Chapter 172: Why Is My Career Panel in a 2D Art Style? Chapter 75

Amidst the strange gazes of Mo Di and the other two, Li Ang began the process of stripping the dragon's tendons and bones.

First came the dragon scales.

Although most of the dragon scales had been shattered beyond recognition in battle, a few still remained undamaged.

In the end, he obtained eleven usable dragon scales.

Next came the dragon tendons and bones.

Unlike the dragon scales, which could be put to immediate use, these might prove useful to Li Ang someday.

As for the dragon meat,

it held little use for Li Ang.

'If I knew the Six Storehouse Immortal Thief technique, I might try tasting it. But would it be poisonous?'

Staring at the modified dragon corpse before him, Li Ang hesitated for a moment.

Yet in the end, he still cut it apart—who knew when it might come in handy.

Seeing the ten-cubic-meter space ring Lu Ke had given him now filled with materials, Li Ang nodded in satisfaction.

These were all the materials a single dragon could provide; normally there would also be dragon blood and dragon heart, but the former had been replaced by foul-smelling fluid, and the latter had exploded in a grand firework.

After finishing this, Li Ang returned to Lu Ke and the others and asked: "Do any of you have spare metal?"

In response, Danika and Mo Di shook their heads slightly.

They weren't craftsmen; they wouldn't carry large quantities of metal on them.

Lu Ke, however, handed him a ring with a puzzled expression: "There's some metal I collected long ago inside. What are you planning to make?"

"An alchemical item."

Earlier, without complete dragon scales, he had no choice—but now that he had a sufficient number, Li Ang intended to attempt crafting the true 【Garo's Scale】.

After all, doing so would grant him new equipment and 【Dragon Vein Alchemist】 experience.

Yet before entering the basement, Li Ang casually asked: "By the way, Lu Ke, what are your sister's and Viceroy Obi-Wan's approximate sizes?"

Though puzzled, Lu Ke obediently gestured to indicate their builds.

With a clear idea in mind, Li Ang entered his alchemical workshop.

He exhaled softly, steadied his emotions, then took out five dragon scales and the metal Lu Ke had collected from the ring.

'Let me see what metal you collected.'

【Unnamed Metal: Excellent energy-absorbing properties.】

Li Ang now understood why Lu Ke hadn't given him this batch of metal for gun parts earlier—its properties were useless for firearms.

But for the 【Garo's Scale】 he was about to craft, it was perfect.

Still, before crafting, Li Ang planned to add his own unique processing.

He intended to embed the 【Resilience】 array into the metal, following the method he'd used when crafting the beggar-version conceptual weapon, then proceed with the alchemy.

For safety, Li Ang refined only enough metal for one 【Garo's Scale】 on his first attempt.

Gazing at the metal infused with the 【Resilience】 attribute inside the alchemy array, along with the newly acquired dragon scales, he took a deep breath and channeled energy into the array.

The next instant, a flash of red light appeared, and a fitted, crimson-glowing soft armor materialized at the array's center.

【Successfully crafted one alchemical item. Professional experience +752】.

'Success.'

Li Ang walked to the center of the array and picked up the 【Garo's Scale · Dragon Clan World Modified Version】, feeling its properties carefully.

Its defensive performance was exceptional—even among second-tier items, it was rare.

But that was only natural, given the use of beggar-version conceptual weapon techniques and materials sourced from a dragon that had been at least second-tier in life.

Moreover, due to the metal Lu Ke provided, this 【Garo's Scale】 now carried a slight energy-absorbing property.

After confirming his method was viable, Li Ang repeated the previous process.

【Successfully crafted one alchemical item. Professional experience +693】.

【Dragon Vein Alchemist: lv9 (541/4500)】.

After completing six 【Garo's Scale】 items, Li Ang's 【Dragon Vein Alchemist】 rank advanced again.

'No wonder it's a pay-to-win profession.'

But he knew he could never have leveled up this fast without Lu Ke.

After calming his breath slightly, Li Ang picked up the six crimson soft armors and ascended the stairs.

Aboveground, Lu Ke was idly staring at the sky.

It wasn't that he didn't want to chat with Danika and Mo Di—it was that neither of them could be meaningfully spoken to.

One had fallen asleep at an unknown time, and the other looked down his nose at everyone.

Sigh. The ninety-eighth minute missing Li Ang.

Just as he thought this, a figure emerged from the basement.

Before Lu Ke could react, three crimson soft armors were thrust into his arms: "One's for you, the other two are for Viceroy Obi-Wan and your sister."

After handing over the armors to Lu Ke, Li Ang tossed one 【Garo's Scale】 each to Danika and Mo Di.

"Put them on. If they're useful, spread the word for me."

Yes—he had prepared a 【Garo's Scale】 for everyone present.

Danika stared at the soft armor in her hand, then at Li Ang, her expression stunned: "You really learned alchemy?!"

She hadn't believed him when he'd said he'd become a boss upon quitting.

How the hell did someone secretly get rich like this?!

Li Ang's earlier words—"Grow big, expand further, reclaim glory"—faintly echoed in Danika's ears.

Mo Di, meanwhile, was surprised—he hadn't expected to get one too.

After a moment of silence, this elite of the Federal Review Bureau spoke up: "Thank you. I'll recommend it to my colleagues."

Hearing this, Li Ang couldn't help but grin.

The day the Dragon Race Alchemy Workshop rises is today!

In a dark cavern.

A massive insect chewed on the ore in its mouthparts, mumbling indistinctly: "The capture failed."

"Strange alchemy."

"I want to know."

Creak, creak—

"Damn the Federal Review Bureau, why did they have to come at this critical moment."

"Just three more special genes and I can complete the condition."

Creak, creak—

"The Mother Empress is on her way."

"Still need more swarm."

Creak, creak—

"No time left, can only activate the backup plan."

"Number One, it's your turn to make an appearance."

The chewing sound abruptly stopped.

Then the insect, like a small hill, began slowly shifting its massive body.

Gravel kept falling from the somewhat narrow tunnel, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

But the insect didn't care at all, simply forcing its way out of the tunnel.

Gradually, a sliver of light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and then the view suddenly opened up.

Unfortunately, outside the tunnel was not blue sky and white clouds, but sand filling the sky.

And beneath the sand, the vast swarm of insects.

Hiss—!

At this moment, the Swarm Sovereign issued the order for full-scale attack, and the swarm surged toward the distance like a tide.

And this scene was taken in by a human figure atop the Swarm Sovereign's head.

His expression was cold, a trace of barely perceptible madness flashing through his eyes.

'Third Energy Level.'

'Soon, very soon.'

'I can reach that domain too.'

'By then, whether throwing in with the Empire or becoming a designer of 【Immortal Evolution】, I can escape the Federation's pursuit.'

'Even at the end of my rope, I can return to the Mother Empress's embrace.'

'No.'

'Why would I want to return to the Mother Empress's embrace?'

The figure tilted its head in some confusion, but before it could think further, the tangled thoughts had already drowned its mind.

Two chapters today to sort out the follow-up plot, four chapters tomorrow.

The main world is about to wrap up.