Not long after the White Dragon King left, a seemingly human woman walked up to Damien and Ruyue. The only feature defining her as nonhuman was the pair of dragon horns jutting out of her forehead.
"Hi! My name is Elisa and I'll be your guide today."
'Elisa?'
It was the first non-Chinese name Damien had heard since he came to this world. Even the White Dragon King told him to address him as Senior Bai. But, he wasn't as surprised as he expected.
The words of the Burning Sun Sect Elder popped up in his head. About how there was no need for him to take up a pseudonym since there were still people with non-Chinese names in the Cloud Plane.
It was just that the rarity of them far exceeded his expectations. Whether it was the Northern Continent or the Central Continent, he always felt like he stood out when it came to names.
However, the fact that Ruyue and the rest didn't really raise an eyebrow at his name should've been indication enough that such names still existed.
This was especially so for Elisa. She was, after all, a member of White Dragon Grotto, a person who lived in the 3000 Beast Mountain Range. There was no way they'd be completely closed off from outside culture since there have been plenty who became stranded in the mountain range before, but that didn't mean they'd adhere to it.
Up until this point, the only names he had learned since arriving were Senior Bai and Elisa herself.
Anyway, while Damien was thinking stupid thoughts, Elisa was giving a brief rundown of the White Dragon Grotto's operation. Luckily, it wasn't anything they hadn't heard from Senior Bai beforehand, so Damien didn't miss much.
Suddenly, Elisa took out a round copper medallion. "We're going to be teleporting now, so be prepared."
It wasn't like she was supposed to know that Damien was a spatial affinity user. Otherwise, there would be no need for a warning.
When the light of spatial fluctuations faded, the three found themselves within…a shack.
"I know what you're thinking, but there's a reason to everything," Elisa said with a smile. "As you already know, the White Dragon Grotto is a place that fully embodies the law of the jungle. The one with the bigger fist rules.
"Our entire philosophy and lifestyle revolve around this concept, so naturally, the living arrangements are the same. Since you two have only just arrived, you are in the smallest Worm level accommodation.
"From the lowest level of Worm, you then have Snake, Wyvern, Dragon, and True Dragon level. The Worm level is usually reserved for those newbies that haven't gone into battle yet. Rarely anyone actually stays at this level. But complacency isn't something we allow.
"From the Worm level, one only needs to win a single fight to promote to the Snake level. If you don't promote within 1 month, you are clearly a coward. Those left behind in the Worm level after a month has passed will be forced to fight, and if they still refuse, they'll be killed and fed to others without hesitation."
Damien couldn't help but raise his brow at this. Although he had already realized it before, this place was truly cruel. There was no concept of strategy or planning here. It was simply fight, fight, and fight some more.
But Damien felt that there couldn't be a better environment than this one. He had felt it previously, even if he did so unconsciously. The dragon bloodline itself was like a living creature in some ways. It had its own desires and pride. It craved battle.
And this place was filled with that.
Paying no heed to Damien's thoughts, Elisa continued her explanation. "To promote from Snake level to Wyvern level, one must win 100 battles, and from the Wyvern Level to the Dragon Level is 1000 battles. Naturally, all these wins must be consecutive, because the only outcome if you lose is death."
"Hm? What about the True Dragon Level?" Damien asked.
Elisa grinned. "I'm glad you asked. The True Dragon Level isn't the same as the other levels. For those levels, no matter the purity of your bloodline, you can still attain them through battle. However, to enter the True Dragon Level, your bloodline must reach a level of purity that is accepted by Lord White Dragon himself."
"What makes the True Dragon Level special is precisely that. Regardless of your strength, you can enter it as long as you attain the desired amount of bloodline purity."
"But if the accommodations and treatment for the True Dragon Level are the highest of them all, why is it that even the weaklings can achieve it?"
"That's simple. Those that reach the True Dragon Level are personally trained by Leader Bai. It doesn't matter what your strength is when you enter the level. By the time you are deployed for the first time, you're guaranteed to be a peak expert!" A light of worship could be seen in Elisa's eyes as she spoke.
"The True Dragon Level is the goal of all of us. That's the reason why we fight constantly to purify our bloodlines. Leader Bai has made the perfect training environment for us, so any failure is our own doing."
"In fact, even just staying within the White Dragon Grotto is a form of training. The air here is permeated by heavy Dragon Aura, which passively refines our bloodlines with no cost! It's because we are given such privileges that one must work exceedingly hard to earn their stay."
Damien listened intently to what Elisa was saying. Her explanation continued for a few hours before she finally handed over the copper medallion and went on her way.
As it turns out, the copper medallion was the only way to enter and exit the residence. A new level of medallion would be given every time one ascended to a new level.
As for the way all of those levels and experts were accommodated, the White Dragon Grotto was actually much bigger than Damien expected.
The arenas that Damien had seen when he first entered were only for those in the Snake level. Each time one ascended, they would move to the lower floors where those on their level would reside.
The system by which the grotto operated was much more complex than Damien originally thought, and the number of experts present was even greater.
First, one would be divided based on their class. Next, they would be further divided by their level.
A 3rd class at the Snake level would never be able to fight a 3rd class at the Wyvern level. At least, under normal circumstances.
When one reached the halfway point of the number of wins they needed to ascend to the next level, they would be granted the opportunity to challenge someone of their same class at a higher level. If they won this challenge, they'd take the other person's spot.
For example, if Damien reached the Snake levels and achieved 50 wins, he'd be able to challenge a 3rd class being at the Wyvern level. If he won, he'd become a Wyvern level combatant and he'd hold the same number of wins as the person he beat.
This way, those whose power exceeded their current level wouldn't have to keep bullying those around them just to ascend.
There were many more mechanics and novelties that Elisa had explained to him, but they were relatively easy to understand and didn't apply to him at the moment, so he didn't really think about them.
Instead, he walked over to the small single bed that took up half of the shack space and laid down. Looking over, he finally remembered something he had forgotten after getting absorbed in the atmosphere of the White Dragon Grotto.
A certain white-haired goddess that was glaring at him with a displeased expression plastered on her face.
