Chapter 504: Chapter 504: Magic Tower

Lu Mingyuan and Lv Pei suddenly realized that Song Jian seemed to have left the ant nest.

Looking at the mission bar, Lv Pei noticed that more than a hundred Demonic Worker Ants, over sixty Demonic Soldier Ants, and three Demonic Ant Queens remained unslain, and his face immediately fell into despair.

He knew he had lost his eligibility to complete this epic-level task.

“If only I had his power…” Lv Pei silently thought to himself, glancing at Lu Mingyuan.

Lv Pei had not fully appreciated Song Jian’s ability. Inside the Protection Black Mist, he had assumed it was merely a stroke of good luck for Song Jian. However, in the tunnels of the nest, faced with countless creatures, he and Lu Mingyuan were forced to collaborate. Lu Mingyuan had revealed nearly eighty to ninety percent of his strength, which not only surprised Lv Pei but also ignited a slow burn of jealousy within him.

Meanwhile, Song Jian had returned safely to Manor Castle through the golden Teleportation Gate. Although the intense monster hunting had significantly increased his level, the mental exhaustion couldn’t be alleviated by a few potions.

Song Jian inspected his gains: over a thousand pieces of blue-quality Ant Shells, three silver-quality Ant Shells, a blueprint of the Demonic Ant Queen Set’s gauntlet, and a Golden Ant King Egg.

In exchange, he had completely depleted the supplies in his inventory, even the high-grade healing potions, and, more critically, lost a powerful Demonic Ant Queen slave.

However, the minions gained through the Abyss Temptation skill had a high chance of betraying and backfiring. Should their power surpass Song Jian’s, the likelihood of betrayal would shoot up to nearly one hundred percent. With this in mind, Song Jian resolved to treat any minions gained through the Abyss Temptation skill as expendable resources rather than dedicating himself to training them as combat pets.

Now, the only thing troubling Song Jian was the Golden Ant King Egg. Song Jian already had a Black Dragon hatchling, an elite companion. He felt it would drain him to nurture another Golden Ant King; but then again, an elite flying pet like this was a rare find, and he was reluctant to sell it.

“I’ll keep it in my inventory for now and turn in the epic task first. I’ll decide what to do based on the task reward,” Song Jian decided, glancing at the Ant King Egg in his hand. He shook his head and put it away again.

Leaving Manor Castle, Song Jian headed towards the Shadow Circus Troupe on the border of his territory.

It had only been two or three days, but the Shadow Circus Troupe’s reputation had already spread throughout Doomsday City. The circus was now swarming with people. Aside from the multitude of leisurely NPCs, the number of players had also multiplied.

“Hey, I’ve been given another scavenger hunt task. The reward is a silver-quality shoulder pad. Incredible!”

“So what? I heard someone received an appointment task here and gained a rare profession …”

“Have you seen that Night Elf lady? I heard if you build up your relationship with her to worship status, you can invite her to be a follower…”

…

Most of the players visiting the Shadow Circus Troupe were there for the missions it offered. The rich mission rewards of the Shadow Circus Troupe attracted a considerable number of players.

As Song Jian approached the circus, a deafening rumble suddenly resonated in his ears, as thunderous as a clap of thunder, making everyone in the territory gasp.

He turned his head and saw a seven-story tower in his territory emitting radiant, colorful light. Intense magical energy was blossoming from the pinnacle of the tower, flowing down the left side and seeping into the tower’s base. Then, the magical energy flowed from the tower’s base to its pinnacle via the right side, forming a constant cycle.

“Is this… the Magic Tower completed?” Song Jian wondered to himself.

Once the Magic Tower was built, as long as a Mage resided in the tower, the safety level of Song Jian’s Safehouse could be elevated another level.

“Behold the Magic Tower! Hahaha, my Master built this for me. Praise be upon you, my greatest Master! You’ve breathed new life into me. Your servant, Wallace, pledges undying loyalty to you!”

In mid-air, a naked figure suddenly flew out of Song Jian’s Manor Castle, hovering and laughing in ecstasy.

“Wallace, put some clothes on!” Song Jian yelled, furrowing his brow.

“Clothes… Oh my god!” Wallace’s figure suddenly dispersed, transforming into a swarm of red bats and flying towards Manor Castle.

“It seems the Mage presiding over the Magic Tower is already in place,” Song Jian shrugged, continuing his journey to the Shadow Circus Troupe.

As soon as he entered the circus, he saw Hacus the old beastman leaning on a cane, slowly walking towards him.

“Hacus, I’m delighted to see you!” Song Jian laughed, opening his arms and walking towards Hacus. “I seem to recall that you didn’t have this cane the last time we met. Why are you using it now?”

His gaze fell first on Hacus’s cane. The cane appeared to be carved from a single piece of wood, its surface ornate with intricate designs. Some details were indistinct due to years of use. The cane radiated a sense of the passage of time and the weight of history.

Having handled various valuable items, Song Jian had developed a strong ability to assess them. He noticed the cane the moment Hacus appeared on the stage.

“If this cane is a piece of equipment, it’s at least silver-quality, or perhaps even higher,” Song Jian thought to himself.

“Ahem, I’ve been hit with a chill these days. My strength is greatly reduced, and even moving around has become harder. I had no choice but to rely on my old friend here…” Hacus coughed, smiling weakly.

Song Jian was taken aback. When he focused his attention on Hacus again, he realized that Hacus did seem much weaker than before. He had felt threatened by Hacus’s power when they had first met, but it seemed like Hacus had suddenly lost most of his strength, becoming a true old man.

“The loss of power, a common cold couldn’t cause such significant damage…” This thought immediately flashed through Song Jian’s mind.

However, he didn’t show any confusion on his face, but gently patted Hacus’s shoulder and said with concern, “My old friend, you must take good care of yourself.”

“It’s all destiny!” Hacus gave Song Jian a meaningful look. “I can tell that you’ve perfectly completed the task I gave you. Here’s your reward. I hope it satisfies you.”

With that, Hacus handed Song Jian a treasure chest the size of a soccer ball and slowly walked away.