[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence":3,"chapter-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-53":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2338516,4572,"Chapter 53: The Dragon","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>“Sit down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I dare not, Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pik and the village chief were taken to the hunter village’s meeting hut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas pointed to a wooden bench beside him; the two dared not sit and immediately shook their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Pik’s demeanor was even more respectful than the village chief’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas nodded in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many wild animals can your Mei Sui Village hunt each month?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, outside of winter, we usually hunt forty to fifty animals each month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But only about ten to fifteen of them are the large game you mentioned—like elk and wild boar; the rest are small animals like rabbits and foxes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only forty to fifty? So the pelts you sold today are half a year’s harvest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This number was vastly different from what Gervas had imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the edge of the Chaos Wasteland and the Death Mountains—rich in wild flora and fauna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why were you cheering so loudly just now? I thought you could gather five thousand large beasts in two or three years!” Gervas was speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pik and the village chief froze instantly. “Master, merely sparing our lives is already a grace; even as slaves, we are deeply grateful for your mercy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good heavens! Gervas silently exclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What lord wouldn’t love a serf with such awareness?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, but let me ask you this: do you want to return to serfdom in two or three years?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After careful observation and confirming Gervas’s serious expression, the two exchanged glances. “Master, if possible, we would gladly return to serfdom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. Take this, and from today on, hunt diligently until you reach five thousand large beasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pik and the village chief stared in confusion at the giant conch Gervas pulled out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After studying it for a long time, Pik still didn’t understand—but the village chief suddenly remembered something, his eyes widening in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, this… could this be a magic conch?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you know about it? That’s even better—I won’t need to teach you how to use it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, my father was once the hunting captain of the Black Rock Earl’s domain. He told me that some ducal families possess magic horns that attract wild beasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once blown, the beasts come running into the traps themselves—like picking up free prey. The ducal hunting teams always return fully loaded!” the village chief said cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A horn that attracts wild beasts?” Pik had learned all his hunting skills from the village chief and had never heard of magic horns before; now his eyes widened in awe as he stared at the magic conch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To hunters, this horn was no different from a divine artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not that exaggerated. The beasts are attracted, but they still retain some caution. And I need the pelts as intact as possible—so hunting and trapping skills remain vital!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, Gervas had easily lured the beasts off the cliff because they’d already been terrified by dark creatures, turning them into frightened birds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, no beast would have followed this two-legged creature so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What followed was much simpler: Gervas relocated all the hunter village villagers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The women and children of the village were naturally to be settled in the town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only could they serve as hostages, but it also made it easier for the castle to supply them food and drink—or give them work to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, as slaves, all their labor belonged to Gervas; he only needed to feed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This valley would not be abandoned either—it would become a temporary base for the hunting team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lei Meng, take the hunter villagers back first. I’ll ride Zhui Yue for a little longer in the air!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, my lord!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his subordinates return the way they came, Gervas mounted Zhui Yue and headed toward the Death Mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon’s reverse scale mentioned in the intelligence was an excellent material for armor—Gervas would not let it slip away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the previous flight coordinates, Zhui Yue could navigate on its own without Gervas’s direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This journey was much like the last: below, terrifying beasts could occasionally be seen chasing and roaring through the forests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, ground-based beasts could be ignored—as long as no powerful aerial beasts appeared, there would be no danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than twenty minutes, the previous mountain peak appeared ahead. Less than five minutes later, heading left, the land below began to change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once lush mountain terrain suddenly turned into vast stretches of charred black earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All plants, trees, and vegetation had been burned to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it really be that two dragons once fought here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the intelligence that someone had seen a dragon, and that he himself had found dragon-blood stone,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas was certain that at least one dragon was among the creators of this ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for its opponent—whether another dragon or some other powerful beast—that remained unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Gervas spotted a flash of gold darting across the ruins below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhui Yue, descend!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a whoosh, Zhui Yue landed and steadied; Gervas swiftly approached the golden glint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha! First reverse scale secured!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the golden object was a half-buried, semicircular scale amid the black soil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scale was the size of a dinner plate, entirely golden; even after days exposed, its surface still shimmered faintly with golden light, and holding it, one could feel warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, as the intelligence described, it possessed flexibility—a natural contrast to ordinary scales, which were as hard as iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas marveled and continued searching nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, the remaining two reverse scales mentioned in the intelligence were found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carefully wrapped in cloth strips and placed in his leather pouch, Gervas mounted Zhui Yue and returned to the castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… these are golden dragon scales?” Lu Kasi the blacksmith stared in shock as he felt the faint, elusive pressure emanating from the three scales Gervas pulled from his pack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Kasi, hold them again and feel them!” Gervas handed the scales over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confused, Lu Kasi gripped the scales—and his body trembled again. “Soft… soft? This is a dragon’s reverse scale! And a golden dragon’s at that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct. These are dragon reverse scales. Are they worth more than ordinary dragon scales?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, more than worth? They’re incomparably more valuable. Dragon reverse scales can only fall when the dragon is near death—and they cannot regrow. Only ordinary scales can replace them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So these three intact reverse scales likely mean the death of one dragon. And golden dragons are the rarest among dragonkind—there may be no more than a few such golden reverse scales in the entire world!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder he was the earl family’s chief blacksmith—his knowledge of dragons surpassed Gervas’s by far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Kasi, from your perspective as a blacksmith, what kind of armor would these reverse scales be best suited for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Gervas, definitely a flexible armor. Armor made from dragon reverse scales can repel blades and blunt force, and greatly neutralize magical attacks. I’ve heard that royal families, dukes, and marquises all spend vast sums to acquire reverse scales and craft protective flexible armor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas didn’t waste time—he immediately entrusted Lu Kasi with crafting the armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, Lu Kasi, as the earl’s chief blacksmith, would lack the skill to work with dragon reverse scales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But having acquired dwarf techniques, he now possessed the ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, three dragon reverse scales were enough to make two pieces of armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So even if disaster struck, Gervas still had a fallback option.\u003C\u002Fp>",1230,"2026-06-20T22:44:01.160Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0d1fb43293b3f3b8e05b94899429db0dc5645a2f8f9afbc6af5320b8722cd60b","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-54","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-52",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]