Pioneer Lord: Starting From Daily Intelligence

Chapter 542: Chapter 16: Standing Up to Kick and Griffin Expansion

Sometimes, to see how powerful humans are, you just need a point of reference. Among all species in this world, only a scant few like humans, Giant Dragons, and rabbits can be in heat all year round, up to 400 days.

Humans and Giant Dragons are the most similar; not only can they be in heat every day, but there’s also a rewarding mechanism involved.

Unlike rabbits, who are in heat but experience no joy.

Therefore, from all angles, humans’ physical constitution and mental resilience are among the most terrifying in this world of many strange beings.

In nature, most creatures see humans as demons, and their first reaction is to run away.

Only humans and Giant Dragons are so compatible—not only can they live harmoniously, but humans can even ride dragons!

Of course, the cost is quite hefty. Every time Su Li rides, he has to brace himself against the wall when getting off.

In fact, it’s proven that his physique is still too weak compared to the Divine Chosen Level of Giant Dragons.

He needs to reach at least the Champion Level to match the Green Dragon in battle.

Luckily, Hilude will assist him. With the Green Dragon being pincered, it’s now very satisfied and content, lounging on top of the treehouse every day.

It barely pays attention to the forest’s power dynamics.

Anyway, the Griffins will help her clean out those forces unwilling to submit. Seeking shelter, many monsters have entered her domain, becoming her dependents and fangs, surviving by relying on the legion’s size.

The Griffins are standard spring-time breeding creatures.

Once they enter spring, they become particularly aggressive—even stepping into their hunting territory might provoke an attack.

Generally, knights will not attempt to tame Griffins in spring. Besides being mistaken for egg thieves, their springtime agitation and bad temper make them unsuitable for taming.

Thus, knights from the Territory rushed to the Griffin Lin in winter to tame the last batch of Griffins.

Missing this opportunity means not much chance of taming new Griffins until next summer in the Territory.

And this taming progress is very promising. With the Griffin eggs adventurers previously stole and the knights taming Half Griffins, the Territory currently counts a total of 33 active Griffins, big and small!

This is certainly an extraordinary boom. Winter’s harshness in this world is fair to all creatures.

Even powerful beings like Half Griffins find hunting particularly difficult in winter; with prey dwindling and roads blocked by heavy snow, their success rates plummet, leaving many Griffins especially gaunt.

Conversely, humans can use food stored in autumn to maintain the knights in optimal condition, greatly increasing their chances of defeating the weakened Griffins.

Of course, achieving such a high success rate is also greatly tied to Su Li subduing Green Dragon Aelirea!

In the past, knights entering the Blood Pine Forest to tame the Griffins faced the biggest challenge not in defeating the Griffins, but in traversing the road to Griffin Lin!

Beneath the dark, twisted canopy, countless monsters and dangers lurked, waiting to launch attacks at any moment, posing challenges even more troublesome than the Griffins themselves.

Just crossing this perilous route left the knights in poor condition; one could say they often fought the Griffins while nearing exhaustion, resulting in many losing their lives to the Griffins.

But as Aelirea was subdued by Su Li, many of her fangs have moved into the mines, extracting iron ore, Fire Spike Crystal, crystal, Blood Pine wood, etc., and delivering them to Su Li, significantly reducing the danger for human knights in the western forest.

Moreover, various fine level armor, refined level, and even perfect level equipment are continuously emerging, greatly boosting their combat power, allowing them to effortlessly reach the Storm Shadow Fortress.

This fortress is being rapidly constructed, with its foundation already taking shape. It can provide shelter to nearby human outposts and farms while also supplying caravans, adventurers, and knights training in the forest.

Future construction needs only add new facilities, expanding walls and fortifications from this foundation.

However, it’s not a simple project, as this fortress is being built on the Blood Mist Hills, making it destined to be a complete military defense system, with the fortress only being one forward base.

Around this fortress, numerous fortifications, outposts, defense towers, granaries, barracks, etc., still need construction.

These defensive facilities will stretch from the highest peak of the hills down to halfway up, with some water-guarding forts distributed across different peaks of the hills.

Such a vast military hub and defense system consumes wealth far exceeding the basic construction within the Hesse Territory, with 10,000 Golden Crowns barely enough to complete the construction.

But 10,000 Golden Crowns would deplete the last of Su Li’s resources.

He has handed over much of his fortune to the Green Dragon Aelirea, not just as a lover, without any grounds.

In fact, quite the opposite: though husband and wife, finances are clear-cut between them—not even a single Golden Crown can be taken cheaply from the Green Dragon!

Per their agreement, Su Li must give the Green Dragon 1,000 Golden Crowns monthly, sending people to extract minerals, and submit 300 Fire Spike Crystals, 1 Elite Knight, 50 slaves, 5,000 pounds of iron ore and 10 pounds of Vibranium monthly to the Territory.

Any excess minerals mined by the Green Dragon’s fang must be delivered to the Hesse Territory at a fixed price, with payment upfront.

The Territory even has to purchase fresh meat from Aelirea’s fangs to meet the demand of 33 Griffins.

These Griffins, large and small, while enhancing the Territory’s power, also pose immense food pressure.

Thus, at the year’s end, Su Li solemnly announced that all ministers must partake in the year-end audit.

Governor Oliver presided over the meeting, having to clearly explain to Su Li this year’s financial revenue and expenditures for the Territory.

Unknowingly, Su Li and his subordinates had been working in the Border Prince’s Territory for a year, needing to review their achievements by year’s end.