Of course, an existence like Earth Essence was a good thing.
Having obtained something so valuable, no one was overly surprised.
Moreover, they agreed that unless something urgent arose, they would gather and contact one another only after a week.
Because a week later, their routes would overlap at the largest city in the surrounding territories: Duke City.
As for the number of Dark Creatures gathered within Duke City, there was no need to say more.
This was not something one or two duchy teams could handle.
Instead, they would gather together and launch a joint assault. So long as they captured Duke City, the first phase of this year's expedition would be considered complete.
While the various alliance teams were all excited over their "good fortune" in obtaining two clumps of Earth Essence, within the ruined Duke City several hundred miles away, countless Dark Creatures had gathered in a dense, endless mass.
Moreover, beyond that, even more groups of Dark Creatures were converging outside the city.
Every one of the arriving Dark Creature squads was carrying a clump of Earth Essence.
Although the Earth Essence had already been placed inside crystal bottles, without any concealment, they shone inside those bottles like lightbulbs, radiating dazzling golden light.
These Dark Creature squads entered Duke City in orderly fashion through its ruined gates, then followed the streets toward the cluster of castle palaces halfway up the mountain behind the city.
"Your Holiness, the Dark Creatures delivered another ten clumps of Earth Essence today!"
"Very good. Have them immediately merge this Earth Essence into the energy trough!"
Within a spacious palace, a man dressed in lavish ceremonial robes and wearing a golden crown sat upon a throne.
Below the throne stood numerous armored warriors.
It was difficult to imagine such a scene