Feicui Long gathers everyone on the rooftop of his mansion, except for the subdued troops and the centurions, as they left early in the morning on their mounts to carry out the mission he assigned to them. But the rest are here. Then Feicui Long raises a stone in his hand for everyone to see and crushes it in his fist.
A white energy spreads in the direction of the Leechwald forest, and then an image that draws everyone's attention in the village and even in the Skylion barony appears. In the sky, 21 pillars of white light rise as if it were a divine evocation, but the stunning vision does not stop there. From those pillars, light emerges, forming four emblems in the sky...
The first emblem is a constellation made up of 21 stars, 14 of them shining in different colors. The second symbol is a white lion with a platinum mane and white wings. The third symbol is a white dragon with white, feathered wings similar to those of an angel.
The fourth is the most striking. Two dragons, one western and one eastern, spin in circles chasing each other, while in the center, a man with emerald hair sits on a throne. He has unique, unforgettable eyes… in one hand, he holds a topaz clock, in the other an amethyst cube. On his chest, an emerald heart glows, and on his head, a crown with three precious gems: an emerald in the center, an amethyst on the right, and a topaz on the left.
Everyone in the village is astonished, even some of those close to Feicui Long. The first emblem is the emblem of the union of mortal races, an emblem based on the one used by 14 heroes of the mortal races when they fought to free their races from slavery under the superior races long before this universe even existed. 14 of those stars represent each race, while the remaining 7 represent the shared values of the mortal races.
The lion is the emblem of the Skylion family, but the third and fourth? The third is the emblem of Feicui Long's new empire. It is based on a kind of royal dragon, the sky dragon, since the empire is called the Dragon Sky Empire. He thought it looked nice. The fourth, some are already familiar with. It is the emblem Feicui Long modified, the emblem of his temple, altered. It used to have the two dragons representing him as the original dragon capable of shifting between both forms, but the modified version represents his new intentions… his desire to conquer everything.
…
Meanwhile, in the Skylion barony, Cecilia sees this image alongside Johan and smiles while saying: "That boy is bold, not only did he put the emblem of his new territory in the beacon projection, but he also dared to modify the symbol of the emerald dragon god."
Johan just laughs and says: "It's fine, darling, let him be. Young people are like that after all. Weren't you just as bold when we founded that adventurer group?"
Cecilia blushes and, trying to dodge the fact she has been exposed, says to one of the commanders of the Sky Lion Guard, one Feicui Long would recognize: "Mylene, it's time to move. I want you, over the next seven days, to take the 2,500 troops and clear the area of beasts above the elemental realm. That forest now belongs to my son-in-law, and I want it secured."
Then she turns and says: "I'll take care of the paperwork with the union of mortal races and the Habsburg Empire."
…
At the building of the union of mortal races headquarters located in the Skylion village, an assistant is walking quickly, very agitated, until she finally reaches a door and knocks three times. Knockknockknock
A voice comes from behind the door: "You can come in, it's open."
The assistant nervously opens the door quickly and just as nervously says: "Br-branch representative! So-something... so-something b-big h-has h-happened!"
In front of her, a very well-dressed woman with the emblem of the union on her chest puts down the documents she is signing and says jokingly: "What could be so big that my usually calm and composed dwarf assistant is this nervous?"
The assistant can't even pay attention to the representative's jokes and, gathering courage, says: "The Skylion family has claimed the Leechwald forest!"
The representative puts her energy pen on the desk and asks, doubtful: "Claimed? What do you mean claimed? Aren't they afraid of the lord of the forest? Besides, how did they do it without anyone noticing?"
The assistant nervously explains: "Representative, you see, several times people saw an image, the image of a great fortress flying in the sky, and according to the sources, a great dragon went with it. The intelligence of the union believes the lady of the forest has finally abandoned it, and as for how they did it, well…"
The assistant points behind the representative's window. The representative turns around hesitantly and sees an image so incredible it makes her jaw drop. She can see the signal of 21 beacon stones, the minimum number required to declare a territory captured…
But her surprise does not end there. She sees that the emblems implanted on the beacon, in addition to that of the union of mortal races which is mandatory, and the force that claimed the territory, which is also mandatory, include two others. One is completely new to her, the white dragon with feathered wings like those of an angel, but the other… she recognizes it. Although modified, she can clearly tell it is the emblem of the temple of the emerald dragon!
Then the sound of creaking armor, wheels spinning alongside horse hooves, breaks her surprise and she soon sees a military parade, hundreds of well-equipped and well-trained soldiers heading toward the Leechwald Forest… it is then when she realizes something incredible is happening, but before she can even report it to the central headquarters of the Habsburg Empire, someone appears in front of her office…
…
Feicui Long then looks at everyone and says: "Tomorrow's teams will be formed as follows, each will have a leader, a commander with their unit, and someone else for support, starting with the third team, which will be led by my beautiful disciple Mariane and includes Commander Lamira of the third section along with her entire unit, as well as Freja and Caroline. Your task will be to plant the amplifiers in the southeastern and northeastern parts."
Feicui Long then looks at the other team and says: "The second team will be led by my beloved Isabella. The members are Commander Ada of the second section, along with my nieces Callista and Melina. You will be in charge of deploying the amplifiers in the southwestern and northwestern parts."
Everyone looks at one another until Gloria raises her hand to ask: "And who will be the first team?"
Feicui Long speaks without hesitation and says: "The first team will be Irina and me."
This time everyone looks seriously confused and even worried. Commander Ayame of the first section asks: "With all due respect, my lord, then what will we do, the first section and the rest of us?"
Feicui Long understands her concern and says: "The first section, Gloria, Arianne, Andrea, and the others will stay to ensure order in the town for now. We can't leave the town unattended, even if invaders can't come for now. Security and peaceful coexistence are vital for the town in its current state."
Then Feicui Long picks up Isabella in his arms, who looks at him hesitantly, and says: "That's all for today. Let's go rest, we need to be at our best tomorrow."
Feicui Long then goes down to the third floor and locks himself in with Isabella, both to give more security to her heart and to his own, after all, it will be the first time he doesn't see her for such a long time…
…
The next day Feicui Long sighs. The reason he has to go only with Irina is that he only possesses one energy beast capable of serving as a mount in the entire town. His Kagetsume and Sparkling Draconic Purple Eagle do not yet have sufficient size, while Isabella's wind peregrine falcon, although large, is only 1.50 meters in size and not capable of carrying the weight of a person since it's a beast focused more on energy and speed than on physical strength.
As for the 40 mounts of those 4 forces, all of them are in the ascending realm so they can't be contracted at the moment, and even though they are already tamed, using them without a contract is dangerous even if you possess those spatial medallions for mounts. That's why he can only look at them at this moment with regret in his office.
While he's thinking about this, the twins, curious, ask him something before everyone departs: "Uncle, why didn't these people have their mounts in their internal dimensions for contracted beings?"
Feicui Long lifts his gaze and says: "That's because those dimensions belong to those who possess the skills of summoning, taming, necromancy, and golem or puppet creation. And although they can sell and transfer contracts, internal dimensions are a bit more complex to transfer with the contract."
Callista tilts her head in confusion: "More complex in what way?"
Feicui Long smiles and responds: "Well, not everyone has the ability to give them in the first place, at least not in the case of taming, necromancy, and golem creation. They can have their own, but to transfer them to others, they must learn a very specific and complicated sub-skill of each of those abilities. It's very difficult to learn and manage, and it makes the purchase of the contracted creature much more expensive."
Melina then asks another question: "So summoning does have that ability?"
Feicui Long nods and says: "Of course. Summoning is, to begin with, the original skill, specifically its fully evolved form, Celestial Summoning, from which the other three descend. While they share certain things like the ability to contract creatures and internal dimensions, they have certain differences."
Feicui Long then adds: "Specifically, summoning was created by one of the members of the race that would later form the clan above the heavens, who is also one of the three founders. So this ability is not only powerful, but since it comes from someone of that race who embodies 10 of the Supreme Laws, including the one of space, it has a greater ease of doing that."
Then Callista says: "Then why don't summoners make the contract?"
Feicui Long shakes his head with a smile: "Because it's even more expensive that way. You see, the sub-skill that the other three must learn has different levels of mastery, which makes the internal dimension transferred with the contract have more features similar to the internal dimensions native to those skills. The first level only allows contracted creatures to enter and heal at a normal rate and cultivate at a normal rate, and it's also a generic dimension."
Feicui Long then raises his finger and adds: "But the more they advance, the more benefits they gain like a slightly higher energy recovery, slightly faster healing, among others, in addition to the dimension being more adapted to the creature, and so it continues to improve until reaching a good level. The problem with the ones given by summoners is that they are directly of intermediate or advanced level if desired, because of the spatial law, but it also means they require more effort and energy. Not to mention that the summoning skill is of much greater rarity and power, which makes them fewer in number than the others and therefore more expensive to make them work."
Melina then asks: "But then why do people have an internal dimension with a contracted creature?"
Feicui Long strokes his chin and tells them: "That's because a companion creature pact is different. The dimension created is an internal dimension made through the internal dimensional energy of both beings. In any case, that is all, we have to go, little ones."
The twins' eyes shine after the explanations and Feicui Long, who sees this, laughs internally, then stands up and walks out with them to join the others. Today they have a long day ahead.
...
Feicui Long mounts his wild wind mare and while mounted he says to everyone before they depart: "Well, today is a great day for this village, so I will only say the essential. You have to plant the amplifiers in the locations marked on the maps I gave you, and if you face a danger you cannot handle, retreat. We will take care of it later or leave it to the barony and their troops. With that said, let's go, we must reclaim what is ours."
After Feicui Long's surprisingly uneventful speech, everyone follows him on horseback. They are not energy beasts, but they are faster than running through the forest.
At the entrance, Feicui Long lovingly says goodbye to Isabella and Mariane. It hurts him, but he needs them to grow more. Especially Isabella, since although she knows tactics and military strategy, she has no real experience in commanding. Mariane, on her part, does have it because she also possesses the sovereign's quartet and from her first empire, although she has no experience handling mortals.
As for him, he has to stop at the forest entrance to establish the first formation. For this, he has to remove part of the old road and then place the fragmented formation underneath, only to later add cement, steel bars, granite blocks, and finally finish with high-level illusion inscriptions so it looks like the rest of the path.
Irina, who is watching him, is quite confused. Yesterday she signed the pact with great difficulty after practically begging and was assigned the last room on the third floor, and today she is accompanying her young master just like that. But the worst part is that her young master is only installing formations.
Feicui Long, who sees her confused, laughs a little and says: "We need to place them so we can take the forest quickly and effectively. As for why I brought you with me, it's because you showed good archery skills and because you have a higher chance of escaping than others if we are surrounded by beasts."
Feicui Long walks to his mare and climbs on, then approaches and helps Irina get on behind him and says: "Let's go, we have 8 more formations to install."
Feicui Long then gives the order to the mare to move, and at great speed, the two of them advance down the road, unaware that a shadow is following them from behind…
...
When they finally reach the site and dismount from the mare, Feicui Long senses something and, drawing his halberd while filling it with energy, immediately launches a counterattack. The impact causes the crunch of a tree to sound where the shadow crashes, followed by a loud and thunderous noise that echoes through the winter forest.
Feicui Long turns to look at the creature and sees it is a grade 2 mystic realm ice lynx, then he says ironically while mocking himself: "Now even kittens dare to challenge this sovereign."
The lynx stands up. Although the impact impresses it, it is not greatly hurt. The angry lynx quickly lunges using its species skill – Ice Lynx Bite.
Feicui Long gracefully crouches while holding his halberd at an angle pointing at the lynx's chest, and from below uses emerald impact on his feet, launching himself like a freshly fired arrow. With that, he quickly hits the lynx, which does not expect this weak-looking human to be so fast.
Then the halberd pierces the lynx's chest until it exits from the other side. Feicui Long, with strength and momentum on his side, slams the lynx's body to the ground. Although the lynx is already dying, Feicui Long sighs and says while shaking his head: "Now even cats underestimate me."
Irina is stunned. Superior races usually require 10 members of the 14 mortal races to be faced, and that includes energy beasts, but her young master, who is only at the peak of the elemental realm, just killed a powerful beast in the mystic realm!?
Feicui Long simply stores the corpse and returns to his task. He still has a lot, a lot to do…