The blood tax was an extremely important clause in the contract Richard had signed with the Fire Lizards.
Richard wasn't raising the Fire Lizards on New World Island for free. Under his protection, they could enjoy the resources of the Wizard World, freely hunt around New World Island, and even relocate in small numbers to the mainland to live… but all of this came at a cost.
Aside from providing Richard with a steady stream of craftsmen, the Fire Lizard race also had to supply him with soldiers—what Richard referred to as the blood tax.
The contract stipulated that for every ten Fire Lizards born, one would be designated as part of the blood tax.
At birth, these Fire Lizards would undergo a lottery. If selected, their records would be marked with the blood tax label.
If Richard didn't come to collect them, they would live like any other Fire Lizard. But if Richard demanded the blood tax, these Fire Lizards would have to serve as his vanguard, charging into battle for him.
This was the price of the Fire Lizards' survival.
When Richard mentioned the blood tax, both Akala and Azuhan's hearts skipped a beat.
Finally, the inevitable had come.
"May I ask how much blood tax you intend to collect this time, my lord?" Azuhan asked with some difficulty.
He knew that most of the Fire Lizards taken as blood tax would never return. But he also understood that if they failed to pay the tax, Richard could easily make the Fire Lizards pay tenfold, or even a hundredfold, the price.
"It's not yet clear," Richard said indifferently. "I'll need to review your roster before making a decision."
"Understood."
The blood tax roster was kept in Azuhan's office. Over the years, the list had grown into a thick volume.
In this volume, the names of those who had died were marked with a black "×," those who were disabled were marked with a circle, and those in perfect health had no markings.
Aside from their physical condition, their level of strength was also noted. A single dot indicated a first-level Fire Lizard, while two dots indicated a second-level Fire Lizard.
After reviewing the entire roster, Richard couldn't help but marvel at how satisfying it was to maintain an entire race.
On the roster alone, there were currently 132 second-level Fire Lizards and 1,930 first-level Fire Lizards still alive.
If these Fire Lizards were equipped with Craftsman Type I Personal Armor and given some training, each of them could rival a Wizard.
Richard handed the roster back to Azuhan.
"Good. It seems you haven't tried to pull any tricks."
Azuhan kept his head low, forcing a smile as he replied humbly, "We wouldn't dare play any tricks. One misstep, and it wouldn't just be these people who would die."
"Ah, don't say that," Richard said, standing up and patting Azuhan on the shoulder. "I'm selecting soldiers, not experimental subjects.
The Fire Lizards chosen will accompany me to wage war in other worlds. If they're lucky or strong enough, returning alive isn't out of the question.
If they do return, I'll offer them an additional contract. You should know that I'm never stingy with my own people."
Azuhan forced a smile. "Your generosity is unmatched."
Richard chuckled and patted Azuhan's arm before leaving the room.
He could tell that Azuhan was deeply uncomfortable working for him.
Living under the command of the man who nearly annihilated the Fire Lizard clan, this twisted belief had begun to take a toll on Richard's mental state.
Compared to him, Akala seemed to be faring better.
The princess of the Fire Lizard clan was far stronger than Richard had imagined. From being an imperial princess to serving under her enemy, she had accepted this drastic change in status with remarkable composure.
Perhaps, in her eyes, living under the command of a World Master was not a disgrace.
With the factory relocation completed, Richard relayed the news to Jolod, who was far away at the Black Tower Wizard Academy, instructing him to come to the Crimson Sun World to receive the parts.
Before the factory was moved, the parts for the Magic Support Vehicles produced by Richard's Alchemy Workshop were transported to Jolod's workshop via airship for secondary assembly and processing.
After handling the affairs of the commerce guild, Richard immediately contacted the Nine Stars Commerce to order a large batch of Alchemy Materials.
"Brother Richard, such a huge order—what are you planning to do?" Bob's puzzled voice came through the Crystal Ball.
Richard replied calmly, "I'm preparing for an upcoming war, that's all."
In addition to ordering materials from Bob, Richard also reached out to Jimmy.
While Alchemy Machine materials could be sourced from Bob, Jimmy was the more suitable contact for materials related to physical evolution.
As the Vice Dean of the Garon Wizard Academy, Jimmy had an extensive network when it came to purchasing experimental materials for physical evolution.
"Oh, so you've exchanged for the Myriad Transformation Battle Body?" Jimmy, standing in the arena of the Tower of Truth, found the materials Richard mentioned all too familiar.
"Yes, Master. I'm about to begin my training in the Myriad Transformation Battle Body."
Jimmy glanced at the arena before focusing his attention back on the Crystal Ball.
"The Myriad Transformation Battle Body is not easy to master. One misstep, and you'll have to start over. You've only been studying physical evolution for a few hundred years—I wouldn't recommend you take on this battle body."
"Master, I'm confident I've found a slight shortcut."
"A shortcut?"
Jimmy rubbed his shiny bald head. He wasn't aware of any shortcuts for the Myriad Transformation Battle Body. But after a moment of thought, he realized what Richard was referring to.
"You're planning to fuse with Dragon Blood, aren't you?"
"Master's wisdom is as vast as the ocean."
"Dragon Blood is indeed a shortcut, but I advise against pursuing this path further."
"Oh?"
Richard was slightly taken aback by Jimmy's advice and asked, "Why? What's the issue with this direction?"
"There's a problem. Dragons are different from other creatures. If you want to study them, you'll need the blood of a high-level dragon. But in the Wizard World, a third-level dragon is already the pinnacle. Those with a fourth head are nearly impossible to obtain blood from.
Even if you manage to get it, fusion would be extremely difficult. Unless you can acquire the blood of a dragon prince.
Moreover, the inherent corrosive nature of dragon blood is a significant issue. You'll need to find a way to suppress this corrosion.
In short, without sufficient knowledge, Dragon Blood is best used temporarily. For serious research, it's better to explore other avenues."
A dragon prince's blood? Corrosion?
A faint smile appeared on Richard's face.
"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I'll keep that in mind."
"Alright, just make sure you have a clear plan. I'll notify you once I've gathered all the materials. Barring any unexpected issues, the remaining time should be sufficient for you to complete the Myriad Transformation Battle Body."
"Remaining time?" Richard asked, puzzled.
From the Crystal Ball came Jimmy's teasing voice, "Stop playing dumb. If you know about the expedition, how could I, the Vice Dean, not know? Hurry up and improve your strength. The Dean mentioned that this war might be a trial for us minor Wizards."
Upon hearing this, Richard immediately replied respectfully, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."
...
After arranging everything, Richard promptly began the production line for Personal Armor.
Many of the machines used to produce craftsman Personal Armor were the same as those for Mechanist Personal Armor, just with lower specifications.
Thus, with the experience of forging Mechanist Personal Armor, Richard and the Fire Lizard craftsmen managed to set up a production line in just three months.
Not a single mistake, not a single delay, not a single issue—everything was perfect!
This timing coincided perfectly with the return of the Fire Lizard workers.
Although these Fire Lizard workers were called laborers, in the former Crimson Sun World, they could have been referred to as Fire Lizard craftsmen.
Compared to the Fire Lizard craftsmen under Richard, they lacked only in knowledge and experience, but were otherwise not much different.
When the older generation of Fire Lizard craftsmen under Richard passed away, new craftsmen would emerge from these Fire Lizard workers.
With the help of these Fire Lizard workers, the production line quickly sprang into action, turning a continuous flow of alloy into individual parts.
In addition to their efforts, Richard also sent a list to Jolod.
The number of Personal Armor required this time was too large for Richard to handle alone, especially the parts that needed to be crafted using Wizard Alchemy.
According to Richard's plan, he intended to form a five-hundred-man battle group as his auxiliary force.
Therefore, he needed to prepare at least five hundred sets of Craftsman Type Personal Armor, and he also planned to modify some of the armor to fit second-level Fire Lizards.
Two years later, Richard received a notice from Garon Academy.
The notice not only specified the start time of the war but also included a lot of intelligence about the expedition world.
The Wizards who had scouted the world had managed to penetrate the world barrier through some means and conducted a preliminary exploration of the world's interior.
The results they obtained were quite unsettling.
All the Wizards who entered the world's interior to investigate had died, and the messages they sent out were somewhat perplexing.
They said that this world was alive.
Based on this information, the academy's higher-ups consulted a lot of data on Plane Expeditions. They eventually speculated that the world they were about to invade might be a World Tree World, a world dominated by a World Tree.
Based on this inference, the academy offered some advice.
Wizards participating in this expedition must be prepared for a long-term battle, so they should stock up on sufficient supplies, and the variety should be as diverse as possible.
Because the portal for this expedition might be exceptionally difficult to open.
After receiving this advice, Richard immediately drew up a list and handed it to Jolod for procurement.
Meanwhile, he himself immersed in the cultivation of the Myriad Transformation Battle Body.
After over a century of growth, Hog had transformed from a young dragon into a juvenile dragon, his strength reaching the second level, and his size now as large as an ox.
With the addition of draconic magic and the inherently superior physique of dragons, Hog was even more formidable than many Second Circle Wizards.
However, for Richard, her combat prowess was secondary; her bloodline was the most crucial aspect.
In the laboratory, Richard drew a tube of vividly red blood from Hog's body, while Hog watched him with a hint of fear.
Over the years, she had come to understand the changes in the Wizard World.
The throne of the dragons had long been overthrown, and her kin had been reduced to slaves of the Wizards.
This filled her with sorrow, but she had also come to accept her fate.
Her understanding of the glory of dragons was limited to the ancient memories passed down through her lineage.
She had never truly experienced the splendor of the dragons.
Thus, while she detested becoming a Wizard's magic pet, it was not entirely unacceptable to her.
Thinking this, Hog pulled a handful of tender white mushrooms from the pouch at her waist and stuffed them into her mouth.
The glory of dragons was a thing of the past; delicious mushrooms were the reality.
Richard carefully injected the dragon blood he had extracted from Hog into the Magic Potion he had prepared.
As the dragon blood merged with the potion, its color shifted from clear to a deep crimson, then back to clear once more.
"It's done!"
Richard looked at the potion with excitement. This vial was the essence of the Myriad Transformation Battle Body—the Myriad Transformation Elixir. Its primary function was to neutralize conflicts between bloodlines and promote their fusion.
With this, even if Richard fused ten or a hundred different bloodlines, he would not die from bloodline conflicts.
The cultivation of the Myriad Transformation Battle Body involved creating a gland capable of producing the Myriad Transformation Elixir and implanting it into the body.
Confirming the success of the Myriad Transformation Elixir gland, Richard walked to a corner of the laboratory.
In the corner stood a cultivation chamber, inside which lay a body—Richard's body.
"The biggest issue with dragon blood is its corrosive nature, but if I can suppress the corrosion, wouldn't the dragon blood be perfect?"
As he spoke, a layer of holy light enveloped Richard, and a complex rune slowly formed in his hand.
Divine Art: Abyss Suppression
(End of Chapter)