Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1304: More

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Previously on Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy...

Lisa secretly infiltrated Atrium City's administrative office and used her powers to compel several key officials to obey her. She established a hidden network by turning selected guards into Vampires and influencing more administrators over two weeks. This allowed her to gain control of the city's internal affairs without any overt changes, surprising herself with the ease of the process. She also noted the growing influence of Divine Crystals in the region and the problematic annihilation of her thralls by dwarves.

Lisa’s thoughts remained on the Dwarves for several moments.

She could have asked Ruth and the others to investigate them.

After all, the Dawnblades had considerably more manpower than before, and their members were constantly traveling throughout the Valor Realm. Someone might eventually discover useful information about the Dwarves.

However, Lisa quickly dismissed the idea.

Ruth and the other Arcanists already had enough matters to deal with.

They were expanding the Dawnblades, training their new recruits, dealing with the Order of the Sky Sword, managing their branches, and preparing for whatever trouble was coming next.

After all, they needed another Immortal to enter this realm before the real conquest happened.

There was no reason for Lisa to burden them with another problem.

Besides, she had her own way of gathering information.

"If I want more information, I simply need more eyes."

A faint smile appeared on Lisa’s face.

She already had a network spread throughout Atrium City, but most of her Vampires were officials, guards, or ordinary people who were useful for gathering information.

They were not particularly strong.

That was about to change.

Lisa turned away from the balcony.

"Perhaps it is time to find some better candidates."

The next place she visited was the city prison.

The prison was located away from the central districts of Atrium City and was surrounded by thick stone walls. Several guards were stationed around the entrance, while more stood inside the compound.

Lisa did not need to sneak in.

One of the guards at the entrance was already one of her Vampires.

The moment he saw her, he lowered his head respectfully.

"My Queen."

Lisa nodded.

"Take me inside."

"Yes."

The guard immediately opened the gate.

Lisa walked into the prison without attracting any attention.

Inside, the atmosphere was completely different from the streets outside.

The smell of damp stone and old blood filled the corridors. Iron bars separated the cells, and the occasional sound of chains could be heard from deeper within the prison.

Some prisoners remained silent when Lisa passed.

Others immediately moved toward the bars.

"Hey, miss! Get me out of here!"

"I didn’t do anything!"

"Please! Tell the guards I’m innocent!"

Lisa ignored them.

She had no interest in people who were simply desperate to escape.

She wanted something else.

She wanted people who had already proven that they could survive in a dangerous world.

The prison commander, who was also one of Lisa’s newly controlled officials, quickly appeared before her.

"You summoned me?"

Lisa looked at him.

"I want to see the prisoners who are considered the most dangerous."

The commander’s expression changed slightly.

"The most dangerous?"

"Yes."

Lisa smiled.

"I need people who have killed before. People who have survived battles. People who have escaped from dangerous situations. People with connections to criminal organizations. I don’t care what they did."

She then paused for a moment as she knew what Vale would do...

"However, I don’t want people who still have a chance of changing."

The commander immediately understood.

Lisa wasn’t looking for innocent criminals.

She was looking for people who had already crossed a line they could never return from.

"Understood."

The commander led her deeper into the prison.

The first section contained ordinary criminals.

Thieves... Smugglers... Fraudsters.

People who had committed minor crimes.

Lisa barely looked at them.

The second section was different.

The prisoners here were separated from the rest.

Some had chains wrapped around their wrists and ankles. Others were locked inside special cells covered with simple suppression runes.

Lisa stopped in front of one particular cell.

Inside sat a large man with numerous scars across his arms and face.

He was missing two fingers on his left hand, and a thick scar ran from his forehead to his cheek.

The commander spoke quietly.

"His name is Frecos. He used to be the leader of a band of mercenaries."

Lisa raised an eyebrow.

"Used to be?"

"They were responsible for attacking caravans outside the city. His group killed more than thirty people before they were finally captured."

Frecos slowly opened his eyes and was stunned at her beauty...

"I don’t think you’re here to recruit me..."

Lisa’s smile widened.

"You’re right."

Before Frecos could react, Lisa’s eyes changed.

The Vampire’s power entered his mind.

His body stiffened, then everything went silent.

A moment later Frecos lowered his head.

"My Queen."

Lisa looked at him with satisfaction.

For ordinary humans with weak will, there was no need to bite them and turn them into Vampires. As a Vampire Immortal, she had many other means to control humans.

"How does your body feel?"

"Stronger."

"Good."

She turned toward the commander.

"Open the cell."

The commander didn’t hesitate before obeying.

The moment Frecos stepped outside, Lisa gave him another command.

"You will leave the city. I want you to search for information about the Dwarves."

Freco’s expression became slightly confused.

"Dwarves? They’re not just legends?"

"Yes, they exist... Do not search for their kingdom directly. If there is a hidden entrance, you will probably die before finding it."

She had already learned that lesson.

"Instead, search for rumors."

"Old ruins. Ancient weapons. Strange blacksmiths. Underground cities. Forgotten tunnels. Forests that people avoid. Villages that disappear. Stories about ancient Guardians. Anything that might be connected to the Dwarves."

"Understood."

"Wait... You are not the only one going."

Lisa continued walking.

She stopped at another cell.

This prisoner was a woman.

Unlike Frecos, she looked almost ordinary.

She was sitting cross-legged on the floor with her back against the wall.

The commander immediately introduced her.

"Selene Marr. Former information broker."

Lisa looked at her with interest.

"Information broker?"

"She sold information to merchants, mercenaries, and criminal organizations. She knows most of the major trade routes around the western region. She was also suspected of selling information about military movements."

Selene opened her eyes.

"Suspected?"

She smiled faintly.

"I was never caught doing it."

The commander frowned.

Lisa laughed softly.

"Interesting."

Selene stared at her.

"You don’t look like someone who belongs in a prison."

"I don’t."

Lisa’s eyes flashed and just like that, Selene’s smile disappeared.

A few seconds later, she slowly lowered her head.