Chapter 223 - This is What it Means to be Overlord!

“Okay. I’ll teleport over to check it out soon.”

Lu Ran was satisfied with the information provided by Manager Ying and immediately turned to Gu Qingyi.

Didn’t Dr. Gu mention she had something to tell me as well?

“This concerns the Merfolk Kingdom.” Gu Qingyi took a sip of tea before continuing. “When the International Beastmaster Alliance experts explored the deep ocean to investigate the Merfolk Kingdom, they encountered the Merfolk King.”

“Huh?” Lu Ran and Manager Ying focused their attention.

“The Merfolk King rules the Merfolk Kingdom. According to further intelligence, it’s a Water-attributed Superior-Overlord Species at level 61, belonging to a unique oceanic species. In the deep sea, the beastmasters of the International Alliance stood no chance. They were utterly defeated in an instant.”

“What?” Lu Ran was taken aback. “That bad?”

“Good thing you didn’t go, Dr. Gu,” Manager Ying added.

Gu Qingyi nodded. Even if she had been there, the outcome would have been the same. The Merfolk King’s strength far exceeded that of a level 5 boss in Legendary Secret Realms. Moreover, in the deep sea, even beastmasters skilled in aquatic combat would be at a disadvantage.

“So, are they all dead?” Manager Ying asked. If they had all perished, it would have made international news.

“No, the Merfolk King only crushed them and then let them go.”

“Let them go?” Manager Ying frowned. “Could the Merfolk Kingdom actually be a peace-loving species?”

“Or maybe it simply views humans as insignificant,” Lu Ran speculated. “Like when a human catches a grasshopper, admires it for a moment, and then releases it.”

He had done such a thing himself...

Gu Qingyi glanced at Lu Ran. “It’s not that exaggerated. The Merfolk King seems somewhat wary of humans, though I doubt humanity currently has any means to restrain it.

“Manager Ying’s guess is closer. The Merfolk King stated it has no interest in occupying land but doesn’t want the ocean disturbed by terrestrial life.

“It hopes humans and the Merfolk Kingdom can form marital alliances to achieve mutual peace.”

Lu Ran and Manager Ying were stunned.

“Ma-marital alliances?” They both raised their voices.

“Can merfolk, fishfolk, and humans even... do that?” Lu Ran clapped his hands together.

“But why specifically tell this kid about it?” Manager Ying frowned. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to send him for the alliance?”

Gu Qingyi shot Lu Ran a glance. “The Merfolk Kingdom stipulated that not all humans qualify. They specifically require ‘high-quality’ individuals—people with special abilities. I’m not suggesting Lu Ran take the risk, but doesn’t this seem suspicious to you?”

Lu Ran and Manager Ying fell into thought.

“If history teaches us anything, this kind of marital alliance likely means the Merfolk King is still in the process of conquering the ocean,” Lu Ran said. “It doesn’t yet have the resources to confront terrestrial life.

“But it fears humans may see it as a threat, so it’s extending goodwill. However, once the Merfolk Kingdom fully dominates the seas, will it still remain peace-loving? That’s uncertain.”

“Exactly,” Gu Qingyi agreed. “That’s why the International Alliance is now divided. One faction wants to suppress the Merfolk Kingdom by detonating nukes in the deep sea to retaliate against the Merfolk King.

“The other opposes such large-scale conflict and supports the marital alliance to better understand the Merfolk Kingdom.”

“What’s our stance?” Lu Ran asked.

“Neutral for now.”

Lu Ran remained silent.

“Why insist on people with special abilities for the marriage alliance?” Manager Ying asked. “Are you suggesting they know something about them?”

“Yes,” Gu Qingyi replied. “People with special abilities have already been targeted by mysterious individuals—possibly linked to legendary creatures. Now, the Merfolk Kingdom is explicitly requesting them for marriage.

“No one knows what secrets lie within those with special abilities. Even if the human alliance rejects the marriage proposal, the Merfolk Kingdom might not give up.

“They could even come ashore and abduct them instead. That’s why I’m warning Lu Ran—he must be extra careful. His conflict with the Merfolk Kingdom may not remain a coastal dispute.

“It’s highly likely he’ll become a direct target, especially now that he’s evolved to an Intermediate Overlord Species.

“Avoiding attention will be nearly impossible, and he may face scrutiny from both human nations and ocean empires...”

“Fuck,” Lu Ran muttered under his breath.

It felt like the world was out to get him. If the Merfolk Kingdom wanted to marry him off to a beautiful mermaid princess, he wouldn’t mind. But he was terrified they might turn people with special abilities into fish food.

“I feel like reality is getting a bit too dangerous for me,” Lu Ran mused, stroking his chin. “Maybe I shouldn’t return just yet. I’ll grind to level 60 and above in Limitless City before going back...”

Gu Qingyi and Manager Ying shook their heads.

If Lu Ran had the patience, it could work.

***

Shortly after, Lu Ran arrived at the transport square in Limitless City. The Merfolk Kingdom’s situation still felt distant. At this stage, it was unlikely to provoke humans outright—stirring trouble on land before fully conquering the ocean would be unwise.

For now, the best way to counter future threats was to grow stronger. His plan was to raid a legion-type Legendary Secret Realm. As the King of the Green Sea and village chief of Lu Village, mastering legion-type abilities could bring a qualitative leap in his power—the kind that could rival the second generation.

“Too bad Manager Ying only had surface-level intelligence, nothing in-depth,” Lu Ran muttered.

To avoid losing the opportunity, he immediately teleported from Antarctic Limitless City to Open Sea Limitless City. Upon arrival, he activated the secret realm system.

Name: Ubirath Island

Level: 2

Difficulty: Legendary

Description: The Ubirath Ant species, evolved through a unique celestial phenomenon, possesses the ability to mutate and grow. The Queen Ant commands the colony and can transform into an Ant Demon Creature.

When humans first discovered these creatures, they had already reached the Stellar Moon Continent. After consuming several cities, the Ubirath Ants were eradicated at the cost of one legendary beastmaster’s life.

Ubirath Island is the birthplace of this ant colony, presenting challengers with the terror of an unscaled Ubirath Ant Colony.

Ubirath Ants: Dual-attribute (Metal/Rock), Low-Transcendent to Superior-Champion Rank (Level 1–30).

Ubirath Queen Ant: Dual-attribute (Metal/Rock), Low-Overlord Rank (Level 30).

Ant Demon Creature: Dual-attribute (Metal/Rock), stats vary depending on colony size.

Entry Fee: 0 crystal coins.

“Hmm...” Lu Ran studied the information. This secret realm seemed troublesome. Facing a single Low Overlord boss of the same level wouldn’t have been an issue—he would’ve charged in confidently.

Sudden Death King had already reached Intermediate Overlord. Even if the opponent had superior foundations and reserves, Lu Ran had his Divine Deer Pendant for emergencies. There was no reason to fear.

However, the real danger lay in the swarm. A Low Overlord backed by an army was far more threatening than its rank suggested.

A well-utilized Combination Skill could allow a commander to elevate the swarm’s combat potential to overwhelming levels.

“For an average beastmaster, soloing a Legendary Secret Realm isn’t just difficult—it’s nearly impossible. Each level really is harder than the last.” Lu Ran shook his head.

To date, only one other beastmaster—the so-called strongest second generation from the Eagle Federation—had managed to solo-clear a Legendary Secret Realm. But his method was extreme.

To achieve victory, he had sacrificed four of his five contracted familiars, leaving only one survivor. The incident sparked widespread controversy, with many calling him inhumane.

Was it worth sacrificing four familiars just for the rewards of a Legendary Secret Realm?

Unlike Stellar Moon Continent beastmasters, who could re-contract new familiars after one died, beastmasters on Blue Planet didn’t have that luxury.

Opinions were divided. Some argued it was a valid strategy—many beastmasters focused all their resources on a single familiar anyway. Others condemned him, calling him a lunatic.

Regardless, most agreed that his surviving familiar would only grow stronger, benefiting from the concentrated resources.

“To be safe, I should have Sudden Death King build up its dominance before we start.”

Rather than rushing into the Legendary Secret Realm, Lu Ran opted for a training secret realm. He needed Sudden Death King to adapt to its newfound power and enter its optimal state. Charging in blindly would be irresponsible.

***

Inside the Training Secret Realm, Lu Ran stood on a grassy field. Three glowing cards hovered around him, summoning the figures of Sudden Death King, Captain Doofus, and Dark Crow.

The massive Sudden Death King appeared behind Lu Ran, while Captain Doofus and Dark Crow stood to his left and right, respectively.

Compared to Sudden Death King—now over ten meters tall—the other two looked almost comically small. But this wasn’t an illusion. Relative to Sudden Death King’s evolution, Captain Doofus and Dark Crow were significantly weaker.

“Rawr!”

Sudden Death King spread its wings and roared, shaking the surrounding trees.

However, before it could revel in its newfound strength, Lu Ran delivered a chilling statement.

“Alright, Sudden Death King, we’ll be challenging a Level 2 Legendary Secret Realm soon. Start gathering dominance. Captain Doofus, Dark Crow—attack Sudden Death King without holding back.”

Sudden Death King was flabbergasted.

“Woof”

Captain Doofus’ eyes sharpened as it turned to face Sudden Death King, who had always looked down on it with disdain.

“Rawr!”

Sudden Death King felt wronged—it had only acted on Lu Ran’s orders.

“Caw!”

Dark Crow’s eyes narrowed. It decided that the arrogant Sudden Death King was becoming too overbearing and needed to be humbled; otherwise, its own future as General Dark Crow would be bleak. It was determined to turn Sudden Death King into a pig!

“Rawr!”

Captain Doofus and Dark Crow lunged at Sudden Death King, whose stomach seemed to twist in dread. With its Longleaf Swordgrass clutched in its mouth, Captain Doofus swung its head.

A slash of Dragon-Slaying sword qi burst forth, its sound echoing like a thousand dragons wailing. The devastating attack tore through the ground like a hurricane, aimed directly at Sudden Death King.

“Caw!”

Dark Crow unleashed its Pig Transformation Curse—an attack shrouded in eerie mystery.

Boom!

The Dragon-Slaying sword qi, which in the past would have left Sudden Death King howling in pain with shattered scales, had no effect this time. As the attack landed, Sudden Death King swiftly folded its massive wings into a protective shield.

The sword qi struck the barrier and sank into it as if falling into an abyss, leaving not even a single scratch. Meanwhile, Dark Crow’s Pig Transformation Curse struck but had no impact, failing to disrupt the overwhelming strength of its Dragon Soul.

Seeing that Sudden Death King had defended itself flawlessly, both Captain Doofus and Dark Crow froze in shock. Equally stunned, Sudden Death King slowly unfurled its wings to reveal its unharmed form. After a brief pause, it calmly analyzed the situation before turning its attention back to its opponents.

“

Waka.

(What a terrifying attack. If I hadn’t evolved, I’d probably have died on the spot.)”

The stunned expressions on Captain Doofus’ and Dark Crow’s faces filled Sudden Death King with joy. Finally, it had gained the kind of defense it had always dreamed of.

“Rawr!”

Sudden Death King banged its chest triumphantly, daring them to attack again.

Is that all you’ve got?

“

Awoo!”

Captain Doofus howled, visibly enraged by Sudden Death King’s newfound arrogance.

It clenched its Longleaf Swordgrass tighter in its jaws. Energy surged through its body as it pushed itself to the brink, the edges of its teeth trembling under the strain.

In a blur of motion, Captain Doofus charged directly at Sudden Death King, slashing with all its might. Swish! Once again, Sudden Death King folded its massive wings into an impenetrable shield.

Captain Doofus’ slash landed with full force, but only a faint white mark appeared on the dragon’s wing—and even that mark quickly faded, leaving the wing completely unscathed. Skidding to a halt, Captain Doofus turned back in disbelief.

It was unimaginable how overwhelmingly tough Sudden Death King had become after its evolution.

Blood trickled from the corner of Captain Doofus’ mouth. Even with self-inflicted damage, its attacks could not pierce Sudden Death King’s defenses. The realization left Captain Doofus physically shaken and mentally defeated.

Although it still had explosive techniques in reserve, Dark Crow fell silent. Even after employing self-harming techniques to extend its detection range, nothing changed. Sudden Death King stood right before it, and even its specialized Pig Transformation Curse had no effect.

If its curses couldn’t impact Sudden Death King, there was nothing else it could do.

“So, this is what it means to be an overlord.”

Lu Ran felt an immense sense of relief as he watched the exchange. Even the full-strength combination of Captain Doofus’ Dragon-Slaying Sword Intent, Longleaf Swordgrass, and energy compression couldn’t breach Sudden Death King’s defenses.

Its toughness was utterly invincible.

“You two! Stop aiming for its wings. Find another weak point!” Lu Ran commanded.

At his order, Captain Doofus and Dark Crow refocused, determination flashing in their eyes as they launched another round of attacks. However, Sudden Death King remained unbothered.

With complete composure, it sat down on the ground as though inviting their strikes with a playful expression. Despite the relentless barrage, Sudden Death King stayed motionless.

Meanwhile, Captain Doofus and Dark Crow, completely worn out and collapsed from exhaustion, could only watch as Sudden Death King casually stretched out a claw, patted its mouth, and let out an exaggerated yawn.