Chapter 406: Black Fortress Matriarch
Located deep underground, the Black Fortress wasn’t particularly vast, but it was constructed from black obsidian, a material rarely seen on the surface.
After processing, black obsidian was as hard as steel, with astonishingly high magic resistance. Ordinary magic couldn’t scratch it, making it an ideal material for constructing an impenetrable fortress. Even with cannons, it wouldn’t be easy to conquer in a short time.
Unfortunately, the ones guarding the walls were either scheming Drow who preferred lurking in the shadows, or suspicious Gray Dwarves with shifty eyes. Expecting them to work together to defend the city was wishful thinking. It was more likely they’d stab each other in the back at any moment.
This wasn’t a wild guess, but an ironclad fact based on countless historical examples. So, when facing external enemies, one could only pray they’d be gentler when turning on their own.
Besides Drow and Gray Dwarves, all other creatures living within Black Fortress were slaves. This meant that in addition to external defenses, internal vigilance was also necessary to prevent slave rebellions.
Despite this, thanks to its excellent defenses, Black Fortress continued to thrive in the treacherous Underworld, without needing to reduce its internal exploitation. This also allowed them more energy for infighting.
As the Underworld had no distinction between day and night, Black Fortress was still bustling with activity. Everyone was indulging themselves with food, drink, and even killing. However, all of this avoided one location: the tallest tower in Black Fortress.
The Black Tower was adorned with glowing magic lamps, and the illuminated area was its domain. Anyone who dared to approach would die under the poisoned crossbow bolts or daggers of Drow assassins. There were no warnings, only cold-blooded killing, a necessary means of maintaining control.
However, there were exceptions, such as daughters. With permission, they could enter the Black Tower. Today, they received a summons from their mother, the Matriarch, to gather there.
At this moment, the Drow Matriarch, clad in a luxurious, floor-length gown, sat upon the main seat in the Black Tower’s top floor hall. Due to frequent childbirth, even with the aid of secret techniques, her physique had inevitably undergone some changes.
In fact, this was a common trait among Drow Matriarchs. The more they used secret techniques to accelerate childbirth, the taller and more voluptuous they became. Hence, Drow Matriarchs were generally eight feet tall with ample figures. Because of this, they wouldn’t seek out their own kind for pleasure, as who would enjoy stirring a large vat with a toothbrush? Instead, creatures like Ogres and Minotaurs were more to their liking. In this regard, they would have a lot in common with Ai Mi Er.
The Drow Matriarch sat on a specially made wide chair, her tent-like skirt revealing a strange bulge that bobbed up and down like a bouncing ball. However, the surrounding maids and servants remained indifferent, their expressions and even their eyes devoid of any emotion. Those who couldn’t control their expressions or eyes were either fed to magical beasts or blinded and hung on the city walls to serve as Black Fortress’s ears.
After receiving the summons, the Drow Matriarch’s daughters arrived one after another. Upon seeing their mother’s state, they immediately lowered their footsteps and stood respectfully at the foot of the throne. Apart from standing closer, they were no different from the maids and servants behind them. This showed that in the Drow Matriarch’s eyes, daughters were merely more convenient tools, valuable but not irreplaceable.
After a while, the Drow Matriarch tilted her head back slightly and let out a long breath, her demeanor becoming more languid. She kicked out with her leg, and a large fleshy ball rolled out from under her skirt. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t Nezha being born, but an immature Beholder.
The Beholder lay weakly on the ground, its numerous slime-covered tentacles still twitching, but it was completely immobilized, having endured unknown torments.
However, no one paid attention to the Beholder, which was merely a plaything. The Drow Matriarch’s eldest daughter stepped forward respectfully and handed the collected intelligence to her mother, then waited for orders. She ignored the malicious gazes from her sisters behind her.
The fist-sized crystal ball looked even smaller in the Drow Matriarch’s hand. After infusing it with magic power, it projected the previously recorded images, displaying everything in the Ogre Castle for all to see.
The orderly mushroom farms, the numerous Goblins and Troglodytes, these were directly ignored. Harpies, Beholders, Medusas, Minotaurs, they merely glanced at these. But when Owen appeared, the daughters’ eyes lit up, and even the Drow Matriarch straightened up, her plump thighs unconsciously intertwining, creating a slippery rubbing sound, revealing her eagerness.
“My daughters, go occupy that dungeon, and bring back that lovely Ogre unharmed, to be my new pet.” The Drow Matriarch snapped her fingers, and a wind blade shot out, slicing the Beholder, which had sensed danger but couldn’t break free, in half, perfectly demonstrating her fickle nature. Then she spoke to her daughters.
“As you command.” The daughters were long accustomed to their mother’s whims, and even had thoughts of secretly sampling the goods. After all, the Ogre looked so strong, his recovery ability must be excellent. If they discussed it, perhaps each of them could have a taste. Once he was in their mother’s hands, they’d likely only be able to watch with envy.
Owen naturally had no knowledge of the events in Black Fortress. It was only after An Qi alerted him that he noticed something was amiss.
“Too many spies and assassins?” Owen, who was trying to make donkey-hide gelatin with dragon skin, reacted slowly, taking a while to understand An Qi’s meaning.
“You’re saying we’re being targeted?”
“Yes, Master. It’s clear they plan to strike soon, using the most cost-effective method.” The subtle changes in the dungeon naturally didn’t escape An Qi’s notice. However, she didn’t take it to heart. If Master gave the order, she could single-handedly resolve all the issues within a day. Such was the destructive power of a Demigod.
Owen only realized after An Qi’s reminder that this was the Underworld. The methods of warfare he was familiar with couldn’t be applied here.
Although the Underworld had many vast spaces, they were mostly connected by narrow and treacherous tunnels and fissures. This limited the possibility of large-scale troop movements. Destroying a single tunnel could end an entire battle. Therefore, confrontations between tens of thousands of troops from both sides wouldn’t happen in the Underworld.
Due to limited productivity and population, and for cost considerations, Underworld warfare was mostly focused on meticulous and insidious methods, such as cutting off external access routes and assassinating leaders.
These methods were naturally more economical than deploying thousands of troops and suited the conditions of the Underworld.
However, this was only applicable to dungeons. Since dungeons had low productivity, their reserves generally weren’t large. Once cut off from the outside world, they wouldn’t be able to last long.
As for assassination, it was because power in dungeons was concentrated in the hands of a few. The identity of the ruler didn’t matter much to most dungeon residents, and no one would rebel because of it.
This was the reason why cutting off access routes and assassination were so prevalent in the Underworld.
An Qi was an expert in this area. As a Demigod, she had already detected the Black Fortress’s intentions before they even acted and had even used her methods to identify the mastermind.
Now, as long as Owen gave the nod, An Qi would capture the Drow Matriarch and bring her back as a plaything for her Master.
However, considering his upcoming plans, Owen decided to take the initiative and attack Black Fortress, a move befitting the brutal nature of an Ogre.
Unfortunately, plans never went as smoothly as expected. An Qi discovered a rat had secretly infiltrated the dungeon and was communicating with a rather interesting individual.
