Swamp Lord with an Intelligence System

Chapter 316: Chapter 152: Harvest and Return

All that meets the eyes are densely packed magma coal.

One can directly feel the surging magic power within it.

A true mining site.

Lear’s smile became radiant.

With the magma coal in hand, nothing could limit the Blacksmith Shop anymore.

The workers could go all out!

After a moment, he calmed down again.

The ore veins needed to be mined.

From recent encounters, mining peacefully was not simple. Perhaps establishing a base in the Underworld for adequate safety would be necessary.

However, this would inevitably delay things.

This underground tunnel wasn’t exactly close to Weilu City, making it difficult to manage a base from afar.

The current territory couldn’t support moving too many forces for long-term defense here.

The army was too small; encountering attacks like the bat tide would be difficult to fend off, which would be of little significance.

While pondering, his gaze returned to calm.

The stored fuel in the territory would be sufficient for some time. It wouldn’t be too late to arrange things after returning from Lorand City at the end of the month.

After making a calm decision, Lear didn’t linger, turning to leave the underground space.

He looked at the cute little creatures at his side.

“Cover this hole. Don’t let outsiders discover it.”

The Bubble Beast didn’t hesitate, spitting bubbles to fill with soil, completely sealing the passage.

It then covered it with a lot of dry leaves and cleverly wiped out surrounding traces with bubbles.

With this, unless someone inexplicably digs down ten meters here, the magma coal wouldn’t be exposed.

Having done all this, Lear felt quite satisfied.

He ordered the army to retreat, preparing for the return journey.

Despite feeling curious about this mysterious land,

it wasn’t time to explore yet.

During the wait for the army to return to the underground passage, Lear seemed to think of something, looking at the short and thuggish Gray Dwarf.

“Where are the Dark Mountains?”

The Gray Dwarf paused, whispering,

“Honorable Lord, we are now at the edge of the Dark Mountains…”

“Do you know about the Kelder Ratman?”

The mention of this name made the Gray Dwarf’s expression difficult.

“Those filthy rats recently killed an aging Red Dragon… They’ve been especially rampant lately.”

“The subterranean passages of the Dark Mountains are countless, natural shelters for those rats.”

“They occupy nearly half of the Dark Mountains.”

“Even Molten Iron City must be wary of them.”

“If all those rats were to attack… it would be a disaster fiercer than the bat tide.”

The apprehensive tone showed he had witnessed the terror of those Kelder Ratman.

“You asking about those rats, is it… they appear on the earth surface?”

Lear nodded slightly.

“My territory had previously killed thousands of Kelder Ratman, they now know the passage towards the surface.”

The Gray Dwarf’s face suddenly became interesting.

“Lord, you may not know, but those rats hold deep grudges… and they are strongly drawn to the surface.”

“The Mouse Queen must have cast her eyes on you.”

Lear looked at him with a bit of surprise.

His conjecture wasn’t bad.

Intelligence suggested… the rats had eyed the surface.

He sensed that perhaps soon enough, they would reappear in the swamp.

And this time, it wouldn’t be as simple as before.

Possessing half of a long mountain range in the Underworld, not taken by other races even after killing a dragon.

It was clear how powerful they were.

But… he felt no fear, rather a keen anticipation.

After the Gray Dwarf spoke, not seeing the expected seriousness on Lear’s face, he instead saw a bright light in Lear’s eyes.

It seemed as if he was looking forward to that moment’s arrival.

His mouth twitched.

Are all humans on the surface monsters?

The vast tide of rats, a disaster Molten Iron City was unwilling to face.

How could anyone look forward to it?

In the end, it could only be attributed to humans on the surface never having witnessed the horror of the rat swarm.

Of course, Lear wouldn’t say anything unnecessary to a prisoner.

Once the entire army returned to the underground passage, he directly turned and left.

Taking the Gray Dwarf along as well.

This guy had some value as a member of Molten Iron City.

Next time entering the Underworld, he might be useful.

The forging technique they possess was quite peculiar.

It could make weapons incline people toward evil, which was quite intriguing.

Returning, he wondered if the forging technique of the Underworld could provide inspiration for the Fray people.

The Gray Dwarf didn’t dare utter a word, obediently enclosed in a bubble, flying away.

But just as he tried to memorize the passage’s path, a sudden dizziness swept over him, plunging him into sleep.

Watching the army gradually enter deeper into the passage, Lear felt quite pleased.

The initial exploration of the Underworld was a complete success.

Not only were the set goals—the Big-mouthed Scavenger Beast, magma coal—all found.

In addition, during the bat tide, the Deserted Tomb Guard reaped a massive amount of souls, boosting the scythe’s attack power.

Moreover, the Level 14 Shadow of the Mist took this opportunity to rise directly to Level 15.

Meanwhile, through the Gray Dwarf’s words, a preliminary understanding of the Underworld was gained.

Next time, establishing a mining base and visiting Molten Iron City—the Underground City—could happen, checking out the dark auction where the Half-Divine Artifact appeared once.

A long underground passage over 80 kilometers, taking more than 8 hours to traverse.

Upon emerging from the underground passage again, it was already the morning of the 18th.