Ashen Dragon

"This Aviation Corps can actually grant titles?" Mantou's eyes lit up as he stared at the system panel displaying the information.

Titles, as everyone knows, are personal and non-transferable. They're incredibly rare, only obtainable through special large-scale missions—like [Northern Conqueror] or [Empire Champion].

Some titles even come with additional effects: golden glow, flames, rainbows... making players look absolutely extraordinary from afar, standing out in a crowd and drawing the envy of countless newbies.

For Cassius, creating these titles costs next to nothing—it's practically a profit-without-cost deal.

But players? They chase after them like moths to a flame. Some wealthy players even drop hundreds of Gold Coins, all just to snag the flashiest, most domineering title possible.

——After all, for players, showing off is their number-one priority!

Singo feigned disdain, smirking as he said, "Seriously, have you never seen the world before? It's just a title. The internal missions I take you on won't deliver anything subpar."

"Swoosh——"

Before his words even finished, a cascade of ostentatious titles lit up above his head. [Northern Conqueror], [War Hero], [Aisier Judge], [Sky Hunter Cavalry]...

The dazzling special effects interwove like a messy kaleidoscope, practically assaulting Mantou's titanium-alloy dog eyes and leaving him slack-jawed in awe.

"Tch, this showoff..."

Mantou pursed his lips, turning toward the Great Goblin and saying, "Officer, hurry up and familiarize us with the mission already. I'm itching to dedicate myself to the Empire's grand vision, all for His Majesty Cassius!"

Veteran players by now had developed a built-in template for interacting with NPCs: when in doubt, swear loyalty.

"For the Empire, for His Majesty Cassius." The Great Goblin's lips subtly twitched, but still, he pressed a hand to his chest and ceremoniously performed another Loyalty Salute.

Then, he turned and led the two of them deeper into the armory.

Noticing that Singo still hadn't turned off his gaudy special effects, Mantou quipped, "Alright, Xin Dog, just push the mission already.

Damn it, if showing off were a crime, you'd at least be doing life without parole. These days, humble kids like me, who never show off, are a dying breed."

Singo replied in an even tone, "Do you truly hate showing off? 'Cause I feel like you looked plenty cocky in front of those newbies."

He stepped forward and patted Mantou's shoulder with a sigh. "Tsk. Face reality, Mantou—you don't hate showing off. You only resent that it's not *you* being the showoff."

"..."

It's not lies that wound people most—truth is the sharper blade.

Hearing this, Mantou couldn't help but recall how Singo had stolen the spotlight earlier, leaving Mantou ignored by the crowd of newbies. He was rendered speechless, on the verge of tears.

"Clank——"

The iron door slowly lifted, making a crisp sound.

"This is..."

Mantou's eyes lit up instantly, his earlier frustration banished to the far corners of his mind.

The room was lined with transparent glass display cases, within which sat several massive, futuristic sets of armor. Their surfaces were painted with intricate dragonflame patterns, radiating an unmistakable "Empire style."

——At a glance, it was clear these were specially designed for Bipedal Wyverns. The helmets were perfectly contoured to dragon heads, and the sets even included wing armor for installation on their wings.

Singo, equally intrigued, asked, "Is this... the standard armor for the Imperial Air Force Bombardment Unit?"

In recent months, the Imperial Air Force Bombardment Unit had shone brilliantly in the North Aisier conflicts and the Dwarven Kingdom conquest, becoming the nightmare of countless adversaries.

Armored wyverns streaked across the skies accompanied by piercing shrieks, like reapers snatching away lives.

To this day, many North Aisier natives retained severe psychological scars. At the sound of those unmistakable shrieks, they would tremble uncontrollably, instinctively dropping to the ground and curling up in fear.

"You could say that, but these in front of you are far more advanced—a pinnacle of Imperial cutting-edge technology."

The Great Goblin gestured toward the glass cabinets with a proud smile and introduced, "Behold the specialized equipment provided to the Aviation Corps by the Empire. We call it the 'Heavenly Fire' set—named to symbolize the wrath of the great dragons raining down from the skies, incinerating all enemies who dare defy the Empire."

Mantou marveled, "That name... just dripping with badassery!"

This time, even Singo nodded in agreement.

The Great Goblin stepped forward with a continued explanation. "The military engineers from the Department of Technology have endlessly upgraded and modified it based on the bombardment unit's standard gear, equipping it with rocket thrusters, anti-gravity hover mechanisms, spell targeting...

This armor boasts revolutionary, immense capabilities. It allows an adult Bipedal Wyvern to carry over two tons of explosives and strike targets with surgical precision from altitudes of thousands of meters.

Meanwhile, instead of reducing their speed or mobility, it achieves a qualitative leap in both, with a top flight speed of 700 kilometers per hour..."

Mantou stepped closer, practically pressing his face against the glass.

The meter-long wing armor gleamed with a metallic sheen, boasting a perfect streamlined design. The plates were overlaid with slender steel feathers, capable of immediately adjusting the wyvern's direction according to the rider's commands.

The Great Goblin smirked with pride as he said, "The functionalities of this set... far exceed what you might think."

"Snap!"

He snapped his fingers.

Instantly, several steel pipes extended from the wing armor's trailing edge, spewing brilliant plumes of light and flame.

The Great Goblin went on, "These rocket thrusters can unleash terrifying propulsion in short bursts, enabling the Bipedal Wyvern to accelerate several times over almost instantly..."