Chapter 369: The Mysterious Magic Shopkeeper
The entrance to the divination shop remained as quiet as ever. Players had long given up hope of encountering this elusive and Legendary figure.
While players were more than willing to fawn over NPCs, the lack of opportunities to interact with this particular NPC had left them disheartened. They couldn't just loiter outside the door.
In the past, a small group of players had taken turns waiting outside, only to discover that the enigmatic boss, Moses, hadn't emerged for an entire month. His "hermit" tendencies left no room for adoration.
However, they stumbled upon a curious pattern: William, William Prince, seemed to visit the divination shop whenever he had the chance.
This gave rise to numerous forum posts chronicling the mysterious conversations between William the Prince and the enigmatic shopkeeper. These posts were constantly updated, offering readers a glimpse into their cryptic exchanges.
But there was a twist.
William had been meticulously keeping track of the players posting these stories in a little black book. He was determined to ensure that these gossipmongers would never acquire Epic Rank Equipment in their lifetime. Even if their mercenary contributions were maxed out, he would always find an excuse to declare that Epic Rank equipment was temporarily unavailable.
He could be quite capricious in this regard.
On this particular day, William Prince William pushed open the door to the divination shop. Inside, he found Moses seated in a chair, lost in thought as he absentmindedly stroked a cat. Upon William's entrance, Moses straightened in his seat, cleared his throat gently, and spoke in a voice tinged with both age and magnetism, "Back so soon from the far north, I see?"
"Indeed," William replied, placing the snow-white Dragon Crystal on the table without hesitation. "Thanks to your Space Transmission Scroll this time, we narrowly escaped death at the hands of a Legendary dragon. I managed to slay an Ice Dragon, and this Dragon Crystal is for you."
Moses's eyes lit up upon seeing the Dragon Crystal, much like a dragon spotting a pile of Gold Coins or a woman admiring a diamond. However, upon taking it into his hand, he didn't seem overly impressed. Clearing his throat once more, he commented, "I'll take the Dragon Crystal. It plays a crucial role in my magical research. When you transform the dragon-blood warriors, just let me know."
"Alright," William agreed with a smile, turning to leave.
But just as he reached the door, he paused and looked back at Moses. "Do you like Dragon Crystal?"
Caught off guard, Moses quickly shifted his attention away from the Dragon Crystal and pretended to be engrossed in a book. He casually replied, "Well, I appreciate the brilliance of Dragon Crystal."
"Oh, brilliance, you say…" William trailed off, feigning innocence. "Dragon Crystal does have a certain luster. In fact, it's a key component in deciphering Dragon Language Magic. I understand that you might not want to delve into Dragon Language Magic through bathing in dragon blood. But Dragon Crystal serves as an essential medium. The dragon family can't perform Dragon Language Magic without it…"
Moses rambled on, attempting to deflect any suspicions of his fondness for shiny objects.
William pretended to be clueless and said, "I see. In that case, I'll collect all the Dragon Crystals from the dragons I encounter in the future. How does that sound? I'll store all the colorful Dragon Crystals in your personal space for your research."
With that, William the Prince left, leaving Moses lost in thought.
It was undeniable that William had noticed something peculiar. After all, he had spent a considerable amount of time with Moses and had grown to understand him to some extent.
"Lingsi Gloves are exceptionally feminine. Moses made them long ago, and they don't seem like something he'd craft recently. Could he have worn them before? But why would someone like him wear such feminine gloves?"
"Could it be the reincarnation of a goddess?"
"He must despise being a male Magic Lord."
"I feel a strong connection to the Magic Goddess from the mythological era, almost as if I can empathize with her."
"No, perhaps it's not just an illusion."
William couldn't help but grin, pondering these thoughts. He didn't have all the answers, but he admired the Magic Temple's Dharma Sage's courage. Like other Sages, this Dharma Sage likely harbored ambitions of controlling the reincarnations of gods. He probably knew Moses's true identity and sought to groom "him" as the future vessel for the Magic Lord.
It was a bold endeavor.
For now, William brushed aside his musings and returned to the task at hand: boosting Moses's popularity.
However, the popularity meter increased at a snail's pace. In the presence of a figure as prominent as Moses, reaching 900 Points took time.
Even gifting a Dragon Crystal only added a mere 10 Points.
This was a far cry from the days when a Fire Dragon Crystal would boost his popularity by hundreds of Points.
William wondered how many treasures he would have to bestow to reach 1000 Points. Nonetheless, he eagerly anticipated the moment when Moses would reveal a significant secret upon reaching that threshold.
William had three months left to address the issues of Emerald Grand Duchy and the Lan Yu Grand Duchy. However, the present moment was not the time for his concerns. His focus would be on the days ahead.
In the central square of Dawn City, the Dragon Blood Soldier transformation ceremony was once again held. This time, he had selected a total of 600 human ice warriors and magicians. Among these 600 individuals, only 13 possessed high-level Bloodlines, while the rest were middle-level Professionals. They would undergo the ritual using ordinary Dragon Blood of Epic Rank, enhancing their Bloodline, physique, and even their souls.
Yet, with Moses's use of Dragon Crystal, the transformation was particularly effective, though it was essential to avoid excessive alterations.
All 600 individuals successfully underwent the transformation. Out of them, 238 reached high-level Bloodlines, 312 became masters, and the remaining 50 attained Epic Level Bloodlines, with half of them evolving into Dragon Whisperers.
In short, they became incredibly powerful. The effects of this transformation surpassed that of the original Fire Dragon Blood.
As they witnessed this spectacle, players were left in awe. They were witnessing the mass production of powerful warriors under the leadership of their boss.
With every passing day, Dawn City was growing stronger, boosting the confidence of players who chose to stay there.
To date, William had 300 Fire Dragon Professionals, 500 Water Dragon Professionals, and now, an additional 600 Ice Dragon Professionals.
What about now?
The Dragon's Blood Warriors numbered 1400 .
This was equivalent to half a legion, but the quality was astounding. Among these 1400 individuals, the lowest Bloodlines were high-level, the majority were masters, and nearly 100 had Epic Level Bloodlines.
This was a formidable corps.
These 1400 warriors alone were comparable to the 100000 regular troops of a human kingdom. This wasn't an exaggeration.
However, the Dawn City would continue to grow stronger. William would ensure that his loyal soldiers became even more formidable. He would provide them with epic and Legendary secrets without hesitation, as long as their loyalty exceeded 800 Points, and their Bloodlines were qualified. The only condition was that they couldn't share these secrets with outsiders.
These 600 individuals, having bathed in Dragon Blood, wearing Dragon Scale armor, and wielding swords crafted from the claws and teeth of the Frost Dragon, would soon have additional equipment and blood resonance to enhance their already formidable abilities.
Observing the success of the Dragon Blood Legion, William contemplated his next step. He was tempted to seek out another dragon to slay. Dawn City was still a relatively small power, and as it grew in strength, the opportunity to kill dragons would become scarcer. Legendary dragons would soon be wary of his Dragon Slaying Team.
The primary objective remained: to gather a sufficient number of Dragon Blood Soldiers within the Legion. If he accomplished this before the impending war in the far north in three months, his brilliance would shine brightly. He could then select some coveted treasures from the spoils of war.
William William was determined to seize this opportunity, not just for the benefits but also to gather more Dragon Blood Soldiers for the Legion. If he didn't act now, it would become increasingly difficult to find dragons to kill once the large-scale Dragon Family Rebellion plot unfolded in a few years.
The Dragon Rebellion's root cause was none other than the secret hunting and killing of dragons by the Human Empire, resulting in the creation of Dragon's Blood Warriors.
"In the future, there will be a decade of bloody battles, the upheaval of the Dragon Family, the arrival of the Sky City, and other massive plot tasks. It's simply boundless, thrilling, and incredibly exciting to think about," William mused, taking a deep breath. He needed to become stronger, as only through strength could he gain ample benefits from these familiar plot tasks.