Chapter 50: Drow Meeting
Overseas Islands.
This is a primitive and wild region, divided east and west by a river, with the eastern side being the territory of the Amazon Female Warriors, and the western side belonging to the Primitive Indigenous People. The struggle between them has been ongoing for many years. The Lord of Storms rarely manages the mortal church, so the temple has not expended much effort in pacifying these indigenous people. The indigenous people maintain their primitive totemic beliefs, which give rise to powerful spirits and demigods, making it difficult to eliminate them without divine power.
This place is very dangerous.
Even the Amazon Female Warriors exercise extreme caution while moving through the tropical jungle.
There are many powerful monsters, strange plants, dangerous environments, ferocious indigenous people, and various unexpectedly perilous things.
Recently.
A group of outsiders appeared on an island to the northwest.
They have not been here long, and their numbers are not many, but their strength is quite formidable, having occupied a part of this island of about 120 square kilometers in a short time. These outsiders, with gray-black skin, look like elves, but they are even more ferocious and skilled in combat. The nearby indigenous people have temporarily retreated due to their power, although sporadic skirmishes still occur, as the indigenous people are extremely resistant to outsiders.
Here, it is necessary to mention the geography of the Overseas Islands!
Due to a great upheaval in a certain era, the continental shelf experienced a collapse and displacement, resulting in the emergence of hundreds of islands of various sizes. The largest of these is the Amazon jungle area, which is nearly the size of three Japanese islands. Following that, there are other scattered islands, some of which are hundreds or even thousands of square kilometers, while smaller ones measure only about ten square kilometers. These islands are densely distributed. They are connected by shallow sea areas and inland rivers, creating the appearance of a cohesive whole from the outside.
This was once a continent.
In the end, due to certain disasters of the Arcane Age, it became what it is today.
The arrival of the Drow has sparked hostility among the indigenous people, who have yet to adapt to this primitive and wild environment; they even perceive this Overseas Islands to be more dangerous than the Underdark. For a long time, their existence has been quite difficult. However, recently they have managed to cope a little better, as the messenger they sent out returned with a significant supply of important materials, temporarily meeting their needs. Unfortunately, these supplies will only last them three months, and after that, they will return to a state of hardship.
…………………..
Andrei Darkblade is in a bad mood.
He sits on the camp’s wall, observing his surroundings, playing with a dark blue blade in his hand. Since receiving help from “Your Grace Throat Cutter” and returning with a batch of essential supplies, his mood has been consistently poor. Naturally, it is not due to the help and demands of that lord. As a Drow, he knows very well that everything given must be repaid. What troubles him is the opposition from the High Priestess, this rigid old woman has dismissed a crucial opportunity to help the tribe escape distress simply because she declared, “Humans are untrustworthy,” and “Surface dwellers mean us no good.”
A handsome young Drow Ranger appeared from a distance and quickly approached.
Andrei ordered the others to open the gate and frowned, asking, “Rasalk. How are things? Those indigenous people haven’t stirred up any new trouble, have they?”
This is a ranger.
Drow Rangers are skilled experts. Only they can easily navigate through the brutal tropical jungle.
The young Drow Ranger leaped lightly, landing on the wall, and said in a deep voice, “The situation with the indigenous people is alright; they are merely monitoring the surrounding area. As long as we do not step into their territory, there shouldn’t be any intense conflicts in the short term. However, I have noticed that the man-eating plants seem to have increased in number. There should be some powerful energy field beneath this island; while it doesn’t affect the living, it’s causing many plants to gradually mutate.”
Andrei Darkblade nodded slightly, then furrowed his brow and asked, “What about the movements of those ants?”
As if recalling something.
The young Drow Ranger’s face changed. He whispered, “They have migrated to the other side of the island, but I don’t know when they will return. We lack sufficient supplies and do not have more fire resin to deal with them. The next time they come back, we will have to flee out to sea.”
Andrei Darkblade sighed and slammed a wooden railing, anxious, “Those damned ants!……”
These terrifying creatures.
In his considerable lifetime, he never imagined that ants could be so dangerous. When their numbers swell to unbelievable levels, these seemingly insignificant creatures, which one could squash with a hand, can even take down a giant dragon!
They are army ants.
The apex predators of the tropical rainforest!
During their first encounter with these terrifying ants, their tribe lost thirty-seven lives, including five high-level professionists, a promising sorcerer, and a warrior about to enter the legendary domain. They had no capacity to resist; when these ants appeared in droves, a warrior close to legendary status could only fend them off for three minutes before being devoured to a pile of bones. If they hadn’t retreated quickly and received help from spellcasters, their entire tribe would have been consumed by these terrifying ants.
Army ants.
Nightmares of the tropical rainforest; most of them are ground-dwelling ants, while one-tenth of them are flying ants.
These ants are too numerous to count, preying on any living creature during migrations. They possess extremely sharp mandibles, and Andrei even suspects they could gradually gnaw through the scales of a dragon. These fearsome ants are the top predators on the entire island; they have even seen a bipedal wyvern completely devoured in just five minutes, with no chance to escape.
If it weren’t for the predictable patterns of the ants’ movements, they definitely wouldn’t have survived this long!
Andrei Darkblade let out a sigh and spoke slowly, “Since we returned, our tribe’s population has decreased by eight. At this rate, our kin will dwindle further and may eventually vanish from this land.”
“Damn it!”
“Why not accept that human’s help? Even if it costs us something, it’s better than watching our kin diminish bit by bit, isn’t it?”
Nearby Drow remained silent.
The High Priestess has been leading the tribe since the fall of the Underd; although she is very stubborn and rigid, she has ruled the tribe for a long time and has navigated through many crises, earning a respect that runs deep. Few dare to openly question her decisions. If the tribe weren’t in such dire straits, Andrei wouldn’t have so easily questioned the High Priestess’s arrangements.
“Andrei the Wanderer.”
A female Drow appeared, glanced at the others by the fence, and said in a serious tone, “The Priestess requests your presence; there are important matters to discuss.”
Most of the males in the tribe are warriors, rangers, and wanderers, while spellcasters are primarily concentrated among the females.
They still maintain the tradition of a higher status for females!
Andrei hesitated not at all; he directly jumped down from the fence and made his way to the largest wooden house at the center.
The room was already filled with many people, most of whom were female Drow, along with a few male Drow like Andrei. Sitting at the head of the gathering was an elderly female Drow Priestess. Given their comparatively long lifespans, such an aged appearance indicates she has lived a long time. She is the High Priestess of the Drow tribe; although the Underd has fallen, she still possesses the ability to perform divine techniques, albeit greatly weakened, yet she remains the most powerful Drow in the tribe.
Bang bang!
The High Priestess tapped her staff on the ground, signaling the others to quiet down. There have been many disputes within the tribe recently, mainly centered around whether or not to cooperate with that human who offered them assistance, questioning whether the individual harbors ill intentions, and whether surface dwellers are trustworthy, and so on. Drow are inherently steeped in conspiracy and betrayal. Even their faith in the kind Underd could not completely change their nature, especially since the Underd has been fallen for some time.
“Ahem!…”
The elderly High Priestess coughed and then spoke in a hoarse voice, “I just received news from the Sea Bandit Fishmen that we may need to reconsider some matters.”
The High Priestess possesses many mysterious abilities, and upon arriving here, she established contact with the nearby Sea Bandit Fishmen.
Although their relationship is quite fragile.
The High Priestess looked at the others and said solemnly, “I just learned that the human who offers us help has killed one of the three Pirate Kings of the Southern Coast, the Swamp King!…”
“His power should not be underestimated; nearby maritime creatures have all heard of his reputation!”
“I think we should reconsider.”
…………………..
This statement caused quite a stir; they certainly have heard of the three Pirate Kings of the Southern Coast.
They are all legendary strongmen!
A strange expression appeared on Andrei’s face, leaving him unable to tell whether he was pleased or saddened. He felt that everything before him was somewhat blinding. At first, he had gone to great lengths to persuade others to cooperate with this lord Throat Cutter, only to have the proposal ultimately rejected by the High Priestess; but now, hearing she proposed reconsidering after learning about the Swamp King’s death was somewhat ironic!
What a bitterly ironic outcome! (To be continued ~^~)
