WorldCrafter - Building My Underground Kingdom

At the battlefield, the smoke finally cleared.

The magus stood tall, his skin returned to its normal pale tone. The demonic traits were gone the horn dissepeared. His sharp blue eyes locked onto the dying Krell Alpha dangling in his grasp.

He looked more like a highborn elf now than any demon. "Now tell me everything you know about that traveler."

The Krell Alpha had no limbs left—his arms and legs torn away, his torso a broken shell. The magus held him up by the neck with one hand, while the other arm was plunged deep into the Alpha's chest.

"Kekeke… What traveler? Do you mean the other outsiders!? Why should I tell you anything?!"

Despite his condition, the Alpha's voice was laced with pride, his tone mocking. Even in the face of death, he refused to grovel. He was still an Alpha. Dead is better than submission.

"Tch. Foolish choice," the magus muttered, curling his lips into a sharp grin. "I'll just extract the information directly from your corpse, then."

With a wet sound, he tore his hand free.

A mass of living shadow twisted in his palm, pulsing like it was still breathing. The magus narrowed his eyes, his expression shifting from annoyance to curiosity. "Interesting… This relic—it's not from the Third Epoch. No… this is older."

His gaze glistened with greed. Relics from the Second Epoch were exceedingly rare—powerful artifacts. Unlike the reckless, mass-produced tools of the Third Epoch, Second Epoch relics were handcrafted masterpieces. Fewer side effects. Greater potential.

Meanwhile, Draeven and the others had long since moved away. None of them wanted to be anywhere near the battlefield.

As they advanced, a structure came into view—another ravager nest.

Unlike the scattered burrows Ben encountered before, this one was massive. The nest was newly built, but surprisingly advanced, showing signs of strategic development.

Since their last clash with Ben, the Alpha had learned.

He had merged the remnants of scattered nests into one fortified structure, focusing on defense. Thick earthen walls wrapped around the perimeter, reinforced and hardened with infernal heat.

One attack had cost him too many of his people. He didn't plan to repeat it.

From a distance, Draeven's eyes locked onto three beast standing at the heart of the nest. Inferno. Storm. Earth.

T'zarek exhaled, glancing sideways. "So? We wait for the magus?"

Draeven shook his head. "No need. I'll handle those three. You two take care of the rest."

T'zarek blinked. "You serious?"

"Dead serious," Draeven muttered, eyes gleaming with molten fire. "You know I'll be fine. Let them try to kill me. Again and again if they want."

Nephirid didn't die easily. Ashborn even less. His body could regenerate, even from near-total destruction. And if it came to it, he could always retreat. But more than anything… he was tired of holding back. He wanted to vent.

T'zarek's war cry echoed across the cavern as he launched forward like a thunderbolt, claws dragging sparks from the ground.

Vek'tal wasn't far behind—his massive body charging ahead with terrifying momentum, shoulders hunched like a beast ready to gore. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he pushed off, launching himself straight into the ravager horde.

The first brute ravager raised its arms in time to block—then immediately regretted it.

CRACK!

Vek'tal's charge sent the monster flying, its thick hide crushed under the impact. It hadn't even hit the ground before T'zarek was already there, slicing through another with a cyclone of slashes. His movements were wild and unpredictable, like a windstorm with blades.

"COME ON!" T'zarek howled, laughing as blood sprayed across the wall. Two dagger that look liek a beast fang grasped on his hand.

Three more ravagers rushed them—phantoms flickering between forms, claws glowing with dark energy.

But Vek'tal swung wide, catching one mid-phase. The blow didn't just land—it erased the creature's torso in a single hit, sending its upper body crashing into the ground while its legs twitched uselessly.

The second phantom tried to slip behind them, but T'zarek was faster. His body shimmered as his mana burst outward, forming arcs of flame. He twisted mid-air and brought his foot down on the phantom's head.

SPLAT.

The skull burst like fruit, shadowy wisps evaporating on impact.

One of the brute ravagers lunged at Vek'tal, swinging it's claw. The Nephirid ducked low, driving his fist into the beast's gut—then up, lifting the creature over his head.

"Get off my battlefield," he growled—and hurled the screaming brute straight into a wall, bones snapping like twigs on impact.

Meanwhile, T'zarek tore through another, his dagger glowing red-hot now. Each swipe seared flesh, cauterizing and slicing in one clean motion.

The ravagers had numbers. But the Nephirid had strength—and experience.

Dozens of Ravagers come surrounding them. Phantom-types flickered in and out of view, their forms twisting through shadow.

Brute-types thundered forward, shaking the ground with each step.

In the center of it all, a massive Ravager roared—a new variant, clad in obsidian-black chitin streaked with molten red veins. It stood taller than the others.

T'zarek's grin only widened. "Now that's more like it!"

The warleader roared and the Ravagers surged.

The first wave hit Vek'tal like a flood. Three Brutes charged him at once, trying to overwhelm with sheer mass. He planted his feet, roaring as he slammed both fists together—releasing a concussive shockwave that cracked the cavern floor.

One Brute was blown back instantly, flipping end over end. The others stumbled, giving Vek'tal the opening he needed.

He grabbed the nearest Brute by the jaw and ripped it open. Black blood sprayed as the creature shrieked, but its voice was cut short when Vek'tal crushed its windpipe with a headbutt.

The second attaacked—but he sidestepped, driving a knee into its ribs so hard its chest caved in.

T'zarek, meanwhile, move through the battlefield like a devil on fire.

He spun between Phantom Ravagers, each step laced with flame. One phantom tried to sneak behind him—he bent backward unnaturally, avoiding the strike by a hair, then drove both daggers upward into the attacker's ribcage.

The twin fangs exploded in flame as he ignited the mana, sending burning fragments of the creature flying in every direction.