Chapter 491

Chapter 491: Encounter at the Temple

The twelve-hour assault ended seven hours early under Midi’s extraordinary command. Crimson Beasts littered the ground as corpses, with only a handful escaping through the rifts to hide underground.

Though it appeared a flawless victory, Midi felt far from well. Five hours of relentless mental calculations left him drained. The other three, while spared the mental strain, had fought nonstop across multiple fronts and collapsed in exhaustion.

The battle cost more than automatons—vast quantities of black crystals had been consumed. Every movement and attack from the battle automatons required black crystals. Each Rhinoceros Beetle’s long-range strike devoured considerable amounts, totaling massive expenditure. By the battle’s end, Midi’s reserves neared empty.

Yet the fight yielded rewards. The Crimson Beasts contained "Crimson Crystals." Though useless for nourishing the Black Dragon Remnant Token or extending their stay in the Crystal Dragon Fortress, these crystals held value for the Dragon God Temple and could be exchanged for Black Flame Coins. Their rarity compared to black crystals granted a 1:2 exchange rate, doubling their worth.

With this haul, Midi’s Black Flame Coins surged past 100,000 to 150,000.

"150,000… enough for the intermediate exchange list," Midi muttered after resting. He returned to the Dragon God Temple.

The low-tier exchange list offered the "Dark Lighthouse" for 100,000 coins. Similar to a forward base in being a structural facility, the lighthouse demanded strict conditions: 10,000 crystals consumed daily required a nearby steam spring, and its lack of defensive power forced construction within the forward base. A high-maintenance structure—but once built, it became a command hub. From it, Midi could control all facilities, access tactical interfaces, and monitor a thousand-kilometer radius.

Most crucially, acquiring the Dark Lighthouse unlocked the intermediate exchange list. Without it, fighters remained stuck with low-tier items, never reaching higher rewards like the Primary True Dragon Body Refinement Method.

Though the cost stung, Midi purchased one without hesitation.

The moment the exchange completed, a crushing aura flooded the temple. The others stiffened, eyes snapping to the entrance where a tall, lean figure stood—Thor, chief core disciple of the Death Scorpion family, hailed as the "Warrior."

"Isn’t that Midi?"

"Midi? But that guy’s only Level 63…"

"Just a few days, and you’ve already reached Level 64? But even so, you shouldn’t have made it to the Tenth Level…"

The fighters in the Death Scorpion team behind Thor froze in shock upon seeing Midi.

Thor’s eyes showed no flicker of emotion, only an icy chill.

Though Zaknavan and others on Midi’s side couldn’t hide their unease, Midi himself remained calm.

Thor had anticipated Midi’s lead.

Midi had braced himself for this confrontation.

Despite the commotion in both teams, the two leaders stood coldly composed.

They locked eyes without speaking.

After a long silence, Thor finally sneered, "Midi Asreks. Bold of you to loot ahead of the family team and set traps along the way."

Thor positioned himself as the guardian of "family interests" while slapping a hefty accusation on Midi.

Midi, born into nobility, merely shrugged. "As Death Scorpion members, my team and I serve the family’s interests. But you, Thor—charging into the underground Dragon Tower before my arrival? That’s abandoning your own kin."

Thor’s face twitched. He hadn’t expected this fifth-ranked human to challenge him openly.

"If you chose to leave me behind during the Dragon Tower conquest, don’t whine when I overtake you. It’d shame your ‘Warrior’ title, no?" Midi pressed, unflinching.

The Dragon God Temple’s temperature plummeted.

Under the suffocating tension, even Death Scorpion’s core disciples stared wide-eyed. None had ever dared speak to Thor this way.

The Death Scorpion family head showed Thor respect, for while elders gained power through time, Thor—reaching Level 67 before thirty—was Mososbury City’s once-in-a-century genius.

Yet this round-eared human from Arad now mocked their prodigy!

Was he insane? Suicidal? Drunk on leveling up?

As Thor’s expression darkened, all assumed Midi’s doom. Zaknavan’s group tensed for battle.

The silence shattered with Thor’s booming laughter.

"Spine! First person to dare confront me! I’ll admit—you surpassing me was unexpected. Your alchemy’s impressive." Thor spread his arms. "Join me. My strength plus your skills? We’ll crush Crystal Dragon Fortress."

The crowd gaped. Two invitations from Thor? Midi had to be extraordinary.

Yet Midi sensed Thor’s seething rage through his psychic energy. Though unable to read the Demon Dragon bloodline’s thoughts, the roiling aura and hidden killing intent betrayed Thor’s true state.

This wasn’t generosity—Thor wanted to exploit Midi’s alchemy before discarding him.

Midi played along. "No reason to refuse. How shall we cooperate?"

Thor frowned at the word "cooperate." "Teams need one voice. Follow me to victory."

"I reached the Dragon God Temple first," Midi countered. "Your obsession with obedience smells like robbery."

Thor’s face darkened. He’d acted rashly, abandoning Midi. Now this upstart challenged his authority.

No more options. The chance was given—and rejected. Time for destruction.

"Robbery? Don’t flatter yourself. But you need discipline." Thor stepped forward.

Magic surged violently. In an eyeblink, Thor crossed the distance, silver War Spear materializing as he swung down—

The Battle Mage skill: Heaven Strike.