Black Dragon City's Population Boom

Three days later.

The rugged mountain road from the Xid Empire to Black Dragon City.

A group of several thousand people traveled together, carefully traversing the monster-infested Alkolon Mountain Range.

"So there really is a pass here. This map is incredibly accurate!"

"I thought this road would be very dangerous, but after passing through the 'Black Dragon Pass,' we haven't encountered any large magical beasts. This is much easier than the road to City of Radiance."

"Yeah, it feels really strange. It's like this road has been cleaned up."

"."

This was a group comprised of merchants, Scavenger Gang, and refugees. Most of the people in the group came with the aim of "opening up new lands," "being the first to try something new," and "exploring new paths."

Unexpectedly, the journey over the mountains was much safer than anticipated.

The southwestern part of the Xid Empire, bordering the Alkolon Mountain Range, has always been a high-risk area, with a high casualty rate among hunters. They hadn't expected that after venturing beyond the Sid border and deeper into the mountains, they would encounter fewer and fewer magical beasts.

The first half of the journey was somewhat dangerous, but the second half became increasingly safe.

"What else could be so strange?"

"Didn't you see that after we passed through the Black Dragon Pass, Blue-tailed Hawk and dragons kept passing by in the sky? At first, I thought they were just passing magical beasts, but when I saw that there were people on the dragon just now, I realized that things were not simple."

"You mean, the dragon drove away all the monsters on this mountain path?"

"Yes. That must be the legendary 'Wyvern Legion' of Black Dragon City. Haven't you heard about the grandeur of the Battle of City of Radiance's 'Black Wind Territory'? Thousands of flying dragons descended from the sky and directly conquered a large city."

"Oh, I've heard about that too. But... since Black Dragon City is a city inhabited by barbarians, what if they trick me into going there and then eat us? I've heard that barbarians like to eat people."

"Your information is too outdated. That 'Black Dragon City' was founded by Princess Oma Ymir of Omar, and it's backed by the 'Black Gold Merchant Guild.' How could it possibly be a barbarian city? I reckon the barbarians are probably war slaves or something."

"I've heard that those barbarian Wyvern Knight don't actually have any ill intentions towards us civilians. At least during the 'Battle of Black Wind Territory,' they didn't harm any civilians at all."

"We'll find out the specifics when we get there. Our commander is waiting for me to get there soon so he can send a message back. If the actual situation in 'Black Dragon City' is really as the intelligence says, then the main force can come and make a fortune."

"."

Because they didn't encounter any High-tier Demonic Beast attacks, the team moved very quickly.

On this day, just after noon, a magnificent city came into view.

Towering Steam Boilers chimneys, thick city walls constructed of rivets and steel plates, rows of cannons, and neatly planned streets and houses.

Because the city is on the ground, the size of this city is even much larger than some large territories!

"My God, there really is a city here!"

"Let's go! Let's go take a look."

"."

Upon seeing this colossal city, the first group of people to arrive in Black Dragon City immediately realized that the intelligence was true.

Having a city to settle in means that the Scavenger Gang can have a solid shelter here.

The Mechanical City is the foundation upon which all conditions are established.

Originally, if they wanted to hunt in the wilderness west of the Alkolon Mountain Range, they could only go to City of Radiance.

Now, there's another option!

"Please do not crowd, please line up to enter the city!"

Municipal officials who had been waiting for a long time were at the gate of Black Dragon City. They were responsible for registering people entering the city and explaining the rules for entering the city.

Because there weren't many people on the first day, everyone quickly entered the city.

The "permanent residents" of the city were the artisans who participated in the construction of Black Dragon City. They were originally commoner artisans from the two great empires, and some of them were even related to some of the first wave of refugees.

After this conversation, everyone quickly learned the truth.

"What? The entrance fee is so cheap! It's only one-tenth of the price of City of Radiance!"

"Is the tax revenue real? Only about 10%?"

"Is it true that permanent residents enjoy benefits such as medical care, education, and potions? Can one obtain permanent residency status simply by contributing to the city?"

"Anyone can join the army, there are no nobles? And those who meet the requirements can become permanent residents?"

"My God, I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"."

The hunters and refugees seemed to have entered a dreamlike kingdom, looking around the city in astonishment.

Not many shops on both sides of the street were open for business, but the goods in the display cases were a delight to behold.

The Potion Shop has all kinds of Transcendent potions, from First Tier to fifth rank.

The key point is that the price is very cheap!

Currently, whether in the two great empires or City of Radiance, the potion industry is a highly profitable monopoly dominated by nobles. For a commoner to afford a single potion, they would need to spend decades of their savings.

Here, it's less than a tenth of the price!

This price means that even if someone fails to advance multiple times due to insufficient potion compatibility, everyone still has a chance to advance to the Transcendent.

Because taxes in the city are extremely low, everyone can earn Contribution Points and income through their own labor.

(In the early stages, Black Dragon City will use the contribution system previously employed by City of Radiance to sell most of its goods. This is to prevent Established Nobles from exploiting loopholes and disrupting the market with their vast financial resources.)

Moreover, it's not just potions, but also various High-tier Demonic Beast materials and alchemical materials.

The Mechanical Workshop also has various high-level mechanic equipment, including four-cylinder and six-cylinder steam-powered boilers, Mechanical Arm, high-powered firearms, and various high-precision mechanical parts.

Its technological level has even reached the level of the military water systems of the two great empires.

This is high-end mechanical equipment that you can't buy anywhere else!

And the [Black Mist Antidote Potion], which can cure the aftereffects of the Black Mist, is also available in unlimited quantities here!

Seeing all this, the first group of people who came to Black Dragon City were excited and eager to participate in the city-building mission to earn Contribution Points to buy these items.

After the visit, the managers of various chambers of commerce, large and small, who came to survey the area, as well as the advance teams of those large Scavenger Gang, all eagerly rented Communication Device in the city to contact the headquarters.

If this is true, come quickly.

The Scavenger Gang needs a large number of people to clear land and seize resources.

The chamber of commerce needs a large amount of funds to purchase and lease shops, and it also needs to mobilize a large quantity of goods.

Everyone saw the enormous business opportunities in this city!

Compared to other cities, Black Dragon City is practically paradise in terms of its conditions.

It's easy to imagine that once the news gets out, a massive influx of migrants will flood in, causing the city's businesses to experience explosive growth.

These people were also grateful that they were the first to come here!

On the city wall, Rein and Ymir stood there, watching the thousands of people pouring into the city, their eyes shining.

The city was large enough that the arrival of these thousand people did not cause much of a stir, but it did inject a new vitality into this emerging city.

"Once the first wave of refugees arrives, more and more will follow."

"Yes. We have a great advantage. Once the news gets out, even if the two great empires block their borders, it won't stop the development of Black Dragon City."

"I estimate that at least a million people will flood in over the next two weeks. They will bring a large amount of supplies, and then we can start building some new small Mechanical City. Our Black Dragon City will become stronger and stronger."

"Um."

"."

The rise of Black Dragon City is unstoppable.

From the day this city was planned and built, it was destined to become a "one-of-a-kind" existence.

This is a true "City of Freedom".

In other noble cities, whether it's the two great empires or the current City of Radiance, all policies and laws serve the nobility and aim to exploit every penny of the common people's hard-earned money.

But Rein, the time traveler, knew very well that traffic and population represented prosperity.

This world has Transcendent powers. As long as every ordinary person advances to the Transcendent, their hunting and farming efficiency will be extremely high, and they will never have a food shortage problem.

Once basic needs like food and clothing are met, spiritual enjoyment becomes the real source of profit.

Instead of exploiting the few potatoes that ordinary farmers use to fill their stomachs, it would be better to put the tax revenue into this.

For example, in his previous life, tobacco, alcohol, and various entertainment industries—things that improve the quality of life and provide enjoyment—were the industries that could truly make him rich.

Once the hunters have extra money, the city's various entertainment industries will experience explosive growth.

Commercial taxes will become the main source of revenue for cities, creating a virtuous cycle that will make the territory increasingly prosperous.

Moreover, Black Dragon City is not without its monopolies.

They monopolize the high-end market.

High-level machinery and equipment, high-level materials, high-level potions, and abundant mineral resources.

The real profits come from things that others don't have and things that have a technological barrier to entry.

Therefore, Black Dragon City's rise is unstoppable, and no one can stop it.

Moreover, the two great empires could not imitate this and could only watch helplessly as their populations dwindled.

This is a problem with the system itself; even if other cities know about Black Dragon City's various welfare policies, they cannot imitate and follow suit.

The Established Nobles cannot give up their rights.

Each territory has a large number of nobles.

The nobility's "nobility" was manifested in the exploitation of the common people.

Without high taxes, where do nobles who do not work or hunt in their daily lives get their income?

Even if, hypothetically, some territory did follow all of Black Dragon City's policies, it would still be of no use.

Black Dragon City possesses a unique geographical location, technological and resource advantages, in the "Karatva Basin," which no other territory can match.

The only one that has any real competitiveness is the City of Radiance.

Unfortunately, it has only just been established as a nation, Five Great Families haven't even had a chance to settle into their noble positions. How can you expect them to relinquish their noble rights and give way to the common people?

Impossible!

Absolutely not!

With so many nobles, if the aristocratic system were abolished, the kingdom would immediately collapse.

If the impact of City of Radiance on the two empires was like diverting water through a dam, then the existence of Black Dragon City was like directly opening a breach in the dam.

Among the first group of several thousand people who came to Black Dragon City, besides the refugees and hunters who came to scout ahead, there were naturally some with ulterior motives.

Among them, the intelligence agents of the Xid Empire naturally arrived immediately.

Mixed in with the procession entering the city were a few suspicious-looking guys. Unlike the others who were concerned about welfare policies, they were secretly observing the city's defense facilities.

The more they looked, the more astonished they became.

The more they inquired, the more disheartened they became.

In fact, a large-scale population outflow to City of Radiance had already occurred after the Black Tide outbreak. Neither border closures nor legal amendments could stop the population loss.

However, this trend has been greatly alleviated as the Glorious Nation's exploitative policies have become increasingly harsh since its founding.

The once independent City of Radiance followed the trend and merged into the world of nobility.

But unexpectedly, one problem after another arose.

Now an even more terrifying "Black Dragon City" has arrived!

Even someone who doesn't understand politics can tell something is wrong just by looking at the various policies implemented in Black Dragon City.

This would fundamentally and completely shake the monarchical centralized social system!

"Damn it, that Princess Oma actually built this city! Send a telegram to the capital immediately to report the situation and let His Majesty make a decision. If we're too late, it might shake the very foundations of the empire."

"Team leader, should we send troops to block that pass and prevent the refugees from coming over?"

"Blockade? Haven't we learned our lesson from Black Wind Territory? Don't be fooled by the fact that there are no sentries at that pass. Didn't you see the Flying Wyvern Legion? How many men would it take to withstand their attack? Besides, that pass is Black Dragon City's territory. Are you sending troops here to declare war? Do you really think the Imperial Legion can defeat the barbarians, the Wyvern Legion, and this city in mountain warfare?"

"."

If problems could be solved through war, then City of Radiance would have ceased to exist long ago.

This unique geographical environment makes it impossible for large Mechanical City to cross the mountainous areas.

It was impossible for the army alone to destroy "Black Dragon City," which had already erected walls and cannons.

Just as Rein and his men had predicted, Black Dragon City experienced a population explosion.

On the first day, 8,000 people entered the city; on the second day, 20,000 entered; and on the tenth day, the number suddenly increased to 100,000 and then 200,000.

On the mountain road leading from the border of Sid to Black Dragon City, large numbers of refugees poured in almost every moment.

The sky is patrolled by the Wyvern Legion around the clock.

At first, some forces with ulterior motives caused trouble, but once discovered, they were immediately wiped out by the Wyvern Riders.

There were no monster attacks, no thieves, and the journey was almost entirely unimpeded. As a result, ordinary civilians who had initially been worried about the dangers of the journey flocked to the area.

Just one month later, the Black Dragon City skyrocketed from the initial fifty or sixty thousand to three million!

Moreover, it is growing by hundreds of thousands of people every day.

Among these refugees were many artisans who could quarry stone to build houses, mine, and forge ironware.

Because urban development has provided a large number of jobs for migrants, ordinary people who are not Transcendent can also make a living by working with their own hands without having to go out to hunt for wild animals.

In other territories, artisans earned a day's wages, but after taxes, 90% was taken, and the rest was barely enough to feed themselves; it was difficult enough for them to survive.

In Black Dragon City, the tax rate for a day's work is only 10%, and most of the money ends up in your own pocket.

As a result, ordinary people had some extra money, which they could spend at the city's taverns and buy more clothes and delicious food.

The city's businesses were revitalized almost overnight.

Various chambers of commerce organized teams to continuously transport supplies to Black Dragon City.

Those refugees would also bring some materials that were urgently needed for building the city at this stage. Little by little, if several million people each brought a few kilograms of steel, that would be enough to build a small Mechanical City.

This is hundreds or even thousands of times more efficient than relying solely on the "Black Gold Merchant Guild Commerce" to mobilize materials.

Ordinary civilians can easily purchase a basic potion from the Potion Shop in the city using money and Contribution Points to advance to the Transcendent.

The once glorious scene of "everyone being Transcendent" in City of Radiance has been recreated in Black Dragon City, and even more so.

The once City of Radiance was merely a "temporary destination" for hunters when they went hunting in the wilderness, offering no chance for ordinary civilians to survive.

But it exists in Black Dragon City!

No oppression, no exploitation, everyone is equal.

This is a true "city of freedom and equality"!

In less than a month, the migrants' original idea of "getting rich quick" changed. Almost everyone changed their goal to "become permanent residents of Black Dragon City" and actively participated in labor, hunting, and joining the army.

A promising future is essential to maximizing the motivation and potential of the people to engage in productive activities.

As the city's area grew larger, the efficiency of construction and land reclamation also increased.

Black Dragon City is developing at an unimaginable speed.

The construction of a city, especially with explosive population growth, will inevitably encounter various problems.

Healthcare shortages, housing shortages, and chaotic security.

If this were Rein's previous life, the whole thing would have collapsed in no time.

But in this era, the rivals (noble territories) are simply too weak. Even though Black Dragon City is temporarily in chaos, it is still worlds apart from other territories.

In the words of the refugees themselves, even working as a temporary bricklayer in Black Dragon City, they could earn more money than a middle-class commoner in other territories!

However, these minor problems will gradually disappear over time. Black Dragon City's system, which was several stages ahead of its time, also played a significant role in the city's development.

On this day, a group of special guests arrived in Black Dragon City.

Leading the group was a bearded, Gray Robe Mage.

Thank you '~~~~' for the 1000-coin donation. Thank you.