Chapter 235 - 141: Dispatching the Legion
The Treasure-Hunting Catman Expedition Team might have been a bit lacking when it came to fighting, but when it came to exploration and discovery, they were professionals.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two Treasure Hunting Catmen began to recount their experience exploring underground.
The expedition team members were very cautious when they first entered the cave. They didn’t know what was inside or what the terrain was like, and faint howls from within proved there was danger.
They advanced for some time without seeing a single Monster. Instead, they determined that the cave was man-made. The walls had been compacted and paved with bricks, and the ground was the same.
To speed up their exploration, the five expedition teams split up to cover more ground.
The entire underground cavern was like a massive maze, full of forking paths. It was also extremely dark; one could easily lose their way with the slightest misstep.
"So, did you find any Demonized Creatures?" Li Ziyu asked the crucial question. He wasn’t particularly concerned about the Underground City; intelligence on the Demonized Creatures was what mattered most. After all, wasn’t the whole point of making the arduous journey from the Wraith Mountain Range to find them?
"Yes, there are many Demonized Creatures, but most of them are bestial." As the Catman spoke, he recalled his experiences in the underground cavern, a flicker of fear flashing in his eyes. ’It’s really dangerous down there.’
"All bestial?" Li Ziyu was somewhat disappointed. What he wanted were Demonized Creatures like the Demonized Minotaurs, not Demonized Creatures that were merely beast-like.
"Not entirely. We found a city, meow," the Treasure Hunting Catman recalled.
"A city? What city?" Li Ziyu’s eyes widened.
"There were too many Demonized Creatures over there, so we didn’t dare go any closer. We only got a look from a distance. Peeking through the city gate, it definitely looked like a city inside. We could see buildings, meow," the Treasure Hunting Catman said earnestly.
He then explained to Li Ziyu that the situation below was rather strange. Analyzing the information they had gathered, the underground area was likely enormous, and there might be more than one city. As for the caves, they were probably tunnels connecting the cities, just like roads on the surface.
The more Li Ziyu listened, the more he felt that something wasn’t right. This was no longer as simple as a lair for Demonized Creatures or an Underground City. It was practically like a kingdom; the interconnected caves formed a network, and the cities were the nodes within it.
’I seem to have stumbled upon something incredible.’
’As expected of Liu Xingxing. He’s stopped digging up ancestral graves and has moved on to digging up entire kingdoms. He’s really getting more and more impressive.’
Li Ziyu mused to himself.
Although the information the Treasure Hunting Catmen brought back was limited, it was highly valuable. Li Ziyu asked a few more questions to ensure nothing had been missed before dismissing them.
As dawn broke, Li Ziyu put the Undead Fortress into Hibernation Mode. He lay on his bed, not feeling the least bit sleepy, silently pondering the intelligence the Treasure Hunting Catmen had brought back.
’This is getting tricky.’
’It’s completely different from the intelligence I had before.’
According to the intelligence from the Treasure Hunting Catmen, the place below had rules and order; it wasn’t some savage land ruled solely by Power.
He had originally thought he was looking for a Monster lair. Even if tens of thousands of Demonized Creatures were gathered there, Li Ziyu wouldn’t have cared in the slightest. He would have just dispatched the Undead to steamroll through them, bolster his ranks with a new wave of soldiers, and then turn back to deal with the Cancerous Tumor Alliance Army.
But now, it seemed things were not as he had imagined. The situation had exceeded his expectations. The exact number of Demonized Creatures below and their overall strength were all unknowns. He began to hesitate on whether he should send the Undead down at all.
If he sent the Undead and they could sweep through the enemy, then there was no problem. What he feared was getting bogged down in a bitter struggle. If the Undead suffered too many losses, it would be detrimental to the upcoming battle against the Cancerous Tumor Alliance Army.
As his thoughts churned, Li Ziyu finally drifted off into a groggy sleep.
...
He woke up feeling clear-headed and refreshed. The Cat Girl Sisters brought fresh water for him to wash with, and had food prepared.
The Cat Girl Sisters had been serving as Maids for a while now—almost a month—and had stayed in the main building the entire time.
At first, they were terrified. When the fortress entered Hibernation Mode, the entire main building was plunged into darkness. The only scant light came from the Soul Fires of the Undead. It felt no different from living in a tomb full of corpses—and these corpses were animate.
For the first three to five days, the sisters truly couldn’t sleep well. They would jolt awake after just a few minutes, terrified they would find several snarling Undead appearing beside them. They even developed dark circles under their eyes from the lack of sleep.
But as time went on, they discovered that the Undead didn’t just randomly pop out of the walls. The two sisters gradually calmed down and even dared to venture near the walls.
Now, they were no longer afraid at all. The Undead wouldn’t harm them; they would only observe them curiously from time to time, without taking any further action.
Li Ziyu washed up, had a bite to eat, and then spent some time looking through the system’s chat channel. This had more or less become his fixed routine. The Cat Girl Sisters had also grown accustomed to their master zoning out and didn’t dare to disturb him, waiting obediently by the side.
When the time was right, Li Ziyu ended the Hibernation Mode, allowing the fortress to rise once more. This meant that night had fallen.
Through the windows of the main building, he could see the large hole in the ground. Lights had been arranged around its entrance, ensuring that anything trying to emerge from within would be spotted immediately.
"Boss, we’re here!"