Chapter 303

Chapter 303: The Battle

Lin Yu was startled by the Earth Dragon’s roar but swiftly regained her composure.

Darkling Stalker had previously escaped an assault by a pack of Earth Dragons… which meant this beast’s bellow was likely summoning reinforcements!

The white-haired girl launched herself skyward, landing atop the Earth Dragon’s neck. With fluid precision, she slashed downward with the momentum of her leap.

*Slish—*

Her blade bit deeper into the gash on Earth Dragon Canton’s neck, drawing a fresh crimson arc.

Pushing off the dragon’s neck with a light step, she spun gracefully mid-air and landed facing away from the collapsing beast.

The roaring ceased abruptly behind her. The massive creature swayed momentarily before crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact.

After sheathing her bloodstained sword with a practiced flick, the white-haired girl exhaled.

*That sequence… pure artistry!*

My former self could never have executed such maneuvers. This is what "Sword Talent" combined with "Swordsmanship Master" enables – these breathtaking moves!

"What about the girls’ reactions?"

"Mom! Are you hurt?"

Turning, she found her daughters swarming around her. Their anxious inspection momentarily erased the lingering tension from last night’s incident.

"I’m unharmed."

Lin Yu batted away Lvzi’s probing hands as the green-haired girl began patting her armor.

"This is serious!" protested one daughter. "What if you’d been injured? Promise you won’t charge in recklessly next time!"

"Exactly!" chorused the others.

*This isn’t the adoration I expected…*

As the thought formed—

"Mom was *amazing* just now!" The rejected green-haired girl reclaimed her prize, wrapping both arms around Lin Yu’s sword arm. "I think… I’m falling for you all over again~" Her emerald eyes shimmered with starry devotion.

"…"

*Why does this anticipated admiration feel so… complicated?*

*And how can she act so shamelessly affectionate after last night’s… incident?*

The girl’s grip tightened like vine roots. Resigned to her fate, Lin Yu stopped struggling.

The other daughters averted their eyes with practiced nonchalance.

"Didn’t Mom level up after slaying that Earth Dragon?"

Red Pupil inquired.

"Mm."

After slaying the Earth Dragon, the long-anticipated system notification finally chimed.

My level surged from LV.4 to LV.6—two consecutive upgrades—while my Magic Value replenished completely.

Regrettably, no Skill Gift manifested this time; only attribute-related Gift Options appeared.

I selected all enhancements except the Magic Value Limit.

The restored Magic Value was immediately allocated to bestow skills upon my daughters. The "Berserk" ability acquired from defeating Luo Yong still hadn’t been granted to all of them.

Given the emergence of formidable monsters like Earth Dragons, prioritizing skill distribution over egg-laying became imperative.

"But why did that Earth Dragon suddenly shriek? At least Mother wasn’t harmed."

The daughters turned toward the gray ant nearby.

"It summoned allies."

Darkling Stalker’s monotone voice cut through the air.

"The skill’s limited range suggests few responders—possibly none."

"A skill? ‘Dragon Roar,’ perhaps…"

Magic Rainbow pondered briefly before continuing,

"Little Shadow captured this Earth Dragon alive not just for Mother’s final strike, but to lure others from the forest depths into the Fog Zone, correct?"

The gray ant dipped its head.

"I eliminated several Earth Dragons. Only this one refrained from calling allies despite mortal wounds."

"Arrogance… or perhaps stupidity?"

Magic Rainbow eyed the lifeless carcass.

"Wait—the Ant Tribe’s existence might already be known. This creature likely allowed capture to locate our nest."

"Both motives could coexist," Army Lady interjected, tearing her gaze from Lvzi’s grip on Lin Yu’s arm, battlelust igniting her eyes.

"Regardless, we’re engaging these Earth Dragons next?"

"Indeed."

Magic Rainbow affirmed.

"Though fighting within the Fog Zone… they’ve miscalculated gravely."

The Fog Zone now lay entirely under Ant Tribe dominion, its subterranean reaches interlaced with nest networks.

Enemies exposed; ourselves concealed.

Our forces numbered 100,000 across eight nests in Granville Monster Forest. The Fourth Ant Nest—the Fog Zone—harbored 20,000 warriors as the Queen Ant’s stronghold.

Short of encountering vastly superior Earth Dragons or hordes exceeding a hundred, our Fog Zone contingent stood more than adequate.

And the next words…

Magic Rainbow gazed at Red Pupil, who simultaneously met her eyes.

Their glances locked.

The young girl nodded solemnly:

"Regarding battle arrangements, dear sister, you may command freely. Should any aspect seem improper, our younger sisters are all welcome to voice suggestions."

"Mmm."

Magic Rainbow’s lips curved into a tender smile.

Though rivalry lingered between them, when grave matters arose, Sister Red Pupil never asserted hierarchical dominance… no, in truth, she’d never truly contested such things at all?

No wonder every sister held such fondness for her.

And then there was last night’s… "incident" in the bathhouse. While… the scene turned out a tad more chaotic than anticipated.

At this recollection, a faint blush bloomed across Magic Rainbow’s cheeks.

After dispelling the vivid imagery from her thoughts, she shifted her attention to Purple Cloud and Purple Mist.

"Sisters Purple Cloud and Purple Mist, we must entrust you to lead the Flying Ant sisters in monitoring the Earth Dragons’ movements."

"Should the Earth Dragons indeed advance toward the Fog Zone, once they enter its boundaries…"

Magic Rainbow turned to Stealth One.

"Sister Stealth One, your team shall assume responsibility for covert surveillance thereafter."

"Then comes the assault."

"Sister Red Pupil and the Iron Armored Ant sisters will engage the Earth Dragons directly, anchoring their focus."

"Ranged assaults shall fall to… Sister Lvzi and her Acid Ant forces."

"Sister Army Lady and the Military Ant contingent will reinforce the Iron Armored Ants’ frontline."

"Sisters Dig One and Dig Two shall command the Earth Digging Ants for subterranean ambushes."

"Sister Worker Liquor will oversee resource allocation and craft the Special Mucus alongside fellow Worker Ants, while Weak Ant sentries maintain vigilance over the forest’s periphery against unforeseen threats."

"As for the Demonic Ants… Demon One’s unit will provide auxiliary support. Our sisters may anticipate witnessing their remarkable progress."

The arcane tomes retrieved from the human race’s archives had indeed proven invaluable.

Magic Rainbow’s smile deepened with quiet satisfaction.