Chapter 369: Chapter 336: An Unexpected Great Mage

Coal Ball puffed out his small chest proudly, ran to the center of the square, and took a deep breath.

"BOOM!"

With a deafening thud, a massive hundred-meter-long corpse materialized out of thin air and slammed heavily onto the hard Stone Slab square, making the entire plaza tremble.

The Wind God Winged Dragon’s ferocious head, tightly shut eyes, and the enormous claw marks on its body silently testified to the ferocity of the battle.

The surrounding soldiers maintaining order turned pale, intimidated by the overwhelming, ferocious aura rushing at them, even though they knew it was already dead.

"Alex."

Raylo called out.

"Here, my lord!"

Alex immediately stepped forward, his gaze burning as he stared at the dragon’s corpse.

"You and your men will process it."

Raylo’s command was concise and clear.

"The dragonhide, tendons, bones, and marrow—sort all materials and preserve them carefully. Carve up the dragon meat and send it all to the icehouse. It will be the Knights’ best source of energy for the foreseeable future."

"Yes, my lord!"

Alex replied loudly, his eyes glinting with excitement.

Soon, under Alex’s command, dozens of experienced Knights gathered around and began the enormous yet delicate task of butchering the carcass.

Raylo then turned to Kado.

The Hill Giant Leader understood, grinned at him, then turned and waved to his kinsmen.

A dozen Hill Giants strode forward, each one carefully carrying several huge leather buckets filled with steaming Dragon Blood.

Inside the Alchemy Workshop, Master Barnaby was pacing back and forth in frustration.

His hair was a mess like a bird’s nest, and his gray Mage Robe was stained with Potions of various colors. He muttered to himself under his breath.

’Wrong, all wrong... The concentration of the bloodline essence isn’t high enough. Dammit, I’m so close. The Flying Dragon Potion... I’m so close...’

"BANG! BANG! BANG!"

A heavy, rhythmic knocking echoed, shaking dust from the walls.

"Who is it?! Can’t you see I’m busy? Don’t bother me even if the sky is falling!"

Barnaby roared impatiently.

There was no response from outside, but the knocking turned into pounding.

Master Barnaby angrily yanked the door open, about to let loose a string of curses, only to see a face larger than the door itself peering curiously inside.

It was Kado.

Barnaby’s anger instantly deflated by half. He looked up at the group of Giants and frowned.

"What are you all doing here?"

Kado didn’t speak. He just gave a simple-minded smile, stepped aside, and revealed the huge leather buckets his kinsmen were holding.

The potent, scorching, bloody scent, mixed with immense Wind Elemental Energy, instantly flooded Barnaby’s nostrils.

Barnaby’s eyes went wide.

His nose twitched violently a few times.

He darted forward, nearly crashing into the Giant’s leg.

"This is... this is..."

"Essence Blood from a Domain Level Sub-Dragon Species! So fresh, so pure!"

He stared intently at the dark red liquid in the bucket, its surface swirling with a faint cyan-colored aura.

"Blood of a Wind God Winged Dragon."

Raylo stated succinctly.

"A Wind God Winged Dragon!"

Barnaby cried out, his eyes wild with a manic gleam. "Yes! YES! With this blood, my chances will skyrocket!"

Seeing Master Barnaby’s crazed state, Raylo shook his head helplessly and turned to leave.

’It’s best to leave professional matters to the professionals.’ 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Master Barnaby had previously approached Raylo several times, explaining that the Sky Dragons in the territory were still in their Growth Stage. Their bloodline wasn’t concentrated enough, and he had hit a bottleneck in developing the Tier Four Flying Dragon Potion.

Now, with so much Wind God Winged Dragon Essence Blood, he hoped it would help Master Barnaby complete the development of the Flying Dragon Bloodline Potion.

As night fell, the banquet hall of Black Stone Castle was brightly lit.

A lavish spread of dishes flowed onto the long dining table like a river, but everyone’s eyes were fixed on the few giant silver platters in the center.

On the platters were steaks roasted to a golden-brown perfection.

It was the tenderloin of the freshly processed Wind God Winged Dragon, marinated in rosemary and local spices, then exquisitely roasted by the castle’s best chefs.

The surface of the steaks was covered in a thin, crispy crust, the fat glistening tantalizingly under the lights. The cut cross-section revealed an alluring pinkish-white interior, with the delicate meat fibers clearly visible.

Most importantly, the immense energy emanating from the steaks, so potent it felt almost tangible, made the Fighting Spirit within every Knight present sing with joy.

Raylo cut off a small piece and put it in his mouth.

The outside was fragrant and crispy, while the inside was tender and juicy. The meat was firm yet springy. As he chewed, a warm current erupted in his mouth, slid down his throat into his stomach, and instantly transformed into a pure stream of energy that surged through his entire body.

Every cell in his body seemed to groan with satisfaction under this nourishment.

He squinted his eyes in comfort and glanced at the two little ones beside him.

In a corner of the table, Moonlight had completely abandoned her usual elegance.

A plate larger than her own body sat before her, piled high with sliced Winged Dragon meat.

She buried her head in the pile of meat, eating with great relish. Her silver fur was stained with a bit of grease, and her large tail swept happily back and forth behind her.

Nearby, Coal Ball was even more exaggerated.

His small claws gripped a steak bigger than his head as he struggled to tear at it, his mouth dripping with grease. His glossy black fur shone under the light.

As he ate, a contented purr rumbled in his throat, as if this was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten in his life.

A smile touched Raylo’s lips as he watched the scene.

’Adventures, battles, and bloodshed... isn’t it all for this moment of peace and prosperity?’

He raised his goblet to the feasting Knights in the hall.

"For Black Stone Territory!"

"For Lord Raylo!"

The Knights all raised their glasses.

The Hill Giants tore at the Wind God Winged Dragon steaks and raised their barrel-sized mugs, letting out excited cheers.

「The next morning.」

The afterglow of the night’s revelry had not yet completely faded as the morning sun streamed through the castle’s stained-glass windows, casting colorful, mottled shadows.

Raylo sat at the head of the long table, a simple breakfast before him: a cup of steaming milk and a few slices of perfectly browned steak.

On the chair beside him, Moonlight had already finished her breakfast and was meticulously grooming her lustrous silver fur with her paws.

Near the fireplace, Coal Ball lay on his back on a soft cushion, all four paws in the air. His round belly rose and fell as he slept soundly, a glistening trace of grease still clinging to the corner of his mouth.

Alex walked briskly into the dining hall.

He approached Raylo and bowed in greeting.

"My lord, there’s been some trouble at one of the territory’s taverns."

Normally, Alex would have handled such a trivial squabble at a tavern himself without reporting it personally.

Raylo put down his glass of milk, knowing the matter must be serious, and gestured for him to continue.

"Early this morning, the owner of the Pegasus Tavern came to report that an outsider caused trouble at his establishment last night."

Alex paused to organize his thoughts.

"The man claimed to be an Illusionist, performing for drink money. According to the patrons, he was only doing cheap tricks like lighting his fingers on fire or pulling coins from a cup, and his technique was rather clumsy."

’Alex needed to report this to me personally?’

Alex noticed Raylo’s skepticism and continued with a wry smile.

"That’s where the problem started. A drunken mercenary mocked him, calling him a fraud, and threw an empty mug at him. As a result, the Illusionist got angry."

"With just a wave of his hand, an invisible force slammed the mercenary against the wall, breaking several of his ribs. The tavern erupted into chaos. He snatched the mercenary’s coin purse and fled in the confusion. Our patrol on duty immediately moved in to apprehend him."

Alex’s expression turned grim.

"Our twelve-man patrol couldn’t last three moves against him. The Wind Blades and Fireballs he conjured at will were precise and deadly. If the Knights hadn’t been wearing their Armor, we likely would have had fatalities on the spot. Seven Knights were injured in total, two of them seriously."