Chapter 637: The "Corrupted" Army
"Roar...!"
A deafening roar echoed from the pitch-black cavern.
Two massive claws reached out, and deep blue scales shimmered brightly under the sunlight.
The reinforced cave entrance was forcibly torn open.
Huge chunks of rock tumbled down, and the violent tremors echoed around the area.
As the dust gradually settled, a monstrous creature crawled out of the hole.
A towering figure, 23 meters tall.
Enormous wings spread wide.
A massive glowing horn glinted.
All signs pointed to its identity—it was the blue dragon Matthew and the players called "The Unlucky One," Kalecgos!
Kalecgos, with a vicious look, suddenly slapped a claw against his own head.
Boom!
The strike was so strong it knocked off a huge cloud of dust from his head, making him a bit dizzy.
But this seemingly deranged act actually helped Kalecgos regain clarity.
He recalled his deal with the Cole Elves and cautiously looked around, quickly sweeping sand with his claws.
A large volume of sand slowly filled the cavern.
In no time, it would vanish and blend seamlessly with the desert.
Seeing the sun hanging high in the sky and confirming that the maddening whispers had finally ceased, Kalecgos let out a sky-shaking roar, his raging aura spreading outward.
Then, with a flap of his wings, his massive body shot into the sky, leaving behind a whirlwind of swirling sand.
Watching Kalecgos disappear into the distance, Councilor Kaledor's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He turned to Sword Saint Hess and said:
"If the plan succeeds, Bay Territory's golden days will be over."
Sword Saint Hess, recently stressed over Dragon Warrior transformations, shook his head slowly and replied with a firm tone:
"The Blue Dragon Kingdom is already in ruins. They can barely pose any threat to Bay Territory."
"The priority now is to open the underground ruins and unleash the deadly Wraith."
"Given Bay Territory's heavy resource investment in the Death Desert, they won't abandon it."
"That'll keep them bleeding resources and slow their rapid development."
Noticing Hess's cautious tone, Councilor Kaledor was pleased such a capable man had emerged from the Shadow Council. He nodded enthusiastically and added:
"Exactly. Though Bay Territory isn't vast, they're a formidable opponent."
"We must trouble them as much as possible with deep and meticulous planning."
"Gradually chip away at their growth potential and delay their development."
"It's a shame Bay Territory's laws and monitoring are so strict that we can't plant large numbers of spies or traitors."
Sword Saint Hess shook his head—he had dispatched many skilled operatives to Bay Territory.
From all races, yet the results were poor.
Most were caught by the endless detection spells before even attempting any mischief.
The rest accomplished little—any suspicious move was quickly exposed and dealt with.
Bay Territory's citizens were extremely alert and law-abiding.
Even basic miscarriages of justice had no footing, making it nearly impossible for infiltrators to operate.
Hess vaguely remembered a master human con artist who simply made up a few bad jokes about trolls and kobolds.
He was dragged by a couple of clueless adventurers straight to a Bay Territory patrol.
Faced with a high-level lie-detection spell, the so-called master rogue was easily caught.
The whole event was absurd and comical.
Yet it struck fear into many infiltration experts.
They were deeply afraid of such a place—and its people.
Of course, Hess also knew it was Bay Territory's terrifying methods against enemies that scared them the most.
Some horrifying tales about Bay Territory's underground labs had begun to circulate.
Many unfortunate trolls had chosen to obediently "behave," endure "training," and join the "Suicide Squad," just to earn enough merit to possibly win their freedom.
Any mistake or lack of cooperation meant being thrown back into that terrible "hell."
And that was just the first layer!
Bay Territory's underground world held many more terrifying labs—true hells.
Hearing those half-true horror stories,
Even scouts loyal enough to die for the Shadow Council or the Cole Elf Kingdom refused to investigate deeper into Bay Territory.
Indeed, when Bay Territory caught a Cole Elf, they didn't necessarily kill them.
But some things are worse than death!
Remembering the painful memories deliberately sealed within the minds of Cole Elf Dragon Warriors—memories later uncovered by Cole Elf mages—even Sword Saint Hess couldn't help but shiver.
Facing such an unprecedented enemy, Hess resolved to deploy the highest-level strategy to encircle and suppress Bay Territory.
Every future ally or contact Bay Territory made could become a pawn bought by the Cole Elves.
"If we can't destroy you, we'll destroy your allies."
"If a foe is too strong—give them some deadweight teammates!"
Cole Elf sabotage wisdom, honed over thousands of years, was Hess's ultimate creed and confidence.
Young civilizations always pay dearly and rarely learn. They often repeat the same mistakes.
The Cole Elves had used such tactics to take down many powerful enemies.
Now, it was Bay Territory's turn to face this 'wisdom'!
"Lord Matthew once said—'If you rely on others, they'll run; rely on mountains, they'll collapse. To forge iron, you must be strong yourself. Don't depend on others too much.'"
Back on Hero Continent, Elio glanced at the still-fuming Serra and teased:
"Freedom under rules and law is the best protection for them."
"Always guard against the worst in these people. Stick to inspection standards—find a parasite, squash a parasite."
Rubbing her temples, Serra recalled the pleading, repentant face she'd just seen. She sneered and nodded:
"Things gained too easily are seldom appreciated."
"The power Bay Territory grants isn't for petty scheming."
"It's been a while since I've heard those idiots scream. Let the others hear it too."
"Good thing we caught it early, or there would've been disaster."
Shrugging with a smile, Elio flipped through frontline reports from the minotaur commander and continued casually:
"That's why the tech department keeps upgrading and reinforcing the tech."
"If we raise the difficulty of corruption at its root, these problems become much rarer."
"Without Legendary-level deception skills, the ability to bypass financial audits, and nerves of steel to survive spot checks—you won't even earn your ticket to hell."
"Anyone capable of that isn't one of those shortcut-chasing idiots."
"And if someone's dead set on dying—our territory will gladly oblige."
Serra composed herself, reassured that this incident would only increase public trust. She silently admired Lord Matthew's wisdom.
With such precise execution and sound systems, Bay Territory's future was guaranteed.
Hope sparkled in Serra's eyes as she asked Elio on the screen:
"How's the battle on your end? If it's manageable, maybe send an avatar here—experience a different battlefield?"
Elio, closing the intel report on Icewind Valley, shook her head:
"We're just about to start developing the mine. There are too many enemies—it's a bit overwhelming."
"The troops are too eager for combat. We have to restrain them to avoid heavy casualties."
Sighing in agreement, Serra thought of her temp workers desperate to "earn enough merit early" and nodded helplessly:
"Exactly. We need to keep them in check. There's still a long road ahead..."
March 10.
Death Desert.
Bay Territory Controlled Zone.
Rainfall.
Rare raindrops splashed into the fields.
Crystal-clear water soaked the parched clay, darkening its pale yellow tone.
The cracked ground, once quenched, closed silently with satisfaction.
Rows of fragile seedlings, refreshed by the rain, shed their droopy state and perked up full of life.
Confirming the magic cacti had recovered, Matthew slowly lowered his staff and met the hopeful eyes around him.
"The simplified Rainfall Spell can now be cast with much less effort."
"Next, everyone must research the casting conditions and how to craft magic items that trigger the spell regularly."
Sensing the friendly magic in the air, Yaya focused on Matthew's casting, though her gaze slowly drifted.
Liana, eyes wide, was rapidly sketching notes, catching Yaya's attention.
Copying results works too!
Matthew didn't force Yaya too hard.
Yaya lacked the patience for deep research.
Matthew simply wanted her to understand—
Not to be like other True Dragons, spending every day either napping or indulging their desires.
Constant learning and growing stronger was more than enough.
After all, Yaya had a gift for "execution" and "borrowing."
Among the "students," the top performer wasn't the naturally gifted Liana or the Arcanist Shuyou—but the fast-progressing Li.
Surrounded by a faint mist, Li arranged a simple Rainfall Spell formation with precision.
A ten-meter-wide cloud formed above a nearby field.
A gentle drizzle floated down with the breeze.
Delight lit up Li's eyes, and her golden glow shone brighter.
Li's affinity and control over water elements—
Gave her a natural edge in this domain.
Ever since Matthew began training her intensively, Li had skyrocketed in strength.
Now, she was a Level 10 Draconic Bloodline Warlock and a Level 6 Arcanist.
Naturally, Matthew supported her desire to dual-class as an Arcanist.
That's how Bay Territory nurtured prodigies.
They didn't rush to unlock all their talents—but encouraged self-driven growth.
Bloodline development focused on control and understanding—ensuring complete mastery.
Only that way could they avoid the trap of rapid power growth without mental readiness.
Too many prodigies had fallen or collapsed under pressure.
Matthew and the territory wanted them to build a solid foundation, break their limits, and escape the chains of bloodline dependence.
With Li's success—
Liana quickly picked up the trick.
She carefully sensed the water elements and slowly shaped a simplified spell model with her will.
Grinning, Yaya copied them, and several fist-sized white clouds floated around her.
Under her control, they even took the shape of Little Menglan.
Little Menglan's eyes sparkled as she sprayed water and chased the clouds, whispering:
"I want to learn this—I want to learn this!"
Talent is real, and Shuyou was mentally prepared for that.
Unlike Li or Liana, she couldn't naturally sense the faint water elements in the desert.
She used the most basic casting method—drawing spell models step-by-step, channeling mana, then syncing with ambient elements.
A tiny cloud floated above—and Shuyou beamed with pride.
"Wow, everyone's amazing."
"As a reward, let's have roast suckling pig tonight!"
Opportunistic as always, Yaya's big eyes twinkled—never missing a chance to eat.
She was already planning snacks and side dishes to go with the roast.
Shuyou happily nodded. Drowsy Orianna, upon hearing "roast pig," snapped awake, waving excitedly.
Her consciousness drifted from the lab, eagerly voting yes.
Feeling their youthful energy, Matthew gave Old John a signal.
Experienced as ever, Old John saw the time and called out:
"Dinner time! What do you all want to eat?"
Yaya immediately perked up, listing dishes with her fingers.
Little Menglan gleefully summoned a fog bank and dragged everyone home.
Old John messaged the kitchen. Watching them leave, his smile slowly faded as he turned serious:
"A large horde of mutated Dragonkin beasts is heading for our territory..."
"They're currently 180 kilometers away—expected to arrive by dawn."
"They're marching through the night!"