Start as a Spiritual Planter: I Have a Game Panel

Ram took a step back, gesturing toward his companions. "And these are my teammates," he said, introducing them to Yang Wei. "This is Mai, Sid, Su Mu, and Liam. Each one of them has their own strengths. Mai leads our group."

Yang Wei gave a short nod to each of them in turn, however, he didn't have much time to dwell on the introductions, though, because Mai cut straight to the point.

She narrowed her eyes, her expression sharp. "So, how do you know about the Lord's Trial?" she asked, her voice measured and direct, as though she was analyzing him.

Yang Wei hesitated for a moment before responding, his face tightening. "Let's just say it's knowledge passed down through my clan. I cannot tell more than that." His eyes shifted uncomfortably as though there were things he wasn't willing—or able—to share.

Even as he said this, though, his troubled expression deepened. "But that aside," he continued, "even if Korrin's strong, and even if you've sent tens of thousands of cavemen into the trial, you don't control what happens in there. The Lords' trials are brutal, Ram. They don't leave many alive."

Ram didn't flinch at Yang Wei's warning; he knew the risks all too well.

The trial was a gamble, but it was one they had to take if he wanted to get his hands on a Territory token without fighting other Alien Lords or Lords from Blue Star.

Just then, a few scouting Half-Drow, who had been keeping watch over the cavemen tribe, hurried toward the altar.

Their expressions were a mixture of confusion and urgency. They couldn't understand how the cavemen they monitored had simply vanished before their eyes.

They had just been preparing to harvest all the gathered cavemen to collect enough source power to summon hundreds of their brethren.

But in the blink of an eye, everything had disappeared. They exchanged worried glances, unsure of what to report back.

Unfortunately, before they could reach the altar where Ram and the others stood, a rare-quality Half-Drow caveman hunter emerged from the shadows, a bone dagger glinting ominously in his grip.

With swift and silent precision, he closed the distance, his movements fluid as he slashed the dagger across the throats of the unsuspecting scouts and then finished them off with a backstab in their hearts.

Their eyes widened in shock as they fell silently to the ground, their lives extinguished before they could even comprehend the threat.

Similar scenes unfolded as other Half-Drow hunters, who had been left behind, moved with lethal intent.

Ram felt the tension in the air shift as the sounds of conflict reached his ears. He turned to Yang Wei and asked him. "What about the task I gave you? Did you complete it?"

Yang Wei nodded quickly, straightening up as he spoke. His tone was hurried, knowing full well how serious the task assigned to him was.

"Yes, just as Korrin instructed us. We placed all seventy Blast Mushrooms together with some Yellow Toothed rats tied up in the specified locations a while back."

Ram's eyes lit up with satisfaction. "Good, let's see how both Half Drows and Mechanical soldiers react once I blow them all. You handled it well."

Mai, still watching Yang Wei closely, raised an eyebrow. "Blast Mushrooms? Yellow Toothed rats? What exactly are you planning with those?"

Yang Wei exhaled slowly, collecting his thoughts before breaking the suspense. Unlike Ram, he was not one for mystery. "The Blast Mushrooms are highly explosive, as you know. We set ten of them together at the intersection points around various cavemen's settlements right above the Half-Drow palace."

"Well, since those Half-Drows are hiding like turtles in their shells, I'm helping the Mechanical soldiers break that shell," Ram interjected in the middle since Yang Wei already spilled the beans

He leaned forward, the anticipation clear in his eyes. "You already heard the Frenzy roar from the Demon flute just now; all the rats tied near the Blast Mushrooms will set them off, creating a chain reaction."

Yang Wei continued, "It'll break the rock layer separating the second and third layers of the void space."

As he spoke, Yang Wei could feel a cold sweat forming on his brow just thinking about it. 'Blasting tens of Blast Mushrooms together at the same time?' Even as the owner of the Blast Mushroom Plant Spirit, he never imagined he would do something like that.

"The effect would be terrifying—far more dangerous than detonating two to three thousand kilograms of TNT," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"The blast will be centered underground," he added, taking a deep breath. "With seven such blasts, combined with the underground passages built by the Half-Drows to reach the second layer…" He paused to gather himself.

"It's not wrong to say that most of the rock layer between the second and third layers would collapse, making a large hole big enough for the Mechanical soldiers to enter the third layer."

Sid's expression darkened. "You really think that'll work? What if?"

Yang Wei shot him a glare, chuckling. "Haha, this isn't a simple explosion. The calculations are solid. The rats will trigger the mushrooms in perfect sequence. If everything goes as planned, it should be about now, we'll create a pathway for the Mechanical soldiers."

Just as Yang Wei finished speaking, a tremor ran through the ground, catching everyone off guard.

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The shaking intensified rapidly, causing rocks from nearby stone houses to crack and fall, scattering debris around them.

The group quickly steadied themselves, bracing against the quake that lasted for more than fifteen seconds.

Their surroundings vibrated violently before the tremors finally subsided, leaving everything in a tense, eerie calm.

There was no loud explosion or consecutive blasts like they had expected.

Instead, it felt like a mild earthquake, somewhere between a magnitude 4 or 5—just enough to unsettle the ground but without the catastrophic sounds they had prepared for.

Mai glanced around, her expression puzzled. "That was it? I expected something more... explosive."

Sid frowned, brushing the dust off his shoulders. "Doesn't seem like much for something that was supposed to break layers of rock."

Yang Wei shook his head, glancing toward Sid. "The explosion was three miles away from us, and you can still feel this much here. Imagine how it was at the center of those seven explosions."

Ram's lips curved into a slight smirk; his gaze distant as if envisioning the destruction. The ground might have felt stable where they stood, but deep below, things were different.

"There were thousands of stone satellites," Ram muttered, recalling what he saw from the underground structure. "Each one is five to ten meters tall, hanging like sharp swords above the entire third floor."

"The real damage isn't from the sound or the tremor we felt. It's what's happening underground." He looked at Yang Wei. "So, did it collapse?"

Yang Wei nodded confidently. "It should have. The force was directed perfectly through the tunnel system those Half-Drows built."

"Even if they reinforced the upper layers when the Blast Mushrooms went off, since it's underground it wouldn't have sounded like a massive explosion. for those on the second layer"

"Instead, the shockwaves from different blasts would've rippled through the rock, cracking and destabilizing everything without shattering it all at once."

Mai crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "So, it's a delayed collapse. The blasts shook the foundation, but it'll take time for the whole layer to give in. The Mechanical soldiers will still need to wait for the dust to settle before they can move in."

"No it should have already started falling," Ram smiled faintly, his eyes glinting with anticipation. "And the Mechanical soldiers will move in soon enough, then it will be a full-scale war between both."

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