Lion Spider Beast

With the addition of two mercenary groups and Giggson Duchy soldiers, the total number of people under Saine's command had exceeded five hundred.

This was also the first time Saine had led such a massive force.

Besides Knight Attendants and ordinary able-bodied men, there were also two Intermediate Magic Apprentices in the group. They were mages serving in the Giggson Duchy's military.

After the group's numbers and scale surged, the number and frequency of attacks Saine and the others encountered on their way deeper into the underground mine also began to drop sharply.

Saine guessed that those underground creatures with unclear intentions also understood that petty harassment would not have much effect on them.

They were now likely gathering their forces as well, preparing for one final struggle against Saine and his group.

Saine was more than happy to see such a situation. He wished he could wipe out these hateful Underground Subhumans in one sweep.

Perhaps because he had lived in the City of Mozhsuobula for many years, Saine generally held little goodwill toward demi-human creatures that were deceitful and greedy by nature.

Though among the demi-human race, there were also innocent elderly, weak, orphaned, and widowed individuals.

They advanced through the underground mine for another two and a half days or so.

A vast, flat Underground Space, like a plaza, appeared before Saine and the others.

"This is definitely not an area excavated by Giggson Duchy miners. It must be the handiwork of those sinister demi-humans!"

"Damn it, there didn't seem to be this many underground creatures in the Salted Basin before. Where did they all come from?" Earl Krupp said in frustration.

In everyone's sight, the corners around this open, level Underground Space were piled high with all kinds of biological remains and broken bones.

Some of these remains and bones had clearly come from underground magical beasts, but even more came from ordinary underground creatures like demi-humans.

The sheer number of corpse fragments and broken bones made everyone who entered this Underground Space shudder.

However, the three mercenary captains, including Saine and Red Scale Captain, remained relatively calm. Even the elite soldiers of the Giggson Duchy did not cause much of a commotion.

"Roar!" A painful, furious magical beast's howl came from the very center of this Underground Space.

Saine and the others steadied themselves and continued advancing toward the center.

During this time, the Giggson Duchy's large military magic devices were pushed to the very front of the formation.

Several Demon Breaking Ballistas and Black Fire Cannons were the primary weapons intended for that target

Quasi-Level Magical Beast.

When Saine and the others reached the center of this empty Underground Space, what appeared in their sight was a bizarre magical beast that was half lion and half spider.

The upper half of the magical beast was a male lion, while its lower half had been replaced by an enormous spider abdomen.

It was eight or nine meters long overall, a full size larger than the Saltwater Crocodile Saine had encountered years ago.

This strangely shaped magical beast was clearly in extreme pain.

At the junction between its lion body and spider abdomen, a distinct crimson line of blood gave off a faintly fishy smell.

From time to time, foul-smelling blood gushed from its waist and abdomen as the Lion Spider Beast rolled and roared.

Several pairs of sharp, massive spider claws gouged deep marks into the ground.

"What the hell is that thing?" Red Scale Captain could not help but curse.

The other two mercenary captains were equally baffled.

They had traveled far and wide for many years and had seen most of the large magical beasts in the surrounding kingdoms and duchies, yet they had never encountered anything so peculiar.

Even Saine was somewhat dumbfounded as he looked at the magical beast before him. According to the basic magical beast bestiary he had learned from the Holy Tower,

the upper half of this half-lion, half-spider monster did indeed resemble the Black Mane Demon Lion, which commonly dwelled underground.

But what was with that spider abdomen on its lower half?

Before Saine and the others could unravel their doubts, a series of urgent, piercing whistles came from every direction.

"Flutter, flutter, flutter!" A huge swarm of Black Bats surged in from all sides of the empty cavern.

These Black Bats were all at least Demonized Creatures. Though they were small, if one let down one's guard, they could drain a fairly capable Knight Attendant into a dried corpse in the blink of an eye.

These Black Bats were likely magical beasts tamed by the Underground Subhumans, much like how Saine had once sold Blue Jaw Feather Eggs to the Demi-human Tribes at a high price.

The appearance of the Black Bats made Red Scale Captain and the others swiftly form defensive formations amid their shouts and curses.

Saine paid no attention to these low-level magical beasts. With a medium-scale detection spell cast, more than a hundred White Light Spots appeared in the depths of the surrounding darkness.

Each of these White Light Spots represented a demi-human creature hiding in the dark.

A brief, rapid chant rang out. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen enormous fireballs appeared around Saine.

The appearance of Fire

Element clearly slowed the Black Bats that were charging forward.

Red Scale Captain and the other Advanced Knight Servants also hurriedly directed their subordinates to fire flaming arrows or brandish long spears to fend off the assault.

Amid the chaotic clash of darkness and flames, the small-statured Underground Subhumans crept in from all directions.

Saine's Fireball Spell became the first salvo ringing the death knell for these demi-humans.

Immediately afterward, at Saine's prompt, the mercenaries and Giggson Duchy soldiers also unleashed their attacks upon these vile demi-humans.

"Boom!" Artillery Fire echoed through the Underground Space.

Two Black Fire Cannons had already been loaded and successfully fired.

The large-scale slaughter of demi-human creatures and Black Bats displayed the power of magic and elements, while also showing from another angle who truly ruled the Wizard World.

Compared to knights who possessed battle qi, and mages who commanded all manner of intricate methods,

the demi-human race seemed to have no remarkable talents apart from their outstanding fertility and adaptability to all kinds of harsh environments.

Raising magical beasts could be considered a special skill, but the Black Bats before them were truly not worth mentioning.

As the demi-humans suffered heavy casualties, another burst of urgent whistles sounded.

Amid the chaos, Saine slightly slowed his casting pace and used his exceptional Mental Strength and detection ability to find the source of the whistles.

In the end, Saine discovered a demi-human holding a short azure staff atop a slanted rock behind the Lion Spider Beast.

This demi-human was clearly somewhat different from the others.

The greatest difference was that Saine sensed a certain fluctuation of Element Power from its body.

The intermediate Light Element spell, Scorching Ray, gradually gathered before Saine.

In the darkness, a dazzling beam streaked through the air. Immediately afterward, the whistles in this Underground Space came to an abrupt stop.

A third of the demi-human's body had been pierced through by Saine's magic.

Yet what was astonishing was that despite suffering such grave injuries, the demi-human had not died.

Instead, it struggled to crawl toward the Lion Spider Beast, which was in a berserk state.

In the end, it was swallowed whole by the Lion Spider Beast.