Chapter 486

Chapter 486: Starting to Collect

With the strategy set, Midi immediately began his deployment.

The Black Crystal Collector "Worker Bee," true to its name, resembled a small bee with a long stinger at its rear.

Midi instantly recognized it as an alchemical automaton, though its craftsmanship proved remarkably intricate.

While lacking the battle strength of Steel Golems, these Worker Bees far surpassed their unintelligent counterparts in executing commands and adapting to complex environments.

Midi even suspected a Secret Silver Golem housing a vicious soul might pale in cognitive ability compared to a single Worker Bee.

The "Honey Pot," a vessel for storing Black Crystals, boasted multiple functions: issuing alerts and self-concealment.

This granted it modest self-preservation abilities.

Upon obtaining these devices, the Black Dragon Remnant Token within Midi stirred faintly, forming a thin magical link to the Honey Pot.

New lines of text materialized on the token alongside the original Black Flame Coin count:

Honey Pot: Quantity 2, Standby.

Worker Bee: Quantity 11, Standby.

Clearly, the Black Dragon Remnant Token shared a mysterious connection with the Dragon God Temple’s alchemical automatons and equipment. This link let Midi monitor their status and issue commands directly—an unexpected boon. With limited manpower, this feature allowed him, as commander, to assess the Worker Bees’ conditions instantly and deploy optimal orders.

“This magic-based linkage likely stems from ancient alchemy of the heavens,” remarked Eighth Apostle Rot. “King Bacal of the Tyrant Dragon probably acquired it after seizing part of the heavens. But why craft these automatons using such methods and place them in the Demon Realm-adjacent Shaded Realm?”

Midi couldn’t answer such grand questions, nor did Rot expect replies. Yet the mention of the Demon Realm unsettled him—the Death’s Pursuit Order inside him grew daily, its sulfurous stench ever-present.

Urgency sharpened Midi’s movements. A mental command through the Black Dragon Remnant Token sent all eleven Worker Bees charging from the Dragon God Temple into the Black Crystal Forest’s depths.

He ordered Zaknavan to secure a safe location for the two Honey Pots while managing the Worker Bees. As the seasoned adventurer, Midi took the forest’s frontal zone for exploration. Mason, familiar with the surface, and Risen the Black Dragonkin, attuned to nature, each claimed separate sectors.

“Twelve-hour exploration window. Regroup at the Dragon God Temple tonight to replenish the Black Dragon Remnant Token,” Midi instructed. He then drilled them on specifics: noting Black Crystal Plant density, mapping waterflows, terrain features, rock formations, canyons, and documenting magical beast populations.

He meticulously taught mapping techniques, scale adjustments, and terrain-creature marking systems. Zaknavan listened intently throughout.

Midi knew Mason and others ranked highly among Mososbury City’s fighters but lacked true adventurer prowess. A real adventurer survives alone in hostile lands, adapts swiftly, and bends environments to their will.

Now, in the unfamiliar environment of Crystal Dragon Fortress, the three of them could just barely manage that.

But Midi demanded more than simply being "adventurers."

What he faced wasn’t mere exploration, but a "resource war" requiring vast amounts of Black Flame Coins.

Victory demanded not just an adventurer’s courage, but a strategic mindset for warfare.

Only if Mason’s group rose from novice adventurers to elite scouts capable of swaying battles would Midi’s chances improve.

As their commander, Midi tirelessly drilled every detail into them.

With only eleven Worker Bees, this was merely the beginning.

Once gathering operations expanded, there’d be no time for lessons.

If "Warrior" Thor’s group entered Black Crystal Forest, Midi would be stretched thinner still.

By then, even basic conversations might become scarce, let alone teaching.

As hours passed, Midi’s instructions grew more granular, peppered with scenarios:

"What to do if this happens."

"How to react when that occurs."

If they still didn’t grasp his meaning now, they’d be hopeless.

"You’re training us to be… soldiers?" Mason stared incredulously. Having served in both Blood Blade Thieves Guild and Blood Blade Mercenary Corps during his Arad days, he recognized military discipline.

Only elite armies obsessed over such minutiae.

"Not soldiers. Focus on coordination and seeing the bigger picture," Midi answered lightly.

Coordination?

Bigger picture?

For picking plants?

Was this necessary?

Accustomed to Shaded Realm’s arena selection methods, all three harbored doubts.

Though Midi hadn’t erred yet, their skeptical expressions betrayed them.

Midi offered no explanations, simply smiling as the mission began.

Words meant little now—true blades are tempered in blood. His teachings would prove themselves.

Soon they split like loosed arrows—Midi central, Mason west, Risen east.

Initially sparse near Dragon God Temple, Black Crystal Plants thickened with distance.

Black Crystal Grass soon carpeted the ground like common weeds.

Even Black Crystal Flowers grew plentiful, clusters of two or three commonplace.

Each Black Crystal Grass stalk bought Midi another day in Crystal Dragon Fortress; the flowers lasted longer still.

In other words, a stalk of Black Crystal Grass was worth about 100 to 150 Black Flame Coins.

A single Black Crystal Flower could fetch 400 to 500 Black Flame Coins.

If one ventured deeper into the forest, even larger Black Crystal Plants might be found.

This speculation naturally occurred to Midi.

Just as he expected, a thick Black Crystal Vine soon appeared before him.

It coiled around a towering red-and-black tree like a dark cobra.

The vine’s massive size compared to Black Crystal Grass and Flowers stirred Midi’s interest.

But as he paused to collect it, a warning flashed through his mind.

Midi instantly activated his mind-related ability "Half-Sight Perception," scanning the area within a hundred meters using psychic energy.

He soon detected a real poisonous snake concealed in the vine’s shadows.

The four-meter serpent lay coiled like a spring, its steel-hard body covered in light-absorbing black scales. Its dull eyes and hidden killing intent made it nearly undetectable.

Since no herbivores existed in the Black Crystal Forest, this snake wasn’t hunting.

It was clearly drawing power from the vine – just as Midi used Black Crystal Vines to strengthen his Black Dragon Remnant Token.

"Does size determine ownership here?" Midi mused. Valuable resources always had claimants, whether human or beast.

But an exposed snake posed little challenge.

Using Half-Sight Perception, Midi circled behind the creature and struck.

Though the metallic scales offered strong defense, they couldn’t withstand Midi’s blade.

Sparks flew as hot blood sprayed – the ambusher became two twitching halves.

"Impressive," Midi remarked.

Stronger than most Shaded Realm beasts though weaker than a Terrorclaw Scorpion.

No amount of Worker Bees could defeat this serpent.

It also surpassed Crystal Forest’s crystallized beasts in strength.

Noting this, Midi pressed onward without harvesting the vine.

More Black Crystal Vines appeared along his path – each guarded by Black Crystal magical beasts.