Chapter 1048 Meeting the Dark Elves
"Do you need help?" Leon casually asked.
"No, Master! I can take care of them!" Rainshine shook her head and firmly said, "I was careless because I underestimated their defense. However, there won't be a second time!"
Having received multiple bloodline enrichment, Rainshine was still a Late Paragon-level Winter Cat. The sharpness of her fangs and claws may not have been effective against the Early Paragon-level Black Ant, but her brute strength was more than enough!
Rainshine briefly glared at the incoming black ants before her figure disappeared in a white flash.
Swoosh!
She left behind a gust of wind as she closed the distance on the black ants, circling around to their rear and targeting the weaker Rank 2 Transcendent-level Black Ants first.
Rainshine raised her paw high above a Rank 2 Transcendent-level Black Ant's head before slapping down on it furiously.
Reow!
Bam!
The Rank 2 Transcendent-level Black Ant's hard-shelled head shattered inward under the heavy impact. At the same time, its brain was crushed, killing it on the spot.
Swish!
Rainshine dashed over to her next target and bashed its head in with another powerful strike of her paw packed with brute strength.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
In a short instance, Rainshine busted the heads of all four Rank 2 Transcendent-level Black Ants, leaving just the Early Paragon-level Black Ant left.
Crackled!
The Early Paragon-level Black Ant was evidently enraged by its loss as its mandibles clanked together furiously, creating waves of echoing vibrations.
In the next moment, it threw itself at Rainshine and landed on the ground platform with a heavy thud.
The ground shook considerably but otherwise remained intact; it was surprisingly sturdy.
A quick sweep with Leon's divine sense allowed him to understand that the ground platform's interior had been reinforced with tree roots, vines, and even special alloys.
It was most likely the work of the dark elves.
Nevertheless, Rainshine and the Early Paragon-level Black Ant duked it out on the ground platform that Leon stood on.
The Early Paragon-level Black Ant wasn't just big and sturdy; it was also fast. Even so, its speed was still inferior to the nimble Rainshine.
Rainshine evaded all of the Early Paragon-level Black Ant's snapping mandibles and razor-sharp legs as she threw concussive blows back at it with increasing frequency and momentum.
She suppressed the Early Paragon-level Black Ant with her barrage of heavy attacks, pushing it back to the edge of the ground platform.
Then, she finished it off with a powerful body slam, knocking the Early Paragon-level Black Ant over the edge as she bounced back onto the solid ground.
On the other hand, the Early Paragon-level Black Ant took the plunge down the abyss.
Its distinct crackling cry grew distant over time.
If nothing unexpected happened, the Early Paragon-level Black Ant would plunge all the down into the scorching-hot magma of the mantle layer.
However, the trouble didn't end there.
Rumble…!
Multiple ant tunnels along the surrounding walls shook under the rapid movements of many legs. Based on the noise, the number of black ants coming was estimated to be in the several hundreds.
Evidently, the previous Early Paragon-level Black Ant had called them all over with its clanging mandible.
"Looks like a bigger battle is coming," Leon casually said.
"Try not to push them into the abyss this time, Rainshine. Their bodies are practically made of excellent materials and should be collected."
"Understood, Master," Rainshine answered.
Leon did not feel any pressure from the attraction they created. In fact, he welcomed it. The more black ants that came, the more materials he could collect.
Alas, not everyone shared his thoughts. The dark elves did not welcome the trouble at the door.
Clank…!
The sounds of metal gears turning and hitting each other were heard before the big, heavy silver gate slowly crept open.
"Quickly, come in!" A male dark elf urgently signaled them over.
"Let's go, Rainshine. The dark elves are inviting us into their settlement," Leon casually recalled Rainshine from the edge of the ground platform.
Although Leon wasn't afraid of the incoming black ants, he didn't plan on turning down the dark elves' invitation, regardless of their intention.
It was a chance to enter their settlement and interact with them.
Shortly after Leon and Rainshine dashed through the gate, the dark elves behind the silver gate quickly worked together to close it.
Bang!
The silver gate shut tight with a heavy thud.
Afterward, Leon and Rainshine were quickly greeted with a 'warm' welcome from the dark elves. Rows of dark elven soldiers decked in tier-5 sets of armor surrounded them, spears pointed, and bows drawn.
"Well, this is quite the welcoming," Leon casually commented as he swept his calm gaze across the dark elves' nervous faces. Although they permitted his entry, they didn't trust him.
Rainshine glared at the dark elves defensively, but Leon wasn't concerned.
Although the dark elves were equipped with high-quality equipment and weapons, their personal strength wasn't as high.
The strongest dark elf present was only a Peak Rank 2 Transcendent, while the rest were primarily Mid Rank 1 Transcendents.
"Who are you? And why have you come to our clan?" the Peak Rank Transcendent-level Dark Elf interrogated while paying attention to the white winter cat beside Leon with apprehension.
After all, Rainshine was able to solo a Paragon-level Black Ant.
Nevertheless, Leon could see that the dark elves did not let them in blindly. The second wall in the back was equipped with eight tier-6 siege weapons. And these eight tier-6 siege weapons were precisely aimed at them.
However, the dark elves had sorely miscalculated if they thought tier-6 siege weapons were enough to deter him.
Leon smiled with an open mind.
The dark elves were just taking precautions to determine whether he could be a friend or foe. There was no need to feel offended and sour the relationship during their first meeting.
"As you can see, I am a human. And Rainshine here is one of my subordinates. We both came from the surface and explored the abyss out of curiosity when we came across your clan," Leon calmly stated.
After all, the silver gate stood out like a sore thumb in the dark abyss.