Kapitel 172: Chapter 172: Hoping My Children Will Excel
"Be careful, the dark sound blind monster has near-legendary combat strength. Watch out for its sonic attacks!" Shemane warned, not lowering his voice.
The dark sound blind monster's hearing could detect sounds from over a hundred meters away. It was likely drawn by their earlier conversation and was already aware of their presence, making hiding useless.
Sure enough, the dark sound blind monster raised its head, its tubular mouth trembling as it unleashed a sound wave powerful enough to pierce metal and stone, directly targeting Shemane and his companions.
Two Magic Rune Knights quickly stepped forward, shields raised to intercept the sound wave aimed at Shemane's group.
After a silent vibration, the iron shields quickly returned to calm.
Being enchanted equipment, they withstood the attack that would have shattered ordinary metal shields.
The two knights' intervention bought time for Shemane and his team to complete their spells.
Shemane's Weakening Ray and Atil's Freezing Ray hit the dark sound blind monster simultaneously, causing it to weaken visibly, its body now covered in a layer of frost.
Following this, Corey's Magic Missile hit the monster's tubular mouth, blasting it apart.
The creature howled in pain, its voice garbled due to the damaged mouth.
Seizing the opportunity, the Magic Rune Knights charged, wielding longswords and warhammers to deliver relentless blows.
Under the assault of over ten knights with grand knight-level strength, the dark sound blind monster struggled desperately but was soon beaten to death.
Once assured the monster was dead, Shemane lowered his hand calmly.
Such battles had occurred countless times before.
He and his companions had even slain legendary monsters together.
In comparison, a near-legendary dark sound blind monster was not particularly daunting.
However, just as everyone relaxed after defeating the monster, three shadows suddenly emerged from the darkness, ghost-like, appearing behind Shemane's group, daggers with a ghostly blue glow aimed at their backs!
The sudden change caught everyone off guard.
By the time the surrounding Magic Rune Knights reacted, it was too late to stop the three shadows. They could only watch as the daggers pierced Shemane's group, instantly tearing through invisible shields and energy particle barriers... only to be intercepted by an invisible force field.
The three attackers paused, surprised, then quickly retreated.
But it was too late; Shemane's group's counterattack had already begun.
Three blinding flames tore through the darkness, transforming into a fan-shaped blaze that engulfed the attackers!
Burning Hands!
The attackers grunted, breaking through the flames and retreating in disarray.
By the firelight, Shemane quickly identified the attackers.
The three were slender with delicate features, appearing just over twenty, clearly young women.
However, as his gaze passed over their distinctive black skin and silver hair, Shemane's expression hardened, and he exclaimed:
"Dark Elves!"
They really were Dark Elves!
Atil frowned, feeling a bit relieved, thankful that he had kept his Ring of Extreme Protection active, which luckily blocked the ambush. Otherwise, the strike could have been fatal or seriously injurious.
Dark Elves were said to be natural assassins. He hadn't quite grasped it before, but now he understood.
Any other second-level wizard apprentice without a Ring of Extreme Protection would have fallen to that ambush.
Shemane and Corey also looked serious, unaware that the three Dark Elves were equally startled.
After preparing for so long and believing their attack was foolproof, they were unexpectedly thwarted with ease.
Originally hoping to assassinate the three wizard apprentices and retreat calmly, the failed assault left them unwilling to continue the confrontation. The three exchanged glances and swiftly retreated, attempting to meld back into the shadows.
Having finally located their target, Shemane and his companions had no intention of letting them escape. Without hesitation, they activated their Rings of Calamity, instantly conjuring three claws of calamity that pierced through the Dark Elves' bodies.
Shemane's group had exchanged for standard Rings of Calamity, not the extreme versions.
Still, the Dark Elves were not formidable third-level wizard apprentices. As the claws pierced them, they screamed in agony, collapsing and convulsing uncontrollably, completely losing their ability to resist.
The surrounding Magic Rune Knights seized the moment to subdue the three Dark Elves.
Seeing this, Shemane sighed in relief, rubbing his Ring of Calamity with a faint smile.
Thankfully, the Rings of Calamity were effective. Had the Dark Elves vanished into the shadows, capturing them would have been difficult.
The dim environment of the underground world was naturally the Dark Elves' domain.
Their shadow stealth ability was unparalleled in such settings, making them elusive and fearsome.
This reputation for terror was why Dark Elves were feared throughout the underground world.
"Put magic inhibitor cuffs on them and take them back to Nolan City."
"Dark Elves?"
Behind his desk, Sunan looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes.
Emerging from his meditation chamber after a long absence, he had just summoned Carolina and the Red Widow, only to learn of the captured Dark Elves from them.
Sunan was somewhat taken aback.
The nearest city to the Star Alliance was Nolan City, yet it was still 700-800 kilometers from the Dark Spider City.
No matter how rapidly the Star Alliance expanded, it was far from threatening Dark Spider City.
Would those perpetually infighting inhabitants of Dark Spider City really have enough foresight to send scouts to investigate the Star Alliance?
Sunan found it hard to believe.
"Yes, Master," Carolina replied respectfully. "We interrogated the three captured Dark Elves. Their testimonies matched; they're members of the Feliere family, one of the twelve families of Dark Spider City, sent to gather intelligence on the Star Alliance."
"They were planning to return to Dark Spider City but decided to ambush the wizard apprentices when they encountered the exploration team."
At this point, Carolina couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for the unfortunate Dark Elves.
Had they attacked a team led by other wizard apprentices, they might have succeeded, but they targeted Shemane's group.
Those three were Sunan's most powerful apprentices.
With formidable skills and ample equipment, they feared no legendary knight.
Targeting them was a death sentence for the Dark Elves.
"Feliere family, hmm..."
Sunan's eyes flickered.
He recalled that clues to the Black Forest, one of the three major wizard legacies, might be in this Dark Elf family's possession.
He hadn't even sought them out, yet they had come seeking him.
After a moment's thought, Sunan said:
"Inform the exploration teams about the Dark Elves and advise them to be extra vigilant during operations."
"Additionally, the fourth small golem army will arrive at the front today. Coordinate its deployment among yourselves."
"Yes, Master."
Carolina and the Red Widow shared a glance, their spirits lifting.
Recently, the Star Alliance's frontline was under increasing pressure, and the two small golem armies struggled to cope.
The addition of another golem army would undoubtedly alleviate the strain.
"How's the preparation for the dragon antelope knights?" Sunan inquired about another matter.
The dragon antelopes at the pasture were fully grown and ready for deployment.
With two hundred dragon antelopes, a dragon antelope knight unit was feasible.
If all went well, the pasture could produce a batch of dragon antelopes each year, gradually expanding the knight force.
Of course, given the Magic Rune Knights' expansion rate, equipping everyone with dragon antelopes was unrealistic. Only select elite knights would receive them first.
"Ready," the Red Widow reported. "The chosen ones are elite knights who've ascended to grand knight status."
Sunan nodded in satisfaction.
Grand knight-level Magic Rune Knights, equipped with third-level rune constructs and enchanted weapons, had combat power rivaling peak grand knights.
While the two hundred dragon antelopes hadn't reached true maturity or legendary status, they were close.
The combination of the two formed dragon antelope knights capable of challenging a legendary knight.
Such a force would be the core elite of the Magic Rune Knights.
On the battlefield, they would undoubtedly be a formidable force that struck fear into the enemy!
Seeing Sunan wave them off, Carolina and the Red Widow tactfully withdrew, eager to head to the front.
As the Star Alliance grew, the two women were increasingly motivated.
Though they were always busy, they found joy in their work.
In the past, they managed at most one city-state and a few mines, but now they oversaw fifteen city-states and over a hundred resource points—a stark contrast.
In the southeast domain of the underground world, they had become prominent figures.
In his study, Sunan pondered over the war report before him.
The report was from the surface world.
For four years, the Star Alliance, led by the Star Duchy, waged a fierce war against the Azure Gold Empire.
Initially, the Azure Gold Empire, with its deep resources, held its own against the Star Alliance.
However, the prolonged warfront eventually overwhelmed the Azure Gold Empire.
After a year, the Azure Gold Empire had to abandon vast borderlands to shorten their front, buying some respite.
The Star Alliance, buoyed by success, continued advancing over the next three years.
Today, the Azure Gold Empire had lost over half its territory.
Most had been annexed by the Star Duchy, doubling its domain.
The shifting dynamics left the Azure Gold Empire unable to compete with the Star Alliance.
It was clear to all that the Azure Gold Empire was in decline, with its downfall inevitable.
Sunan wasn't surprised.
With the golem army supported by the Star Alliance and numerous allied nations, if the Star Alliance couldn't defeat the Azure Gold Empire, they'd be better off disbanding.
Despite the frontline pressure on the Star Alliance, Sunan hadn't recalled the supporting golem army.
He aimed to earn more hire fees from the golem army to cover the cost of forming a fifth small golem army.
Once the fifth small golem army was established, the Star Alliance would have a true medium-sized golem army.
"According to the structure, a medium-sized golem army requires an adamantine golem."
In the past four years, Sunan had crafted three more adamantine golems, bringing his total to five.
Additionally, he had accumulated enough mithril to craft a new secret puppet.
Now he had two secret puppets, named Secret Puppet No. 1 and Secret Puppet No. 2.
Setting aside the war report, Sunan stretched.
A year ago, he had constructed the final star ring, raising his mental strength to 59.65.
After another absorption of divine energy from the Death Knell Striker and the winged creature, his mental strength reached 60 points.
Thus, all prerequisites for constructing a talent crystal were fulfilled.
The lower-level talent crystal model based on the magic core was ready, and Sunan began its construction immediately.
With past experience and the aid of Divine Blood Amber, Transcendent Potion, and the Elemental Pool's meditation bonus, the construction proceeded smoothly.
In just over a year, the model was halfway complete.
Sunan estimated that by the end of next year, before the Starlight Tower appeared, he could successfully construct the lower-level talent crystal model.
Whether the cube could synthesize and enhance it would soon be revealed.
Bright City, Palace.
Abbott Anes walked into the hall, looking dejected. He spotted his parents seated there, along with his younger brother Wes and sister Adela.
Seeing Abbott, the two little ones rushed to greet him.
"Brother!"
The three siblings, close in age, had grown up with a strong bond.
Abbott forced a smile, chatting briefly with his siblings before approaching his parents.
"Father, Mother."
Abbott took a deep breath, about to report his aptitude test results, but his father Kyi interrupted.
"The test is exhausting. Go rest first, and we'll dine together later."
His mother, Saya, also rose to gently embrace him, whispering, "You must be tired. Go rest."
Abbott realized his parents already knew he hadn't passed the aptitude test.
Seeing no disappointment in their eyes, just their usual warmth, Abbott felt slightly less despondent and obediently went to rest.
Once Abbott left, Saya hesitated. "Can't Sunan make an exception? Even if Abbott's aptitude is lacking, with his guidance, he could become a wizard apprentice, right?"
Kyi sighed, shaking his head. "It's no use. Even if potions boost his mental strength to pass the test, poor aptitude means at best he'll become a first-level apprentice. He'd be better off on the knight's path."
Wizard apprentices were impressive, but that referred to at least second-level apprentices.
First-level apprentices were inferior to grand knights, serving mainly as tools for low-level potion and puppet crafting, with limited prospects.
Instead of languishing at the first-level apprentice stage, focusing on knight breathing techniques and martial arts was wiser.
Abbott had promising knight aptitude, and with royal resources, could become a third-circle legendary knight, possibly even a fourth-circle, offering more potential than a wizard apprentice.
Saya sighed, looking wistful.
Kyi glanced at his somewhat confused children.
Deep down, he wished for a wizard apprentice in the royal family.
It would bolster royal prestige and strengthen ties with Sunan—a win-win.
But such things weren't his to decide, even as the Grand Duke of the Star Duchy.
He could only hope his children excelled.
Translators note:I think Shemane is Xie man from Before
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein