Chapter 229: An Advanced Vein

[Divine Province’s Contest of Champions qualifier has concluded.]

[Advancing Lords: Darian Frost, Elara Vayne, Nessa Fenwick...]

[All listed Lords receive the title: Homeworld Champion.]

"Damn it!"

Dorian Hale stared at the list, his face shifting between red and white. Cassian’s name was there too.

"We spent a fortune putting the Abyss Gate here. We did everything we could to keep those useless Coldridge and Bharan Lords on our side. And he still became a Homeworld Champion!"

After Cassian concealed his name, many Lords on both the Tower Ranking and the points list had done the same. Only now could the Black Banner be certain of the outcome.

The title granted no attributes. Its prestige was another matter.

Galen was silent for a while.

"Homeworld Champions represent our world against the other races. Their results affect our civilization’s standing among Humans, even our place on the Ranking of the myriad races. Until the next stage determines their ranks, killing him would invite condemnation from across the Homeworld."

"The next stage?" Dorian’s eyes were bloodshot. "With his strength, he’ll soar the moment he faces the other races. Killing him will only become more expensive."

"What do you suggest?"

"Take the loss now. The military can spend enough to shut the parasites on the Homeworld Council up. I’ll request authorization."

——

Time passed.

By carefully adjusting the stakes in successive Fortune Duels, Darian left the Marches with twenty Regions at a hundred Fortune or more.

Ten. A hundred. A thousand. Each threshold transformed a Region’s environment.

At a hundred, its diameter expanded to five thousand kilometers. At eighteen hundred Lords per Region, the twenty Regions could comfortably accommodate all thirty-six thousand Lords of Riftward Marches, with an enormous amount of space to spare.

After seven Fortune aggregations, Riftward Region finally passed a thousand.

[Domain Aether Vein: advancement progress has reached 100%.]

[Domain Aether Vein advanced: Advanced. New effects unlocked.]

[Advanced Vein — Current Fortune Resonance: 16.07%.]

Cassian let out a long breath.

"Advanced at last."

A golden dragon several hundred meters long burst into the sky. Its claws, horns, and individual scales seemed solid. Its presence swept across Forgotten Shrine.

Crash!

Nine had been sunning herself in Human form, stretched out on a chair in a bikini. The sudden pressure almost startled her back into Dragon form. Instead, she knocked over the table beside her.

She stuck out her tongue and began picking things up.

"Does it have to make such a fuss? It keeps getting bigger too."

The Vein’s dragon-shaped manifestation circled overhead, then turned toward Cassian with affection in its eyes. It tried to nuzzle him, with rather awkward results. It was bigger than Nine in her full Dragon form.

Cassian had activated Folded Sanctuary as soon as it appeared, enclosing the Domain. The Capital’s sites were close together. A passing Lord spotting something several hundred meters long would only mean more trouble.

He flew up and patted its forehead.

"I’ll call you Goldie."

It seemed even less capable than Nine of judging whether a name was good or bad. A joyful roar answered him.

Cassian opened the panel.

[Domain Aether Vein — Advanced]

[Daily natural condensation: Aether ×3,620,000.]

[Improved chance of higher-Quality Wild Resource Points appearing in or near controlled Domain territory.]

[Improved chance of higher-Quality candidates from Buildings with random Recruit results.]

[Lord / Hero / Troop units formally belonging to Forgotten Shrine: standard loot-drop probability from valid kills +3,214%.]

[Cassian Vale: base probability of a High-Fortune Result when opening a random-result Chest / Reward Container ×30.]

[Natural growth cycles of animals and plants within the Domain reduced to 30%. Quality mutation chance: 30%. A successful mutation raises Quality by one tier, to a maximum of Legendary.]

[Weapons and armor produced within the Domain have a 20% chance to receive Divine Favor: equipment attributes +20%.]

[New effect — Guardian: The Vein’s manifestation may participate in Domain defense. The Vein cannot be permanently killed; reconstructing a destroyed manifestation consumes Aether.]

[New effect — Shared Blessing: Consume Aether to grant one or more of the Vein’s effects to other Lords.]

The existing effects had grown stronger, and two new ones had appeared.

The Guardian’s strength was roughly equal to a Level-70, Legendary Three-Star Hero. For an ordinary Lord, that alone could be a final trump card. For Cassian, it was less impressive.

Shared Blessing was another matter.

Then he checked its Aether requirements. The price was as formidable as the effect.

"You get what you pay for."

Cassian sent Goldie back into the ground and turned his attention to the Region.

Its space was expanding rapidly. The diameter had already passed ten thousand kilometers.

"A thousand Fortune. A Region ten thousand kilometers across." ℴℴ𝘮

Measured purely by land area, concentrating Fortune to a thousand was less efficient than leaving more Regions at a hundred.

Then reports began pouring into the Channel.

[Epic resources! An Epic Resource Point appeared outside my Domain!]

[I found a Wild Aether Spring! I won’t have to worry about running out of Aether Power now!]

[An Epic Boss just passed by...]

[Where? Need help?]

Darian posted a list of Epic materials he wanted and offered to pay anyone who found them.

In the management group, Seraphine sounded envious.

[Seraphine Valcrest: An Epic Building, Darian?]

[Darian Frost: A barracks for my Hundred-Battle Guard! Finally, I won’t have to bring a bag full of Troop Sigils every time I come back from the Homeworld.]

Cassian had expected Epic resources at a thousand Fortune. He was hoping for more.

Elara’s luck did not disappoint him.

Little more than ten minutes later, she requested a video call. Her face was bright with excitement.

"Cassian! Legendary resources! We found a Starfall Gold vein two hundred kilometers from my Domain!"

Nor was that all. Before long, his Eclipse Legionnaires reported Legendary timber near Forgotten Shrine.

The Advanced Vein was doing its work.

At last, Cassian smiled.

Building resources could not be traded. These new sites meant that other Lords might finally be able to build his Dragon Tomb.

He counted the days. War was only a few days away.

After a moment’s thought, he sent a message to Divine Province’s management group.

[Cassian Vale: Meeting at my Domain. Come over.]

——

"You chose City?"

Darian had barely stepped out of the transit circle before he stopped in surprise. City and Fortress Domains had distinct appearances. There was no mistaking the choice.

"Don’t you intend to campaign beyond our borders?"

Nessa, who had arrived before him, spoke at once.

"Cassian can come with me. I’ll protect him."

Elara stepped out of the Gate just in time to hear her. She smiled.

"Nessa, I could hear that little scheme of yours all the way from my Domain."