Chapter 497

Chapter 497: Unlocking the High-Level Exchange

Midi was satisfied, but Thor clearly wasn’t.

In this resource war, no matter how much the Warrior resisted, he had to admit his inferiority to Midi. Even with his specialized knowledge of the Dragon God Temple’s resource gathering, Thor couldn’t match Midi—a true Kingdom ruler.

Though Thor understood this, accepting defeat stung. One last chance remained: the second crimson tide. Before Midi could access the high-level exchange list, swarms of Crimson Beasts would erupt from the depleted Black Crystal Forest, far surpassing the previous wave.

If Thor could infiltrate the crimson wildlife during the chaos, he might disrupt Midi’s plans. Yet after repeated clashes, he knew Midi left no openings. Unless overpowered completely, finding Midi’s weak point was impossible. More often, Midi laid the traps, while schemers ended up ensnared themselves.

Must he simply watch Midi widen their gap by unlocking the exchange? Thor’s brow furrowed.

“I know how to beat Midi,” a voice whispered near Thor’s ear.

“Who’s there?” Cold fury flashed in Thor’s eyes as his silver War Spear materialized, slashing toward the shadows.

A figure leaped out—Alexis, the traitor who’d abandoned both the Wolfspider tribe and Death Scorpions.

Thor’s gaze sharpened. He knew of Alexis but hadn’t expected him to survive Midi’s wrath after Simon’s death, let alone track him down.

“How’d you breach my base?” Thor demanded. The Death Scorpion family’s core disciples guarded it fiercely.

“Walked through the front,” Alexis shrugged. “Your companions are unharmed—just sleeping. A necessary offense to prove my worth.”

Studying him, Thor smirked coldly. “Speak, then. Let’s hear what Midi’s castoff has to say.”

Alexis flushed but steadied himself. “You’ll never outpace Midi like this. But I know a place teeming with Black Flame Coins. Seize it during the crimson tide’s chaos, and no steam springs will save Midi.”

“Truth?” Thor’s gaze narrowed. He distrusted this serial betrayer, yet the bait tempted him. Even a trap might be worth springing.

“Your choice,” Alexis grinned, oozing confidence.

As Midi’s two greatest threats united, the crimson tide erupted—not mere ground cracks but full earthquakes. An overharvested steam spring exploded like a volcano, crimson glow spewing endless Crimson Beasts.

But Midi wasn’t the same man anymore.

He commanded not just an army of alchemical automatons, but had also upgraded all forward bases into steel fortresses. These fortresses were linked together, forming a unified magic array when activated.

Against this iron wall, unless an attack’s force per second surpassed a critical threshold, any number of Crimson Beasts charging in would meet certain death.

Though the Black Crystal Forest lacked natural defensive terrain, Midi’s tactics achieved what ancient proverbs called "a single guardian holding off ten thousand."

As a skilled commander, he hadn’t forgotten his two rivals. Both Alexis and Thor’s possible moves had been factored into his plans. Had they attacked during the crimson tide, Midi would’ve deployed reserves to drive them into beast-infested zones – solving two problems at once.

Yet this time, the proud Thor and enigmatic Alexis remained inactive throughout the crisis. Though puzzled, Midi had no time to dwell on their motives. After the tide subsided, he immediately traded the battle’s Crimson Crystal haul at the Dragon God Temple.

His Black Flame Coins now surpassed 800,000. But claiming the "Primary True Dragon Body Refinement Method" required more than just another 200,000. First came a 500,000 Coin facility purchase to unlock advanced exchanges – specifically, the Flame Lighthouse.

This upgraded Dark Lighthouse could only be built atop steel fortresses with enhanced defenses. Upon installation, the high-tier exchange list immediately unlocked. There at the top sat his long-sought prize: the same 1,000,000 Coin price as originally shown.

Post-purchase, Midi retained 300,000+ Coins. Waiting for steam springs to yield a million black crystals seemed straightforward. Combining Breath and Body Refinement Techniques would then elevate his power.

Reality proved harsher. Most Black Crystal Steam Springs began drying up after reaching advanced exchange tiers. Automaton scouts reported the Black Crystal Forest’s boundaries reached – Midi’s thousand-kilometer expansion had hit the Crystal Dragon Fortress realm’s edge.

Existing resources dwindled while new finds grew scarce. Maintaining his automaton legion became doubtful, let alone amassing a million Coins. Attacking Thor’s territory might claim more springs, but war consumed resources Midi couldn’t spare. Moreover, Thor’s domain likely faced similar depletion.

When frustration over the Dragon God Temple’s apparent trickery peaked, Midi’s Flame Lighthouse revealed new functionality: underground detection. Current operations only skimmed the forest’s surface. The upgraded spire’s energy pulsed downward, revealing vast subterranean chambers – a miniature Shaded Realm blazing with black crystal signatures.

"Scrap 70% automatons for materials. Keep 30% maintaining surface operations. You three guard the base against Thor. I’ll investigate the depths."

Midi’s instincts whispered this underground realm was the Dragon God Temple’s true objective – forcing fighters to exhaust surface resources before descending. But what awaited below? More crystals? Something else?

The commander frowned, certain he overlooked a crucial detail. With surface options exhausted, only one path remained – downward.