Game World: I Can Share Talents-Chapter 46: Just Love Being Inferior in the Early Game
In the lore of the *Poem of Destiny* that Westheid knew, the Withered and Flourishing Dragon Emperor wasn’t the absolute strongest character. There were quite a few who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her.
But Reiya was, without a doubt, the one with the fastest growth rate. After decades immersed in the Path of Life and Death granted by the Radiant Holy Tree, she had accumulated immense power for a sudden burst, bursting onto the scene during the turbulent era when the Supreme Heaven was in turmoil and the Celestial Gods lost contact with the Mortal World.
In just a few short years, she climbed from the level of an ant to a near-god. With one hand, she propped up the Imperial forces, and with the other, she swept across a vast territory, crushing all rebels, warlords, Dragons, and Demons in her path. She fought until the chaos plaguing the Imperial realm was unified once more, until she herself became the one and only sovereign and supreme ruler.
Such an extreme growth speed was the very definition of a "Long Aotian" protagonist.
Admittedly, compared to other Tier T0 Talents, Reiya’s dual Talents didn’t provide an immediate, drastic boost in combat power. However, both were cornerstones for growth, becoming more useful the later into the game you got.
Westheid actually quite fancied Withered Glory Sun and Dragon Soul Furnace.
’We late-game players are just like that. Life gets a little too easy, so we enjoy the feeling of being inferior at the start.’
’Dragon Soul Furnace... I will take that for myself, no matter what!’
Gazing at Reiya, who was commanding the Cyan Thunderstorm and immersed in the ritual, Westheid felt a deep yearning and bit his lip hard.
The long infusion process continued for a very, very long time, only stopping when the ritual materials, along with the tower’s Magic Pool, were temporarily exhausted.
The Giant Dragon Execution Officers stopped, panting for breath. They stared as if at a Monster at Reiya, who was wreathed in Cyan Dragon Thunder, her long silver hair drifting as if in a nonexistent wind. Even though they had poured all their resources into her, she looked completely unfazed, as if she was not satisfied at all.
"Is this the noble Divine Ancestor’s True Blood..."
"What astonishing resilience."
"No, it makes you wonder... just how terrifying was Her Highness’s strength before she was injured?"
Tudor, fighting off his exhaustion, approached the Silver-haired Dragon Lady and asked for instructions:
"Her Highness Reiya, have your injuries improved?"
Reiya glanced lightly at Tudor. From her eyes, the massive Giant Dragon felt a fear that made his entire body tremble. Just moments before, judging by her aura, the Silver-haired Dragon Lady had been nothing more than a fragile piece of porcelain with a noble bloodline in his eyes.
But under the pressure of the Dragon Thunder, Tudor found himself shaking involuntarily.
It wasn’t a fear born from her noble status, but the tremor of a living being facing its natural predator.
"Not enough... It’s far from enough to purge the remnants of Divine Power in my body."
Reiya shook her head. Her magnificent eyes, a mix of cerulean and violet, were looking up at Tudor, yet they made him feel an unparalleled sense of inferiority.
"Bring more resources."
The Giant Dragon Execution Officer replied with difficulty, "They’ve all been used up. Our master’s treasury has been emptied. If not for your permission, we would never have dared to do something so bold. Any more resources are simply..."
"What is this bullshit?!"
Westheid interjected sarcastically, "Are the riches of the Kepal Plain truly so meager that you can’t even slightly satisfy Her Highness? Even if Scorching Wings’ private assets aren’t enough, what about your own personal collections? And the reserve energy of the High Court?"
Tudor said, "But those... those are the final reserves prepared exclusively for war. We cannot touch them lightly."
"We are in a state of war right now! Do you have to wait until the enemy has cannons at your doorstep before you realize it?! Seizing the initiative is more important than anything! Scorching Wings has already handed command over to Her Highness Reiya. Are you planning to feign compliance while secretly disobeying her?"
Westheid seized the initiative, issuing a command in a tone that permitted no argument:
"If the reserves of this High Court are depleted, then go and scour other places! Every inch of land must be turned over!"
"I... I understand. We will obey Her Highness’s will and do as you say. Please, Your Highness, wait a few days..."
"Wait?"
Westheid immediately cut in, "You seem to have misunderstood something. We don’t have time to just sit and wait. Although the ritual’s effects weren’t as good as we hoped, we must act immediately. The spies from the Celestial Vault Kingdom are probably already itching to make a move... Tudor! Bring the assembled special operations team over. It’s time to set out."
"...Yes, they have been waiting for a long time. They can depart at any moment."
Although the Giant Dragon Execution Officer inwardly despised a mere human of the Star Fury, the man held authority granted personally by Reiya. No matter how reluctant he was, he had to obey respectfully.
Among the previous orders was one to select the finest from the Dragon Race on the Kepal Plain, to form the most elite unit. The Execution Officers had all diligently carried out the selection.
Dozens of Giant Dragons took flight, assembling in formation above the High Court to be inspected by Reiya.
For the Dragon Race, there was no distinction between civilian and military. Any mature individual was a Warrior capable of crushing the Alien Races, and their long lives only served to amplify their strength.
"Your Highness, the elite of the Dragon Race from the entire Kepal Plain are gathered here. To do this, we’ve had to gut our legion’s formations... With all due respect, they were supposed to be commanders within the legions. It would actually be more appropriate to have them spread out. We still have an endless supply of Dragon Beasts that need to be commanded."
After the formation was assembled, the Giant Dragon Execution Officers came before Reiya. While reporting, they couldn’t help but voice their counsel.
The Dragon Realm was certainly vast, and the Dragon Race was absurdly powerful. But in truth, if one excluded the mixed-blood Dragon Descendants, there weren’t many individuals who could be called a "True Dragon." At its peak, the entire Dragon Race numbered only a few thousand True Dragons at most.
The reason their wings seemed to blot out the sun was because the vast majority were actually Dragon Beasts.
These biological weapons, mass-produced from the Hatching Pools, were the cannon fodder the Dragon Race used for war. They were cheap, brave, and loyal. A single True Dragon, acting as a command node, could direct tens of thousands of Dragon Beasts, forming legions that swept across the sky and land.
After millennia of refinement, this supremely efficient method of warfare had helped the Dragon Realm become an undisputed hegemonic power. In the Land of Order within the Mortal World, they could crush any existence at will, with the sole exception of the Celestial Vault Kingdom.
Westheid’s decision to gather all the elite Giant Dragons seemed like a move to concentrate power for a major task, but in reality, it was the kind of action that could give a Dragon a brain hemorrhage.
It was equivalent to pulling all the mid- and low-level officers out of an army group to form a special forces unit. The unit itself was elite, no doubt, but the massive number of Dragon Beasts were now effectively offline. Without a True Dragon to command them, the pitiful brain capacity of those biological weapons simply couldn’t support any complex actions.
Their combat effectiveness would plummet from that of a well-trained, perfectly coordinated legion to that of a disorderly mob acting only on bloodthirsty instinct.
However, in the face of the Giant Dragon Execution Officers’ reasonable counsel, the beautiful and imposing Reiya simply raised a hand without a word, her slender, pale fingers twitching slightly...
"THUD—"
Gravity seemed to intensify in an instant. Accompanied by the release of her Dragon Might, Tudor and the other Giant Dragons were forced to their knees under the palpable pressure.
"CRACKLE! CRACKLE CRACKLE—"
Cyan Dragon Thunder appeared from thin air, pulling iron filings and gravel from the ground. A light and flame of utmost purity formed in Reiya’s hand, spreading rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it took the shape of a Long Spear made of raging fire and lightning.
With a light wave of her arm, the light-wreathed Thunder Spear was pressed against Tudor’s jaw. Cracks immediately appeared on his Dragon Scale hide, which should have been able to withstand heavy bombardment and been impervious to blades.
"Are you questioning my decision?"
Her magnificent eyes radiated a majesty that struck fear even into the hearts of Giant Dragons.
"No, no... we would never dare."
The Giant Dragons stammered and shook their heads under the suffocating pressure.
"I give the orders, you obey. It’s that simple. I don’t want to hear any excuses, and I don’t want to see any insubordination."
Reiya waved her hand, dissipating the Thunder Spear forged with the Dragon Soul Furnace.
"Depart now. My servant will guide you in my stead."
