Chapter 95: Dragon’s Pit [1]

A month went by in a flash.

During those thirty days, Craig had thrown himself entirely into stabilizing the Myrain Viscounty, laying down a solid administrative bedrock and heavily reinforcing the territory’s defensive forces.

The sudden shift in governance, paired with the recent assassination attempt, had necessitated a tight grip, but under Craig’s uncompromising direction, the entire domain was operating like a well-oiled machine.

A month prior, the grand festival hunt had yielded far more than mere sport.

A full quarter of the Jeju Forest had been cleared of low-tier threats, systematically purging the woods of lingering 1st-Tier Abominations.

Most notably, the entirety of the local Red-Scaled Deer population—beasts that had long plagued the outer fringes—were thoroughly hunted, slaughtered, and dragged from the depths of the C-Level Danger Zone straight down to the processing grounds at Old Valley.

With the northern perimeter cleared, Craig had seized the opportunity to initiate a massive infrastructure endeavor.

Under his direct orders, construction crews had begun carving a wide, fortified trade road directly through the cleared northern sector of the Jeju Forest.

This ambitious pathway effectively linked the Myrain Viscounty directly with the Oasis Black River.

A vital body of water that had been isolated for decades by the dense, monster-infested forest.

Crucially, the aquatic life within the Oasis Black River had somehow remained untouched by the encroaching Abyssal corruption.

The fish were completely safe for human consumption, and the water ran crisp and clean.

Carving a highway through a C-Level Danger Zone was no cheap feat.

The project had already drained over three thousand gold coins from the Viscounty’s administrative budget.

However, the greater challenge lay in securing the construction site against wandering 1st-Tier and rogue 2nd-Tier Abominations that might be drawn to the scent of human workers.

To solve this, Craig had deployed a terrifyingly simple deterrent.

He ordered Dark Sister to roam the northern perimeter surrounding the newly cut road.

The massive, 4th-Tier Child of the Abyss actively marked the entire forest strip as her personal hunting ground.

The lingering, suffocating aura of a top-tier Abomination acting as an absolute territorial boundary worked better than any stone wall.

Not a single 1st-Tier or 2nd-Tier beast dared to step anywhere near her domain, allowing the construction crews to work in absolute peace.

The returns on Craig’s investment were immediate and staggering.

As heavy wagons laden with fresh, uncorrupted fish began flowing back from the Oasis Black River into the main markets, the Viscounty began to thrive at an unprecedented rate.

Food prices stabilized, public morale soared, and it wasn’t long before trade caravans from neighboring Baronies and neighboring Viscounties began streaming across the borders, eager to exchange gold and raw materials for high-grade, uncorrupted provisions.

Far from the bustling trade markets, within the quiet, imposing walls of Heaven’s Net Castle, the morning light filtered softly through the tall arched windows of the Viscount’s private quarters.

Craig stood before a floor-length mirror, meticulously adjusting the golden buttons of his sleek, dark velvet doublet.

To the rest of the realm, today was simply another standard day of administrative duties for the young sovereign of Myrain.

A firm, rhythmic knock resonated from the heavy oak door.

"Who is it?" Craig asked without turning, smoothing down his collar.

"It is I, My Lord," Ser Hughway’s deep, steady voice echoed through the wood.

"Come in, Ser Hughway."

The door swung open, and the silver-haired Sword Master stepped into the Viscount’s chamber.

Closing the door quietly behind him, Hughway bowed his head in crisp, military fashion.

"Good morning, My Lord Viscount."

Craig nodded slightly in the mirror’s reflection, his fingers fastening the final button on his cuff.

"Morning, Hughway. What brings you to my quarters so early?"

Ser Hughway straightened his posture, his expression bright with satisfaction.

"I come to bring you a progress report, My Lord. The hidden operational base designated for the Crimson Dragon Order has been fully constructed and fortified. All subterranean living quarters, training grounds, and tactical war rooms are completely sealed and operational."

Hughway took a small step forward.

"The framework for the Crimson Dragon Order is officially in order. All the structural blueprints you laid out have been realized. All that remains now is to fill those halls with loyal steel—soldiers and Superhumans willing to bow their heads and follow your banner to the end."

A small, satisfied smile touched the corner of Craig’s lips. "Excellent work."

He turned away from the mirror, looking directly at his Guardian Knight. "Remind Damian and Annie to keep their gear packed and ready for the Northern Expedition.

Once I finish clearing the final set of administrative dockets and tax reviews for the Viscounty later today, we will depart for the Blue Tiger Guild immediately."

"Understood, My Lord," Ser Hughway acknowledged with a nod.

He hesitated for a second, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as he remembered the second piece of news he carried.

"There is one more thing, My Lord Viscount," Hughway added, his voice dropping into a lower, far more enthusiastic tone.

"The Dragon’s Pit project... it has been officially completed as well."

Craig’s face instantly brightened up, the lingering administrative fatigue on his features vanishing in an instant.

This was, without a doubt, the single most anticipated piece of news he had been waiting to hear.

The construction of the Dragon’s Pit had originally been scheduled for completion in two weeks, but due to the sheer scale of the spatial arrays and structural reinforcements required, the timeline had been dragged out to a full month.

It had been an agonizing thirty days since he had last laid eyes on Chaosbringer or Soul Dreamer.

Though his bond with them pulsed constantly in the back of his mind, he had been forced to keep them hidden far from the city until a proper, heavy-duty sanctuary was built to house their immense dragon pressure without alarming the local populace or damaging the territory’s infrastructure.

Craig turned fully toward Ser Hughway, a broad, genuine smile breaking across his face.

"Prepare my horse immediately, Hughway," Craig commanded, his voice brimming with long-awaited excitement.

"We are heading straight for the Old Valley. I want to inspect the Dragon’s Pit with my own eyes."