Chapter 156: Essence of the Green Source

In the verdant, lush forest, many small animals, plants, and strange insects unique to the Mantis World survive.

As they travel, many spell‑casters in the party, when they spot something of interest, cannot help but stop to observe for a moment, then preserve it as a specimen to bring back for study.

Such leisurely behavior looks nothing like a tense infiltration; it seems more like ordinary sightseeing.

And this is already three days after entering the Mantis Plane.

During that time, Fulade and his companions have already swept clean a resource point flagged by intelligence.

Now is the time to split the party into separate actions.

Stopping, Fulade's expression solemn, he turned to the group and said:

"From the guard situation at the first resource point we plundered, the Mantis Plane's condition now seems quite grim; otherwise we couldn't have taken it so easily."

"According to the plan, our raiding period lasts only fifteen days; even at our fastest pace, that time would at most allow us to raid four or five more resource points.

So from this moment, we will split into three squads, and, while ensuring our own safety, loot as many resources as possible.

If we lack confidence or the task proves impossible, withdraw immediately, prioritizing our own safety.

Only by safely bringing the plundered resources back to the Dark World is your most important mission!" Fulade surveyed the surroundings, reminding Weiluona, Ravenna and others once more.

"Eight days, I give you eight days of raiding.

Whatever you can loot, that is what you take.

The remaining four days are reserved for handling emergencies and rushing back to the spatial gateway to await the opening of the Spacetime Passage.

When the time comes, if you are still as leisurely as now and fail to arrive on schedule, the Spacetime Passage will not wait for you!"

Fulade's tone was very harsh, but his main audience was Ravenna and Angelique.

Only these two women dared to act so brazenly under his nose, so he had to reprimand them.

Otherwise, would they really think this was a vacation!? Faced with Fulade's stern warning, Ravenna and the other woman were still calm, while the other spell‑casters nodded earnestly like chicks pecking at grain.

Ravenna and Angelique could see that this was Fulade's concern and displeasure with their current state, issuing a severe warning.

After all, whether wizard or magician, they are spell‑casters whose cultivation system serves as a ladder for studying all things and probing the mysteries of the star‑realm's laws.

If not reminded, they might, upon a startling discovery, overlook the mission and the time limit; such an occurrence is low‑probability but not impossible.

Therefore, necessary reprimands and reminders are essential! The two women understood this and would not inappropriately pursue unrelated matters, for a calm spell‑caster can still discern priorities.

Soon, the party split into three squads.

Weiluona, Malisika and Angelique led a ten‑person squad responsible for the south, where the war's impact was relatively minor and thus much safer.

Ravenna and Ailina's squad headed north.

Fulade, accompanied by Annie, continued toward the southeast.

That area lies closer to the battlefield, so its danger and defensive strength would surely increase, naturally under Fulade's command.

Each faction, depending on its manpower, naturally has different regions and resource scopes to manage.

For example, the leader of the small faction Storm Territory, second‑rank witch Miraya, is responsible for only four resource points.

Even more minor factions handle just two or three points and must cooperate to proceed.

As a large faction, the Dark Faction is responsible for as many as sixteen or seventeen points! Of course, not every resource point must be raided, given the many variables.

A flash of magical aura flickered.

More than ten Green Blade Bug Race insects, three to five meters long, appeared in the forest; under Fulade's command they instantly broke formation, kept a safe distance, and moved toward the nearest resource point in the area—the source of the Essence of Green Source. The Essence of Green Source is a special life‑system resource abundant in Mantis civilization.

It is not only a primary ingredient for crafting high‑grade life elixirs.

It also greatly aids a first‑tier lifeform in breaking through to the second tier! Such special resources naturally have strong defenses, making this one of the Dark Faction's three most important sites in the region.

That night.

Essence of Green Source source.

At this time, the place had been temporarily converted into a wartime logistics base.

The Essence of Green Source was stored in the central warehouse of that base.

There, not only was the mission objective, but also all strategic supplies of the base.

The logistics base was defended by a force of over ten thousand Green Blade Bug Race and nearly a thousand Mantis insect‑people.

Among them were nearly a hundred first‑tier lifeforms and three second‑tier beings.

Such defensive strength was quite formidable, considering it was merely a resource transshipment base.

The base's leader is said to be one of the three princesses of the Mantis Plane, the third daughter of the fourth‑tier Mantis insect‑king Kurachi Brant.

One might wonder whether the Mantis Plane's strong ones owe it to racial genetics or to special secret arts.

Their reproductive ability clearly exceeds the star‑realm's balancing rule that higher life tiers make reproduction increasingly difficult.

According to intelligence, Kurachi, who has crossed the divine‑ascension stage to reach the terrifying fourth tier,

has, over nearly ten thousand years as a powerful fourth‑tier being, consecutively produced two offspring.

Namely the current Second Prince and Third Princess.

A terrifying sword‑master with demi‑god strength, the Second Prince undoubtedly inherited his father's fearsome close‑combat talent.

The Second Prince, constantly active on the front lines, intimidates many variant‑civilization beings with his dreadful swordsmanship.

So much so that even variant civilizations that favor restrained physical attacks feel dread upon hearing the Second Prince's name.

Enemy civilizations have dubbed him the Green Storm, a testament to his formidable power!

The Third Princess, however, is considerably more low‑key.

The prior intelligence contained the fewest rumors about the Third Princess.

At this moment, a squad from the Green Blade Bug Race had silently arrived at the central warehouse.

After the insect squad leader, who emitted only a first‑tier life aura, used illusion to control the guard at the door handle, several slightly smaller Green Blade Bug Race followed and rushed into the warehouse.

In no time, before the next rotating guard arrived, the Green Blade Bug Race that had entered the central warehouse ran out, faces excited.

Needless to say, it was undoubtedly the Insect Puppet Clone squad led by Fulade.

Having an Insect Puppet Clone that masks one's own aura, trying to infiltrate here is undeniably easy.

As long as no combat occurs, this Insect Puppet Clone is enough to achieve a level of deception indistinguishable from the real thing.

Just as the group retreated, heading outward from the base, a voice suddenly came from behind.

"Wait, where are you going?"

(End of chapter)