Chapter 172: Hoping My Children Would Be More Ambitious
“Be careful! The Dark Sound Blind Monster possesses combat power close to the legendary level. Watch out for its Sonic Attack!” Xie Man warned, his voice steady.
The Dark Sound Blind Monster's hearing was acute enough to detect sounds from over a hundred meters away. It was likely attracted by their conversation and had already noticed their presence—hiding was futile.
Sure enough, the Dark Sound Blind Monster raised its head, its tubular, thin mouth quivering slightly as it emitted a sonic wave powerful enough to shatter metal and split rocks, aimed directly at Xie Man and his companions.
The two Rune Knights rushed forward a few steps, raising their shields to protect the group, directly facing the sonic wave unleashed by the monster.
After a tense moment, the shields, made of refined iron, quickly stabilized.
After all, they were enchanted gear; ordinary metal shields would have undoubtedly shattered under this assault.
The block performed by the two Rune Knights bought time for Xie Man and the others, as their spells were already complete.
Xie Man's Weakening Ray and A'Tier's Freezing Ray struck the Dark Sound Blind Monster almost simultaneously, visibly weakening it while a visible layer of frost began to coat its body.
Immediately after, Cole's Magic Missile struck true, hitting the monster's tubular mouth and blasting it apart.
Seizing the moment, the Rune Knights charged forward, wielding their Longswords and Warhammers to strike fiercely.
Under the relentless onslaught of more than ten Rune Knights with Grand Knight-level strength, the Dark Sound Blind Monster struggled wildly but was soon defeated.
Once Xie Man confirmed that the Dark Sound Blind Monster was completely dead, he lowered his hand calmly.
Similar battles had been fought countless times before.
He and his companions had even taken down legendary-level monsters together.
In comparison, a Dark Sound Blind Monster close to legendary level posed little threat.
Just as everyone was relaxing after defeating the Dark Sound Blind Monster, three shadowy figures suddenly emerged from the darkness, ghost-like, flashing behind Xie Man and his companions. The daggers in their hands shimmered with an eerie blue light, aimed straight at the trio’s backs!
The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard.
By the time the surrounding Rune Knights reacted, it was too late to intervene; they could only watch as the daggers pierced the invisible shields and Energy Particle Protection Layer surrounding Xie Man and his companions, only to be halted by an unseen force field.
The three attackers were momentarily stunned. Realizing their mistake, they immediately attempted to retreat.
But it was too late. The counterattack from Xie Man and his companions had already arrived.
Three blinding beams of fire surged through the darkness, transforming into a fan-shaped flame that engulfed the attackers!
Burning Hands!
The three assailants groaned, their forms breaking through the flames as they staggered backward in a distressed state.
In the flickering firelight, Xie Man quickly discerned the faces of the attackers.
They were slender with delicate features, appearing no older than their early twenties—clearly young women.
However, upon seeing their distinctly dark skin and long silver hair, Xie Man's expression hardened. He blurted out:
“Dark Elf!”
There truly were Dark Elves!
A'Tier's brow furrowed. He felt a surge of relief and gratitude that he had maintained the activation of his Extreme Protection Ring, which allowed him to narrowly evade the strike. If he hadn’t, that blow could have either killed him or left him severely injured.
It was often said that Dark Elves were born assassins. He hadn’t fully grasped that before, but now he understood it was true.
Any other Second-Level Wizard Apprentice without an Extreme Protection Ring would have perished from that attack.
Xie Man and Cole also wore grim expressions. Unbeknownst to them, the three Dark Elves across from them were equally shocked.
They had prepared for a long time and believed their assault was certain to succeed, yet it had been effortlessly blocked. Their efforts had been entirely in vain.
They had originally intended to ambush and eliminate the three other Wizard Apprentices, then retreat leisurely. However, now that the attack had failed, they had no intention of continuing the fight. The three exchanged glances, then decisively retreated, seeking to slip back into the shadows.
Now that they had finally located their targets, the three Xie Man refused to let their opponents escape. Without hesitation, they activated the Ring of Calamity in their hands. In an instant, three Calamity Claws materialized out of thin air, piercing the bodies of the three Dark Elves.
The Rings of Calamity that the three Xie Man possessed were merely ordinary versions, not the ultimate ones.
Yet, the Dark Elves were not powerful Level Three Wizard Apprentices either. As the Calamity Claws pierced their bodies, they let out wretched screams and collapsed to the ground, twitching as if electrocuted, completely losing their ability to resist.
Taking advantage of this, the surrounding Rune Knights surged forward, suppressing the three Dark Elves.
Seeing this, Xie Man breathed a slight sigh of relief, his fingers caressing the Ring of Calamity as a smile formed on his lips.
Thankfully, the Ring of Calamity had proven effective. If these three Dark Elves had managed to slip into the shadows, recapturing them would have been a difficult task.
The dim environment of the Underworld was naturally the Dark Elves' home turf. Their ability to blend into the shadows in this setting was unmatched, making them elusive and unpredictable. If it weren't for this advantage, their notorious reputation would not have spread throughout the Underworld, instilling fear in the hearts of many.
"Put Anti-Magic Cuffs on them and take them back to Nolan City."
"Dark Elves?"
Su Nan, seated behind his desk, looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes.
Having just emerged from the Meditation Room and summoned Karolina and Red Widow, he had learned from them about the capture of the Dark Elves.
Su Nan couldn't help but feel astonished.
Nolan City, the closest city to Spider City in the Star Alliance, was still seven or eight hundred kilometers away. No matter how rapidly the Star Alliance expanded, it was still far from posing a threat to Spider City.
Would those infighting-loving individuals from Spider City be so aware of potential dangers that they would send people ahead of time to investigate Star Alliance's intelligence? Su Nan found that hard to believe.
"Yes, Master," Karolina replied respectfully. "We interrogated the three captured Dark Elves, and their testimonies were consistent. They are members of the Felier Family from Spider City, and they were specifically here to gather intelligence on the Star Alliance."
"They had initially planned to return to Spider City, but they discovered the exploration team mid-journey and decided to ambush the other Wizard Apprentices."
At this, Karolina felt a twinge of pity for the three unfortunate Dark Elves.
If they had encountered a team led by a different Wizard Apprentice, they might have succeeded, but they had the misfortune of running into Xie Man's trio.
Those three were the strongest Wizard Apprentices under Su Nan's command.
With their considerable power and excellent equipment, they had no reason to fear even a First Ring Legendary Knight.
To target these three was nothing short of courting death.
"Felier Family, huh?"
Su Nan's eyes flickered slightly.
He recalled that a clue regarding the Black Forest, one of the Three Great Wizard Heritages, might lie with this Dark Elf family.
He hadn't even sought them out yet, and now they had come knocking at his door.
After a moment of contemplation, Su Nan said in a low voice, "Inform the exploration teams about the Dark Elf situation and advise them to be more vigilant during their outings."
"Also, the fourth Small Golem Legion will arrive at the front lines today. You two can discuss the specific arrangements among yourselves."
"Yes, Master."
Karolina and Red Widow exchanged secret smiles.
The pressure on the Star Alliance front lines had been increasing recently, and relying solely on two Small Golem Legions was stretching their forces thin.
Fortunately, with the arrival of another Golem Legion, that pressure would be significantly alleviated.
"How is the preparation for the Dragon Antelope Knights progressing?" Su Nan asked about another matter.
The Dragon Antelope from the Dragon Antelope Ranch had matured, and it was time to release them.
With a total of two hundred Dragon Antelope, they would be able to form a Dragon Antelope Knights unit.
If all went well, the ranch could produce a batch of Dragon Antelope each year, gradually increasing the ranks of the Dragon Antelope Knights.
Of course, given the rate of expansion of the Magic Knight Order, it was impossible to equip everyone with Dragon Antelope; at most, they could prioritize a selection of elite warriors.
“Everything is ready,” Red Widow said. “The chosen ones are all elites who have already advanced to Grand Knight.”
Su Nan nodded in satisfaction.
These Rune Knights at the Grand Knight level, equipped with Third Level Magic Rune Constructs and Enchanted Weapons, boast true combat power comparable to peak Grand Knights.
Moreover, the two hundred Dragon Antelopes, while not fully mature and still shy of the Legendary Realm, are not far from it.
The combination of these Dragon Antelopes and the Rune Knights could even put up a fight against a Rank One Legendary Knight.
Such an army would serve as the core trump card of the Magic Knight Order.
On the battlefield, they would undoubtedly be a formidable force that would make enemies tremble in fear!
Seeing Su Nan wave his hand, Karolina and Red Widow exchanged knowing glances and retreated. After leaving the study, they hurried to the front lines.
As the Star Alliance grew stronger, the two women became increasingly invigorated.
Though their days were filled with tasks, they found joy in the work.
Previously, they had managed only a single City-State and a few mines, but now they oversaw a total of fifteen City-States and hundreds of resource points. Their progress was simply extraordinary.
In the Southeastern Region of the Underworld, they had also gained considerable recognition.
In the study, Su Nan examined the battle report before him, lost in thought.
The report was from the surface world.
Over the past four years, a war had raged between the Star Alliance, led by the Starry Sky Empire, and the Azure Gold Empire.
In the early days of the conflict, the Azure Gold Empire managed to leverage its strong foundation to reach a stalemate with the Star Alliance.
However, the strain of the prolonged battles eventually caused the Azure Gold Empire to buckle under the pressure.
A year later, the Azure Gold Empire had no choice but to abandon large swathes of border territory, shorten its battle lines, and regain some breathing room.
Having tasted success, the morale of the Star Alliance soared, leading them to continue advancing the battle lines over the following three years.
To date, the Azure Gold Empire had lost more than half of its territory.
Most of it had been consumed by the Starry Sky Empire, nearly doubling its sphere of influence.
With one rising and the other declining, the Azure Gold Empire was no longer a match for the Star Alliance.
It was clear to anyone with eyes that the Azure Gold Empire was already a setting sun, and its demise was only a matter of time.
Su Nan wasn't surprised by this.
With the support of the Star Alliance, the Golem Legion, and numerous allied nations, if the Star Alliance still couldn’t defeat the Azure Gold Empire, it might as well disband.
Precisely because of the Star Alliance's strong momentum, Su Nan had yet to recall the supporting Golem Legion, despite the significant pressure facing the front lines.
After all, he was still counting on the Golem Legion to earn more mercenary rewards to cover the funding shortfall in forming the fifth Small Golem Legion squad.
Once the fifth Small Golem Legion squad was established, the Star Alliance would truly possess a Medium Golem Legion force.
"According to regulations, a Medium Golem Legion force needs to be assigned a Mithril Golem."
Over the past four years, Su Nan had refined three more Mithril Golems, bringing his total to five.
In addition, he had accumulated a significant amount of Mithril and created a new Secret Puppet.
The two Secret Puppets he currently possessed were named Puppet 1 and Puppet 2, respectively.
Putting down the battle report, Su Nan stretched.
A year ago, he had completed the final Star Ring, and his Spiritual Power had accordingly grown to 59.65.
After that, he absorbed another wave of Death Knell Striker and Divine Energy from the Multi-Winged Monster, boosting his Spiritual Power to a full 60 points.
At this point, all the prerequisites for constructing the Talent Crystal were satisfied.
The Lower Level Talent Crystal Model for the Magic Pattern Core had also long been researched, so Su Nan immediately began the construction process.
Drawing upon his experiences from his past life, as well as the meditation bonus from God Blood Amber, the Transcendental Potion, and the Elemental Pool, the model construction progressed very smoothly.
In just over a year, the model construction was already about halfway completed.
Su Nan estimated that he should be able to successfully construct the Lower Level Talent Crystal Model before the Star Tower appeared at the end of next year.
Afterward, whether he could use the Magic Cube for synthesis and enhancement remained to be seen.
Flash City, Royal Palace.
Abbott Yarnell walked into the hall with a look of dejection. As he looked up, he saw his father and mother seated there, along with his younger brother, Wes, and younger sister, Adela.
Upon seeing Abbott, the two little ones immediately rushed over to greet him.
"Big brother!"
The three were close in age and had shared a strong bond since childhood.
Abbott forced a smile, exchanged a few words with his younger siblings, and then freed himself from their embrace to approach his parents.
"Father, Mother."
Taking a deep breath, Abbott prepared to tell them the results of today’s Aptitude Test but was interrupted by his father, Ke Yi.
"The testing process is very draining, Spirit. You should go rest first, and we can eat together later."
His mother, Shaya, also stood up to give him a gentle hug, whispering softly, "You must be very tired; go and rest quickly."
Abbott immediately understood that his father and mother must have learned the news of his failure in the Aptitude Test the moment he finished.
Seeing that his father and mother were not disappointed in him but remained as gentle as ever, Abbott's sense of loss lightened a bit. He nodded obediently and returned to his room to rest.
After Abbott left, Shaya hesitated before saying, “Ke Yi, can't we ask Su Nan to make an exception? Even if Abbott’s aptitude is a bit lacking, with dedication, he should still be able to become a Wizard Apprentice, right?”
Ke Yi sighed and shook his head. “It’s no use. Even if we use potions to forcibly enhance his spirit and he manages to pass the test, a poor aptitude means he’ll likely remain nothing more than a First Level Wizard Apprentice even in old age. It’s better for him to pursue the Knight path.”
While a Wizard Apprentice was indeed powerful, that applied only to those who reached at least Second Level.
A First Level Wizard Apprentice was even inferior to a Grand Knight; they served merely as tools for producing low-level potions and puppets, and their future was bleak.
Rather than languish as a First Level Wizard Apprentice for life, it was wiser to focus on cultivating the Knight Breathing Technique and martial arts.
At least Abbott had good Knight aptitude. With the full support of the Royal Family's resources, he could definitely become a Third Circle Legendary Knight in the future, and even breaking through to Fourth Circle Legend wasn't an impossible dream. That path held far more potential than becoming a Wizard Apprentice.
Shaya sighed, her expression melancholic.
Ke Yi turned to look at his somewhat bewildered children.
In his heart, he too hoped that the Royal Family could produce a Wizard Apprentice.
It was indeed a beneficial move, whether to consolidate the Royal Family's prestige or to strengthen ties with Su Nan.
Unfortunately, this was not something he could achieve merely by wishing for it, even as a dignified Grand Duke of Prosperous Star.
He could only hope that his children would live up to expectations.
A friend has recommended the book "I Play the King in the Wizarding World." Those who are interested should certainly take a look.
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