Chapter 340: A Billion Points

Darian spotted two familiar Domains nearby. His irritation vanished.

"Nessa! Elara! You’re out too? Come over for tea!"

Before long, the three were sitting in his Domain with delicate pastries and the thirty-second infusion of Enlightenment Tea.

Darian frowned into his cup.

"The Lord selling used tea leaves hasn’t listed anything for more than ten days. I’m beginning to forget what the good stuff tastes like."

"A Lord who can sell Enlightenment Tea must be a Champion of their race," Elara said with a smile. "Perhaps they’re busy in the Labyrinth too."

Nessa took a small sip, then clenched her fist.

"I’m buying another Prism Bridge and going back in. Stage twenty-one isn’t going to stop me."

She had been stuck there for almost two days.

"Be careful," Elara said. "A bridge costs thirty million points. You could spend more than you earn."

After a failed attempt, a new Prism Bridge let a Lord reenter and reset the twenty-four-hour limit. Each participant could exchange for no more than five. The price meant that ordinary Lords rarely got a second chance at all.

"I know." Nessa smiled. "I found a Troll City. They’re big and stupid, and I’ve almost worn through the outer defenses. I could have taken it last time if I hadn’t been worried about the losses."

She helped herself to another pastry.

"This will be my last stage, though. I’m giving up on twenty-two."

"Go for it," Darian said. "Here’s a little secret, free of charge. Clearing stage twenty-one pays a hundred million points."

"A hundred million?" Nessa’s eyes shone. "Then what does twenty-two pay?"

"Two hundred million."

"I think I have another two stages in me."

One Labyrinth Point could be exchanged for ten Aether or fifty Battle Essence. A hundred million points meant a billion Aether, or five billion Battle Essence.

A prize like that could be worth some losses.

While they talked, golden light rose from a nearby Domain. When it faded, Forgotten Shrine was gone.

Nessa sprang to her feet.

"Cassian finally moved his Domain into the Labyrinth! How far has he reached?"

"He must have cleared twenty-three by now," Darian said. "With his strength, it would probably take a Rank-XIX Domain to stop him."

"Level-100 defenders," Elara murmured. "That’s comparable to the monsters on the outer battlefields."

"I’d better warn him. Even with his Divine Dragon and those Heroes, he could lose a lot of troops against a Rank-XIX Domain."

Nessa immediately sent Cassian a message.

——

Inside his newly relocated Domain, Cassian read her warning and smiled.

Twenty hours passed quickly. His forces returned, and he gathered the full army to challenge the twenty-sixth checkpoint.

He chose a Goldkin City.

Goldkin were famous for surviving punishment. Their offensive strength was less impressive, and they had few ways to attack at range. Defeating them might take longer, but it was a safer choice.

Being able to choose his opponent was one of a challenger’s advantages.

Thousands of powerful figures stood along the golden walls. The weakest were Rare. At Level 100, even those troops had attributes comparable to Level-85 Legendaries.

Hundreds of Epics stood among them, along with twelve Legendary Gilded Overlords and six Legendary Heroes.

The city’s Lord was five meters tall, his whole body gleaming like solid gold. Metal flowed across his face until it took on Human features.

"Challenger. I don’t know your race, but reaching this stage proves your strength."

His voice rang from the walls.

"You chose the wrong target. You will never take my Domain in a single day."

Goldkin fortifications had set the standard for an impregnable city. Their troops were tough, their walls were tougher, and even their Barriers carried a Metal enhancement.

Cassian saw no reason to argue.

"All forces, attack."

The Flamecallers became a line of living artillery.

"Meteor Shower!"

"Fireball Barrage!"

"Fireburst!"

Flame Will strengthened the magic of Tamsin and the other original Flamecallers. Liora’s Command supported the whole corps. Even a Grade-C Fireburst struck with frightening power.

Crystal Maidens and Dawnwings added their fire. Ripples spread across the pale golden Barrier, and the Goldkin Lord’s expression sharpened.

The attacks were damaging it faster than it could repair itself.

Cassian opened the Amber’s seal and paid for the summoning. A Dragon’s cry filled the air as the Divine Dragon appeared, its continued presence drawing on his Aether.

"A Mythic troop..."

Then Aurelia and Celia brought their strength to bear.

The Goldkin Lord’s face changed completely.

"Two more who can rival Mythics at their own Level?"

More than a hundred and sixty Legendary Nine-Star fighters joined the assault.

The defenders hurled lashes of golden energy from the walls, but their attacks could not reach far enough. They could only watch their Barrier weaken.

Dozens of golden cannon emplacements had the range to return fire. Their shots struck the physical Crystal Maidens, but failed to kill them.

Half an hour later, the Barrier shattered.

"Damn you!" the Goldkin Lord roared. "Breaking the walls won’t give you this checkpoint. Goldkin warriors are immortal!"

It was more than an empty boast.

Celia met a Gilded Overlord Hero in close combat. The Level-100 Legendary’s attributes were a match for hers. Her finer swordsmanship let her cut deep wounds across his golden body, but each closed in less than a second.

His answering lashes of golden energy could split stone and shatter metal. Celia avoided them instead of trying to endure the blows.

He was only one of the six Heroes. Lethria and the others were holding the remaining five.

"That regeneration is even worse than the Crystal Maidens’."

Cassian narrowed his eyes, then gave an order.

"Kinetic Mechs. Gravity rounds. Concentrate on the Overlord fighting Celia."

Thirty-six cannons turned toward the Hero and fired.

Thirty-six Legendary Nine-Star Mechs, all striking the same target. Even a Mythic would have struggled under that weight.

The Overlord crashed into the alloy ground, driving a pit several meters deep into it. He could not move. His body began to deform under the crushing force.

Cassian had expected it to work. Even so, the result was better than he had hoped.

"Of course. He’s a solid lump of metal. All that weight and density makes the gravity rounds more effective."

He smiled.

"The perfect counter."

The Overlord’s regeneration was formidable. Pinned helplessly in place, it could not save him from Celia’s sword.

She cut him into more than a dozen pieces. The brilliant gold dulled, and his body finally stopped recovering.

More than a dozen Legendary items dropped, including a Gilded Overlord Troop Sigil.

The Goldkin Lord roared in fury. There was nothing he could do.

The Eclipse corps held behind Aegis Fold, working with the Faerie Dragons to pin down an enemy force several times its size. The Kinetic Mechs concentrated their fire while Cassian’s strongest fighters killed the Overlords one by one.

The work was slow and steady. The Goldkin had too few ways to change the battle.

Another half hour passed. All six Heroes and all twelve Legendary troops were dead.

After that, the outcome was clear. Even the Level-100 Epics were no stronger than Cassian’s Legendary Nine-Stars.

An hour later, a final cry came from the Lord’s Hall.

"No!"

The Goldkin Lord broke apart with his city, dissolving into a storm of golden fragments.

[Twenty-sixth checkpoint cleared. Labyrinth Points +1,000,000,000.]

[Find and destroy the twenty-seventh checkpoint within 24 hours. Failure will end this attempt and return you to the Human Hall.]

"A billion points?!"

Cassian’s voice shot up in disbelief.