Chapter 675: Adventure in the Dark Forest
When Matthew learned of Onyxia's birth, he did not interfere with Yaya's educational approach.
For this special little fire dragon, Matthew also hoped she would become more obedient and not go around asking to eat this or that all the time.
After all, she still needed to build a solid foundation and establish a principle of training and learning to continuously improve her power.
This was the rule for joining Bay Territory.
The core of gaining strength lay in one's own training and enhancement—not in devouring flesh, performing bizarre rituals, or any other methods.
As long as Onyxia behaved herself...
Bay Territory naturally ensured she received the nourishment she needed to grow to her fullest potential.
Put simply, aside from gourmet meals, she was fed magical food.
Yaya, who was recording Onyxia's development, had some very big "ambitions."
"The babies of Bay Territory all have increasingly refined nurturing and educational plans."
"True dragons must have them too!"
In Yaya's eyes, the dragon species wasn't the important thing. What mattered was whether they joined Bay Territory and accepted its development philosophy.
Matthew believed Yaya was doing the right thing and granted her considerable autonomy.
Only half of the resources obtained from the Catachan demi-plane were sent to the main material plane.
The other half was used for developing and constructing various cities within Bay Territory on the Catachan demi-plane.
Of the resources transported from Bay Territory, 60% went to the Aso Volcano Fortress.
Half of that was spent on the Sub-dragons' growth and the development of the little fire dragons.
Big or small, they all had monstrous appetites and devoured vast amounts of resources.
Matthew didn't mind at all.
If you want the horse to run, you have to feed it.
If you don't give Sub-dragons meat, how can you expect them to work hard for you?
In just half a month...
The Sub-dragons successfully passed the dragonblood baptism arranged by Yaya.
Under Matthew's guidance, they also learned many combat feats and skills.
Their strength saw a significant boost, and their potential was further unlocked.
During their growth, Matthew...
Carefully observed their physical structures.
Especially their respiratory systems and lungs.
He gained a lot of "inspiration" from them, accumulating plenty of data and even some tissue samples.
Of course, Matthew didn't take them by force—he offered deals the Sub-dragons couldn't refuse.
And whenever he took samples, he'd also offer pointers on their training.
For these powerful brutes, minor wounds had no impact at all.
The high-reward missions from Bay Territory and Matthew's guidance made the Sub-dragons happily cooperate.
Seeing this, Matthew couldn't help but sigh:
"Luckily they live in Bay Territory. Anywhere else, they'd be sold off and still be counting money for their captors."
However, the diligent Dragon Turtle Blackshell did not agree.
Sub-dragons weren't fools.
They simply lacked a good environment and system, which led to their inconsistent behavior.
Without a structured legacy or guidance from seniors, their growth was naturally slow.
That didn't mean they were dumb—interacting with intelligent beings was something they were born capable of.
But since most Sub-dragons lived in the wild, they had no desire to mingle with intelligent races.
The reason was simple: it was too dangerous.
They weren't stupid, but their thinking wasn't exactly nimble either. Dealing with intelligent beings meant they were prone to falling into traps.
And since they were strong, they just couldn't be bothered.
Bay Territory, however, was completely different!
They gave little and got a lot in return—with minimal risk.
In just a year or two, they could reap rewards equivalent to over a decade of accumulation.
How could the Sub-dragons not be delighted and trust Bay Territory?
Dragon Turtle Blackshell saw this as a personal reminder from Lord Matthew.
"I'll need to remind the other Sub-dragons to interact more with the territory."
"And those little fire dragons—they must be taught from a young age to join Bay Territory."
Naturally, Matthew wasn't aware of Blackshell's thoughts.
He was completely focused on studying the wonders of the Sub-dragons' lungs.
Under Matthew's scrutiny, the highly active Sub-dragon lung tissues...
Even when placed in nutrient dishes, continued to breathe in and out.
He observed the incredibly active cells and tissues...
They greedily devoured nutrients, dividing and proliferating to keep the whole alive.
This extreme vitality reminded Matthew of the animated golems of Bay Territory after being empowered by "Vitalization Bestowal."
"Is this the difference between extraordinary creatures and ordinary ones?"
"Both have self-operating organs and systems, but one relies on the brain to regulate and control, while the other possesses its own 'consciousness.'"
"In the future, can ordinary citizens of Bay Territory also strengthen themselves bit by bit through bloodline inheritance?"
"Seems I need to start researching this avenue."
"Because the road ahead is only getting more dangerous, and our territory must prepare in advance…"
With that thought, Matthew intensified his research on the 8th surgical modification...
66. The Sub-dragons who had completed their first dragonblood transformation and ideological reformation...
Due to their rapidly depleting merit points, began accepting various tasks one after another.
They had to earn more merits, obtain more resources, and set foot on the fast track of power growth.
As for the little fire dragons, the Sub-dragons merely gave them a glance and didn't bother further.
The reason was simple—Bay Territory's nurturing and resource investment in the little fire dragons far exceeded their expectations.
They ate better and learned more than the Sub-dragons.
In this situation, the Sub-dragons felt a bit sour but still obediently chose to accept it.
What could they do? They couldn't exactly steal food from baby dragons!
As the Sub-dragons joined combat missions, the adventurers and soldiers of Bay Territory no longer limited themselves to defending the cities.
With a more urgent mindset, they accepted various tasks assigned by Bay Territory, hoping to find wealth and fortune in the Catachan Jungle.
At the Alice Adventuring Party's base, many newly joined adventurers were busy moving back and forth.
Chris was helping them prepare and check supplies, all while painting a rosy picture:
"This mission is a big one—we're looking for the exact location of a mithril ore deposit."
"If it has high purity and large reserves, we'll be rich."
"Bay Territory will likely build a new city or fortress where we find the vein."
"At that point, every one of us will get houses and shops in the new settlement."
"The most valuable part—obviously—is the share of the mithril vein."
"I don't even need to say how valuable that is, right?"
"Look at those guys who were planning to rest for half a year before adventuring again—they're set for life now."
At this, many new adventurers glanced over enviously.
One adventure and you retire rich?
That was a dream they didn't even dare to dream!
But the experienced adventurers nearby rolled their eyes and immediately retorted:
"Yeah, you'll make money, but taking half a year off is a stretch."
"That cash still needs to be reinvested into our strength. It'll barely last three months."
"Exactly, don't fall for his sweet talk."
"If we really wanted to retire in luxury, any adventurer who joined Bay Territory could've done it already."
"We're here to grow stronger, earn more merits, and get better training!"
"Heh, but hey—if you get lucky and find a large mithril vein, you might just qualify for Dragon Warrior Modification."
Dragon Warrior Modification!
Almost all the adventurers widened their eyes and looked straight at Chris.
Now visibly bulkier, Chris had already completed the Dragon Warrior transformation.
Moreover, at his request for "experimentation," Matthew had registered and modified him.
"Does Dragon Warrior modification hinder a Professional's growth path?"
Chris had once feared that after undergoing the modification, his strength might hit a ceiling.
But these ten-plus days of training had completely changed his mind.
Thanks to his enhanced attributes, Chris found it even easier to train in combat skills and feats than before.
After enduring the surgical grind, his mentality and focus also improved greatly.
From the results so far, he believed his progress had significantly surpassed what it was pre-modification.
"At least a 30% boost!"
"And as I gain more control over my body, I might grow even faster."
This realization made Chris incredibly happy.
Becoming a Dragon Warrior had always been his goal, but if he could keep growing stronger too? Even better.
Hearing the other adventurers talk, Chris looked at them with a smile and didn't hide anything:
"That's right—Dragon Warrior Modification is insanely powerful, with tons of benefits."
"If you're lucky enough to find two large mithril veins, you'll qualify to apply for the modification."
As he said this, Chris casually hoisted a box of arrows weighing several hundred pounds into the top of a golem-armored truck.
They were meant to supply the auto heavy ballista turrets with ample bolts.
Many adventurers couldn't help but feel tempted by Chris's show of strength.
Seeing their eager eyes, a pleased grin spread across Chris's face.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The heavy footsteps instantly drew the adventurers' attention.
The Thunder Magic Armor emerging from the base gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight.
Everyone's eyes were drawn to it—even Chris wasn't immune.
He walked over with envy, took the massive weapons crate handed over by Big Sis Alice, and asked without thinking:
"Did the territory say what it takes to buy one of those Thunder Magic Armors?"
Alice calmly shook her head, glanced at the watching adventurers, then cleared her throat and said:
"The team will evaluate and score you based on your performance during this mission."
"It affects not only your bonus rewards, but also whether you can join the Alice Adventuring Party."
"So keep your spirits up and stay sharp."
"Chris, you guys should head out now. Make sure you bring them back alive."
Chris looked at another Thunder Magic Armor approaching, watched her climb onto the battle wagon, and nodded confidently:
"No problem. Leave it to me."
"Alright folks, get on board!"
With Chris's command, the eager adventurers climbed into the golem-armored trucks.
Six trucks rolled out of the base, heading toward the outer reaches of the Aso Volcano Fortress.
Chris ignored the passing scenery and looked instead at Laura, who had lowered her visor, curiously asking:
"A big fight's brewing in the Dark Forest—you're not going to check it out?"
Still learning how to operate the Thunder Magic Armor, Laura, thinking about her three-year loan, replied without hesitation:
"No way. Regular missions can't cover the cost of this thing. It's a gold-eater."
Chris eyed her activated support system and smirked:
"Ha, your body can't handle the Thunder Magic Armor yet, so you need support assistance. That's a big disadvantage."
Laura glanced at Chris's noticeably bulkier frame, shrugged nonchalantly, and said:
"It's fine. In about a year, I'll pass the assessment period and apply for Dragon Warrior Modification."
"By then, I'll probably have mastered the Thunder Magic Armor and can fully unleash its combat power."
Hearing this, Chris smacked his lips with a hint of envy.
Even though he had already completed the Dragon Warrior Modification, he now had even more expenses.
He needed more food, burned through magical supplies faster...
And had to replace his gear—Dragon Warriors required custom high-quality equipment.
He also needed to learn more advanced combat feats and skills.
But the thing bugging Chris most was Laura's expensive Thunder Magic Armor.