Ashen Dragon

Seeing that the newcomer was Swashbuckler, Mantou didn't bother with any formalities, and immediately began to mock him without mercy.

After all, during the mission at Rackman Castle, Swashbuckler's cowardly behavior of abandoning his benefactor and fleeing had deeply etched itself into his mind, leaving an indelible mark.

"Yo, isn't this our Chief Eunuch from the Eastern Factory, Swashbuckler?"

"Or should I call you... the Vampire's Favorite?"

"Why are you always hiding in the shadows? Come out and get some sun."

These few words undoubtedly hit Swashbuckler's sore spot, delivering a heavy strike that made him boil with anger.

Especially the phrase "Vampire's Favorite," which directly broke his defenses.

After all, that post about the "Old Vampire and the Rogue Beast's Unspeakable Thirty Seconds" still maintained high popularity on the forums, where curious onlookers often checked in, pushing the thread's count to over ten thousand comments, making it a landmark within the forum.

Swashbuckler sneered: "Humph, I think you're just jealous of my higher position and strength. My Vampire template is at least a mini-boss level; I bet even the three of you together couldn't beat me."

"Wanna try outside the city?"

"Let's bet three hundred gold coins, Rogue Beast. Today it's either you die or I live."

Mantou patted his wyvern on the side of its neck, and "Noodle" immediately understood, glaring at Swashbuckler with bared teeth and a low growl.

Swashbuckler was so frightened that he stepped back a few steps and hastily said:

"Don't come over here. I'm telling you, fighting in the city is illegal. It'll blow your brains out."

"I'm usually swamped with tasks. I'm not here to chat idly; Singo has something serious to discuss with you."

Mantou finally patted the dragon's neck, calming it down.

"What's going on?"

"You'll find out when you get there, at the Red Scale Guardhouse."

"Alright, don't try to trick me, or I'll definitely bust your head."

"Hah, who beats whom is still up in the air."

"Hissss——"

"Damn, don't let your stinky lizard bite me! I said I'm sorry, okay?"

...

Northwest District of Northwind Castle, at the Red Scale Guardhouse.

This was a rather large building located at the edge of the city, newly built after the Ashen Kingdom took over Northwind Castle. It was still under construction, with powerful ogre workers bustling inside, but its basic framework was already complete.

The building stood over twenty meters high, making it seem quite imposing for this era. It used the most advanced structure, with statues of knights riding wyverns at the entrance, and the doors bore the emblem unique to the Ashen Kingdom—a golden vertical pupil surrounded by flames.

At the very top of the building was an exceptionally flat and open platform, painted with neat marker symbols, where many wyverns were perched.

This was the Red Scale Guardhouse, headquarters of the Red Scale Conqueror, where wyvern knights returning from patrol would rest, waiting for the next mission assignment. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Mantou had originally been a member of the patrol team, but disliked the arduous patrol tasks and found the rewards lackluster, so he returned to the city to comfortably serve as sheriff. Only Singo remained in the patrol team, now promoted to squad leader, becoming the highest-ranking Red Scale Conqueror under Alger.

Mantou parked his wyvern at the entrance and entered the hall with Swashbuckler, who had been hiding in the shadows.

"Yo, Xin Dog, long time no see."

"You're too slow."

In the distance, Singo appeared quite excited.

Singo patted Mantou's shoulder and said eagerly: "Mantou, stop slacking off in the city. There's only one month left of the beta test. This is our golden opportunity to leapfrog ahead. When the game officially launches, we'll be far ahead of the rest."

Mantou seemed confused: "What tasks could be left at this point? Isn't the beta version in its final phase?

"Other than the crazies from the Mechanical God Cult still climbing their tech tree, which I can't make heads or tails of, most players are probably doing daily quests..."

Recently, Mantou's videos hadn't stirred much excitement, mainly consisting of patrol diaries within the city. The last popular video was "Exploring Rackman Castle"—particularly the thirty seconds between Swashbuckler and the old vampire, which earned him thousands of comments, also making Swashbuckler hold a grudge.

Singo gave Mantou a disdainful glance.

"Small-minded people, incapable of understanding grand ambitions. Same goes for those people, their understanding of the game is pitiful."

"Then tell me, what's there to do?"

As Singo summoned a panel, he replied: "I've always told you to join the Red Scale Patrol Team."

"It's not just about the rewards; it's also about obtaining the latest information."

"If not for me, you wouldn't know about this final month's main quest in advance."

Mantou's eyes widened: "You found another main quest?"

"What main quest?"

An elegant female voice came from behind.

—It was Summer Night Autumn Rain, with Natural War Maniac following closely. They had both responded to Singo's call, putting aside their tasks to come here.

Singo said calmly: "See for yourselves. I triggered it during my patrol at Stormy Ridge."

A transparent open information screen appeared before them.

[Main Quest: Frost Calamity]

[Every few decades, the Frost Giants from the "Icebound Forbidden Land" at Vaar Glacier blow their horns and start a rapid march from their icy home, accompanied by howling blizzards. Wherever they go, towns and villages turn into snow-covered ruins, and the unlucky souls on their path are left as plundered corpses.]

[This horrifying scene is known as the "Frost Calamity" by the natives of the North. Now, the Frost Calamity is rising again, but this time the Frost Giants have a clearer target—the Ashen Kingdom. They intend to plunder everything here and reclaim their ancestors' glory. Anyone standing in their way will be crushed mercilessly.]

[Heroes, use your swords and shields to withstand the blizzard and stop this Frost Calamity!]

"Frost Giants..."

Summer Night Autumn Rain furrowed her eyebrows slightly, seeming to recall something unpleasant, and after a moment's thought, she asked:

"Are they similar to the Hill Giants we fought before?"

Natural War Maniac rubbed his bald head and chuckled: "That'd be great. Even the Hill Giant was a treasure, its toenails could be turned into potions."

Summer Night Autumn Rain: "..."

That was exactly why she didn't want to remember it.

Singo answered calmly: "That's right. I used my position to specially review related books. These monsters belong to the giant category, but the Frost Giants are of a much higher sequential rank than Hill Giants."

"Moreover, they most likely possess frost-related spell abilities."

Mantou stroked his chin: "That could be tricky... Our Red Dragon Bloodline doesn't have high resistance to cold."

Singo nodded: "That's why for this mission, we must prepare thoroughly in advance."