69: Chapter 69 begins!

Looking at the crisscrossing crystal tunnels before them, the rock walls were covered in glowing crystals, illuminating the tunnel with a dim, hazy light.

After looking around, Dylan spoke, "We should be in the middle layer of the Hive now, and we need to continue heading down."

"However, we don't need the help of the Worm Race anymore. There should be passages in these tunnels that lead to the bottom layer where the Mother Worm is located."

Saying this, Dylan looked at Blake with a solemn expression, "Blake, whether this mission succeeds depends on you."

"If we are discovered by those bugs before we meet the Mother Worm, we will have no choice but to retreat the way we came."

Blake nodded confidently, "President, rest assured. I will keep a constant watch on the movements of the Worm Race, and if there are any abnormalities, I will warn you in advance."

Upon hearing this, Dylan simply nodded and said nothing more.

Afterwards, after Dylan and his companion had made all their preparations again, they cautiously moved forward slowly through the tunnel filled with the corpses of the Worm Race.

As for the dying Worm Race creature, neither Dylan nor his companion paid it any mind, letting it die.

As for its corpse, mixed among the other Worm Race corpses that had died from the impact of the alchemy bombs in the tunnel, it was completely inconspicuous.

As time slowly passed, and as Dylan and his companion continued to explore and advance, they delved deeper and deeper into the Hive, approaching the deep region where the Mother Worm was located.

And in this process, it was not all smooth sailing.

Several times they were nearly discovered by the Soldier Worms patrolling within the Hive, and they almost failed at the last moment.

Fortunately, relying on Blake's Soul Wizard ability, the two of them discovered the Worm Race a step earlier each time, allowing them to avoid detection.

Even when there was no way to avoid them, the two were able to hide their figures in advance and control their vibrations, preventing the Soldier Worms from discovering them.

Just like that, after some more time passed, the light before the two suddenly brightened.

A cave entrance emitting a blinding light appeared right before them.

Seeing this, Dylan immediately walked quickly towards the cave entrance, with Blake following close behind.

At the end of the cave entrance was a giant, spherical, hollow crystal grotto, with countless glittering crystal clusters hanging from the dome above.

And surrounding this spherical space, four humanoid Crystal Core Guardians were vigilantly looking around.

In their center was a robust, perhaps even obese, bug, its size more than ten times that of the Crystal Core Guardians.

This bug with fair, greasy skin was different from all other Worm Race creatures.

It had no human shape whatsoever; it was completely and utterly a bug, with white insect eggs constantly being squeezed out from its rear.

And these insect eggs were being carried away to other places by the Worker Worms.

However, standing at the cave entrance and witnessing this scene, Dylan's attention was not on the Crystal Core Guardians, the Mother Worm, or the Worker Worms.

His gaze at this moment was entirely drawn to the pool flowing with silvery-white liquid in front of the Mother Worm.

More accurately, his entire focus was on the three fist-sized, milky-white crystals floating or sinking in that pool.

Looking at those three crystals, Dylan's breathing involuntarily became heavy, hot breaths were constantly exhaled, and his eyes flashed with a burning light.

Dylan was not the only one caught in such an emotional state; after seeing this scene, Blake's reaction was even greater than Dylan's.

However, after taking a few deep breaths, the burning heat in Dylan's eyes slowly dissipated, and he became calm once again.

He did not speak, but instead signaled for Blake to retreat.

Although Blake did not understand what Dylan meant by this, he still complied with Dylan's wishes and retreated, moving away from the cave entrance.

After retreating a certain distance and ensuring they would not be discovered by the Worm Race, Dylan finally spoke.

"Blake, I'm sure you recognize that thing. I won't say anything else; I will only entrust you with one task, and you must see it through!"

Upon hearing this, Blake's expression also became calm, and after slowly exhaling a breath, he nodded solemnly.

Seeing this, Dylan continued, "In a moment, I will have Ivan draw even more of the Worm Race's attention from above to assist me in seizing those three pieces of origin crystal essence."

"And as for you, I don't need you to join the struggle or take action; I only need you to prepare for our withdrawal!"

"Once I successfully seize them, we must be able to retreat immediately, otherwise we will inevitably fall into the encirclement of those bugs!"

"And as for the consequences, I don't need to tell you; you should know them yourself. Can you do it?!"

Blake patted his chest, "President, I will definitely secure our escape route!"

Dylan: "With your word, I am relieved. I will head out first."

Saying this, Dylan walked towards the cave entrance once again, leaving Blake alone in the tunnel to make preparations.

And on his way forward, he pressed a red button.

An electromagnetic signal emerged from the button, penetrating upwards and entering the rock wall.

The next moment, above the Basin where most of the Worm Race in the Desert had gathered, Ivan, who was standing on a platform, seemed to receive something. A look of surprise suddenly appeared on his face, and he began to laugh up at the sky.

And several hundred meters away from him, Loris, who was standing on a three-person platform, keenly sensed Ivan's change.

First she was stunned, but then, as if remembering something, her eyes suddenly lit up, and a sense of excitement surged in her heart.

But the next moment, she suppressed this excitement. After nodding to Ivan, who was looking at her, she flashed and leaped down from the platform.

This scene made the eyelids of the surrounding Wizard Apprentices twitch involuntarily, including Ivan.

And the next moment, a streak of red lightning suddenly appeared within the surging tide of the Worm Race, quickly breaking through the Worm Race's blockade and disappearing into the tide.

However, a path splattered with flesh and blood appeared within the tide.

Although this path quickly healed, the shock it gave was unable to dissipate for a long time.

Ivan withdrew his gaze, thinking to himself.

"Since Loris has already left, it is time to begin!"

Ivan laughed up at the sky, "Activate the Magic Array and hold this group of bugs back!!!"

At the same time, Ivan slammed his palm onto the platform he was standing on.

The next moment, the platform suddenly began to tremble continuously, and the guns and artillery on it fell onto the Desert, revealing its original appearance.

The runes engraved on the platform continuously bloomed with light, detaching themselves from the platform and appearing in mid-air.

Eventually, these runes formed a pillar of light that shot into the sky!

At the same time, more than ten pillars of light suddenly rose around the Basin, connecting the sky and the ground.

And at the very moment the pillars of light appeared, two Magic Arrays, one above and one below, flickering with countless runes, appeared over the sky and the Desert.

From this moment on, this Basin could be entered but not exited, and one could go up but not down!

Before the magic power of the Magic Array and the magic power and Mental Energy of those thirty-some Wizard Apprentices were exhausted, not a single Worm Race creature that had entered the Basin would be able to escape!

And this was the reason why they had to be dispersed around the Basin, standing on the Magic Array platforms, instead of gathering together to find or create a place that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.