Chapter 303: Fantasy Species, the Secret of the Kings

Chapter 303: Chapter 303: Fantasy Species, the Secret of the Kings

[Fusion of Frost and Fire (Research Trait): Through in-depth research, you have discovered that when a Sub-human Species, the Snow Lady, is infused with a high-heat source and Life Material, it triggers a special "Life Condensation" instinct.]

[This forces a mandatory exchange of Source Material between both parties.]

[During this process, you will steadily absorb the racial origin extracted from the other party, permanently converting it into personal bonuses (such as Frost Resistance). Simultaneously, the target will, in turn, absorb your high-purity Energy, comprehensively strengthening their basic stats and gradually reshaping their congenital Perception defect.]

[Current Target Bloodline Fusion: 1.3%]

["Life Condensation" can fuse Elf and Snow Lady bloodlines. At full fusion, the target will break through its species limitations and awaken as an advanced Sub-human Species: the Frost Fairy, a Fantasy Species.]

After reading this series of detailed explanations,

Lance was lost in thought.

’So, as long as I keep inducing Life Condensation in Nieve, her Perception will slowly recover. Then she won’t have to rely on me to perceive the world every time.’

’That will be very helpful for her when she goes to the Royal Capital later.’

"Looks like I’ll have to make more time to ’train’ her from now on."

Lance mused to himself.

Besides that, he himself had also gained substantial benefits from this exchange with Nieve.

The panel notifications showed:

This time, using the Trait, Lance had successfully absorbed 2 points of Spirit Resistance, 3 points of Frost Resistance, and 1 point of Casting Focus bonus from Nieve.

These were all bonuses closely related to Nieve’s Professional Traits. Out in the world, it was hard to say how many resources it would take to accumulate such Attributes.

...

After Lance left, the Underground City camp continued to operate as normal.

「Today.」

It was the most crucial day of the latter half of the Summer Crown.

According to the announcement from headquarters, Lance would be undertaking the Iron Guard challenge alone.

Meanwhile,

the three main assault parties had already completed all their supply preparations and team formations. They had broken camp long ago and were now marching in force toward the three major strategic zones, ready to begin their official advance and sweep.

Although most of the main forces had left, leaving the camp feeling somewhat empty,

the remaining logistics staff and the wounded were all waiting with bated breath.

Everyone was waiting nervously, hoping for uplifting news of victory from the front lines today.

Although the main teams had departed,

Lance, as the commander-in-chief, had long since made contingency plans.

To prevent chaos in the rear, he had specially selected elite personnel from the three major teams to stay behind, forming a mixed patrol team of nearly a hundred people to maintain order.

This patrol team would conduct continuous, round-the-clock patrols both inside and around the camp. Relying on the deterrent power of the three Grand Guilds, it was more than enough to forcefully maintain basic order in the rear.

「At this moment.」

On a street at the edge of the camp,

Bazzer the Minstrel had just stepped out of an inn, hurrying toward the temporary office set up by the propaganda department.

In his hands, he tightly clutched a thick stack of parchment manuscripts.

Ever since last night, when he had, in a state of immense excitement, written the stirring words "Gathering Stars into Fire, becoming the Red Dragon" on his manuscript,

Bazzer felt as if his Energy Pool had been unblocked, and inspiration gushed forth like a spring.

’Why not take this perfect opportunity to create some proper, widely-spread legends for Lance?’

He plotted continuously in his heart.

He recalled the recent past.

He had received a few more submissions from Lance, written several manuscripts, and sent them to the Royal Capital.

Judging by the feedback from the Royal Capital,

the manuscripts published under the pen name "Banier" were incredibly popular in certain circles. The editor was even constantly pestering him for more through the Star Realm channel.

But!

As a Minstrel with ambition,

Bazzer felt deeply dissatisfied.

’Compared to writing those salacious tales...’

Bazzer made a firm decision in his heart.

’I, Bazzer, am actually skilled at and long to write true legends, filled with passion and sacrifice!’

Contact with the outside world was now completely cut off, and he had no idea what the situation was like in the Royal Capital.

But this presented him with a perfect opportunity!

So,

Bazzer had stayed up all night, digging up all the notes he had taken of Lance’s words from their meetings—be it for work reports or casual chats.

He planned to take advantage of the propaganda department’s daily war reports to the entire camp

and disseminate this content at the same time.

In particular, at the very bottom of every hand-copied daily report he had laid out today,

he had conspicuously added a small column titled "Red Dragon’s Manual: Lance’s Sayings."

’As long as I use this kind of subtle literary influence...’

Bazzer walked quickly down the street, his eyes glinting with excitement.

’...perhaps I can really coalesce the prototype of a legend around Lance’s deeds and ideas, right here in this camp!’

After all,

the words recorded on these parchments were genuine quotes from Lance himself, and they represented the core philosophy he used to run the camp.

Although the content he had recorded from their daily interactions was disorganized, and some of it was just Lance’s casual grumbling,

however,

as a professional editor,

he had relied on his keen instincts to carefully select the quotes that had a highly unified central theme, filled with a unique "King’s Way" conception, to serve as the core material for this campaign.

As for the remaining disorganized notes, he would have to wait for a future opportunity to slowly compile them into a volume.

Moreover,

besides spreading the quotes, he had an even greater ambition this time.

He wanted to use this opportunity to, through the power of his writing, forcibly link the name "Lance" with "Red Dragon."

The reason for this decision

was that as a Minstrel, he had once read an unpublished collection of essays in the underground library of the association headquarters—a book that was kept from the public because it touched upon taboos.

In that collection,

there was a secret recorded from the distant era of Emperor Clovis.

In that era, known as the Age of Rising Kings,

nearly all the monarchs on the continent had, coincidentally, chosen to associate their titles with "Dragon" during the same historical period.

If one were to look at records from before the year 500 of the Divine Calendar, one would see clearly.

In those days,

the Pure-blooded Giant Dragons known as the "True Dragon Species" were practically cataclysms nesting in the mountains and abysses!

They were immense in size and had long lifespans.

With the slightest provocation, they could unleash furious flames and destroy an entire prosperous city-state in a fit of rage.

They had no need to painstakingly cultivate Breathing Techniques or Specialties like humans. Merely by virtue of their noble bloodline, they could innately and perfectly control the surrounding Ether Energy.

They were the pinnacle of Power in that era.

However,

the turning point in history bizarrely occurred after the kings began titling themselves after dragons.

Ancient records state

that in this world, any member of the Dragon Race whose corresponding dragon title was usurped by a human monarch

would inexplicably begin to decline over the long course of history!

And among them, the one that declined the most severely—to a tragic extent, even—

was undoubtedly the Red Dragon clan!

It was said that on the remote Dragon Island, far across the sea from the mainland,

the newly hatched Red Dragon whelps of today, for some reason, have fire sacs that have degenerated to the point where they can no longer naturally produce fire!

These majestic, Pure-blooded Giant Dragons have been reduced to the state of needing to undergo long and painful training and study, just like lowly human Professionals, to barely manage to spew Dragon Breath.

How could the pure-blooded Red Dragons have fallen to such a wretched state!

A major reason for this might be related to Emperor Clovis ending the tumult of the kings.

It was precisely because he had read these records

that Bazzer now made a secret decision in his heart.

Here in this Underground City, he would consciously use the power of the written word to tightly bind Lance’s image to the "Red Dragon."

’Since the kings of old who forged the Empire all made the same choice...’

Bazzer tightened his grip on the manuscripts in his hand and looked toward the doors of the propaganda department with a determined gaze.

’...then my choice today to help Lance start down this path... can’t be wrong, can it!’