Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 93 Foreign Tribes
Don't open a long-sealed lid when you're not mentally prepared.

Everyone underestimated the backlash from the underworld. Their history is actually much longer than that of the towns that have flourished in the last twenty years, and their populations and communities have lived there for countless years.

"The gray goblins' bank was blown up in the middle, and a passage was opened from the inside of the vault. A large amount of gold, magical metals, as well as collectibles and collateral were swept away. The losses must be astronomical. They don't even dare to announce it. Maybe they are afraid of being targeted and robbed again."

This is top news, and that's why the news has spread so widely.

Some even say that those underground creatures are short-sighted, aren't they just forcing the adventurers above to go down and search for treasure?

"The two main underground entrances to the Yashi District and the Beile District have not only experienced large-scale collapses, but have also seen a large number of monsters appear."

However, it might not be easy for them to get down now.

"What appeared in the battle were not only various monsters from the underground ruins, but also races that should have come from the underground world, the most obvious being dark elves and gray dwarves, as well as a large number of tamed monsters. We even saw a group of wyverns among them." This was already vaguely a war.

Before the kingdom could take action against the underground ruins, it was the underground world, which was considered a "ruins complex," that was targeted first.

At this moment, the "civilized people" on the surface of the earth completely underestimated their opponents, and rumors of all sizes spread to the streets and alleys, especially to the alien shops on Mage Street.

Civilized people had no idea that this was not a hunt or an encirclement, but an impending war. They seemed to still be in the mood for a leisurely outing and making a fortune, while the opponent who struck first was far more serious than they were.

"We thought this was just a large-scale hunt. We would send out hunters, sentries, and even legions, and then just wait for the results." This was the opinion of most people, including Rean's group before them.

"For them, this is their habitat, their home."

The enemies that are becoming increasingly hostile are not only the wild monsters underground, but also various groups of underground creatures.

Cultists, exiles, intelligent beings from the underworld, and all sorts of monsters have all come together in a bizarre mix and have launched the first attack.

"But aren't we enemies with them? Our target is an evil god." A high-ranking member of the church was puzzled. "We shouldn't have any conflict. We're just passing by to fight an evil god. You can just ignore us."

"You're saying they believe that?"

When a large army arrives at your homeland, and you say you're just passing through hunting, will the locals believe you? Will the underground intelligent tribes remain unresponsive?
"I was just passing by and didn't do anything wrong. Say it again, do you even believe this story yourself?"

Considering the personalities of these nobles, mercenaries, and adventurers, if they were truly in the treasure vaults of the underworld, would they simply pass by? They never do business at a loss.

"Damn it, the evil god has resurrected, so they're doomed too, aren't they?" The more he talked, the less confident he became.

Someone has finally found the key.

The underground seal has been broken, are they doomed? They're not like you beastmen!

This is a secret known only to the top leadership, but the more people know, the less they can trust these foreigners.

The being below, who is about to leave the pit, is not a true evil god, but one of your beastmen's ancestors, a natural enemy with deep hatred for you beastmen.

Once it emerges, it will definitely cause trouble for the beastmen, and may even launch a massive cleanup of your cities, effectively wiping out the entire continent. Wouldn't this free up living space for these foreign races instead?

The orc civilization had been accustomed to "peace" for too long and did not expect that such a slight movement would elicit the strongest reactions from those who seemed to be unrelated.

"They may have been waiting for this day for a long time." From this moment on, the stance of these foreign tribes may be questioned.

"Perhaps we were the only ones who didn't anticipate that the right to live under the sun wouldn't come without a price." Some people, however, have begun to reflect on history.

Princess Dania, who was in charge, had just gained new power when she was dealt a heavy blow.

No one blamed her as the decision-maker, because the situation developed in a way that was beyond everyone's expectations.

No one expected that what was just a routine "punishment of evil" would turn those seemingly unrelated, seemingly friendly "old friends" into enemies in an instant.

No one expected that the "prey," who should have been patiently waiting to be hunted in the underworld, would actually take the initiative to attack.

"No, I should have thought of that sooner. Other races are never to be trusted. The land we live on now originally belonged to them."

However, Dania, who had received royal education and tradition, did not shirk her responsibilities.

She viewed it as a failure, a serious setback that had just begun.

"This is not a hunt, but a war, a war for the survival of us orcs (who call themselves ARK) against all other races. This is the prelude to the demonic tide, but the enemy has already reached their breaking point."

The debriefing of the attack was swift, and the kingdom's foolishness, negligence, and lack of vigilance at this time were laid bare in the summary of the losses.

Several key entrances and exits are completely impassable. It may take a long time to clear the monsters near those entrances and exits. The richest bank in Mage Street has been completely looted. They have obviously been watching for a long time.

"Uh, why is it so empty today?"

Rean, who went to school on the street of the monks today, had not yet connected these things.

He looked around and saw that all the shops were open when he last came, but now several were closed.

Pedestrians on the road hurried by, seemingly wary and suspicious of each other.

"They're not still hunting me, are they?" Rean didn't think he was of any value, but he was still even more cautious.

He didn't wander around the streets; it wouldn't do to be late all the time. He went straight to the cathedral to continue his class.

It was during his classmates' casual conversations during breaks that he learned more about what had happened.

"Her Highness the Princess has ordered the cleanup, registration, and inclusion of all foreign races." These nobles and sons of wealthy merchants are very well-informed.

"The shops of the dark elves and gray dwarves have been shut down, which may be directly related to the attack."

"What do you mean by 'the gray goblins might be furious and have already put a bounty on those dark elves'?" In this world, money can buy extraordinary abilities, and the gray goblins definitely have the means to do so.

Some shops belonging to other ethnic groups were shut down by law enforcement, while others closed voluntarily to avoid further trouble during this turbulent period. During wartime, it wasn't uncommon for thugs and hooligans to incite racial and ethnic conflicts and extort money from shops under the guise of "righteousness."

"Then, didn't the princess's plan fail from the very beginning?"

"Very likely. It will probably take a lot of time to clean up these entrances."

The other side's scheme is quite obvious: to drag those monsters from the underworld to attack the surface and cause you trouble.

Destroy part of the passage to slow your advance.

Areas that cannot be destroyed attract a large number of monsters and powerful creatures, which physically block them. It is said that manticores and multi-headed lizards have appeared in some passages.

"Does this make any sense? What's coming will come sooner or later. Since our kingdom has decided to launch a campaign, we won't stop here." The apprentices discussed among themselves, expressing their opinions.

This matter has become the top news story for the past two days.

Most of them are only now realizing that there is a complete world beneath them.

“Yes, it’s very meaningful. Time is life for both sides.” Rean knew that if things dragged on for even a few months, it would be a serious blow to the princess’s plans.

However, a small accident occurred here.

"Uh, the underground passage in the dock area is fine, actually?" This news quickly spread.

"That might be in the hands of the opposing cult members, not in the hands of the alien race. It could also be..."

"It could also be a trap."

That makes sense, but with a complete and usable passageway right in front of us, the status of the underground passageway in the dock area naturally rises sharply.

This situation in the dock area is naturally good news, especially for Dimon and his team who have started operating logistics businesses.

These things currently have no direct connection to Rean.

After the lesson, Rean went directly to Professor Royce to ask some more questions.

These questions are very specific, and the other party already knows that Rean is probably not far from becoming a true first-level spellcaster and a mage apprentice.

Such progress already makes him a rather remarkable genius mage, which has greatly excited Royce.

"Longstrider is indeed a good spell choice. Most beginners like flashy elemental magic, but in reality, spells that change basic stats are more practical at lower levels."

In low-level combat, running faster and hitting harder is actually far more lethal than a small fireball or ice ball.

Great Stride, a first-level transformation spell, is also known as "Great Stride" or "Small Speed ​​Up." You can tell what it's for just by hearing this nickname.

It can provide a short-range acceleration effect, allowing you to run faster.

That's all; the effect is that simple and direct.

Most mages don't care about this spell, and many mid-level mages don't even bother to learn it, but Rean spotted it immediately when he looked at the list.

"Without speed boots, I'll do it myself!" To other spellcasters, it's just an escape spell, and its effect is mediocre at that.

Because you still have to cast the spells yourself, and even if you speed things up, that's about it. If you have the space to cast spells, there are many better life-saving spells to choose from.

For Rean, catching up might just be a matter of one strike.

That's why, in the dream, Rean specifically asked to learn and memorize this spell.

And Kuku did not disappoint him, giving him so much, far too much.

"That's enough. Your understanding of this spell is much better than mine. You can start learning and mastering it now. I hope you can learn it as soon as possible." Royce was quite surprised. Rean's understanding of this spell was somewhat classical and classic, yet flexible, clearly the work of a master.

His expression grew increasingly gentle; a true expert's skill is immediately apparent, and this cannot be explained by mere talent.

It's quite possible that the man in front of us has a magic master behind him, or at least has seen the other's research notes.

You can see the research notes for a first-level spell, but what archmage would keep notes specifically for a first-level spell? So, if the notes were written specifically for him, how close must the relationship be?

Rean was also surprised by Kuku's mastery of the magic.

On the one hand, Kuku is indeed a master of transformation (alchemy), and on the other hand, Kuku has a lot of practical experience in smearing people.

Although this spell requires casting, once mastered, it can be simplified into a single "action," and can be combined with other spells to create a chain of escapes, making it quite useful.

Kuku has made many improvements and considerations to this spell, and Rean has taken over the entire project. Now he is just looking for modern mages to verify it.

Judging from the results, the other party's evaluation was very high. Kuku's insights were not outdated, which also means that Rean can indeed begin to master them.

"Don't believe me? Give me the materials, I can make it! Speed ​​boots! It's not difficult!" But Kuku himself seemed to have a different opinion.

Rean simply responded with "yes, yes, yes," but who knows how long it will take to hand it over to Kuku, or how many unexpected things might happen along the way.

He chose this spell because war might be imminent and he needed immediate combat power.

My paladin abilities have already become a system. Compared to a mage system that starts from scratch, it's natural to let the new spells supplement the melee system and better improve the overall combat power.

And events quickly proved his judgment correct.

(End of this chapter)