章 25: Advanced arms Royal Judgment Knights
As Hao Tian awaited the dawn of a new day, about thirty kilometers away from the Golden Oasis, a camp was nestled in the vast desert. The camp consisted of several tents, each surrounded by bright bonfires that helped ward off nearby desert beasts. Around the camp, a dozen fully armed swordsmen took turns keeping watch.
By the central bonfire, a woman and an elderly man sat in conversation. The old man, dressed as a mage, and the woman, wrapped tightly in a thick fur coat with only her fairly exquisite face and dark red curls visible, seemed deep in thought.
"Miss, our water supply is running low," the old mage said. "But we should reach the Golden Oasis soon. We can resupply there and continue our journey."
"I understand," she replied with a nod, though her expression was far from happy. "Mage Simon, we've been in the Kalar Desert for a week now. How much longer until we reach Vastian City?"
"If everything goes smoothly, we should arrive in about two weeks."
"Two weeks…" The woman sighed, exasperation clear in her voice. "I can't stand this place for another moment!"
Mage Simon's lips twitched in response. The Kalar Desert was indeed a harsh environment—endless yellow sands, scorching heat by day, and freezing cold by night. Just this afternoon, their party had the misfortune of encountering a small sandstorm. Although their cargo remained intact, everyone had suffered greatly.
If it weren't necessary, Simon wouldn't be here either. He'd much rather be sipping sweet fruit wine in the picturesque Forest City, enjoying the melodious songs of nature spirits and catching glimpses of unicorns in their pristine beauty.
"Just bear with it a little longer," Simon encouraged. "Once we complete this trade mission, we'll earn the guild's badge and establish our trade route. Our merchant guild will finally be on the right track."
"Let's hope so," the woman murmured, rising to her feet. "I'm going to rest now, Simon."
She retreated to her tent, where she shed the heavy fur coat, revealing a figure of stunning curves. After a quick wash, her face, which had been only fairly exquisite, now seemed breathtakingly beautiful. Her blue eyes, in particular, gleamed like precious gems.
Outside the tent, Mage Simon called over the lead swordsman. "Tomorrow morning, we head for the Golden Oasis. Be vigilant; I've heard packs of gray wolves and gnolls frequent that area."
"Understood, Master Simon!" The swordsman captain nodded solemnly. "With your prowess as a King-level mage, I doubt even a gnoll cavalry troop would dare approach our caravan."
"Better safe than sorry," Simon replied. "The Kalar Desert is a life-threatening place. Even great sages have fallen here, not to mention a mere King-level mage like myself."
"Yes, sir!" The swordsman captain snapped to attention. His earlier compliment had been a formality—he knew all too well the perils of the Kalar Desert, reputed as the land where gods fell.
Back at the Golden Oasis, time passed until the clock struck midnight. However, instead of immediately recruiting new Royal Knights, Hao Tian first claimed the rewards from the Limited Hunting Quest. Thanks to two days of hunting and the extermination of the Black Wind Tribe, the accumulated gold reward reached 6,359 coins—a substantial sum. Combined with his existing reserve, Hao Tian's gold count exceeded 7,000 for the first time.
Without hesitation, he used the newfound wealth to upgrade the Royal Knight Training Ground.
"Royal Knight Training Ground (Level 4). Recruitable units: Royal Knights. Daily recruitment: 100 Royal Knights. Upgrade requirements: 10,000 gold coins. Special note 1: Upgrading the unit building increases the number of recruitable units. Special note 2: As cavalry units, equipping Royal Knights with suitable mounts significantly enhances their combat power."
"Now I can recruit a hundred Royal Knights a day! Worth every one of those five thousand gold coins," Hao Tian thought as he admired the expanded, more imposing training ground. Though the expenditure stung a bit, the result was satisfying.
He then moved to the training ground and initiated the recruitment of the new day's Royal Knights. A sweep of dazzling golden light filled the wide training ground, and a fully armed battalion of knights appeared, their expressions solemn, exuding a powerful aura of determination.
At that moment, a notification appeared in Hao Tian's mind.
"Congratulations, your Lord's Talent: Awakening of the Ancient Bloodline has been triggered during recruitment. Fifteen Royal Knights have evolved into Royal Judgment Knights!"
"We swear eternal loyalty to our great Lord!" The fifteen Royal Judgment Knights knelt fervently before Hao Tian, while the other Royal Knights stood behind them, a clear boundary marking the ranks.
"Excellent, rise," Hao Tian commanded, assessing the Royal Judgment Knights. Their armor, though still silver, was now adorned with golden capes, and their knightly swords gleamed with a golden hue, giving them an even more imposing and holy appearance.
"Royal Judgment Knights (Advanced Unit). Initial Level: 7. Growth Potential: Extraordinary. Traits: Loyalty, Fearless Bravery."
"They're advanced units from the start, with a level of seven and extraordinary growth potential—far superior to the regular Royal Knights."
Hao Tian felt a surge of satisfaction with his new Lord's Talent. The probability of unit evolution was higher than he had expected. Recruiting a hundred Royal Knights and obtaining fifteen superior Royal Judgment Knights exceeded his expectations.
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