Sophia, a Bold and Alluring Woman

Yet, what excited Haotian the most wasn't the expansion of the Royal Gryphon Knight Corps but the imminent refresh of his super-divine lord talent, [Favored by All Races].

"Tonight, the new week will begin," he thought, "and then [Favored by All Races] will grant me a new unit building!"

For a lord, territory and troops are the dual pillars of power. The territory's level reflects the lord's development speed, while the strength of the troops determines the territory's might and ability to wage war. Both are indispensable.

Even though Haotian's current Royal Gryphon Knight Corps was already formidable—especially with the level 9 [Royal Gryphon Knight Training Ground] allowing him to recruit three thousand Royal Gryphon Knights daily—he still yearned for more. To outsiders, this would be seen as miraculous, a treasure even among the most powerful intelligent races of the Holy Continent.

However, Haotian remained unsatisfied. He needed more unit buildings to recruit larger and stronger armies. Achieving this depended on whether his lord talent, [Favored by All Races], would deliver. After all, obtaining [Unit Building Blueprints] from the [Lord System] wasn't easy. Even if they were part of a reward, the chances of drawing them were slim.

"Hopefully, tonight's luck will be better," Haotian mused. He dreamt of acquiring a unit even mightier than the Royal Gryphon Knights. With a great upheaval on the horizon, powerful units were crucial for safeguarding his territory.

He checked his gold reserves:

[Haotian]

[Identity: Lord, Viscount of Stanlow Kingdom]

[Territory: Golden Oasis]

[Level: Extraordinary High Tier]

[Lord Talents: Favored by All Races (Super-Divine), Awakening of Ancient Bloodline (Epic), Holy Emissary of Light (Rare)]

[Gold Coins: 239,300]

"Nearly 240,000 gold coins," Haotian noted. This amount was reserved specifically for upgrading the new unit building that would refresh tonight. Since upgrading his territory's core building to a [Town Hall] a few days ago, he hadn't spent any gold, preparing for this upgrade.

If it weren't for the poverty of the undead, he would have even more gold. Over the past few days, the Royal Gryphon Knight Corps had killed over 500,000 undead. Had they been magical beasts, the gold haul would have been at least double. The low drop rate was mainly because the undead were generally low-level, often requiring several kills to yield a single coin. Other items like blueprints and coin pouches had even lower drop rates. However, the quantity of equipment stripped from the undead was significant, though most were ordinary and decayed, still worth smelting and reforging.

At this moment, Haotian retrieved a small trumpet from his spatial bag. Infusing it with magic, he quickly connected with Miss Sophia in the distant [Forest City]. Recently, Haotian had been conversing with Sophia to learn about the happenings in Forest City and gather intelligence on various races.

"Lord Haotian, I was just about to contact you," Sophia's voice came through, clear yet tinged with a captivating allure. Sophia was a bold and attractive woman, a fact evident from her dark red wavy hair. Through their frequent remote communications, Haotian had come to understand this.

"Dear Sophia, I trust you have good news for me," he replied.

"You are a wise lord," Sophia flattered before continuing, "Not long ago, the Bounty Hunter Guild informed me that someone has taken up my task and agreed on a meeting place. I'm on my way to meet them now."

"That's indeed good news!" Haotian's spirits lifted. He was eager to acquire a dragon's corpse.

"However, Lord Haotian, my supply of elven spring water is running low. After these past few days of sales, less than five hundred bottles remain," Sophia mentioned.

"I understand," Haotian said. "I'll have my butler bring another batch of elven spring water soon. If the other party truly has a dragon's corpse, ensure you secure it at any cost."

"I won't disappoint you, Lord Haotian," Sophia assured. She then softly inquired, "Lord Haotian, I heard there are numerous undead in the Karral Desert. Has your territory been affected?"

"Not significantly," Haotian reassured.

"That eases my mind," Sophia said. "In the past two days, many bounty hunter teams have entered the Karral Desert, taking on the guild's tasks to hunt the undead. You might soon see bounty hunters near the Golden Oasis. As a lord, be cautious. The bounty hunter guild is not bound by justice or evil; some might eye your territory with ill intentions."

Sophia had been away from the Golden Oasis for many days and was unaware of its current development. If she knew Haotian now commanded nearly twenty thousand Royal Gryphon Knights, she would be more concerned for the bounty hunters than for Haotian.

Nonetheless, Haotian appreciated Sophia's concern. After a few more exchanges, they ended the call. Haotian immediately summoned his old butler, Horden, who was out hunting, and a squad of ten Royal Gryphon Knights, all of whom had reached extraordinary levels. At present, all members of the elite Royal Judgment Knights had reached extraordinary levels, significantly boosting their combat power. Facing the dragon Charles directly, Haotian no longer felt as daunted.

"Young master," Horden greeted, "What are your orders?"

"Sophia has news about a dragon's corpse. Take a batch of elven spring water and secure it. Also, bring back the gold from the Crystal Merchant Guild," Haotian instructed.

"Understood, young master," Horden replied. "How many bottles of elven spring water should I take?"

"Take them all," Haotian decided. "Sell the remainder to the Crystal Merchant Guild."

The Elven Spring could regenerate, refilling the next day after being drained. Haotian saw no reason to hold back, instructing Horden to take an entire well's worth of elven spring water.