"Such a powerful skill!" Haotian marveled. "Especially that third strike, with damage reaching three hundred percent of the base. It's absurd!"
For an ordinary combatant, this skill could be the ultimate trump card, turning the tide against stronger foes. After a moment of consideration, Haotian learned the skill himself. The Royal Knights under his command had their own exclusive combat skills that grew stronger with their level, so they didn't need this skill book.
As a lord, Haotian could learn and use warrior, knight, magic, priest skills, and more. Despite his preference for being a mage, he believed in the saying: "Skills are never a burden." You never know when they might come in handy.
Next, Haotian examined the seven [Troop Quantity Blueprints]. He didn't use them immediately. According to the [Lord System], the number of troops recruited using these blueprints was directly related to the level of the troop buildings. The higher the building level, the more troops could be recruited. Therefore, Haotian planned to upgrade the [Royal Griffon Knight Training Ground] before using all seven blueprints at once.
Haotian opened the fifteen [Coin Bags] he had. From the eleven small bags, he gained a total of 1,876 gold coins, averaging around 170 coins per bag. The remaining four medium bags yielded 2,034 gold coins, averaging 500 coins per bag, roughly three times the amount of the small bags.
"Not bad at all! Almost 4,000 gold coins for free. With the coins from the battle and my previous reserves, I now have over 10,000 coins!"
With this substantial increase in gold, Haotian set his sights on upgrading his territory buildings. He decided to upgrade the [Royal Griffon Knight Training Ground], despite meeting the requirements for upgrading the [Luck Altar] or the [Elven Spring]. Upgrading the troop building was the most cost-effective choice. The [Luck Altar]'s aura wouldn't refresh for a few days, and upgrading the [Elven Spring] wouldn't be significant until Miss Sophia of the Crystal Guild returned to the Golden Oasis. Elevating the troop building was key.
Without hesitation, Haotian spent 10,000 gold coins to upgrade the [Royal Griffon Knight Training Ground] to level five.
Royal Griffon Knight Training Ground
Level: 5
Recruitable Troops: Royal Griffon Knights
Recruitment Capacity: 100 Royal Griffon Knights per day
Upgrade Requirement: 30,000 gold coins
Special Note: Upgrading troop buildings increases the number of recruitable troops.
After successfully upgrading the [Royal Griffon Knight Training Ground], Haotian used all seven [Troop Quantity Blueprints].
Congratulations! You have used seven Troop Quantity Blueprints.
You have recruited a total of 534 Royal Griffon Knights.
Congratulations! Your recruitment triggered the Lord's Talent—Ancient Bloodline Awakening. 74 of your Royal Griffon Knights have evolved into higher-tier Royal Judgement Griffon Knights!
With a flash of dazzling golden light, the training ground was filled with a dense array of Royal Griffon Knights. Each knight exuded an extraordinary aura, radiating strong battle intent. Leading them were the 74 Royal Judgement Griffon Knights, larger in stature, riding even bigger Golden Griffons, each at level nine. Just one step further and they could reach king level.
"We've hit the jackpot! War truly accelerates the development of the territory!"
Summoning over 500 Royal Griffon Knights would typically take five to six days using the troop building alone. Now, with just seven blueprints, it was done. These blueprints had all been battlefield loot, reinforcing Haotian's belief that war was the fastest path to wealth.
Haotian commanded these hundreds of Royal Griffon Knights to join the Royal Griffon Knight battalion several kilometers away in the sandy forest.
"A thousand troops make an army!"
"I now have a total of 978 Royal Griffon Knights. If I'm lucky, another blueprint today will push their number past a thousand. Even without it, recruiting at midnight will suffice. Then, my Royal Griffon Knight battalion can officially be renamed an army, completing Special Task One as well."
Haotian had two [Special Tasks]:
Have a population of ten thousand, rewarding a [Professional Skill Tower] blueprint.
Have a regular troop army of a thousand, rewarding a level-up for the lord (up to king-level pinnacle).
He was currently at king-level beginner. A level-up would make him king-level intermediate. Post-king level, there were only four stages: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and pinnacle. Reaching pinnacle led to the next tier.
"Now, for this blueprint!"
Haotian flipped his right hand, revealing a [Random Building Blueprint]. It was a reward for completing Side Quest One [Eliminate or Subdue the Lizardman Tribe in the Sandy Region], along with a thousand gold coins.
You have used a Random Building Blueprint!
Congratulations! You have obtained a Special Building Blueprint—Dragon's Grave.
Special Building Blueprint—Dragon's Grave
Info: Using this, your territory will have a Dragon's Grave. You can recruit undead dragon troops like Bone Dragons and Ghost Dragons by burying dragon corpses in the grave.
Construction Requirements: 10,000 gold coins, 10,000 units of stone.