Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 148 - 142: Earth Dragon Knight Qualifiers

Night fell.

Several huge bonfires were lit in the castle square, their flames roaring and illuminating the entire area as if it were day.

Large cuts of meat sizzled over the flames, dripping fat that flared up in small bursts. The rich aroma of roasted meat, mixed with the sweet scent of ale, was enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

The Knights sat around the bonfires, their boisterous shouts, laughter, and the clinking of mugs rising and falling in waves.

Raylo sat at the head seat, flanked by his core members, Ed and Bolin.

After a few rounds of drinks, he gave Ed a look.

Ed stepped forward, his resonant voice booming across the square.

"The selection for the Earth Dragon Knights begins now! The rules are simple. Twenty candidates will face off in pairs. The victors will earn the supreme honor of forming a pact with an Earth Dragon! The defeated need not be discouraged. Train hard, for the next opportunity will belong to the brave!"

"RAAAH!"

The moment his voice fell, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers and excited shouts.

Ed raised his hand and pressed down, waiting for the cheers to subside slightly before continuing to announce the selection rules.

A wide, open space was quickly cleared in the center of the square.

Twenty formidable-looking Knights stepped forward. Their expressions were grim, but their eyes burned with an irrepressible desire and will to fight.

"First match: Barrot versus Rod!"

At Ed’s call, two Knights walked into the arena, each holding heavy, hardwood training Great Swords.

After bowing to each other, they wasted no words and immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

The Wooden Swords whistled through the air and collided with heavy THUDS. Each block sent a numbing shock up their arms, and every thrust was swift and powerful.

In the firelight, sweat flew and muscles bulged.

The Knights on the sidelines watched with boiling blood. Some clenched their fists, others subconsciously mimicked the movements on the field, letting out gasps of surprise and cheers for the spectacular offense and defense.

"Go, Barrot!"

"Rod, take him down!"

These Knights, who had fused with Earth Dragon Blood, gradually began to show a surprising advantage in combat.

Their strength seemed to last longer, their explosive power was a notch higher, and their reaction speed and resilience to blows also subtly surpassed their opponents’.

Every duel was exceptionally grueling; no one was willing to easily give up the chance to form a pact with an Earth Dragon.

One Knight’s opponent found an opening and brought a heavy, powerful slash down on his shoulder. Despite the cushioning of his Armor, the blow still made him grunt in pain and stagger back, nearly losing his grip on his Wooden Sword.

But he let out a furious roar and, instead of retreating, charged forward, knocking his opponent away with a vicious shoulder ram to buy himself a moment’s respite.

The scene grew incredibly intense, the Knights’ fighting spirit thoroughly aroused.

One after another, victors emerged from the arduous battles. They stood to the side, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, some even bearing bruises and bloody marks, but their faces were filled with irrepressible excitement and pride.

The Knights who were unfortunately defeated, though unable to hide the disappointment in their eyes, frankly admitted their skills were inferior and sincerely cheered for the strength of their comrades.

The atmosphere in the square was pushed to a climax.

When the final victor, relying on his tenacious will, managed to defeat his opponent just before collapsing from exhaustion and raised his Wooden Sword high, the entire square erupted in thunderous applause.

Raylo slowly rose to his feet and raised his mug high.

"Knights!"

His voice carried across the entire square, instantly silencing all the noise.

"Tonight, we have witnessed the birth of Warriors!"

"The shadow of war looms over us, but Black Stone Territory never fears a challenge!"

"War is coming. Everything you desire is on the battlefield—go and take it with your swords! When the war is over, I will host another banquet to reward you all according to your merits!"

His eyes blazed as he swept his gaze over each of the Knights’ excited faces.

The Knights’ emotions were completely ignited. They raised their mugs one after another, their blood surging in their chests, their eyes glittering with soaring fighting spirit and desire.

"For our Lord!"

A newly promoted Earth Dragon Knight raised his arm and shouted, his voice thick with emotion.

"Black Stone endures, and our blades are drawn!"

Alex, deeply moved and already drunk, let out a loud cry.

"Black Stone endures, and our blades are drawn!"

The tsunami-like shouts converged into an unstoppable torrent, churning and echoing above the square as if to tear the night sky asunder.

Raylo took a deep breath, feeling this surging will to fight, and drained the ale from his mug in one gulp.

"To victory, my friends!"

"To victory!"

All the Knights shouted in unison and drained their mugs.

The night deepened.

Slightly buzzed, Raylo returned to his room. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Just as he opened the door, there was a soft sound from the window lattice.

A white shadow darted in nimbly, leaped directly onto the bed, and left behind several dark, muddy prints.

"Moonlight."

Raylo called out with a sense of helplessness.

’This little guy. Who knows what gully or wild field he’s been crawling through, getting his paws all muddy.’

He walked to the bedside, picked up a clean linen cloth, and first carefully wiped the muddy prints off the bedsheet.

Then, he reached out, scooped up Moonlight just as the creature was about to curl up, and placed it on the desk.

Moonlight flicked its tail in displeasure but still allowed Raylo to hold its paws and wipe them carefully with the cloth.

"We’re leaving for the front lines tomorrow."

Raylo said, admonishing it as he wiped its paws.

"No more running around starting today, understand?"

Moonlight had been lazily squinting its eyes, letting Raylo handle it as he pleased.

At the word "leaving," its ears suddenly pricked up, and its eyes instantly brightened.

The next moment, it suddenly struggled free from Raylo’s grasp, turned into a streak of white light, and leaped straight out the open window, disappearing into the night.

"Hey!"

Raylo was stunned. ’Did this little guy understand we’re going on a long trip and decide to throw a tantrum and run away from home?’

He hurried to the window and leaned out to look.

The night was thick; there was no sign of Moonlight anywhere.

Raylo frowned but wasn’t too worried. That little fellow, Moonlight, was very clever; it wouldn’t actually run away from home.

About an hour later, a faint sound came from the windowsill.

Moonlight’s agile figure appeared again. It crouched steadily on the window lattice but didn’t jump down immediately. Instead, it turned its head toward the outside and let out two low calls, "Awoo, awoo," as if summoning something.

Immediately after, a black cat, a size smaller than Moonlight, climbed onto the windowsill with slightly clumsy movements.

It was pitch-black and was currently huddled warily behind Moonlight, furtively sizing up everything in the room.

Raylo raised an eyebrow, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

’So this little fellow, Moonlight, heard we were leaving Black Stone Territory and specifically ran out to find a little follower it had picked up, planning to bring it along.’

Raylo, of course, wouldn’t object to Moonlight bringing along a follower.

After all, nearly all the Magical Beasts in Black Stone Territory were its followers.

He walked to the window and first ruffled Moonlight’s big, fluffy head.

Then, he reached out a hand toward the little black cat, intending to pet its head.

Unexpectedly, the little black cat seemed to get a fright. Just as Raylo’s fingers were about to touch it, its figure suddenly blurred, vanished into thin air, and reappeared a moment later on a thick tree branch more than ten meters outside the window, its small, round head watching him warily.

"Hm?"

A flicker of astonishment flashed through Raylo’s eyes.

’Teleportation?’

Moonlight seemed a bit displeased with the little black cat’s timidity and called out to it again, "Awoo," a few times, its tone a mix of urging and reassurance. The little black cat hesitated, its eyes darted around, and then its figure blurred once more. It teleported back to the windowsill, pressing close to Moonlight.