Chapter 409: Chapter 411: Lide and the Half-Elf’s Gamble, Both Believed the Other Was on the First Level…

“The Half-Elf God will descend…”

Lide looked at the Legendary Half-Elf in front of him with an expression that was quite odd.

Were the minds of these indigenous people so simple now?

They believed whatever they were told without any verification?

“When ice and snow cover the earth, and the blood moon heralds its presence, the shadows of the old days shall engulf the land.

…

The ancient evil will once again rule the world…

The reason the old Half-Elf came to believe that Lide had an impressive background so quickly, apart from the Power of Faith, was almost entirely due to this very sentence.

Months earlier, he had personally heard these words directly from the mouth of the Half-Elf God.

The Half-Elf God had earnestly reminded him that this was a message disseminated by a Main God with Powerful Divine Power, who had paid a tremendous price to see a glimpse of the future.

Therefore, when Lide inadvertently uttered this phrase, it had a more profound impact on the old Half-Elf than outsiders could understand.

And not to mention the Divine Power emanating from Lide, which filled him with immense reverence.

It was a force only a Divine being could wield, and even having broken through to the Legendary Level, he was still far from being able to touch such power.

Yet, here was this Vampire in front of him, who had reached the Transcendent level and could fully control this power. In the old Half-Elf’s heart, if Lide was not a Divine being, could he be Transcendent? Was this some kind of joke?

He, a Legendary, could not control such power, so why could a Transcendent? Hence, Lide had to be a being of even higher Level–a conclusion bolstered by that sentence, which suddenly elevated his stature.

Lide was unaware of so many underlying reasons and did not expect this elder to be as imaginative as the Heart-eating Demon Wales, so he found it quite strange.

But that was not the focus now. The important point was that the Half-Elf God was actually planning to descend into the Underworld.

The implications of this news were manifold.

At the same time, he felt somewhat relieved–fortunate that he had made his way to Liusi City. Otherwise, by the time he had dealt with the Naga and the Black Dragon, he might turn around to find that the Half-Elf God had already come knocking at his door.

By then, the pressure he would face would be extraordinary.

Dawn City did not yet have the power to contend with a Divine being.

As his thoughts flowed, his expression became increasingly indifferent.

He looked down at the old Half-Elf with a lofty gaze.

“Bolots’ Believer, I originally planned to occupy the entire Underworld as a stronghold against the ancient days…”

He turned his head and glanced at Kakarilo and the Extraordinary Archer beside him, who had fallen into complete shock, staring at him incredulously.

“But since you are Believers of Bolots, I can give you a chance. Speak your solution.”

This…

The old Half-Elf, seeing Lide’s expression growing increasingly unkind, had a chill in his heart.

Having subconsciously affirmed that Lide was a supremely powerful being, he felt even smaller inside.

Although he was a Legendary, ostensibly much stronger than a Transcendent, the idea of clashing head-on with a Divine being left him with no confidence at all.

Who knew if this seemingly Transcendent being might suddenly unveil a Divine Artifact and finish him in a second?

And a Divine being who could descend to the Main Plane ahead of time was definitely one of the most powerful. He could not afford to provoke such a being now.

After a brief contemplation, he said with a hint of caution, “Black Iron Castle is yours from this day forward, and the Half-Elves will no longer make any hostile moves against you…”

Upon hearing this, Lide frowned and said unkindly, “Half-Elf, are you provoking me?”

The Power of Faith began to deplete wildly at that moment, his aura surged once more, and the overpowering pressure of the Divine shook the very heavens and earth.

“No, Your Excellency,” the Legendary Half-Elf hastened to say, once again sensing the Divine essence within Lide.

“I have no authority over the ownership of the Underworld. His Excellency Bolots will descend in a few months, and perhaps at that time, you will have better results negotiating with him.”

In light of this, Lide became even less kind: “Half-Elf, you are beseeching me!”

“I…” The Half-Elf faltered.

“The Dark Forest boundary will demarcate the east to Twilight City, while the western region will continue to be under your management. This is the respect I bestow upon the Half-body God of your race,” he declared.

The Dark Forest was the iconic area that separated the Underworld–Lide now held only Black Iron Castle, yet he boldly laid claim to half of the Underworld. Under normal circumstances, the Half-Elves could never tolerate such an occurrence.

However, it was precisely Lide’s lion’s share demand that instilled even greater reverence in this Legendary Half-Elf; it was psychological.

When he regarded Lide as a powerful figure, the actions taken by Lide naturally had to align with the behavior of the strong. If Lide had readily agreed to the terms he’d offered, that would have been truly suspicious.

At this moment, it paradoxically brought the Legendary Half-Elf some peace of mind. Then, under the incredulous gazes of the two Extraordinary beings beside him, he astonishingly nodded in agreement to the preposterous and disrespectful request.

“Your Highness, as you say,” Kakarilo interjected anxiously, eager to speak but was immediately silenced by a stern look from the Legendary Half-Elf.

Ceding half their land was utterly unacceptable, yet the old Half-Elf seemed blind to this fact.

It was because he was not confident in dealing with Lide, whose abilities were unclear–that was the critical reason.

In a few months, Bolots, the Half-body God, would make his descent. The promises made now and whether they would be honored by then were up in the air. Perhaps when the Half-body God arrived, they might immediately go to war with the other party, rendering the verbal agreement the most insignificant of things.

A temporary concession to gain enough maneuvering room was indeed a clever move by the old Half-Elf.

Furthermore, the most crucial aspect was that if, upon the Half-body God’s arrival, they were unwilling to clash with the other party, it would only further attest to the vampire’s great strength.

Thus, this strategic retreat, seemingly a significant loss, was still acceptable in the old Half-Elf’s eyes.

Outsiders saw things differently–Lide had done nothing, yet with a single demand, took away half of the land that rightfully belonged to them. This was outright intolerable.

Yet, with the Legendary Half-Elf present to exert pressure, the other two Extraordinary Half-Elves could do nothing but endure.

Lide narrowed his eyes slightly, himself perceiving the old Half-Elf’s thoughts…but his own intention was not the land; it was to stabilize these Half-Elves. And their actions were to his liking at the moment.

Currently, his greatest enemies were still the Black Dragon and the Naga, but in a few months, they would be the Half-Elves.

He must keep these Half-Elves steady for the next two months. He needed time to find a solution to the Half-body God.

A deep strategic game had been played between the two parties in just a few short sentences, all too subtle for an outsider to notice.

Now that a broad agreement had been reached, subsequent interactions became much simpler. After discussing several inconsequential terms with the old Half-Elf, Lide decisively ended his solo venture into the Half-body Main City.

The gains from this trip were not substantial, yet it had provided invaluable information–the imminent descent of the Half-body God. It also confirmed the words he had heard from Zhao Yue–“Snow shall cover the earth, the days of old shall come, and the gods shall be mortal…”

Another point not to be ignored: he had secured two months to prepare.

After reaching a verbal agreement, Lide left under the resentful gaze of all the Half-Elves in Liusi City.

The entire city fell silent at the sight of Lide leaving unimpeded by the Legendary Half-Elf.

Apart from the two Extraordinary Half-Elves, no one else had heard the old man’s conversation with Lide.

Hence, the Half-Elves of Liusi City couldn’t comprehend why Lide was let go. But due to the old man’s authority, they had to remain silent.

Not until Lide’s figure had vanished did Kakarilo, the Level 24 Extraordinary assassin, contain himself no longer, turning to look indignantly at the old Half-Elf.

“Father, why did you let him go?

Can he truly be Divine? Would a Divine be so weak?” he voiced, filled with frustration.

“Kakarilo…the days of old are coming…” the old Half-Elf’s murky eyes carried a bewildering complexity.

“We cannot afford this risk…”

“Why can’t we take the risk?! Even if he is Divine, since when do Half-Elves need to grovel and appease in such a lowly manner?” Kakarilo said, his face ashen, the corpses of thousands of Black Beak Giant Eagles still encased in ice on the ground, unable to bear submitting under such circumstances.

If the old Half-Elf wasn’t his father, revered and mighty in his heart, he would never have let this matter rest today.

“Because…” the old Half-Elf’s voice grew heavy, “Bolots His Highness has encountered serious trouble. If the land was not ceded to that vampire, even after His Highness’ descent, we would greatly retract our strength.”

He paused, his tone gaining gravity.

“Regardless of whether that vampire is the true God of Twilight or not, I sense danger in him–a lethal danger… The Divine Power within him is not false. It’s intrinsic to him.

Whether he is Divine or a being Extraordinary controlling Divine Power, it shows the significance of that vampire.

I’m not certain I could kill him…even if I did manage to slay him, I would suffer irreversible, grave injuries.”

Kakarilo… “I stepped into the Legendary Level with the help of His Highness’ power, but now His Highness is weakening, and my power has dropped to an unprecedented low point…”

The Legendary Half-Elf finally revealed the truth. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to kill Lide; it was that he could no longer bear the cost of killing Lide.

The terrifying Legendary aura that had just been present dissipated after these words, like shifting from the weight of a mountain to the lightness of cotton candy, not just weakened by a notch.

“Now the most crucial thing is to wait for His Highness to descend. As Half-Elves, we only have Bolots, our single Divine Being.

Only after His Highness descends will the true danger begin. The power of the old days will devour everything, and His Highness must not encounter any mishaps!”

The misery that races without the protection of a Divine Being endure is all too clear to the old Half-Elf.

The Half-Elves occupy the richest veins and lands of the Underworld thanks to the backing of a Divine Being. If their only Divine Being were to encounter trouble, how long could the Half-Elves hold on?

He didn’t dare think about it.

Kakarilo’s heart filled with dread upon hearing such secret news. Bolots, the great Half-body God, was actually, actually weakening??

The enormity of this revelation sent chills down his spine, and the slight dissatisfaction he had felt just a moment ago was now completely forgotten.

The God of the Half-Elves was the greatest Protector to their race; everything else had to take a back seat in His presence.

“Father, I will immediately have the Half-Elves from the other side of the Dark Forest withdraw to Liusi City.”

“No, there’s no need for such haste. Don’t even rush to evacuate. In fact, if that Vampire sends people to take over our city, we need to put up a certain resistance. We must show that we have strong support to confuse that Vampire.”

The old Half-Elf spoke slowly, his eyes becoming increasingly cloudy.

“At the same time, order everyone to immediately manufacture military supplies. We may soon face an unprecedented war…”

In a contest between masters, victory or defeat can hinge on the slightest margin.

Lide believed that his escape this time was due in part to luck, but wasn’t the old Half-Elf thinking the same?

Both opponents had not fully grasped each other’s cards, each believing they were on the last layer, yet neither realized the other was on the next. They both harbored a deep wariness towards each other.

Lide used a message and the Power of Faith to make the old Half-Elf believe he must have a connection with a Divine Being, while his own power had fallen to a low point. Out of wariness, he dared not make a move.

And Lide was equally wary of the Legendary status of the old Half-Elf and the imminent descent of the Half-Elf God. He could only retreat and think of a solution.

This seemingly innocuous encounter had invisible frictions that could change the future landscape and power structure of the Underworld.

Until the final cards were revealed, neither of these old foxes could know if they had gained the upper hand.

—

—

—

After leaving Liusi City, Lide was still deep in thought. Unaware of the extensive information hidden by the Legendary Half-Elf, he felt an urgent dread.

If what the old Half-Elf said was true, and the God of the Half-Elves would descend in a few months, then the situation in the Underworld would definitely not be as he had first envisioned. His footing there was questionable.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed his heart.

Whatever developments happened on the Half-Elves’ side, the most important thing now was to deal with the Black Dragon and the Naga.

It wasn’t that once the Half-Elf God descended, the Black Dragon and Naga issues would go away. If he didn’t eliminate these two major troubles, he might be kicked out of the game before the god’s descent.

Once the Black Dragon entered the Abyss, the trouble would be immense.

A Legendary Level Black Dragon was definitely not comparable to that Legendary Half-Elf. The disparity in combat power was vast.

The disparity was like that between him and those two Extraordinary Half-Elves. He had undergone two Divine Calamities, and his Bloodline and body had reached an Extreme level.

On the battlefield just now, the attacks launched by the two Extraordinary beings allowed him to directly feel the strength of his body.

Especially after unlocking the Bloodline shackles and activating the characteristics of the golden Ancestor Bloodline — the Undying Body, which was terrifying.

Undying Body: No vital points in the entire body, even if the head is chopped off, you can still use the Bloodline Power to regrow and recover. Currently, you can recover from fatal injuries 5 times, and you can sustain this state for an extended period using the blood in your body.

The attacks of the two Extraordinary Half-Elves were fatal to a regular Extraordinary being, but it only used up one recovery from his Undying Body.

And this time it was an accident, entirely because his focus was distracted the first time he compressed magic. On a normal battlefield, the chances of standing still and being a target for the enemy wouldn’t be so easily afforded.

So, all things considered, his solitary venture to Liusi City netted more than the vitally important news of the Half-Elf God’s descent; it also added to his understanding of his combat capabilities.

He now had a clearer sense of his own strength after having directly clashed with the enemy–a summary would be: invincible within the Transcendent realm.

Not to mention he had obliterated tens of thousands of Black Beak Giant Eagles with a single move, if that Legendary Half-Elf had not arrived so swiftly, that Extraordinary Archer would have already been assassinated by him as well.

As for that Level 24 Extraordinary assassin… after piercing through the opponent’s abdomen, a portion of the Power of Crimson had already remained inside.

As long as the opponent didn’t leave immediately, even if they hid within the Dimension Plane, he could easily find them.

“Master…”

Suddenly, a call from behind interrupted Lide’s thoughts. He came back to reality without further consideration and turned to look at Mahari, the Level 18 Half-Elf who was standing on Castro’s back and heaving a sigh of relief.

“Are you alright?”

Lide nodded slightly, “Unharmed.”

Saying this, he moved and flew onto Castro’s back, “The matter is already resolved.”

“Resolved…” Mahari was startled, somewhat surprised, “You mean the Half-Elves won’t be sending troops?”

“Sending troops?” Lide looked at him, smiled.

“Starting today, the Dark Forest marks the boundary, the east belongs to Twilight City.

The west continues to be governed by the Half-Elves.”

“You, you made the Half-Elves cede half of their territory?”

Mahari widened his eyes in shock as he stared at Lide.

A single man ventured alone into the Half-Elf Main City inhabited by hundreds of thousands and even forced them to cede half their land–was this a myth?

The admiration that initially filled this Half-Elf Great Mage’s heart was now bordering on insanity.

“You truly are magnificent…”

“Each took what they needed.”

Lide waved his hand, not particularly concerned with this matter.

With power, the entire Underworld would be his; without power, so-called territorial concession was just empty talk, something the other side could take back at any time.

All this was founded on the basis of power.

His initial objective was simply to prevent the Half-Elves from interfering in his hunt for the Black Dragon.

“Castro, return to Twilight City at once.”

“As you command, Master…”

Although this newly risen monarch’s combat strength could no longer keep up with Lide’s needs, its speed was still unmatched within Dawn City.

The Blade Wings flapped, creating an instantaneous blast in the sky.

Then it vanished on the spot.

When passing by the Dark Forest, the terrifying sigh of the Undead still lingered, but Lide had no mind to ponder these things now. All his thoughts were fixed on how to deal with the Black Dragon and the Half-Elf God.

Twilight City.

For most warriors, Lide had only been away for three or four Sunshine Hours, but they could not imagine that their sovereign’s journey had spared Twilight City from an immense war.

Of course, this war might have merely been postponed.

Since returning from Liusi City, Lide had not left Twilight City for several consecutive days, secluding himself within the City Lord’s manor, with no one knowing what he was scheming.

The terrifying energy fluctuations occasionally emanating from the manor filled people with trepidation; even later the area around the City Lord’s manor within a thousand blades became hollow, as no one dared approach, terrified that they might be torn apart by that frightful power.

Although Lide had secluded himself, on the day of his return, he issued a deadly order that all military needs must be ready within a week, and invading the Naga Tribe was imperative.

This firm command accelerated the already speedy progression of the military’s preparations.

Catapults, Tower Carriages, Alchemy Bombs, goblin bomb trucks, siege crossbow carts… Any siege-related apparatus produced in the factories of Dawn City was immediately transported to Twilight City.

This was the first time Dawn City was making serious preparations for a siege battle, and the preparations Lide made were truly exhaustive to ensure victory in one battle.

In the midst of frantic preparations, time slowly passed… and the aura inside the City Lord’s manor became increasingly intense and terrifying.