"Not for long." Haotian
A Commotion Near the Town Hall
Near the town hall, a figure rushed out of a nearby residence, clutching a magic staff tightly in his hand. It was Haotian's elderly steward, Horden. He had been meditating and training when the sudden cacophony from within the territory startled him awake. Fearing a massive invasion of magical beasts, he had dashed out of his home in a panic.
As soon as he emerged, Horden saw the impressive sight of Royal Griffin Knights, resplendent in their scaled armor. The sight nearly caused him to cast an explosive fireball in reflex, but he managed to hold back just in time. Upon closer inspection, he recognized the riders as the territory's Royal Knights, now mounted on the backs of these majestic creatures. He took a deep breath to steady himself.
Seeing his young master standing on the training ground with a small maid beside him, Horden hurried over and asked, "Young master, what is the meaning of this? How have our Royal Knights come to ride such griffin-like beasts?"
Griffins were not unknown on the Holy Continent, but Horden, who had spent his life within the Tulip family, had never seen one in person—only illustrations in the Bestiary.
Haotian smiled. "They aren't just like griffins; they are griffins, and not just any griffins, but Golden Griffins, which are far more powerful."
Golden Griffins were an advanced form of the ordinary griffin, akin to the relationship between Royal Paladins and Royal Knights. Compared to their common counterparts, Golden Griffins were much larger, with adult specimens averaging about six meters in length. As they leveled up, their size continued to increase. Moreover, their feathers and fur differed significantly: while ordinary griffins had black feathers and light yellow fur, Golden Griffins boasted a magnificent golden hue, making them appear as if they were crafted from pure gold, radiating an air of nobility and grandeur.
In terms of combat prowess and growth potential, Golden Griffins were in a league of their own.
"By the gods!" Horden exclaimed, his voice trembling. "Even in the capital of the Stanlow Kingdom, griffin mounts are exceedingly rare, let alone Golden Griffins. I've heard that only in the distant Crellia Kingdom is there a regiment of Golden Griffins, numbering over five thousand, reputed to be one of the strongest forces on the Holy Continent!"
"Not for long," Haotian replied confidently. "Once we upgrade our unit buildings, we'll be able to recruit even more Royal Griffin Knights. Five thousand? Try fifty thousand, or even five hundred thousand!"
Haotian quickly did some calculations. The Royal Griffin Knight Training Grounds, as a high-level fusion building, would, at level nine, allow for the recruitment of three thousand Royal Griffin Knights per day. Just two days of recruitment would surpass Crellia's famed regiment. In ten days, they would have thirty thousand; in a little over three months, they could amass a force of hundreds of thousands.
Horden nearly fainted from the excitement and joy. He couldn't fathom the sheer power that the Golden Oasis would wield with such a massive force of Royal Griffin Knights. Even the dragon clans would have to bow and avoid any confrontation with such a formidable army.
Meanwhile, at the Sapphire Lake settlement, over two thousand sandfolk were prostrating themselves fervently, chanting praises to their lord. They had witnessed Haotian's miraculous creation of these magnificent beasts, a feat they attributed to divine power. To them, Haotian was not just a lord but a deity, almost rivaling the god Brewster, the founder of the Sandfolk Kingdom.
At Haotian's command, hundreds of Royal Griffin Knights gathered on the training grounds. Each towering Golden Griffin folded its wings and knelt, bowing its head towards Haotian. Their knights, the Royal Knights, also knelt, pledging their loyalty.
Haotian's gaze swept over the assembled knights and finally settled on the fifty or so Royal Paladin Knights at the front. Originally, he had only fifteen Royal Paladins, but with the recent recruitment and the Lord System's upgrades, their numbers had more than doubled.
These Royal Paladin Knights rode the largest Golden Griffins, clearly distinguished by their size.
Royal Griffin Knight
Rank: Advanced Unit
Initial Level: 9
Growth Potential: Transcendent Peak
Traits: Loyalty, Bravery, Battle for Glory
"They're still advanced units," Haotian mused. "Not quite at the crowned unit level, but their initial level and growth potential have improved significantly. Additionally, they now possess the trait 'Battle for Glory.'"
Checking the information of other Royal Griffin Knights, Haotian found that they, too, had gained the 'Battle for Glory' trait. The standard Royal Griffin Knights started at level 7 with growth potential reaching the Transcendent Initial stage.
Growth Potential was both a golden key and a shackle bestowed by the Lord System. It defined the path of progression for a unit. For example, once a Royal Griffin Knight reached the Transcendent Initial stage, they couldn't gain further experience from killing enemies unless they underwent a bloodline evolution to become a Royal Paladin Knight, at which point they could continue to advance to the Transcendent Peak.
This was the shackle. Breaking it required evolution. The golden key aspect meant that until they reached their growth potential, their progression was unhindered by any barriers—they simply leveled up with sufficient experience.
Unlike native intelligent beings, whose advancement depended on various factors, especially their comprehension of realms, Haotian's units faced no such constraints. A native genius might be deemed to have the potential of a demigod but could stagnate due to lack of insight or experience, never advancing beyond a certain point.
Haotian's units were different. If a unit had the potential of a demigod, it would inevitably reach that level. This was why there were distinctions like high, intermediate, low, crowned, and divine among units—the higher the rank, the more formidable the unit.