Chapter 24

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Chapter 24: Time

Time began flowing again.

Solidification and ending were just illusions, time does not stop at the moment the cannon fires. When the terrifying white is diluted by normal sunlight, when the dust settles, smoke disperses, life goes on.

Dora trembled as she got up from the ground, her throat tasted of rust, the roar echoed in her ears. She had bumped into something, creating a lump on her forehead which seemed minor compared to the soreness all over her body. For a few seconds, Dora thought she had gone blind as she stared into the dark void in front of her until her eyes throbbed and the darkness began to fade. She sighed in relief, quickly looking behind her.

The next moment, she almost wished she couldn’t see anything.

She was hit by broken pieces of wood from the small hut she had just left. The cannon did not reach the Amazon village, but its power was strong enough to destroy the hut hundreds of meters away. Dora and Catherine had just switched shifts and left the hut to freshen up before going back to the front line. Before she left, there was a wounded person lying on the bed in the hut, with the doctor and Catherine taking care of the poor person whose condition was starting to stabilize. A few minutes after she ran out, a white light tore through the sky, throwing Dora several meters from the blast, and the hut was leveled, with no one surviving inside.

She might have cried out, or she might not have, her buzzing ears could not hear any sound. She rushed to the ruins, desperately digging through the debris. Her nosebleed dripped onto the back of her hand, then her fingers started bleeding, and the black mist around her vision began to reassemble.

People were falling to the ground all over the Amazon village. Even though they were not directly hit, the shockwaves and sound made the weaker ones feel dizzy and disoriented. Some children trembled like newborn deer, trying to stand up but falling back down. The Amazon Queen furrowed her brows tightly, while sharp sentinels in the distance spotted the shadow of a human army—after clearing half a forest, they were now separated by a vast open space and a few rows of trees. Many were confused, many were scared. The Amazon Queen and her guards were quick to react, using gestures and shouts to rally and calm their tribe.

They were about to face a tough battle.

The warriors were already geared up in armor and weapons, their assembly was quick, even though many felt dizzy and disoriented. Non-combatants had already packed their belongings, ready for the inevitable war. Men carried severely injured individuals, including Dora who was unconscious in the rubble hundreds of meters away. The critically injured, elderly, and children would be evacuated together. Before they could escape, the warriors had to stop the approaching enemy.

And on the vast open space torn apart by cannon fire, the massive human forces found their battleground.

Low-ranking soldiers were unaware of the cannon’s power, fear spreading among them. Soldiers who had been staring directly at the cannons now covered their eyes, howling in pain on the ground. Various levels of officers issued commands, knocking out the cowards, kicking away the newly blinded on the ground, like sheepdogs herding sheep. The human army was not as well-trained as the Amazonians, but the damage they suffered was negligible. Eventually, the chaotic formations lined up, enough to overwhelm the enemy soldiers many times over, marching towards the still warm open space.

A soldier quietly crumbled a piece of dirt, the burning char scattered between his fingers, dry as gravel.

The ground did not collapse due to the cannon fire, but everything on the ground was flattened. There were no remnants of the core ballistic section, as if an unknown giant mouth had swallowed everything. Trees and buildings that were not directly hit fell around, the once gentle air now sharp as a blade, heavy as a hammer. The army penetrated the peeled-open forest like a sharp knife, with the giant cannon that caused all this slowly being pushed forward.

Under the ground, Marion shook her head as if trying to shake off the flickering lights in front of her. Tasha stopped the ground projection she had been watching from the watchtower, her eyes stung by the dazzling light. She shook her head heavily and once again asked, "Adult!"

Tasha understood her, the Worgen girl was very worried about her new friends, she wanted to see how they were doing, she wanted to join the battle. Since the day she was ordered to leave, Marion had been visibly restless, every time Tasha opened the ground projection for her, she stared at it intently, even though the human army was just a small dot in the distance on the screen – the dungeon could not build the watchtower too far away. Tasha felt that if she kept the projection on all the time, this girl would probably sit by the projection twenty-four hours a day.

The dungeon has been expanding towards Angaso Forest, with the farthest tunnel only a hundred meters from the human army. It would indeed be a surprise attack if they came up from here. But what’s the use?

This is not a small team, this is an army. Thousands of soldiers may sound like just a weak number, but when they are lined up in front of you, they appear vast. The Skeleton Sea Tactics require a large number of skeletons, those in Tasha’s graveyard are not as many as the humans, sending them all would be useless; Marion is alone, no matter how skilled in battle or how capable of recovering from healing, she cannot confront thousands alone; Craftsman Dwarf is not a combatant; ghosts cannot get close to the battlefield.

Is it useful to get close to the battlefield? Creating ghosts and releasing skills require a lot of magic power, and Tasha’s current magic reserves are far from enough to use ghosts as human bombs, troops that collapse in one blow are just worthless. Moreover, once ghosts and Skeleton Soldiers are deployed on the battlefield, there is no turning back. The appearance of monsters is tantamount to self-exposure, humans are very likely to discover the dungeon’s existence, Tasha has no confidence in wiping out these enemies who have seen the truth at once.

So she answered, "No."

Marion’s ears drooped, she lowered her head and obeyed. She endured quietly for ten minutes, couldn’t help but ask again, "May I ask how things are going on the ground now?"

On the ground, the two armies on both sides that were impacted had already formed up, the human crossbows were stringed, the Amazons’ shields were fixed on their upper arms, the distance between the two sides slowly closed in silence, and the battle was about to begin. The gap in numbers was too great, before the war even began, a sense of desperation had already emerged.

On the ground, Amazon men led wounded soldiers, elderly, and children through the remaining forest, they walked quickly, seizing every second that the warriors fought for. Soldiers in their fifties and young girls alike went to the battlefield, every person leaving behind a mother, wife, or daughter, they might reunite later, but it was more likely not.

On the ground, the smoke from the giant cannon has not completely disappeared. Is it an illusion? In the place that used to be a forest, it seems like something is echoing.

Inside the dungeon, Tasha is clueless about this. Her consciousness attached to the spirits has not returned, and the two separated souls lost contact in the moment the giant cannon fired. The true form existing in the dungeon has no knowledge of what has happened to them.

Like the parts that remain on the battlefield, unable to inform the true form of the current situation.

Going back to the moment the giant cannon fired, the two ghostly bodies of Tasha simultaneously disintegrated, as the mist forming the ghosts seemed to be scattered by a gust of wind. The vessel shattered into pieces, and the contained souls fell out, becoming exposed, as she started "burning".

This process was extremely peculiar. She could feel every part of herself disintegrating, yet not a single trace of pain. The loud noise turned into a distant background sound, the bright light in front of her turned into true emptiness, her thoughts turned into numerous statics, she could no longer distinguish up from down, left from right, unable to determine the passage of time, like a snowman melting.

Was this what dying felt like? The unexpected made her relax, as if floating, as if falling asleep. Nothing in this world could make Tasha exert any effort.

The first to recover was her mind.

"You observed the launch of [beep], you gained a slight understanding of [beep] knowledge, you obtained a glimpse of expertise in [beep] knowledge."

"Your Spawn-Craftsman Dwarf possesses knowledge and lineage related to it, the glimpse of expertise in [beep] knowledge merges into relevant skills, advancing the skill ‘We Workers Have Power’."

"With more knowledge, you now know: this is a cannon!"

"You personally experienced the launch of ‘BEEP,’ and your understanding of ‘BEEP’ knowledge has slightly increased."

"You are being continuously influenced by ‘BEEP,’ and your understanding of ‘BEEP’ knowledge is gradually increasing. Note: continuous influence may cause irreversible damage, your body is valuable, knowledge is good, but don’t be greedy!"

This line of text appeared repeatedly, mixed with unclear mosaic patterns, waking Tasha up from a state of not being able to see, hear, or move. In her half-awake anger, she thought, "If I could have avoided the harm, I would have long ago! It’s not like I wanted to be hit!"

"With the increase in knowledge and experience reaching the critical point, you have learned ‘Basic Magic Knowledge.’"

As if responding to Tasha, the screen finally showed new text.

"You now know: this is a Magic Cannon."

"Magic Cannon: Despite its strange appearance, its power is enough to destroy half a forest. It’s expensive, durable, has unclean energy sources, carries various pollutants, and is truly a weapon of mass destruction."

No wonder, Tasha thought, a normal cannon couldn’t possibly have such great power, and she couldn’t fail to recognize that this seemingly bizarre giant cannon was not a scientific creation. Thank goodness, if human technology had reached the level of using electromagnetic cannons to blast half a forest, then there’s no point, she might as well go back home to farm.

As the sounds of cannons faded away, there were no more advancements in magical knowledge, and the understanding of Magic Cannon remained limited to its name. Just like the warning hints before, Tasha felt herself starting to collapse again. She couldn’t bring back these experiences and memories to her true self. It felt like she had been blasted into another dimension where there was no sky, no ground creatures, and she couldn’t even reach Victor, only herself…

No, not just herself.

Large areas of plants were destroyed by the cannons, along with flying birds, walking animals, insects, and even a stream evaporated. These creatures lacked wisdom, their souls were simple and easily dispersed like slime with a gust of wind. Sacrificing any of them in the dungeon wouldn’t attract the attention of the Abyss. But when their numbers were in the hundreds or thousands, it was a different story.

In this emptiness, Tasha encountered the Will of Nature.

Since hearing the term "Abyssal Will," Tasha had never truly understood its meaning. She could only think of Abyssal Will as a title for the Great Devil in the Abyss. After all, how could a region have "will"?

It was only when Tasha touched the Will of Nature that she truly understood the term.

Countless tiny lives were born and perished here, cycling endlessly, becoming something imperceptible yet indispensable like a kind of air. The Will of Nature came from lush forests, flowing streams teeming with fish, and skies full of birds soaring. The Will of Nature was like a healing rain for parched lands, the power to sprout seeds, and the first breath of spring that awakened hibernating animals. Like the Heart of Nature to the sacred tree, the Will of Nature was both the source and product of nature. All the ignorant creatures on this vast land shared the same will under its influence—

To survive.

The Will of Nature was impartial. It didn’t show favoritism towards one creature hunting another. Predators would starve if they failed to find prey, just like prey would perish in the jaws of the predators. It didn’t flinch at the disturbance caused by a forest fire; trees turned to ashes in the flames, but seeds would eventually sprout from the scorched earth. It embraced the most primitive beings as well as the most cunning and dominant ones, yet the firing of the Magic Cannon went beyond—destroyed—what it could balance. Half a forest vanished under the barrel of the cannon, leaving no ashes, no souls, completely erased from the Primary Material Plane.

The places hit by the Magic Cannon could no longer grow any grass, and the streams passing through here no longer had any living fish. This area would become a forbidden zone for life on the ground. This kind of terrible destruction could only be compared to the "devouring" sacrifice to the abyss in dungeons.

It was unbelievable that this small piece of fading Will of Nature was moving towards Tasha.

It was so strange that dungeons and the abyss were natural enemies, yet at this moment, the Will of Nature chose her. As a small piece of Will of Nature stripped off by the Magic Cannon was dispersing, when it gradually covered Tasha, it began to merge with her failing soul. She could smell the scent of grass enveloping her body, reminiscent of rolling on the grass as a child, with broken grass sticking to her clothes. It was the scent of nature… Ah, Tasha thought, she seemed to have a clue now.

The passive skill obtained from the Oak Elder, [Heart of Nature (False)]: Nature’s aura surrounds you.

As the Will of Nature approached its archenemy when being destroyed by its own kind.

"The Will of Nature is watching you, and your Natural Aura level is rising."

"The Will of Nature has touched you, and your Natural Aura level is rising."

…

These words appeared so fast that there was hardly time to read. As the crumbling Will of Nature approached dispersal, as if making a desperate move, the remaining part suddenly rushed into Tasha’s soul. She almost felt like she was going to burst, something beyond her capacity causing a shock, like another explosion, blasting her out of the void.

Suddenly, Tasha reappeared on the battlefield. The sky here turned white, and the ground flowed with blood. Above the scorched earth, Amazons and the human army clashed in close combat, with the sounds of battle erupting in the chaos. The two separated souls regained contact, both taking a deep breath. Something was different.

"The broken Will of Nature-Angaso Forest has chosen you."

As if removing the partition in the middle of a fish tank, a part of Tasha’s soul’s Natural Aura rushed into a section of the dungeon, flooding every corner like a tidal wave. The Craftsman Dwarfs waved their hands in amazement as indoor plants suddenly flourished, vines entwining the entire wall. Marion’s itchy teeth made her jaw creak, a strong impulse urging her to sprint and sing loudly. Tasha’s soul left on the ground fell and then dispersed, falling into Angaso Forest like a drop of ink in water.

Tasha sensed the entirety of Angaso Forest, from the nearby combatants to the distant fleeing refugees. This feeling was like… the forest floor suddenly turning into her dungeon.

Trees grew at her will.

Thorns emerged from the ground, entangling the feet of the human soldiers. Tall trees grew wildly, blocking out the sky, their sturdy branches sweeping through a large group of crossbowmen. Large shields couldn’t withstand the massive hits from the giant trees, and cavalry scattered in the onslaught of vines. The forest came alive, under Tasha’s control, capable of accurately distinguishing friend from foe.

Remaining birds of the forest swarmed down, sparrows flying alongside hawks and eagles. Their sharp claws and beaks tore many faces and eyes. Those keen of hearing heard the rumbling of the ground, sharp-eyed soldiers pointing and shouting in the distance. Residents from all directions of the forest ran towards the commotion, the roar of wild beasts deafening.

Stairs appeared in front of Marion, and at that moment, her owner granted her permission. She let out a joyful roar and dashed out, not even carrying a dagger.

She didn’t need to carry a dagger.

"Your friend has friendly and natural blood, she has been blessed by a Natural Aura."

"Mixed-blood Worgen Marion, her diluted Worgen blood purified under the influence of Natural Aura. After accumulating enough energy, under sunlight or moonlight, she can gain the abilities lost by her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents – transforming into a wolf."

Marion ran outside, the sunlight shining on her silver-white hair. She howled to the sky, the sound changing from human-like to wolf-like. Silver fur started growing wildly, tearing her clothes apart, leaving her in tatters. She pounced forward, her hands turning into claws before hitting the ground.

With a shake of her body, the tatters flew off, revealing a majestic white wolf bearing no traces of the young girl. Her left eye still bore a scar from her human days, her green eyes just as fierce as before, even more bloodthirsty. The youthful white wolf let out a long howl, charging into the battlefield.

The tide of the battle began to turn.

Humans were not foolish, they had made various preparations to wipe out the Amazonians in the forest, but who would have thought they would have to contend with the whole forest? Vengeful trees clashed with the army, soldiers who had never witnessed such a spectacle soon broke ranks and scattered. The white wolf leaped through the crowd, reaping lives like a ghost. The Amazonians returned to the forest, fighting side by side with the trees. The Amazon Queen laughed as she spat out the blood in her mouth, retrieving arrows from fallen enemies and shooting through a soldier’s head behind her in one swift motion.

The commander gave up on rallying the troops, his bodyguards protecting him as they withdrew from the frontline. Their retreat was as chaotic as the fleeing soldiers around them, so much so that no one noticed they were approaching the Magic Cannon in the rear.

Except for Tasha, who could see the whole battlefield.

She could feel that the Natural Aura she had gained this time was temporary, every second it was being consumed to empower the forest. However, this time she unhesitatingly urged the surrounding trees on, even though the large amount of Force of Nature consumed here would greatly reduce the time the forest would stay revived. The Magic Cannon was placed in the path of its trajectory, with no vegetation growing around it. Tasha made the nearest trees uproot themselves, using their roots to walk and charge towards the Magic Cannon.

They were shouting and screaming, the guards scattered and fled under the swinging branches. The enchanted trees were moving too slowly, and there were many soldiers in front of the Magic Cannon. They began to retreat the cannon, maybe they could escape before the tree monster smashed into it. But Tasha successfully killed the commander. A thick branch threw the commander high up into the sky, and in a few seconds, he fell down as a puddle of flesh. Without the commander, the army became even more chaotic, even the officers started to run madly in the opposite direction. The battle seemed unlikely to turn around, now that the commander had lost the last chance to start the Magic Cannon.

Tasha suddenly felt her heart racing.

Her heart was pounding wildly, just like before the last Magic Cannon was launched. Being close to it now made this feeling even stronger, Tasha felt all the hairs on her body stand up. She stared at the Magic Cannon intently, and there was a faint click coming from the cannon, almost inaudible on the battlefield.

It was as if light was shining from deep within the long barrel of the cannon.

It was not an illusion.

Tasha discovered something horrifying – the commander’s retreat was not to go back and start the Magic Cannon, and the officers fleeing the battlefield were not out of fear of the tree monster. The Magic Cannon had already been activated, and these informed individuals just wanted to escape out of its range before it fully charged.

She calmed down completely, as if facing a ticking time bomb in the last few seconds. She cleared her mind of all distractions, assessed all the options, rejected them one by one. The final option only had a fifty-fifty chance of success, fifty-fifty, good enough.

Tasha leaped forward.

She controlled the power of the entire activated forest to retract completely, birds and beasts began to flee, trees returned to stillness. All those souls rushed into the tree monster, Tasha put on this new body, and then she fell forward.

The big tree was just a few meters away from the Magic Cannon. If it leaned forward, it could shorten the distance by half. But it wouldn’t be able to destroy the cannon, and might fall down because it was too heavy on one side. The tree couldn’t get up again, and it didn’t have any hands to help itself up.

Remember, Tasha has a skill that can attach claws to anything.

The skill "Full Moon" was enhanced to become "Full Moon – Call of the Wild." This skill allows you to temporarily have sharp wolf-like fangs and claws, similar to a Worgen transformation. Due to the enhanced bloodline of the one who possesses this skill, your claws can not only cut through flesh but even make steel as soft as pudding in front of them. However, this transformation can only last for three seconds, and it can cause your body to collapse due to overload.

Three seconds should be enough. If the Magic Cannon is not dealt with in three seconds, there would be nothing left to salvage in this battle.

The tree monster used its claws to lift itself up, dug its roots into the ground, and leaped towards the nearby Magic Cannon.

With a sharp claw, the tree monster struck the Magic Cannon hard, covering the entire body of the cannon.

The steel-made cannon barrel was torn into several pieces by the force. Before the third second, the already activated Magic Cannon exploded halfway. Instead of firing a shot, the partially activated massive energy inside the cannon self-destructed, causing the whole cannon to explode abruptly, shattering the tree covering it into pieces.

Most of the animals fled the battlefield, and trees were left scattered in strange positions. Only the white wolf remained among the crowd. Everything seemed to return to normal, but the humans were defeated. Despite being weakened several times, the explosion destroyed everything within a radius of several tens of meters. The Magic Cannon exploded into a firework in the rear of the human army, marking the complete failure of the human crusade.

As a result, part of Tasha’s force dispersed once again.

The part of consciousness trapped inside the tree sprite had been hit once before, but with the help of the Will of Nature, it managed to survive a little longer. The second time, she didn’t make it.

"Abyss, what have you done?!" Victor exclaimed in frustration.

To the naked eye, there was no visible difference, but as the dungeon itself, Tasha could sense that something had changed with the Dungeon Core. A tiny piece of the vibrant garnet was missing, taken away when the second hit destroyed a part of Tasha’s soul. Quietly, a small fragment disappeared from the gemstone, her soul, quite literally bound to the Dungeon Core.

Was this considered a loss? Tasha sarcastically thought, surprised that the Magic Cannon could even harm a soul. Nevertheless, being injured was better than being killed in one blow, and perhaps I am the only one who can withstand being hit by the Magic Cannon twice head-on.

The shattered Will of Nature in the Angaso Forest fell into eternal silence, the enchanted forest fought for her benefit only this once. This was the mutual result of Will of Nature seeking her help, fortunately, the residual information carried by the fragmented soul remained.

"You have experienced the launch of the Magic Cannon, and your understanding of magical knowledge has slightly increased."

"Your part of the soul tore during the recovery process, tainted by the essence of magical power. Primary magical knowledge accumulation reaches a critical point; you can choose: 1. Enhance the magical knowledge skills of the Spawn-Craftsman Dwarf; 2. Improve your understanding of the Magic Cannon."

Tasha chose the second option without hesitation. The first option might have enabled the Craftsman Dwarf to create some magical technology items, but the threat posed by the Magic Cannon was more urgent. She needed to know the weaknesses of the Magic Cannon, how it was made, and at the very least, what source of energy it used. How expensive was the Magic Cannon? How many humans could potentially wield it, and how many could be built? She had to find out.

Reality wasn’t a game where you could learn everything instantly. When she chose the second option, the so-called "essence of magical power" surged towards her, memories of being hit by the Magic Cannon replayed repeatedly. Tasha frantically analyzed this force within the memories of death, but it dissipated quickly and couldn’t be replicated. No wonder the Craftsman Dwarf had to choose between learning or understanding one of them.

She didn’t know how to make a Magic Cannon, the knowledge she gained from analyzing the magic was very basic. Tasha sensed the core energy used by the Magic Cannon, which made her almost think she had made a mistake.

In this strange creation, she felt a deep sense of mystery.

"Quick! Have your dog dig out the wreckage of the cannon!" Victor exclaimed excitedly after she mentioned the strange incident, "If that’s really the case, you not only didn’t lose, but also gained a lot!"

The battlefield on the ground had calmed down, human soldiers either dead or fleeing, the Amazonians unable to chase them, busy rescuing the wounded. Marion had exhausted the energy supporting her transformation into a wolf and had turned back into the young girl. Breathing heavily, she looked like she still had some anger left, enemy’s blood dripping from her fingertips and chin. She wiped her mouth, the lower half of her face stained a deep red.

The Worgen girl followed Tasha’s guidance, crossing half the battlefield to reach where the Magic Cannon used to be. She tossed aside broken wood and melted steel, digging out many red fragments from the core of the Magic Cannon wreckage.

Tasha had never been to the abyss, the only abyssal item she had encountered was the Dungeon Core.

The newly created ghost took the object, just like the Dungeon Core, it couldn’t pass through her. These fragments came from another broken Dungeon Core, which was the energy source used by this Magic Cannon.

"Indeed, in the past, wizards used Dungeon Cores as spell materials," Victor said, "That’s why you couldn’t approach it before."

What could block a ghost and make a dungeon cautious?

Blessed treasures from the Heavenly Realm, or another dungeon from the depths.

After thinking about this, Tasha asked, "Do dungeons attack each other?"

"Dungeon Cores can devour each other, and if the benefits of winning outweigh the losses, survival of the fittest is the most efficient choice," Victor said confidently.

It’s truly the style of the abyss, another common reason for "why are demons so strong but can’t win." Tasha was relieved to be the only dungeon, as with her damaged core, encountering fellow dungeons prone to infighting would not be good. She looked at the shards in her hand, feeling a bit sorrowful, in this era where there were no other dungeons but humans who used Dungeon Cores as a power source.

Someone approached from behind Marion, the Amazon Queen casually taking a cloak from a fallen officer and draping it over Marion. Marion thanked her, wrapping it around her naked body. The sun was setting, and without fur, it would be cold.

"Thank you and your master, your help has saved many sisters’ lives," the Amazon Queen said. "Forgive us, with what you’ve seen now… After we settle elsewhere, we will surely show our gratitude of Amazon to you."

Marion raised her head suddenly, about to speak words of persuasion but was stopped by the Queen’s raised hand. A hint of weariness shone through the Amazon Queen’s steel-like gaze as she shook her head and said, "Our souls belong to freedom."

"I don’t necessarily want your souls," Tasha said.

A ghost materialized in the air, not even causing the Queen’s eyebrows to twitch. Beside Tasha appeared the racial agreement with the Craftsman Dwarf, written in the most simple and clear common language. The Amazon Queen glanced up, her gaze gradually pausing.

"Hundreds of years ago, the Amazonians were very popular mercenaries," Tasha said. "Your archery skills were renowned, and your footprints covered the whole region of Aryan. You stood on different sides of the battlefield, fighting with the same bravery and loyalty."

"The Amazonians keep their promises," the Queen said.

"So this is about employment," Tasha said. "I can provide shelter, food, weapons, and healing. You work for me, swearing not to betray me to others. This is not a trade or selling oneself, it’s an agreement letter between an employer and mercenaries. Please trust our sincerity."

The Amazon Queen turned her head, her people were cleaning up the battlefield. Everyone was covered in blood, the lightly wounded were searching through the bodies, looking for familiar faces still breathing. Tasha saw the muscles on her cheek tighten, after a few seconds, the Queen turned around, grabbing a pen.

New cards appeared in Tasha’s hand, depicting hands holding a bow.

"Among humans, the Amazonians are considered excellent archers, evolved from a purely female tribe to a matriarchal tribe with both males and females. They are decisive in their likes and dislikes, so be prepared for a lot of troubles they may cause; noble in character, which means they have many inexplicable and untimely stubbornness, no wonder there are so few of them now. Overall, they are still good choices for warriors."

Surprisingly, when the Amazonians joined, a new type of building was unlocked. The new building was called the "Training Room," equipped with various weapons that couldn’t be taken outside. As long as someone in the room had knowledge of a certain weapon, they could simulate that weapon indoors. It also produced training dummies and well-protected arenas, truly an excellent training ground for warriors.

In comparison, it was uncertain whether the skills brought by the Amazonians were useful or not.

[Excellent Reserve Soldier]: Congratulations! You are an outstanding soldier… in training! You have obtained a basic understanding of various weapons; you know a bit about hacking, blocking, and archery, just like the Amazonians who trained from a young age. Well, at least at the level they were at when they were ten years old.

Tasha was not very strong, and she might not be as good with weapons as a three or four-year-old Amazonian. However, these are not natural claws, ghosts cannot use any weapons.

Let’s put this aside for now.

The Amazon Queen who signed the contract looked very tired. She didn’t say much, just nodded to the ghosts and Marion, then walked towards her people.

Skeleton Soldiers emerged from the ground. As undead, they could quickly distinguish between the living and the dead. Under Tasha’s command, they separated human soldiers from Amazon warriors (fortunately, the genders of the two groups were different, which made it easier for the not very clever skeletons to understand). They took the surviving Amazon warriors to an underground infirmary and left the dead to the Amazonians to deal with. The Amazonians respected the fallen warriors in battle, and Tasha did not intend to let them know what would happen to the bodies of human soldiers in the dungeon.

Marion volunteered to chase after the first group of Amazonians who were leaving. They had seen the changes in the forest and wouldn’t run too far. The Craftsman Dwarfs in the dungeon began to busily set up new rooms, happily discussing what their new neighbors might be like.

"Let’s throw them a welcome party!" someone said.

"Let’s not bother them!" another person said, "They have been busy for so long, they must be tired. Maybe we can do it tomorrow?"

In any case, at least for now, they have won.