Chapter 348: “Aurielle, Where Is Luke?”

That problem had become increasingly obvious as Blackstone's stronger fighters continued advancing, since resources that had once produced rapid improvement at the lower realms could no longer provide the same results once someone stepped into Silver and especially Golden.

Luke therefore needed to find other methods, whether through future system rewards, stronger cultivation resources, or simply using the rapidly improving economy of Blackstone to purchase whatever the territory required.

Fortunately, the economic side was no longer as miserable as it had once been.

With more merchants arriving, the population increasing, trade routes becoming busier, and Blackstone itself producing more goods, the territory's wealth had risen sharply and was gradually approaching the million gold coins Luke had possessed near the beginning.

Remembering that brought another matter to mind, and Luke's clone quietly reviewed the progress made by Blackstone's fighters during the latest period of training.

---

Blackstone Highlands — Current Power Progress

Knights

Aurora — Mid-Golden Knight → Approaching Late-Golden Knight

Vaelira — Mid-Golden Knight → Late-Golden Knight

Aurielle — Early Golden Knight → Mid-Golden Knight

Peter Bassus — Early Golden Knight → Approaching Mid-Golden Knight

10 Blackstone Legion Knights — 6th Stage Silver → 8th Stage Silver

Osric Thornfield — 6th Stage Silver → 8th Stage Silver

Taron — Silver Knight → Silver Knight

10 Berserker Greatswordsmen — Early Silver → Early Silver

120 Territory Guards / Archers — Peak Bronze → Early Silver Knight

6,030 Soldiers — Early Bronze → Mid-Bronze Knight

10,100 Soldiers — Peak Iron → Mid-Bronze Knight

20,000 New Recruits — Body Temper → Peak Iron Knight

Mages

Elena Whitmore — Circle Mage → Early Rune Mage

(5th Mage Realm, equivalent to Golden Knight / C-Rank)

9 Elemental Mages — Circle Mage → Peak Multi-Circle Mage

(4th Mage Realm / D-Rank)

Lucy Dawnvale — Apprentice Mage → Peak Multi-Circle Mage

Theia Yvette — Arcane Core Mage → Arcane Core Mage, fully recovered

Current Major Army Groups

Early Silver Knights — 120

Mid-Bronze Knights — 16,130

Peak Iron Knights — 20,000

Windmarch Reach forces are not included in this progress report.

---

"Well, it's still good that they managed to rank up this much." Luke's clone gave a small nod as he recalled the amount of resources that had gone into achieving such progress, especially the Aether Crystals produced during this period, nearly all of which had been consumed to push so many soldiers forward at once.

Even with those resources, several soldiers had still failed to reach the next realm, although Luke wasn't particularly disappointed, since advancing an army of this size was never going to happen perfectly in a single training period.

As for the forces stationed in Windmarch Reach, their situation was different, because they were still responsible for guarding the conquered territory while continuously expanding Blackstone's influence there, leaving them with far less time and resources for cultivation, which had caused their realms to remain mostly stagnant for now.

"I'll do something about that later."

While thinking about future cultivation resources, Luke remembered another matter he had handled during this period, which was helping Lucy's family by giving them enough gold to stabilize their situation and clearing the debts that had been hanging over them.

That had naturally brought Lucy even closer to him and Blackstone, although despite all of her recent progress, the mysterious physique within her still hadn't awakened.

Luke was considering that problem as he passed beside a narrow alley between two newly constructed buildings, when without the slightest warning, an overwhelming pressure descended across the entire Blackstone Highlands.

HUMMMMMMM!

Luke's clone stopped immediately as the air around him seemed to grow several times heavier, while throughout the surrounding street, conversations, footsteps, and the rattling of merchant carts abruptly collapsed into confusion.

"What?! What happened?!"

People barely had time to shout before the pressure intensified, forcing ordinary adventurers, guards, merchants, and citizens toward the ground, while many mortals lost consciousness almost instantly and collapsed where they stood.

Anyone below D-Rank found it nearly impossible to remain standing, and across Blackstone, every powerful individual who could still resist the pressure immediately became alert, from the managers of the major guild branches to the higher-ranked beings residing within the territory.

Luke's clone remained standing beneath the crushing pressure, although his expression became serious as he raised his head and tried to determine where it was coming from.

Before anyone could locate the source, however, a cold female voice descended from somewhere high above the city.

"Aurielle, where is Luke?"

Despite the pressure holding many people against the ground, almost everyone who remained conscious instinctively turned their gaze upward, and the moment they saw the figure floating above Blackstone, shock spread across the streets.

A woman hovered calmly in the sky, her long crimson hair moving behind her with the wind, while two black dragon horns curved upward from her head and brilliant golden draconic eyes looked down upon the territory beneath her.

"That's a dragon!"

The frightened shout immediately spread through the surrounding crowd, because even though the woman hadn't transformed into her true draconic form, the horns, golden eyes, and oppressive draconic pressure made her identity impossible to mistake.

Before the alliance between the races, most ordinary humans would never have known enough about dragons to recognize one in humanoid form, but after the alliance had been established and information regarding the Dragon Race had spread throughout the continent, their most distinctive traits had become widely known.

More importantly, there was no mistaking the pressure surrounding her.

It was unmistakably draconic.

***

Inside the Time Chamber, Aurielle and several others had still been training when hurried footsteps suddenly approached from the distance, followed by Noah rushing toward her with obvious panic on his face.

"My Lady! A-A dragon has appeared in the territory!"

Aurielle lowered the sword in her hand, but before she could respond, Noah hurriedly added the part that immediately changed her expression.

"It's a dragon woman, and she's asking for Lord Luke!"

The training area fell silent for a moment as Aurielle's gaze sharpened, and after only a brief pause, one particular name escaped her lips.

"Rhaenyra Crimsonscale..."

There was no uncertainty in her voice, only an unmistakable coldness as she slowly tightened her grip around the sword.

"Why is she here?"

The answer seemed obvious enough, and that realization only worsened Aurielle's mood.

"For Luke? Heh... she doesn't even love Luke, nor does she have any real feelings for him."

Her voice remained quiet, but Noah clearly had no intention of remaining anywhere nearby while his lady was speaking in that tone.

Aurielle noticed his nervousness and waved one hand toward him.

"Go. I'll handle this."

"Yes, My Lady."

Noah nodded quickly before turning around and leaving, although the fear on his face didn't disappear, because dragons had remained little more than mythical creatures to most humans for generations, living almost entirely within their own continent before the Demon War forced the races into an alliance.

Before that alliance, ordinary people from other races could spend their entire lives without ever seeing a dragon, yet once the war began, the Dragon Race had become one of the leading forces attacking the demons, and the results had quickly turned into stories repeated across the continents.

There were tales of individual dragons burning through entire demonic armies, and although demons had continued attacking the territories of other races afterward, almost none willingly brought the war directly into dragon lands again.

Aurielle watched Noah disappear before calmly raising one hand.

"Eclipse Queen Regalia."