Three years before the New Era.
Mid-Wind Month, May 20th.
Deep within a valley in the Abelion Hills.
Dense, thumb-sized sacred energy, like countless fireflies, rapidly converged toward the center, emitting a dazzling light.
The holy radiance bathed the area in pure white as the sacred energy was gradually absorbed.
The white light slowly faded, revealing a figure in a white robe at its center.
As the last trace of light vanished, Tang Zheng appeared at the very center of the ritual, his body enveloped in a faint glow that then completely merged into his skin.
Experience Bar: 1,500,000/1,880,000
"The Theocracy's matters are temporarily concluded."
Tang Zheng felt his entire body infused with sacred energy, a warm, comforting sensation, and couldn't help but stretch.
He had spent about 10 days in the Theocracy, collecting over 15 million Experience Points. Now, upon returning to the hills, the first thing to do was naturally to consolidate his Experience Points.
"Killing Death must be furious right now, but it'll be the Darkness Scripture members who get the headache. She'll probably take it out on them."
Tang Zheng let out a chuckle, recalling his actions when leaving the Theocracy.
After the three parties had finalized their plans, Tang Zheng and the Holy Kingdom naturally had no reason to stay longer and intended to leave the Theocracy the next day.
However, Killing Death suddenly sought him out. Her tone was rather overbearing.
"The new toy you made is good. Leave it in the Theocracy."
"That won't do."
"Do you really think a weakling like you can escape from me?"
"Alright, may I ask, do you know the ability of this feather necklace?"
"That magic item? It seems to be something the blonde person used before. What was its ability again..."
Upon hearing this, Tang Zheng silently put on Shilmi's Messenger and activated its ability.
A flash of light!
A human-sized bronze feather first materialized, then transformed into a Flame Archangel, and Tang Zheng's figure vanished from Killing Death's sight.
End of flashback.
"The High Priests, in granting me this magic item, must have considered my safety as a priority."
Tang Zheng lowered his head, reaching to take off the bronze feather necklace from his neck, a subtle curve forming on his lips.
"Its Teleportation isn't as good as true Tier Magic, and it consumes magic power, so it's barely better than nothing for me."
"But for 'Tang,' the adventurer, this item is quite good."
The Holy Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy should now focus most of their efforts on the Sacred Plan!
He wondered what Remedios and the others' expressions would be when they returned to the Holy Kingdom, and the Holy Queen unexpectedly gained such astonishing rewards?
"As the dignified ruler of a nation, there should be some acknowledgment."
Tang Zheng was rather looking forward to it.
Around 5,000 Angels each year represent a powerful force for human nations, but for Tang Zheng, it was far from enough.
"One of the gains from this trip to the Slane Theocracy was a more comprehensive understanding of the Integration Potion."
"The Sacred Plan?"
A sharp glint flickered in Tang Zheng's eyes.
The true core of this plan wasn't the few thousand low-tier Angels and handful of mid-tier Angels that the Holy Kingdom and Slane Theocracy had produced.
Don't forget!
The Tenth Tier Magic, "Final War (Good)."
He needed to further research and confirm the application of the Frogmen Egg - Artificial Demon Creature.
"I feel like there's still a whole lot of things to arrange."
"The application of the Frogmen Egg - Artificial Demon Creature and neutral Angels."
"The advancement plan for Despair Valley."
"The kingdom's next arrangements, and so on."
Tang Zheng inhaled the fresh mountain air of the valley, feeling quite a headache from the numerous tasks he needed to arrange.
However, compared to these matters, the most important thing was still his class construction and level progression!
He summoned his Attribute Panel.
"The [Sword Saint] class has been removed. Next, I need to further solidify the class build for the True Dragon Lord system."
Tang Zheng pondered, then softly chanted, "Teleport."
Swish!
The air seemed to contract, and his figure vanished.
...
—Tove Great Forest.
Outskirts.
Tall, lush trees intertwined their branches and leaves, forming a dense canopy that, at a glance, revealed only a profound sea of forest.
Rustle, rustle!
Five figures of varying builds moved slowly deeper into the Tove Great Forest, treading on fallen leaves and overgrown weeds.
The chirping of insects and birdsong surged from all directions, creating a continuous wave of sound that vibrated the air, carrying a terrifying clamor.
Whoosh!
A gleaming, blood-veined, sharp dagger sliced through the air, cutting away the shrubs and weeds blocking their path.
"Gah~"
"Look what I found." Tia stepped on the weeds in front of her, then crouched down and carefully pulled out a shorter herb.
Tina glanced at it, continuing to vigilantly observe her surroundings. She said calmly, "Engle Herb, a specialty of the Tove Great Forest."
"It's a core ingredient for healing potions, priced around 5 to 7 silver coins."
"A good haul."
Tia expressionlessly placed the herb carefully into the Magic Belt at her waist, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes:
"As expected of the resource-rich Tove Great Forest. Just the herb harvest alone might cover a fifth of this mission's commission."
Clink, clank~
Hard armor parts rubbed together, making faint sounds.
Gaguran, clad in red armor, carried a terrifying iron hammer on her shoulders, following closely behind: "You two, don't forget our mission."
"Alright."
Tia stood up, and with Tina, continued to scout ahead with daggers in hand, one on each side. She said casually, "This is an unexpected bonus from the mission. Why would we refuse it?"
"At least for now, there's nothing unusual in the Tove Great Forest."
"We still need to be cautious." A cool, smiling voice chimed in.
Lakyus and Kingdom Destroyer were at the rear.
At this moment!
Lakyus wore full plate armor of gold and platinum, adorned with unicorn decorations—a magic artifact called 'Immaculate White Snow.'
A plain cloak was draped over his back, a magic item known as the 'Rat Speed Cloak.'
Such attire clearly conveyed Lakyus's serious attitude.
Aside from Kingdom Destroyer's relaxed demeanor, the entire Blue Rose was fully armed!
After all!
This was the perilous Tove Great Forest; any form of danger could appear.
"According to our previous investigation, this area should be the territory of the Forest Sage King. The Adventurer's Guild doesn't have specific information about this magic beast."
Gaguran's sharp gaze constantly swept towards the gloomy corners of the forest as she spoke steadily:
"Its strength is definitely on par with an Adamantite Rank adventurer, so we do need to be careful."
Kingdom Destroyer, cloaked in a black robe, followed behind the group with light steps. The ruby-studded mask on her forehead lifted slightly as she suddenly warned, "Something's coming."
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The dense grass and bushes began to stir, and all insect and bird sounds instantly vanished.
Magic Wolves with black fur rapidly moved through the jungle, approaching Blue Rose and the others.
Tina spoke: "They're coming from all four directions."
"The number is probably over 30. It seems to be a large Magic Wolf pack," Tina said calmly.
"Haha."
Gaguran took the huge warhammer off her shoulder, a fiery look on her face: "No wonder there aren't many magic beasts around here. Time to stretch my muscles again."
Lakyus's emerald eyes swept around: "Since we can't avoid it, let's finish this quickly. Iville Ai, be on alert!"
"Understood, Captain!"
"Understood!"
As soon as the words fell.
Lakyus and the other three each charged in a different direction, instantly clashing with the pack of Magic Wolves.
The screech of weapons swinging and the howls of the Magic Wolves suddenly echoed through the forest!
In just a short moment.
Over 30 Magic Wolves had been wiped out, and a bloody scent filled the jungle.
"Iville Ai, I'll leave the rest to you." Lakyus pulled her magic sword out of a Magic Wolf's head and looked up in Kingdom Destroyer's direction.
Kingdom Destroyer nodded and chanted softly: "Odorless."
Whoosh!
An invisible magical fluctuation spread, and the scent of blood in the air was quickly cleared.
"Since there was a large pack of Magic Wolves here, it means we're getting close to the depths of the Tove Great Forest."
Gaguran emerged from another part of the jungle, grinning: "Maybe we'll run into the legendary Forest Sage King later."
Lakyus looked thoughtful, then raised an arm and waved it forward.
The Blue Rose team regrouped and continued deeper into the forest.
The lush branches and trees grew increasingly tall.
Even in broad daylight, the dense leaves blocked out so much light that the surroundings grew dim.
"What's wrong, Devil Leader?" Gaguran noticed Lakyus's furrowed brow.
"Something feels off, but I can't quite put my finger on it," Lakyus opened her mouth, then shook her head, her pale cheeks tight.
She just felt an inexplicable sense of eeriness about this part of the Tove Great Forest!
Tina and Tia also shed their previous relaxed attitudes, constantly observing their surroundings with vigilance.
"My gut tells me there's definitely something wrong here," Tina said.
"A woman's sixth sense?" Gaguran muttered strangely.
"Don't you have one, you big brute?"
Tina retorted mockingly.
"The mission the Adventurer's Guild gave us is to investigate the depths of the Tove Great Forest, and the reason given is the unusual activity over the past six months."
Tia stopped Gaguran and Tina's bickering, beginning to analyze softly:
"According to current intelligence, over the past six months, villages surrounding the Tove Great Forest have rarely been attacked by monsters."
"While this is a good thing, it's quite strange compared to previous years."
Everyone fell silent for a moment.
They clearly couldn't determine what was causing it.
"Speaking of which, Free Will has already become the kingdom's second Adamantite Rank adventurer team, ahead of us," Gaguran pouted, speaking with some annoyance.
"The Undead incident in Abelion Hills…"
"Team Leader Tang is indeed impressive."
Lakyus suddenly looked a bit dejected, her shoulders slumped: "Honestly, they beat us to it."
"Haha, but we're right on their heels now!"
"As long as we complete this investigation mission, it should be enough to promote us to an Adamantite Rank adventurer team. So cheer up, Devil Leader!" Gaguran encouraged heartily.
"You're right!"
Lakyus's emerald eyes sparkled, her spirits began to lift, and she clenched her fist, psyching herself up.
Suddenly.
"We should be deep inside the Tove Great Forest by now, shouldn't we?"
Kingdom Destroyer, who had been silent, spoke calmly: "Haven't you noticed that the number of monsters is even fewer than on the outskirts?"
The sudden reminder.
Made Lakyus and Gaguran pause, and then they too realized this point.
"No wonder something felt off?" Tina mused.
"Life Detection!"
Kingdom Destroyer directly cast the magic, chanting softly.
A faint magical fluctuation quickly spread and surged into the depths of the jungle.
"H-how is this possible?!" Kingdom Destroyer's voice suddenly rose, filled with an incredible, agitated tone.
"What's wrong, Iville Ai?"
Lakyus's expression tightened, and she quickly asked.
Gaguran, Tina, and Tia all looked over, their bodies tense, maintaining their guard.
For something to surprise Kingdom Destroyer so much, it had to be an unexpected situation beyond what anyone could have foreseen.
"To the northeast, there are thousands, no, tens of thousands of life energy readings!"
Kingdom Destroyer looked up to the northeast, her voice filled with confusion and shock.
"Tens of thousands?"
Lakyus looked slightly stunned.
No one had expected something like this. Tens of thousands of life energy readings gathered together, and in the depths of the Tove Great Forest no less—it was unthinkable.
Everyone exchanged glances.
At the same time, they quickened their pace, moving swiftly towards the direction Kingdom Destroyer had detected.
The putrid stench began to thicken!
The lush bushes and grass even started to show signs of wilting.
On a rolling hill near the Forest Fissure.
Lakyus and the other three were covering their noses, their eyes wide with shock as they looked down the hill. The foul odor was emanating from there.
Dense green figures were gathered below, emitting noisy "wah-wah" sounds, and black, cloud-like swarms of mosquitoes and flies filled the air.
As far as the eye could see, they were all Goblins!
"This is the depths of the Tove Great Forest. Why are there so many Goblins?"
Gaguran's expression was a bit blank as she asked.
However!
No one present could answer her question.
"Could the anomaly in the Tove Great Forest be related to these Goblins?" Tina tightly covered her nose, muttering to herself in confusion.
But then she felt that a weak race like Goblins shouldn't have anything to do with this matter.
"Perhaps..." Lakyus whispered. Before he could finish, a sudden chill shot up his spine, straight to his brain.
*Buzz—*
Ripples appeared in the air out of nowhere.
A figure in a long red robe appeared behind Blue Rose and the others.
Kingdom Destroyer reacted instantly, just about to cast a spell.
"*Undead Manipulation!*"
A hoarse voice rang out, and Kingdom Destroyer's body stiffened.
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