Chapter 313: Sudden Change at Mine Pit No. 2

"Reporting to Lord Amos! We are Council members who accepted the reinforcement mission. These are our credentials."

The elf stepped forward, offering a parchment sealed with magical wax.

The White Dragon Lord took the parchment. After confirming the seal was intact, he channeled a sliver of magical energy to break it and unrolled the document to review the eight individuals' records. This was a necessary procedure to prevent enemy spies from infiltrating their ranks.

After a brief glance, the White Dragon Lord confirmed everything was in order.

"Excellent. Introduce yourselves and state your specialties."

The elf who had delivered the parchment bowed slightly.

"I am Hamles Morningbreeze, and I specialize in wind magic. It is an honor to join your team."

A tall, muscular orc spoke in a deep, booming voice.

"I am Hasen Rock. I specialize in defense."

A human woman dressed as a rogue flirtatiously tossed her wine-red hair.

"I am Shadona Milmoth, specializing in stealth and scouting. My class is Night Walker."

The White Dragon Lord could not help but give Shadona a second glance. She was a rogue with a special class.

"..."

Inside the Floating Tower, the eight individuals standing before the White Dragon Lord introduced themselves one by one. They were reinforcements from Nordhill, assigned to the first group led by Amos.

Soon, all eight finished their introductions. Aside from the female rogue, the rest were ordinary legendary practitioners.

"Shadona will remain at headquarters to await my orders. The rest of you may freely choose which squad to join. Wait in the hall."

The eight took their leave.

Over the past few days, as the fighting intensified, every squad had suffered some casualties. Fortunately, each group had a powerhouse leading from the front, and with the support of the Floating Tower, their losses were not severe.

Coupled with the constant influx of new recruits, the number of legendary powerhouses under the White Dragon Lord's command had actually increased. However, mere numbers of legendary practitioners could not reverse the overall situation.

The White Dragon Lord let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Ah, it would be great if the Council had sent a couple of High-Tier Legends."

Nearby, the Cat-Woman lay on a lounge chair woven from green vines, occasionally tossing a dried fish into her mouth. Hearing the White Dragon Lord sigh, she snapped back in annoyance.

"Do you think High-Tier Legends are cheap market cabbages? Buy one, get one free?"

The White Dragon Lord's face instantly fell.

"I'm only complaining a bit."

After more than a week of exploration, the White Dragon Lord's group had discovered nine high-value mineral veins. Two had already been completely excavated, but out of the remaining seven, only three were under their own control.

The thought of massive amounts of points slipping through his fingers every day made the White Dragon Lord grind his teeth.

It was not that the White Dragon Lord lacked the desire to reclaim those four veins, but the factions occupying them possessed strength that made him wary.

The four veins were split between two major factions, holding two each. One was the notorious raider organization Little Finger, and the other was the White Dragon Lord's old acquaintance, the Cult of the Dragon.

Little Finger, much like the forces of Nordhill, possessed Floating Towers. They actually had two. One was deployed in the region overseen by the White Dragon Lord, while the other was in the territory managed by the Silver Dragon Scholar and Sadom Deadeye, where both sides were locked in a fierce battle.

The Cult of the Dragon had not brought a Floating Tower, but they had numbers. They boasted twenty or so High-Tier Legendary Level undead: skeletons, specters, liches, and even dracoliches. Their main force was locked in a death struggle with their old nemesis, the Holy Sanctuary.

The White Dragon Lord's region had the most major factions, but because of a tripartite balance of power where each feared the others, it was paradoxically the most peaceful area. Of course, this peace only existed among the three apex predators at the top of the food chain.

Following many days of exploration, the high-value veins across the entire Luoduoluo Plane had essentially been mapped out, and the vast majority were controlled by the three major factions. The main objective for the legendary practitioners under the White Dragon Lord's command had long since shifted to plundering mineral resources from the small and medium-sized factions.

These smaller factions were gradually being eliminated. They either successfully fled with their spoils, escaped in complete disarray, died in battle, or became prisoners. A small portion remained deeply hidden, afraid to show themselves lest they become prey.

It was worth mentioning that a few days ago, the White Dragon Lord, the Cat-Woman, and the Ancient Gold Dragon had teamed up. With the help of the Floating Tower, they launched a sneak attack on a mine occupied by a High-Tier Legend from another plane.

Not only did all of that pitiful, otherworldly High-Tier Legend's hard work end up enriching others, but he had also lost his life there. The Cat-Woman and the Ancient Gold Dragon divided his legacy, while the White Dragon Lord claimed his remains and soul.

With that, securing the Soul Core needed to construct a High-Tier Legendary Rank Puppet was no longer an issue.

"Report! A hidden mine has been discovered at coordinates (987242, 68722, 732144). There is suspected to be a High-Tier Legend present."

The Nether Panther, Yuir, sent the message.

"Well done, Yuir. Find a suitable teleportation point."

After issuing the command to the Nether Panther, the White Dragon Lord turned to the Cat-Woman lounging in her chair and the miniaturized Ancient Gold Dragon resting on the floor.

"Meow-meow, Adelaide, are you interested in pulling another job?"

Hearing the White Dragon Lord call her by that nickname, the Cat-Woman rolled her eyes. After years of cooperation, the Cat-Woman and the White Dragon Lord had grown to understand and trust each other, forging a genuine friendship.

With Elena as their shared loved one, the bond between the White Dragon Lord and the Cat-Woman, while perhaps not profoundly intimate, was much stronger than that of ordinary friends. As such, the Cat-Woman did not protest the White Dragon Lord's nickname. (PS: Mostly because Hajir sounds like an insult, so a nicer-sounding title is better.)

The Cat-Woman put away her dried fish, clapped her hands together, and stood up from her lounge chair. The Ancient Gold Dragon also opened his eyes, flames burning within his diamond-shaped pupils.

The old saying was right: murder and arson bring gold belts. Plundering was indeed one of the fastest ways to acquire wealth. Moreover, when it came to robbing these invading raiders, the White Dragon Lord and his companions felt absolutely no psychological burden. All three were fired up.

"Kemosg! You stay behind and guard the mine! Activate the magic array!"

Given the defensive capabilities of the Earth Dragon King, even a High-Tier Legend would have to expend considerable effort to take him down. Having him stay behind to guard the mine put the White Dragon Lord completely at ease.

Shortly after Kemosg took the remaining personnel into the depths of the mine and activated the magic array, Yuir found a suitable teleportation point. The White Dragon Lord initiated the teleportation, and the Floating Tower vanished from its spot.

Soon after, the White Dragon Lord met up with the Nether Panther.

"Yuir, explain the situation."

Standing before the three High-Tier Legends, the Nether Panther recounted his gathered intelligence in full detail.

"...I discovered traces of a frosty aura lingering in the air. Following that trail, I found a mine shaft. An aura emanated from inside that made my heart palpitate. I did not dare venture deeper, so I reported the coordinates to you."

It was a perfectly normal scouting report, but the frost aura Yuir mentioned piqued the White Dragon Lord's interest.

The main reason the White Dragon Lord had not participated in dividing the otherworldly High-Tier Legend's legacy last time was that the entity had lightning attributes. But if this new target was a High-Tier Legend with frost attributes, it was highly likely the White Dragon Lord could obtain equipment perfectly suited for himself.

The White Dragon Lord was tempted. The Floating Tower concealed itself and flew toward the mine Yuir had indicated.

To prevent the magical fluctuations of the Floating Tower's teleportation from alerting the enemy, the destination Yuir had selected was a hundred kilometers west of the mine. Even at the Floating Tower's flight speed, it would take several minutes to arrive.

During the flight, the White Dragon Lord used his spiritual energy, amplified by the Floating Tower, to Scan the sky and earth ahead, ensuring they would not collide with any Magic Barriers or similar traps.

"Huh?"

Not long into the flight, the White Dragon Lord spotted a perfectly hidden magic array. He hastily brought the Floating Tower to a halt and descended.

In just a few seconds, the White Dragon Lord dismantled the rather exquisite defensive formation, revealing a pitch-black, gaping hole in the ground.

After a quick Scan, the White Dragon Lord found no one inside the pit.

"Nobody is here. Yuir, go in and take a look."

It was not long before Yuir emerged with a piece of clothing clamped in his jaws.

"Master, it is human clothing. It still retains some body heat. They left just moments ago."

Yuir felt somewhat chagrined. To think there was a hidden mine so close to his chosen teleportation point. This oversight had allowed the Floating Tower's arrival to be discovered—a failure Yuir entirely blamed on himself.

The Cat-Woman asked with a hint of hesitation.

"Amos, do we continue?"

The temptation of claiming equipment of his own elemental affinity was simply too great. The White Dragon Lord pondered for a moment, then used Scan on the internal energy of the pit. Finding no excessive frost elements, his mind settled.

"The High-Tier Legend Yuir discovered has frost attributes, but there are no frost elements here. The chances that the two are connected are slim. Furthermore, we hold the advantage in strength. Even if we are ambushed, protecting ourselves will not be an issue. Let's try it. If things go south, we retreat!"

With the Floating Tower in hand, as long as an Abomination Rank enemy did not appear, the White Dragon Lord feared no one. Even if he were besieged by over a dozen High-Tier Legends, he could hold out long enough for the other two Floating Towers to arrive as reinforcements.

The Ancient Gold Dragon picked up a piece of leftover slag and nodded.

"I agree with Amos. The vein here is Dark Inkstone, a low-value mineral. The occupants were likely just a minor faction. Fleeing back to their home turf via teleportation the moment they saw the Floating Tower is perfectly normal."

"Mm, let's go!"

The White Dragon Lord and his party resumed their journey. At the same time, he recorded the pit's coordinates. Although Dark Inkstone could not compare to high-value veins, it was still a precious magical mineral, far better than a mundane gold mine. They could always mine it after the war.

A few minutes later, as they neared their destination, the White Dragon Lord slowed the Floating Tower's flight to prevent the air currents from exposing their presence.

Gripping the Floating Tower's Control Core, the White Dragon Lord extended his spiritual tendrils downward. Sure enough, he discovered a complex defensive formation.

Feeling the aura radiating from the defensive formation, the White Dragon Lord detected a familiar scent. His vertical golden pupils contracted sharply.

Titans?!!!

Murderous intent erupted from the White Dragon Lord like a tidal wave, startling the Cat-Woman and the Ancient Gold Dragon.

"What's wrong?!"

With no time to answer, the White Dragon Lord rapidly chanted an incantation.

Legendary magic—Dimensional Anchor!

An invisible magical force field instantly enveloped a ten-kilometer radius around the mine pit. Space was reinforced, rendering teleportation magic completely useless for both ally and enemy.

The White Dragon Lord's spellcasting did not end there.

Ice Burst Bomb!

Massive ice spheres, five meters in diameter, materialized in the blink of an eye around the Floating Tower. Like colossal boulders cascading from a collapsing cliff, they plummeted toward the defensive formation below.

In an instant, the gargantuan ice spheres smashed into the Protective Shield. Upon impact, the already unstable magical energy within the ice spheres violently detonated.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Amidst the showering ice shards, the Protective Shield revealed itself, resembling an overturned transparent glass bowl.

Under the frenzied bombardment of the Ice Burst Bombs, the Protective Shield—whose concealment properties far outweighed its defensive capabilities—failed to last even three seconds. With a loud crack, it shattered, dissipating into ambient magical energy and exposing the deep mine pit beneath.

Though the Protective Shield had shattered, the barrage of Ice Burst Bombs had not ended. They continued their descent straight into the pit.

Suddenly, a shocking change occurred!

A gigantic fist of ice punched upward from the depths of the mine pit. Before this fist, the massive Ice Burst Bombs were like mere glass marbles. Amid a series of booming explosions, cracks began to web across the icy fist.

The icy fist surged into midair before finally succumbing to the explosive force. It shattered into countless blocks of ice that rained downward, marking the end of the Ice Burst Bomb onslaught.

A cacophony of crashing ice poured into the deep mine pit like a mudslide. The heavy thuds of falling ice echoed from within, mingling with the panicked shouts and agonizing screams of intelligent beings.

Yet, a towering humanoid figure stood at the mouth of the mine pit. The plummeting blocks of ice automatically veered away from him, parting as if bowing to their king.

The dust settled.

A giant with ice-blue skin came into view. His face contorted with fury, he glared up at the Floating Tower in the sky. Realization dawned on the Cat-Woman.

Even the usually mild-mannered Ancient Gold Dragon erupted with overwhelming murderous intent upon seeing the giant, feeling a mixture of surprise and profound joy.

"Hahaha! A big fish!"

The shrunken Ancient Gold Dragon laughed, darting out from a window of the Floating Tower. His two-meter-long body rapidly expanded back to its true form.

Roar!

Accompanied by a heaven-shaking dragon roar brimming with excitement and killing intent, the nearly forty-meter-long Ancient Gold Dragon materialized in the sky. His bat-like wings blotted out the sun, casting a massive shadow that completely engulfed the Frost Titan at the mouth of the mine.

The furious Frost Titan's expression changed drastically.

The Frost Titan—Prudhomme the Ice-Bound—felt that things had taken a dire turn. He never imagined he would be so incredibly unlucky as to encounter his mortal enemies, the Dragon Race, while participating in a simple planar pillage.

Furthermore, this particular dragon was a member of a major faction commanding a Magic Tower. Most critically, even if he wanted to flee now, he could not.

Prudhomme was filled with intense regret. The instant the White Dragon Lord's spiritual energy brushed against the Protective Shield and erupted with killing intent, he had originally had a window of opportunity to escape. But thinking of the Frost Fel Iron Vein he had gone through so much trouble to find, Prudhomme had hesitated for a fraction of a second.

That split-second of hesitation had now left Prudhomme with regrets too late to mend.

High in the sky, the Ancient Gold Dragon opened his maw and inhaled, executing his breath attack in one seamless motion. Liquid golden fire cascaded from the dragon's mouth like a waterfall plunging from a cliff, completely engulfing the Titan below.

The Cat-Woman flew out of the Floating Tower to join the battlefield. Grasping the Floating Tower's Control Core, the White Dragon Lord readied a legendary magic spell.

Suddenly, an image flashed across the White Dragon Lord's mind. A humanoid creature with obscured features was tiptoeing toward Mine Pit No. 2. Soon after, more and more figures began to appear in his mind's eye.

This was the visual feed transmitted from the perimeter warning magic at Mine Pit No. 2. The White Dragon Lord's expression shifted.

Mine Pit No. 2 was under attack!