Chapter 48: True Dragon Bloodline
Bay Village.
Afternoon, after lunch.
Excited cheers echoed all around.
Every soldier who stepped up to the stage was able to select the weapons and equipment they had hoped for.
When the rules of the contribution system were posted on the village notice board, every villager couldn't help but widen their eyes in surprise.
Alongside the contribution system, a brand new recruitment notice was also posted.
"Recruitment Requirements: Bay Village residency, age 18, and passing the recruitment assessment."
"Recruitment assessment: Lift a 100 kg stone lock and complete a 10 km weighted run within the allotted time."
"Or, if you have mastery-level skills in archery, swordsmanship, or other forms of combat, you can become a reserve soldier, regardless of gender."
"Reserve soldiers receive full food and housing, with 4 hours of daily training and 4 hours of assigned duties."
"The monthly salary is 5 silver coins, along with relevant combat skill training, contribution point accumulation, and rewards."
"After one month, candidates may take the final exam. Passing the exam qualifies you to become a full soldier."
"Full soldiers receive full food and housing, with 8 hours of daily training and standard issue weapons and equipment."
"The monthly salary is 20 silver coins, along with combat skill training, contribution point accumulation, and rewards."
Unsurprisingly, the two announcements ignited the ambitions of all the eligible men in Bay Village.
Many were eager to sign up immediately, but most failed at the first hurdle.
The 100 kg stone lock proved to be quite challenging for the majority of civilians, who had long suffered from malnutrition and had never undergone proper training.
Unwilling to give up, they tried to opt for the second path.
However, Village Chief Field informed them:
"If you can't meet the first condition, no non-professional candidates can proceed to the next stage of the assessment."
"So, don't aim too high. Go home, eat more, train harder, and get your body into shape."
"Also, let me share some good news: the lord has opened four stores where you can buy inexpensive but good-quality food."
"But each household has a purchase limit. This is the lord's reward for your hard work, so don't try any tricks!"
The soldiers weren't the only ones cheering—other villagers shouted praises for the lord as well.
Butler Ralph, reflecting on the villagers' attitudes and behavior over the past two days, still found it hard to believe.
Matthew, however, was confident in everything. He patted Ralph on the shoulder and said:
"This is just the surface. The real show is yet to come."
Butler Ralph nodded, his expression complex, and turned to return to the lord's manor.
Tomorrow, the professional training academy would officially begin in the territory. Ralph needed to quickly select a leader and appoint professional instructors.
This time, however, Ralph felt more energized, with deeper insights into management and territorial development.
Matthew glanced at the training soldiers and then at Angela, who was busy selecting reserves.
There was still one more thing left to do today.
He turned and headed toward the village entrance with Yaya.
Over 400 kobolds lay on the ground, their eyes fixed on Yaya as she approached, babbling in excitement.
What seemed like an absurd ritual to others marked a significant change in Yaya's data under Matthew's watchful eye.
Name: Yaya
Race: Dragon Beast.
Class: Level 1 Sorcerer.
Age: 2 days (Hatchling stage).
Talent: + (3000 Experience, 300 Fate Coins!)
Challenge Rating: 9+!
Equipment: Shadow Fang.
Special Abilities:
Extraordinary Ability—Dragon Might LV1: Releases a terrifying aura that imposes a Willpower -5 penalty on all surrounding creatures!
Extraordinary Ability—Banishment Breath LV1: Breathes a linear stream of time displacement onto objects or enemies, banishing them into the flow of time for 1 month!
Matthew keenly noticed a small "+" symbol next to the talent section!
"3000 experience and 300 Fate Coins? This is the reward for changing the fate of hundreds of people. Let's see if it brings any surprises!"
Without hesitation, Matthew tapped the "+" symbol.
Yaya's strength was directly linked to his own!
A blue light enveloped Yaya's body.
She instinctively flapped her wings, hovering in the air as an indescribable majesty radiated from her, triggering Dragon Might.
Most of the kobolds trembled in fear, pressing themselves flat against the ground, unable to move.
Only four kobolds, struggling against the immense pressure, crawled toward Yaya as she underwent her transformation.
Faint ripples of distortion emerged along with the blue light, and a black ring began to form on Yaya's silver back.
Matthew only glanced at it but quickly turned his gaze away, feeling as though it was pulling him in—he barely managed to resist falling under its influence.
"Ding, you have resisted the effects of the Ring of Time, Knowledge +10, current total 198 (Near-Legendary)."
Matthew had no time to be pleased as Yaya's light intensified, her head tilted back in a silent roar.
Finally, the blue light faded, the twisting ripples were reabsorbed into Yaya's body, and the black ring vanished.
Talent: True Dragon Bloodline LV1—All attributes +1, gains the inheritance of the True Dragon. As the dragon ages and its bloodline strengthens, it gains knowledge and power from its genes and bloodline.
Matthew's eyes widened in realization as a thought dawned on him:
"The distinction between a true dragon and others must be this True Dragon Bloodline!"
"Imprinting knowledge and power into the bloodline and genes, allowing growth from birth... No wonder they're such formidable super creatures..."
"Interesting..."
Yaya, whose physical size hadn't changed much, slowly descended and stood before the four trembling kobolds.
A flood of information and knowledge filled Yaya's mind, and a glint of understanding flashed in her eyes. She extended a small claw, pressing it gently into her palm.
A few drops of blood seeped out, falling onto the foreheads of the four kobolds as Yaya softly muttered words of power.
The gemstone-like crimson blood sank into the kobolds' skin.
The four kobolds clutched their heads in agony, letting out shrill screams as terrifying waves of energy rippled from them.
Matthew could clearly see the life force of the kobolds rapidly depleting.
Contact with dragon blood was inflicting immense damage on them, along with unbearable pain.
Suddenly, the smallest kobold let out a final scream, its life force instantly extinguished. Its body trembled once before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
It had died!
Not all lives could withstand the backlash of fate-altering changes!