an old black dragon who had lived in obscurity and suddenly took an interest in establishing a monster kingdom.
No one suspected that the ruler of Blackwing Lair was merely a twenty-year-old black dragon, still several years away from the dragon tribe's adolescent stage at 25.
As for the Sahuagin?
They were wholly consumed by their invasion of the Albit Kingdom and paid no attention to other developing forces.
As time passed, the Sahuagin's invasion transitioned into a phase of encroachment and expansion.
However, not long after the war in the southern continent subsided, a colossal conflict erupted in the east between the Crimson Nest and two human-led camps.
The scale of this war exceeded all prior conflicts.
The legendary dragon of the Crimson Nest met its end, as did the legendary figure among the humans—a dragon knight from the Reen Empire, Dion Beye.
The legendary dragon of the Crimson Nest was Brons, an ancient black dragon who had followed the Crimson Mother for millennia.
After thousands of years, standing on the brink of death, Brons had finally broken through to the legendary rank, cementing his place in history as a legendary dragon of great renown.
*****
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