The next day, just as dawn broke, Biscuit Tang woke up and fetched Hao Yun and Dao Lao from the warehouse. Then, he led the group to the beast pen where they had rented the flying beasts. By now, several giant flying beasts were already stationed there. These creatures were large zombie flying beasts with rough, khaki-colored skin made from various materials stitched together.
Their heads resembled hairless gorillas, crudely stitched onto their bodies with thick thread. On each side of their lower jaws, sharp fangs were fixed with metal wires and rough metal nails. Each of these beasts had a pair of wings with a wingspan of at least twenty meters, similar to bat wings. Of course, these wings were also artificially installed.
Each flying beast had a cockpit fixed on its back, along with a semi-enclosed cargo compartment. Although the overall craftsmanship of these flying beasts appeared rough, Hao Yun wasn't worried about their safety during flight after inspecting them.
"Due to the remote distance between Cross Camp and Cold Moon City, and the fact that these low-grade flying beasts need daily maintenance, it will take at least four to five days for you bosses to fly to Cold Moon City. So, if you have no other questions, please set off early! Also, there's food and drinks in each flying cabin, included in the fare. Feel free to help yourselves," said the owner of the rental station after the final check on the condition of the flying beasts. Hao Yun could tell this guy must have made a fortune from this deal.
Then, the owner of the rental station suddenly slapped his forehead. "Oh, right! This is the pass issued by our Cross Camp. It proves that you guys are leaving from here. As long as you have this pass, you won't need to undergo inspections when you reach other camps, and you'll be allowed to pass directly. This can help you avoid some tedious procedures along the way. Hehe, consider it an extra little benefit provided by the leader of our Sig group!"
After speaking, the owner of the rental station handed a document to Biscuit Tang, stating that this service was also free. It was evident that these guys had made quite a profit from Hao Yun and his team, hence their generosity. Biscuit Tang thanked the owner and instructed him to extend his gratitude to the leader of the Sig group for providing the document. Then, the flying beasts slowly ascended into the air amidst friendly farewells.
Over the next few days, Hao Yun and Dao Lao embarked on another long flight. The pass provided by the Sig leader proved effective, as Biscuit Tang only needed to show it to the guards at the camps they passed through, and they were allowed to rest in those camps without further inspection. Consequently, the tension among the group gradually eased, and they began to enjoy the desolate and somewhat bleak scenery along the way.
After five days of arduous journey, Hao Yun and his team finally arrived at the core area of the Dark Elf clan, where they saw Blackstone Castle. Blackstone Castle was exactly as described by Elinna. It was entirely black without any reflection, standing ominously on the plain like a spatial rift, dividing the sky and the earth vertically.
Beneath Blackstone Castle lay a vast area of stone buildings, forming a crescent-shaped pattern when viewed from above. This city formed by these buildings was the central military base of the Dark Elf clan—Cold Moon City.
As the flying beasts entered this airspace, they immediately descended and continued flying at a lower altitude. Hao Yun and his team realized that the entire Cold Moon City was a strictly controlled area. Therefore, all incoming flying beasts had to follow designated altitudes and flight paths to avoid disrupting the aerial order here.
Watching the heavily armed flying beasts patrolling high in the sky and the occasional guard towers and armed forces on the ground, everyone in Hao Yun's team couldn't help but hold their breath. They were keenly aware that they had penetrated deep into the territory of the Dark Elves. From now on, every move they made would be under strict surveillance by the Dark Elf soldiers. Therefore, from now on, they had to be extremely careful, as any slight misstep could lead to fatal danger.
"The main city of Cold Moon City is divided into several major areas, including the military command area, weapon manufacturing area, logistics support area, and daily living area. The logistics support area is further divided into several sub-areas, including the raw material supply area and the Elven biscuit factory. Adjacent to the logistics support area and the weapon manufacturing area is the problem zombie maintenance and support area. And the problem zombie recovery center we're taking you to is located within that maintenance and support area," Biscuit Tang explained to Hao Yun and Dao Lao as the flying beasts descended.
Biscuit Tang then pointed to the surroundings of Blackstone Castle and continued, "Blackstone Castle and Cold Moon City exist in the form of a city within a city. If we want to enter Blackstone Castle, we'll have to find a way to pass through that military restricted area. The outer perimeter of that military restricted area is guarded by the garrison of Cold Moon City, while the inner circle is guarded by the exclusive guards of Blackstone Castle."
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"From what I know, all the soldiers in the exclusive guards of Blackstone Castle are zombie soldiers transformed by Anselin herself. Their combat power is by no means comparable to ordinary zombie soldiers. So, even though you two are powerful, we still need to be extra careful," Biscuit Tang stood in front of the window of the cargo compartment, looking ahead with a solemn expression, introducing the layout around Blackstone Castle to Hao Yun and Dao Lao.
"Us? Didn't you say you just need to help us get to Cold Moon City? Do you want to stay and continue the operation?" Hao Yun noticed Biscuit Tang's choice of words and immediately asked.
"Yes, we've discussed it. If it weren't for the two of you, we might never have dared to venture in here so boldly. Since this is a rare opportunity to strike a blow against the Black Magic Association, we must ensure that you both can enter Blackstone Castle. Only then can you have a chance to help us get rid of those elders of the Black Magic Association while carrying out your operation. So, we're prepared to stay behind for now, to see if we can be of any assistance to you," Biscuit Tang said firmly.
Biscuit Tang's tone was decisive, leaving no room for questioning or refusal. It seemed he had already prepared for the worst when it came to participating in this operation.
Then, Biscuit Tang sighed and joked, "Ah! I never dreamed I'd return here one day. I wonder how my old man is doing now? Huh, I wonder if his skill in making Elven biscuits as a zombie has improved any?"
"Don't worry, if everything goes smoothly, we'll find an opportunity to go see him. And we'll even bring you some of the biscuits he makes," Dao Lao said, though uncertain of what they might encounter in Blackstone Castle. Yet, he felt that such a promise was more fitting than any other words of comfort or encouragement at this moment.
Biscuit Tang nodded slightly in thanks to Dao Lao, then looked ahead at Blackstone Castle with a somewhat wounded expression. "Sigh! I wonder what storms Blackstone Castle has weathered over the years. It's lost its former brilliance and turned into this—uh, completely dull and eerie appearance."
"So, the Blackstone Castle used to look different?" Hao Yun asked.
"Yes. Although the old Blackstone Castle was also pure black, it had a kind of luminous beauty to it, making it look magnificent. But now, it's just filled with an aura of death. I guess this might have something to do with Anselin's power?" Biscuit Tang speculated while expressing his thoughts.
Then, Biscuit Tang's tone changed as he said, "Oh, right, you two. Once you enter Blackstone Castle, there's a long arched corridor after the second archway on the left. Keep going straight. Then, when you reach the eighth archway on the left, it's the staircase leading to the lowest level of Blackstone Castle, where the data room is. I think if you want to investigate the source of Anselin's power, you'll have to check it out there. But I don't know if it's heavily guarded like when Anselin was sealed in the underground data room."
"Turn left, eighth one, go down—got it," Dao Lao confirmed the directions to the data room with Biscuit Tang, then instructed his system to quickly generate a simple map for their use when entering Blackstone Castle.
Several flying beasts landed neatly in a designated landing area on the Cold Moon City side. After giving some Elven biscuits to the flying beast operators as a tip, Biscuit Tang led a group of people towards the logistics area once again, acting as if he were quite familiar with the place.
"No wonder it's the core area of the Dark Elf clan. It's quite bustling here!" Hao Yun couldn't help but exclaim as he watched the busy scene in Cold Moon City.
"Yeah. This is not only the political and military core area of our Dark Elf clan but also a place specially for refining zombies and making weapons. So, during normal times, many Dark Elf clansmen come and go here, handing in weapons and equipment collected from the battlefield, as well as returning the remains of Dark Elf and Light Elf clansmen, and reclaiming zombie soldiers lost due to malfunctions, to earn hefty rewards," Biscuit Tang replied.
As the group chatted, they arrived at the entrance gate of the daily living area. Because the nature of the daily living area was different from other areas of Cold Moon City, Dark Elf clansmen needed to pass through an additional guard post to leave the living area and enter other areas. Since Hao Yun and his team were not permanent residents here, they had to go through a tedious registration process each time, especially without a special pass.
To avoid being closely inspected by the guards during registration, Biscuit Tang promptly took out the pass issued by Cross Camp. Thus, after confirming the authenticity and validity of Biscuit Tang's pass and learning that Biscuit Tang had come to return malfunctioning zombie soldiers, a guard couldn't help but say, "Ah! You soldiers stationed at the border really have it rough. Not only is it risky, but the living conditions are also poor, and the quality of the zombie soldiers issued to you is very poor!"
Another guard chimed in, "Who can argue with that? It's quite a hardship to travel such a long way! Hey? By the way, have you heard? Some time ago, a team brought two squads of zombie soldiers to support the frontline. But unexpectedly, half of the zombie soldiers had problems on the way. Not only did they not obey commands and run around, but they even ended up accidentally injuring their own soldiers. It's said that the leader of that team was so furious, he went straight to the zombie refining factory and caused trouble. He said he had to have a showdown with the mage responsible for refining those zombie soldiers, and it had to be a fight to the death." One of the guards gossiped as he processed the paperwork for Biscuit Tang and his team.
"Yeah, that's right! The recruitment standards at the zombie refining factory are way too low now! They'll hire anyone who knows a bit of necromancy. As a result, the quality of the zombie soldiers produced nowadays is getting worse and worse. It's like comparing heaven to earth when you look at the quality now compared to the zombies made during Archbishop Anselin's time!" Another guard chimed in with a sigh.