The Third Little Magus was still running around here, while the First Little Magus had ventured deep into the heart of the Heim Duchy of Snow.
Her storage space was nearly full after her persistent efforts, and collecting more would soon become difficult. This was because a few days ago, reinforcements from the Church had arrived.
Their method of dealing with the corrupted soil was simple: they would collect it, and once their storage was full, they would destroy the storage units, causing the corrupted soil to be completely lost in the chaotic flows of space.
Although this method was clumsy and costly, it was the most effective way to handle the corrupted soil. However, collecting it required far more caution than Hel did. Even though their numbers greatly exceeded Hel's, their efficiency was still much lower.
This was why Hel had been able to collect so much corrupted soil in such a short time. She handed all of it over to the Second Little Magus, hidden in an underground base.
At present, the demon-breeding base there had been partially constructed, though the output was low, producing just over a thousand unranked little demons per day. After harvesting these little demons, they would yield only one third-tier undead and eight third-tier mimic traits each day. Allocating suitable mimic traits for each of Sebas's group members would take some time.
However, Hel was not in a rush. These traits simply allowed the recipients to utilize their abilities without revealing anomalies. With her current resources, high-tier battles could proceed without them, and low-tier combat was already handled by the knight puppets. Their sole responsibility was management.
Meanwhile, the First Little Magus had been at the ruins of the Duchy of Snow's capital for some time, but she had not acted rashly. She neither left the area nor approached the lake composed entirely of black sludge to collect its waters.
Above that lake hovered three Horned Beastmen, each possessing sixth-tier power, seemingly guarding something. Even other members of the demon race would face indiscriminate attacks if they dared approach. This was even more so for Hel's skeletal body.
Yet leaving without collecting anything left Hel somewhat reluctant, as the energy contained within the lake was far stronger than that of the corrupted soil.
Previously, she had sent undead little demons to the lakeside, retrieving some of the water. It was during that expedition she discovered the three Horned Beastmen hovering in midair. Most of the undead demons she had forcibly recruited on the way were lost in the attempt. Nevertheless, the value of the collected lake water far exceeded that of the lost demons.
[Name]: Corrupted Blood (1.23 L)
[Grade]: Red · Sacred Artifact
[Traits]: Corrupt Erosion (Red), Corrupt Pollution (Red), Corrupt Condensation (Red)
[Description]: This is a drop of blood shed by a supreme being into the human world, condensed after absorbing endless corrupted elements. Anything that comes into contact with it is affected by its corrupt aura, turning into a derivative of corruption.
Hel immediately handed it to the Second Little Magus for experimentation. Its effect was a hundred times stronger than that of corrupted soil. With only 0.01 liters of corrupted blood and a quarter-hour, a little demon could be created — even at first-tier power.
By all measures, this was a valuable resource. Hel had no intention of giving up such a pool of corrupted blood if possible. However, with the three Horned Beastmen guarding it, acquiring the corrupted blood was extremely difficult.
These creatures were highly perceptive. Hel had once tried to send an undead rat burrowing to the lake, but the moment it reached the edge, it was pierced through by a trident falling from above. With her current strength, obtaining the corrupted blood was nearly impossible.
However, she was not the only one in the area. The Kingdom's forces had cleared much of the corrupted soil in the western Duchy of Snow over the past few days. If all went well, they would arrive here soon.
Hel's hiding spot was on the eastern side of the lake, just across from the Kingdom's forces. If they arrived, it would surely alarm the three Horned Beastmen above the lake, giving Hel the perfect opportunity to act amidst the ensuing chaos.
For safety, she had also disguised herself. Though her previous undead rat attempts had failed, they had provided valuable insight. Hel dug a hideout near the lake and remained there. Even if the Kingdom's forces arrived, they could not see Hel hidden in the hole across the lake. However, Hel could monitor their positions using her undead fruit flies.
It did not take long before the Kingdom's forces reached the lakeside, even before the Third Little Magus had caught up with the old king. Meanwhile, the Church personnel immediately spotted the three Horned Beastmen hovering above the lake.
"Chapter 3 of the Holy Light Exorcism Scriptures," Milton commanded, raising his right hand.
Behind him, clergy members holding scriptures formed a disciplined square formation. At Milton's command, they opened their scriptures and chanted in unison:
"I expel you, most unclean demons, in the name of the Lord who created all things good in this world…"
As they prayed, streams of divine energy gathered around them, continuously flowing toward Milton. Once his aura condensed to a tangible form, he lowered his hand and opened his scripture fully.
"May the Lord of Holy Light rise, scattering His enemies!"
He shouted, and a sacred array quickly formed at his feet. The three Horned Beastmen, sensing the holy energy, grew agitated and revealed their true forms, yet due to some limitation, they could not leave the lake's protective aura.
They could only endure as Milton and his team gathered energy to unleash their ultimate move. Milton had counted on this limitation, which was why he boldly stood there charging his spell.
As the array's glow grew more intense, Milton slowly spoke the name of the spell:
[Top-tier Holy Light Art: Holy Purification Spear]