Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 105 Lurker

This was a view Rean had never seen before.

Perhaps this is the closest place to the stars in the entire underground.

Glowing moss, shimmering with light, sits atop the rock walls and around the rock pillars. Between these intersecting pillars are wooden platforms hanging from woven nets, which, together with the pillar houses, form this floating village.

Fortunately, there was no wind in the underground world, and the wooden platform and netting were quite stable.

Otherwise, life here isn't just about whether you're afraid of heights; you might accidentally lose your balance and end up parachuting without a parachute.

A series of woven net bridges formed the foundation and also linked the stone pillar towers.

The hollowed-out stone pillars were not just houses for one person or one family; some of the larger ones even had windows for six or eight households, enough to house dozens of people.

The glowing moss had clearly been deliberately transplanted, but the presence of some light inside the town only made the rocky village appear even dimmer compared to its surroundings.

This seems to be a form of protection, making it less likely for wild beasts below and in the air to notice this place.

As for lighting, it's not really a big problem.

Some people may not know this, but spiders, despite having eight eyes, actually have rather poor eyesight. They mainly use their eyes for light perception, and their true primary sensory systems are touch and smell.

Even though Spider-Men have evolved a relatively powerful pair of main eyes, the extra compound eyes on their foreheads, which are more like ornaments, are mostly just for show. It is said that some special races can evolve to use them, turning them into quite powerful weapons.

"Our village doesn't need outsiders' protection; our Ghost-Faced Spider Warriors can handle everything."

These spider warriors are clearly one of them; their compound eyes are open, with frighteningly contrasting white pupils against a black background.

It is said that their "ghost eyes" contain sorcery and curses that can paralyze, hallucinate, and terrify those who look into them.

Although it sounds subtle, if you want to fight her, you have to keep your eyes on her face, or you'll fall for her tricks if you're not careful.

Rean was truly amazed to see so many spider-people at once, and they were completely different from the people from Radiant City.

Most of the people in Radiant City were dressed quite warmly, as if the race was rather ashamed of their slightly slender bones.

These wild spider-people, however, were mostly dressed rather scantily, making them quite a sight to behold. Those outside were mostly female spider-people, while the male spider-people, who numbered less than a third, mostly only dared to look out from inside the windows.

The information we learned earlier is true: without the armor and robes to conceal them, the female spider-men are noticeably twice the size of the male spider-men.

Furthermore, during the conversation, these female spider-people appeared quite assertive, especially the warrior group that served as leaders, which did not have a single male.

Therefore, Larry became their primary communication partner; his male disguise was meaningless to them, and they only communicated with the powerful female spider-headed people.

Their tendency to only recognize the powerful led them to disapprove of the goals of this migration. They didn't think much of Labor and even felt that the current male head of the family was not qualified to lead them.

According to their traditional view, if these wealthy relatives who have moved to the city can't beat them, these old farmers from the countryside, then why should they listen to them?

However, the fact that the convoy hasn't been kicked out yet suggests that they actually want to leave, but they just want a better price.

Rean listened for a couple of minutes, but found that no one was paying any attention to him. Perhaps in the eyes of the local spider people, a small iron plate warrior with a weak aura (a first-tier paladin) and being male, was probably just a servant.

Larry, the strongest member of their race (a third-tier paladin about to evolve again), became their recognized communicator, though her language skills were only so-so for a paladin.

Some paladins can literally put all their talent points into their face and mouth, and then roam the world freely.

Larry became increasingly anxious as he spoke, but he was unable to achieve any results.

She looked helpless; she was really bad with words, so she could only bite the bullet and say that her family had no ill intentions.

Her clever sister, Nokturna, who was originally the designated negotiator, was too weak to have any say and was even squeezed out of the conversation.

Nokturna, her eyes narrowed, was furious, but she still tried to keep smiling and communicate with her relatives in the countryside.

But even the children in this tribe could look down at her with disdain. "How many abs do you have that you dare to talk to me?"

Sometimes, even wealthy landowners who have moved to the city are helpless when they encounter these rural tribes.

The other families watched with amusement, not wanting to see the Labour family grow stronger again.

They didn't care about wasting time talking and gathering intelligence.

Except for Suliman, their mission was actually complete, and most of them were even preparing to return.

"Senior! You're back!"

Upon seeing Rean, Larry's eyes lit up, and he immediately gave off a pitiful look, as if he were a puppy pleading for help.

Her shout drew the attention of the local spider-men draped in animal skins.

"Your boss? How come he's so young?"

A giant, masked spider-woman, much taller than Rean, approached. She lowered her head, seemingly curious, and tried to touch Rean's head and tail. She couldn't immediately discern Rean's race.

This is clearly a very disrespectful act. But for them, there is no need to give respect to males!
Seeing the large hand trying to grope him, Rean instinctively touched the hilt of his sword.

But the next moment, he saw Larry looking troubled. If they really started taking action, there was no point in talking about recruiting him.

Well, let's just show some respect to the "ally family".

"Slap!" Rean was too lazy to play the game of pretending to be a pig and getting slapped in the face, so he just shook his spatial bag.

Shaking and shaking, it produced a giant dragon head that died with its eyes wide open in disbelief.

Shaking and shaking, it produced a severed dragon claw.

Shake it, and out comes a pair of big red shorts. Okay, keep this safe.

"Yes, I'm his boss. How about I talk to you?"

Rean responded calmly to the other party's questions.

"It's that cunning Shadow Dragon! How is that possible? That guy killed so many of our warriors."

"How is that possible? He's so small, I can't even sense his strength."

But at this moment, the opponent must restrain his arrogance. The prey is the warrior's honor, and the sword marks on the dragon claws faintly carry the scent of holy power.

Rean reached out and pushed aside his short hair, revealing the round ears on both sides of his face.

"Degenerate species!" In that instant, the warrior opposite showed respect, even bowing slightly and touching his chest in salute.

A warrior who can stand up again deserves respect.

“I used to be stronger than I am now. They called me a great knight. I may be down on my luck now, but it’s just a fresh start.”

Rean glanced at Purple Rose, after all, he had borrowed her spoils.

But Purple Rose smiled and gave a thumbs up.

Those expressive eyes were encouraging Rean to go for it.

Now that Rean has taken action and gained control, he naturally won't just serve Labour's interests.

"We learned from Shadow Dragon that there used to be a group of masked people here, each mask having a single eye. They were likely slender and tall, and may even have had antlers."

Rean wanted to get to the next city as soon as possible to directly inquire about the most important information.

For some reason, Saliman, who should have been in charge, was still in a very bad state. In fact, she should have stepped forward a long time ago. Since she was now also called Sudar, she should help her out.

Rean's communication skills are quite good, especially since he speaks the local dialect.

The language of the spider people here is so difficult that even Nocturna can't understand it very well. The local spider people, feeling respected, are naturally more willing to speak to them.

The more Rean listened, the more uneasy he felt; the situation was quite bad.

They not only knew those "one-eyed masks," but had even spent some time with them.

"A village with at least twenty people?!"

These people have been operating in this area for several years; they even have a small village and have been stationed in the surrounding area for some time.

At least initially, they acted normally and even made some deals with each other, but later they fell out.

"They not only hide their true identities, but they also spread some strange religion, claiming it can change one's destiny. Some of the mentally challenged men in our village believed in it, and none of them have returned."

It seems the Beast Order has been active here for quite some time.

This is undoubtedly a terrible reality. Since they have been active here for a long time, they probably already have some connection with that dark elf city, and may even have become allies.

But when it comes to magical girls, they have no idea.

To them, he was just a spellcaster with a staff, nothing special.

As for the food to buy, the answer is quite subtle: it's not completely useless, but it's not very useful either.

They themselves live by hunting, but there is a mushroom tribe nearby where they can buy some delicious mushrooms.

Those were rare, relatively benevolent creatures in the underworld, but even if you took their entire race and their mushroom fields, it wouldn't be enough for Radiant City for even a day.

With Rean's help, communication went much more smoothly, and in the end, these underground spider-men agreed to relocate.

In fact, even if Rean and his group hadn't come, they would have had to run away soon anyway. Now, many flying creatures had appeared in the underground world, threatening their safety.

The underground monsters have undergone several rounds of elimination and become much stronger. Their warriors who go out hunting are now frequently injured, and there is no medicine to treat them.

The moss vegetables they grew themselves were simply not enough to feed the tribe's already bloated population.

This is an unfortunate reality caused by the prevailing trend. Other intelligent groups have already fled, and they have only managed to hold on for a little longer by relying on the geographical advantages of their villages.

"Thank you so much for your help." After the conversation ended, Larry and her sister immediately came over to express their gratitude.

Rean shook his head and told the truth.

“You can handle it even without me, it will just take a little longer.”

When it really comes to that, there's no need to rush.

By this point, the convoy was ready to part ways.

Some people have already completed their work, their main trading targets have left, and there is no point in continuing.

If we cut our losses in time, we can get our money back directly, which is perfect for traveling with these underground spider-men.

Meanwhile, Sallyman and her group naturally went to the Dark Elf city to complete the remaining tasks.

The good news is that some of the tribe's elite warriors accepted Salim's offer of service and joined this temporary squad.

It's a pity to abandon this spectacular town, but as long as people are alive, there is hope. If these crises can be resolved, these underground spider-men can return.
"...They probably won't be coming back. Once they're in the city, how could they bear to come back?" Rean smiled helplessly. Even though the city had its share of darkness and difficulties, once you've stepped into it, leaving is unrealistic.

The addition of these elite warriors (who were earning relocation fees for the tribe) enlivened the convoy that continued its journey, and made the protective perimeter more stable.

But at this time, a small incident occurred.

When they were only half a day away from the underground elven city, and everyone was resting and dispersing for the night, one of the tall spider-woman warriors suddenly pulled Rean aside.

She thought about it for a moment, but still said it.

"You're the princess's knight, aren't you? I heard it from others."

Rean nodded. He didn't know why the other party was being so cautious. Was there some secret that couldn't be told to others?

“Then you should be trustworthy. I have been trained outside, so I know more than others. In fact, some outsiders visit the headquarters of those cults, some of whom are wearing robes. Although they disguised themselves, I recognized the holy symbols they held in their hands when casting spells.”

The female warrior glanced at the person not far away, lowered her voice, and leaned down to speak in Rean's ear.

"...exactly the same as the emblem on Larry's chest."

This time, Rean was completely shocked.

The enemy is already within the Church of True God, and even within the Church of Benevolent God?!
Why didn't you say so earlier! Now it's difficult to notify those on the ground; won't the higher-ups get stabbed in the back again?
(End of this chapter)