Arcane Core of the Fortress (Grade A)
The Tower faction’s crowning achievent—crafted by their most elite archmages.
Can be used as the core energy source for a Fortress.
Among all Fortress energy sources, this one reigns supre. No contest.
Compatible with basic, interdiate, and advanced Fortresses.
Magical Energy Reserve: **/1,000,000,000
All Fortress magic weapons: 30% damage
Fortress Arcane Barrier: 500 million durability
Fortress magic attack range: 200%
Magical energy reserves regenerate automatically
Health: 73%
"..."
Ethan stared at the numbers in stunned silence for a long mont... before finally muttering:
"If only Erald Castle had a Fortress too..."
A Fortress, at its core, is a weapon of war.
A stationary one, at that.
A giant, immovable turtle shell—bristling with spikes.
And in that regard, the Fortress is damn near perfect.
Every Fortress can be outfitted with a ridiculous number of magical and physical weapons. So of the ultimate models even co equipped with world-ending magical tech.
Which is exactly why people treat the Tower faction with a mix of awe and fear.
Across all the major factions, no one else can claim that a single town equals an entire military force.
Except the Tower.
Because only they have the ultimate Fortresses.
And on top of that, Fortresses can amplify the power of Hero Units and regular troops alike.
Even crazier? That boost stacks with the Hero Unit’s own stat buffs.
Which is absolutely, terrifyingly broken.
Because that ans even the grunts stationed in a Fortress get double the power-ups. With that kind of advantage, any halfway competent commander could wipe out an enemy force twice their size without breaking a sweat.
And right now, that’s exactly the kind of edge Erald Castle desperately needs.
But... that was just wishful thinking.
Because Fortresses are one of the Tower faction’s signature creations.
Only they know how to build them. And Ethan didn’t have the ti, the connections, or the money to go begging Tower archmages for help.
"Fortress..."
Just then, Balthazar seed to rember sothing. He rubbed his chin, hesitating before speaking up.
"My Lord... I think I heard Archmage Eldrin ntion sothing last ti. Said he might be able to build a Fortress."
Whoosh!
Ethan spun around so fast it was like the air cracked.
He locked eyes with Balthazar, intense.
"Seriously?"
"You sure you heard that right?"
"I think it was a Fortress... I an, I’m not 100% sure, but it sounded like it..." Balthazar scratched his head, clearly unsure.
Ethan’s eyes glead.
"Looks like we need to head back and ask him—ASAP."
Then Ethan walked over to Kyros and picked up the last item in his hand—a gleaming bracelet made entirely of gemstones.
Gem Dragon Bracelet
Level 2 Strategic Artifact
40 Defense, 20 Attack, 10% Max HP
This item is a component of the Level 4 Strategic Artifact: Gem Dragon’s Might.
"Alright, that’s the last piece. Ti to head to the Gem Dragon Isles and turn in the quest," Ethan murmured, eyes flashing with purpose.
"Auremax..." he called out softly.
"Here," Auremax responded with a nod.
"You take Balthazar, Cicero, Elyra, Karnak—get everyone back to Erald Castle. I’ll catch up soon," Ethan instructed.
The situation in Sylvanwood was already tense, and now that he’d pulled most of Erald Castle’s forces away, the place was practically defenseless. That was a huge problem. He needed to get the main force back there as fast as possible.
"Yes, my Lord!" Auremax replied without hesitation. He clearly understood how serious things were.
He didn’t argue—just nodded and got moving.
As for Ethan’s safety... he trusted Cicero to handle it.
Soon, the group split into two teams.
Auremax, Balthazar, Cicero, Karnak, and Elyra headed toward the Stellamaris Kingdom, en route back to Sylvanwood. anwhile, Kyros, Cicero, and Lilith stayed with Ethan, following him once more to the sacred grounds of the Gem Dragon Isles.
At the entrance to the isles, the Mana Crystal Dragon, Zyraxis, blinked in surprise when he saw Ethan.
"Lord Valkarion? You’re back already?"
"Mission’s done. Just here to turn it in," Ethan replied casually, holding up the Gem Dragon Bracelet and giving it a little twirl between his fingers.
Zyraxis froze for a second, then his eyes widened in shock.
"By the Dragon God... Lord Valkarion, you actually defeated the Crimson Ultimate Hero, Leviathan?!"
"Did my best," Ethan said with a modest smile.
"Please, co with . I imagine the Elders will be... very excited to hear this," Zyraxis said, gesturing respectfully before turning to lead the way.
They made their way up the familiar path to the cliffside gem mine—still as breathtaking as ever, with its glittering stones and sweeping views. There, Ethan once again stood before the six majestic Gem Dragons, their bodies shimring with radiant gemstones.
"Honored Lord Valkarion," the Grand Elder said, his voice tight with anticipation, "Zyraxis tells us you’ve defeated Leviathan of the Arcane Mistsea and recovered the sacred relic—the Gem Dragon Bracelet?"
"Yes, Elders. See for yourselves," Ethan said, nodding as he held out the bracelet.
The mont the artifact ca into view, the Elders’ eyes locked onto it, wide with awe. A few of them even teared up, overwheld with emotion.
"By the Dragon Goddess Sylena... Her divine protection is upon us. Our clan’s sacred relic, lost for tens of thousands of years, has finally returned!"
"Bless the Dragon Goddess! Bless our ancestors!"
"This is incredible... It’s really the Gem Dragon Bracelet. The sacred relic has co ho!"
...
At that mont, the Gem Dragon Grand Elder took a deep breath, then turned to Ethan with a look full of gratitude.
"Honored Lord Valkarion, thank you for your bravery. We are truly indebted to you. Without your help, who knows how much longer our sacred relic would’ve remained lost in the outside world. However..."
He paused mid-sentence.
Like he had more to say—but was hesitating.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Grand Elder, if there’s sothing on your mind, just say it."
The Grand Elder gave a slow nod. "Then I’ll speak plainly."
"The truth is... the Gem Dragon Bracelet isn’t a standalone artifact. It’s part of a pair."
"A pair?" Ethan blinked.
"Yes," the Grand Elder confird, his expression growing more serious. "Lord Valkarion, this brings to the second request our clan wishes to make of you. We humbly ask—can you help us recover the second sacred relic? The other Gem Dragon Bracelet?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Do you know where it is?"
The Grand Elder gave a sheepish smile, then clenched his jaw and said, "The second bracelet... is in the hands of Sea King Maelthorak."
Ethan froze.
Then his mouth twitched.
In the hands of Sea King Maelthorak?
Oh, I see how it is.
So all that earlier stuff? That was just the warm-up.
This—this—is the real difficulty of the so-called "SS-Rank Hidden Chain Quest," huh?
Are you freaking kidding ?!
I don’t even have a second-awakened Crimson Ultimate Hero yet, and you want to go toe-to-toe with the damn Sea King?
You serious right now?!
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