Below, in the area where the nest once stood, there is nothing left but a massive, blackened pit with an edge that gleams like glass, as if scorched by a celestial branding iron. Within hundreds of meters around the pit, all fungal blankets, insects, and building remnants have vanished, leaving only a scorched, lifeless plain. The air is filled with the charred smell of burnt materials and the distinctive scent of soil after intense heat exposure. The Duke gazed calmly at his handiwork, without a trace of pride on his face. He knew that this was merely a temporary delay. But as long as he could buy more time and weaken the Insect Race's strength, it was worth it. This was merely the elimination of a nascent nest shape. The origin of these insects has yet to be found, likely hidden somewhere in a secluded corner of Bessume County. The Duke floated in mid-air, surveying the surroundings, noticing that there were still many Void Insects active and heading this way. He decided not to linger here further, knowing that as long as the main nest was unresolved, the insects would be endless. Currently, even the location of the Void Insect's main nest is unknown, and finding it would take a significant amount of time. Even if he found it, it would be challenging to resolve the nest thoroughly on his own. The Duke did not possess the power of Wizard Herbert, who could face a fully developed nest alone. From the current situation in Bessume County, it was evident that the nest here was definitely more formidable than the one spotted in the forest before. After a Void Insect Race's main nest is established, they continually collect various resources to feed back to the nest, making it stronger. According to current knowledge, the stronger the nest becomes, the stronger the types of troops it can hatch. Moreover, as the nest strengthens, its connection with the true body of the Void Insect's main nest will also stabilize. When it reaches a certain point, it can directly transmit powerful Void Insects from the main body to the Wizard Plane. However, this transmission process consumes energy and resources and demands high strength from the nest. Currently, nests can be roughly categorized into Level zero Level one Level two etc., which reflects the life level of the strongest troop it can hatch. For instance, the nascent nest that the Duke just destroyed was actually a Level zero nest, only capable of hatching the simplest Level zero life forms. The nest in the Maple Hill County forest was close to a Level two nest, able to hatch a large number of Level one insects. Given more time, even that Level one nest could advance to a Level two nest, posing a greater challenge. After seeing the situation in Bessume County, the Duke could basically conclude that the source here has likely already become a Level two nest. The troubling aspect of the Void Insects is that while they devour surrounding resources to grow and advance, new nests are also continually born. Just like the nascent nest in Stone Shield Castle, there are still many similar Level zero nests scattered across various locations. This is a form of survival wisdom for the Void Insect Race, even if one nest is eradicated, many others will remain. The entire Void Insect Race spreads and grows like a virus; once invaded, it becomes difficult to completely cleanse it. As long as one nest remains uncleared, it can reignite and spread again. The Duke took one last look at the now leveled Stone Shield Castle and returned to the back of the Storm Dragon Eagle to head back to Maple Hill County, where he needed to make some preparations in advance. Currently, it seems unlikely that they can contain the spread of the Void Insect Race by themselves. What can be done is to strengthen the defensive forces in Maple Hill County as much as possible. That place is the hometown of him and Vivian, and unless as a last resort, he does not want it to be erased by the Void Insect Race. For the Duke, he has a retreat route. If it truly becomes unavoidable, he can take Vivian and some key people from Earl Hardy directly away. The Storm Dragon Eagle has the capability to carry hundreds of people away with ease. More importantly, he also possesses the Light God Court and the Coordinates Earring. If any particularly urgent situation arises, he can also take trustworthy people like Vivian directly into the Light God Court, and he himself can escape using the Coordinates Earring. This is the worst-case scenario; the Duke hopes that he won't be forced to this step. Before that, he will try his best to protect Maple Hill County. The Storm Dragon Eagle is swift, arriving above Maple Hill County in less than half an hour. The Storm Dragon Eagle landed on the training ground of Fengqiu City, causing the surrounding alert soldiers to turn heads at the gust of wind. The Duke lightly leapt off the dragon eagle's back, followed closely by Tom, who clumsily climbed down, still feeling a sense of unreality upon stepping on solid ground. He glanced at Tom, planning to assign him to Earl Hardy's command, as someone with some knightly aptitude was considered a talent here. Before he could speak, Tom knelt down with determination, kowtowing directly: "My lord! Tom. Tom wishes to follow you!"
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