Chapter 751 "Devourer" Fran

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"The progress in the Far South is proceeding smoothly. The Iron Whip Clan has been wiped out, and Echo asked me to express her gratitude to you."

"The Sacred Duel requires preparation time. I estimate that the Iron Sand City Clan will head to the Scorched Earth in a week."

"Taking advantage of this gap, I hired some clansmen to mark the location of the underground Styx. I believe we will soon find a Blackwater River relatively close to the coast."

"Also, what do you intend to do with the clan's Goddess?"

"Greetings to you. Iron Axe."

"Your Majesty, this is a message from the Far South."

The Listening Sigil flickered with a faint red light. Earl Sperl's voice paused after reporting, obviously waiting for Roland's reply.

Then Nightingale handed over another sigil.

Since she was sitting at the table, and whether it was intentional or not, the sigil was handed over in a position that was just next to her slender leg – even though it wasn't summer, she was still wearing tight black trousers, showing off her perfect figure. If Roland wanted to speak into the sigil, he would have to get close to her leg.

It must be said, this was truly a difficult choice.

He didn't know whether he should look openly and honestly, or pretend to glance casually.

"Ahem, well done... I mean, Iron Axe."

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" the Earl replied. "I hear your voice is a little hoarse. Please keep warm in winter. Your body is not as strong as a witch's."

"I'm fine." Roland cleared his throat. "Tell Iron Axe to continue implementing the plan unless there are major deviations. As for the Goddess, he can try to win her over, but if she doesn't want to leave the Far South, don't force her."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, I'll notify you if there are any other requirements."

"I understand. Then allow me to take my leave, Your Majesty."

The red light of the sigil went out.

Roland turned his head back and breathed a sigh of relief.

What was this feeling of loss all about!

Nightingale chuckled as she put away the sigil, and with a flash, returned to the recliner, continuing to chew on dried fish and read *Comics of Witch Stories*.

Roland pouted, focusing his attention on the matter at hand. This desert operation had invested all the Listening Sigils, using Earl Sperl. Passi of Fallen Dragon Ridge as a transfer station, to achieve real-time communication between Neverwinter City and the advance team—although the call was still a bit inconvenient, it was a lot faster than the initial ten days or half a month of letter delivery, and the flying messengers that were calculated by the day. This method of communication could already be described as swift as lightning.

He finally had a sense of being able to oversee the whole situation without leaving his territory.

Unfortunately, Listening Sigils require witches to inject magic power to take effect, and in order to achieve two-way conversation, at least two sets of sigils and two witches are needed, which means that it cannot replace ordinary communication tools such as telephones that ordinary people can use.

Now, the first telephone line in the Western Region has entered the laying stage. It will run directly from the castle office to the Longsong District City Hall, and the second and third lines are also being planned, which is expected to connect the two city halls. After that, it will only take a phone call to transmit orders.

Considering that it takes time and effort to erect utility poles and they are easily damaged by ice and snow, Roland decided to lay the cables along the mountains, with Lotus sinking them into the ground, which is both convenient and safe.

Once the Mountain Defense Line is established, he will definitely have to add lines of communication with the front line. At that time, there will probably have to be more than a dozen hand-cranked telephones in the office.

In addition, the relocation of the Taquila ancient witches was also the focus of Roland's attention.

Maisie and Lightning were responsible for the early warning work, and the reconnaissance range was extended to ten kilometers north of the mountains in order to detect large-scale attacks by demonic beasts in advance.

After all, the relics of the gods may determine the survival of the ethnic group, and no amount of caution is too much.

He had many conversations with Pasha in the past half month.

Their plan was simple. First, let the Worm Carriers open a straight channel to the mountains in the Western Region, and then choose a location with stable rock formations and fewer forks to open a palace. Next, the ancient witches would successively move the carriers, offerings, and God's Punishment Army corpses to the new residence, and finally the Judgment Instruments and the God's Relics.

The most enthusiastic about the relocation was a witch named Fran, or rather… the Devouring Worm.

When she opened her bloody mouth, twisted her round body, and squeezed in front of the Illusion Instrument, excitedly expressing her gratitude to Roland, he was really taken aback.

Later, after Pasha explained, he realized that witches who invested in the carriers could no longer be stored in the God's Punishment Warriors. Their perception and consciousness were solidified with the new body. The advantage was that they did not need long practice to use the carriers, and the disadvantage was that once the shells were damaged, they had no spare carriers to replace.

Come to think of it, if this bonding method were not adopted, I am afraid that witches would not be able to make the carriers move even after a lifetime of practice - how can a person who is accustomed to limbs and ten fingers control limbs that have countless tentacles or move forward by wriggling like worms? On the contrary, once they adapt to this special carrier, they probably won't be able to return to their previous lifestyle.

Because the Devouring Worm needs to consume a lot of food to support it, the ancient witches had to transfer Fran back to the soul container when not in use, putting her into eternal sleep. This was obviously not a good experience, and it could be said that she sacrificed her future for the continuation of the Taquila tribe. The price she paid was even heavier than that of Pasha and Elra, who transformed into the Primordial Carriers.

At least the latter can watch this world at all times and feel the changes and replacements in the outside world.

Therefore, her gratitude to Roland can be imagined.

Another key point was that he had boasted that there was endless work waiting for Fran in Neverwinter City – which meant that he had to spend a lot of food to keep her energetic. Fortunately, worms are omnivorous carriers and can accept both grains and meat.

"I want to eat hot, spiced meat porridge, and a whole cow roasted until the skin is shiny with oil!"

When Fran said these words, she was basically drooling while saying them.

Although the appearance of the worm is a bit ugly, it is like a sarcoma, and it can feel the external environment in a unique way, including taste, pain, and temperature.

Roland could only accept her thanks with laughter and tears in his heart.

It seems that in any world, the construction industry is a huge gold-swallowing beast.

By the way, he also asked Pasha what the Primordial and Pivot Carriers used to fill their stomachs, and the answer he got was mud and high temperature—which is why they liked to soak in magma.

This answer made Roland slightly relieved. Perhaps compared to the Devouring Worm, the way the sarcoma absorbs energy is more like a plant. In this way, he does not have to bear the food expenses of these people whose lifespans are almost infinite.

As he was considering how to plan the Mountain Defense Line so that the military facilities built underground could be better connected to existing forks, and even the Ancient Witch's Palace, a sudden explosion came from outside the window.

Roland turned his head to look at the floor-to-ceiling window in surprise, only to see a plume of black smoke rising from a corner of the town, which was mixed with some vaguely visible flames. The direction was the Academy, which was close to the Rough Stone inner wall.

"Nightingale!"

"I'll let Sylvie and Phyllis go and take a look. Your Majesty, don't leave the office. I'll be right back!" As she spoke, Nightingale had disappeared into the mist without a trace.