Chapter 181 - 143 Invisibility Benefit_1

Chapter 181: Chapter 143 Invisibility Benefit_1This wasn’t a man-made hierarchy, but a division of the ability system for easy identification, as their status and identity already distinguished them from the ordinary Gnolls once their abilities manifested. All Gnolls believed this to be only natural, their bloodlines, especially those related to the Giant Dragon, were of utmost importance in their eyes. The seating arrangement among the Gnolls was no longer based on rank or closeness to Gaven, but on the concentration of their Giant Dragon bloodlines. Bark and Chester, placed behind Xize, Carter, and Eric, showed no dissatisfaction because the two new members were two of the only three high-level Red Dragon Blood Gnolls, with bloodlines superior to their own. As for Half-Ogre Roar, he was just making up the numbers. Gaven’s last sentence drew all the Gnolls’ attention to Susie. The Gnolls present had long noticed that Susie was different. Especially her pair of Dragon Wings, even Erde and his kind drooled over them; though they too had wings, theirs were leathery, not Dragon Wings. Whether in size, thickness, toughness, or flying speed, there was a considerable gap compared to Dragon Wings, which was their direction of evolution. Most importantly, the aura of the Giant Dragon that inadvertently flowed from her body was far beyond that of ordinary Gnolls, including those with Dragon Blood. Susie was now on the brink of transcending the Gnoll category, coming infinitely close to being a Dragonborn. In the words of Humans, Susie’s Charisma was astonishing, her beauty even surpassing that of Lord Virginia and Stelina in the eyes of the Gnolls (from Gnoll’s perspective), and the male Gnolls present were more or less attracted to her, feeling the urge to mate and lay eggs with her—an instinct to continue a powerful bloodline. Bark couldn’t help asking, "Lord, what exactly is this Dragonization? Can you explain it to us in detail?" "All Attributes +2, sprouting Dragon Wings, and Enhancement in spellcasting abilities," Gaven answered succinctly. Hiss! Not only did the Gnolls present take a sharp breath, but the others couldn’t help but look shocked. This Dragonization was not just formidable, but monstrous, something all Gnolls dreamed of. Searᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Is it because she received the inheritance of the Mother Tree that she obtained this?" Bark continued to ask. He had once seen the Dragon Oak Mother Tree itself and had a better concept of it. If that was what led to the acquisition of the Dragonized Template, it was justifiably so—compared to the massive Dragon Oak Mother Tree, the power that Susie borrowed was nothing more than a drop in the ocean. "That’s right." This time, the answer came from Susie, who said with all seriousness, "I feel that the benefits I gained are far more than these. After completing the Dragonization, I felt a bond forming between my soul and the Mother Tree. When I die, my soul may not go to Kulturmak but will belong to the Mother Tree. That will be my greatest honor." Towards the end, Susie couldn’t help but glance at Gaven. She could feel that Gaven’s connection with the Dragon Oak Mother Tree was far superior to her own. She seemed to see the immense figure of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree standing right behind their lord. The more time Susie spent with him, the more she felt she couldn’t see Gaven clearly, shrouded in a layer of Mist that naturally made one feel reverence. Speakers are unintentional, but listeners are intentional. Gaven quickly focused his mind on the phantom image of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree in his Consciousness Sea. This time, when the Dragon Oak was activated, Gaven, as a conduit of humanoid energy, not only had his Life Force Enhanced. There were also other Invisibility benefits, such as his Consciousness Sea’s image of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, now retaining a vast amount of Life Energy that filled his Consciousness Sea. Now Gaven’s Consciousness Sea took on a greenish tinge. The Dragon Oak Mother Tree was no longer a faint image but had a clear outline, and the Tears of Sulun hanging in the air also grew larger and brighter. Clearly, it too had drawn a lot of energy from this. The most significant hidden benefit was the aura of a Giant Dragon exuded by the Dragon Oak Mother Tree’s phantom, which permeated his Soul Consciousness. As the Young Red Copper Dragon put it, Gaven now appeared more Cordial, more approachable, like kin to them. The Gnolls present could no longer bear to look directly into his eyes, including Cangya, who had challenged him upon their first meeting. Their expressions were the same as when facing Aivensa. Gaven had an innate shortcoming when it came to ruling the Gnolls: he was not of Dragonborn origin. And since the Gnolls placed extraordinary emphasis on the Giant Dragon Bloodline, it was very easy for a Dragonborn or even a Giant Dragon to snatch the fruits of victory later on. For this reason, it was necessary to find a shortcut. He planned to compensate for this by raising dragons. But this was more like bluffing under the tiger’s skin, which could cause issues over time. Unexpectedly, he managed to fill in his shortcomings with the Dragon Scale Oak. With this two-pronged approach, his rule among the Gnolls would become increasingly unshakeable. Gaven’s attention was drawn to the image of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, and he quickly felt a familiar Soul Totem; he could even vaguely sense the state of the other party through this totem. Without a doubt, this Soul Totem belonged to Susie. Gaven could now be certain that what Susie spoke of was not mere feeling, but fact. With her Soul Totem here, there was no doubt that her Soul would not be able to go anywhere else. He had not expected the Dragon Oak Mother Tree’s phantom to have such a magical function. It was unclear how the Dragon Oak Mother Tree would handle the soul of a Dragonized Gnoll after its death. Once Dragonization was initiated through the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, wouldn’t they be directly in their own possession? All things considered, this was a magnificent boon for Gaven, allowing him to boldly promote Dragonization without fear of others reaping the rewards, including those Giant Dragons. While Gaven was observing Susie’s Soul Totem, Susie at the round table noticeably felt a connection and couldn’t help looking up and around as if she was being watched, yet she couldn’t find the source of her feeling. Inevitably, her gaze fell upon Gaven, wondering, "Could it be Lord Gaven?" Gos rubbed his hands together, unable to contain his impatience, and asked, "Lord, how exactly can one attain the privilege of pilgrimage to the Mother Tree that you spoke of?" Among the Gnolls present, he was the most concerned and anxious about this matter. He couldn’t help it; he was the most ordinary among them—having neither initiated Giant Dragon heritage nor Dragon Blood Enhancement, nor had he unlocked a professional template, nor was he an Erde born with wings. His only advantage was the slight cleverness and his background as the leader of the Blackwell Tribe. But if things continued this way, even if Gaven was partial to old loyalties, he figured he would eventually be edged out of the upper echelons. This much, he was aware of. "Everyone here is eligible. After the meeting, I will personally take you there," Gaven stated, tapping on the table, "As for the pilgrimage privileges of others, it’s not just those who have made significant contributions to the territory, but even those who work diligently in ordinary positions and are dedicated to the territory—they, too, should have the right to pilgrimage. This matter will be related to the future development of the territory, and there must be a detailed and comprehensive merit award system established, serving both as a reward and an honor." Setting up a merit award system was something Gaven had wanted to do for a while. The Gnolls were living in what is typically known as a primitive communal society—sharing food and shelter, holding no personal property, with all output and everything belonging to the tribe. This way of life was a direct result of their dangerous living conditions—they were a small species that could only survive in this hostile world by banding together and drawing strength from the group. It wasn’t just the Gnolls, but also slightly smaller Monster Tribes that generally followed a similar pattern; only they weren’t as thorough or committed as the Gnolls—this was due to the Gnolls’ egg-laying and communal hatching, which eliminated the concept of family and instilled a sole focus on the tribe and collective from a young age. But this system, while it can share woes, struggles to share wealth. In times of hardship, unless all pull together, everyone goes hungry, or even faces the risk of collective annihilation. In times of plenty, some of the more cunning start to cheat and loaf since, after all, whether they work more or less, there’s food to eat. And then, as the population grows, work efficiency decreases. Luckily, most Gnolls were not exceptionally clever, with an average intelligence of 8 or 9 points—smart enough not to be foolish, but neither particularly intelligent; they were somewhat single-minded, which made them hardworking and less adept at trickery and deceit. However, if left unchecked, problems would inevitably arise. Gaven was not one to wait for issues to escalate before addressing them; he aimed to prevent them from happening in the first place. Initially, Gaven thought of starting with material matters, such as gradually improving the Gnolls’ living conditions, introducing holiday systems, and better housing policies. But upon reflection, he realized he would be actively corrupting their mindset, fostering material needs and desires, and accelerating their moral decay. So, that plan was shelved. As Gaven gradually acquired more resources, he developed a new approach. The focus would begin with bloodline enhancement—not only the pilgrimages to the Dragon Oak Mother Tree but also the Dragon Blood Enhancements wouldn’t be given out casually. Instead, they would be tied to a merit award system. After hearing Gaven’s thoughts, most attendees looked perplexed, clearly unable to grasp the concept, except Chester, the former Clan Leader of Eagle Cliff Burrow and the current Mayor of Eagle Cliff Town. He appeared to be in deep thought. He had managed the Eagle Cliff Burrow for nearly half a century; his wealth of administrative experience and insights into the Gnolls’ internal advantages and disadvantages meant that just a mention by Gaven allowed him to somewhat understand his intentions and thoughts. Gaven’s keen eyes did not miss Chester’s expression. He planned to delve into this matter with Chester after the meeting, hoping to glean some insights from the old fellow, believing that their recent interactions had brought them closer. "Establishing a merit award system is not something that can be constructed in a few sentences. After the meeting, I will quickly draft a proposal and distribute it among you, and then we will convene a special meeting to brainstorm ideas," Gaven decided to put a temporary end to the topic. "We comply with the Leader’s arrangements." "Still calling me Leader? From now on, it’s Lord." "Right, my mistake—I haven’t transitioned yet. We comply with Lord’s arrangements." The attendees expressed their agreement in turn. The meetings Gaven called were supposedly conferences. They were either led entirely by him, Or they were opportunities for him to announce various commands, and this time was no exception. The reasons for this were twofold.