The story of the black silk female knight

"We must find out the truth about this!"

"it is good."

Valensa readily agreed and continued watching the surveillance footage.

Unfortunately, the listening device on the spiked club in the underage beast's hand was completely destroyed after the battle; only the camera could barely function, but it only showed images and had no sound.

The reason we could hear it talking to itself earlier was because of the listening device on another spiked club at its feet.

As expected, the treatment of this underage wild beast changed after it won the battle training.

It didn't go back to that dirty, cold, and shabby stone house. Instead, it was taken to a much cleaner room where it could sleep on a soft pile of grass and was given a good meal.

It was better than what the patrols made up of elite warriors ate. It was roasted meat, but not the unpalatable lizard and insect meat found in the desolate lands. Instead, it was a large plate of venison... This kind of food was usually reserved for tribal chiefs among the wild beast tribes.

While the immature wild beast was feasting, two adult wild beasts dressed like attendants of important figures were constantly saying something to it... probably giving it some instructions, but Valensa and the others couldn't hear them.

As a retired elite soldier, Linglan could understand the lip reading of the wild beasts, but the camera's perspective couldn't capture the mouths of the two adult wild beasts continuously, so Linglan only managed to discern a few keywords intermittently.

It's basically the kind of brainwashing trope where the tribe is facing a life-or-death crisis, and the underage wild beasts are the hope for the future, so they should be prepared to sacrifice themselves for the tribe.

We haven't seen any real information about ancestral spirit rituals.

Fortunately, this underage beast will participate in the ceremony the next day.

However, a certain part before the ceremony began made Valensa and the others' hearts skip a beat.

Before setting off, an adult wild beast approached, holding an axe that looked to be of fairly good quality.

It was speaking directly into the camera lens, and Lily of the Valley read its lips... It had come to deliver weapons to this juvenile beast.

The spiked club was, after all, a poor-quality weapon made of plant thorns and wooden sticks, and its performance in all aspects was inferior to that of a fine steel axe crafted by a craftsman.

However, the spiked club is also the only way for Valensa and the others to see the ancestral spirit ritual. If this immature beast really changes its weapon, their efforts will be in vain.

Fortunately, after trying out the steel axe with its hand, the juvenile beast seemed to find the spiked club it was used to more comfortable and refused the adult beast's offer.

Valensa and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

Carrying a spiked club, and following the two adult wild beasts who had given them various instructions yesterday, the juvenile wild beasts meandered through the settlement, eventually arriving at a relatively spacious underground cave.

Besides it, there were dozens of other similar juvenile wild beasts in the cave, most of which were also carrying spiked clubs.

However, those spiked clubs either lacked the spikes disguised as listening devices and cameras, or they originally had them but were damaged in the battle... This was the only camera that could see what was happening on the scene.

Besides the nearly one hundred juvenile wild beasts in the center of the cave, there were also many adult wild beasts dressed as sorcerers or shamans around the cave, and even two wild beasts dressed in soft fur and gorgeous silk... all of them were leaders of wild beast tribes with the strength of the Radiant Rank.

One of the beast tribe leaders stood up and gave a rather impassioned speech, which greatly excited the underage beasts. Their eyes turned red, and they shouted words such as "Charge!", "Kill!", "Sacrifice!", and "Fight to the death!"

At that moment, the chief of the wild beast tribe quietly retreated without making a sound, while the wild beast sorcerers and shamans around him began to cast spells.

A strange, blood-red light instantly illuminated the cave, and various blood-red patterns appeared on the cave walls, ceiling, and floor.

The juvenile wild beasts, who were just a little excited a moment ago, gradually became strange... Their eyes all turned blood red, their mouths opened wide and they roared irrationally. In the end, they even brandished their weapons and fought each other, each move aimed at the other's vital points.

These juvenile wild beasts should all be like the one Valensa and the others have been watching, having won several consecutive training battles... Although they are not very strong, they have great combat talent and are naturally adept at dodging fatal attacks and striking their opponents' vital points.

Therefore, in this battle where there was no protection and people were almost out of their minds, many underage wild beasts immediately fell down after being severely injured in vital areas and were beaten to a bloody pulp by their own kind.

The juvenile wild beast that Valensa and the others had been paying attention to was no exception... It had just knocked down another juvenile wild beast when it was hit on the back of the head and fell into a pool of blood.

However, it was fortunate that the juvenile beast died quickly, so the camera on its spiked club was not damaged in the fierce battle and lay quietly on the ground watching everything.

This was a battle much like cultivating the strongest Gu worm. The spellcasters and shamans around them only stopped casting their spells when there was only one juvenile wild beast left standing in the entire cave.

However, the blood-red patterns in the cave did not fade; instead, they became even brighter after absorbing the blood of the juvenile wild beasts scattered all over the ground.

Next, the Radiant Beast that had given the speech earlier cast its spell. It made a few gestures and pointed at the last remaining juvenile beast. All the crimson patterns shot out blood light at the same time, bathing the juvenile beast in the blood light like a singer on a stage bathed in a spotlight.

It showed an expression of extreme pain, opened its mouth and roared, and its body began to swell like the foam of a violently shaken can of soda.

In just a few seconds, the juvenile beast transformed into an adult, absorbing all the blood-red light gathered on its body.

"...Are they using some kind of blood sacrifice to create elite warriors?"

Valensa muttered a guess, and then the image transmitted by the camera changed again.

The blood-red light that had been gradually subsiding on the beast suddenly surged up again, seeping out from its seven orifices and pores, forming a blood-red phantom behind it that looked very much like the beast, roaring as it tried to break free from the constraints of its flesh.

The surrounding beast shamans and beast sorcerers were very excited when they saw this scene, and even the two beast shikigami looked a little nervous.

But all that excitement and tension eventually turned into disappointment.

Because the blood-red phantom ultimately failed to break free from the constraints of the physical body, it roared a few times behind the juvenile wild beast that had already transformed into an adult form, before dispersing again and turning into blood-red light, which was then absorbed back into the body.

The two Radiant-Rank Wild Beasts seemed to have completely lost interest and left without saying a word.

The remaining beast shamans and beast sorcerers hung their heads in dejection for a while before helping the limp beast to its feet and healing it with magic.

Having undergone treatment, the beast that transformed from a juvenile to an adult in seconds seemed to gradually adapt to its new body, even taking the weapon handed to it by the beast shamans and brandishing it a few times.

Both speed and strength have been significantly improved, and it can even unleash energy to attack from a distance... It is at least at the Pearl level, and the Lighthouse level is not impossible.

Seeing that another elite warrior had joined the tribe, the expressions of the beast warlocks and beast shamans finally improved. They gave the beast a long, rambling explanation before finally giving it a new set of equipment.

A two-handed axe, a bone dagger, a slingshot, and a breastplate that appears to be made of lizard skin and insect shells.

This kind of attire is quite familiar to Valensa's people... The patrol teams that carry out guard and resource collection tasks on the outskirts of the beast-controlled area are basically all dressed like this.

No wonder the Wild Beast Clan was still able to field so many elite warriors to form patrol teams after suffering several crushing defeats and being severely weakened. So this is how these elite warriors were made.

Based on the information we've heard and seen before, it's not hard to conclude that this so-called ancestral spirit ritual is likely to take place every day, in multiple locations, and has probably been going on for quite some time.

Is it really worthwhile to gather nearly a hundred highly talented underage individuals and let them fight each other like worms, absorbing each other's power, and eventually quickly create an elite warrior who is at least at the Pearl level?

Anyway, Valensa felt it was a bad deal... Underage individuals are the future of the race. Using them as firewood and consumables, even if it can quickly improve their strength, is just a short-sighted solution.

"Actually, it's still worthwhile, at least for the wild beasts."

Tia, who learned of these events through projection communication, had a different opinion:

"The previous major defeats have made the wild beasts realize that relying on the numerical advantage of low-level cannon fodder is no longer enough to gain the upper hand in war. Facing a special existence like the undead legion, they are simply providing us with materials... So they have now adopted an elite force strategy."

At least judging from the previous intelligence battles, this strategy is still very effective. Prince El's undead legion alone would be in a very difficult position to deal with the wild beasts, wouldn't it?

Since those low-level cannon fodder would only be counterproductive when facing the undead legion, it would be better to use them as consumables and turn them into elite warriors.

Treating minors this way is indeed mortgaging the future of the community and a short-sighted solution, but the community must have a future first... Don't forget the great prophet's original prophecy, and the time is almost up.

This is the weakest point for the Wild Beasts, and also the best opportunity to completely annihilate them—a fact they themselves are well aware of… That's why, after what happened with Elena, they adopted a scorched-earth policy and mortgaged their future, seemingly prepared to risk everything.

"That's it..."

Valensa frowned:

"What do you think, my darling? Should we change our plan, leave the wild beasts for a while, deal with the Netherworld Ghosts or the Mist Demons first, and then deal with them later?"

After all, they are well prepared now, and if we launch an attack at this time, it would be like slamming our face into the enemy's fully charged fist... Even if we win, we are likely to suffer losses.

"One should strike with full force at the first attempt, but the momentum wanes with the second, and eventually exhausts it. Wouldn't it be better to let them cool down a bit, allowing their fighting spirit to dissipate before taking action?"

"Hmm... no need, and that might not be better."

Tia hesitated for a moment, then gently shook her head:

"Our preparations here are equally thorough, so there's no need to fear wild beasts, even if they adopt an elite force strategy and a scorched-earth policy."

Besides, a predetermined fate is hard to defy... Since the Great Prophet of the Wild Beasts witnessed fragments of the Wild Beasts' annihilation war, it means this event was bound to happen... Even if we wanted to wait and see the Wild Beasts for a while and not attack, the war could still break out due to other unforeseen circumstances. It's better for us to take the initiative and launch a preemptive strike.

"Right."

Valensa nodded in agreement, then hesitated for a moment before saying:

"Furthermore, I think that so-called ancestral spirit ritual is likely not just about turning dozens of juvenile wild beasts into a single elite wild beast warrior... This effect is likely just a side effect of the ritual, a result of their failed experiment."

"Just the result of a failed ritual?"

Tia was also somewhat surprised by this and quickly asked:

"So what do you think is the real effect of the ritual? I know we don't have enough information right now, so you don't need to think too much, just speak from your intuition."

"...Intuition?"

Valensa closed her eyes, recalled the eerie blood-red phantom behind the beast, and then spoke hesitantly:

“I think… if the beasts really succeed in this experiment, a lot of our previous preparations will probably be in vain… neither nuclear bombs nor special pheromone solvents will likely achieve the desired effect… hmm.”

At this point, Valensa's eyes hardened:

“Honey, you’re absolutely right. This matter can’t be delayed any longer… How long until your work is finished? When can you come over for the official deployment?”

"It will be soon, no more than 5 days."

Tia thought for a moment and said:

"Since you find that ancestral spirit ritual suspicious, and you already know that their failed creations will become outer patrols... then go and capture a few live wild beast patrols, and hand them over to Suzuran and Sister Friggia to dissect and study, and see if they can discover anything."

Also, your Trojan horse tactics shouldn't be limited to the isolation zone alone. Try them out in the north, south, and east of the beast-controlled area as well, to see if you can find out how many large beast settlements there are, and how large the core area shrouded by the sandstorm barrier is.”

"understood."

Valensa made a circle with her right thumb and forefinger and gave Tia an OK sign:

"I'll try my best to get everything sorted out before you come, honey."

"Hmm... Although you're often a bit unserious and prone to making silly mistakes, you're reliable when it comes to serious matters."

Tia smiled, then hesitated, gently biting her lower lip with her teeth:

"By the way... in Miss Wei's world, isn't it very immoral to arbitrarily turn humans into undead creatures? Is it even illegal?"

"Uh."

Valensa seemed a little surprised by the question, paused for a moment, and then thought about it before answering:

"Turning humans into undead is definitely immoral anywhere. In our world, it would even violate the church's rules and lead to a holy knight attack... But Wei's world isn't under Her Majesty the Goddess's jurisdiction, so it should be fine."

As for whether it's illegal... as long as it's not coercion, it shouldn't be illegal. After all, it's a world where anything can be sold; signing a contract and paying the full amount should be fine.

"That's it..."

Tia's expression became even more conflicted.

"……What's wrong?"

Valensa carefully observed Tia's expression and asked:

"Honey, you wouldn't happen to want the undead to work for you, would you? Aren't Prince El's undead legion enough for you?"

"No, transforming the dead is merely a means, not an end."

Tia shook her head and sighed again:

"It's like this... Didn't I propose some industrial innovations to the equipment of the coalition forces? There are quite a few coalition troops gathered here, and I've selected some elite soldiers from them to test it out these past few days, but the results are not ideal."

According to my original calculations, an elite soldier's combat effectiveness should have increased significantly after being equipped with firearms... But in reality, many soldiers are not used to firearms and may even accidentally injure themselves or their teammates due to accidental discharge.

The plan to use alchemy to handcraft various industrial equipment for industrial production encountered many problems during the experimental phase. Many people did not have strong self-learning abilities; the operation methods of those devices could not be understood simply by reading the operation manuals and tutorial videos. They needed someone to teach them step by step and explain them in detail.

So I thought, could we hire some people from Miss Wei's world to serve as grassroots firearms instructors in the Allied Forces, or to train apprentices in the factory?

For people from a technologically advanced civilization, many of our resources would be an irresistible temptation, right? We can just trade fairly... The coercive power of contract magic can also ensure they won't cause trouble here.

"But you mentioned before that Miss Wei seems unable to bring people over in a normal way, which is why I hesitated... After all, turning people into undead is quite unethical."

"That's it..."

Valencia also fell into deep thought.

Recruiting a group of people from a technologically advanced civilization to serve as firearms instructors and factory workers would indeed significantly enhance the strength of the coalition forces and make Tia's military modernization plan run more smoothly.

But to do this would require turning people into the dead... Even if you paid enough to get them to voluntarily accept this transformation, it would still be going too far. This kind of thing shouldn't be done.

We can only see how many of the outstanding employees who have been revived at Arasaka Corporation are capable of meeting Tia's needs.

"That's all we can do for now."

Tia also breathed a sigh of relief; it was clear she didn't want to do something so unethical either.

She probably wouldn't have asked for this if she didn't really need it.

However, since she had already brought it up, Tia proposed another solution:

"Do you remember Savat Langdon? Didn't he use the guise of being a time traveler to trick a lot of poor people from the world of the dancing sister? The spell he used seemed to allow living people to travel between worlds smoothly?"

Could we ask Sister Wu for help again to research that time-travel spell together...? If we can improve the spell to ensure the safety of the time traveler, perhaps we can recruit some talent from technologically advanced civilizations to help us develop rapidly?

"Well... I might need to ask."