In the refined room, a wisp of green smoke curled out from under the lid of the tea. The fragrance of the tea wafted into the air. Lint sat up and picked up the cup, tapping the lid and taking a small sip, only to find that the tea was still too hot. He placed the cup back down and leaned back in his chair.

Sander stood to the side, pondering Lint’s words.

Most people thought that this fourth son of the Lancelot Family was a useless fool with no ability to cultivate.

But Sander knew very well what kind of talent and ability his own fourth young master possessed. He didn’t know just how intelligent a person one could be, but many so-called wise men and scholars would be a joke in front of Young Master Lint.

It could be said that his frail constitution was a natural envy of his talents, and while he possessed great strategies, without being able to cultivate, he was destined to never achieve nobility.

Though he couldn’t understand why Lint would have such an interest in the tiny Hunter territory, he was certain that there was a reason behind his words.

“Sander, do you think our kingdom is strong?”

“Of course. Our dragon knights can vanquish all enemies of the kingdom.”

Giant dragons were the ultimate apex predators in this world’s food chain.

An adult dragon’s body could grow to nearly thirty meters in length, and its hard scales provided near immunity against most attacks, leaving only heavy, specially made crossbows capable of harming it. Their immense physical strength, coupled with their powerful dragon’s breath and flight, made dragons a formidable force.

Legend had it that only the frost giants living beyond the Great Snowy Mountains to the north possessed the battle prowess to contend with dragons, but despite their distance, dragons were a realistic military threat to everyone in the kingdom.

The Golden Dragon Kingdom was named after the mythical beast because the Lancelot Family, the royal lineage of the kingdom, had risen to power with the help of dragons. The founder of the Golden Dragon Kingdom, Charman I, was a powerful leader who stood at the apex of humanity.

No one knew how it happened, but while still young, Charman I wandered the continent and befriended a group of golden dragons.

During the founding war of the Golden Dragon Kingdom, several ancient dragons led over a dozen adult dragons and griffins to aid the fledgling nation, driving the orcs that had occupied the central plains back east across Dragon’s Breath Pass.

The Human Race’s territory expanded unprecedentedly, securing the Lancelot Family’s position as undisputed rulers among humans.

Every fifty years since then, a powerful member of the Charman family would form an equal partnership with the Golden Dragons, becoming a dragon knight and guardian of the kingdom.

This was the source of the Human Race’s strength in their continuous struggle against the Orcs and other strong races.

Sander’s expression longed for such a position when he spoke of the dragon knights. After all, what man didn’t dream of riding dragons?

“Yes, the invincible dragon knights. It would indeed be a good thing if they truly were invincible.”

Lint’s tone seemed to lack conviction.

Sander’s confusion deepened. “What do you think of the Northern Pacifying Army?”

“They have excellent equipment and rigorous training.”

“How about the army stationed in the River Valley? How do they compare to our Northern Pacifying Army?”

“Pitiful mongrels, no match for us.”

The Northern Pacifying Army also fought occasionally with tribes of cannibal demons in the wilderness and dog-headed men, so they had relatively plentiful combat experience.

“But Snowfall City is to the north of the River Valley, and the Central Plains belonging to the kingdom are to the south. It’s fine if there are no troops stationed there.”

“That’s right, even you think so. If someday the Lancelot Family decides to take over the River Valley, they’d be unable to put up any meaningful resistance.”

“Watch your words, young master.” Sander panicked slightly upon hearing Lint’s words.

The Lancelot Family’s actions, though tyrannical, wouldn’t raise any eyebrows so long as they confined themselves to the northern lands. However, if they dared to provoke the prosperous River Valley, the kingdom would never tolerate it.

“Ah, of course we wouldn’t do anything to the River Valley. But what if the orcs come again? They certainly won’t care about rules and order.”

“We have Dragon’s Breath Pass and the dragon knights of the nation.”

“Those dragon knights are both the nation’s strength and its weakness.”

“Also, I’ve heard that the noble council is considering changing the laws of nobility inheritance. It’s possible that in the future, one won’t need to be a knight to become an aristocrat.”

At this, a mocking smile appeared on Lint’s face.

“That would be a good thing. In the future, even you will be able to inherit a noble title.”

Shaking his head, Lint said nothing more. Sander found it harder and harder to understand Lint’s intentions. After all, each person had their own perspective, and most were constrained by their era; very few could rise above it.

“Forget it. Go do as I instructed.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Watching Sander depart, a sense of melancholy rose within Lint.

“Ah, what’s the point of seeing through everything? Being trapped within the game makes it impossible to escape.”

After some thought, he decided he’d pay Hunter a visit himself.

Richard, currently in Tie Mu City, was unaware that he had caught someone’s attention. After a week of preparation, he had set up the camp and recruited his men, as well as gathered all the newly recruited units for the week.

When Richard opened his character window, it now read:

Level: 4 (560/8000)

Strength: 10

Stamina: 10.2

Agility: 10.1

Spirit: 3.9

Skills: Beast Breathing Style (Grandmaster) – Maxed, Universal Breathing Style (Intermediate), Attack Technique (Intermediate).

Units: Spearman (50), Archer (30), Griffin (12), Royal Griffin (5), Swordsman (6), Crusader (1)

After some training, the basic breathing technique had been upgraded from elementary to intermediate, and his physical attributes had broken past the ten-point mark, with the exception of spirit. Even most elite knights only hovered around ten points in their secondary attributes.

Yet Richard, having just entered the knight class, already had stats on par with those elite knights, thanks to his level and the breathing technique.

The only thing he lacked was an ample reserve of personal energy.

Unfortunately, there was little Richard could do about that at present; the better techniques were all held by the noble families, and he couldn’t access them for the time being. For now, he could only make do with the basic breathing technique.

At present, the training grounds of Tie Mu City was filled with a lively crowd of people. Under Richard’s orders, new recruits were enlisted swiftly. Everyone knew that the conditions under which they served in Richard’s army were excellent, and that merit would be rewarded.

The people of Hunter were thus very enthusiastic about joining the military, and the officials in charge of recruitment had no trouble finding suitable candidates, though they did have to be picky. The two thousand youths assembled on the training grounds were the fittest among them.

“Quiet, quiet!”

Upon noticing Richard’s arrival, the officers nearby tried their best to quieten the chattering recruits. It took some time for the throng to settle down, as they were newly enlisted and not yet disciplined.

Richard walked onto a platform and delivered an inspiring speech, the effect of which was evident from the flushed faces of the recruits below, who seemed to believe they were already quasi-knights or knights.

Then Richard ordered his men to distribute the first payment of wages on the spot. In truth, Richard did not need to personally handle such matters, but he felt it necessary to make an appearance at the beginning to make a lasting impression on the recruits—to let them know who they owed their food and lodging to, and to whom they owed their obedience.

After completing these tasks, the officers led the soldiers to their quarters, where they familiarized themselves with the campgrounds.

Richard also looked forward to seeing this army grow strong. In his heart, he felt that growing the Flying Bear Army would be more rewarding than simply recruiting a strong army through the System.