Conquest of the Dragon Sovereign

Feicui Long was heading to the next union, which was on the opposite side. He had finished earlier than he expected from a 12-hour exam, it only took him 6. He really expected to have to go the next day to register at the union of summoners, tamers, necromancers, and creators of golems and puppets, the UIDNCGM, and go through the whole union process.

As he walked through the rows of bustling houses and buildings, Feicui Long thought that fortunately, this time he wouldn't have to take the exam, which had the same conditions and costs as the UMIARH. Although the four abilities could be learned like many others, those born with them could instinctively apply and use them to a certain extent, along with all the other extras such as contracts, pocket dimensions linked to them, and other capabilities.

Interestingly, mastery abilities in inscriptions, alchemy, refinement-blacksmithing were somewhat special because what these abilities essentially granted was full knowledge of all the basics and some fundamental things, like certain recipes and such. However, unlike other abilities, they did not provide the capacity to put them into practice or use them immediately. Technically, it was like having the knowledge of how to do something but lacking the experience to actually do it. That's why even those who possessed these abilities still had to take the exams. Although they didn't have to start as basic apprentices, they still had to learn the practical aspects. Of course, besides knowledge, these abilities provided some help, but honestly, it wasn't anything significant and could be ignored, especially at high levels.

That's why summoning and the other abilities were more desired and valued, in addition to obviously being rarer, especially summoning, which was extremely rare. That said, it didn't mean people disliked abilities like alchemy, but they didn't see them as particularly necessary. Even though they could technically be acquired through learning, the long time required often wasn't worth it, at least not in every case.

Finally, Feicui Long stopped in front of the building. It was an elegant and beautiful structure with a design that stood out for its sober majesty. Though large, its proportions were different from those of the UMIARH: it was wider but not as tall. The sign at the entrance immediately caught his attention.

Instead of being made with energy minerals, as was common in other unions, this one was composed of materials from beasts, monsters, and other extraordinary creatures. However, the level of detail and craftsmanship was such that, for most people, these particularities would go unnoticed.

Feicui Long entered through one of the main entrances and continued until he finally found the receptionist who handled union applications and granted exam permits. He saw a beautiful girl with green skin, pointed ears, short brown hair, and yellow eyes looking at him.

He was somewhat surprised to see a goblin girl. Although the Habsburg Empire was an empire that included all fourteen mortal races, one of many, most of the people he saw in Vienna were humans, elves, dwarves, and greater beastmen. Amusingly, the empire had many nobles from the other races, particularly elves, dwarves, and greater beastmen, but in Vienna, it was rare to see someone who wasn't from those four races. He had even reached the point of thinking there weren't any at all. So seeing one here was quite curious. But now that he thought about it, he had caught glimpses of several individuals from other races when he entered the northwestern area. Perhaps they were just concentrated in certain districts?

By the way, he had also noticed that the administrative staff here was considerably weaker than those in the UMIARH. It wasn't a surprise, though, since they didn't need to be strong. This place was full of beasts, monsters, undead, golems, and all sorts of powerful beings roaming around.

Without thinking any further about these details, he simply spoke to the beautiful receptionist and politely said, "Excuse me, miss. I would like to join the UIDNCGM."

The receptionist, who had been looking at him, replied, "Are you taking the exam? At what level?" As she spoke, she took out a sheet listing the different levels.

Feicui Long, upon seeing it, shook his head. "It's not necessary, I already possess the required abilities."

Hearing this, the girl nodded, then took out another form, the same artifact resembling a pen, and said, "Alright, you need to fill in this information and hand me your identification card. After that, you will be taken to a room with a special evaluation stone to verify your abilities."

Feicui Long filled out the document and handed it over along with his identification. The receptionist received it, then used an artifact embedded with recording stones and placed the document in a folder with a section to register his name. She filled it in and then returned the identification and token to Feicui Long.

Then the receptionist said, "You just need to go through the door to my left and proceed until you reach room 125."

...

Feicui Long arrived at room 125, pushed the door open, and found another goblin inside. Although she wasn't as beautiful as the receptionist, she had a mature charm, even with a large scar on her right cheek. She was sitting cross-legged, clearly waiting. Just as Feicui Long was about to speak, the woman opened her mouth, "Sit in front of me, young one, and place your hands on the stone."

Feicui Long nodded politely, sat down in front of her, and placed his hands on the evaluation stone. Then, the examiner activated the formation that supplied energy to the stone, causing a kind of window, similar to Feicui Long's status window, to gradually display the abilities he possessed, following a specific order.

The first line of text to appear read: "Ability: Summoning – Innate, Affinity: Superior Grade – Absolute Rank, Talent: Supreme Grade – Absolute Rank, Mastery: Apprentice."

The examiner was quite surprised. Just as she was about to congratulate him, opening her mouth, more words began to appear, so she quickly closed it again.

The second line appeared and read: "Ability: Taming – Innate, Affinity: Intermediate Grade – Spiritual Rank, Talent: Intermediate Grade – Spiritual Rank, Mastery: Apprentice."

This time, although the woman in charge of the evaluation was even happier, she didn't even have time to open her mouth, as the words kept appearing. She told herself she would wait until everything was finished.

The third line: "Ability: Necromancy – Innate, Affinity: Very Low Grade – Sovereign Rank, Talent: Very Low Grade – Earthly Rank, Mastery: Apprentice."

The fourth: "Ability: Golem and Puppet Creation – Innate, Affinity: Mid-High Grade – Divine Rank, Talent: High Grade – Universal Rank, Mastery: Apprentice."

The fifth: "Ability: Third Eye – Innate, Affinity: Superior Grade – Absolute Rank, Talent: Mid-Low Grade – Celestial Rank, Mastery: Apprentice."

With that, the examiner, who was in a state of shock, screamed and jumped with joy: "The Sovereign's Quartet, the Sovereign's Quartet, a Sovereign has been born!"

Feicui Long remained calm, as he had expected something like this. "The Sovereign's Quartet" was the name given to the combination of the four abilities: summoning, taming, necromancy, and golem and puppet creation. Legend said that anyone who possessed these four abilities was destined to rise to the top and become a "Sovereign" who ruled over all.

This belief stemmed from the fact that several great figures in existence possessed these abilities, such as the ruler of the Clan Above the Heavens before the rise of the Absolute Being, or the champion of the Clan Beneath the Hells, who single-handedly defeated the other two clans and reversed his clan's declining state. There was even the Judge of the Balance of Heaven and Hell, who managed to stop a battle that could have disrupted the balance of existence.

But perhaps the figure that most caused the expansion of this legend is the "Absolute Sovereign" or also called the True Absolute Sovereign, who possessed them and used them to achieve many things, such as unifying the three original clans, defeating the Absolute Being, and saving existence itself. It was the latter who recorded the memory and gave the name to the "Sovereign's Quartet." Now, throughout existence, it is called that and is highly valued, as all these abilities are quite rare, and even in the case of summoning, it is even rarer than the others. Besides that, it grants great power, as it allows a person to create an army by themselves without relying on any kind of external force.

That is why he was not surprised by the reaction, both because of what it meant and how rare it was. In fact, it was one of the reasons why he hesitated to join this union despite the benefits. He himself had only seen a few with the Sovereign's Quartet in his entire life, and he was over 35 billion years old, the same age as this universe.

In any case, the evaluator's screams of surprise and joy caught the attention of many others, attracting other evaluators and even examinees who wanted to see what was happening. When everyone heard the evaluator's words and also saw the words reflected in the status window, they were all shocked and astonished. On one hand, the evaluators were happy, smiling from ear to ear, but the other examinees showed different expressions, some sadness, others envy, some anger, and others pure surprise. It took a while before people started talking loudly among themselves.

Eventually, high-ranking members, intrigued by what was happening in the hallways, approached. Several of them did not believe what they were hearing, so they even had to push through the crowd to make their way forward. People who normally would have stepped aside did not even pay attention when they arrived. But just like the others before them, they widened their eyes and let out voices of amazement.

One of them, a muscular man wearing a sleeveless shirt that exposed part of his hairy chest, laughed amicably and said, "Oh, what do we have here? A fine addition to the union. Hey, kid, wouldn't you like to join my group, the Mountain Berserker Bear Assault Team?"

At that, the entire room fell silent, or at least, almost everyone. Shortly after, a somewhat lanky man with glasses spoke in a serious tone, "Why the hell would anyone want to join a group of disorderly bastards like yours? Besides, the union can't afford to waste a talent like this. Kid, wouldn't you rather join mine? We are the Barrow Walkers."

In response, an arrogant female laugh echoed from the back. It came from a very tall woman who sneered, "A couple of fools who haven't even completed all their assigned tasks this month want to take someone like this? I think, young man, that it's best if you join my group, the Iron Maidens. We have a 95 percent success rate on missions, and we complete them quickly."

Finally, a calm voice fell over the hallway, coming from a pale woman with sky blue hair and lips painted the same shade. "I don't think bragging is the best way to recruit him, Astrid. You and the others haven't even made it into the top ten."

The woman continued, "As for me, kid, I can offer you much more than these small groups can. My group, the Rift Stalkers, is currently ranked third, which means our resources are far superior. We even have our own beast field."

After that, silence. A deep silence. Everyone was now staring at the young man and the woman, glancing back and forth between them. Even the three who had spoken before, though clearly annoyed, knew they couldn't afford to compete with her in terms of resources.

But because of that, no one noticed that the evaluator, who had been screaming and jumping with joy just moments ago, had shattered a message transmission talisman while all of this was happening. Now, she was simply waiting.

It was then, when the entire crowd began to step aside, that the others realized someone important was coming. It was a girl, 1.65 meters tall, with hair as black as the night, pointed ears, and beautiful light blue eyes, clear as a lake, with short hair. She wore an elegant shirt and a short skirt, but perhaps what stood out the most was her beautiful emerald green skin, which accentuated her feminine charms. She walked elegantly with great poise, and one could naturally feel an aura of nobility and leadership surrounding her.

The goblin girl entered the room without waiting for anyone to respond and said:"Who gave you permission to recruit someone who hasn't even joined the union yet?"

She paused, looking at each of those present with disdain, and added:"Or is it that you no longer have the decency to wait until the evaluation is over?"

Everyone remained silent. The first three who had spoken looked somewhat embarrassed upon remembering that detail, except for the pale girl with sky-blue hair, who looked at Reiko with a mocking smile and said:"Miss Reiko Kurogane, I believe such matters should not be handled by you without your father's authorization, much less when they do not go against the rules. It is not appropriate to abuse the position of others."

Reiko slightly furrowed her brows, her expression turning even more disdainful:"Oh, Miss Ha Neul Jung, you're here? I hadn't seen you. By the way, you wouldn't have seen the insect making noise around here, would you? And speaking of that, don't you think a group ranked seventh has the right to demand proper etiquette and manners within the union? Of course, some may lack proper education, but it's important to consider how we are perceived in the outside world."

Ha Neul Jung responded with a mocking smile: "Oh, it seems the young lady hasn't learned anything from what happened last time. Was that not enough for you?"

Reiko's expression instantly turned furious, and her eyes reflected a contained rage that seemed ready to devour her alive. However, Ha Neul only let out a disdainful laugh. That reaction, far from calming Reiko, only fueled her anger, but the memories of what had happened days ago and the bitter reality that she could not defeat Ha Neul forced her to suppress her rage. She clenched her delicate hand tightly, barely managing to hold herself back.

The tense exchange was interrupted when a deep, feminine voice resonated from the end of the hallway: "Oh, Ha Neul, can you explain to me exactly what 'happened' to my young lady?"

When this voice was heard, the area, which had been in a deadly silence, erupted in noise. People spoke loudly among themselves, many knew what had happened, and others only understood that something important had taken place. However, no one dared to say anything, as this involved the top three groups.

Although all organizations like unions, and particularly the Mortal Races Union, had very little corruption thanks to an extremely strict and effective system ensuring the enforcement of laws, norms, and rules, there were very clear limits. Among those rules was the prohibition against members killing each other outside of a duel, depending, of course, on the type of duel. Duels could only take place between members, had to be conducted under mutual consent, and no one could be forced to accept one in any way. Killing or assassinating a member, as well as breaking any part of these rules, was punished with death, and the punishment could even extend to the offender's family.

But even with all this, people chose to remain silent. Some did not consider it their concern; others feared the power and influence of these groups. After all, these three groups had many loyal external clients and had accumulated many favors thanks to their ability to hunt and attract various creatures for sale. Although the Union paid well for the creatures they brought in and sold directly to them (usually between 5% and 50% above market price), the clients of these three groups paid at least twice as much. And while not everyone had the opportunity to sell their catches to these exclusive clients, many preferred not to lose that slim chance.

There were also three other types of people who chose to remain silent, but for similar reasons. The first feared that by revealing all the information, the three groups destined to fall would drag them down with them. The second feared being seen by Reiko's father and his subordinates as part of those responsible. Lastly, the third feared involving their loved ones simply by speaking out.

But that didn't matter. The voice rang out again, this time more impatient and with a cold tone: "Ha Neul, tell me what happened to my young lady."

Following these words, the source of the voice was finally revealed. It was an imposing woman, even taller than Feicui Long, standing at 2.05 meters. Her dark green skin was marked by scars that spoke of a body hardened in battle. Her figure balanced strength and beauty, with well-defined muscles that did not overshadow her femininity.

She wore her black hair in braids, and her brown eyes radiated determination. From her lower jaw protruded a pair of white fangs, contrasting against her skin. She wore heavy armor, and on her back rested a massive greatsword that further amplified her intimidating presence.

As she walked, everyone in the room moved aside. Some lowered their heads slightly in respect, others looked at her with admiration, while there were also those whose faces were etched with terror.

Soon, the orc woman stood in front of Ha Neul and reached out her hand to grab her by the shoulder, turning her around since Ha Neul refused to face her.

But a man who appeared to be around 45 to 50 years old, with graying hair, diverted the woman's hand and began to speak, "Oh, Miss Amanitore, I didn't know you had returned so quickly from killing the spectral queen of Hořovice. I must congratulate you on such a feat, especially since you did it alone. If only your young lady weren't such a burden to you, you would have finished even sooner."

Amanitore said, "Old István Varga, my young lady is not a burden and never will be. I was the one who told her to stay behind. In any case, I need Ha Neul to tell me what happened to my young lady. That is not the concern of the leader of the second ranked group."

With just this exchange, people were left frozen, especially those unfamiliar with Amanitore. The UIDNCGM, besides the group rankings, had several others, one of them being the individual ranking. Those in this ranking were the strongest combatants in this branch of the union, excluding the leader and other special positions that were obviously not included in rankings. Amanitore held the number 7 rank. It might seem low, but one crucial detail had to be considered, the leaders of the top three ranked groups only held the number 8, 9, and 10 ranks, respectively.

This meant that her combat power and strength surpassed that of the three group leaders. Moreover, Amanitore was a special case, as she specialized in close combat herself, while the creatures she had tamed were purely support, auxiliary, and healing class, making her an extremely difficult opponent. Even the number 6 couldn't defeat her despite being stronger, and the number 5 found dealing with her incredibly troublesome and annoying.

István, grinning shamelessly, said, "I'm afraid I can't, Miss. You see, Leader Ha Neul and I have some matters to discuss, so I must take my leave."

Seeing that they were trying to leave, Amanitore snorted angrily and did not hold back in the slightest. Soon, an overwhelming and powerful aura spread through the entire area, feeling as if it were crushing one's spirit, mind, soul, and body all at once.

Old István paled and stammered, "You, you, you have broken through to the fifth grade, but even so, how is it that..."

Suddenly, something came to his mind: "You absorbed the soul crystal of the spectral queen!"

Amanitore was about to reach them when her hand was once again about to land on Ha Neul. A tall and elegant young man, quite handsome, appeared beside the two and then disappeared with them, only to reappear at the far end of the hallway.

From there, the young man shouted, "Miss Amanitore, I apologize, but we must leave. We have some very urgent missions to carry out." Then, he vanished down the hallway at high speed with the other two.

Amanitore wanted to chase them, but she didn't want to cause more trouble at this moment in the UIDNCGM. Besides, she wanted to see how her young lady was, as hearing that had made her worried.