CH 167

Find the original at "pawread dot com".

In the following two days, Rode spent most of his time in the sewer.

He was already familiar with the job of cleaning the sewer, and most problems could be solved with his spiritual spear. In more troublesome situations, he would use a thunderstone.

Moreover, Rode's combat skills and basic abilities had greatly improved. Not only did his traveling speed increase significantly, but he was also no longer afraid of sudden dangers.

To put it bluntly, he could now walk horizontally in the sewer.

As a result, Rode's already high cleaning efficiency increased once again, and the spiritual energy boost from his soul intensity of 2430 made him invincible.

Not only that, Rode also discovered that his soul intensity seemed to have an effect on his Soul Eye. It was obvious that his ability to see through physical matter had increased from 7-8 meters to 10 meters.

This widened his field of vision and made his battle arrangements more reasonable.

He truly lived up to his title as the King of the Sewer.

The only thing that troubled Rode was that as his soul intensity increased significantly, the regular recovery effect of "Chilling Green" became weaker.

Most of the potions or methods for recovering spiritual energy in the royal city were of no use to him. Only the Soul Red Crystal had some effect, but its essence was to calm the fatigue of the soul and improve its state. He could only take one at a time to slightly increase the recovery efficiency.

To recover spiritual energy and alleviate the aftereffects of "Awakening," he mainly relied on enduring the passage of time.

Cleaning the sewer was just a way for Rode to make use of his wasted time.

Sigh.

I'm really pitiful.

Two days later, Rode finally completed all 126 sewer tasks.

When he went to turn in the tasks, Ado's eyes were almost melting him with their burning gaze.

He received a total reward of 12,600 silver coins for the 126 sewer tasks.

Now, the total amount of money he had exceeded 80,000 silver coins.

This was definitely a huge sum.

Furthermore, his Hunter Star Level had reached four stars, making him the fastest-growing hunter in the Hunter Guild.

His Hunter Honor had also exceeded 300. However, Ado told him that it could continue to accumulate. If he could reach 1,000, he could personally ask the Soul Forging Master, Reilu, to forge a powerful weapon for him.

It sounded good. It was really embarrassing to always use this spiritual spear.

In the royal city, most high-ranking combatants had their own soul weapons that matched their characteristics, greatly enhancing their combat abilities.

If I could get one, maybe I could also experience a significant improvement.

Efficiently handling all the follow-up tasks for him, Ado continued to fight for his maximum benefits as always. Since the day he slept at her house, Ado's enthusiasm for him had not diminished. On the contrary, it had increased. She not only actively planned the best path for him as a hunter but also constantly strategized and found ways to help him pursue her sister, Mephisto.

Of course, Rode's intention was to become partners with her. But in Ado's eyes, this was probably the same as pursuing her.

She would be very willing to find a companion for her lonely sister, Mephisto.

And this would also be of great benefit to herself. She had participated in the Trial of Fire six times but had failed to ignite the Soul Fire and become a member of the Flame Bearers. It was impossible for her to tie down Soren, who was so outstanding. Only Mephisto, who was equally outstanding, could.

If they really became partners, wouldn't she, as the matchmaker, also have some credit?

When she invited Soren again, would he come to her room? If the headquarters sent another sewer task, would Soren still help her?

During this period, due to her outstanding performance and active resolution of difficult problems at the Hunter Guild, Ado had received continuous commendations from the headquarters. The Guild Master, Jahan, even held a meeting specifically to praise her in front of all the branch leaders. He even intended to let her represent the branch as the annual branch leader and teach everyone how to promote sewer tasks.

The feeling of being respected and envied made Ado ecstatic.

And all of this was brought by the tall, handsome, and charming big brother in front of her.

Therefore, establishing a long-lasting and stable relationship with him was the most important thing for Ado right now. Of course, her ultimate dream was to climb up the high branch of Soren and become a maid in his house, living in a bright and beautiful mansion in the upper city district, taking care of Soren and Mephisto's daily lives, occasionally participating, and even having a child.

It would be even better if she could earn a weekly salary of more than 1,000 silver coins.

This kind of life was heaven in her dreams.

She was really tired of the cold and gloomy lower city district.

There hadn't been good weather for five consecutive months this year, and the Black Tide continued without end. All kinds of parties and celebrations were canceled, and she was so bored that she was almost going crazy. It was simply a year of disaster.

Therefore, when she heard that Soren was going to say goodbye again, the sense of loss in Ado's heart was indescribable.

But she still forced a smile and waved goodbye to him with enthusiasm.

"Goodbye, Soren, come to my house again when you have time. I have a lily flower that can spray water."

——

Rode didn't pay much attention to it. After all, it was just a toy car and not very interesting.

The harvest of this hunter journey had far exceeded his expectations, but Rode still felt very disappointed. He had obtained Mephisto's contact information, but she had never replied. All the letters he sent out seemed to have disappeared without a trace.He even tried to track the spirit crow to find her, but this terrible behavior was met with shameful failure.

During the long search process, the spirit crow would transform into something similar to a wave and enter the spirit realm, only collapsing back into a bird and delivering the letter once it found its target.

No wonder the letters from the spirit crow messengers were specially made, it was truly a miraculous invention... and surprisingly cheap, only one hundred silver coins each, available in various styles without any restrictions.

Sigh.

With no response, Rode had no choice but to prepare to return to the secret base.

---

Upper City District.

Royal District.

The Holy Fire Sacrificial Grounds were undoubtedly the core of the royal district, with the highest defense level in the Thalorian Kingdom.

And to its north, there was the highest military headquarters that governed all war affairs, sometimes referred to as the headquarters.

Due to the unique form of the Thalorian Kingdom, the kingdom was divided into dozens of defense zones and war zones, both inside and outside the kingdom.

And each defense zone or war zone had a military headquarters responsible for its defense or war affairs.

The theoretical highest-ranking officer in each division was the Guardian, who was also the highest-ranking officer of the defense zone or war zone.

The actual person in charge of the daily affairs of the military headquarters was the Defense Chief.

Each military headquarters had a Chief Defense Officer and dozens of defense officers at various levels. The Chief Defense Officer managed the defense affairs of the region vertically through the various defense departments established in that area.

The same system applied to the military headquarters.

The highest-ranking officer was the King, but the one in charge of all war affairs of the Thalorian humans was the First Defense Chief.

Yuelan Weiss Dalin.

Since the end of the Festival of Light and the arrival of the new year, this First Defense Chief burdened with the heavy responsibility of humanity had not had a good night's sleep.

The continuous bad weather usually indicated a greater disaster.

Sure enough, less than half a month into the new year, the investigation legion discovered traces of the Black Tide.

After losing dozens of investigation teams, the investigation legion finally confirmed this news.

Since then, the entire kingdom has entered a state of total war. Even the students who were still in the academy were forced to go to the battlefield early and participate in the defense of the royal city.

A few outstanding students even directly arrived at the front lines to join the battle.

In order to ensure that the achievements of Star City are not destroyed, the internal affairs of the kingdom have been almost neglected. Numerous tasks have piled up, and numerous threats have been left unattended. Reports for help from all over the place have flown to the headquarters like snowflakes. Dalin has squeezed every bit of available force to the extreme.

As the First Defense Chief, he even started paying attention to the movements of individual combatants. He even personally dealt with tasks like cleaning the sewers.

In these dark days, the only good news was that a sewer cleaning master suddenly appeared in the royal city. In just over ten days, this person single-handedly completed over two hundred sewer tasks, eliminating many hidden dangers in the royal city and avoiding many potential dangers.

Because of this, taking a dump has become the only moment when Dalin feels at ease.

He even fell in love with this feeling, but unfortunately, there isn't that much shit to take.

Dalin really wanted to contact this hero and further develop his abilities, but he was a hunter. According to the rules of the Hunter Guild, if he didn't want to reveal his true name, then don't investigate.

Perhaps he was a high-ranking combatant.

Dalin thought.

Using this method to relax and relieve the pressure in his mind.

Of course, this was an understandable thing to do.

In the prolonged battle, everyone was under great pressure. Learning to release it appropriately was a good way to maintain a healthy soul.

Dalin really wanted to promote this method and invite him to share his experiences, which would not only help relieve the stress of high-ranking combatants but also eliminate hidden dangers in the royal city.

But who could he be?

Dalin checked all the high-ranking combatants, but none of them seemed likely.

But this was just a small matter, and without any leads, he quickly forgot about it.

Today, as soon as Dalin stepped into the main hall of the headquarters, he felt his heart pounding, as if something terrible was about to happen.

His intuition had always been accurate.

Dalin immediately looked at his combatant roster, which listed all the forces in the royal city.

At a glance, there were the City Defense Legion, the Conquest Legion, the Investigation Legion, the Night Watch Legion, the Knight Order, the Battle Doctrine of the Holy Church, Calill's Secret Forces, and the Hunter Guild.

Even the Kimberly Academy, as well as the defenders of the Holy Fire Sacrificial Grounds, which had never been mobilized before.

But Dalin, who had already looked at it countless times, knew that their potential had been exhausted. Further squeezing them would not yield much, and it would only undermine the foundation of the royal city.

Dalin shifted his gaze to the back, where the only branch with considerable potential was Kimberly's secret branch.

He had to admit that part of the elders' strategy was correct. This newly established combat unit had relieved him of a lot of pressure and had more potential to tap into.

But, should he send these students with unlimited potential to the most dangerous battlefield?

Although they could grow in battle, engaging in battles that went beyond their limits would also destroy them.

The loss of any one of them would be a loss for the future of humanity.The last incident with the Doomsday Cult had dealt him a heavy blow, and Dalin still had lingering concerns. He strongly supported their continued efforts to root out the remnants of Greygrove. However, for some reason, there was significant resistance to this matter. Many elders believed that launching a large-scale internal investigation at this time would only further destabilize the situation.

While Dalin was lost in thought, an urgent red intelligence report arrived at the military headquarters.

Dalin immediately opened the report.

Sure enough, it was the worst news.

The core of the defensive line, the Ironclad Fortress, had been breached.

A colossal corrupted undead giant had destroyed the city walls, and a large number of impure skeletal remains flooded into the fortress. The soldiers had no choice but to rely on the Guardian Fire and engage in close-quarters combat with the monsters.

The situation was extremely critical.

But Dalin remained silent, staring at the map without saying a word.

Zhang Bai, the second defense commander from Shattered Iron Town, anxiously said, "First Defense Commander, we must quickly dispatch reinforcements. If the Ironclad Fortress falls, the main force of the Black Tide will directly strike the inner defense line, breaking through our defenses."

Commander Herman, the first commander of the military headquarters, was also very anxious. "First Defense Commander, let me lead the team."

"No," Dalin sat down, lighting his cigarette. The rising white smoke brushed past his graying temples, making him appear very old.

"You just came down from the Star City war zone and have just entered the recovery period of your rotation. Not only has your psychic power not recovered, but the infection in your soul has not been completely cleared. It is impossible for you to go back to the battlefield."

Commander Herman fell silent. This was a fact. If he were to forcefully go back, not only would it disrupt the strategic deployment of the military headquarters, but it would also lead to greater disaster.

Zhang Bai from Shattered Iron Town anxiously asked, "Dalin, is there any Flame Child who can be deployed?"

Dalin shook his head slightly. "No, all seven Flame Children have already entered the highest combat sequence and cannot be changed."

Zhang Bai's anxiety even carried a hint of despair. The deputy defense commander of the Ironclad Fortress, Green Grass Glee, was his wife. So this worry was not only for the nation but also for his family.

"What about the four Knight Commanders?"

Dalin fell silent for a moment and said, "Olivia is fighting on the western front, the Sun Knight and the Holy Sword Knight are both in Star City."

Zhang Bai from Shattered Iron Town suddenly had a glimmer of hope. "What about the First Knight?"

Dalin pondered and said, "Arlan has been continuously fighting for five months, experiencing more than twenty battles. He just returned to the royal city for rest..."

Zhang Bai from Shattered Iron Town suddenly smiled.

"Arlan has great endurance and unparalleled strength. With him there, there will be no problem."

The tense atmosphere in the hall relaxed slightly, and many people had smiles on their faces.

The First Knight of the Knights Order, Arls Teslant, was the only Flame Rank holder among the highest-level combat personnel in Thalorian.

He had ignited an unprecedented nineteen flames and possessed unparalleled combat talent and keen intuition. Although he had many flames, he hardly relied on the special abilities of the flames in battle. His soul weapon, the Holy White Greatsword, could cut through any monster's psychic defense, while his other soul weapon, the Radiant Shield, could resist all erosion and corruption.

Therefore, his ability to sustain combat was extremely strong, and his psychic power seemed to never be exhausted.

People affectionately called him "Arlan."

This legendary First Knight had extraordinary strength and had experienced nearly a thousand battles without a single defeat. He played a significant role in Thalorian's current situation, and as a result, he was considered the strongest in Thalorian, seen as a pillar of heroism and belief, a prince in the dreams of countless girls, and an idol in the hearts of countless boys.

Many people respectfully called him the "Victor of the Oath," believing that as long as Arlan existed, Thalorian would always move towards victory.

Most people in the upper echelons were more rational, but they also believed that Arlan was the strongest among them in terms of combat ability.

When faced with difficulties, they would seek Arlan. This was their unwavering principle.

But as the First Defense Commander of all human forces in Thalorian, Dalin knew very well that Arlan was just one person, not the invincible war god they imagined. He could also be injured, exhausted, and infected. When the situation was unfavorable, he would retreat and seek a more appropriate time to turn the tide and achieve victory.

As the most important force in Thalorian, Arlan must not have any mishaps.

So, Dalin had been hesitating whether or not to deploy Arlan.

Although Arlan would never refuse any mission, the First Defense Commander couldn't just consider the present situation.

Just at this moment, another urgent red report arrived.

Dalin immediately opened it. It was an urgent report from the rear city of the Ironclad Fortress, Laiso City. They were surrounded by a large group of dark beasts, and the main supply route to the front line had been cut off.

Shortly after, dozens of red reports arrived.

They were all from human strongholds near the Ironclad Fortress.

The domino effect of the crisis in the core stronghold had begun to show.

Dalin immediately made a decision.

"Zhang Bai, inform Arlan to prepare reinforcements for the Ironclad Fortress."

Zhang Bai's face was filled with joy as he replied, "Yes, First Defense Commander."

"Dispatch Officer Molly, inform Chief Theo to prepare reinforcements for Laiso City."

Dispatch Officer Molly immediately replied, "Yes, Mr. Dalin."One command after another was issued, and soon, several reinforcement teams were assembled.

However, there were still a few strongholds where, no matter how he tried, he couldn't find any combatants.

Da Lin's gaze swept over all the legions and battalions, finally resting on the covert branch.

This was different from the reinforcements at the Sword Pass. That was a minor battle at the end of the defensive circle, while this was a battle facing the dark world directly.

Should he send them?

After a long silence, he spoke with an unquestionable firmness.

"Notify the first Dean Vila and the covert leader Carlisle, ask them to form a team, and reinforce the old city of Byra and the surrounding areas."

------Author's Note------

Sorry for the late update, there will only be this one today.. Ah Shan will adjust soon...