“Not bad.”
Jiang Lin nodded with satisfaction, his mind shifting slightly.
The 3rd-rank elite Bloodblade Butcher stepped toward the perimeter of the mine, each footfall causing the ground to tremble slightly.
The 2nd-rank Bloodblade Butchers instinctively made way for it, leaving a gap in their ranks.
He began to summon more.
The cost of summoning a 3rd-rank elite far exceeded that of a 2nd-rank one.
The flesh and blood energy required to summon a single 3rd-rank elite Bloodblade Butcher was enough to summon ten 2nd-rank ones.
But Jiang Lin did not hesitate.
In the battles to come, high-tier combat power was more important than sheer numbers.
One, two, five, ten...
Soon, he had summoned thirty 3rd-rank elite Bloodblade Butchers, fifty 3rd-rank elite crimson claw-wings, and twenty 3rd-rank elite cursed blood bone dolls.
The total number of the Blood Demon Legion had already surpassed eighty thousand.
A day and a night passed quickly, and Jiang Lin turned his attention to the piles of remains scattered across the battlefield that had not yet been collected.
The engineering teams worked day and night, hauling cart after cart of flesh and blood to the edge of the pit.
Those remains came from that fierce battle, as well as from the continuous summoning of the past two days.
They were devoured by the Sea of Blood, converted, and reshaped into new Blood Demons.
Ninety thousand.
One hundred thousand.
When night fell again, Jiang Lin finally stopped the summoning.
He stood up and stood at the edge of the pit, looking down at the sea of crimson that stretched for miles below.
The total number of Blood Demons had reached one hundred thousand.
One hundred thousand Blood Demons.
Crimson claw-wings filled the sky, their bone wings unfurled like an endless dark red cloud, blotting out the dark red light of the sky.
Bloodblade Butchers stood in ranks at the perimeter of the mine, their four arms hanging low, their bone blades gleaming with a cold light in the night.
Cursed blood bone dolls hovered deep within the mine, their tiny skeletons trembling slightly in the wind, the blood-colored runes on their bodies flickering like stars.
The Blood Demons present stood silently, their crimson eyes all fixed upon their master.
The scene was silent and overwhelming, like a slumbering sea of blood, waiting only for a command to rise into a monstrous wave that would submerge everything.
Some of the newly summoned Blood Demons had been dispatched to other defense lines immediately after being born.
So, those present were not the entirety of the legion.
“Report defense line status.”
His voice was not loud, yet it reached clearly into the consciousness of over a hundred 3rd-rank Bloodspeakers.
For every hundred 3rd-rank Blood Demons or thousand 2nd-rank Blood Demons summoned, he would summon a new Bloodspeaker to handle coordination and management.
Furthermore, after a series of detailed organizational plans, he had assigned some Bloodspeakers to specifically oversee a single type of Blood Demon.
He even assigned some Bloodspeakers to specifically manage other Bloodspeakers.
This allowed his commands to be transmitted layer by layer, reducing his own command burden.
The leading Bloodspeaker lowered its head slightly, its crystal flickering as it transmitted the status map of the entire defense line into Jiang Lin’s consciousness.
Toward Rusty Town, the First and Second Squads had completed their rotation. Twelve thousand Blood Demons were stationed in that first ruined town to be reclaimed.
Engineering teams were working day and night to reinforce the fortifications, converting collapsed buildings into fortresses and watchtowers.
The farmland outside the town had expanded to three square kilometers. The first batch of Fast-growing Rye was growing well, its tender green leaves exceptionally striking under the dark red sky.
At the Rust Mine, the Third through Sixth Squads consisted of sixty-one thousand Blood Demons.
This was the core of the defense line and the site of the breeding farm.
Six livestock sheds were already in use, with over three hundred young livestock eating and growing inside.
The first production line of the feed processing plant was undergoing a trial run, the roar of the grinders never ceasing day or night.
At the Blood Swamp defense line, the Seventh and Eighth Squads consisted of fifteen thousand Blood Demons.
That dead land, once covered by a polluted swamp, had now been converted into fish ponds and rice fields by the engineering teams.
The clear water surface reflected the dark red sky. The first batch of fish fry had been released, and the rice seeds were currently being sprouted.
At the Rust Iron Wasteland, the Ninth and Tenth Squads consisted of twelve thousand Blood Demons.
On that cracked industrial ruin, exploration teams had discovered underground pipe networks and warehouses from before the Great Cataclysm.
Engineers were assessing the possibility of repairs. If those facilities could be reused, the production capacity of the breeding farm could double again.
“Very good.”
Jiang Lin withdrew his consciousness.
He then leaped onto the back of a 3rd-rank peak crimson claw-wing and sped off toward the Ash Mountains.
Ember Headquarters, Intelligence Room.
The light from the holographic projector cast a pale blue glow over the entire room, and a three-dimensional map of the East Continent floated in the air.
Compared to a month ago, the dark red dots on the map had decreased by more than half, replaced by a series of flickering blue markers.
Those were reclaimed lands, newly built outposts, and breeding farms and farmlands under construction.
Leah sat in her wheelchair, her silver-white hair draped over her shoulders, her eyes still obscured by white bandages.
Her complexion was much better than it had been a month ago. A faint hint of color could be seen beneath her pale skin, showing that her recent rest had been effective.
The silver-haired woman stood behind her, dew clinging to her silver combat suit. Her eyes carried a weariness that was hard to hide, but also a nearly forgotten, almost luxurious sense of hope.
“Mr. Matthew has arrived,” the silver-haired woman whispered.
The wheelchair turned soundlessly. Leah faced the door, a faint smile touching her pale lips.
Jiang Lin walked into the intelligence room, his long golden hair swaying slightly in the polluted wind. His clothes still carried the distinct scent of rust and blood from the Rust Mine.
He stopped three meters in front of Leah and took a fist-sized dark red crystal from his spatial ring, placing it on the holographic projection table before her.
The crystal felt warm to the touch, and dark red light pulsed slowly inside like a heart. Each pulse caused the surrounding air to tremble slightly.
This was a pollution crystal extracted from the core of what was suspected to be a 5th-rank Aggregate during the fierce battle three days ago. It was also the first time Jiang Lin had seen an existence close to the 5th rank in this world.
“You should have already received the report on the Rust Mine defense line.”
Leah nodded slightly, her voice soft like wind chimes.
“Three hundred and forty thousand Aberrants were crushed head-on. This is the first time in three hundred years that Ember has defeated the army of an evil god in a frontal battle.”
“It is just the beginning.”
Jiang Lin sat in the chair opposite her, his gaze sweeping over the deep red area of the Corrupted Plains on the holographic map.
“The evil god is testing us, assessing us, searching for our weaknesses. Three hundred and forty thousand Aberrants are just the vanguard; the real main force is still to come.”
“I know,” Leah said softly. “But this also proves one thing. Your Blood Demon Legion has the ability to confront the evil god’s army head-on. In three hundred years, no other force has been able to do that.”
Jiang Lin did not respond, his gaze falling on an area marked with a question mark on the holographic map.
Deep within the Corrupted Plains, about five hundred kilometers from the Rust Mine, lay an agricultural research base from before the Great Cataclysm.
According to Dr. Villa’s intelligence, a complete gene bank was preserved there, containing the world’s finest livestock breeds, the most resilient high-yield crop seeds, and the most advanced biotechnology.
“Next, I plan to advance there.”
He pointed to the location of the question mark.
“If we take the gene bank, the breeding farm’s production capacity can increase fivefold from its current level.
“By then, the stable size of the Blood Demon Legion should be able to surpass five hundred thousand.”
“Five hundred thousand...”
The silver-haired woman drew a sharp breath.
“But that area is one of the most densely populated zones for Aberrants.
“According to our reconnaissance, at least a million Aberrants are entrenched there, including Aggregates of the 5th rank or higher, and possibly even super-giant individuals we have never seen before.”
“I know.”
Jiang Lin stood up and walked to the holographic map, his finger tracing an arc across the Corrupted Plains.
“So, I am in no hurry for a frontal assault this time.
“We will first establish outposts on the perimeter, eat away at their living space, and cut off their supply lines. Once the Blood Demon Legion has accumulated enough numbers, we will take it in one fell swoop.”
He turned around, his golden eyes burning like flames under the lights of the intelligence room.
“Furthermore, I need your intelligence support.
“The terrain of that area, pollution concentrations, Aberrant distribution, energy flow paths...
“I want every piece of data that can be collected.”
The silver-haired woman looked at Leah, who nodded slightly.
“Understood. I will coordinate all reconnaissance forces to provide full cooperation.”
“In addition, the construction of the breeding farms must be accelerated.
“The number of Blood Demons is growing. Without a steady supply of Aberrants, it will be impossible to sustain them.”
Jiang Lin turned to the holographic image of Dr. Villa.
The head of the research institute was currently at the construction site on the Rust Iron Wasteland, participating in the meeting via communication equipment.
“How much longer until the first batch of fodder crops can be harvested?”
Dr. Villa pushed his goggles up and quickly flipped through the data sheets in his hand.
“Fast-growing Rye in about ten days, Protein Alfalfa in twenty days, and Energy Beet in a month. If there are no major fluctuations in weather or pollution levels, the first batch of feed can start being supplied steadily in fifteen days.”
“Faster.”
Jiang Lin frowned.
“Find a way to shorten the cycle. Use artificial lighting if there is not enough sunlight, and build greenhouses if it is not warm enough. The supply of flesh and blood is the lifeblood of the Blood Demon Legion; we cannot wait.”
Dr. Villa was silent for a moment before nodding heavily.
“I understand. I will consult with my colleagues in the agricultural department and come up with a plan as soon as possible.”
The meeting ended, and Jiang Lin stood alone before the floor-to-ceiling window of the intelligence room, looking out at the green area protected by the purification zone.
Sunlight spilled through the translucent dome, casting warm light and shadows on the polished floor.
The distant, rolling mountain silhouettes stretched out under the gray-blue sky, and occasionally, flocks of birds took flight from the woods, circling above the purification zone.
This base, built underground for three hundred years, was the last pure land on this planet.
And what he had to do was expand this pure land to the entire continent.
The communicator rang, and the silver-haired woman’s voice came through.
“Mr. Matthew, there are new abnormal signals from the direction of the Eternal Frost Ruins.”
Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow slightly.
“What signal?”
“The same as last time—brief energy fluctuations. But this time, the duration was longer, and the waveform was much clearer. Dr. Villa has confirmed that this is a communication signal from an Ark shelter from before the Great Cataclysm.”
“Are they actively contacting us?”
“Uncertain. But one thing is clear. They know of our existence, and they know what we are doing.”
Jiang Lin fell silent for a moment.
“Continue monitoring. If there is another signal, try to reverse-locate it.”
“Understood.”
The communication cut off, and the intelligence room fell back into silence.
Jiang Lin stood by the window, his golden eyes reflecting the pale silhouette of the distant ice field.
The Old World Remnants—the descendants of the top scientists and engineers from before the Great Cataclysm—were hiding in the deepest, safest shelters, using the most advanced isolation technology to cut themselves off from the outside world.
For three hundred years, they had turned a blind eye to the suffering of this world and a deaf ear to Ember’s calls.
But now, they could finally no longer sit still.
Then again, it was only a matter of time.
He turned and walked out of the intelligence room, passing through the bright corridor and by the busy Ember members, until he reached the main gates of the headquarters.
Outside, that 3rd-rank peak crimson claw-wing was still crouched silently, its dark red eyes glowing like two burning lamps in the night.
Seeing Jiang Lin emerge, it lowered its head slightly and folded its bone wings.
Jiang Lin leaped onto its back, his mind shifting.
A crimson stream of light shot into the sky, speeding toward the Rust Mine.
Behind him, the lights of Ember Headquarters went out one by one in the night, with only the window of the intelligence room still glowing with a pale blue light.
Leah still sat in her wheelchair, her silver-white hair fluttering gently in the night wind. She “looked” toward the direction where Jiang Lin had disappeared, a faint smile on her pale lips.
“Three hundred years of waiting... Perhaps, it really will end with this generation.”
She whispered softly, her voice as light as a murmur in the wind, unheard by anyone.
Three days later, at the edge of the Corrupted Plains.
Jiang Lin stood atop an abandoned signal tower, his golden eyes looking toward the distant dark red horizon.
Behind him, one hundred thousand Blood Demons stood silently in ranks.
One hundred thousand against a million.
This was the largest battle the Blood Demon Legion had faced since its inception.
Three hundred kilometers away was that agricultural research base.
“The reconnaissance team is back,” the Bloodspeaker’s mental link transmitted into his consciousness.
Jiang Lin closed his eyes and, through the vision of that 3rd-rank elite crimson claw-wing, saw the scene outside the base.
It was a vast complex of buildings. The white walls from before the Great Cataclysm had long since been covered by dark red crystallized vines, leaving only scattered glass domes and metal skeletons visible.
Surrounding the base were endless ruins of farmland. The neat furrows from three hundred years ago had now become nests for Aberrants, with dense dark red figures writhing, crawling, and devouring each other within them.
“At least eight hundred thousand,” Jiang Lin estimated. “Adding those wandering the periphery, the total likely exceeds one point two million.”
It was more than the intelligence reports had predicted.
He opened his eyes and turned to look at the sea of blood behind him.
One hundred thousand Blood Demons were arrayed across the plains, their crimson eyes like a burning sea of stars.
After the battle at the Rust Mine, they had learned the tactics of tearing gaps in the Aberrant tide, penetrating and segmenting them, and annihilating them one by one.
But one point two million was twelve times their number.
“A frontal assault is not the optimal solution,” Jiang Lin calculated in his mind. “We need to weaken them first.”
He took a locator from his spatial ring and pulled up the pollution energy flow map sent by Dr. Villa.
Dark red lines spread like blood vessels from the West Continent, converging into a massive node beneath the base.
The paths of those lines clearly showed that the Aberrant activity around the base was closely linked to the pollution veins deep underground.
...
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