Han Wu named the new Skill: Shadow Needle. It was smaller than a Shadow Nail, more discreet, and required far less energy to use. Even the weakest Dark Cursed Bug could fire off hundreds of them. At first glance, it seemed like a weaker version of Shadow Nail. Its chances of immobilizing a target were lower, after all. However, Shadow Needle came with a powerful new trait that more than compensated for that loss.
The Shadow Needles could strike meridian points. When they hit an ordinary spot on the victim’s shadow, their damage and effects were minimal. But if a Shadow Needle struck a meridian point on the shadow, its immobilizing power multiplied by thousands.
For example, if a Shadow Needle pierced the meridian point that controlled the body’s movement, the victim would instantly be paralyzed. Other meridian points carried different effects: some caused blindness, others induced confusion, and a few even triggered violent energy feedback. With this capability, Shadow Needle cemented the Dark Cursed Bugs’ role as silent assassins capable of one-shot kills.
Han Wu finished refining the technique and noticed many of his Dark Cursed Bugs had already mastered it. Apparently, they learned any technique he modified or acquired simultaneously.
After enhancing his Dark Cursed Bugs, Han Wu decided to find targets to test Shadow Needle. While scanning for missions in the chat group, he spotted a message from Qin Shuang. They had discovered a ruin near their region’s border, but its unique terrain made it impossible for any of them to clear. They hoped Han Wu could assist.
Han Wu agreed and assembled an elite force, including the enhanced Dark Cursed Bugs. Everyone else in the region had already gathered there.
Qin Shuang, Sun Qingnian, Duan Meng, Wu Fang, and Liu Chuan were waiting for him. They had planned to tackle the ruins themselves for the rewards, yet even Qin Shuang, their strongest member, had failed against the complex layout. They had no choice but to seek Han Wu’s help.
He asked for details about the ruins and learned it was the Deeptrench Frogmen Ruins. The site lay within a cave, where half the terrain was solid land and the other half a bottomless pit of water. Also, the cave’s ceiling barely rose fifteen meters.
The greatest danger came from the monsters dwelling there, the Deeptrench Frogmen. These cunning foes would leap into the water to escape whenever they were losing. None of the five students had units capable of fighting underwater. Despite numerous attempts, they always left the ruins empty-handed.
Han Wu’s eyes lit up when they described the underwater battle. His strongest caste, the Heavy Cavalry Deeptide Whales, ruled naval combat. This was the perfect challenge for his units.
When Han Wu entered the Deeptrench Frogmen Ruins, he was transported into a cave. Just as they had described, one half the floor was solid rock while the other half was a deep pool of water. The ceiling glittered with glowing crystals, softening the darkness more than he had expected.
Then a voice echoed in his mind. “Welcome to the Deeptrench Frogmen Ruins, ribbit!”
The tone was eerie, and Han Wu thought of a frog’s large mouth when he heard it.
“There are six levels in the ruins. You will receive a reward for clearing each one. If you clear all six, you will obtain the treasure guarded by the Deeptrench Frogmen, ribbit. Pay 5,000 Food to start the first trial?”
Han Wu placed 5,000 Food on the stone floor before him. As the units sank into the ground, bubbles surfaced in the pool.
He deployed the age-old tactic of sending his skeletons as cannon fodder to test the enemy. The skeletons charged into the water and stood at the edge of the pool. Before they could act, the skeletons started falling down and splashed water everywhere until the pool fell silent once more.
Han Wu frowned in confusion and cautiously moved to the edge of the pool to examine it. Without warning, a long tongue shot out of the water and coiled tightly around his neck. Though he had the strength of a High Lord and could easily break free, he held back, driven by curiosity. He wanted to test the Deeptrench Frogmen’s strength for himself.
The tongue yanked him into the water, where the Deeptrench Frogmen moved with ease. Each wielded a metal trident, lunging to stab the moment they spotted him.
Han Wu tapped into his newly acquired Nine Martial Castes’ powers and transformed into the frighteningly tough Iron Stupa, clad in menacing heavy armor and armed to the teeth. It was as tough as a city wall, so the Deeptrench Frogmen’s tridents did nothing to it.
However, because the Iron Stupa was heavy, and its weight dragged him downward at alarming speed. The Deeptrench Frogmen were smart enough to realize this, so they released him and let him sink down under.
It took a full minute before Han Wu reached the bottom, where he found a vast bed of skeletons. He couldn’t tell how thick the bone layer was, but nestled among the remains lay countless token-like items.
Holding his breath, Han Wu brushed aside some bones and grabbed one of the tokens. Instantly, information flooded his mind. These tokens were the same ones that could boost the experience points of his altars!
He examined the token’s surface. One side bore the character for Order, while the other displayed the character for Han. The token had once belonged to a general of the Han Kingdom. Now, it belonged to him.
Unfortunately, the bottom of the pool was filled with bones and tokens. It would take years to sift through everything. He would need to claim this ruin as his own if he wanted to collect them all.
Han Wu unleashed his full power and transformed into his Deeptide Whale form. His massive body filled the pool, displacing a vast volume of water that surged onto the surrounding land. The sudden powerful current forced many of the Deeptrench Frogmen upward, sweeping them out of the water and tossing them onto the shore.
Han Wu’s elite forces moved in immediately. The first wave was not his skeletons but his Dark Cursed Bugs. They moved swiftly and unleashed a relentless hail of Shadow Needles.
The Deeptrench Frogmen’s meridian points were pierced, and they collapsed, paralyzed on the ground. The skeletons surged forward, finishing them off with ruthless precision. Han Wu’s forces tore through the Deeptrench Frogmen with effortless efficiency.
A few lucky Frogmen remained submerged, but a primal fear stirred deep within their bloodline. Han Wu circled beneath the surface, creating powerful whirlpools that shredded the remaining Deeptrench Frogmen into pieces. With this, he cleared the first trial.