Ximu Territory, Council Hall.
Pine wood burned in the fireplace, crackling softly, the warm air dispelling the morning chill of the Serel Wilderness.
In his black cat form, Garros curled lazily on the cushions of the high-backed chair, his vertical pupils half-closed, the tip of his tail twitching rhythmically.
"Thanks to the many rules and laws you established and their strict enforcement, Ximu Territory is currently operating smoothly and orderly."
Opposite him, Charles reported on the general situation of the territory: "Adventurers and large merchant groups are coming and going in an endless stream, and the number of intelligent creatures choosing to settle or reside here long-term is steadily increasing."
"Although deeply rooted discrimination, prejudice, and unavoidable minor frictions and conflicts still exist between different races, all disputes are currently within a controllable range, and the overall situation is stable."
After finishing this general overview.
Charles paused slightly, organizing more specific words, and then continued: "However, beneath this stability, some noteworthy abnormal events have indeed occurred."
"For example, the swamp in the south of Ximu Territory."
"That area has always been a paradise for wetland creatures, and the ecosystem has its own balance."
"Several years ago, the behavior of the creatures in the swamp suddenly became extremely abnormal and intense."
"A large number of creatures began to gather in groups, fleeing the swamp area in a panic, spreading to the periphery, and even forming a small-scale beast tide at one point, which assaulted the southern defense line of Ximu Town."
"After successfully repelling and resolving several beast tide assaults, I personally led a team of elites deep into the swamp to investigate. We finally discovered that a group of swamp frogmen who worshiped an evil god were using living creatures for bloody sacrifices, performing an evil ritual, and successfully summoned a fiend from the lower planes."
Charles's tone carried a hint of gravity.
"I broke out into a fierce battle with the fiend. It was indeed difficult to handle in the Early Stage, but fortunately, I was lucky enough to achieve a Breakthrough mid-battle, improving my strength, and was finally able to slay it. The accompanying elites also took the opportunity to clear out and completely annihilate those fallen frogmen."
Fiend—this is a general and dangerous term.
It could be a demon from the lower realms, a devil from the Nine Hells, or even an Incarnation or offspring of some fallen deity.
After listening to Charles's account, Garros fell into a brief silence.
A Breakthrough mid-battle... a trope that seemed to exist only in heroic epics sung by bards or cheap knight novels, had truly happened to his Lord of Flowers, which was enough to prove that his potential was unfathomable.
However, for Dragonkin, who are long-lived species, there is no such concept as a Breakthrough mid-battle.
The growth of Dragonkin power relies more on the accumulation of time and evolution during slumber.
However, Garros was not envious of this.
The arduous tempering of thousands of hammer blows, the accumulation and settling of day after day—this was the true source of his strength.
If one day he encountered a powerful enemy and achieved a Breakthrough in battle, it would never be mere luck, but the inevitable result of long-term effort coming to fruition—it would be that the quantity he had accumulated had finally reached the critical point to trigger a qualitative change.
"Continue."
Garros subconsciously raised a front paw, extended his pink, barbed tongue, and leisurely groomed the fur on it.
He found that after using Polymorph, he would always unconsciously want to perform behaviors consistent with the current species' habits.
Charles himself was a person who loved small animals.
He couldn't help but glance at the muscular, uniquely styled black cat beside him, struggling to suppress some thoughts that might be disrespectful, and quietly lowered his slightly raised arm.
"About two years ago, in a mine currently being excavated in the east of Ximu Territory, miners began disappearing inexplicably one after another."
"As time passed, the number of missing persons did not decrease but gradually increased, and even some golems responsible for mining were destroyed."
"I personally went deep into the bottom of the mine to investigate and discovered that it was an extremely powerful earth monstrosity that had mutated for unknown reasons. It regarded the entire mine tunnel System as its own new Domain, was extremely xenophobic, and completely impossible to communicate with."
Charles continued.
"So, after a not-so-easy battle, I finally killed it and completely resolved this hidden danger."
After listening to the account of the mine, Garros was thoughtful.
The underground ruins beneath the abandoned mine, which were rumored to contain a Legendary item—with his current Rank of strength, he might already be qualified to explore them.
"However, being able to cause the destruction of a city... if the rumors are true, that Legendary item is likely extremely dangerous."
"To be safe, it is better to send sufficiently powerful dependents down to explore first."
Garros planned silently in his heart.
Immediately after, Charles continued his report.
He eloquently listed seven or eight more abnormal events he had handled in recent years, most of which had been properly resolved by him.
But judging by the timeline of these events, their frequency was clearly increasing, which undoubtedly confirmed the trend that the Serel Wilderness was becoming increasingly chaotic and dangerous.
In addition, although Charles's tone remained calm and objective, Garros still caught the underlying meaning hidden beneath his words.
This Lord of Flowers seemed to be emphasizing the great contributions he had made to the territory.
"You have done well."
Garros's low voice interrupted Charles's continuous statement.
In his black cat form, he raised his head, his vertical pupils staring straight at Charles, as if he could see through the surface and into the human heart.
"As a lord, you are diligent and responsible, and your achievements are significant."
"So, tell me, what reward do you want?"
Realizing that his little thoughts seemed to have been seen through, this Lord of Flowers showed a slightly embarrassed smile on his face.
"I have found my true love in Ximu Territory."
"However, she is not a human, but a beautiful and intelligent snake woman, Beverly."
Garros had long known about this matter from Iron Dragon Sorog and the Snake-man Sword Saint. He nodded his huge cat head slightly, signaling the other party to continue and not beat around the bush.
Having obtained the lord's tacit approval, Charles breathed a sigh of relief, a sweet smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.
"After becoming partners, our relationship has always been very harmonious, and our Souls are in tune."
"Most importantly, our love for each other has not diminished with the passage of time, but like aged wine, it has become increasingly mellow and intense."
"She likes to use her flexible body in the garden under the moonlight..."
"Stop!"
Garros interrupted him again: "Get to the point; I am not interested in the details of your love story."
"Sorry, sorry."
Charles hurriedly stopped talking.
"I said: The only trouble between Beverly and me at the moment is that we have been unable to have a child of our own."
"As you know, whether it is humans or snake people, in terms of reproduction, neither has the powerful reproductive advantage of a Dragon, which is almost unlimited by race."
"We are extremely eager to have a biological offspring flowing with the Bloodlines of both of us."
"But according to all known records and cases, the probability of successfully giving birth to offspring from this kind of cross-species union is extremely small."
Speaking of this, after pausing for a few seconds, Charles lowered his voice.
"I accidentally heard about an ancient and rare alchemy recipe, one of the main ingredients of which is Dragon blood."
"It is said that the spirits brewed with this recipe can not only greatly enhance the... effects in that regard, but also have a small chance of helping to overcome stubborn reproductive isolation, allowing creatures of different races to have a chance to give birth to healthy offspring after uniting."
Garros turned his huge cat head, his gaze focused on Charles's face.
"So, you want my blood?"
His voice was still calm, but his crouching posture adjusted slightly, and the exaggerated muscle lines all over his body seemed to tighten a bit more.
"You may, but you must take it yourself with the sharp sword in your hand."
The big black cat, like a muscular overlord, bared his teeth slightly, his gaze becoming dangerous.
"No! You have completely misunderstood!"
Charles Hines hurriedly explained, "It is not that your blood is absolutely necessary; the blood of any True Dragon can serve as the raw material! I only wish to first seek your permission to attempt to collect some dragon blood, regardless of which member it comes from."
Garros's posture relaxed slightly, and he nodded slightly.
"In that case, you may bring out enough gold coins, gems, or other equivalents to exchange with other members of The Dragon Flight for some dragon blood. I think they will be very happy to make this trade."
In times of weakness or poverty, it is commonplace for dragons to sell some shed scales, a small amount of blood, or even a few old teeth to quickly accumulate wealth.
This is not a disgrace for Dragonkin; it is more like a rational utilization of resources and a way to quickly accumulate wealth.
After receiving Garros's approval, a look of relief immediately appeared on Charles Hines's face.
"Thank you so much for your understanding and permission."
Having resolved this private matter, Charles Hines's expression quickly returned to the composure of a lord.
Immediately following this, the lightness on his face faded, replaced by an unprecedented gravity and seriousness.
"In addition to the matters I have already handled, there is one more thing I did not have time to report to you earlier when summarizing the main events."
"About a year ago, while you were still in slumber, an unusual female missionary arrived in Ximu Territory."
"She claimed her name was Alya (Alya), and her title was [Messenger of Good Fortune], declaring that she served the deity who governs good fortune and opportunity in the world—the Goddess of Luck."
"That Ms. Alya was elegant in her manners and gentle in her speech, publicly preaching the doctrines of the Church of Good Fortune in the squares and taverns of Ximu Town, advocating for following the guidance of fate and seizing the blessings of good fortune."
"At the same time, she did not just preach with empty words; she provided free potions that could quickly restore physical strength to passing adventurers and merchant groups, and cast weak blessings said to bring short-term good luck, thereby attracting people's attention and goodwill, with the intention of developing believers in Ximu Territory."
"When I learned of the situation, I found her immediately and clearly informed her that any form of unofficial missionary activity was prohibited here. Afterward, she did not pester me further and quickly left and disappeared."
As the territory becomes increasingly prosperous, it is difficult to completely avoid attracting the attention of religious organizations attempting to preach here.
This seemed to be just a fairly ordinary little episode.
However, as he spoke to this point, Charles Hines's expression became even more solemn.
"The key issue is that when I faced that missionary in person, I was completely unable to gauge her depth."
"Not only could I not perceive her Life Level, but I could not even sense a single trace of special energy fluctuation or extraordinary traits on her. She stood there, as if she were the purest, ordinary Mortal without any power."
"This means that either she really is just a powerless Mortal, or... her level of strength far exceeds the limits of my perception."
"And considering that when she left, I had cautiously tracked her for a distance, only to inexplicably lose all traces completely, the second possibility is undoubtedly much greater."
Hearing this description from Charles Hines, Garros's eyes narrowed slightly, his slit pupils turning into two cold, thin lines.
His originally somewhat relaxed posture vanished instantly, and although his entire body still maintained the form of a cat, it naturally exuded a grave and powerful Aura and majesty.
To be able to make a human powerhouse like Charles Hines, who is battle-hardened, Rank 19, and possesses keen perception, completely unable to gauge her depth.
This very likely means that the other party is a powerhouse who has stepped into the Legendary realm! A suspected bishop-level figure.
It is no wonder Charles Hines would treat this so cautiously.
Everything below Legendary is but a Mortal!
Between Mortals and Legendary life forms, there exists an almost insurmountable chasm; it is the sublimation and transformation of the essence of life.
To give the most intuitive example:
If both are Legendary, a Legendary dragon can still hold a huge advantage over a Legendary human by relying on its racial talents and powerful physical body.
But if it is a dragon at the Peak of Rank 20, just one step away from Legendary, facing a Legendary human powerhouse who has truly stepped into Rank 21.
When the two fight, the dragon's probability of winning becomes extremely slim, nearly non-existent.
Even for a creature as proud as a dragon, its ancient Legacy knowledge clearly records a warning-filled sentence.
[The fangs and claws of Mortals can hardly touch the body of a Legendary being; only another Legendary being can deal with a Legendary being.]
The power of a Legendary being lies not only in the leap-forward improvement of basic attributes such as strength, speed, and reaction.
Its truly terrifying aspect lies in the unique ability shaped from a profound understanding of the world's rules—the Domain!
When an existence advances to Legendary.
They will, based on their core cognition, unique will, and life-accumulated experience and path, shape a [Domain] that belongs only to them, capable of locally rewriting the rules of reality.
Within the range of this Domain, certain basic material rules will be drastically altered.
For example: causing spatial orientations to be reversed and disordered, left becoming right, up becoming down; making an ordinary stone harder than adamantine; allowing a rusted iron sword to possess the concept of cutting through everything within the Domain; or even making flames become cold, and making ice burn with heat.
Among them, the most common concept bestowed by a Domain, which has almost become a standard feature of Legendary beings, is—Absolute Defense.
Unless countered by another Legendary Domain or power, or the intensity of the attack exceeds the conceptual limit that the Legendary Domain can bear, or the Legendary powerhouse's own energy is completely exhausted.
Otherwise, within this Domain, the Legendary being is truly indestructible! Facing any attack below Legendary, they are almost in an invincible position!
In short, after a Mortal becomes Legendary, they will master a powerful mechanism.
Unless some stats are Heaven-Defying to the extent of being able to break the mechanism, a Mortal will have no chance of winning against a Legendary being.
Of course, a Legendary Domain has range limitations, and maintaining it also consumes huge amounts of energy.
Therefore, a Legendary being is not invincible in the absolute sense.
But even so, when facing existences below Legendary, regardless of what race the other party is, a Legendary being can still be called almost invincible.
"Do not be too nervous."
"As an apostle of a deity, it is also possible that the other party possesses some kind of high-level divine art capable of completely resisting external detection, or holds related powerful artifacts."
Garros's pupils slowly dilated, analyzing another possibility.
"Since this [Messenger of Good Fortune] has already voluntarily left Ximu Territory, before there are any further movements, let us not actively pursue it for now. If she comes again next time, or if you have any new discoveries, you must notify me immediately."
His expression returned to calm, but internally, he had already raised his vigilance to a higher level.
The current Serel Wilderness is truly like a pot about to boil; all sorts of hidden monsters and demons seem to be starting to rear their heads.
"I have become stronger than before I fell asleep... but the levels and potential opponents I encounter are also constantly rising. I still cannot relax in the slightest; I must remain cautious at all times."
Garros silently warned himself in his heart.
Just at this moment, Charles Hines seemed to sense something and quickly took out a Communication Stone that was vibrating slightly and emitting a magical halo from his bosom.
He held it close to his ear, and the voice of a sentry captain, exceptionally tense due to nervousness, immediately came from inside.
"Lord! Emergency military situation!"
"The Eastern Third Outpost has discovered a large number of undead creatures gathering! The number is extremely huge! Moreover, at least three types of Advanced undead existences have been observed among them, and their direction seems to be Ximu Territory!"
PS: I was watching military parade videos today until I lost track of time; I'll be a little lazy today. I will try my best to finish the battle plot in one go tomorrow, and by the way, I'm asking for power stones.