The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

Chapter 172: The Final Link of the Thorn Bug

Having just transmigrated to this world, Liszt felt he needed to keep a low profile, content to be a rural baron and solve the basic problems of food, clothing, and shelter.

As the quality of his life improved, his class stance underwent a betrayal, and he began to flock to the noble knight system, but he didn’t want to go to battle; he only wanted to focus on development.

Now, Fresh Flower Town was fast developing, and the Thorn Minor Elf was about to be born. His thoughts changed again, the impulse for glory, the longing for an island of his own, steadily deepened. The idea of not wanting to go to battle was replaced by the desire to engage in combat, manage logistics, and mix in the pursuit of military achievements.

He was becoming like a true noble.

Being swallowed by this world, or rather, actively integrating into this world, into the knight system.

“Some people are proletarian warriors, committed to the liberation of all mankind for their entire lives. I admire such people, but I will never imitate them,” Liszt’s mind was still clear. Integrating into the world was not passive; it was the result of his active choice, “My life goal is to ride dragons, to become my own master.”

He wanted to be a king, not a vassal.

With the existence of the Smoke Mission and the modern knowledge in his head, coupled with the societal system’s ascending channels, he had enough confidence to achieve his grand life goals.

He walked to the window. Juan Fu, who used to like “cawing” messily on the window sill, was no longer there. A feeling of nostalgia flashed in his eyes, then passed.

He then set his sights on the distance.

Just as Juan Fu didn’t want to be a pet, he also didn’t want to be a servant, not even for the king.

He could accept being corrupted and decayed by the noble life, but he would not allow his knees to kneel to anyone other than heaven, earth, or his parents.

The road is tortuous, the future is bright: “First set a small goal for myself, find a secretary, cough, no, become a viscount!”

The knight system of this world has a medieval style, with its core revolving around landlords, vassals, and land. Although the social customs and cultural production have a huge gap compared to medieval Europe on Earth. The production forces are centered around dragons and elves, also different from Earth’s production forces.

But essentially, it’s a deformed European medieval serfdom.

An economic system established by feudal landlords on their lands, exploiting serfs in a very cruel manner — serfs and freemen possess virtually no means of production, because the real means of production, dragons and elves, are firmly monopolized by the nobility.

This system, the exploitation is very strong.

But compared to the Dark Ages established by the barbarians on the corpse of the Roman Empire, and the serfdom of western Tibet with the legend of “The Drum of A-Jia”, this world’s feudal serfdom is much milder.

At least serfs and commoners have a slim chance of climbing upward.

Dou Qi is like the ancient Chinese imperial examinations — most people can’t afford to take the exams, but there are always a few civilians who can change their fate by relying on the exams. In this world, most people can’t get enough to eat and have no spare nutrition to cultivate Dou Qi, but there will always be landlords who select civilians with good physical quality to train.

With Dou Qi, after a few generations of accumulation, it’s not difficult to cultivate an Earth Knight.

Fight for a few more generations, with a bit more opportunity, and one could compete for a noble title — the Tulip Family followed such a path to success. Judging from the surname “Tile” of the ancestors, it can be inferred that they were probably freemen or serfs, in any case, they had nothing to do with nobility.

The great-great-grandfather had superhuman strength and was chosen by the nobility to be trained as a Retainer Knight, serving the newly established Sapphire Family.

Accumulating merits in several wars, he was ennobled as an Honored Knight, thus stepping into the noble class. From there, it was a few generations of hard work, by the great-grandfather’s generation becoming a baron, the great-grandfather’s generation becoming a viscount, and ultimately, in Li Weiliam’s generation, becoming an earl under the Sapphire Duke.

The surname was also changed to the noble “Tulip”.

“However, when it comes down to it, it’s all about mutations!”

As the saying goes, the rich rely on technology, and the poor rely on mutation — Dou Qi, a mysterious existence, requires nutritional accumulation. Without nutrition and still wanting to become stronger, one would need to resort to physical mutation.

For example, the superhuman strength of the Tulip Family’s great-great-grandfather is a kind of mutation — it was probably just more physical strength, which later generations contrived as superhuman strength.

“Now, I no longer need to rely on mutation; I can rely directly on technology.”

Technology is nutrition; technology is a magic potion.

Arriving at the Flame Mushroom Processing Workshop, Liszt saw the magician who was smoking: “Mr. Elkeson, has my Flame Mushroom Magic Potion already been made?”

“Sorry, not yet, but I’ll be able to finish them soon, you won’t have to wait too long,” Elkeson replied.

Having the leisure to smoke instead of working annoyed Liszt slightly, but he didn’t show it: “Do you have any finished magic potions? Give me those first.”

“Yes.”

He quickly carried out a large box, inside which were magic potions wrapped in cloth strips.

Liszt unwrapped the cloth from a magic potion to reveal a crystal tube as long as a thumb and as thin as a little finger, containing a light red viscous liquid.

Such a small tube would sell for at least one gold coin.

“Baron Liszt, you can try its effects. Although I am not the designated magician for creating magic potions for Tulip Castle, I am still confident in my potion-making skills,” Elkeson said with a flick of his cigarette ash, proudly.

Liszt nodded.

He opened the stopper of the crystal tube, observed it for a moment with the Eye of Magic, and then tilted his head back to drink the entire magic potion in one gulp. Like jelly, it poured straight into his mouth without a single drop left.

It dissolved upon entering his mouth.

He immediately felt a flame-like magic power rise in his belly and surge toward his limbs and bones. The entire surge lasted a full three minutes before gradually subsiding. Liszt’s eyes gleamed; he felt the total amount of his long-stagnant Dou Qi jump up by a large margin.

He couldn’t help but exclaim, “That was exhilarating!”

“I’m glad you’re satisfied.”

“Mr. Elkeson, I won’t disturb your work then. If you have any needs, just let me know, and I will try my best to fulfill them,” Liszt said, then, leading Douson and carrying a box of magic potions, returned to the castle.

Starting today, the path of potion jars officially begins.

A day later.

After being away on business for several days, Marcus finally returned to Fresh Flower Town.

And he brought the news Liszt cared about most: “My lord, I have accomplished the task without dishonor!”

“How did it go, did you find new species of Thorns?”

“I’ve contacted both Tulip Castle and Shattered Stone Castle without finding any new Thorn species. Only Beer Castle on Beer Island has them. Viscount Trik said he is always ready to welcome you to Beer Castle for a visit, and Sir Aubrey has sent a letter for you as well.”

Aubrey was Trik’s son and the heir to Beer Castle. He had established a good relationship with Liszt through the seafood business.

Upon hearing there were new Thorn species on Beer Island, Liszt let out a long sigh of relief: “In that case, it looks like I need to take the Thorn Bug to Beer Island.”

However, Marcus replied, “You certainly can go, but it’s also not necessary. I have already brought the new Thorn species back, and we can plant them directly in Fresh Flower Town.”

Liszt was greatly touched by such considerate actions; this was what a qualified subordinate looked like, knowing how to relieve their leader’s worries: “Is that so? Then let’s plant them quickly. The Thorn Bug’s Fat Pupa Stage is more than half over; it urgently needs assimilation!”

A short while later.

Not far behind the castle, the new Thorn species was already planted. After watering and fertilizing, Liszt placed the Thorn Bug on it.