The troop crossed the spatial rift like a tide and occupied the city that belonged to the lord of the dunes.
Richard only stepped in after the god’s ancient tree confirmed that the surroundings were safe.
Who else could risk going to the top aside from him?
An ancient, majestic, and magnificent city appeared before him when he passed through the spatial rift.
It was ancient. It was like it had crossed millions of years.
The streets crisscrossed, and the buildings were like hair. There were churches carved with religious patterns, vast bell towers at the intersection, and seven or eight stories high residential buildings… There were all kinds of things.
Richard gazed at these buildings. He seemed to have seen the dazzling scene of the city at its most prosperous.
However, what left a lasting impression was not the glory of the city but the vast wall of yellow sand that enveloped the entire edge, which was more than a hundred meters tall.
It was hard to imagine why the sand had not collapsed after it piled up to a hundred meters high.
There was no obstruction on the side of the city.
Richard focused and saw that the sand still flowed…
This scene was like a miracle.
Richard frowned at first, but he confirmed later he hadn’t sensed any threat. He looked away.
He floated above the city. He looked down at the earth.
He estimated the distance from the central square where the yellow sand throne to the edge was at least five kilometers.
And they had yet to see the city walls.
The sand buried the remaining part of the city. It did not reveal everything.
It would be a magnificent city that was not inferior to Solan City.
The only discordant thing was that the streets around them were empty. There was no one there.
Even the troop that guarded the city did not appear.
An empty and lonely atmosphere filled the entire city.
Richard frowned.
Where were the enemies?
He narrowed his eyes slightly. His perception began to spread out along the sand.
It was only when his spiritual power reached the extreme that he suddenly stopped. He immediately commanded Alves to rise into the air. He passed over the towering yellow sand wall and flew hundreds of meters into the air.
He looked at the east side of Dune City.
Black sand covered the ground a thousand meters away. Mummies crawled out of the black sand and gathered… The number of soldiers exceeded two large brigades.
Richard heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the enemy.
It was not scary to have a powerful enemy but the unknown.
Richard retracted his thoughts and looked at the black sandy ground.
Was the enemy’s troop buried in the sand?
Richard thought of the yellow sand that buried a part of the city. He immediately understood.
The camp that the lord of the dunes used to house the troop had not escaped the burial of the yellow sand.
He turned to look at the central square, where he gathered the Twilight City troop and gave the order.
“Emily, there are still several enemies left in the east. The stone statues of the dead and the dark treants will be under your command.”
Amidst a group of ridiculously large dark treants, a small centaur gazed around curiously.
After Richard’s return, the warrior who had taken over the command and killed the enemies returned to her carefree little girl appearance.
The young fellow immediately looked at the sky when she heard the order.
At the same time, she felt everyone’s gaze gather on her.
Pride filled her heart. It was like someone appointed her as the class monitor in public.
“Yes, Father!”
A delicate voice sounded.
“Lord Treebeard, please send the dark treants out… The stone statue of the dead, follow me!”
Emily dashed toward the sand wall as soon as she finished speaking.
Grains of sand covered a distance of several kilometers in the blink of an eye. And then a shocking scene appeared.
The centaur stepped onto the 90-degree steep wall of the sand.
Moreover, her speed was swift. She directly charged up with her body facing up, not affected by gravity at all… The boss’s characteristic was that it could run regardless of the terrain.
The stone statue of the dead flapped its wings and followed closely behind.
The dark treant was half a step behind. But the god’s ancient tree summoned the troops and was also full of visual impact.
The yellow sand suddenly flowed upwards like a lonely boat in a river after the dark treant inserted its roots into the wall of yellow sand down the river.
The thousands of dark treants moved in such a manner gave people a strong visual shock.
Emily raised the axe and led the troop to charge again after the army climbed to the ground.
The mummies that crawled out of the ground sensed the enemy’s attack and immediately turned around to face them.
Another battle began.
This time, without any supernatural intervention and the danger of the fall of the Twilight City, Emily displayed a destructive power that made people tremble.
Wherever the axe went, no matter how the mummies resisted, there was only one outcome. The axe would shatter their bodies and destroy their souls.
The dark treant surged out like a tidal wave. Its vast body could crush the mummy, who was less than two meters tall.
The tree trunk swung and could cause exaggerated destructive power.
It was Richard’s first time to see the dark treant fight.
Their attack method mainly relied on the dry and twisted branches on their bodies. Only the god’s ancient tree could freely control its roots for movement.
However, that didn’t slow their battle power. Their waves could cause massive damage.
The god’s ancient tree summoned these four levels lower than the giant twisted human-faced tree troops. They were all level 13.
However, the level 15 top-tier soldiers were superior.
Its enormous body was too advantageous.
That was an inherent advantage of the race.
There was no reason to talk about talent.
Richard saw the mummies crawl out of the ground, and the Twilight City troop quickly slaughtered them. Richard felt sparingly odd since his troops obtained a lower level than the enemy.
To a certain extent, the level reflected the level of strength, but it could not prove the battle power.
That included mode, level, technology, and strategic treasure bonuses. It would be pure power when one gathered all these together.
Richard saw Emily lead the battle and had the upper hand. He didn’t mind. He was no longer interested in these post-battle deserts.
Alves landed in the central square.
Then, it floated away from behind and walked up the twelve steps to the yellow sand throne.
The soldiers in the square were in a daze as they looked at the extraordinary figure.
It was as if their lord was the true lord of that city.
Richard looked around and immediately saw the burly figure before the troop.
He was Sel Bloodhoof. He was the leader of the barbarian tribe, the ruler of Bloodhoof City, and now the nominal ruler of the underground world.
Richard gazed at the dried blood on Sel’s body. His eyes softened.
“Sel, I’ve seen the sacrifices of Bloodhoof City and everyone else.”
“Your bravery and fearlessness have won my approval.”
“The Twilight City will never forget your sacrifices.”
Richard didn’t expect one could mobilize the underground troop so quickly.
He was satisfied with Sel’s performance.
The controller of the barbarian prison was outstanding. He knew the right path from the beginning.
This guy had gone too far.
Sel held his chest and humbly bowed. His tone was sparingly fanatical.
“Lord Richard, it is an honor to serve you!”
“It is an honor to serve you!”
The surging sound resounded through the sky.
These words came from the bottom of their hearts. The soldiers from the dungeon had never thought that they would encounter such a legendary event when they supported Twilight City.
The Dune Lord could form a hundred-meter-tall giant sand. Fire Elemental Lord Klose could control flames that burn everything, and the lord was so high up that everyone would bow their heads when they heard his name… They appeared before him one by one.
Half a year ago, the mightiest existences were only the rulers of two factions and were only level 15 in the underground world.
It was like a myth.
These existences in myths and legends were all related to the ruler before him. That was even more ridiculous.
Imprisoning transcendents, hunting gods… This taboo incident caused an indescribable shock to their hearts.
Richard was like a god that descended into the world in their minds. He was glorious and magnificent.
“No need for formalities. When the war is over, I will give you generous rewards.”
Richard looked at Sel.
“Sel, lead your troop and search thoroughly.”
“I need to know where their treasury is.”
Sel took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.
“As you wish.”
This matter seemed simple, but it was an excellent reward for Sel.
Who was qualified to collect the spoils of war in battle?
A confidant. A confidant of all confidants.
Richard nodded in satisfaction as he watched Sel leave.
He could finally see the effect of leaving Bloodhoof City behind.
It was not a loss.
Sel left less than ten minutes after. Karu rode on a stone statue of the dead and passed through the spatial rift.
The administrative officer in charge of the affairs of Twilight City had a solemn expression on his face, and there was a depressing atmosphere about him.
Karu arrived at the yellow sand throne with twelve steps. He immediately bowed.
“Good day, Lord Richard… We calculated the battle losses of Twilight City.”
Anger and sadness filled his voice.
“We’ve suffered heavy losses…”
Richard stared at Karu. He seemed to have aged by more than ten years. He frowned.
“There’s no need for that, Karu.”
“Twilight City hasn’t fallen yet, and our residents are still alive.”
“We can repair the damaged buildings and re-recruit the fallen soldiers. No matter how bad the situation is now, can it be worse than the humble beginning of Twilight City?”
“It’s just spending more resources.”
“Black Sorbet, Whitetail Wine, Yellow Sand Robe, Desert Crown Honey, and the weapons factory in the underground world. None has damaged any of them, and it didn’t affect our foundation.”
Master Karu was momentarily stunned. But Richard’s words soothed his anxiety.
“Yes, no matter how difficult it was to build the current Twilight City, it wouldn’t surpass our tight grapple when we first founded it.”
“Moreover, Twilight City was the victor of this war. We even imprisoned transcendents in the dungeons.”
“The winner should not have revealed such a stance!”
Karu sighed, and his gaze returned to its usual emotions.
“Lord Richard, I was too narrow-minded. Your eminence is enough to make the gods admire you…”
Richard noticed that Karu had calmed down and smiled.
That was why he always placed Karu in a salient position. This gray-haired man would never make an irrational decision because of external factors.
To control one’s emotions was the most basic ability of a superior.
“Report the losses of Twilight City in detail.”
“Yes, Lord!”
Master Karu’s face darkened.
“Four hours ago, I suddenly heard a horn blow, and then I saw a crack in the sky…The Dune Lord’s mummy troop and the kobolds suddenly attacked.”
“Their ferocity far surpassed any enemy before them…”
“In this battle, we used 450 alchemy cannons and more than 200,000 alchemy bombs.”
“We have used the alchemy bombs we got from Fortress City. There are less than 30,000 left in the warehouse.”
“One hundred thirty to four hundred cannons were destroyed in the battle. The rest are more or less damaged.”
The alchemy cannons played an irreplaceable role in this battle. Without these three-star weapons, Twilight City would have fallen long ago.
However, high-intensity artillery meant high losses.
The battle destroyed over a hundred alchemy cannons in a single blow. This level of consumption was enough for anyone’s heartache.
Richard’s expression didn’t change. He was mentally prepared for this.
Wasn’t this why he had spent so much effort to obtain all kinds of resources to prevent such a situation?
This time, the performance of the alchemy cannon indicated that his previous preparations were not in vain.
“The damage to the buildings is even more severe. The massive massacre destroyed 20 residences, one winery, and two food workshops… Other than that, some buildings were more or less attacked but did not collapse.
“The lord’s mansion is the main attack area of the enemy, and one-third of the area has fallen. Fortunately, you returned in time, or the consequences would be unpredictable.”
Butler Karu’s tone tuned increasingly grave.
“Even so, the bandaged mummies, three troop lairs, and the giant axe death knight’s five troop lairs were all destroyed. They did not even spare the cursed pharaoh with a single lair.”
Richard’s eyes narrowed.
“They slaughtered nine rare troop lairs just like that?”
“Continue.”
Butler Karu’s voice turned hoarse.
“The buildings suffered heavy losses, and the troops suffered even more.”
“The battle exhausted eight squadrons of guardian mummies and three bandaged mummies to defend the city.”
“The enemies occupied the city walls. Miss Emily led five squadrons of giant axe death knights to charge to cover the retreat of the troop… The enemies slaughtered all the axe death knights.”
“The skeleton dragons and wyverns surrounded two squadrons of dark gargoyles.”
“More than half of the scorpion warriors have died in the battle with the enemy. Only two squadrons are left.”
“The enemies’ airforce ambushed four squadrons of sand mages, and all died.”
“More than six squadrons of the Freezing Sand Archers have died, and only five are left.”
“They dismantled two squadrons of heavy sword warriors into parts…”
Richard fell silent as Karu recounted his sorrowful story.
The losses in this battle were too tragic.
In the end, the enemies had wiped more than half of the troops on the attribute panel out.
Rare Troop Type–
1. Poisonous Scorpion Warrior (Nests: 0, Weekly Production: 10, Current Quantity: 230)
2. Guardian Mummy (Nests: 3, Weekly Production: 30, Current Quantity: 0)
3. Sand Condensation Archers (Nests: 10, Weekly Production: 50, Current Quantity: 535)
4. Sandstorm Controller (Nests: 20, Weekly Production: 100, Current Quantity: 400)
Glorious Troop Type
1. Stone Statues of the Dead (Nests: 11, Weekly Production: 110, Current Quantity: 850)
Crown Troop Type–Skeleton Blood Dragon 160
It had reduced the initial seven or eight battalions to two.
The Giant Axe Death Knight, the Bandage Mummy, and the Cursed Pharaoh. The enemies had wiped these out along with their lairs…
That was because more than one legion hunted the dungeon troop down. Twilight City had defended the city.
It was too tragic.
Richard felt his heart bleed after he read them.
A single wave tore half a year’s savings.
Richard looked at the yellow sand throne before him with a ferocious gaze. The f*cking lord of the dunes and the kobold god wanted to interfere in those sacrificed to the heavens!!
“What about the casualties of the residents?”
Butler Karu’s expression softened sparingly.
“Because we have a lot of emergency drills and preparations. Although the situation this time is dangerous, the residents retreated in time, and there were no casualties.”
Thanks to Richard’s idea of being vigilant in times of peace. Karu carried out his order and conducted several monthly drills in various situations.
Most exercises dealt with how Twilight City should respond to the enemy’s surprise attack.
They came up with a strategy suitable for Twilight City after several drills.
Everyone knew what they should do in case of an emergency.
Richard let out a sigh of relief.
The residents were one of the most valuable assets of Twilight City.
The benefits of raising the morale of the people were too rare. He could not tolerate the sudden fall of it because of the attack on the city.
These residents could be the backbone of the unity of people when Twilight City expanded.
After ten minutes of discussion, two Bloodhoof City soldiers approached and respectfully greeted them.
“Great Lord, we have discovered several collapsed troop lairs in the eastern region. After investigation, there are still several troop lairs that are intact…”
‘The eastern region?’
The troops that crawled out of the sand?
Richard was intrigued.
“What kind of troops can those troop lairs recruit?”
The dungeon soldier quickly said, “I don’t know yet. I need time to determine…”
Richard nodded and waved without hesitation.
“Bring me there!”
The guard who passed the order understood he was in high spirits and was excited.
“As you wish.”
With that, he turned around and led the way.
Richard followed behind Karu.
Ten minutes later, the dungeon soldiers stopped in a spacious area.
Richard looked around and saw countless troop lairs of all sizes on the grayish-brown floor.
Unfortunately, most of these lairs had collapsed, and some had even become inconspicuous mounds or piles of stones.
Those who barely maintained their original state also lost their strength and could no longer recruit troops.
Richard felt pity and went deeper into the dungeon. He found dozens of dungeon soldiers that weekly guarded several lairs and emitted intense energy fluctuations.
The soldiers immediately cupped their chests and saluted when they saw Richard.
Richard dismissed the troop and did not waste any time. He walked before the few soldiers that had not collapsed and looked at them carefully.
More than an eight-meter-tall pyramid condensed from yellow sand stood before him.
Inside the pyramid were the striking and sharp spears that pierced through the yellow sand in the air.
They looked very cool.
It piqued Richard’s interest, and he opened his attribute panel with intense anticipation.
[Pyramid Guards]
[Level: Crown 3-stars]
[Recruitable Troops: Guardian Mummy (Crown 3-stars)]
[Recruited: 20]
[Weekly Production: 0]
[Recruitment Requirements: 1,000 units of gemstones, 1,000 units of sulfur.]
[Description: A lair that can recruit crown soldiers. It is rare.]
It was a top-tier soldier that had once killed hundreds of dead stone statues in one go.
Their losses in that battle would have been at least four to five times higher if the stone statue hadn’t turned into sand. That was a skill that countered physical damage.
This troop had proven its strength.
Richard’s eyes lit up.
“Great Lord, we’ve just counted. We’ve found a total of ten intact soldiers of this type…”
“Ten?”
Richard’s smile widened.
To upgrade from glorious to crown would require 50,000,000 units of resources.
Ten of them meant 500 million units.
They could make up for a lot, although the losses this time were vast, with ten troops.
Richard’s emotions eased up a lot.
He was about to say something.
Suddenly, there was a commotion not far away.
Richard turned his head but found that troop lair blocked his view. He raised an eyebrow.
“Karu, send someone to see what happened…”
Butler Karu didn’t hesitate and left immediately.
Not long after, the old gray-haired man returned excitedly. He shouted before he even got close.
“Lord, there are dungeon soldiers there who accidentally triggered a mechanism. They found three intact lairs inside!!”
“Three more?”
“This was 13?”
“Is it the same type?”
“No, it’s another troop type.”
That intrigued Richard.
“Bring me there!”
“Yes, Lord!”
They went around the collapsed ruins and followed Karu to another area. The collapse of the lair was even more severe here.
Gravel and sand covered the ground.
The only difference was that a vast appeared on the ground. More than ten soldiers looked down excitedly.
The space below the crack was about twenty meters high. Many troops have explored it.
Richard didn’t waste any time. He let Karu wait on the surface and floated down from the crack.
Aura-filled lairs appeared before him when he landed.
Three pyramids more than 10 meters tall stood in the dark underground.
Endless sandstorms swirled above the pyramid.
One could feel the power that surged even from a hundred meters away.
Rusty blades filled the top of the pyramid. That made the pyramid look like a tomb of blades.
The feeling that this soldier gave him was much stronger than the impact of the guardian mummy.
That was also a crown-level soldier.
‘Could this soldier be stronger?’
Anticipation shrouded Richard’s heart.
He walked closer to the three pyramids under the dim light.
He opened the attribute panel again.
He subconsciously held his breath with just a single glance.
[Sleeping Pyramid]
[Level: 3-stars Radiant Moon]
[Recruitable Troops: King of the Imperial Troop (3-stars Radiant Moon)]
[Recruited: 20]
[Weekly Production: 0]
[Recruitment Requirements: 4000 units of gemstones, 4000 units of sulfur]
[Description: Able to recruit mummy soldiers with powerful battle strength–king of the imperial troop. They are the kings of the mummy imperial troop and have supremely soul-devouring battle strength.]
That was the above crown lair of the radiant moon troop?!!
Richard’s heart beat faster.