Evolving by devouring from a young dragon

Grimm had just taken a sip of ice water when a slightly chubby goblin appeared beside him.

The man was wearing a dark gray short robe and had a smile on his face that was neither warm nor cold.

"Lord Grimm, I've long admired you."

He sat down in the empty seat next to Grimm, holding a glass of amber wine. "I am Vickers, manager of the Golden Pickaxe City branch of the Deep Pulse Merchant Guild. May I speak with you in private? I have reserved a private room."

Grimm became alert.

Deep Vein Chamber of Commerce.

Habut is a member of the Deep Pulse Chamber of Commerce, but Habut is a mineral appraiser, while Vickers in front of him is clearly in business.

The fact that both groups were targeting him meant that the Deep Pulse Chamber of Commerce was paying close attention to him. He remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

Vickers led the way to the door of a private room separated by a magical crystal at the end of the corridor.

The private room was small, with only two high-backed chairs and a table, and a map of the mineral veins hanging on the wall.

The crystal wall allows you to see out from the inside, but you can't see in from the outside.

Vickers closed the door, poured Grimm a glass of wine himself, then placed his hands on the table and leaned forward slightly.

"Lord Grimm, I'll get straight to the point."

His voice was deep, "It sank into the basin, where an ancient dragon was sealed 30,000 years ago. The seal has long since failed."

There's no doubt about it; this has been confirmed by the Imperial Magic Academy.

If the ancient dragon died within the seal, its body, subjected to 30,000 years of extreme temperature and pressure, would likely have transformed into dragon crystal.

Grimm's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained expressionless.

Dragon crystal.

He understood the weight of those two words.

A single dragon crystal the size of a fist is equivalent to the annual output of an entire standard magic crystal mine. It is the core material of magic engines, the power source for imperial-level shields, and the driving force for legendary magic weapons.

The reason why the Empire was able to overwhelm the Eastern Continent with its assets was not only because of its technology and capital, but more importantly because it controlled the largest known stockpile of dragon crystals in the entire Eastern Continent.

That small stockpile was accumulated little by little from scattered mineral veins over thousands of years, and the amount was so small that every new Minister of Magic of the Empire had to fight tooth and nail over the quota.

If there really is a dragon crystal vein in the sunken basin, it's not just an ordinary ore transaction; it's a strategic resource that could change the landscape of magic on the continent.

In the decaying swamp, Alduin, using his fire-based spiritual sense, was somewhat surprised upon hearing these words.

He certainly knew about dragon crystals and had even obtained one before, but he had used it up.

The one he obtained was called the Gibor Dragon Crystal, also known as the Abyss Dragon Crystal.

However, although rare, its condition is only average.

The dragon crystal that this goblin mentioned is probably not the dragon crystal that he, as a dragon, understands.

Rather, they are the individual magic crystals left behind after the dragons died, containing their original magic power.

An ordinary dragon concentrates its life's worth of demonic energy in its heart, containing only the power of a single innate element.

It possesses only magical energy storage and elemental power, its spiritual energy is finite and its grade is limited, but it is still a top-tier rare item in the mortal realm.

Siberius, Eberon, and Gibol were formed from the origin of the world and wield the three great laws of the heavens, the earth, and the abyss.

It is eternally continuous and inexhaustible, with power that extends to all planes. It is the material forged by the highest gods in the world and the source of all laws.

Although the Gibor dragon crystal he obtained was of low quality, it was still priceless and incomparable to the dragon crystal of ordinary dragons.

Alduin narrowed his eyes, a thought flashing through his mind. If there really was dragon crystal...

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Grimm picked up his glass, took a sip, suppressed his shock, and said calmly, "I'm just in charge of the mines, I don't know anything about these things."

Vickers showed no disappointment; he had clearly anticipated this answer.

"You don't need to know. All the Deeppulse Merchant Guild needs is permission from the Emberfang Orc Tribe to conduct a deep exploration in the Sunken Basin."

If we find the Dragon Crystal, the Deep Pulse Chamber of Commerce will offer to buy it at a fair price.

If the target mineral is not found, we will cover all exploration costs and pay mining area compensation, amounting to three times the standard rental fee.

He paused for a moment, then said, "We guarantee that the exploration team will only collect samples and will not dig holes or damage the terrain."

Grimm fell into a brief silence.

Fire Spirit jumped off his shoulder and landed on the table, tilting its head to look at Vickers, its golden eyes shining brightly in the dim light of the private room.

Vickers stared at the Fire Spirit for a few seconds, his gaze sweeping over its feathers and claws, before slowly speaking, his tone now tinged with a cautious probing:

"Are your orcish shamans willing to talk?"

Grimm's eyes darted around, then he put down his wine glass, his tone hesitant: "You know I'm just a slave. This... I'll have to ask my master."

Vickers stared at him for three seconds, nodded, and pulled a dark gray metal business card from his pocket, pushing it in front of Grimm.

"You can contact me anytime," he stood up. "The Deep Pulse Chamber of Commerce isn't in a hurry; we're patient."

He knew, of course, that a goblin who could have a different kind of fire spirit by his side must have a very high status in that orc tribe.

And what he just said wasn't to the old goblin in front of him, but to the orc behind him...

As a goblin who could establish himself in the City of Gold, he was no fool. He knew that the other party must have used the symbiotic contract with the fire spirit to see this scene.

However, since he hadn't given a clear answer, he couldn't continue.

As Grimm stepped out of the box, the fire spirit gently nudged his paw on his shoulder. He had just returned to his seat and hadn't even had a chance to pick up his glass when someone else arrived.

This time it's the anvil department.

A middle-aged goblin in an iron-grey robe walked up to his table, a silver badge in the shape of an anvil pinned to his collar, his eyes sharper than Grindor's.

He was followed by two assistants, each carrying a stack of parchment.

"Lord Grimm, Norin of the Anvil Department."

He sat down opposite Grimm, skipping even the small talk.

"I won't beat around the bush. The Anvil Department wants to offer to buy the mining rights to three veins in the Sunken Basin from the Orcish Horde. Here's the offer."

He took a roll of parchment from his assistant and unfolded it; the total price was so large that it made Grimm's eyelids twitch.

Fire Spirit glanced down at the parchment, then looked up and chirped listlessly.

"We only buy ore and do not engage in other businesses. The exploration scope, mining depth, and transportation route are all written in black and white in the contract, and we will never add any additional clauses."

After Norlin finished speaking, his gaze fell on the fire spirit on Grim's shoulder.

Grimm glanced at the parchment and gently pushed it back: "I've seen the quote, but I can't make a decision on this matter. I need to go back and consult my master."

Norlin didn't insist, and rolled up the parchment and placed it on Grimm's table: "Keep the contract for now. The Anvil Department will be waiting for your reply."

After saying that, he stood up, bowed slightly, and left.