Xia Jin walked over to the sand worm as a new squad of zerglings emerged from the woods, carrying away both the wounded Zerg and the corpses.
The three students watched everything unfold.
The young mage glanced at her senior, finding him just as bewildered and shocked as she was.
They clearly did not recognize these creatures.
Once the Zerg had finished clearing the area, Xia Jin closed her eyes, sensing the surroundings through the swarm.
A few seconds later, she opened them and said, “There is another group approaching from two kilometers away. Are they your companions?”
The swordsman froze for a moment, then immediately shook his head.
Strictly speaking, the other students taking the exam were certainly not his companions.
But... two kilometers? How did she sense them?
The girl scrutinized them before suddenly releasing a mysterious, binding force from her hand that settled over the three of them.
Spatial magic.
After casting it, Xia Jin spoke. “I cannot let you leave.”
A group of zerglings slowly surrounded them.
“From now on, I give you two choices. First... die here.”
Everyone’s heart skipped a beat.
“Second... you live, but for the foreseeable future, you must obey me and stay within this forest.”
Xia Jin had just learned from the brain bug about the history of the Zerg.
The next tier of the hive would introduce parasitic Zerg. With these creatures, she could parasitize hostile individuals and gain complete control over them.
Furthermore, for individuals who proved completely trustworthy, she could use the Zerg Hive to transform them into half-Zerg creatures. The price was that they would be entirely bound by the swarm’s will; any hint of resistance would be detected and immediately met with a backlash from the entire mental network.
Before invading the Kingdom, Xia Jin felt she could cultivate a group of her own spies.
These people who had entered her territory and learned of the swarm’s existence were undoubtedly the best candidates.
“We... we want to live.”
After a brief internal struggle, the senior wisely compromised.
The other two could only follow his lead and make the same choice.
They had no choice; survival came first.
“Follow me.”
Next, amidst a sense of confusion and unease, the group was forced to follow Xia Jin for several hours until they arrived before a massive, biological entity that looked incredibly distorted.
Rather than a creature, it was more like a building with biological characteristics.
The ground was exceptionally soft; stepping on it felt strangely eerie in a way words couldn't describe.
If one looked closely at the soil beneath the grass, they would discover that the ground itself was a pulsing, living organism.
Terrifying zerglings were everywhere, some of them hauling massive stones.
The sight was unsettling beyond belief.
The drones had spent the last few days using stones to build crude dwellings, and Xia Jin had the trio move into them.
...
The moment they were confined to the room, the shield warrior couldn't help but complain.
“I’ve never heard of a group of monsters like this in this area. What have we run into?”
“I... I don't know.” The mage girl clutched her staff, crouching in the corner in fear, nearly moved to tears.
Seeing this, the senior comforted her. “It’s okay, junior. We’ll definitely be rescued.”
In truth, he had no idea who that silver-haired girl was either.
They had encountered many Zerg along the way, but the situation was still within the realm of the acceptable.
This was because the main Zerg legion was not near the Zerg Hive.
However, new Zerg were being born right here.
The students hadn't seen the larvae pupating into adults; if they had, it would have surely left them with lifelong psychological trauma.
“Once the next tier of the hive is ready, I can parasitize these people and send them into the Kingdom as spies.”
From their conversation, she learned that their assessment would last another week.
On her end, she estimated it would take at least ten days to accumulate the ordinary energy required for the upgrade.
As for gold coins, she could sell several wagonloads of fruit and medicinal herbs to the Red Rose Chamber of Commerce in advance to exchange for them.
The only remaining concern was the mithril.
While Xia Jin was thinking, the hydralisks positioned at the westernmost edge of her territory suddenly sent back a report.
...
“Sister, do you think these creatures can really be reasoned with?”
Two beautiful, green-haired elves stood on a tree branch. From several hundred meters away, they could see several hydralisks patrolling back and forth.
The elf asking the question was Vigaya’s younger sister, who was nearly as beautiful as her sister and shared a strong resemblance.
“Even if they can't, we have no other choice. The Council of Elders believes we shouldn't clash with any magic beasts. For so many years, the elven race has seen its population steadily decline due to conflicts with other races. Although we are a long-lived species, the cost of birthing a new elf is too high.”
Vigaya sighed as she spoke, then took the lead in jumping down from the massive tree.
The hydralisks in the distance instinctively prepared to attack upon seeing this.
Information was transmitted almost instantly to the nearby swarm, putting nearly a thousand Zerg in the vicinity on high alert.
But Xia Jin’s previous orders were still in effect.
Attacking was forbidden unless a real danger appeared.
Thus, it wasn't until the elves walked within twenty meters of them that the hydralisks bared their warning fangs.
They brandished their forelimbs as if to warn the two elves: advance any further, and we will attack.
Vigaya stopped and exchanged a look with her sister.
To be honest, the elven side had been the one in the wrong during their previous encounter. After those creatures entered the Glowing Forest, her side had killed several of them.
Now that they were approaching them, these Zerg hadn't attacked. By comparison... the two elves suddenly felt as if they were the ones who were evil.
But such thoughts were quickly discarded.
The images of the great magic beast battle were still fresh in their minds. The terrifying Leopard King had been driven away; these creatures before them were definitely not pushovers.
She immediately said, “Please do not be nervous. We come with goodwill and hope to meet your lord.”
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