Chapter 617 - 582 Ambush of the Holy Vine Seed
As the palace gates thundered open, raucous laughter filled the entire bathhouse hall. An unexpected situation arose—dozens of demons suddenly arrived in the bathhouse!
The two leading demons had human bodies with scorpion tails, exuding power and might. Their bodies were covered in thick scale armor, comparable in size to an ogre. Although it was unclear what race of demon they were, it was evident they were boss-level adversaries. The dozens of accompanying scorpion demons were slightly smaller in size, but they were undoubtedly elite warriors.
The unexpected surprise left Da Fei and his companions exchanging bewildered glances. Now it was troublesome. If even the Abyss Giant was too much for Shakert and his allies, then suddenly facing two leader-level adversaries with so many elite forces beside them meant there was almost no chance of winning!
At this moment, Shakert looked at Da Fei in confusion. Da Fei could only say in a deep voice, "Wait! Let’s see how this unfolds!"
Now, the hall was filled with wanton laughter, and a large group of women clutching wine jars appeared. Da Fei’s eyelids twitched; indeed, this time he didn’t see wrong—it was really women and not female ogres! Sultry and nearly unclothed, this was truly reminiscent of a demon palace!
At this moment, the Abyss Giant laughed heartily, "Brothers, welcome, welcome! In the future, the defense of the mining district will rely on everyone! Drink, drink!"
Damn! Did they really burn down the station and alert the enemy to call in reinforcements?
The scorpion demon laughed, "It is a great honor to be recognized by Lord Aziklo. So, at his word, we immediately rushed here with our troops."
Aziklo replied with satisfaction, "Very good. The destruction of the dock station indicates that the Elf Kingdom has finally discovered our base at the rear. It seems the death of Military Governor Agarlon has indeed leaked a lot of secrets. However, our mine isn’t a military facility and isn’t on the military governor’s map statistics. Yet, we can’t rule out the Elf Kingdom discovering our mine. When that time comes—"
The scorpion demon quickly responded, "At that time, our Demon Scorpion clan will use the maze-like tunnels to entrap and slaughter any invading elves!"
Aziklo laughed wildly, "Exactly! Climbing up from the lower demons requires steady, strategic acquisition of enough merit. Do not be like those idiotic Spider Demons, squandering the opportunities and patience granted by the Demon King. Though this may appear to be an insignificant mine, the more insignificant it seems, the more it will gain the Demon King’s favor, leading the elves to drop their guard."
The scorpion demon immediately replied, "You’re absolutely right, sir. Actually, we brothers think that your formidable strength is wasted just being a mine owner here..."
Aziklo laughed heartily, "You’re underestimating this mine! I could clearly tell you that the mine itself isn’t the point. The key is these hot springs here, formed by the sap flowing from the roots of the World Tree, heated by lava geothermal energy. It’s an excellent supplement for enhancing demon power. Do you understand?"
The scorpion demon exclaimed, "So this is the reason you chose to stay here, sir!"
Aziklo laughed wildly, "I’ve been soaking here for decades and am about to become a hero. The hot springs are no longer of use to me. As long as you do your job well, this place will be yours!"
The demons rejoiced, "Congratulations, sir, on your imminent advancement to hero. Thank you for recognizing us!"
Aziklo laughed, "Don’t be so polite, brothers. All jump into the pool and soak, so you know how wonderful it is!"
The demons excitedly replied, "Thank you, sir!"
Aziklo laughed, "Today, we’ll bathe and drink here. Let’s have some real fun! Women, dance! Hahahaha!"
In an instant, the entire hall was filled with unrestrained laughter.
...
Oh, crap! Hearing their conversation, Da Fei felt crushed. He thought they’d say a few words and leave, but it turned out they planned to play here all day? How could he have time to accompany them all day? The trouble was, he spent half a day getting here, and it would take another half a day to return, wasting a whole day for nothing?
Fighting wasn’t an option; retreating even less so, leaving Da Fei’s mind in turmoil. Moreover, they had already started setting up defenses, so there’s no guarantee that this secret passage would still be accessible next time. Would there be a next time? There had to be a next time; they had revealed it themselves, this hot spring had hidden significance!
Just when Da Fei was caught up in his internal struggle, Tachiusu spoke up, "Lord City Lord, what the demon says is true. This hot spring is indeed extraordinary. I can sense a faint trace of the World Tree’s power from it. If we utilize this hot spring, we might have a chance."
Da Fei replied excitedly, "What chance?"
Tachiusu answered gravely, "The Holy Vine Seed from the Vine Space collected by you, sir! My major move, Vine Jungle, when led through physical seeds, will significantly increase in power. Not to mention with the Holy Vine Seed, and my power can simultaneously sprout five seeds. This hot spring possessing the World Tree’s power will greatly enhance the sprouting of the Holy Vine Seed—so, as long as you find a way to plant the seeds in the hot spring, once the timing is right, I can trap them all. And then—"
Elena smiled, "Then it’s our turn!"
I see! The Holy Vine Seed of mine finally has a purpose; I have forty fifth-grade seeds and fifteen fourth-grade seeds. I planted twenty fifth-grade seeds under the walls of Radiant City, and then those twenty were transplanted by Tamilia to the Ancient Tree Fortress. A fourth-grade seed was used and planted beside the administrative hall.
Given the significance of this operation, let’s plant the fourth-grade seeds. But Tamilia didn’t come along, and once I plant five seeds, I can’t retrieve them. If the demons come back and uproot the Holy Vines later, wouldn’t that be a major loss? These seeds are a limited edition, only produced in Vine Space once in a millennium, not even a hundred!
Damn it! With time running out, I shouldn’t worry about these. Hopefully, the worth of this battle compensates for the consumption of these five seeds.
Da Fei nodded, "Very well. You all stay here, I’ll Stealth over—if I fail, you must retreat immediately. Do not linger in battle."
Elena nodded, "Understood. However, they’re indulging in drinking right now; perhaps it would be easier when they’re thoroughly drunk."
Da Fei nodded, "Makes sense, let’s wait a bit longer."
At this point, demons gathered in the bathhouse, laughing, drinking, and making merry. Women from various races danced and sang to drumbeats in the bathhouse hall, creating a scene of debauchery.
The timing seemed right. With the dense steam of the bathhouse as cover, Da Fei climbed out of a drainage cover, quietly crawling toward the bathhouse. Da Fei believed that with his God-level Reconnaissance Skill, combined with the Primary Sentinel’s Aura Shield, and the thick mist, there was no reason he couldn’t approach.
Indeed, Da Fei managed to crawl to the edge of the pool without even triggering an alarm. He successfully planted the first seed in the water, which flashed and disappeared upon submersion.
Oh yeah, success! With the first success, of course, came the second, the third!
Smooth, incredibly smooth! As the demons, intoxicatedly, focused on the bewitching slave girls, Da Fei easily planted five Holy Vine Seeds and scaled back into the drainage.
Now, everything was prepared, just waiting for the Holy Vines to sprout!
(Requesting monthly tickets, recommendation tickets) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)