The Last King Of Darkness
Chapter 424 - 284 Black Water Swamp

Chapter 424: Chapter 284 Black Water Swamp

The next day, even Rod felt somewhat drained.

Having unlocked all her moves, Molly was exhausted. After taking a hot bath, she came to Rod, pressed against his robust chest to sense for a while, then said with some disappointment, "Spiritual Energy hasn’t increased."

Rod said somewhat angrily, "Do you think I’m a breeding pig? That this would increase power? Then wouldn’t I reach the sky?"

Molly fell silent, then suddenly said after a moment, "Is it because I’m not a virgin... I’ll go find some..."

That was simply too morbid. Rod couldn’t help but bark, "Enough! Molly, people are not tools. If we have no bottom line, even if we achieve a temporary victory, we will ultimately descend into darkness."

Molly was silent for a few seconds before speaking softly, "Rod, you don’t know the true despair. In such a crisis, what’s this? Cannibalism, souls devouring each other, swathes of people falling like wheat..."

"Do you know how big the flesh of a million people squished together is when the Outer City was breached seven years ago? One hundred yards... Just one hundred yards wide. If you had seen that bloody mass of flesh, you wouldn’t have any psychological burdens about this."

Rod touched his forehead and sighed, "I’m sorry, I can’t imagine it... But I tell you, it really has nothing to do with what you’re thinking, at most a little bit on a psychological level, and that’s only about your feelings for you."

Molly suddenly showed a hint of a smile, fleeting though it was, she indeed smiled.

"I understand."

She stood up, dressed herself, put on the Wind Black Silk, and wore her gold-rimmed glasses, once again becoming the refined, serious, and imposing female assistant.

"Let’s set off."

Bending down, she gently kissed Rod’s forehead and then left the house.

——

——

When Rod left the house, the team had already assembled.

Due to good weather, monster activities were subdued, so Star Town didn’t need too many personnel to stay behind, just leave some alert staff and certain combatants to guard against Doomsday believers.

In the square, five thousand combatants were rubbing their fists and wiping their palms, already eager to go.

This time, the target was the Black Water Swamp to the north.

Since there were no powerful monsters, Rod didn’t plan to use Thunder Stones. The five thousand would march directly, eliminate the monsters, cleanse the land, ignite flames, and dispel the Black Fog.

The entire process from clearing to occupation was a systematic job that required full cooperation from all types of personnel.

The system of Star Town was now complete and fully capable of the task.

At Rod’s command, the high-spirited team set off immediately.

Five thousand lanterns formed a long dragon of firelight, entering the Black Fog from Star Town.

The scene was magnificent, stirring the emotions of the onlooking townsfolk, with cheers erupting continuously.

And the entire battle process went as expected, efficiently and quickly.

O’Hara, Conrad, and Beowood led the charge, with the dragon-like trail of lanterns piercing straight into the Black Water Swamp.

This gloomy, muddy area welcomed the long-lost presence of humans, as the light of fire and Spiritual Energy brightened the eternally dark black water mud pools.

The most dangerous part of the Black Water Swamp were these black water mud pools.

The black water is the most inauspicious taboo, the poison that extinguishes fire.

In Trolian, rainfall is a disaster, as what falls is black rain.

When it touches the skin, it causes rot and decay, when it touches houses, it corrodes walls and beams.

If it drops into fire, that causes fatal weakening.

So far, Rod hadn’t seen any rain, not because it hadn’t rained, but because there were specialized forecasters who predicted the calamity and intercepted the black rain in mid-air.

But rainfall outside the region of Trolian was impossible to manage. Some areas are low-lying and naturally collect rainwater, which over time has turned these areas into very dangerous polluted zones.

Like the Black Water Swamp, for instance.

The monsters here aren’t actually strong; their strength lies in the severely polluted environment.

But Rod was prepared.

Goddess’ Tears

A creation from the Dream Realm, capable of dispelling pollution curses and purifying the soul, with effects far stronger than similar items made in the Royal City.

After dilution, whether consumed or sprinkled on the earth, it was extremely effective.

Rod had already asked Mephit to prepare a large batch of raw material. Now, not only did each of the five thousand have a tube, but Anna also dragged a pot as tall as a house, filled with Goddess’ Tears.

Of course, Rod was using her as a cart, and she was originally very unhappy about it.

Centaur also have dignity, don’t they? Even the useless have their personalities, right?

However, after Rod offered her the Holy White Tree Fruit that could enhance her characteristics, she became quite happy.

Isn’t a horse meant to pull carts?

Isn’t a centaur a horse?

Pulling a cart for five thousand people, shouldn’t I be proud?

Having taken care of Anna’s concerns, the rest of the task fell to Mephit.

"Goddess’ Tears," although very effective, realistically could not purify the entire Black Water Swamp in one go.

This task required planting the Holy White Tree and allowing it, the so-called miracle of life, to purify over a long period until the contamination was fully eliminated.

Therefore, Mephit needed to freeze the ground with Cold Ice to avoid direct contact with the Black Water and thereby prevent contamination.

Mephit was diligent and uncomplaining, and even when Rod went to find her, she noticed him immediately.

"You have the scent of another woman on you."

Rod didn’t explain, but instead wrapped her in a big hug.

"But the one I truly care about is only you, isn’t it? My best partner."

Mephit didn’t respond, only breaking free from his hand that instinctively began to slide downward.

The treatment she received there was already the best, not only providing her with the finest workshop, supplying the most superior instruments and equipment but even advancing her a weekly salary of eight million silver coins.

Although Rod was slick with his words, he had already been sincere and friendly enough, and he didn’t look at her with the peculiar gaze reserved for different species or monsters.

This was the greatest warmth Mephit felt from Rod.

She treasured this companionship and nothing more.

Along the way, Mephit displayed an unimaginable power, as the bitterly cold air swept like a storm, turning the ground of the entire Black Water Swamp into blocks of ice.

Cold Ice inherently had a sealing effect, firmly isolating the pollution.

The contamination carried by the monsters that lived in the Black Water environment could then be cleansed by "Goddess’ Tears."

The entire battle proceeded even more smoothly than expected. The twinkling of the multitude of stars was a relatively strong weather phenomenon, with its main effects visible at night, leaning towards the esoteric and the prophetic characteristics, but it also significantly enhanced fire and light and had an equally impressive effect in suppressing darkness.

All of the combatants saw their abilities enhanced to varying degrees, their Spiritual Energy was lively, and the lights shone brightly.

Conversely, the monsters were suppressed, their movements slow, and their Spiritual Energy weakened.

With this strength contrasted against weakness, the gap was indeed vast.

With thorough preparation, a complete setup, logistical supplies, and battlefield medical services all present, a temporary outpost formed by Residual Fire stood beside the swamp, offering robust support to the warriors.

The battle that was originally projected to last three days was over in one.

The process was as unstoppable as a sweeping gale, and Rod barely had time to execute all the monsters himself; a significant portion were slain by the combatants.

While Rod needed souls, efficiency was most important at that moment.

Moreover, the monsters in the Black Water Swamp weren’t high-level, so their souls weren’t all that valuable.

The immediate purification of the combatants’ contamination by "Goddess’ Tears" meant that there were few injuries overall during the entire battle; most were quickly back on the battlefield after rapid healing by the medical group led by Aunt Youse.

This was also one of the reasons why the battle concluded so swiftly.

Rod also took the opportunity to familiarize himself with his potent Spiritual Energy and to practice with the newly ignited "Star Shuttle."

This star’s abilities were indeed very formidable.

Rod could condense Star Light Dust from the tips of his ten fingers; he could control these twinkling dust particles to connect them into a bright line, which could then be woven into a weapon or a shield.

The more lines there were, the denser they became, the sharper the weapon, the harder the shield.

In combat, wielding the Star Dust Sword in one hand and the Star Light Shield in the other, Rod rampaged through the mobs, his skilled combat maneuvers, fluid actions, and with the sword and shield agleam with starlight, cut down the monsters like slicing through vegetables, captivating many onlookers.

However, the most important use of the "Star Shuttle" was still the "Star Shuttle" itself.

Using the Star Lines, Rod would wind them around his fingertips in circles, forming a rapidly spinning top, and when its speed exceeded a certain threshold, the trailing Star Lines would disperse, providing forward thrust and launching the top at breakneck speed.

This was the "Star Shuttle."

Its power was immensely strong, but it demanded a very high level of control over Spiritual Energy.

The process of winding the Star Lines was like cracking a whip on a spinning top, the fiercer the crack, the faster the spin, for if the rotation speed didn’t meet the standard for too long, the Star Shuttle would disintegrate.

Throughout the entire battle, Rod had only fired one, piercing through a Black Death Beast.

The power was indeed tremendous, but it was too taxing on the mind, and it required a great deal of Spiritual Energy; Rod still preferred the Star Sword and Star Shield.

They were quick, energy-saving, and also quite powerful.

The battle ended swiftly, but there was still work to be done.

The logistics personnel, already in waiting, swiftly began the purification of every inch of land, establishing the Guardian Fire Sacrificial Ground in the center of the swamp, planting the Guardian Fire deep down and connecting its flames with Star Town to form a unified whole.

The Life Priest Group escorted a small Holy White Tree and planted it in the center of the swamp, the breath of life beginning to restore the land.

Like Ghost Spirit Lake, the Black Water Swamp was also prime land for cultivating crops.

The warriors didn’t return home but rather stayed to guard the edge of the Black Water Swamp, awaiting the construction of defensive structures.

The defensive system of Star Town consisted of defense structures from the surrounding areas.

Once they were completed, it would signify that Star Town had officially become an integrated human settlement.

The expedition could then be officially declared a success.

Only the ruins of Isone to the west remained as the final challenge.

This wreckage was no simple matter, the most dangerous area around Star Town, but Rod was already prepared.

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