Chapter 457

Chapter 457: Secrets of the Dragon Fortress

If possible, Risen wouldn’t have minded sharing his own Dragon Heritage.

Unfortunately, Risen’s Dragon Heritage wasn’t suitable for humans—it was specifically designed for the Dragonkin race.

Moreover, the training method of that low-level Dragon Heritage required directly consuming other existing Dragon bloodlines to strengthen oneself.

In short, it was a plundering cultivation method perfect for someone like Risen with mixed sub-dragon blood, but entirely unfit for Midi’s pure True Dragon bloodline.

Though Risen couldn’t share his Dragon Heritage, such legacies weren’t unique. They came in various forms, much like the countless skill books within the Elves’ Palace heritage.

Currently, the most promising place to obtain Dragon Heritage was—

Crystal Dragon Fortress!

“Crystal Dragon Fortress…” Midi’s gaze flickered. “Could you tell me more about it, Mr. Risen?”

“You’ve come to the right person.” Risen grinned. “I know more about that place than most core family members. After all, I’m not a dark elf—I’m Dragonkin.”

As a rare Dragonkin, Risen possessed knowledge unique to his kind.

He’d joined the Fire Lizard Tribe for the same reason as Midi: to earn qualification for the Black Dragon Conference. This drove him to study the Crystal Dragon Fortress deeply.

Now, to prove his worth and avoid freeloading off Midi’s level seven potions, Risen spilled all his secrets.

Despite its name, the Crystal Dragon Fortress wasn’t a castle. It consisted of a tower and surrounding areas forming a fragment of a small realm.

Entrants had to be under thirty years old and first-time visitors.

These traits suggested strong ties to Dark Dragon City, earning it the “Crystal Dragon Fortress” title.

The main goal inside this dimensional ruin was locating the tower.

Compared to other ruins, the central tower held better heritage, weaponry, and treasures.

But finding it wasn’t easy.

The tower lay entirely underground, with only a hidden surface entrance. Explorers descended through its levels rather than climbing up.

Risen didn’t know the tower’s total floors or mysteries, but this gave Midi a clear direction.

Previously, Midi had blindly tried showcasing his Mechanics and alchemical mechanism skills without knowing what suited the fortress. Now, knowing the tower’s underground structure, he could train specifically for that environment.

With proper preparation, strong Mechanics skills, and his combat strength, securing a family recommendation seemed achievable.

Midi had only intended to lay groundwork for the expedition. Risen’s detailed knowledge was an unexpected boon.

Zaknavan and Mason began guessing Midi’s plans.

“Planning to form your own team for the fortress?” Zaknavan blurted. “I thought Death Scorpion members stuck together.”

“The Death Scorpion family’s riddled with internal strife. Their teams are hollow alliances. I need trustworthy companions for proper exploration,” Midi stated plainly.

The Death Scorpion family prioritized personal strength over teamwork—evident from Kanis becoming a core disciple despite poor cooperation skills. This explained Midi’s decision to recruit his own team.

This way, even if the Death Scorpion family had teams entering the Crystal Dragon Fortress, Zaknavan and the others could join them for mutual support.

Of course, the prerequisite was first obtaining fighter qualifications in Mososbury City.

"I’ve done all I can to help. The rest depends on you now," were Midi’s parting words before leaving.

Among Zaknavan, Mason, and Risen, two came from small families lacking recommendation privileges, while Risen remained in an abandoned state requiring greater efforts to reverse his circumstances.

Their only path forward was participating in Mososbury City’s Fighter Selection and defeating opponents in the arena to earn promotion qualifications.

Midi wouldn’t feel excessive regret if they failed to distinguish themselves in the selection.

Those who couldn’t reach that level didn’t deserve to be his teammates and would only become burdens.

But if they succeeded, they might form an unstoppable exploration team.

As a commander, Midi couldn’t help anticipating this possibility.

Having completed all preparations, Midi now faced his personal silent battlefield.

His packed daily routine involved gathering resources, brewing potions, submitting missions, using surplus materials for promotions, and squeezing in Library Tower visits for knowledge absorption.

Amid this relentless activity, a week vanished like smoke.

"Finally reached the peak of Level 62." Midi exhaled slowly after absorbing another Radiance of Darkness potion, feeling surging power coursing through him.

Less than three months since entering the Shaded Realm, he’d climbed from Level 60 to Level 62’s peak, needing only minor accumulation to breach Level 63 – astonishing progress by any measure.

Yet the gap remained vast between him and the family’s five core members.

Even the lowest-ranked Kanis stood at Level 64, two full levels above Midi.

With mere weeks remaining before the Fighter Selection, closing this raw power disparity proved impossible.

His only path lay in establishing mechanical engineering renown.

"A week’s passed – sufficient time for Master Buck. Those blueprints must have circulated through Death Scorpion’s mechanical workshop by now." Midi calculated silently. "Harvest time approaches."

"Proceed without hesitation. I’ll intervene if needed," murmured Eighth Apostle Rot’s voice nearby.

Throughout the week, the supreme expert had observed Midi’s Library Tower studies.

Though mechanically gifted, Midi’s knowledge remained dwarfed by Rot’s century-spanning expertise.

Having fully mastered the Library Tower’s first floor contents, Rot could now extrapolate second-floor knowledge.

This formidable backup eased Midi’s mind considerably.

Without detours, Midi soon reentered the mechanical workshop.

"Master Buck, how did you handle those blueprints I delivered last week?" Midi inquired cheerfully.

Buck flinched at the human’s sunny smile. He desperately wanted to claim the designs as impractical, but truth anchored his tongue.

Since Midi’s departure, Buck had obsessed over the two blueprints, even convening top apprentices for consultations.

The entire workshop had devoted every non-mission hour to these designs throughout the week – more than fair compensation for Midi’s Blazing Mercury Potion.

Yet facing Midi now, Buck tasted only ashes.

Despite meticulous efforts, neither "Skyfire" alchemical guns nor "Sky Thunder" mechanisms could be produced. The workshop’s reputation teetered on collapse.

"Perhaps these blueprints are fundamentally flawed?" Midi feigned sudden realization. "My apologies for wasting your time. Let me reclaim these useless drafts and terminate our agreement…"

Buck’s face twisted into a tearful grimace. He longed to accept this escape route but knew better.

Numerous alchemists had already seen the near-complete designs. Only a few core components required clarification – yet these stumped Buck’s entire team.

Claiming the blueprints unworkable now would be laughable falsehood. Temporary deception might work, but long-term consequences…

Moreover, Buck’s inner engineer burned to solve these puzzles and witness the inventions materialize.

Agonizing conflict rendered the master craftsman speechless.