Chapter 373: Nine’s Advancement

The scenery behind Darian and the others rushed past their images. They were already on the move.

"Go ahead and reinforce the Elves," Cassian said. "But don’t let the Orcs surround you. I’m heading for the main battlefield too."

He sent the three Golden Behemoth Troop Sigils from his latest haul to Darian through the Exchange.

"How much longer until Rank XVIII?"

"About two days." Darian’s excitement was plain. "Once I get there, I can finally recruit that Golden Behemoth Hero."

Cassian nodded. Darian’s farming Hero possessed Grade-A Command over Farmers, greatly improving their gathering speed. Together with the Legendary Settler Writs Cassian had supplied, that had put his development ahead of almost everyone else’s.

Once the Behemoths had a Hero of their own race leading them, Darian’s army would become much stronger again.

The Lords going with him were powerful too. Their Levels were low by native standards, but each commanded more than a hundred Legendary troops. With the Crystal Maidens scouting for them, they need not march blindly into an encirclement.

Elara’s Hill Kings, Nessa’s Crownward Knights, Mara’s Bone Dragons—these were complete Legendary corps. Dain and the seven Valcrests added the strength of Warbound Lords who could approach Mythic power themselves.

After a few more words, Cassian ended the call and paid to open another Gate.

This one led to the border of Pandora’s main battlefield. From there, they would have to travel the ordinary way. The remaining journey would take more than a day.

Seated on Nine’s broad back as she flew in Crystal Dragon form, Cassian took out the rest of Vargul’s treasures.

Apart from the Domain Advancement Writ, there was the Skill Book, one Mythic Troop Soul, and three Supreme Attribute Books.

The books were an easy choice. He used the two Physique books and the Load book on himself. Light entered his body, adding two thousand Physique and a thousand Load.

Even an attribute outside his main focus was worth having.

The Skill Book was more interesting.

[Sovereign Beastheart — Grade S]

[Greatly increases the fighting strength of your Orc troops and their tamed war beasts.]

He had seen the skill at work. Even spread across a million troops, an increase of more than ten percent was formidable. Concentrated on a smaller force, it would be terrifying.

"Only Orcs and their war beasts. A pity."

He had no Orc troops, and he had no plans to start raising a new army of them.

Then another thought improved his mood. This battle had cut his ready funds roughly in half. A treasure like this could help fill the gap.

"I’ll make that old man Edran pay properly this time."

He put the book away and turned to the Mythic Troop Soul.

The Kinetic Mechs and Flamecallers could wait. The Stormlance were not ready for this step either. Six-Star was the highest Legendary rank they could safely reach for now; pushing beyond that would unbalance their attributes.

That left his other troops.

He looked at Seven flying nearby, then down at Nine beneath him. For a while, he hesitated.

"Nine. This is for you."

He pressed the three-colored Soul against her back.

Nine gave a startled cry of delight as it dissolved into her.

"Thank you, my lord!"

Three-colored light enveloped her entire body. The Crystal Dragon grew beneath him, her long body stretching until it reached two hundred and thirty meters.

Despite the increase in size, she looked more slender. Her body had become beautifully streamlined, and her crystalline scales gleamed like polished metal in the sunlight.

She could not immediately contain the pressure of her new strength. The other Maidens flying in Dragon form shuddered and pulled away. Only when they were ten kilometers distant did the pressure become bearable.

Ten watched with undisguised envy.

"All that fawning finally paid off. Nine’s made it at last."

A soft, strange sound escaped Nine as the surge of power passed through her.

Cassian’s expression stiffened.

"What was that noise?"

"It feels wonderful," she said, sounding a little embarrassed. "I could have kept quiet, but then I remembered you were riding on my back. That made it even harder."

Cassian had no answer for her.

Months of fighting had left little time for other pleasures. Her obvious delight was doing nothing to help him forget that.

"Half a month," he muttered. "I’ll try to settle the Orcs within half a month. Then we can go out to sea and relax properly."

Once her advancement was complete, he opened her information.

[Crystal Nine]

[Race: Crystalkin — Crystal Princess]

[Level: 95 | Quality: Mythic One-Star]

[Recorded Form: Crystal Dragon]

[Form Capabilities: Flight / Black Hole / Void Sanctuary]

"Void Sanctuary. There it is."

Cassian laughed and patted her back.

"Well done, Nine."

"As long as you’re pleased, my lord. Everything I can do is yours to command."

It was hardly a secret in the Domain that Cassian enjoyed hearing pleasant things. Mythic or not, Nine had no intention of changing a habit that made him happy.

He was very happy indeed.

Nine was still a caster. He would not ask her to replace One in a contest of physical strength. Her Dragon form had already made her an excellent mount, however. Over long journeys, riding the swift Crystal Dragons also saved the Aether his ground troops would otherwise spend on flight skills.

Now she had something far better to offer than transport.

Void Sanctuary was an advanced form of Black Hole. Cassian had known such a skill existed, but he had not known whether Nine’s Mythic advancement would awaken it. Knowledge at that level had never appeared in his schoolbooks.

This time, his choice had paid off.

Even if it had not, he would hardly have regretted it. He had fielded more than twenty fighters with Mythic strength against Vargul. Continuing to ride a Legendary mount would have looked a little shabby.

The new skill was not her only gain. Her other capabilities had improved to different degrees as well.

Crystal Metamorphosis and Crystal Shaping now gave her much finer control over her body. Beyond returning to her familiar human form, she could vary her size or reshape a single part without changing her core attributes.

"Rein in your pressure. Shrink back to the others’ size."

Nine obeyed. Only then did her companions fly close again, looking at her with open envy.

Ten, who had always been particularly close to her, glided alongside and rubbed her head against Nine’s.

"With you looking after us, we’ll finally be able to hold our heads high in the Domain."

Nine bumped her back.

"Don’t think I didn’t hear that remark about fawning."

Cassian laughed at the exchange beneath him. Then he yawned and patted Nine again.

"I’m going to rest for a while. Keep the flight steady."

"Leave it to me, my lord."

The crystal along her back rose and reshaped itself into a bed. A shelter of energy formed above it, shutting out the rushing wind.

Curious, Cassian pressed a hand against the surface. Instead of hard scales, he found a soft, yielding cushion.

"Now that’s thoughtful."

Nine sounded delighted by the praise.

"I can adjust the firmness and the angle too."

——

Apart from the Kinetic Mechs, Flamecallers, and Stormlance traveling with the flyers, the force could make the journey on its own wings. They covered the distance quickly.

After more than a day of flight, Pandora’s endless forest stretched beneath them.

A crystal bat descended onto Nine’s back.

"Lord." Seven’s voice woke Cassian. "There is a large Orc army three thousand kilometers ahead. At least a million troops, by my estimate."

She continued before he could ask.

"They’re fighting an Elven force. Judging by how quickly each side’s numbers are falling, the Elves are losing."

Cassian sat up from the soft bed, then walked onto Nine’s head and looked into the distance.

"Faster. Nine, you’ll get to show us that new skill in a moment."

"Yes, my lord!"