"Good. Not a single one is missing. Our empire has kept its spark alive. You who survived today will be the builders who lay its bricks—and your names will go down in history!"
To the murmur of underground water, the Mind Flayer counted the Intellect Devourers. They were all lodged beneath the scalps of male Drow, making it look, at a glance, as though the Drow had seized the Elder Brain's lair—
But how could that be?
The Mind Flayer scoffed inwardly.
True, after the floating Golden Country fell to earth, their empire had suffered a devastating blow.
The Elder Brain had been gravely injured. Most of their kin had died in the turbulent Arcane currents, while some survivors had slipped free of the Elder Brain's control... Even their ships had been stolen away to parts unknown.
But compared with those inferior Drow Elves, they still possessed the advantage that made Mind Flayers supreme.
Psionics.
The Elder Brain's Psionics could no longer cover dozens of kilometers, much less strike, probe, and control distant minds as it had at its peak...
But it could still shield the entire cavern and disguise the terrain, at least in the most basic way, through illusion.
And because of Earth Vein Radiation, the Divination School's spells for detection and surveillance could not function in the Underdark. Even Drow Elves who realized their people had been quietly infiltrated had no way to find the lair.
Besides, with the Great Hunt underway, the feuding Drow could hardly expand their territory. They could not even rebuild the ruins of Lightless City, let alone discover the lair hidden beneath those ruins beside Dark Lake—their home now. At that thought, the Mind Flayer's tentacles swayed lightly, reflecting the Elder Brain's melancholy.
"Yes."
It spoke with regret.
"After centuries, Lolth has