Overgeared

Kraugel looked quite tired. The last few days’ journey had not been easy.

“It looks like these things have some sort of tracking function.”

Kraugel pulled out a wooden object—an ordinary nameplate with someone’s name on it.

“Ever since I killed the first cultivator I encountered, I keep running into these guys. They all had this thing on them.”

More than a hundred nameplates spilled onto the table.

“Since I had to deal with a lot of enemies who reached the level of nascent soul or soul transformation, I realized that there is a considerable skill difference between cultivators who are on the same level realm-wise. Just as some skills are better suited for PVP, the cultivators’ skills have also been greatly influenced by the techniques they have learned. For example, cultivators who are in the late stage of nascent soul might be stronger than the ones who are in the early stage of soul transformation. Those who have learned PVP-appropriate techniques generally fought a lot more battles. It might simply be a matter of combat experience.”

“So, just like us. Having a higher rank doesn’t always make you stronger.”

Grid picked up a nameplate and checked the item information. There was only one line of information.

[This is a nameplate that proves one’s identity.]

Just in case, he tried to infuse it with mana, spiritual energy, Annihilation energy, and even divinity, but nothing worked. Grid thought that there must have been a ‘ban’ on it.

“I received a call from Lauel,” Grid said. “Turns out that many of the nameplates taken from the prisoners were found among the belongings of these invaders, meaning they belong to the same group. There is a tracking function embedded in these nameplates, and that is why they have been heading to Reinhardt.”

“Do all nameplates look the same?”

“Not at all. It seems that the shape is different depending on the cultivator’s affiliation. The ones who chased you and the ones Zik took care of belong to different affiliations.”

“How has the investigation of the overall performance of the soul transformation realm been going?”

“The people who have reached that realm are unmistakably Transcendents. If they are in the late stage of the soul transformation realm and are skilled in combat, they are just as powerful as the four apostles. Turns out there are people stronger than the apostles after all.”

“Since you mentioned it… Let’s say a cultivator is in the late stage of nascent soul realm. If they live long enough, can they become stronger than someone who has reached early soul transformation?”

“Who knows? I learned this by fighting more than a hundred cultivators, but it is impossible to defeat them with skills alone. You also have to be lucky. In particular, a person I talked to learned the art of body refining and had a harder time raising his realm. Ah, body refining is...”

Kraugel already knew a lot more things about cultivators than Grid. he was the number one ranker after all. He had fought many cultivators who were nascent soul or above, so he had captured and interrogated many of them. Knowing Kraugel, he must’ve already mastered the Golden Soul Technique and Memory Searching Technique.

Grid listened to Kraugel’s story in silence and a smile gradually spread on his face. In retrospect, spending time with Kraugel had always been beneficial, including the curry with bracken incident. Because of the events of that day, he’d had to spend some quality time at the villa with Yura and Jishuka to heal properly.

Kraugel finished the report and got up. “...You might already know most of what I just told you, but you can cross-check it and use it as reference to determine if what I said is true.”

“I’ll take a break for now. I need to practice the techniques I have acquired so far. I’ll take a look later and send you any information that can be of help.”

“Thank you.”

Grid didn’t bother suggesting he take a break. How could he hold back a man who had so much enthusiasm?

Grid turned

haven’t eaten properly in a few days. Should we head to

consideration, but dragons

every few hours how

heard about her from Kraugel. A dragon only

only woke up once every one hundred years to eat, but that was just

made from tea leaves personally picked by Irene. A soothing fragrance filled the air, making Navaldrea

is my favorite tea. Please try it. I am honored to have the opportunity to

talking

instead of just benefactor? You might not know,

lot of things because I am a dragon. I know

you mean

are my mother’s benefactor. You

Grid cocked his head.

managed to make a ‘model’

got the nickname of Crazy God... This wording seemed quite problematic, so Grid corrected

the Dragon Knight. I made it that far because of that power. Therefore, I am greatly indebted to your

achievements you have accumulated are purely because of your luck and hard work. However, my mother regained her strength for a moment thanks to the horn and managed to severely wound Trauka.

“......”

refute it

Fire Navaldrea. A beautiful woman with bronze skin, red hair, and a sharp personality. Appearance wise, she looked so much like Jishuka, they could be considered sisters.

his mouth. ‘If I keep talking, the

brow. She paused for a moment before

“It might be because I’ve been on my own without my parents around ever since I was a hatchling, or it might be because I am of Trauka’s bloodline that I lack social skills. I apologize if

wrong. You don’t

what type of mindset Huroi had when he

Trauka said that since you are his only blood relative, there is a risk that you might become the next Fire

Navaldrea’s pupils constricted.

dragon isn’t about status. They are beings who have existed since the beginning and have

don’t know the details either. But I don’t

eaten dozens of his flesh and blood would justify himself using such a method. When it was time to die, he suddenly wanted to regain his honor.” She paused for a bit. “If I get a chance to become an old dragon, I don't want to turn it down. At first, the cultivators tracked us down because

with desire. She wanted to be powerful. Perhaps this was because she had been hiding from Trauka all her life, but she seemed tired of being an

Grid nodded.

become an old dragon. The fact that you’ve come all this way means that you are willing to cooperate with me,

don’t worry. I don’t know what will happen if I have a child, but right now, I have no kin left to

you guarantee that? Maybe you will want to become a mother

“Um...”

Navaldrea wasn’t extremely stubborn. Despite already making up her mind, she still tried to listen to what the other

want to be a mother just like Ifrit. It would be horrible if I was blinded by instinct and devoured my offspring at that time. But is it possible to become an old dragon without becoming the Fire Dragon? As I said before, the old dragons are

become stronger. Stay in the empire and gain experience until you become an old dragon one day. You will have the empire’s

rise and fall in less than a thousand years. They can last maybe ten thousand if

premise that they should support