https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-74-Synthesizing-the-Glowing-Level/12808357/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-76-The-Ultimate-Protection-Ring-and-the-Frostbound-Necklace/12808359/
Chapter 75: The Disaster Spreads
Chapter 75: The Disaster Spreads
"Is this the Dragon Blood Fruit?"
Kyei stared at the baskets of red fruits in front of him, his eyes practically glowing with excitement.
"Does it really have one-third the effect of the Lesser Dragon Blood Elixir?"
Su Nan smiled and said, "Would you like someone to test it?"
"No need, do you think I don't trust you?" Kyei laughed heartily.
Of course, he wasn't doubting Su Nan; he was just too excited.
The supply of Lesser Dragon Blood Elixirs had been unable to keep up, causing the expansion of the Blackrock Cavalry to slow down significantly.
Even with the full support of the entire territory, the Blackrock Cavalry's current number was only around three hundred.
Of these, only about two-thirds were knights.
There was still a considerable distance to go before Kyei's dream of a fully knighted army could be realized.
He had been dreaming of Su Nan coming up with a replacement for the Lesser Dragon Blood Elixir as soon as possible.
Fortunately, this problem was finally resolved.
With this batch of Dragon Blood Fruits, the long-stagnant Blackrock Cavalry could finally accelerate its expansion once more!
Bred, Jorden, and Stally, standing behind Kyei, also wore broad smiles.
They all understood the significance of the Dragon Blood Fruits.
With these, the military strength of Flash Territory could experience another rapid expansion!
"By the way, this is for you."
Su Nan tossed a Dragon Blood Fruit to Kyei.
The latter instinctively caught it, his face filled with confusion. "This is..."
"A specially crafted Dragon Blood Fruit. After consuming it, you should be able to break through and advance to the rank of a Mid-level Grand Knight," Su Nan explained.
In reality, this was a synthesized Dragon Blood Fruit, created using over a hundred regular Dragon Blood Fruits.
If converted to the Lesser Dragon Blood Elixir, it would be equivalent to about three to four bottles of the highest quality elixir.
Hearing Su Nan's words, Kyei's spirits lifted immediately. He carefully stored the Dragon Blood Fruit, planning to consume it at an appropriate time.
Such a valuable item couldn't be wasted by swallowing it carelessly.
It was best to immediately practice breathing techniques after consumption to achieve the best absorption effect.
Regaining his composure, Kyei smiled and said, "I've already issued a decree. From now on, all children in the territory who are twelve years old or older will undergo a talent assessment. Those who show potential as wizard apprentices will be sent to the base for you to train."
Pausing for a moment, Kyei hesitated but finally couldn't resist asking, "Can you lower the standards for selecting wizard apprentices a bit?"
For a territory as large as Flash, selecting only three wizard apprentices was far too few.
Su Nan shook his head. "Being able to read basic books is the minimum requirement."
He, too, wished he could select more apprentices.
However, the standards were set, and he couldn't change them.
Without the necessary wizard potential, even sending them to the base would be futile; they would only be able to do menial tasks like cleaning.
And even those tasks were already handled by clay golems.
In the end, the selection and cultivation of wizard apprentices was a long and gradual process that couldn't be rushed.
Given the current population of Flash Territory, having one qualified apprentice every two to three years was already quite good.
Unless the territory expanded significantly, gaining more land and people, the number of apprentices wouldn't increase noticeably in the short term.
Listening to their conversation, Jorden couldn't help but glance at Stally and sigh softly, "I really envy your son, Cole, for being able to become a student of Sir Su Nan. Why doesn't my son have this talent?"
Mentioning his son, the usually stern expression on Stally's face softened, a hint of pride showing.
When his son was found to have the potential to become a wizard, he couldn't have been happier.
If his son could grow up to be as strong as Sir Su Nan, the McKenning family might finally rise to prominence and become a true noble lineage.
Seeing Stally's smug face, Jorden felt a sourness in his stomach, like he had just eaten a lemon. He began to consider whether he should have more children.
"My youngest son will be twelve next year. I'll have him participate in the assessment then," Bred said with hopeful anticipation.
With Stally's son as an example, every married knight in Flash Territory now hoped their children could become wizards.
Kyei, oblivious to the whispers of his subordinates, turned the conversation to another topic.
"The beastification plague in Frostfall Province is getting worse. It's not just Silver Ridge City; the disease has started spreading to other towns."
Su Nan was surprised. "Hasn't Duke Frostfall sent the army to suppress it?"
"Apparently, during the suppression, dozens of knights in the army were infected, causing the situation to deteriorate rapidly. The army sent to suppress the plague suffered heavy losses. I imagine Duke Frostfall is now in a very difficult position."
Su Nan's lips twitched slightly.
Beastification typically results in a significant boost in strength at the cost of complete loss of reason, akin to a permanent state of berserk.
If a knight is infected, their combat power can increase by one or two minor levels, which is quite normal.
If a peak knight is infected, their combat power can soar to the level of a grand knight.
Dozens of infected knights could launch a frontal assault on a fully equipped thousand-man cavalry regiment, a thought that was truly headache-inducing.
He wondered how the commanding officer in charge of the suppression allowed the situation to escalate to this point.
Seeming to sense Su Nan's confusion, Kyei continued, "The commanding officer responsible for the suppression has been relieved of his duties by Duke Frostfall. The new commander is Lord Jorn, a veteran general who has fought alongside Duke Frostfall for many years. He is also a legendary knight. With his intervention, the beastification plague should be suppressed quickly."
Kyei spoke with absolute confidence.
After all, a legendary knight is one of the top combatants in the Starlight Duchy.
Such a powerful figure could easily suppress a group of mindless infected.
In fact, all the nobles who knew about this had similar thoughts.
However, the situation developed in a way that no one could have predicted.
In the year 1251 of the Starlight Calendar, during the Dawn of Spring (March):
Legendary Knight Jorn was besieged by thousands of infected in Lilac City and died in a desperate battle.
The elite cavalry regiment accompanying him was completely wiped out.
When the news broke, it sent shockwaves throughout the Starlight Duchy, and the eyes of countless nobles turned to Frostfall Province.
In the same year, during the Thunder Moon (April):
The beastification plague spread at an alarming rate.
Almost every town in Frostfall Province, except for the central city of Frostfall, had reported cases of the disease.
Silver Ridge City, the epicenter of the outbreak, had become a wasteland of ruins.
The neighboring provinces of Lake Blue, Red Leaf, and White Tower quickly established quarantine lines along their borders, prohibiting entry from Frostfall Province.
In the same month, Duke Frostfall requested aid from the capital, asking for reinforcements.
The following month, the Grand Duke of Starlight sent an army into Frostfall Province to begin suppressing the infected.
For a time, the entire Starlight Duchy seemed to be enveloped in a stormy and uncertain atmosphere.
(End of Chapter)
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