Chapter 283: The Mage Sanctum

Cassian gave Darian a curious look.

Only a few days ago, he had finished paying the materials for the Abyssal Dockyard’s upgrades and brought it to Level 12. The new models it unlocked happened to be Ghost Battleships.

There were two kinds: Legendary Heavy Ghost Battleships and Epic Light Ghost Battleships.

Until then, the Dockyard had produced only Carriers, Destroyers, and Frigates. A Carrier’s main gun could not match a Battleship’s at the same Quality. His Ghost Carriers, however, were Legendary. Their firepower had led outsiders to mistake them for Epic Battleships.

Over the past few days, he had supplied the resources and kept the Dockyard busy producing different models of Ghost warship for the coming war.

Had Darian asked a little earlier, this would have been difficult.

"Give me a moment."

Cassian called Rhea and sent her to the Goblin harbor with the two Epic Sealing Talismans.

"How are your Hydras doing?" he asked while they waited.

Darian’s face fell.

"Don’t ask. Between the ones I’ve paid to recruit and those I’ve promoted with Troop Souls, I’ve raised twelve Legendary Hydras. They’re strong, especially at sea. But their heads argue over the smallest things. Once they start, they can keep going all day."

He rubbed his forehead.

"How does anything spend a whole day arguing with itself?"

Cassian understood the complaint. When he had cleared the Hydra Nest, the Boss’s nine heads had still been arguing as it died. Listening to them had almost felt like enduring a mental attack.

Rhea soon returned. The two Talismans had been used, leaving two sealed Light Ghost Battleship models, which Cassian handed to Darian.

Battleships were built around the power of their main guns. These also had the Abyssal Dockyard’s Dive and Shield functions.

If Darian had brought Legendary Sealing Talismans, Cassian would not have minded giving him two Heavy Battleships. To him, building more ships was a matter of resources. The Epic Talismans could only seal the Light models.

Darian examined his new ships with an eager smile.

"You’re planning to raid the coalition fleet, aren’t you?" Cassian asked.

"Why wouldn’t I? The Ghost ships have optical concealment, and my Mirage Ship has spatial concealment. Between them, I’ll be able to come and go as I please."

They had each captured a Mirage Ship during the battle over the Fortune Temple. Darian clearly meant to put his to use.

"Be careful," Cassian said. "The Black Banner has already suffered from those tricks. They’ll come prepared this time."

"I’m only going to harass them." Darian tapped his chest. "I have a naval Hero too. A Grade-A Talent, a Bronze Battle Name, combat slots... If I can’t win, I’ll leave."

Cassian nodded. "As long as you keep that in mind."

Not long after Darian left, a call came in from Elara.

Her excitement was plain the moment the connection opened.

"Cassian, I found a Mage Sanctum."

"A Mage Sanctum?" He straightened. "The Legendary Troop Building?"

She nodded quickly.

"The guards are too strong. There are Level 90 Elemental Emissaries among them, so I haven’t attacked."

For a moment, he simply stared at her.

With Divine Province’s map expanded sixfold, they had a vast amount of new land to explore. Letting Elara’s luck go unused would have been a waste. He had sent Nine, who got along particularly well with her, to help.

Over the last ten days, Elara had ridden the Crystal Dragon from one discovery to another. Among the many Wild Buildings they found were eighteen Rare Troop Buildings and two Epic ones.

Now she had found a Legendary Building too.

"I’m coming."

——

The Mage Sanctum stood eighty thousand kilometers east of Riftward Marches.

A minute later, having paid to open a Gate to the coordinates Elara supplied, Cassian stepped through with several Heroes and a force that included his Stormlance.

Nine immediately lowered her great head and carefully rubbed against him.

"Lord, I found a Legendary Troop Building."

He patted the Crystal Dragon’s cheek.

"You found it?"

"We wouldn’t have discovered nearly so many resources and Buildings without her," Elara said quickly.

Nine’s eyes brightened.

"See? Elara says so too."

Cassian left the pleased Dragon to enjoy her praise and looked toward the Sanctum, ten kilometers away.

White walls and pointed arches rose nearly a thousand meters into the sky. The great Gothic structure covered hundreds of thousands of square meters. It could not match the Five Elements Temple, but it was still immense.

Groups of mages patrolled outside. Among them, several radiated the power of Legendary units.

"Level 90 Elemental Emissaries."

He had a rough measure of the defenders now.

"Should we call Darian and Nessa?" Elara asked. "We’d have a better chance with them."

"No need."

Cassian smiled. He supplied the premium Aether Crystals and activated Godslayer. The familiar thirty-percent increase in all attributes spread through his force.

He waved them forward.

"Attack."

"Yes, Lord!"

Stormlance, Praetorians, and Dawnwings surged toward the Sanctum. Elara sent her own troops in after them. Brogan led her surviving Hill King and her Storm Guardians into the charge.

The response was immediate.

An old mage in gold-trimmed robes flew out of the Building, his presence bearing down on the attackers.

"Insignificant intruders! You dare threaten the Sanctum?"

Mages poured out behind him. Elemental Mages, Summoners, Battle Mages, Arcane Mages, Curse Mages, Soul Mages—more than ten thousand in all.

"A Legendary Hero..."

Cassian had not expected the Sanctum to have a Hero among its defenders.

He was hardly worried.

His hand closed around the Divine Dragon Amber.

"Unseal."

The pendant began drawing six hundred and fifty thousand Aether per minute to sustain the Dragon at Cassian’s Level 65.

Across the battlefield, Malrec, the Elemental Emissary, had steadied himself. The enemy was powerful, but his side had the numbers.

Then golden light flooded the sky.

His eyes widened.

"A Divine Dragon? A Mythic Divine Dragon?"

Within seconds, an enormous golden body hovered hundreds of meters above the battlefield. Clouds curled around it. Its gaze rested on the defenders with cold indifference.

"Impossible. You’re Human, like us. How can a newcomer Lord command a Mythic unit?"

This was Elara’s first chance to see the Divine Dragon herself. Her eyes shone.

"It’s beautiful."

Brogan looked at Cassian with open awe, bowing his head before such power.

While the others were still staring, the Dragon attacked.

Dragon Tail Sweep.

A hundred meters of golden tail crashed down. Hundreds of mages vanished beneath it, their shields crushed along with their bodies.

The Dragon had neither Dragon’s Blessing nor Godslayer’s additional advantage against Divines in this battle. Its Mythic strength was still far beyond anything these defenders could handle. Malrec was Level 92, with a combat rating of more than sixty thousand stars. It did him little good.

The fighting lasted only a minute before his shout rang across the field.

"We surrender!"

Cassian nodded with satisfaction.

"Good."

He spared the surviving mages. They might not be strong enough to interest him, but other Lords in Divine Province could use such high-Quality troops, just as they had benefited from the Faerie Dragons before.

As soon as Malrec surrendered, a prompt appeared.

[Unowned Wild Troop Building detected: Mage Sanctum.]

[Ignore / Destroy / Occupy?]

"Occupy."

A Wild Troop Building took up no space in his Domain. Any Lord he authorized could recruit from it, so it made little difference who held it.

With the Mage Sanctum occupied, Cassian opened its attributes.