Cornflower Witch

Chapter 321 Two-Headed Serpent - Blackquis Larva
Dark Mist Mountains, Rhinoceros Horn Mountain City.

The high mountain ridge, like a giant, curved rhinoceros horn, lies on the earth. Beneath that giant 'horn' is a sturdy fortress, dotted with many braziers. This is the encampment in the shadow of the cliff.

"Lord City Lord, the Rhino Guard is ready, and all 304 active Rhino Knights have arrived."

On the high watchtower of the city wall, a figure wearing a thick gray-brown feather cloak turned his head. His face looked somewhat weathered, with deep wrinkles.

"How are the other accompanying support staff preparing?"

"The group consisted of 145 chalk stonemasons, 37 guiding scholars, and 212 other support staff."

After listening, the old man nodded slightly and then gave his instructions.

“Let them go. After they finish clearing each point, build a lighthouse node along the way.”

"Yes."

Soon, an elite force of about seven hundred men set off from Rhinoceros Horn Mountain City and headed towards the dark and lightless abyss.

Over the past few years, the 11 outposts in the Dark Mist Mountains have gradually been prepared and have accumulated sufficient resources and manpower. Thus, the plan to develop the Dark Mist Mountains has entered its second phase.

Their goal is to clear out all the unknown locations around the Dark Mist Mountains, eliminate the monsters that inhabit them, and build castle nodes in various locations, gradually taking control of the environment like a giant net.

After the second phase of the plan was launched, the teams stationed at various locations began to take action.

Inside the Sun Garden, about forty knights clad in platinum armor were ready to go. They rode their warhorses, holding shields and longswords, and lined up in the garden's plaza. Behind them, other personnel were also gradually preparing.

Today, Hilti was wearing a loose cloak and riding the lead Wind Bearer, leading the group on their journey.

Following the route planned on the map, Hiltiya and her companions did not encounter too many monsters on the first day, and the journey was quite smooth.

On the second day, they arrived in an area far from their usual territory, the environment became unfamiliar, and the monsters they encountered gradually grew stronger.

"Tia, we've discovered a brain-eating monkey colony ahead," Rachel reported as she rode back from the wilderness.

"How many of them are there, and are they dangerous?"

"There are about thirty of them, six of which are at the third rank, and the rest are at the second rank or below. These guys are as strong as stone, but they don't have many strange abilities, they're just very strong."

"Then let the first squad handle it." Hiltiya gave the order, and then a team of about thirty people stepped forward, including eight third-tier knights, one third-tier healer, one third-tier gardener, and the rest were second-tier combatants and support personnel.

Upon receiving the order, they quickened their pace, rode their horses toward the direction of the report, and began the battle.

Although it was a clearing mission, Hilti also considered that the trainees in the base needed to grow. Each time she assigned personnel, the number would be slightly higher than the opponent's, but not to the point of completely overwhelming them. This was to stimulate the potential of the team members, let them use more cooperation and teamwork, and train their thinking and adaptability.

More than ten minutes later, the team arrived at the strange stone forest where the brain-eating monkeys were located. After observing for a while, they began to move.

Above the sky, a giant beholder silently hovered, watching the battle below and reporting the information to the girl in the distance in real time.

With the help of the 'Evil Eye of Dizziness', Hilti can clearly observe the situation. If she encounters special circumstances or dangers, she can command the Eye Demon to provide support at any time, or simply teleport there herself to change the course of the battle.

Fortunately, the operation was not difficult. After entering the stone forest, the knights, who were the main combatants, formed two three-person teams and charged in like two arrows. Behind them were second-tier members who were responsible for cleaning up and dealing with the small monsters.

"Meteor Bow Technique!"

Several members raised their longbows and fired sharp arrows, piercing through several gray brain-eating monkeys in the stone forest. This caused a commotion among them. Soon, several leading third-tier brain-eating monkeys rushed out. They were strong and their muscles were like gray-blue stones. When they charged, they let out strange roars, revealing their blood-red mouths and white teeth.

Faced with the monsters that were attracted, the people at the front of the team raised their large shields and lined up closely. Then, holy patterns appeared on the shields and connected to form an illusory and solid wall.

The brain-eating monkey at the front deflected the incoming arrows, then leaped high into the air and slammed its hands down like throwing stones. The violent shockwave spread from the light screen on the city wall, and the shield bearer in front felt a sudden weight on his wrist.

Unable to break through the city wall barrier, the giant brain-eating monkey slid rapidly off the light screen. At that moment, several spears pierced through its incredibly tough outer skin and embedded themselves in its body.

'Piercing lance strike!'

The spearhead gleamed with a sharp silver light, which even the tough, thick hide with extra defensive capabilities could not withstand, and the severely injured brain-eating monkey immediately fell to the ground.

The team then defeated several more level-three brain-eating monkeys using the same strategy.

Their fighting style is actually quite simple: first, they set up an array, then use ranged attacks to lure the enemy over, and then, under the protection of a solid shield line, they use various abilities to instantly focus fire on the nearby enemy, kill them, and then move on to the next target.

Minutes later, all the Tier 3 monsters in the brain-eating monkey settlement were eliminated. The remaining Tier 1 and Tier 2 monsters began to scatter in fear and flee, but most of them were caught up and killed by the team members.

After the cleanup was completed, they withdrew in an orderly manner. At this time, the logistics team arrived and began to remove the monster corpses. The accompanying personnel also began to set up ritual arrays to purify the area.

In this way, they would clear out each monster gathering point, then establish a lighthouse node to purify the surrounding environment and prevent other monsters from approaching.

These lighthouse nodes along the way form faint lines leading to the dark depths beyond the Dark Fog Mountains.

……

Five days later, the iron wall and high cliff.

"How is the advance going?" Commander Taos asked his deputy.

"The overall process went smoothly, but it wasn't easy."

"Okay." He nodded, standing by the railing and gazing into the darkness in the distance.

"According to the continuous excavation and investigation by scholars of the Woodland Alliance, the area outside the Dark Mist Mountains is very likely to harbor powerful monsters."

"A powerful monster?" The second-in-command asked, slightly puzzled.

"Yes, you may not understand yet, but higher life forms are like magnets. Just by existing there, they gradually change the surrounding environment and affect the creatures around them."

“In the various secret realms and dangerous areas of the Dark Mist Mountains, the number of monsters with the ‘Nightmare’ attribute is significantly higher than normal, almost on par with the number of monsters with the ‘Twisted’ attribute.”

“We initially thought this would be an effect of the ‘Parenmarkov’ legacy, but the excavation of the Sun Gardens has shattered that assumption.”

“During his slumber, Palenmarkov almost completely shut down the outward expression of his sexuality, so it wouldn’t have such a big impact. Besides, he is weak and far from being a high-level being capable of covering the entire Dark Mist Mountain Range.”

“Hiltiya once reported that the ruins of the ‘Twin Serpent Cult’ were discovered in the secret realm not far from Mammoth Town. In the past few years, during the expansion, students have also reported discovering traces of the ‘Twin Serpent Cult’.”

"According to scholars' deductions and speculations, the identity of 'Parenmarkov' is the work of a branch of the 'Double Serpent Cult'."

"It has the horns of a bull and the lower body of a snake, and it mainly cultivates the Nightmare Path, which is the specialty of the 'Double Snake Sect'."

"The last time the Twin Serpent Cult appeared on the surface continent was five hundred years ago. When the last branch was destroyed, it uttered curses and mockery, saying that the Twin Serpents would return in the future, and according to the timeline, that is now."

"Could this just be a scare tactic they use? After all, many members of the Twin Serpents Cult are madmen," the adjutant whispered, speculating.

"At first, many people didn't believe it, but now, based on the observations and data comparisons collected by scholars, there must be a powerful monster somewhere outside the Dark Mist Mountains, causing the shadow world here to gradually drift away from the shadows of the mainland."

"It's like sitting on a long wooden bench. Although we can't see it, we can feel the plank we're sitting on undulating on the other side," he explained simply.

"We should be finding the monster's hidden slumber place soon," Taos estimated the time. "If we continue exploring further, we'll be completely swallowed up by the Twilight Sea. I don't think the 'Twin Serpent Cult' back then had the ability to set up such a stronghold there."

……

On the seventh day, the team that Hiltiya was in.

"Everyone should get some rest tonight. Gather the wounded in a special tent and take care of them."

Hilti arranged the night watch. After it was over, most of the members crawled into their tents and fell asleep immediately. In another white tent, Hilti and several medical staff checked on the wounded and helped take care of them.

The creatures in the Shadow World possess bizarre abilities, and the monsters in this abyss are even more troublesome. Even though the team members are quite strong, they often encounter completely unfamiliar and unknown methods that are difficult to prevent.

Silvery points of light formed behind Hilti, then converged into an enlarged phantom of a girl. She held a water bottle and poured out purifying spring water to wash the wounds of the injured and remove toxins and erosion from their bodies.

"Thank you, Lady Tiya." A wounded soldier, refreshed by the cool dew, stood up to express his gratitude.

"You should go to sleep first," Hiltiya stopped her.

"Yes." The wounded soldier obediently lay down slowly again.

Afterward, she cast the Purifying Spring spell twice more. Siltia collected the excess spring water into a bottle, left it in the tent, and then went outside.

The campfire was still burning, and everyone except a few watchmen was asleep.

Finding a spot by the fire, the girl slowly sat down, hugging a soft pillow and dozing off. Her pale silver hair shone orange-red in the firelight.

"Lady Tiya must be very tired today," a few members of the night watch whispered among themselves in the distance.

"Yes, who would have thought that we would encounter a fifth-tier monster on the road? Although it is the worst 'corpse-piece monster', many people were knocked unconscious by its acidic mist under the suppression of its sex phase tier. A few low-tier members were almost melted into blood by the mist."

"Later, it was Lady Tiya who purified the acidic mist and rescued the people who were almost killed."

"I heard from scholars that if we find a 'fifth-tier' monster, then we should be close to our target."

"Take a good rest these next couple of days and try to stay in top condition. We may be facing a tough battle ahead."

"Fifth-tier monsters are already incredibly powerful and difficult to defeat. I simply cannot imagine what it would be like to face monsters of the sixth tier or higher."

A sixth-tier monster, huh? The napping Silti slowly awoke from her half-asleep state and opened her eyes.

She overheard the conversation between those members and it came to mind.

Before setting off, she received a lot of crucial information and instructions. Their mission was twofold: to clear out the enemy and to find the hidden high-level monsters. If they found monsters of 'fifth rank' or higher, it would be a signal.

The six-tier creatures she has seen so far are the 'Azure Griffin' that once saved Regas, and the remains of a giant monster that transformed into the Trial Labyrinth.

The former's power was so immense that she couldn't see the end; it could almost effortlessly alter the climate across thousands of kilometers of Regas and tear apart everything in its path. As for the latter, she could roughly sense the overwhelming power of its superior position; its strength seemed inexhaustible, and its thousand-meter-long body was constantly teeming with maggots and insect-moth monsters.

Even now, she can only try to retreat, but cannot defeat her, unless she can rely on the powerful strength of the otherworldly witch, just like last time.

Fortunately, the Woodland Alliance will not use them as cannon fodder. If they discover any possible traces, they can report it quickly, and the alliance's upper echelons will assist in the operation.

What kind of enemy is lurking in the shadows, capable of influencing the entire Dark Mist Mountains for so long? And what is the nature of the upper echelons of the Woodland Alliance? Siltia pondered this as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next day.

Hilti's team used a special 'water mirror ritual' to report information to their rear before continuing their exploration.

This place is a harsh zone that is almost perpetual night. The air has become sticky, and when you walk, it feels as if a layer of oil is sliding over your skin. If you don't filter your breath, your lungs will feel blocked, and you will slowly suffocate.

At this moment, the team had raised several layers of pure white curtains to isolate themselves from the environment. The members walking inside also held their breath and carefully observed the environment in the light of the torches held high.

Occasionally, the group would stop to protect the scholars in the middle, who would use their tools to dig into the soil, explore the area, and search for possible relics.

"Lady Tiya," a knight rode up to report.

“We can’t go any further,” he continued.

“If this continues, the purification veil we’ve raised might not be able to hold up,” he explained with a hint of shame.

“I understand, let’s stop here for now.” Hilti nodded. She looked around. Even with her various eye techniques and reconnaissance abilities, they were greatly suppressed in this harsh environment.

"Let the scholars do a final excavation and sampling, and set up lighthouse nodes to mark this place."

"Yes," the crowd responded.

Hilti dismounted, gave some instructions, and then stepped out from behind the curtain.

Although the team members could not advance, she could still resist the erosion of the environment and could carry out the final exploration work alone.

Taking a deep breath, Hilti bid farewell to the others and stepped into the darkness.

Faint starlight appeared around her, and then she strode quickly, moving deeper and deeper into the land.

The further in you go, the more you feel as if you are walking in black silt, with everything around you filled with silt.

Hilti held the knight's badge that Commander Cassius had given her earlier, and a pure white sphere of light rose up, keeping the filth outside.

This is it. As she walked to a certain spot, she suddenly noticed something different and stopped.

With her eyes closed, Hiltiya carefully analyzed where this peculiar feeling came from, and then slowly opened her eyes again, which were now filled with an eerie deep purple.

【Eye Through the Fog】

Using the Hundred-Eyed Sect's special observation technique, her gaze pierced through the incredibly dark silt, looking towards the distant bottom of the abyss.

In the boundless chaotic sludge, a blurry black outline was perceived in Hilti's consciousness.

It was enormous, seemingly several kilometers long, and swam slowly in the boundless darkness. Its shape resembled a giant snake, but it had snake heads on both sides.

When she saw the outline of the monster's body, a tremendous sense of terror suddenly rose in Hilti's heart.

Before she could think, her figure flashed and disappeared from the spot. Just a second later, the huge snake mouth, about a hundred meters wide, swallowed up the spot where she had just stood and sucked her into the eternally sinking snake belly.

Sweating profusely, Hiltiah reappeared at the team's camp. She couldn't forget that fleeting glimpse—the silhouette of that giant serpent that seemed to be humanity's natural nemesis.

Just seeing it is enough to fill one with horror and fear.

【Two-Headed Serpent - Blackquis Larva】(Tier 6 - Nightmare - Ashes)

A descendant of the monstrous Blackquis, who defeated the Ancient King three times, though not as powerful as its ancestor, it is blessed by legend and is a natural nemesis of humanity, suppressing all creatures of human blood.

　That's all for today, goodnight~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)