Chapter 328: Burning Fireball

"I have already asked my sister; she reviewed nearly thirty years of records and found no sighting reports of the Deep Dark Sonic Dragon."

"The Goddess" Arachne Tarabar said with some helplessness. It was rare for a partner to make a request, and she was quite eager to fulfill their needs.

The Dark Elves had even mobilized resources and consulted the Divine Envoy, yet the answer remained negative.

"This dragon is simply too rare. First, purple dragons are already rare in this plane. To find one that resides in the Underdark and has been eroded and corrupted is another matter. I did find a few famous Deep Dark Sonic Dragons, but to be honest, they would likely require national-level power to subdue, and might even offend a dragon lair and a deity."

An old dragon and a young dragon are not on the same level. Those with titles like Ancient or Primeval Dragon are beyond the reach of mortals seeking trouble. One of their most basic abilities is to cast ninth-circle spells at will.

"Uh, although expectations aren't high, Sapphire Dragons and Crystal Dragons..."

Although the Gem Dragon lineage is called the third major dragon lineage, their numbers fall far short of the first and second: Chromatic Dragons and Metallic Dragons.

Leaning toward neutrality, they long ago distanced themselves from the "War of Good and Evil" among their own kind, with most living in relatively comfortable alternate planes.

They exist on the Prime Material Plane, but not in great numbers.

"There are some in this regard, but they are few and far between." The habitats of Crystal Dragons and Sapphire Dragons are either high mountains or underground. Sightings may exist, but few are brought back alive.

Li En sighed; it seemed hunting one himself was becoming nearly unrealistic.

Purchasing one was not impossible, but without the "Dragon Soul," Li En's evolution would likely be severely compromised.

"And even if a young dragon were found, subduing it would be a very difficult task."

This was reality. Even the weakest of these three dragons, the Sapphire Dragon, was an extremely difficult ambush master. A full squad of veteran professionals might be wiped out trying to take down a young or adult dragon.

The most suitable option for Li En right now was clearly a dragonet among the three, but that was far too much of a gamble.

"Understood. How have you been lately?" Li En set that question aside and asked something more practical.

"I am still catching up on my studies. If I make a fool of myself, please do not laugh."

"I won't. Having a cleric at all is already good. As you know, my relationship with certain churches..."

Unless something unexpected happened, Arachne was also a future teammate Li En had planned for.

Regarding the "pre-assigned official party," Li En needed the brand of a Dark Elf, preferably a cleric capable of promoting the Goddess of Mirrors, Li En. Actually, there were not many good options.

Compared to inserting an unfamiliar Grand Cleric, Arachne, possessing a Divine Bloodline and being a Valkyrie, was clearly the best choice.

As a Goddess's chosen, Arachne understood that since she enjoyed the benefits of divine favor, she naturally had to pay a price.

Teaming up with Li En's old acquaintances was relatively safe and reliable. However, as a Grand Cleric, she still needed extensive catch-up training and was unlikely to improve significantly in the short term. Judging by ability alone, she was probably at the bottom tier of Grand Clerics.

But her advantages were always her Divine Bloodline and her status as a Valkyrie. Such a Grand Cleric did not require extra guards and could even serve as an excellent combat guard herself.

Li En would even have to improve himself to avoid being overshadowed by his future teammate.

"How are the other candidates coming along?"

"If Larry cannot join, I will need an additional Grand Warrior, preferably one inclined toward defense. For a Grand Mage, we could invite a Half-Elf; my mentor can help make introductions."

"Actually, we have a Grand Mage on our side as well." The Dark Elves were clearly trying to expand their influence, but Li En simply smiled and shook his head.

If the team Li En constructed included more than two members of the same non-human race, it would give the impression of being overly "alien," which was unacceptable under current circumstances.