67: Chapter 67 The War Begins

In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived at the Desert camp.

Dylan, dressed in a sturdy outfit, stood opposite Ivan and said with a relaxed expression, "Ivan, I leave this place to you from now on."

"As for Blake and me, we will find a suitable time to enter the Hive to investigate the situation inside. You just need to proceed according to the plan."

After a brief silence, Ivan said, "Alright, then you can go with peace of mind. I will handle everything here."

Dylan chuckled, "Don't sound so sentimental, it's as if I'm about to die."

With these words, the previously somewhat heavy atmosphere was instantly broken, and smiles appeared on everyone's faces once again.

Dylan didn't speak again. After glancing around, he signaled for Blake to follow, headed out of the camp, and his figure gradually disappeared from everyone's sight.

When Dylan's figure completely vanished, Ivan turned to look at the thirty or so people behind him, his expression serious.

"Alright, let's move out. Everything proceeds according to plan!"

Before the words had even faded, everyone in the area turned and left to make their preparations, and no one said another word during the process.

In the same spot, Ivan and Loris watched the busy scene in the camp, neither of them speaking.

A few breaths later, Loris spoke first, "Ivan, do you think Dylan will succeed this time?"

Ivan shook his head, "I don't know. The variables are simply too great, but I estimate there is only a twenty percent chance that Dylan will be able to take advantage of this opportunity to obtain the origin crystal essence."

Upon hearing this, a rare expression of heaviness appeared on Loris's face.

As it turned out, this time Dylan was not, as he had previously claimed, merely taking the opportunity of the external attack to cause chaos in the Hive to investigate information.

He wanted to achieve success in one go, taking advantage of this opportunity to directly obtain their ultimate goal: the origin crystal essence.

"If it weren't for the worry about those other Wizard organizations and the lone wolf Limit Wizard Apprentices, we wouldn't have to be so rushed. It's truly hateful!"

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Loris said indignantly.

Hearing Loris's words, Ivan shook his head, "In the end, it's because our Council's strength is too weak to cope with the covetous eyes of those other Limit Wizard Apprentices."

"We can only resort to secretly extracting the origin crystal essence and then handing it to Byron to refine into a potion. This method minimizes the risk."

"Otherwise, if they knew we had obtained the origin crystal essence, who knows how much trouble it would cause."

Loris snorted coldly, "Didn't you just say that the success rate this time wasn't high? Why are you saying it like this now?"

Ivan shook his head, "The success rate is not high, but at least there is a possibility of success. What if it doesn't succeed?"

Meanwhile, the people in the camp had also finished their preparations and were heading toward where the two were standing.

Seeing this, the two did not continue the conversation and stopped there.

As everyone arrived, at Ivan's command, except for the few left behind to guard the supplies, the entire group set out toward the designated battlefield.

...

As time ticked away, a strangely shaped, massive square object suddenly appeared in the previously empty Basin, with red light points flashing incessantly on it.

Furthermore, around the Basin, a dozen platforms rose and hovered in mid-air.

The thirty or so Council members, in groups of three, were dispersed across these platforms, their eyes locked tightly on that alchemy bomb.

"Are you all ready? I am going to detonate the alchemy bomb to draw all those of the Worm Race out."

Ivan stood alone on a platform, speaking with a calm expression.

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of those members.

As these words were spoken, the members dispersed on the other platforms spoke up one after another, confirming they were ready.

Hearing this, Ivan nodded slightly, "Alright, counting down three numbers, I will detonate the bomb. Personnel on each platform, prepare for the shockwave and the incoming attack from the Worm Race."

Before the words had faded, the personnel on the other platforms bent down slightly, their expressions becoming solemn.

"Three... two... one."

"Boom——!!!"

As the sound of the final 'one' fell, the red light that had been constantly flashing on the alchemy bomb in the center of the Basin instantly stopped.

The next moment, a massive roar that resounded throughout the entire Basin rang out.

The instant the sound rang out, a small mushroom cloud rose above the Basin.

With the alchemy bomb as the center, the sand within a radius of several hundred meters was forcefully lifted and surged into the sky.

A few seconds later, the sand and gravel that had been blasted into the sky slowly descended like a torrential rain.

At the same time, the terrifying vibration triggered by the alchemy bomb passed through the surface crystal gravel layer and the middle crystal tunnel layer in an instant, reaching directly to the deepest crystal core layer at the very heart of the Hive!

The countless Soldier Worms and Worker Worms located in the surface and middle layers of the Hive died miserably in that massive shockwave, their corpses blocking the tunnels one by one.

However, while the number of these dead Soldier Worms and Worker Worms looked terrifying, it was merely a drop in the bucket compared to the total number of the Worm Race in the Hive.

Located in the deep crystal core layer, the Mother Worm lay on the fine crystal sand, simultaneously laying eggs and regurgitating a silvery-white liquid.

That silvery-white liquid gathered in front of the Mother Worm into a fairly large pool.

In the pool, three crystals, each the size of an adult's fist, floated and sank in the liquid.

The earlier vibration had also jolted the Mother Worm awake.

Perceiving the dead members of the Worm Race, the Mother Worm suddenly raised its head and let out a long howl.

The next moment, all the members of the Worm Race across the entire Desert raised their heads in unison, looking toward the direction of the Basin.

They did not hesitate at all, as if they had received some command, and surged wildly through the sand toward the bottom of the Basin!

As for the Basin at this moment, regardless of whether they were members of the Worm Race in the Hive or those in the sand layers of the Basin, they all poured out of their nests and appeared at the site of the alchemy bomb explosion on the surface of the Basin.

Even three or four of the Crystal Core Guardians that guarded the Mother Worm were dispatched.

Seeing this shocking scene, even though the Council members standing on the platforms had anticipated it, they were still shocked to the point where the corners of their eyes twitched.

As soon as these Crystal Core Guardians appeared, they locked onto the Council members standing on the platforms.

Then, the Phantom Crystal Worm Shadows hidden among the Worm Race also received the message from the Crystal Core Guardians and began to mobilize the disordered Worm Race, splitting into a dozen batches to head toward the different platforms.

Seeing this, the Council members did not panic, because they also knew of the existence of the Phantom Crystal Worm Shadows and understood that it was time for them to do their part.

These Wizards no longer restrained their magic power, emitting terrifying auras, and smiles even appeared on the corners of their mouths.

Having been suppressed for so long, they could finally vent properly!

And this action caused those of the Worm Race to become even more frantic, rushing toward them.

But just at this moment, the three Crystal Core Guardians that had originally been among the Worm Race disappeared.

Seeing this, Ivan warned, "Everyone be careful. The life level of those Crystal Core Guardians is on par with mine. Pay more attention to your surroundings."

Upon receiving the warning, everyone became a bit more vigilant, paying attention to any anomalies around them.

Meanwhile, the Worm Race was about to close in, and the various spells prepared by the Wizards were ready.

The great battle was on the verge of breaking out!