Half a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
Under Leo’s “Magical Infrastructure” project, Blackwood Ridge had almost transformed into a completely different place.
To the east of the town, the once cursed wasteland where nothing grew had now become neatly divided fields, crisscrossed with tidy furrows.
The first batch of rye and potato seeds, procured from near the royal capital, had just been sown.
Though no green shoots had yet appeared, the freshly tilled, soft black soil itself emitted the promise of a bountiful harvest.
The townsfolk’s faces no longer bore that lingering dullness and pallor; instead, genuine smiles blossomed from deep within their hearts.
Their eyes, when looking at Leo, were filled with awe and reverence, as if beholding a deity walking among mortals.
Yet, the peaceful pastoral life could not soothe the restlessness buried deep in Leo’s bones.
Every day, he tilled the land around town, burned some grass, and casually dispatched a few wild rabbits, but the slow crawl of the experience bar was unbearable.
Since reaching level 17, the progress bar symbolizing growth had almost frozen.
“No, I have to grind hard again.”
If he continued living so comfortably, what if one day a monster frenzy actually broke out?
Relying only on a handful of elemental creatures and skeleton soldiers, they might not be able to hold the line.
He had to venture deeper into the forest to hunt stronger monsters, unlocking more powerful summoned units in the process.
That day, after briefing Alfred on the next phase of “construction,” Leo set out alone once more, leading his summoned legion into the Black Forest.
This time, his target was the uncharted territory—the mid-layer core zone.
“Everyone, get ready. Today we’re playing for real.”
Leo walked at the center of the formation, his blood slightly warmed.
His current summoning lineup was far more impressive than two weeks ago.
Earth and fire elementals remained the steadfast front and back lines.
The number of skeleton soldiers had grown to four, the shadow wolves were still two, and the bone archers had expanded to five.
One man commanding thirteen units formed a “large army” that boldly pushed deeper into the forest.
The deeper they went, the more eerie the surroundings became.
Towering ancient trees intertwined into an impenetrable canopy, completely blocking out sunlight.
The air was thick with a damp, decaying plant odor.
From afar, the howls of unknown monsters echoed through the woods.
Monsters here were generally level 15 and above.
A level 16 [Swamp Lurker], a grotesque giant crocodile-like beast, had just poked its head out from the mud.
Five bone arrows howled through the air, piercing its skull with pinpoint accuracy.
Immediately after, a fire elemental unleashed an “Explosive Flame” spell right at its face; the scorching blaze sent it back to the elemental cycle.
[Defeated Swamp Lurker Lv16, gained 450 experience points]
The long-awaited sound of a large experience gain invigorated Leo completely.
“That’s more like it! This is where I should be!”
He waved his hand and commanded the legion to press onward.
Soon, a new skill unlocked.
[Venomous Spider: Mana Cost 50, Duration 15 minutes, 120 HP, 10 Attack Power (Attacks inflict poison; can spit webs to restrict enemy movement)]
“Oh? Damage over time? And crowd control too?”
Leo’s eyes lit up.
His team already had tanks, damage dealers, and assassins, but was lacking a stable control unit.
The appearance of this venomous spider perfectly filled that final gap.
Without hesitation, he activated the skill icon.
A summoning circle the size of a basketball unfolded on the ground, glowing with dark green light.
A half-human-height spider covered in green fuzz slowly crawled out of the circle.
Its eight eyes shimmered with an eerie glow, giving Leo goosebumps.
“You’re ugly as hell. Hope you’re useful.”
He ordered the new spider to follow him and continued exploring.
Not far ahead, they encountered a group of level 18 [Berserk Goblins].
Though small and green-skinned, these creatures were numerous—over twenty of them.
They brandished rusty machetes and crude wooden clubs, shrieking wildly as they surged forward.
“Spider, it’s your turn!”
At Leo’s command, the venomous spider instantly dashed to the front.
Its abdomen puffed out suddenly, and a massive white web shot from its rear, perfectly covering five or six goblins at the forefront.
Those goblins were immediately bound in sticky webs, struggling futilely.
“Perfect opening! Archers, fire!”
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Five bone arrows tore through the air, instantly wiping out the webbed goblins.
Meanwhile, the earth elemental held firm against the main goblin charge, and four skeleton soldiers became relentless meat grinders, hacking wildly into the horde.
The fire elemental continuously hurled fireballs from behind, creating wave after wave of area damage.
What seemed like a tough skirmish turned into an easy, one-sided slaughter thanks to the venomous spider’s flawless initiation.
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