Monster Girl Development Master.

In just a few more hours, they could reach White City, perhaps even infiltrate the port, ignore the imposing white walls, and seize this city of trade and wealth—the capital of the White City Federation—from within! Even though the White City Federation differs from other kingdoms, with looser connections between its territories and less sensitivity to the "fall of the capital," and might even celebrate its demise, White City's strategic location makes it a crucial route for over 80% of the Federation's trade. If it were lost, the transportation costs for White City Federation merchants would multiply, turning a potential three-fold profit into a single 100%, or even a loss!

Missy nodded slightly, her fingertips lightly tapping the cover of the [Shared Book Catalog], the pale blue light rippling with her movement: "But the more important the place, the more it should be guarded. Such smooth sailing is unsettling."

A thoughtful smile curved Zhuang Sen's lips as he glanced at the distant Golden Bridge. "But the temptation is too great; it's worth the gamble—especially since we don't have to pay the stakes." He looked at Lydia in his arms. The female knight, unable to contain herself any longer, looked up at Zhuang Sen excitedly. Their eyes met, and Zhuang Sen chuckled, "Lydia, order 'Green Dragon' to lead his men to scout ahead and enter the port!"

The remnants of the True Blood Clan, led by Dragonbone Duke, were perfect cannon fodder for testing the waters. Successfully capturing the port would be ideal, but failure wouldn't be a loss. Dragonbone Duke had no complaints; ancient monsters had little compassion for their human subordinates, and these people weren't even his own. So what if they died?

And so, several speedboats accelerated like arrows released from a bow, their hulls cleaving through the waves as they rushed straight toward the harbor. Their dark green sails billowed in the wind, making them look from afar like a flock of sea predators.

After a while, Long Gugong's rough voice came through the communicator, filled with undisguised contempt: "We've entered the port. The port security is lax, the elite forces are insufficient, and some people are even demanding bribes to arrange berths and exempting us from inspection."

Johnson, Missy, Zero, and Lydia suddenly realized why entering the port was so easy. The White City Federation's army was almost entirely composed of mercenary groups, and wartime wages and peacetime wages for mercenaries were vastly different, as was their level of elite status. Not to mention, the most elite groups, the Icewind and Seven Sons, had already been deployed to the Gomulus defense line to deal with King Baruo. Now, White City was left with only a group of low-level mercenaries who lacked both the tenacity to defend the city and solid combat skills. As for accepting bribes, that wasn't surprising at all; this was a merchant nation, it would be strange if such things didn't happen!

There's a joke in this world: Question: What kind of merchant doesn't smuggle? Answer: A dead merchant.

Anjie openly smuggled goods... cough cough.

In short, thank you for the gifts of capitalism.

Zhuang Sen looked at Lydia, who was already excited, and knew that his female knight and marshal were impatient. So he immediately ordered: "Send word to the whole army to speed up. We will rest in White City today!"

The order was swiftly relayed by Missy via the [Shared Book]. Since Lady Lia wasn't present, Missy temporarily assumed the role of holder and researcher of the [Shared Book]. Although she wasn't a [Book Angel], her [Book Demon] status and extensive research experience meant that if anyone on Zhuang Sen's side could develop and create the [Shared Book], it would undoubtedly be her. Therefore, all of Zhuang Sen's miscellaneous gadgets were now entrusted to her.

……

White City Port, perhaps the world's largest port, boasts a sprawling network of docks, with countless ships densely packed into their berths, their masts standing like a forest. A few fast ships from the Thousand Towers Kingdom blend in unnoticed, even though their drafts are absurdly deep, suggesting they're carrying a cargo of magic iron ore; even though their crews don't look like proper sailors at all—they're not only fierce and ruthless but also highly trained and orderly; even though they call themselves a merchant caravan but don't recognize the flags of some small and medium-sized merchant guilds—but the gold they're carrying is genuine!

So they got the best berths, right next to the port authority; they were spared the tedious and complicated inspections, since the inspectors were busy checking the gold coins in their own hands.

Dragonbone Duke stood on the deck, looking down at the relaxed humans on the harbor shore. Some were dozing against cargo containers, others were playing dice in corners. He felt utterly disdainful and contemptuous, but he only watched for a short while before his attention quickly shifted to the interior of the harbor. He could sense that there were "compatriots" in this area. Considering the current scarcity of ancient monsters, these were likely members of the Sea Emperor's Court. They must be eyeing the White City Federation's artifact. But since you crossed the line first, don't blame us for coming too.

Dragon Bone Lord searched for clues about the monsters above, simultaneously drawing the attention of onlookers. His disguise and the imposing presence of a [Bone Dragon] made this easy, so no one noticed the dwindling number of "sailors" on his ship, let alone the faint metallic clanging sounds from the cabins. Until, Zhuang Sen's large ship slowly entered the berth next to Dragon Bone Lord, the already impatient soldiers immediately rushed out of the cabins and headed towards the port authority, which controlled the opening and closing of the harbor gates!

The sudden attack left the people of White City bewildered. Just a moment ago, everything was normal, peaceful and serene. They were just a few smugglers, at most pirates. How could a group of fully armed, bloodthirsty soldiers suddenly rush out from inside? Was they dreaming? They must be dreaming—poof!

Blood splattered.

Dragonbone Duke's massive axe fell with a whistling sound, cleaving a frozen mercenary in two at the waist. Blood splattered like a fountain onto the bluestone slabs, staining half the dock red. He threw his head back and roared deafeningly, "Death to those who block the way!!!"

The roar, imbued with the might of a dragon, instantly crushed a large group of people, clearing a ten-meter radius around them. The soldiers following behind him immediately rushed across the open space, stormed into the government office, and easily seized the mechanism controlling the water gate. And this was only after he had used ten percent of his power, because he needed to conceal himself to ambush members of the Sea Royal Court; otherwise, enemies within at least a kilometer would have to kneel, and those closer might have been scared to death.

With the sluice gates under control, Zhuang Sen's fleet completely dropped its disguise. Although the catapults couldn't be deployed in the harbor, dozens of ships accelerated simultaneously, their hulls ramming into the White City navy's warships like battering rams. Amidst the cracking of planks, soldiers scaled the gangplanks and boarded the enemy ships, and a boarding battle erupted instantly. More soldiers surged onto the harbor shore, seizing watchtowers, arrow towers, and other defensive structures, turning their crossbows towards the White City navy soldiers who had managed to avoid being dragged into the melee.

Cries, the clanging of metal, and the deafening crash of ships mingled into a symphony of hell. The White City guards, already demoralized, were thrown into disarray by this sudden and fierce attack. Some jumped into the sea to escape, some knelt and begged for mercy, and others rushed in a panic toward the water gate—the only way out to sea.

But what awaited them was despair. Zhuang Sen's fleet had already filled the harbor, and he held the water gate mechanism firmly in his grasp. Thus, in the despairing eyes of the people of White City, the hundred-meter-high magic iron gate, which they had always regarded as their guardian and a source of security, slowly turned, its heavy panels creaking and scraping with the harsh sound of rust scraping against each other, and closed little by little.

"Boom--!"

The dull thud of the iron gate snapping shut onto its base was like a thunderclap, shaking the wooden planks of the dock. The cries of the White City people rose instantly, despair engulfing the entire harbor like a tidal wave. The sun still shone brightly, the Golden Bridge still gleamed, but the fate of White City had been quietly rewritten with that heavy thud. Zhuang Sen stood on the flagship's deck, gazing at the chaos within the harbor, which he felt completely under control. His fingertips lightly tapped the ship's hull; his next target was that magnificent, golden center of wealth.

The author says:

Author's Note: Brothers, you can exchange coins for monthly tickets in the app's black market, no need to directly donate coins (*≧︶≦))(￣▽￣* )ゞ Progress Update: Monthly Tickets 44/50, Request Tickets 43/50, Rewards 3700/5000

Chapter 306: The Inspiration of the Sea King Mermaid

The riots at Baicheng Port quickly spread. With the water gates closed, the simple, convenient, and direct escape route by water was lost, leaving the people of Baicheng with only one option: fleeing into the city. Although Zhuang Sen's troops shouted for surrender to avoid death as ordered, most instinctively chose to continue fleeing, instantly throwing the once relatively peaceful city into chaos. Only a small number of intelligent guards, not blinded by fear, chose to drop their weapons and kneel in surrender.

The main reason is that the people of White City still feel hopeful. Currently, only soldiers are involved, and even the Dragon Bone Duke, who has been wreaking havoc, is only putting on an act, displaying the strength of a level three bloodline individual, and doesn't seem to have an absolute crushing advantage. Especially for the higher-ups, they still have high-level bloodline individuals remaining, the invincible [Heart of the Snow Bear], and Guild Master Esther!

Everything will be alright as long as Master Esther launches an attack!

This idea was within Zhuang Sen's expectations. His target for attacking White City was the [Relic - Pure Purification], so how could he forget the [Snow Bear Heart], which he could transform into a monster girl's lair? He just didn't know how far the people of White City would go in their own capital. But that wasn't his concern. He couldn't control whether the people of White City were willing to die for their country. He could only say that he wasn't a bloodthirsty maniac and wouldn't massacre civilians. From the perspective of attacking the city, what he needed to do now was to quickly capture all the important locations in White City, such as the three large and six small city gates, the military camps and towers inside the city, the armory, the council hall, and so on. Zhuang Sen had already used the intelligence personnel of the Falling Star Kingdom and Lady Liya's [Dark Force] to find out the locations of these beforehand.

"Ledya, it's up to you now." Zhuang Sen looked at his loyal female knight, eagerly anticipating her performance and having great faith in her abilities.

"Your will, my dear." Lydia, who had already awakened her fifth-level bloodline [Death Lord] for the second time, drew the rune sword from her waist. Dark and cold mist spread out from her center, and the Zhuang Sen soldiers who were swallowed into it became calmer and more composed, and their strength and accuracy were also enhanced. On the contrary, the people of White City turned pale and cold, their wills wavered, and their strength and physique decreased significantly.

[Aura of Terror]

And this was just the appetizer. Next came the [Heartbreak Aura], the [Compassion Aura], the [Death Aura]... layer upon layer, allowing ordinary soldiers to reach physical attributes close to those of a Level 1 bloodline user. Although the effective range was only 300 meters in diameter around Lydia, that was enough—the soldiers Lydia led were no ordinary soldiers.

"Everyone, let's go!"

"A flock of crows cawed loudly—"

"The feast has begun!!!"

Like a tidal wave, soldiers crashed into the bustling city of Baicheng. Their cold, orderly footsteps echoed dully, unbreakable and unstoppable as they marched toward the nearest city gate.

……

"The situation is really bad..."

The ancient monster, the Sea Emperor Mermaid, disguised as a former blue-haired girl, was hiding on the second floor of a house, watching the White City people running past like they'd been kicked in the ass, and then the fully armed Zhuang Sen soldiers gradually overtaking them. She felt incredibly conflicted. She'd only come ashore to gather intelligence and casually enjoy the services of the land creatures; how had she suddenly been dragged into a war between them? And these soldiers, and the female knight leading them, seemed far more extraordinary than the original inhabitants of this city.

Simply put, with her disguised body, she might not be able to defeat these people. But if she reverts to her original form, it's fine if it's only for a short time. However, if it drags on for too long, she'll have no choice but to run away to another place to avoid those mad dog-like chosen ones.

However, after observing for a while, the Sea Queen Mermaid discovered that the situation wasn't as bad as she had thought. The foreign soldiers weren't looting or plundering. Even when a noblewoman far more beautiful than her in disguise unfortunately passed by, and the soldiers were prepared to be raped, they ignored her as if she were a mere stone, rushing straight into the street. This didn't seem like an army. Forget about being on the offensive; for the mercenaries of White City, or rather, most soldiers in this world, ignoring orders to burn, kill, and loot during battle was perfectly normal. And while their rewards weren't much, what they stole was truly theirs!

Especially in such a prosperous and affluent city!

After much deliberation, the Sea Queen Mermaid decided she couldn't trust any soldiers who wouldn't burn, kill, and loot. She seized the opportunity to escape, lifting her skirt and, taking advantage of Lydia and her guards' departure, leaped from the balcony and ran towards the harbor. Of course, she aimed for a secluded area untouched by war. As a Sea Queen Mermaid, even if the water gates were closed, she could easily dive into the deep sea to cross them undetected.

She hadn't run more than a few steps when a deafening crash came from behind, forcing her to turn around. There she saw at the city gate at the end of the street, thousands of White City guards scattered by fewer than fifty of Zhuang Sen's vanguard! A true "scattering"—the crash was the sound of thousands being simultaneously slammed against the city walls. Of course, for the Sea Queen Mermaid, an ancient demon, this was no difficult feat; she could do it easily. But those soldiers were not her! They looked like ordinary people; how could they possibly accomplish such a thing?

Bloodline soldiers, isn't that amazing?

Zhuang Sen really went all out this time, throwing his bloodline soldier legion, which he had been training for a long time, into the battle, all in order to take down White City as quickly as possible and obtain the [Relic - Pure Purification]! If it weren't for the Dragon Bone Duke getting in the way, he would have even planned to bring out his monster girl legion—but that wouldn't be too much of a loss, since if it weren't for that, Zhuang Sen wouldn't have known that the White City Federation also had an ancient monster organization watching over it.

However, for the Sea Queen Mermaid, the combat power displayed by these bloodline soldiers was already a bit excessive. Although she carried the title of "Sea Queen", she was not the kind of arrogant and conceited monster who disdained to understand ordinary people. She was very clear about the difference in strength between ordinary people and bloodline users, and between bloodline users and monsters. Therefore, the appearance of bloodline soldiers made her judge that this war was not a normal conflict between ordinary people, but rather that "compatriots" were crossing the line!

After all, only ancient demons could mass-produce combat power at the level of bloodline users!

To be honest, Zhuang Sen did get the Bloodline Soldier technology from the Bloodline Cult, which was under the command of the Mud Monster Brad. It's no exaggeration to say that it was the work of an ancient monster.

After "cleverly" discovering this problem, the Sea Queen Mermaid's thinking changed. She and the Sea Queen's Court could disregard the wars between ordinary people, since they ultimately posed no threat to them or the divine artifacts. However, the arrival of other ancient demons was a different matter! The divine artifacts were in danger! Their Sea Queen's Court had schemed for so long, finally managing to deceive that enormous whale; how could they let these outsiders reap the rewards!

However, despite her words, the Sea Queen Mermaid had no intention of directly helping the people of White City. Aside from attracting the favored ones of the gods, the possibility of lurking ancient demons from other regions made her wary of easily revealing herself! So, after a glance, she concealed her aura again and continued running towards her original destination. She hadn't abandoned the divine artifact; rather, she intended to seize it first!

The Sea Royal Court had long known the location of the divine artifact, but it had been blocked by the enormous, fat whale enhanced by the artifact, preventing them from forcibly taking it. Now that the enemy had reached her lair, could she still guard the artifact? Moreover, the enormous whale had added so many cumbersome components to the artifact and lacked the authority to operate it, making it impossible for it to bring the artifact out. In other words, this was the Sea Royal Court's best opportunity to seize the artifact!

Having sorted out the logic, the sea queen mermaid's face showed a genuine smile. She couldn't wait to see the expression on the face of the monster from out of town and that fat whale after they fought to the death and finally found out that the artifact had been taken away.

Just thinking about it makes me smile!

With this joyful feeling, she jumped directly into the harbor.

Chapter 307: Thanks to the people of Baicheng for their generosity

Lydia and the Zhuang Sen army moved very quickly, not only in terms of marching speed, but also in their speed in defeating the remaining mercenary groups and city militia of White City. So fast that by the time Esther in the Sea King's Palace received the news, the entire gate of White City had already been controlled by the Zhuang Sen army. The tall and majestic city walls and the impregnable defenses of White City had become their own obstacle.

"A bunch of useless trash!!!"

Esther slammed the secret letter, delivered by a dolphin, onto the luxurious, expensive table. The soft paper dented the hard, magic-iron surface, a testament to her displeasure. Understandably so; any ruler discovering their capital had been breached would be in a bad mood. Even prostitutes haggle, these foolish mercenaries just spread their legs!

But anger and roaring are useless now; the immediate priority is to find a way to reclaim White City! The best way, of course, is for Esther to take action. As a level five bloodline user, and on the beach where her [Leviathan] bloodline is most effective, she alone is worth tens of thousands of elite troops, and can even do more outrageous things, such as fighting two level five bloodline users single-handedly! But she won't make a move now, because there are likely two, or even three, level five bloodline users on the other side!

Johnson Leon, Dantalian Leon, and Missy Noah.

The first two are obvious – a husband and wife in cahoots. As for the latter… Esther had recently received news from White City that the Speaker of the Thousand Towers Kingdom was visiting. Judging from the current situation, it's very likely the Thousand Towers people and the Fallen Star people have formed an alliance! Therefore, there are likely three Level 5 bloodline users here, whose raw strength already surpasses hers. Under these circumstances, she would never proactively expose herself to avoid a sneak attack. Even if she wasn't ambushed, striking first would consume more of her bloodline power than Zhuang Sen and the others, potentially leading to her defeat.

However, White City cannot be left unattended. Aside from the vast wealth it holds, the city's defenses alone are dangerous enough. If Zhuang Sen were to completely suppress it, Esther would face even greater trouble. And without Esther's intervention, there is only one way to stop Zhuang Sen's army from suppressing and controlling White City.

"Activate the artifact, allowing the 'chosen ones' within the city to activate the [Snow Bear Heart] in their hands, releasing all transformation restrictions!"

"Lord of the Seven Seas, please be careful! That Prince Zhuang Sen has the ability to...corrode the heart of the snow bear!"

"Therefore, you must hurry up and perfect the [Heart of the Snow Bear Queen], otherwise you'll have to wait for that greedy and insane prince to come and confiscate your property and distribute it to those lowly and incompetent commoners!"

Faced with Esther's dark expression, the other high-ranking officials, who had luckily escaped the war in the Sea King's palace, had no room for objection and could only do as she instructed. Soon, in the center of the magnificent hall, the floor, polished to a gleaming mirror, sank downwards, revealing a spiraling crystal staircase. On either side of the staircase were transparent crystal walls, insulating the water pressure of the deep sea, and at the very bottom of these crystal walls connected to a building that resembled a crystal palace.

Unfortunately, there is no fairytale-like life in this dreamlike crystal palace.

Countless, varied devices, radiating a chilling aura, were connected to the central cube of metal in the Crystal Palace, giving the impression of bloodsucking worms parasitizing a giant. In contrast, there stood a colossal, round gemstone, like the purest white snow, now shattered and riddled with pits, its splendor and perfection gone, even appearing to weep beneath its gaze. Beneath these two most captivating behemoths, crowds of people draped in blue shawls moved deftly between iron cages, skillfully processing the "materials" trapped within. They fed these materials into various devices, amplifying the purifying power of the divine artifacts, and then used them to detach fragments of the gemstone, integrating them into the rhombus-shaped crystal nestled within the most luxurious silk.

【The Heart of the Snow Bear Queen】

The latest research findings from the Baicheng people are not yet fully perfected, but they will be soon, in just a little while.

Esther wandered amidst the piercing wails and dripping blood, her gaze fixed on the dazzling, flawless rhomboid crystal. Nearby, someone activated a device, striking a cube of metal with a pale blue light. The next second, an invisible, intangible shockwave erupted. To most people, this was something nonexistent, but those [Snow Bear Hearts] struck by it glowed with an earthy yellow light.

This is an emergency signal.

Within White City, the "chosen ones" who noticed the changes in the [Heart of the Snow Bear] all showed excited expressions. Despite being suppressed by Zhuang Senjun, they did not hesitate to raise the crystals in their hands. Fortunately, thanks to Zhuang Senjun, they no longer needed to search for materials on the spot.

The next moment, it started snowing in Baicheng.

Magnificent ice crystal flowers bloomed, and sixteen icy beams of light shot into the sky, blasting away and freezing the charging Zhuang Sen soldiers. The Snow Bear Queens, who bore a striking resemblance to Besh, stretched their majestic bodies within the ice crystal flowers, snow bears appearing beside them. Following the commands of the "Chosen Ones," they fearlessly charged towards the far superior Zhuang Sen army. The Chosen Ones, having escaped death, roared with excitement, revealing bloodthirsty smiles. They couldn't wait to see those damned fallen planets crushed and devoured by the snow bears, becoming the materials for summoning them!

Only a very few people, who had not been blinded by their previous passive defeat and their current desperate situation, remembered Zhuang Senjun's formidable fighting power and quietly retreated into the chaos—and as it turned out, they made the right choice.

"Earth Shield!"

A resolute and unified shout drowned out the snow bear's roar. Earthen-yellow shields appeared before the soldiers holding rune-encrusted shields, connecting them to the earth and forming a wall. Behind them, soldiers wielding spears were already in position. When the snow bear charged within ten meters of them, spears with ornate runes carved on their tips shot out from the gaps in the shield wall, accompanied by a synchronized shout: "Swift Strike!"

A swirling cyan wind shot forth, piercing the leading snow bear from head to tail. The physical attributes of a Level 1 bloodline user were already less than advantageous against other bloodline soldiers of similar caliber, especially considering Zhuang Sen's army possessed rune-enhanced equipment. While not everyone could be fully armed, providing each person with a set according to their assigned roles was feasible.

The snow bears, suddenly killed in the charge, were propelled forward by inertia, sliding onto the earth shield and causing it to sway slightly for a moment before transforming into a wall that blocked the remaining snow bears from approaching. The soldiers wielding spears, without hesitation, retracted their spears and thrust them out again!

"Swift Strike!"

A cyan spiral pierced through flesh and blood, crimson liquid stained the pristine white skin. The jubilant chosen ones fell silent, as if someone had choked them. The remaining White City mercenaries and guards, of course, were even more speechless. Watching their comrades' corpses being devoured and sacrificed was already difficult for them to accept, though they could still convince themselves it was for victory. But now…

"No! We haven't lost yet! Let the Queen go up!!"

The Snow Bear Queen, with her level four bloodline strength, will surely crush these damned, evil Fallen Star people who only know how to rely on their equipment!

That's true, but Zhuang Sen has already come over—thanks to the people of Baicheng for their generosity.

Chapter 308: The Heart of the Snow Bear Queen

[Snow Bear Den (Inferior Counterfeit)]

[Using the relic [Pure Purification] to cut and separate the inferior Bloodborne Gem from [Bloodborne Gem Behemoth], and then forcibly activating it through a blood sacrifice of living souls to create an inferior lair, the bloodline contained within has been corrupted and twisted, with only a trace of Behemoth's remnant remaining.]

[Effect: By absorbing life force and bloodline power, the corrupted and twisted remnants of Behemoth within can be manifested as a twisted snow bear. Users of this inferior lair will be intensely hated by the Behemoth species and its vassal species.]

[It can be purified using pure monster girl bloodline]

Is it purified?

Yes.

[Please select the bloodline for purification. Note that after purification, this item will be transformed into the corresponding bloodline species.]

Choose the Shadow Lizard.