Chapter 77: Spore Defense Tower and Bio-Mana Cannon
Charles had already made up his mind.
He remembered that this particular item first appeared in an abandoned ruin. The commotion it caused at the time was minimal, and many people didn't take the Relic seriously. This was one of the few Relics he currently had a chance to obtain, and he was determined to give it a try.
However, before that, Charles needed to settle things in the Serene Forest to ensure no issues arose while he ventured into the Realm of Chaos.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for acquiring the first subordinate force!]
[System Reward: Battlefield Armor Bug Blueprint (Gold-tier unit), Spore Defense Tower (Defense facility)]
After Ethan's death, the authority he held over the Forest of Elves reverted back to Overlord Eve.
The vassal contract was automatically signed, and a system reward prompt appeared before Charles.
[Battlefield Armor Bug Blueprint: Refined Celestial Steel + Mutated Crystal Core + Mutated Beetle Eye]
[Spore Defense Tower: Once activated, it releases spores that form a strong spore shield. If enemies are detected, the spore shield will issue a timely warning. The shield's defensive strength increases with the territory's level.]
Charles was pleasantly surprised.
He hadn't expected to gain a Gold-tier unit and a defense facility!
The Battlefield Armor Bug Blueprint required Gold-tier materials, which he currently didn't possess. He'd have to wait until he got back to ask Rose for help.
The Spore Defense Tower, on the other hand, could be put to use immediately. This facility would not only prevent sneak attacks on the territory but also ensure its safety. While it might not be effective against very strong enemies, it would certainly hold up against ordinary dark creatures.
Charles then opened his Overlord panel and reviewed the detailed information about the Forest of Elves.
[Forest of Elves (Subordinate - Cannot Betray)]
[Overlord: Augustine Eve]
[Level: Silver-tier]
[Race: Elven]
[Population: 6,391]
[Territory Size: 25 km]
[Units: Elven Guard (Silver), Wood Elf Warrior (Bronze), Wind Elf Archer... ]
[Buildings: Elven Palace, Tree of Life, Moon Well, Elf Treehouse...]
[Combat Power: Elven Queen - Augustine Eve (Tier 3), Elven Guard Captain - Augustine Luna (Tier 3), Elven Guard Vice-Captain...]
...
Charles briefly reviewed the details.
The gap between the Forest of Elves and his Zerg territory was significant. Just one of his Zerg hives could rival Eve's entire territory in both size and population.
However, for a novice Overlord, Eve's territory was quite impressive. Many were still stuck at the Bronze-tier level.
His thoughts were interrupted by the commotion in the square.
A group of Elves was in disarray.
Witnessing Ethan's death had left them frightened and confused.
Seeing this, Eve sighed, "I forgot about the mess here. Charles, I'll go handle it."
"Go ahead." Charles nodded slightly.
Having successfully merged the Forest of Elves, he was also ready to return to his territory to address matters in the Serene Forest.
As Eve left, Amy was about to follow but paused after a few steps.
She turned back to Charles, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Charles, puzzled, asked, "What's the matter?"
Amy hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, I was wondering if you have any way to quickly increase my strength."
Ethan's rebellion and the involvement of that eighth-tier royal Elf made Amy acutely aware of her own powerlessness.
If she were stronger, neither Her Majesty nor Charles would be in such a precarious position.
However, she knew that quickly increasing one's strength was far from simple.
Amy's only hope was to seek help from this mysterious and powerful Overlord. reading-here-on-NovelFire
Charles glanced at her, understanding her thoughts.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "There is a way, but it requires your complete loyalty to me. Otherwise, I'm afraid I can't help you."
Charles's Overlord blood had the power to rapidly enhance a minion's strength, but it required absolute loyalty.
Even though Flandre had received his Overlord blood, she still faced the risk of being backlashed by Charles's power. Amy was different from Flandre, if he couldn't eliminate the risk, Charles wouldn't let her take the chance. If something were to happen to Amy, Eve would definitely be the first to cause trouble for him.
Upon hearing this, Amy's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she declared, "Amy is willing to pledge her loyalty to you, my lord!"
For Amy, Charles was Eve's liege lord and the ruler of the Forest of Elves. Pledging loyalty to him was only natural, there was nothing difficult about it.
However, Charles rolled his eyes at her and said, "Words alone are not enough. I need complete and wholehearted loyalty."
Amy looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean by complete and wholehearted loyalty?"
"It means doing whatever I ask of you, even if it means sacrificing your life." Charles replied offhandedly, without further explanation.
He understood that such matters couldn't be achieved just by saying so. Whether or not it worked depended on Amy herself, and there wasn't much he could do to help.
"Doing whatever he asks, even if it means dying..." Amy watched Charles's retreating figure, her beautiful eyes blinking as she fell into deep thought.
...
When Charles returned to his Zerg territory, he discovered a peculiar tower had been erected in the center of his territory.
The tower was several dozen meters tall, covered in oddly-shaped mushrooms, with a bright red crystal orb floating at the top.
The crystal orb emitted spore-like mist, enveloping the entire Zerg territory in a red spore shield.
Charles examined it briefly and realized that this must be the Spore Defense Tower.
He tested the defensive strength of the spore shield.
The red shield was punctured instantly, but it quickly repaired itself back to its original state.
Charles was somewhat amazed. Although the shield's defense was only at Tier 2, its recovery speed was astonishing.
At that moment, Catherine, Medusa, Little Green, and others noticed Charles's return.
Little Green ran over excitedly, "Master, Master, you're back!"
Medusa swayed her way over.
Her gaze lingering on Charles. She giggled, "I can smell the scent of a woman on you, Master. It seems you had a lot of fun in the Forest of Elves."
Charles patted Little Green's head and glared at Medusa, "Don't slander me. I was there on official business."
Medusa pouted and said nothing, her face full of disbelief.
After all, she could smell at least two different women's scents on him.
Just then, Catherine suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Master, I have a surprise for you!"
As Catherine emerged, several Serpent soldiers followed behind her, pushing a dark, heavy object.
The object was about four or five meters in size, covered in a black cloth, giving it a mysterious appearance.
Charles examined it and asked with great interest, "Is this a new invention of yours?"
"Yes, Master. This is my latest creation, a super weapon!" Catherine said, revealing the object by pulling off the black cloth.
It was a turret with a somewhat menacing design.
The dark brown barrel was etched with red energy slots, and the muzzle resembled the jaws of a beast, complete with carved fangs around the edges. It looked quite extraordinary.
Charles immediately realized what it was and exclaimed in surprise, "Is this a weapon made with magitech crystals?"
He had been instructing Catherine to research biotechnological weapons, but it was a long-term project. He hadn't expected her to create something so soon.
However, to his surprise, Catherine had managed to construct it in just a few days while he was away.
Catherine proudly said, "That's right. I call it the Bio-Mana Cannon!"
Hearing this, Charles immediately used his Eye of Data to check the attributes of the weapon.
[Bio-Mana Cannon]
[Type: Custom Attack Weapon]
[Tier: Gold-tier]
[Description: A bioweapon created by Zerg Queen Catherine. It can store biological energy and amplify it fivefold before firing. Cooldown time: 24 hours.]
Seeing the description of the Bio-Mana Cannon, Charles couldn't help but pull Catherine close and give her a big kiss on the cheek.
"Catherine, you are a genius!" he said, smiling and not holding back his praise.
He had to admit, this was indeed a pleasant surprise, and it came at just the right time.
With this Bio-Mana Cannon, his speed in conquering the Serene Forest would undoubtedly increase significantly!
Blushing from Charles's compliment, Catherine felt her whole body go soft.
She realized that being praised by her master made her feel a thrill that surpassed even physical pleasure.
After calming his emotions, Charles remembered something.
He took out the Altar of Elements from his system space and found a suitable spot to activate it.
The Altar of Elements could increase the probability of special units being born and grant them elemental powers.
This would greatly enhance his army, potentially allowing him to create an elemental legion.
Buzz!
Once activated, the Altar of Elements emitted a burst of multicolored light.
The elemental forces from outside the territory began to converge towards the altar frantically.
Soon, the area around Charles and his companions was filled with vibrant elemental particles.
They could clearly feel a greater affinity for elemental power.
Watching the larger Altar of Elements settle on the ground, Medusa gasped in shock, "Could this be... a Relic?!"
As the Queen of the Serpent Empire, she knew exactly what a Relic was, which made her even more astonished.
Relics were rare even in powerful empires like the Serpent Empire, and their abilities were considered miraculous, enough to make anyone envious.
Medusa couldn't believe that Charles had managed to find a Relic during his brief trip.
His luck was incredible, as if he were a chosen one!