The Descent of the Golden Griffons

In a sudden turn of events, good news arrived from the skies.

Thanks to the relentless efforts of the Royal Griffon Knights, Haotian's rank successfully ascended to mid-level Royalty. As soon as the clock struck midnight, he summoned a hundred Royal Griffon Knights from the Royal Griffon Knight Training Grounds. With this, the total number of Royal Griffon Knights surpassed a thousand, marking the transition from a brigade to a full-fledged legion. Haotian had also completed Special Mission One, earning a level-up reward from the Lord System.

Upon claiming the mission reward, Haotian's rank surged again, propelling him to high-level Royalty. Such a meteoric rise left the old butler, Holden, utterly speechless. Typically, the higher one's rank, the more challenging it becomes to advance. Even for Haotian's formidable units, breaking through required significant experience. Yet, his young master had reached level nine only that morning, becoming a Royal-class professional. Now, in less than a day, he had soared to high-level Royalty. It was unbelievably swift!

Holden marveled, "Just two more steps, and young master will become a Transcendent professional! Across the entire Sacred Continent, Transcendent professionals are considered powerful."

In the world of professionals, there's a saying: "All are mere mortals beneath the Transcendent." This underscores the awe-inspiring nature of achieving Transcendence. However, this does not imply that a Transcendent is a deity. Even a Transcendent professional is far from becoming an immortal god. The saying persists because Transcendent professionals possess a unique ability—flight. Without relying on magical skills, they can soar through the skies with their inherent magical power, a feat unattainable for non-Transcendents. Therefore, Transcendents are regarded as "above mortals," embodying the concept of surpassing the ordinary.

Haotian smiled, "Butler, you're not far from reaching Royalty yourself. Given your growth potential, achieving Transcendence in the future should be easy."

Hearing this, Holden brightened considerably. After a day of fruitful hunting, he was close to advancing to Royalty. As for reaching the Transcendent level, something he once dared not dream of, his young master's words filled him with newfound hope. If he attained Transcendence, his lifespan would extend by at least two hundred years, enough time to witness his young master marry and continue the illustrious Tulip family line.

"Young master, it's late. You should get some rest."

"Yes," Haotian nodded, then headed to the backyard of the town hall with his ever more beautiful maid, Sally.

The Next Day

At dawn, the Royal Griffon Knight Legion set out towards the Sand People's tribe, over a hundred kilometers away. Over a thousand colossal golden griffons soared hundreds of meters high, creating a majestic and awe-inspiring spectacle.

In less than an hour, the Royal Griffon Knight Legion reached their destination. Standing on the back of a golden griffon, Butler Holden surveyed the scene below. Amidst the vast expanse of yellow sand lay a sizeable encampment, filled with wooden structures and tents, encircled by stone walls. Notably, several watchtowers and small fortresses dotted the area. Crucially, a substantial oasis lay just a few hundred meters north of the camp. While not as grand as the current Golden Oasis, it provided ample water for the thousands of Sand People living there.

In the Kalar Desert, a common agreement existed: No faction or intelligent race may monopolize an oasis. Oasis resources are to be shared by the desert's inhabitants. Violations of this Peace Treaty could justify war against the offenders. Haotian's establishment of his territory at the Golden Oasis was essentially a declaration of war against the local superpowers who upheld the treaty.

The Sand People were wiser in their approach. They built their camp near the oasis, not directly occupying it, thus enjoying its resources while technically adhering to the treaty.

As the griffons descended, alarms rang throughout the camp. Sand People scurried like ants, with many gathering under the leaders' commands. The watchtowers and fortresses readied for battle. Even before the Royal Griffon Knight Legion arrived, sentinels had spotted them. Now, seeing the griffon legion hovering above, panic spread among the thousands of Sand People.

Despite having organized armed forces and defensive structures, they had never faced an aerial threat, let alone one of such magnitude. The enemy was fully armed, even their mounts clad in magical armor, exuding formidable strength. If the griffons attacked, the camp would likely be decimated, with no chance of escape for the Sand People.

"Chief, what should we do?" a subordinate asked, his voice trembling.

"Stay calm. Let's see what they want. If they only seek to plunder, we'll give them our stored provisions," the chief replied.

"But… what if they aim to destroy our camp?"

"Then we'll have no choice but to fight to the death!" the chief declared.

At that moment, several massive golden griffons began to dive. The chief barked, "No one is to attack without my command!"

The griffons landed not inside the camp but on its walls, their immense weight collapsing a section of the stone barrier. The wall, only about four meters high, was dwarfed by the eight-meter-tall griffons, emphasizing their overwhelming presence and deepening the Sand People's despair.