Chapter 131: Disarming Toast

The view inside the ward was clear and open.

Roughly ten kilometers ahead, the Fortune Temple hung hundreds of meters above the sea, turning slowly like a small world. Shafts of golden light fell from it now and then, drawing countless sea creatures to the waters below.

Cassian could see more than a thousand monsters on the surface alone. Fins and scales broke the water between them, hinting at many more beneath.

[Fortune Temple discovered.]

[This Fortune Temple has been occupied by hostile Sea Dragons. Drive off or kill the monsters to receive rewards according to your contribution.]

[Note: Until the Sea Dragon King is killed, the Fortune here will continue to attract sea monsters.]

An endless hunting ground.

That was Cassian’s first thought. Then he reconsidered. Unlike Crystal Mother, the Sea Dragon King was unlikely to sit quietly while he farmed its surroundings.

The others had received the notice too.

"Sea Dragon King?" Corin’s voice hardened. "Adrian, you didn’t tell us the Boss was a Hero unit."

"Isn’t that even better?" Adrian said with a smile. "With all of us here, killing one Legendary Hero unit should be no trouble."

Cassian immediately contacted Liora.

"Anything unusual?"

"No enemies found within a hundred kilometers of the ward, Lord."

He frowned. Had he been too suspicious? Was Adrian actually cooperating honestly?

Darian, Corin, and Lydia had found nothing either. For the moment, even Mercer put his doubts aside.

"Then let’s finish this quickly. Resolute, Ghost One, Hurricane..."

The colonel gave his orders. Ghost One and more than a dozen of the strongest warships took the lead, with the other vessels following toward the temple.

Troops rose from the decks in their hundreds. The thousands of flying soldiers overhead were all Epic. Cassian even spotted more than a hundred two-winged Angels among them.

That did not include the ranged and melee troops still aboard the ships. These were the best forces drawn from millions of Lords. Even he could not dismiss that strength.

Their advance caught the monsters’ attention at once.

Dragon cries answered one another across the water. Sea monsters surged toward the fleet.

"Come on, all of you!" Seraphine laughed. "Let’s kill them!"

Wings spread from her back as she rose into the air. A blow from Moonlit Dominion smashed the head of a Rare Sea Serpent.

Lyra was right behind her.

"Iron Hooves, Frozen River!"

A blue-green blade of swordlight swept from her hand, stretching dozens of meters. Bitter frost coated everything in its path.

Several Sea Serpents froze as the swordlight passed through them. Their bodies snapped apart like brittle iron rods, scattering shards of bloody ice.

"House Valcrest never runs short of brave fighters," Mercer murmured. "If only more of the people commanding the Seventh Realm were like them."

Cassian took another look at Lyra.

"Iron Hooves, Frozen River. With that power, she must already be Proficient. Seraphine brought some excellent help."

Then he gave his own order.

"Eclipse Legionnaires. Attack."

"Yes, Lord!"

He had brought three hundred of the selected five hundred aboard Ghost One. The other two hundred waited on the submerged Carriers. With the ship Gates in place, he could bring them over in batches whenever he needed them.

Three hundred sets of wind wings opened above the flagship. The Legionnaires swept into the fighting, shields raised and polearms striking as their wings carried them through the melee.

The sight drew every eye.

The other Commanders had read about his self-created Epic troop line. Now they were finally seeing this trained force in action.

Darian was less surprised. He had already asked Elara about the troops and the Building that produced them. Lydia and the others were another matter.

"His Eclipse troops can fly?"

"I thought they were a ground force with ranged attacks."

"Why can’t they have both?"

"They’re carrying shields and polearms."

"Look at how they’re moving."

One of the Lords drew a sharp breath.

"It’s a flight skill. With that speed and maneuverability, it has to be at least Grade B."

The discussion grew louder. Then Lydia noticed something else.

"Their strength... They’re keeping up with my Epics."

Corin stared at the soldiers above Ghost One.

"I read Oracle Hall’s report. It didn’t prepare me for this."

The other Lords were judging them as troops around Level 40. These selected Legionnaires looked no different from the rest of the line. Had the observers known that they were only Level 25, they would have been even more astonished.

Mercer’s eyes shone.

"A genius. An extraordinary genius."

Thank goodness he had not let Adrian push him into offending Cassian.

Tidecrown was strategically important. But a Lord who could create a troop line like this and keep developing it might be worth more than the whole Province.

He needed to tell the generals what he had seen.

Better still, perhaps he could bring Cassian into the King’s Frontier Legion.

A notice arrived from the Exchange.

[Lord Lydia Venn has sent you: Disarming Toast Skill Book.]

[Message: Cassian, one Eclipse Chapterhouse Blueprint in exchange. This is a secret skill of my family. I wasn’t entirely honest with you before. Please forgive me.]

Cassian’s eyes brightened.

Now that she had seen the Eclipse troops fight, she was finally willing to make the trade.

Disarming Toast was only Grade B, but money alone could not buy a book like this.

He collected it from the Exchange.

He found an Exchange offer for its complete Grade-A version, with the original book accepted toward the price. Cassian sent in the Grade-B book, paid the listed difference, and collected the replacement.

Then he opened its description.

[Disarming Toast | Grade A]

[Effect 1: Siphon an enemy Hero’s Command effects and transfer part of them to a designated allied Hero.]

[Effect 2: Protect an allied Hero’s Command from weakening effects.]

[Only Lord units may learn this skill. Its strength and duration depend on both sides’ Spirit.]

Cassian laughed.

He could weaken the enemy’s Command and use it to strengthen his own Hero. Even a partial transfer was an extraordinary advantage.

"Learn."

The Skill Book dissolved into light and entered his body.

He opened the Muster Hall’s production interface, paid ten thousand Muster Fortune, and created a new Eclipse Chapterhouse Blueprint with the full training content. Then he sent it to Lydia.

He intended to spread Chapterhouses widely. There was no reason to go back on his word now.

Darian’s video request arrived almost immediately.

"Sell me a Chapterhouse Blueprint too."

"Do you need one?" Cassian asked.

Darian’s troops were already Epic, supported by Grade-B Hero Command.

"Maelin just reminded me how well your Legionnaires would do against low-Level monsters. I should have thought of it sooner." He looked annoyed with himself. "She’s a Human Lord in Ironwake. Send the Blueprint to her; I’ll pay for it."

Cassian understood. Maelin met the Chapterhouse’s owner requirement, and Darian wanted the troops hunting in his Region.

"But does Ironwake have enough room for them?"

Using large numbers of low-Level troops to support a smaller force of high-Level elites was a familiar way to build an army. He was doing it himself. Legionnaires that could reach a hundred stars at Level 1 were ideal for the job.

They still needed enough safe ground to hunt on. That meant enough Regional Fortune, and Ironwake was short of it.

"Ten Fortune," Darian said, rolling his eyes. "That’s all we need. The temple distributes it by combat contribution. Perhaps by the end of today we’ll have enough."

Cassian did not argue with his confidence.

"All right. I’ll send it now."

[Lord Darian Frost has transferred 20,000,000 Aether to you through the Exchange.]

Cassian paid another ten thousand Muster Fortune, produced a second new Blueprint with the full training content, and sent it to Maelin.

Darian had reason to be confident. Under the combined effects of his Lord Talent and his Hero’s Grade-B Command, his Iron Eagle Elites were terrifyingly strong. Before long, they were drawing the most attention on the battlefield.

That lasted until Cassian’s next force took to the air.

The monsters had gathered thickly enough.

"Nine. Your turn."

Crystal Nine had been eager to use her new ability.

"Yes, Lord. Watch this!"

Cassian had spent more than a hundred million Battle Essence to raise the other eleven Maidens of the original group from Level 20 to Level 40 as well. With Black Hole available through their new form, the investment was worth it.

Now all twelve leaped from the deck. Their crystalline bodies flowed and expanded, becoming immense dragons fifty meters long.

Lydia, Corin, and Mercer looked up at once.

They had just watched twelve humanoid troops become a flight of giants. Even with the transformation unfolding before their eyes, it was hard to take in.

Crystal Nine flew above the densest cluster of sea monsters and gave a light beat of her wings.

"Black Hole!"