Volume 1 Chapter 414

Chapter 414: The Overly Clever Teammates

The "Autonomous Guard" is very strong, but it has two flaws.

The first flaw is the part that Lolth sent to the mercenaries for use.

This thing’s hate detection mechanism is very simple.

As long as they are not from the "Ailuo race," anyone who enters their "territory" will be attacked.

And since the Ailuo race has been extinct for two eras, this mechanism became even simpler.

If it’s alive, it will be attacked!

The second flaw is that this thing is too expensive.

Both the cost of making it and the cost of maintenance are very high.

Considering how powerful this thing is, if it was also inexpensive, it would be unbelievable, even if the Ailuo civilization was one of the three great civilizations of the brilliant First Era and could create artificial demi-gods.

Just looking at this pile of materials made Lolth a bit greedy.

Of course, there’s a saying that goes…

The high price is not its flaw; it’s yours.

However, this also means that things like the "Autonomous Guard," especially the relic guardians and the bronze series, require a magic environment to maintain and stand by, and only places like a half-plane can provide a high concentration stable magic environment.

If it’s in the current continent, they would probably need to be placed inside a top Mage Tower that operates at high power continuously to keep their wear and tear to a minimum for maintenance.

This leads to the fact that things like this, just like Ultraman, have a time limit for activity in the main plane.

Especially in the current thin magical activity of the main plane…

It can only function for about ten minutes before the warning light flashes red on its chest.

So Lolth is not worried that her temporary teammates and Julie, along with those few decent folks among the mercenaries, will be wiped out by this thing.

With monsters, Monster Handlers, and cultists creating chaos, and many others fleeing in panic, the arrival of the Autonomous Guard gives them plenty of targets.

If they are smart, they should avoid provoking this big guy.

Moreover, Lolth has a feeling…

The appearance of these Autonomous Guards is definitely not an accident!

The official name given by the Wizard Association for the Autonomous Guard should actually be "Fully Autonomous Magical Ruins Guardian – Bronze."

It is called this because, in most cases, their jurisdiction is limited to their own half-plane.

There is almost no situation where one actively attacks the main plane!

Even if there were, those few recorded times were only because the magic from the half-plane leaked too much, temporarily changing the magical environment around the entrance of the main plane’s side passage to feel very similar to the half-plane, confusing the judgment of the guards!

In other words…

It is very likely that these Autonomous Guards were created by someone on purpose.

And at this chaotic moment, releasing a large number of Autonomous Guards to cause havoc, the one doing this is probably not on the same side as the Monster Handler and the cultist!

So the situation is getting more and more chaotic!

"In any case, let’s get into the half-plane first!"

Lolth, who is good at slacking off, cleverly realized that the ancient civilization ruins were actually a good place to be right now.

After all, this half-plane is a place one has to visit sooner or later; if one doesn’t gather some essence or bring back something as proof of entering, they won’t be able to explain themselves when returning to the Demon King Castle.

Going in early not only allows one to escape this chaotic situation but also gives a chance to take the initiative.

By then, I will have checked where the good things are and where the dangers lie, waiting for the right moment when others come in, to gather together and guide a few mercenary groups I like to take away all the good things.

A perfect exploration of the ruins will be complete!

While others earn a lot, I will end up empty-handed, only finding some rotten fish and shrimp.

Even if the Demon King blindly trusts his abilities, I can use "Oh dear, I think I really clash with ancient ruins" as an excuse to refuse the Lord of the Demon King.

This is Lolth’s plan!

Because of this chaos, it has created the perfect opportunity for action.

With this thought in mind, Lolth, who was hiding her presence, quietly entered the huge cave without anyone noticing.

The cave still showed signs of being messed up due to three Autonomous Guards emerging, filled with the strong magical energy from the half-plane.

Although the entire cave was huge and wide, there was nothing to block it. The light that came through the cracks in the ceiling faintly revealed the bare rocks and plant life growing in the crevices.

At the deepest part of the cave, there was a deep, dark, irregular shape that looked like a lake, hidden in a depression.

From the flow of magic and the waves of space, Lolth could easily tell…

This is the half-plane channel!

Of course, even if a single mercenary came, they would know what this was just by looking at the current situation without feeling the waves of space.

This channel is dozens of times more stable than the two half-plane channels that once appeared in Hillenbrand Town, and it is also much larger in diameter.

Those two channels in Hillenbrand Town were opened forcefully by human effort, making it quite difficult for even two people to pass through.

But the one in front of them, like a lake, took up one-third of the entire floor of the cave…

It wouldn’t be a problem for about ten of those large bronze guards to pass through at once.

"It feels very stable. It seems it can last at least another month…"

Lolth said this and gently crouched down, resting one hand on the edge of the half-plane channel.

After learning from the last experience, Lolth became much more cautious when dealing with this half-plane channel.

Although cross-dimensional exploration is not so easy to achieve, the ruins of the half-plane are different from the Divine Kingdom.

Unclaimed lands are always full of opportunities.

Moreover, Lolth already has special tools designed for dealing with the Dimensional Barrier.

After dropping a Resonance Crystal, the magical spell crafted from spatial magic carefully unfolded in this stable plane channel, sending back simple but effective messages.

Near the other end of the channel, there were only a few dozen stable and weak magical fluctuations.

Furthermore, her own magic went completely "unnoticed."

It can be said that it is very safe.

Lolth confidently clapped her hands, leaving behind an "anchor point," while also planting a space protection spell that would activate even if she lost consciousness. After entering a semi-active state, she cast two spells to boost her defense, mental strength, and perception.

Afterwards…

"Let’s go!"

Lolth stepped into the half-plane.

However, at the very moment before she entered the half-plane…

Her improved perception suddenly made Lolth aware of a few familiar, hidden presences at the cave entrance.

Ling, Raven, Krado, and Julie, among others…

Her temporary teammates were indeed very clever.

But now it seems…

Also a bit too clever!