The Dark Beast King now only wanted to preserve the remaining Dark Beast Royals and prevent that terrifying scene from becoming a reality. Even though it knew that mobilizing the entire race's strength would surely trap and kill this Necromancer, it could not do it.
It could not afford to let too many Royals die. During the Opening Battle, thirty-four had died in a single breath—a nightmare that still haunted its sleep. That same scene must not be repeated; that moment must not arrive.
"Order the Dark Beast Royals near the Necromancer to vacate their territories. Have them take all valuable Dark Beast Lords and find a safe place to take refuge. In only nineteen days, these humans will leave."
The Dark Beast King had its secrets. Even if such an order contradicted its lifelong style, a Dark Beast never questioned the command of a higher-ranking superior. Ordinary beasts did not resist Royals, and Royals did not resist the King. Once the final command was issued, the King's mind was set. Even the cleverest and most alert among them, Beast King Crack, could only choose unconditional obedience.
The silence on the central throne found a strange parallel in the distant, stealthy hunt. While the former was a state of passive helplessness, the latter was a carnival of hunting.
Though they didn't know what type the next Dark Beast Royal would be or how strong it was, everyone knew that finding and killing a Royal brought immense benefits. Their Boss and Second Boss worked in perfect harmony, possessing the skill to strip a Royal clean, not even leaving the bones behind.
However, after a long journey of stealthy infiltration, they looked upon the target area only to find it empty. It was another coward who had fled without a fight.
Still, Dark Beast Royals loved building their nests in energy-rich locations, which were invariably abundant in resources. Fortunately, Mu Zhong found two of the materials needed to upgrade the warehouse. Out of eight required materials, they had found two in one go. Could the day they cleaned out the Dark Beasts' home base be far off? The regret of not killing a Royal faded significantly because of this.
"Forget it. If it's not here, it's not here. Onto the next. If we can't kill them, we find materials. If I can upgrade the warehouse, I'll be happy for a year."
"A year? I'll be happy for a lifetime!"
"I'll be happy in my next life, hahaha!"
Since the Royals had fled, leaving rare materials scattered everywhere, it would be a true tragedy to leave empty-handed. Some people felt they could still squeeze more into their pockets, asking "Iron Heart" to help identify high-value, portable materials to bring along.
Even Wei Huan couldn't bear such "waste." Although the undead army couldn't send materials back to the Great Tomb—failing to exploit a bug in the Challenge World's system—they could still serve as porters in this world. What if the warehouse upgraded in a couple of days?
---
The days passed one by one.
With no Royals to kill, Wei Huan, his undead army, and the two hundred-plus people all became high-load porters. Great Bears pulled carts overflowing with resources; Burrow Beasts, laden with mountain-like supplies, looked like giant turtles; even Running Wolves had bags slung over their backs. The undead transport line stretched for over ten 'li'.
Fortunately, only one material remained for Mu Zhong's warehouse upgrade. Everyone watched with bated breath, hoping to store these items soon and free up space for even more loot.
As for killing Dark Beast Royals? Well... if they've all run away, who is there to kill? Moreover, they were fleeing with their high-level Lords. Along the way, aside from some foolish tribes they happened to bump into, there had been almost no high-intensity combat. Over time, all anyone saw was resources.
"But this last material is too hard to collect. We've been searching for twelve days. Is it possible the Dark Beast Plane doesn't have it?" Liu Chengzhi asked mid-journey.
Mu Zhong replied, "Iron Heart says it exists and isn't particularly rare. We're just in the wrong location."
"A regional specialty, huh? Are we going south to north? North to south? What's the specific geography?"
"Find the sea."
"Huh?"
"Water is the source of life. We've seen plenty of streams and rivers; naturally, there's an ocean. It's close now—I can smell the moisture in the air."
Half a day later, a vast ocean appeared before them. The pitch-black water looked like an oil field, thick and nearly waveless. It was a dead sea, so large the horizon was lost to sight. Standing at the shore, looking at that viscous water, they felt a sense of hesitation. Simply put, they instinctively found it too filthy.
Mu Zhong explained, "This liquid is saturated with dark energy. Its density is thirty times that of Blue Star's water, which creates this unsettling feeling. Furthermore, this seawater is highly toxic to humans. Even our evolved transcendent bodies aren't suited for this environment—though short-term entry is fine."
Mu Zhong looked around. "The materials will be in the deep sea, but the next part of the journey isn't suitable for everyone. We'll send a small squad to work with the undead."
Wei Huan nodded. "60 kilometers—can we reach the collection area?"
"Should be no problem."
"Good," Wei Huan said. "I'll leave a coordinate here and set out. Mu Zhong, tune the detectors. I'll be back soon."
---
Wei Huan selected thirty people as the core squad. Every one of them had consumed a Sea Pearl and confirmed that they worked in the Dark Beast oceans. Captain Fang's men watched in shock as the squad swam through the water like fish, their expressions turning to envy after inquiring.
Once, they were the fleet at the forefront of humanity, accessing the newest and best challenge resources. Now, they were falling behind. If they had had Sea Pearls, they might not have been pulled into the vortex or lost so many comrades.
"Alright," Captain Fang reminded his team. "Captain Wei is out on a mission, leaving so many people and supplies to us. We must give our all to ensure the mission is completed."
Wei Huan set a coordinate for his teleportation gate before leaving. He took mostly those from the Criminal Sequence. The dense dark energy in the water wouldn't make them feel like fish in water, but it wouldn't restrict them much either; at least their vision was far better than other classes. He also felt safe leaving Captain Xue and the others behind. In enemy territory, one could never be too careful.
The squad included twelve Criminals (including Xu Qingqiang), all with high-level [Prisons] and stable mental states. As for killing or eating things after transforming? Minor details. Additionally, there was Hammer with his "Passerby A" talent and five Stacked Explosives. Nineteen people in total.
The reason for the small number was to maintain stealth in case there were Lords in the sea. As for reinforcements, it was never an issue; as long as they were within summoning range, Kobolds could bring a constant stream of combat power. Even if they exceeded the range, he had a Hero-grade Great Kobold acting as a "Base Station," extending his range by another 30 kilometers. Total reach: 120 kilometers.
---
They entered the water, riding on Dot Mom's back. She had shrunk to a size just large enough to carry twenty people, her eight long legs acting like propellers to push them into the deep.
Wei Huan did not neglect security. Ghost Crows were sent out ten 'li' as scouts and shields. If enemies were detected, they would bypass them.
Notably, the Dark Beasts did have marine life. Although most known clans appeared to be land-based, one could not judge a Dark Beast's habitat by its appearance. Dark Beasts could survive in seawater; Wei Huan saw many Burrow Beast tribes huddled on the seabed like sea spiders. It seemed their "levitation" ability wasn't accidental—they possessed the genes for it. There were also many Demon Eye Lords living in the depths, huddling in nests like eels and staring upward—a disgusting sight.
Wei Huan soon noticed that the further they went, the more Demon Eye Lords there were, acting like a network of monitors. He knew he was approaching another Royal territory.
For the first time, Wei Huan hoped this Royal 'would' flee. First, because they were one material away from finishing the upgrade, allowing their bloated transport line to move quickly again. Second, the environment was hostile to humans and would further reduce their advantage. If the battle became destructive and damaged the resources, it would be a tragedy.
Specifically, Mu Zhong mentioned that "Sky-Orbit Red Sun" was not very rare but was fragile—a pearl-like secretion created by a mutant micro-organism. Therefore, the intensity of combat could not be too high.
Wei Huan decided to stop. The five Stacked Explosives were sent on a stealth mission to carry small Kobolds into the center, looking for materials. If possible, they would teleport the items out; if not, they would teleport the main force in.
The scouts moved through the dark seabed. Wei Huan didn't use a shared vision yet, as there were too many "eyes" around and his own Demon Eyes lacked stealth. He watched the feed from the scouts' cameras. However, with Iron Heart absent and the signal struggling in the deep sea, the frame rate was nauseating.
Suddenly, the scout squad leader's voice came through: "Boss, something's wrong."
Wei Huan sharpened his focus. "What is it?"
"A lot of high-level Lords are appearing ahead. They aren't in tribes; they're wandering everywhere."
"What's your analysis?"
"Preliminary guess: is it possible the Royals who fled earlier are hiding here? It's the only way to explain this concentration."
Before Wei Huan could speak, Mu Zhong's voice jumped into his earpiece: "Report in more detail."
Wei Huan stayed silent; Mu Zhong was the professional in intelligence analysis. After two hours of deep exploration and verification, Mu Zhong confirmed that at least five Dark Beast Royals were hiding in this territory. These were the very Royals who had fled their own domains, taking their "elite guards" (high-level Lords) with them and leaving only the old and weak behind.
They were gathered here, making the combat power unprecedentedly high. And as luck would have it, the final material Wei Huan sought was also here.
"It's as if all the conflicts are converging. From the start, this place was destined for an unprecedented battle," Mu Zhong said, adding with a hint of a joke, "Like a hero's game—it can't just be adventure; there has to be a final Boss fight. Wei Huan, forget the materials for a moment. In an ocean this big, I don't believe there isn't more 'Sky-Orbit Red Sun' elsewhere. But since the Royals are gathered together waiting for a mob-grind, it would be rude to decline their hospitality."
Wei Huan smiled. "You're sure it's okay if I blow things up?"
"It's really okay."
"Fine. I've got it."
The gloom of the past few days vanished. Plundering was great, but not killing to his heart's content felt incomplete. If they won this battle, the trip would be a total success.
---
Wei Huan sent a few "eyes" ahead. Once he had vision, he planned the attack. He didn't know exactly how many Royals were inside, but he intended to kill them all, so he needed to encircle them first.
After twenty days, his undead army had grown, and his own strength had moved a step forward—breaking through to Sequence 6 was only a matter of time. Of course, fighting as a Sequence 6 would be safer, but as a Sequence 5, he just had to use his brain more to prevent them from escaping.
The Royals were hiding on the seabed, assuming Wei Huan wouldn't come; their overall alertness was low. Aside from the "eyes" scattered as monitors, their internal defenses were almost lax.
Wei Huan looked at the tangled giant seaweed ahead. The Royal nest wasn't very large. He had the scouts place Hidden Demons and Kobolds in different sectors, silently encircling the nest with his undead army.
Knowing the fight would be intense, he didn't hold back, bringing all his front-line combatants to the Royal base. The nest woven of tangled seaweed reminded him of the "Deceiver Tribes" from Level 5 and 6 worlds—dirty and ominous.
Finally, after an hour of deployment, Wei Huan spoke into the comms: "Number of Royals unknown, but at least five. Do not get involved in the direct fight yet. Your mission is to prevent the Royals from escaping and to block any Lords attempting to reinforce them."
"Copy."
"Copy."
"Copy."
The squad leaders responded from their positions around the seaweed nest. It was highly likely that once the fight began, the Royals would manifest their Dharma Images and attempt to flee. This was no easy task; blocking a Royal's Dharma Image without a vehicle was risky. Aside from the strongest few who could go one-on-one, the others had to team up.
Several members assigned to critical blocking points received the Diviner's [Judgment] and the Shaman's [Attribute Blessing], tripling their power. This would allow them to hold out until the Boss's undead army arrived. The cost might be a day of exhaustion or even sacrifice. They didn't care; they were ready.
The countdown echoed in the earpieces.
When the final digit hit, clouds of Ghost Crows rose from five directions simultaneously, forming a storm cloud. Lightning and green fluorescence sparked within the cloud.
They were so close. The moment they moved, they were over the nest.
A rain of green fell, blooming into beautiful, lethal sea-flowers. The water churned, and seaweed tore. To resist the shockwave, the human warriors stabbed their weapons into the reefs. Some were swept away but struggled back.
The explosions were continuous. Nether Flame Bombs fell like a handful of spilled beans, too many to count. The blast made it impossible to see, even with the Hero-grade Demon Eye.
As expected, a Godzilla-like giant black Dharma Image erupted in the center of the fire. Nether Flame Bombs exploded against it like eggs against a rock; the damage was limited. It seemed this was a defense-focused Royal.
But even eggs, if there are enough of them, can bury a rock. A Sequence 5 Royal could not completely ignore the power of Sequence 5 Nether Flame Bombs. As more and more bombs detonated, black blood finally sprayed amidst the thunderous roars.
The Royal was wounded.
But before Wei Huan could celebrate, the Royal's piercing howl triggered more. Other Royals manifested their Dharma Images one after another.
Good news: the Royals 'were' gathered here. It was a mob-grind.
Bad news: there were a lot of them. A quick glance suggested over ten. Had every Royal from every territory they passed through ended up here? It was a hornet's nest.
Wei Huan issued an immediate command: "Fall back! Stay safe!"
Simultaneously, Yake, serving as the "Eye of Reconnaissance," reported: "13 Royals. Four beast-types, seven heteromorphs—watch out for tentacles. Also, two humanoid types have appeared."
"Humanoid?" Wei Huan was confused. Why would a Dark Beast Royal take human form? Did they think a human shape was better for combat after being defeated by them?
Yake quickly corrected: "More like the Demon Form of the Criminal Sequence. Careful—they aren't large, but they move extremely fast."
Wei Huan's brow furrowed. The Royals were learning. They realized that pure size didn't guarantee victory; humans were small yet capable of terrifying power. The Royals were becoming stronger.
To be honest, while giant creatures were intimidating, they had never been a "problem" for Wei Huan. Big things were perfect targets for his undead swarms to crawl over. But small, agile Royals with immense power were a different story—his army's advantage would be significantly reduced. He had revealed too much of his strength; they had found a way to counter him.
Fortunately, Wei Huan hadn't stopped growing either. After a moment of tension, he looked at the tiny, floating Burrow Beasts in the battlefield and relaxed.
Just then, a black shadow charged out from the center of the battlefield, heading straight for Wei Huan with unmistakable killing intent.
Wei Huan's reaction was calm. He watched the figure rush toward him, unaware that more and more Burrow Beasts were attaching themselves to its body. He knew the battle was already over.
He shifted his attention away, looking toward a different part of the battlefield. The green flames in his left eye flickered with a cold, cruel light.