I, the Supreme Overlord, Start by Enslaving the Zerg Queen
Chapter 41 - 41: Crafting the Elixir, Another Ability of the Bloodthirsty Zerg!

"Little Green, you've done an excellent job. This poison screen looks like it has already reached the upper echelon of the third tier."

Charles gently tousled Little Green's twin ponytails, his tone warm and approving.

Standing nearby, Catherine and Medusa exchanged amused smiles. They had been observing the battlefield from the sky since the war began, and naturally, they saw how the poison screen transformed into a moat, effectively isolating the coalition forces outside the forest.

Little Green responded with a cheeky grin, her twin ponytails swaying adorably: "They dared to bully my Master! Once I reach the fourth tier, I'll lay down a poison array right in their base and wipe them out!"

Her innocent voice carried a fierce determination, a stark contrast to her cute appearance. If it weren't widely known that she was a master of poisons, one might easily mistake her for an innocent, harmless girl.

Charles chuckled as he ruffled her hair again, then turned his gaze to the remnants of the Zerg soldiers who had retreated to the base camp.

After this massacre, it was likely that with the investment of some mineral resources, they could cultivate another batch of second-tier Zerg warriors.

Among the over a thousand Zerg soldiers—who had never experienced the crucible of battle or were forever stuck without the potential to break through to the third tier—around two hundred mid-tier second-tier Zerg warriors would emerge victorious and return.

A commendable trade-off, indeed.

Not only did it mitigate the risk of overproduction, but it also bolstered the Zerg with some high-quality combat units.

The coalition forces, it seemed, served as an excellent whetstone.

"They have suffered over seven hundred casualties this time, I doubt they will let this slide easily. Medusa, take your Serpent Legion and slowly encircle them from behind. That way, we can tighten the net when the time comes." Charles instructed.

Medusa nodded solemnly upon hearing this and then led her Serpent Legion on a detour.

Her legion had now expanded to five hundred members, each one a high-tier second-level warrior individually. When they formed a battle array with a unified military spirit, each Serpent warrior possessed the combat prowess of a low-tier third-level fighter!

What does it mean to have five hundred low-tier third-level fighters?

The coalition's bragging rights stemmed from their Overlord Legion, which boasted around three thousand low-tier second-level warriors as its main force and mid-tier second-level warriors as its elite.

But Medusa's legion consisted of five hundred fully-powered low-tier third-level warriors. These fighters alone could sweep through the coalition forces!

With the rear secured, only the front battlefield remained.

Charles stroked his chin, pondering whether he had any expendable Zerg warriors left to use as ingredients for crafting the elixir.

After all, some components were still not fully matured.

"Well, Catherine, release all those mid-tier first-level, high-tier first-level, and low-tier second-level blade bugs." Charles finally said, having figured out where to find the necessary materials.

After all, from the moment blade bugs were developed, they were intended as expendable units. Those still at the first or low-tier second levels were essentially obsolete in modern warfare.

With these combat units ground into the mix, the elixir should finally reach maturity, right?

Charles gazed thoughtfully into the distance, where the coalition leader was positioned.

"Yes, Master, I'll arrange it immediately." Catherine responded without hesitation.

Closing her eyes, she sent out a subtle mental ripple that instantly reached the minds of all the blade bugs. Moments later, these creatures, each with distinct appearances, materialized before them.

The combat strength of these Zerg was generally weak, in fact, they were quite feeble by strict standards.

"You all, go out now and obstruct those Overlord coalition forces. Fight to the death" Catherine commanded coldly. The blade bugs, with the resolve of fearless warriors, surged into the forest.

As they all disappeared into the woods, Catherine hesitated momentarily before speaking, "Master, there are only around five hundred blade bugs because they have been phased out so quickly. Should we perhaps include some higher-level Zerg to increase the numbers?"

She was well aware of the Bloodthirsty Zerg situation and understood that her master intended to use the coalition's guardian as a host to nurture the Bloodthirsty Zerg.

Don't be fooled by how its power is growing stronger with the absorption of the stench of blood. In reality, it is nothing more than a host who could turn into a dried-up corpse at any moment.

With over three thousand second-tier combat units and the fifteen hundred Zerg units Charles had previously arranged, more than four thousand lives had already been used to cultivate the Bloodthirsty Zerg. What kind of power must it possess?

"Let's see how it goes. I estimate that collecting more blood energy this time, combined with the final battle, should be enough to push the Bloodthirsty Zerg to its optimal state." Charles replied, not entirely dismissing Catherine's suggestion. He was unsure how much nourishment was needed to achieve the Bloodthirsty Zerg's peak condition.

However, given that these opportunities were like manna from heaven, he couldn't afford to waste them. Thus, the consumption of those Zerg was justified.

One must understand that the Bloodthirsty Zerg's power wasn't limited to mere amplification. In a certain sense, it was also an ultimate elixir, a crucible for all living things!

Suddenly struck by a thought, he turned to Catherine and said, "By the way, Catherine, both you and Medusa harbor fragments of the Bloodthirsty Zerg. When the energy overflows, make sure none of it goes to waste."

"Additionally, recharge this Bloodthirsty Zerg's blood energy. I intend to present it as a gift to a friend."

He continued, handing over a pristine Bloodthirsty Zerg—one that had never bonded with anyone—to Catherine.

"A friend?"

Catherine asked, puzzled. "Isn't this one meant for Little Green?"

Surely, it couldn't be intended for Eve?

Her master wasn't the type to endlessly cater to others' whims. If he was, well, she'd rather not think about it.

Charles shook his head lightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Little Green has a bit of an aversion to this creature. He's picky."

"So, I plan to turn this Bloodthirsty Zerg into a goodwill gesture and gift it to the Succubus Princess, Rose, who has been consistently helping us."

Indeed, Charles intended to gift the Bloodthirsty Zerg to Rose this time.

As a top-tier member of the Abyssal pantheon, the Succubus is quite familiar with bloodline creations.

On one hand, he could give her the Bloodthirsty Zerg to see if there's any hope for its advancement. On the other, it serves as a token of gratitude for the high-grade toxic artifact she provided earlier.

"Well, it seems my master has made a new friend—another stunning beauty, perhaps?" Catherine accepted the Bloodthirsty Zerg, her tone tinged with amusement.

Her master didn't shy away from flirting in front of his female slaves, so both Catherine and Medusa knew that he and Eve exchanged flirtatious banter almost daily.

How this notoriously promiscuous Succubus Princess from the Continent of Overlord managed to connect with her master, who only desired virgins, was beyond her comprehension...

Charles fell silent for a moment, recalling the delicate, snow-white arm of the young girl he had seen earlier. He nodded almost subconsciously.

The Succubus race had no unattractive members, let alone the legendary Succubus Princess.

"Alright, go make the arrangements. I suspect the coalition's pawns are getting impatient." Charles said softly, signaling that their conversation was over.

Catherine nodded in acknowledgment and they returned to the battlefield.

...

The crimson filth obscured the once-clear blue sky, and the ubiquitous bloodshed left the remaining coalition members feeling utterly exhausted and terrified.

Just moments before, another wave of high-tier Zerg units had launched a sudden attack.

Louis had believed that they were finally in a position to suppress Charles with impunity. After all, how could a Zerg Overlord possibly continue spawning troops?

As it turned out, he had underestimated his opponent. The enemy could indeed spawn more units.

Although the numbers were not overwhelming and the tiers weren't exceptionally high, these relentless Zerg units behaved like unfeeling machines!

Even if you decapitated one, it would still manage to take someone down with it before dying—a truly absurd situation!

Perhaps the only silver lining was...

Louis looked at the terrifying energy coursing through his body with a face full of joy. This energy had been absorbed from the bloodshed during the battle.

To be honest, he had no idea where his powers originated from, nor did he consider it particularly important.

A solid mid-tier third-level strength, isn't that what counts?

"Chieftain, it's bad! Dozens of mid-tier second-level Zerg have broken through the left flank. If this keeps up, our numbers will significantly dwindle!" A scout, who had been monitoring enemy movements, rushed to Louis, his face full of panic.

Louis was momentarily stunned by the news. His expression darkened as he stared at the blade bugs preparing to breach their left flank.

Perfect timing—he had been itching to unleash his newfound power.

"Let me handle this!"

With that declaration, a pair of blood-red wings suddenly sprouted from Louis's back, driven by his will.

This was a skill he had discovered on the battlefield, matching the speed of any so-called battle techniques or flight magic!

However, Louis failed to notice that as he continued to intensify the use of blood energy, his eyes gradually turned a sinister shade of red...

Eerie and terrifying.