Time is like a strong wind, carrying the dust and information of changes, rushing forward moment by moment.
Unknowingly, the heat of late summer and early autumn in the air faded away, replaced by an increasingly strong coolness.
In the border area near Permafrost Tundra in the north, fine and white snowflakes have begun to fall from the gray sky, and the earth is quietly dyed with a little pure silver.
However, in more lands of Ser Wilderness, the scene is still in full swing.
The contours of emerging cities planned according to grand blueprints are becoming increasingly fuller, and towering city walls are rising from the ground; along the winding border lines, fortresses and watchtowers are springing up one after another like mushrooms after rain, building a preliminary defense network; the road system connecting various territories in the kingdom is also like an ever-extending blood vessel, transporting life to every corner of the wilderness.
Aura Kingdom's skeleton is rapidly being filled with flesh and blood, becoming increasingly majestic and orderly.
At the same time, it is just as expected by many far-sighted intelligent creatures before.
When a new order that is powerful, stable, and shows amazing development potential rises in this once chaotic wilderness, the flow of population in the surrounding areas will inevitably change.
As the reputation of the Aura Kingdom and Red Iron Dragon Emperor grows stronger day by day.
Especially the record of "Red Iron Dragon Emperor fighting one against four and killing four Dragon Worship Cult Legendary Realm" has been spread throughout the world through word of mouth, adding fuel and jealousy.
Many intelligent creatures who originally hesitated could no longer restrain their inner impulses.
A wave of migration that spread over a wide area broke out.
There are many different races of intelligent creatures, including powerful individuals acting alone, as well as entire clans or tribal groups of considerable size. They are like tides pouring out from the border areas of Southern Kingdoms bordering Ser Wilderness, as well as from the vast and deep secret realms of mountains and forests, and finally converge and rush towards the rising Aura Kingdom.
In this torrent of migration, there are some powerful and intelligent Magic Creature ethnic groups.
For example, a rather large group of Griffin left the steep peaks and cliff nests where they had lived for generations, crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, and arrived under the vast wilderness of the sky.
They were in groups, with their wings connected like moving dark clouds circling and flying across the sky.
Finally, accompanied by loud roars of eagles and lions, they landed in a mountainous territory planned and designated for them.
Out of the importance of this force, Iron Dragon Sorog personally received these Griffin who came from afar.
They have sharp eyes, sharp beaks, eagle-like heads, clawed limbs and strong lion-like bodies, and a pair of huge wings covered with layers of feathers - all these features together outline the majestic form of Griffin.
Among this group of Griffin, the one at the head is extremely large, far larger than its peers.
What is even more eye-catching is the slender feathers growing from the edges of its wings, which show a metallic golden luster in the sunlight.
This is a very rare branch species among the lion group, and its bloodline is particularly noble.
-Golden-Plumed Griffin, has the potential to set foot in the Legendary Realm.
"Honorable War Prince, we heard about the illustrious reputation of the Aura Kingdom and Red Iron Dragon Emperor, and felt deep admiration in our hearts. So we traveled across mountains and rivers, and our entire clan came to seek refuge, begging the kingdom to accept us."
Golden-Plumed Griffin lowered his eagle head and spoke in a clear and smooth Common Tongue deep voice.
Sorog's eyes were steady and sharp, falling on the leader of the Golden Lion Lion, and he carefully looked at this Magic Creature, who surpassed his own strength in terms of size and Life Level.
The reason why he chose to meet in person was not only because this group of Griffin was a force that could not be ignored because of its huge number, but also because of the strength of the Golden-Plumed Griffin leader himself.
This leader's Life Level has reached at least level nineteen, and may even have reached level twenty.
Only under the Legendary Realm.
"Before coming to the Aura Kingdom, given your strength and the size of your clan, you should have been the dominant Lord Magic Creature."
Iron Dragon Sorog spoke slowly and said, "Now, look me in the eyes and tell me the real reason."
"Why do you want to give up the territory and status that you have managed for a long time and come all the way to a country that is still unfamiliar to you? Don't use those empty words of respect for the Dragon Kingdom to deal with me."
While speaking, Iron Dragon's eyes lit up with Psionic Energy light.
His gaze is like a torch, as if he can penetrate the body and look straight into the soul.
Under the gaze of Iron Dragon, the golden lion was silent for a moment, as if he was organizing his words and weighing the pros and cons.
A few seconds later, it spoke again, "You are right, noble prince, I was indeed a lord."
"And the reason why I chose to leave is because in addition to my strength, my wisdom surpasses most of my kindred spirits."
"This wisdom not only gives me the ability to see the situation clearly, but it also brings me more troubles and a sense of powerlessness."
"It turns out that we have lived in a Mountain Range in the Theo Kingdom for generations. We have our own hunting grounds and airspace. From the outside, we may look majestic."
"But I know very well that all this is just an appearance, a fragile illusion."
"Theo Kingdom humans allow us to exist and have never actually sent Legendary Realm strong men to destroy us, but this is not because they are kind-hearted or stupid and incompetent."
"On the contrary----"
Golden-Plumed Griffin's voice carried a hint of suppressed anger, "Our feathers, our claws, our sharp beaks - even our bones and blood are all excellent magic media and alchemy materials for those humans!"
"From time to time, adventure groups and even armies come to attack us."
"I am afraid of the power of the Legendary Realm. I cannot arbitrarily destroy those crusaders. I can only watch my people being harvested continuously."
"They will even despicably search for and snatch our unhatched eggs of the same race, and bring them back to be tamed and enslaved to create Griffin knights that they are proud of!"
1
, after listening to Golden-Plumed Griffin's words full of anger and humiliation, Sorog understood the reason for their migration.
In short, this intelligent golden lion did not want to continue to be an aggrieved lord in the human kingdom, so after hearing about the Wilderness Kingdom established by the dragon, after some hesitation, he finally made up his mind to come and seek refuge.
The only questions to consider now are:
Accepting this group of Griffin will most likely cause dissatisfaction on the part of the Theo Kingdom, and may become a trigger for diplomatic friction.
But, so what?
Aura Kingdom and Theo Kingdom's Groundlings are close to each other. There are already old grudges, and both sides are close to Lothern and Ribos, two powerful kingdoms that are hostile to each other.
The two sides have a potential, even destined, antagonistic relationship.
One more incident like this will have nothing to do with the overall situation.
After thinking about this, Iron Dragon Sorog's huge head nodded slightly, his mouth widened, and he smiled.
"Aura Kingdom, welcome your choice and arrival."
He said in a deep voice, "Here, as long as you abide by the laws of the kingdom and fulfill your due obligations, you will obtain a far broader and free hunting ground than before and the right to soar in the sky."
"This is the dragon's promise to you."
Hearing this, the lion leader's tense nerves relaxed.
It completely gathered its wings to both sides of its body, and lowered its head deeply in the direction of Iron Dragon.
"Thank you for your acceptance."
"After today, our sharp claws and sharp beaks will fight for the territory of the Aura Kingdom, and for the noble Dragonkin!"
Iron Dragon Sorog nodded slightly in response.
Today, what Aura Kingdom lacks most is undeveloped land. What is truly scarce is a sufficient number of intelligent people who are willing to abide by order.
With the strong strength of Golden-Plumed Griffin and the size of its clan, Aura Kingdom will add another lord.
However, Iron Dragon Sorog will not immediately give them the position of lord and Divine Authority.
At the very least, it is safe to wait until this group of lions has made enough contributions to the kingdom and fully proved their loyalty and ability. After being tested and assessed, they will be given important tasks. This is the safe way.
After the Golden-Plumed Griffin ethnic group, various other ethnic groups came to join them one after another.
In addition to Gnoll, Kobold, Lizardfolk and other races that are relatively common in the wilderness, there are also some such as Dryad, Shapeshifter, Turtlefolk and other biological groups that are rarely seen in daily life, and even some Subdragon with Dragon Blood flowing in their bodies, were attracted by the prestige of Red Iron Dragon Emperor and trudged here.
As for Lord Level's other powerful creatures, Golden-Plumed Griffin is not the only one.
Eight-Snake Leopard, a giant black panther with four snakes on each shoulder, led a group of Four-Snake Leopard and Six-Snake Leopard.
Similarly, they also come from the Theo Kingdom, which is relatively close to the Aura Kingdom.
Life Level, the leader of Eight-Snake Leopard, has reached level 20, which is at the same level as Golden-Plumed Griffin.
And as time passed day by day, many humans came to seek refuge.
Free people and serfs who struggled to survive under the strife and heavy taxes of the old kingdom's aristocrats.
They heard from various channels that a new kingdom had risen in the wilderness. As long as they swore allegiance and abided by the laws, they would be able to obtain their own land, sufficient food, and dignity as intelligent creatures. So they dragged their families and crossed the border, regardless of the risks on the road, towards this land of hope.
Some craftsmen, scholars, and low-level mages whose talents are not appreciated, or who are not reused by their country because of their inconsistent ideas and personalities.
They were attracted by the fact that Aura Kingdom is in a period of rapid development and is in urgent need of talents. They hope to realize their own value here and obtain status and resources that are difficult to achieve in the hierarchical old kingdom.
There are even some exiles and mercenaries who have committed crimes in Southern Kingdoms and are wanted.
They regard this emerging land, where laws have just been established and order has not yet been completely solidified, as an ideal haven or a new gold rush field full of opportunities.
In short, for various reasons, all kinds of intelligent creatures finally entered the territory of the Aura Kingdom.
Crimson Flame Royal City and the household registration officials of various emerging cities have therefore become extremely busy.
Review, registration, distribution, guidance—the kingdom is constantly absorbing these new blood in an efficient way and integrating them into its rapidly growing body.
"Two Lord Level's Magic Creature? Well, I understand. How to arrange them specifically depends on the situation."
Dragonspine Mountains and Red Iron Dragon have just completed a round of high-intensity exercise and are communicating with Iron Dragon Sorog through Mind Link.
Garos was not surprised by the influx of a large number of new people.
He knows very well that as his reputation gradually grows and spreads, it will bring many challenges and potential enemies, and at the same time, it will inevitably attract more creatures who are eager to change the status quo, seek refuge or opportunities to seek refuge.
This is the result of strength and order, and it is perfectly normal.
"It is worth noting that the two powerful Magic Creature leaders, as well as most of the intelligent biological groups who came to seek refuge, are from the Theo Kingdom, which is adjacent to our territory. The same is true for the human immigrants who came to seek refuge. Most of them also came from the Theo Kingdom's border towns or villages."
Iron Dragon added, "Such a large-scale population loss cannot possibly go unnoticed by the Theo Kingdom's top management, and they will certainly not sit idly by and ignore it."
Red Iron Dragon responded, "This is inevitable."
"We have taken over the wilderness that Theo Kingdom regards as their back garden. They cannot swallow this breath. The contradiction between the two countries will only deepen day by day. Each side regards the other as a thorn in the side and a thorn in the flesh, and there is no possibility of easing."
He paused slightly and continued to give instructions, "Among the influx of human immigrants, there is a mixture of good and bad, and there may be many spies and spies sent by the Theo Kingdom. Remember to ask Russell and his scouts to step up the investigation and make sure to uncover these hidden dangers."
"At the same time, more posts and fortresses need to be established on the border between the wilderness and Theo Kingdom."
"Be prepared for a rainy day, we need to prepare for the Theo Kingdom in advance."
Sorog nodded at the other end of the spiritual connection and responded, "Well, I have thought about this and am already making arrangements."
After thinking for a moment, Iron Dragon took the initiative to change the topic.
"According to our agreement with the Lothern Kingdom, the Warlock Consultant Group and senior craftsmen dispatched by them are gradually arriving in our country."
"Those who have arrived, after completing the handover with us, have begun to plan a more efficient road network for us, impart advanced construction and manufacturing knowledge and skills, and have begun to guide the construction of an alchemy industrial system."
His voice paused slightly, and he said with a hint of hesitation, "They don't ask for anything in return, and their posture is very low, but I'm wondering if there are some potential costs hidden in this?"
Sorog has always been wary of the human kingdom.
Even though he had cooperated with Lothern for many years, and Gordon acted as a bridge between them, he still could not completely trust the other party.
Garos responded unhurriedly, "The price? Of course there is."
"There is never a free lunch in this world, nor is there any free and generous gift without asking for anything."
"Lothern is willing to give us these benefits, not for the so-called simple investment, and it has nothing to do with Gordon."
Red Iron Dragon raised his head slightly, and the light seemed to travel through space, looking towards the distant south.
He said in a deep voice, "Not to mention other impacts, just the fact that we can effectively check and balance Theo Kingdom is enough to achieve Lothern's purpose, and the effect is significant."
The tragic war that swept through Southern Kingdoms back then has been temporarily extinguished, but the turbulent undercurrents and games between countries have never really disappeared.
The relations between the countries are still tense and delicate, and invisible contests are going on all the time.
In this general context, supporting a Wilderness Kingdom with great potential is equivalent to gaining a strong ally for oneself, and at the same time, it can effectively contain and weaken the energy and resources of an enemy kingdom.
These strategic gains are as important to the Lothern Kingdom as winning a frontal battle.
But, then again, the benefits gained by the Aura Kingdom in this process are also real.
Even without Lothern Kingdom's active support and cooperation, there is a high probability that Aura Kingdom and Theo Kingdom will still be in conflict due to problems left over by Groundlings, resources and history.
The current cooperation between the Aura Kingdom and Lothern Kingdom can be said to be a win-win situation where each gets what they need.
Just when Garos was analyzing the benefits of his relationship with Lothern, at the other end of the spiritual connection, Iron Dragon Sorog's mental fluctuations suddenly fluctuated.
Garos felt this change keenly and asked directly, "What's wrong? Is there anything else?"
Sorog sorted out his thoughts and then said, "It's about inviting Lucky Messenger."
"The envoy we sent to Goddess of Luck Church has arrived successfully and conveyed our willingness to cooperate and a special invitation to Bishop Alya to the church's senior leaders."
"The church responded positively to this and expressed its willingness to send personnel to the Aura Kingdom for detailed discussions."
"But----they informed our envoys that almost at the time when our official founding ceremony was held, Lucky Messenger went to the distant Orotara Continent to perform an important task."
"The church is also unable to determine when she will be able to complete her mission and return."
"Therefore, the people at Church of the Goddess of Luck proposed that they could send another bishop with seniority to discuss cooperation with us in detail."
Orotara Continent, the whole is located to the west of the Atlant Continent.
It is where Elven Empire Nausir reigns supreme.
Similar to the Atlant Continent, on the Orotara Continent, in addition to the dominant Elven Empire, there are also many kingdoms, principalities, independent city-states and other entities established by other races, and complete unification has not been achieved.
Red Iron Dragon's thick dragon tail swung, kicking up some dust on the ground.
He instantly realized that this might not be a simple coincidence.
Lucky Messenger chose to go to the Orotara Continent at this moment, probably because her lucky attribute was exerting its effect invisibly.