In the winter, Clenlis took his daughter's small hand and stepped onto this somewhat renowned land.
The former Golden Land, now the Golden Empire, had become a true haven for order-monsters, and Clenlis only understood the meaning of this when he truly set foot on this land.
Even on the path from the harbor to the Golden City, he passed by eight or nine different races, but his gaze was always drawn to the particularly tall Hobgoblins and Kobolds.
Hobgoblins and Kobolds, no matter in which plane world, were almost always at the very bottom, even the dragons who drove these lackeys regarded these two dependents as trash that could be discarded at will.
But within the Golden Empire, the plight of these Hobgoblins and Kobolds surprised Clenlis. It seemed to be as the Dragon Emperor of the Golden Empire had said: no matter what race, as long as they became a member of the Empire, they could find their place in this burgeoning Empire.
Some Scholars who enjoyed studying biology, after investigating the many races within the Golden Empire, discovered that the Hobgoblins and Kobolds, the races most prone to mutation within the Empire, had mutated and evolved with the influence of the dragons and the changes in the Empire.
Just like the Hobgoblin, a different kind of the same Goblin race, the Hobgoblins within the Golden Empire, in terms of wisdom, physique, and order, far surpassed their counterparts in other regions, as if the entire race had undergone a beneficial mutation.
Therefore, the Hobgoblins and Kobolds within the Golden Empire were also specifically marked by Scholars as — Golden Kobolds, Golden Hobgoblins.
Clenlis only stayed on this land for half an hour before letting down his guard, taking off the hoods and veils that had tightly covered him and his daughter.
Only here could Dragonborn, born as dragons, walk among the populace without the world's prejudice and misunderstanding. These Dragonborn, a naturally unique race combining the best advantages of dragons and humanoids, could walk among the masses without any burden.
Lewella turned to look at her father, Clenlis. The scales on his face were somewhat grayish-white, looking as if they had gradually aged from being weathered during his wandering journey, yet he still seemed capable of single-handedly defeating a terrifying Dire Bear.
Over more than ten years, Lewella had learned to read her father's facial expressions; those who couldn't discern the subtle changes in her and her father's eyes would only see a cold dragon face on Clenlis.
But in reality, the movement of scales, the flexion and extension of the spine, the angle of eye changes, and the showing and hiding of teeth were all rich facial expressions on the Dragonborn's face, similar to those of dragons.
But at this moment, all the scales on Clenlis's body were completely still. Even in Lewella's eyes, her father now looked no different from a giant dragon, like a dragon returning to its nest, peaceful and content.
Only when some individuals wearing special insignia stood before the father and daughter did Clenlis subconsciously raise his cold pupils, an action representing the vigilance of this naturally born Dragonborn.
Clenlis received the identity documents from these people and then followed them to the checkpoint for registration, only then learning that these people called themselves the Dragon Bug Society, implying they were like insects on a dragon's body, cleaning up remnants and scraps.
In Clenlis's eyes, these people were more like gang members who lived in the sewers and slums of other kingdoms' cities, obtaining illegal profits through various means.
However, within the Golden Empire, strictly speaking, there were no gang organizations. These gray organizations were allowed to be established only after being registered with the Empire's relevant government organizations.
No matter the era, society, or system of rule, the birth of these organizations operating on the fringes of the white zone is inevitable, with the exception of the supplicants within the God Kingdom.
Therefore, the upper echelons of the Empire tacitly allowed the existence of these organizations, which served as an extension of the Empire's grassroots governing power. Now, these organizations had also obtained some business licenses from the Imperial government, such as recruiting immigrants and managing the entire process.
They were also responsible for a portion of cargo handling at the docks and the transport of non-essential materials on various canals, which greatly freed up the power of the Empire's grassroots organizations.
"Hey, don't look so grim. If you ask me, you've really picked a good time to come to the Empire," the young Dragon Bug Society member, seemingly continuing his predecessors' usual boastful nature, chattered incessantly into the ears of the two indifferent Dragonborn.
The citizens of the Golden Empire, always after comparison, possessed a strong sense of pride in their homeland and were eager to boast about their country to outsiders.
"You know about Raven, right? Hey, she's the creator of the World Forever Dragon Card, which is popular throughout the North, and the Vice Minister of Agriculture for the Empire. She's holding a World Forever card competition these days, and it's said that if you win first place, you'll get a mysterious card."
The two Dragonborn, one large and one small, nodded carelessly, humoring the young leader, while their two pairs of slightly rounded eyes stared at the tall city walls of the Golden City, which were gradually receding.
Giant heads, each with a different appearance and stark white bones, were hung on the city walls of the Golden City. The Dragonborn recognized powerful sea monsters like the Unicellular Sea Serpent and the Split-Horned Demon Whale from the deep sea, as well as land creatures like the Multi-Armed Demon.
"What are those?" Clenlis interrupted the young man's chatter, slightly raising his scale-covered jaw and pointing towards the Golden City's walls.
"Oh, you mean those? Those are the Golden City's Proof of Strength."
The young man immediately became interested and said excitedly, "To contend for the Emperor of the Empire, the glorious crown of His Holiness Kogmora, strong individuals from all over the world arrive daily within the Empire."
"Some young powerhouses hunt powerful monsters in the deep sea and in the Empire's unexplored territories, taking their heads and, imitating the dragons of old, hanging the heads of their prey on the city walls to display their prestige."
"Look at that Unicellular Sea Serpent's head; it was brought by 'Giant God's Spear' Raymond. I'm telling you, Raymond's name is almost a household name in the Empire now, and of course, it's not because of this guy's fifteen consecutive victories in the Honor Colosseum in the Kings Capital,"
"But according to those beautiful ladies, Raymond actually has two battle spears: one in his hand, and the other, hehe..."
The young Dragon Bug Society member chuckled, completely disregarding the scornful look in the little girl Lewella's eyes. Of course, these ordinary people couldn't distinguish the subtle changes in a Dragonborn's gaze.
"And there's'Sword of Dawn,' who keeps fighting despite repeated defeats, whom those beautiful ladies evaluate as—the second treasured sword on Sword of Dawn's body is even more powerful than the one in his hand, hahaha."
Although Clenlis was a Dragonborn, in terms of certain common topics, males seemed to share some unknown pleasures.
Besides, Clenlis also needed to gather some intelligence from the seemingly naive human in front of him, so the two quickly began to converse animatedly.
The journey was not far. What was once a transit village had now developed into a prosperous small town next to the tall and majestic Golden City, relying on the huge flow of people.
Along the way, several people also encountered many immigrants and slaves who were guided in batches, continuously entering the immigrant town.
Despite being just a town, it captivated many slaves and immigrants, not only because of the constant flow of people and the prosperous Golden citizens, but also because of the exceptionally peaceful atmosphere.
Even in alleys and street corners where there were no guards patrolling, some shopkeepers and vendors dared to lie around and take naps.
Even their watchdogs and some pets lay on their backs, bellies up, snoring loudly, as if this place could provide these people and animals with an absolute sense of security.
But in other places, all these people would see would be shops being ransacked, and these pets and shop owners might even be abducted for their internal organs, to be used as materials for certain evil rituals.
A strange light gleamed in Clenlis's vertical pupils. As one of the first soul-resurrected individuals to step out of the temple, he undoubtedly gained this opportunity because of his outstanding abilities.
Even these ordinary details in front of him allowed Clenlis to see that within the Golden Empire, there must be strict laws and ample security forces, coupled with the Empire's guidance, to form such a situation.
But this undoubtedly increased the difficulty of his mission.
As one of the guides for the otherworldly souls who were about to descend upon the Ekania World, Clenlis and the first batch of souls were born into the Ekania World decades early, silently understanding the world during the Age of Divine Concealment, secretly laying the groundwork for the vast net that would envelop the mortal realm of the Ekania World.
Originally, his mission was not this desolate land, but ever since this desolate land was civilized by that Red Dragon, Clenlis's mission was changed.
Perhaps it was a twist of fate when he was born into this world that he chose the identity of a Dragonborn, which led to his current predicament, forcing him to start over.
However, Clenlis could not refuse or resist because of this. Even though his contributions were already enough to complete his mission, the shackles imposed by the supreme existence behind him condemned him to an endless cycle of toil, conspiracy, and slaughter, with no escape.
He could only regard this as a blessing, enjoying each journey of rebirth.
And each time he harvested and destroyed those civilizations, it gradually ceased to shake his spirit. But now, in this remote and secluded place, he unexpectedly felt a long-lost thought: perhaps this world isn't so bad after all.
"Alas," Clenlis stroked his daughter's head and sighed. Sometimes, the beautiful things worth cherishing around him were also a kind of entanglement. He immediately extinguished his sudden thought in his mind, regaining his composure, and turned his gaze towards the huge iron monster that was steaming with heat and magic, rumbling as it approached.
"Let's go, take your identity documents, show them to the Hobgoblin ticket collector, and you can board the magic-powered steam car," the young man waved to his newly acquainted friends and said goodbye, "Someone will greet you at the station, Dragonborn. As long as you work hard and don't slack off, you'll soon be able to establish yourselves on the Empire's land. I hope we'll meet again someday! A beautiful life is beckoning to you!"
Clenlis casually waved to the chattering young man, taking his daughter's hand and stepping into the open mouth on the side of the monster, with only an unspoken sigh caught in his throat.
"A beautiful life, huh! Ha ha!"
...
The Honor Colosseum in the Kings Capital adopted a semi-domed design, with giant stone pillars carved with heroes from stories and legends.
The entire massive Colosseum looked like a giant eggshell with its middle hollowed out, and its vast interior space was large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of spectators.
The all-marble structure made the entire Colosseum appear exceptionally sturdy, so there was no need to worry about it being damaged by the dangerous power of the powerful gladiators.
Generally, in winter, the Colosseum primarily featured gladiator-on-gladiator combat, but the Golden Empire's current territory essentially had no winter; only the northwestern lands currently being developed by the Pioneer Corps (Pioneer Legions) experienced winter.
Today's Colosseum still began with a battle between beasts and gladiators.
One after another, ancient-style chariots emerged from the emergency exits at the bottom of the Colosseum. These ancient chariots, in the current Golden Empire, could only be used as performance props.
The chariots were driven, circling the massive Colosseum. The gladiators on the chariots were bare-chested, revealing their muscular physiques, almost identical to the heroes carved on the pillars.
However, the gladiators, who should have received the cheers and fluttering handkerchiefs of the Colosseum audience in the past, had their glory overshadowed by the person on the high platform.
Because the figure of Kalon Kogmora, the revered King of all Dragons and Emperor of the Golden Empire, was seated on the high platform at this moment, rarely revealing his other appearance, causing the spectators in the stands to cheer loudly.
Especially the beautiful young women, radiating the most fervent emotions of their lives, raised their silk scarves and handkerchiefs, cheering towards the high platform.
Even the voice of the Hobgoblin announcing the opening from the temporary high platform in the center of the arena, amplified by magic arrays, was drowned out by the enthusiastic cheers of the audience.
Kalon had no choice but to stand up from the luxurious and spacious high platform, his steady gaze sweeping across the Colosseum. He extended both hands and pressed them down slightly, which only then caused the boisterous Colosseum to gradually quiet down after erupting in even more enthusiastic sounds.
Beside him, Raven, the Pixie who had awakened from slumber, looked almost the same as before, except that the Pixie dust behind her had disappeared, seemingly having integrated into her body, making the Pixie's skin appear as if it had a fluorescent glow.
After Kalon sat down, Raven's body, having grown to ninety centimeters, could no longer sit on Kalon's shoulder as she did when she was with his true dragon form.
So the Pixie Raven had no choice but to sit on Kalon's lap, peeling grapes and fruits from the table and feeding them into Kalon's mouth, all while chatting with Kalon, this Dragon who, in the eyes of outsiders, was somewhat of a homebody.
"Although your current appearance is more likable, I still prefer you as a dragon," Raven's small nose wrinkled slightly as she fed a large grape into Kalon's mouth.
"Although I also prefer my original appearance, the Empire occasionally needs to see another side of me now," Kalon said with a slight smile, holding the petite yet voluptuous Raven with one hand to prevent her wriggling body from falling off.
"Then you should go out and move around more, don't be like those lazy dragons who always sleep in their nests," Raven complained, "You're either busy day and night now, or you've been sleeping lazily for several years. You should learn to enjoy your life, even though I know your goal is very grand, you shouldn't ignore the beauty around you for the sake of your goal!"
These days, since Kalon's return to the Empire, besides digesting the remaining power of the Blue Dragon Demon, he has been waiting for the World Tree Ovo to awaken.
The rest of his time was almost entirely spent on handling government affairs and acquiring knowledge. Even Raven, who had awakened, rarely saw this Ancestral Red Dragon, whose nature was so at odds with typical dragons, no wonder the Little pixie complained so much.
"Of course, I will not disregard the journey to reach the result for the sake of the ultimate outcome. In fact, I am also enjoying this process."
Kalon reached out and gently pinched the Little pixie's nose, smiling, "Right now, I am enjoying my time with you!"