Chapter 146: Clues to the Draconic Species, Base Administrators

Chapter 146: Clues to the Draconic Species, Base Administrators

As the graduation exam was in full swing,

Outside the cave, Moritz and a group of instructors were discussing the graduation of the students.

"Headmaster, I heard that this year’s graduates will join the Knight Guard and also be part of the exploration teams for the Underworld. Is that true?"

"That's correct," Moritz nodded slightly. "This graduation exam is preparation for that, to help these students acclimate to the environment and combat in the Underworld."

"The Underworld is fraught with danger. Isn't it too hasty to have these graduates join the exploration teams right after they finish school?" one instructor said worriedly.

Moritz smiled gently. "This shows how much Lord Su Nan expects from this year’s graduates."

"Don’t judge these students by old standards. Our academy is the first in the Starlight Principality, and perhaps the entire Starlight Continent, to train knights. Have you ever heard of someone becoming a knight in just four years?"

Everyone shook their heads.

They had never even heard of such a thing. They had all struggled for decades to become knights.

Before becoming instructors at the Dragonheart Knight Academy, they couldn’t have imagined a place that could train a group of knights in just four years.

"That’s why the knights graduating from our academy are different from us old-timers," Moritz said with a wistful look.

"They will see and experience a world that is vastly different from what we and the knights in the military have known. Naturally, the expectations for them are different as well."

The instructors all fell into deep thought.

They all recalled the magical rune constructs they had seen recently.

Such a powerful and innovative weapon would undoubtedly cause a storm in the knight world once it was unveiled.

And these constructs were being prepared for these very students.

As the headmaster said, the path these students will take is different from theirs, and it’s no longer appropriate to judge them by old standards.

The clearing in front of the cave fell silent.

Everyone waited in silence.

In the Underworld, there was no distinction between day and night; they could only measure time using magical hourglasses.

The ten-hour exam time passed quickly.

The moment the time ended, the man-lion, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. He took out a whistle, walked to the entrance of the cave, and blew it.

The sharp whistle echoed through the cave.

Soon, the sound of flapping wings and footsteps came from inside the cave.

One by one, the students emerged, led by the red-eyed crows.

Almost every student was injured, some more than others.

But fortunately, no one had died.

Moritz breathed a sigh of relief and immediately had people bring out healing potions for the students to take. Then he began tallying the points.

During the wait, Xian found Rugar and Solano. Seeing that neither of them was seriously injured, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"How did you do?" Xian asked.

"I only got twenty-five points," Rugar said nervously. "I wonder where that ranks me?"

"I got twenty-four points," Solano said, then asked, "How about you, Xian?"

Xian smiled. "I had some good luck and managed to take down a toad monster at the last moment, getting a ten-point crystal orb. I have fifty-three points in total."

"Fifty-three points!" Rugar exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "That’s amazing! You’re definitely going to be first this time!"

Rugar's voice quickly drew the attention of those around them.

"Xian got fifty-three points? Is that true?"

"That’s incredible. My score is less than half of his."

"No wonder he’s the top student!"

"Rossi and Colen both got around forty points. Looks like Xian will be first again this time."

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

Rossi and Colen were both strong competitors for the top spot in the past. If they couldn’t beat Xian, no one else stood a chance.

Sure enough, when the instructors announced the exam scores, Xian, as expected, took first place.

Rugar and Solano both made it into the top fifty.

The three of them beamed with joy.

"Quiet!"

Moritz stepped forward, raising his hand to silence the crowd, then announced loudly:

"The graduation exam is now over. From today onwards, you are officially graduates of the academy and will be part of the Knight Guard."

"You have a ten-day break. After the break, report to Darklake City, the island city you saw earlier, to receive your equipment. You will then be assigned your tasks."

“Also, the students who obtained the Dragon Blood Fruit will receive their rewards when they return to the academy.”

After giving all the necessary instructions, Moritz led the students away.

At the same time, the list of students who had completed the exam was placed on Su Nan’s desk in his study.

“Xian, huh? He seems like a promising student.”

Su Nan flipped through Xian’s file and nodded in approval.

From the information provided, even without the Dragon Blood Fruit, Xian had a high likelihood of advancing to the rank of knight before the age of thirty through regular training.

His talent already surpassed that of many noble heirs.

While the common populace generally had lower overall qualities compared to noble heirs, exceptional individuals occasionally emerged.

“Prepare the magical rune constructs. When this batch of students reports in, distribute them to the students so they can adapt to them for a while.” Su Nan instructed.

Four hundred and ninety-five first-tier magical rune constructs and five second-tier constructs were already ready, stored in the warehouse, awaiting the students' arrival for immediate arming.

“Yes, Master.” Carolina responded respectfully.

“How much longer until Sherman and Cole return?” Su Nan asked next.

“Lord Sherman and Lord Cole sent a message three days ago. They are currently developing the third magic plant garden. They have already planted the seeds, and once the first batch of Dragon Blood Fruits mature and are confirmed to be problem-free, they will complete their mission and return. It’s expected to take about two more months.”

Su Nan nodded slightly.

This timing was perfect, as the students would need time to adapt to the magical rune constructs and the environment of the Underworld. By the time Sherman and Cole returned in two months, they could start forming exploration teams of wizard apprentices and rune knights.

“How is the investigation into the Darkland Dragon going?” Su Nan asked.

Carolina immediately replied, “The investigators found an entrance to the Underworld in a cave north of Ryan City. They discovered dragon claw marks near the entrance, confirming that the Darkland Dragon emerged from there.”

Before she finished, the Red Widow chimed in, “On the other side of the entrance, we found a hilly area with numerous sub-dragon species tracks.”

Su Nan’s eyes lit up, “A sub-dragon species colony?”

The Red Widow hesitated, then shook her head, “It’s unlikely. The claw marks vary in size and shape, indicating different sub-dragon species. We suspect that various sub-dragon species have frequently visited the area.”

Su Nan furrowed his brow.

Different sub-dragon species have vastly different living habits and environments.

For example, Darkland Dragons typically live in dark, damp caves near lakes.

Dragon Antelopes usually inhabit temperate plains.

If it were Volcanic Dragons, they would generally live in volcanic regions.

Their preferred environments are worlds apart.

The presence of numerous different sub-dragon species in one place was highly unusual.

“Search for the sub-dragon species and investigate where they came from and why they are gathering there.”

After a moment of thought, Su Nan gave the order and added, “Once you find them, capture them immediately, preferably alive.”

Living sub-dragons could provide a continuous supply of sub-dragon blood.

The Darkland Dragon from Ryan City had arrived with its blood already coagulated, rendering it almost useless, which was a pity for Su Nan.

“Yes, Lord.” Carolina and the Red Widow responded respectfully.

After they left, Su Nan looked at the list on his desk and smiled with relief.

With this batch of rune knights, the number of capable people at his disposal had significantly increased, and he no longer had to rely solely on vampires and man-lions.

Once they adapted, they could be integrated into exploration teams with his puppets, accelerating the exploration process.

Sherman and Cole could lead two elite teams, which would be perfect for the extensive manpower required to investigate the sub-dragon species.

Closing the list, Su Nan stretched and left his study, heading back to the surface.

Now, he spent most of his time at the 2nd Base in Darklake City, but he returned to the 1st Base periodically to check on its recent developments.

“Managing two bases alone is quite a challenge; there are many things I can’t oversee.”

Although he now had more capable subordinates, and many tasks no longer required his direct involvement, management-level work still depended on him.

The Red Widow and Carolina showed some management skills, but they were not wizard apprentices, and Su Nan hadn’t fully trusted them yet, so he never considered entrusting the base management to them.

"Finding a third-tier wizard apprentice to manage the 1st Base would be ideal. That way, I wouldn't have to handle so many affairs myself; I could just review reports periodically."

Su Nan mused to himself.

But while the idea was simple, finding the right person was not.

Convincing a third-tier wizard apprentice to manage the 1st Base wouldn't be too difficult, especially with the right incentives. However, the key was ensuring their loyalty.

A soul bond?

That was out of the question. No third-tier wizard apprentice would willingly sign such a binding contract.

An oath bond might work, but it wasn't foolproof.

After all, the 1st Base held many secrets related to the synthesis cube. If someone else were to manage it, their reliability and loyalty must be guaranteed.

In short, choosing the right person to manage the 1st Base was crucial and required careful consideration.

As he pondered, Su Nan returned to the 1st Base.

Over two years had passed, and the number of students at the base had increased by more than a dozen. Now, the base had a total of 284 people, nearly a third of whom had already formed their second star ring.

Ethan and Arthur were making the fastest progress. They were expected to form their third star ring within a year, becoming the third and fourth second-tier wizard apprentices after Sherman and Cole.

As he walked through the base, students frequently stopped to greet and bow to Su Nan. Occasionally, he would spot various strange and exotic creatures.

The 1st Base now housed nearly as many exotic creatures as students, most of them being flower spirits and fairy-like beings.

These creatures were primarily responsible for managing the various areas of the base, ensuring that everything ran smoothly even when Su Nan was away.

Su Nan continued his inspection, visiting each of the base's key areas.

Including the two new magic plant gardens under development, Su Nan now had a total of 12 magic plant gardens, numbered from 1 to 12.

The 1st magic plant garden, located within the 1st Base, was the most important.

After the 7th to 12th magic plant gardens were established, the production of Dragon Blood Fruits and Silver Moon Flowers increased significantly, meeting the needs of the base, the Dragonheart Knight Academy, and the Blackrock Cavalry Regiment.

Thus, Su Nan had moved the Dragon Blood Fruits and Silver Moon Flowers to other gardens to make room for more valuable and rare magical plants.

With the current workforce, increasing the production of Dragon Blood Fruits and Silver Moon Flowers would be a simple matter of opening a few more gardens.

In the insect nest, the gem beetles slowly crawled along the ground, their gemstone-covered backs gleaming.

With the supply of rare metals from the Star Alliance, the gem beetle population had grown rapidly, now numbering 32.

The annual gemstone production of the insect nest had increased to over 1,100 gems, equivalent to about 20,000 gold coins.

While this was far less profitable than the Star Alliance's mines, it provided a steady stream of income without the risk of resource depletion. Moreover, the production was expected to increase over time, making it a promising venture.

In the workshop, the mana crystal forging furnace hummed steadily.

Dozens of compartments were in use, with most apprentices working on refining magical adamantium.

For apprentices who had mastered the basics of magical item creation, refining magical adamantium was the most profitable task currently available at the base.

Apprentices who took on the task would receive materials and adamantium from the warehouse, and upon successful completion, would earn contribution points. However, they would have to cover the cost of any losses if they failed.

It's worth noting that the funds for purchasing the adamantium came from the Starlight Principality's treasury. In the early years after the war, most of the principality's tax revenue was used to restore civilian life, especially in the Frost Province, leading to frequent budget deficits. Only recently had the principality begun to see a surplus.

Without hesitation, Su Nan had secured a significant sum from Koy to refine the magical adamantium. The Dragon Blood Fruits provided to the military over the past two years were not free.

Additionally, Su Nan planned to soon approach Koy about separating the base and the Starlight Principality economically, turning them into independent entities.

Only by transforming the vague dependency into a mutual and beneficial trading relationship could the base and the principality better develop together.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end