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Chapter 379: Profession: Full-Time Hunter
🕑 Added 2024-10-22 06:45:04 +0000 UTC"I... understand," Svetla replied after a moment of hesitation.
Ever since he had been eating meat regularly and drinking the wine that the master had gifted him before bed, his body and mental state had gradually improved each day, as if he had returned to his youthful, vigorous self. He was filled with energy and now faced the future with renewed confidence.
"And you, Riley, the immense responsibilities of managing this vast kingdom will fall heavily on your shoulders in the future. Are you prepared for that?" Rhett glanced at Riley with a smile.
Riley sighed, feeling as though an invisible mountain of responsibility had just been placed on his shoulders. However, after a brief moment, a look of eager determination appeared in his eyes as he said, "I will do my best."
Satisfied, Rhett nodded and continued with his instructions: "The influx and settlement of the population in the foreseeable future will be a critical task for at least the next year or two, if not longer. We'll need to continue establishing cities and towns. While this may seem like a complex task, it’s essential for the kingdom’s development."
"That makes sense, Father, but I’ve been studying the new systems and administrative divisions over the past few days. I've mostly digested the content, but I thought of a practical question—when the population increases, should we distribute them evenly across the various regions or focus on filling one administrative area before moving on to the next?"
Rhett’s eyes showed approval. Riley had pinpointed a critical issue, proving that he was capable of managing some of the kingdom’s affairs in the future.
After thinking it over, Rhett replied, "That decision ties directly to a new policy I’m about to implement—the ‘National Herding System.’"
"The National Herding System?" Tylus, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up in surprise after hearing this new term. "Does this have something to do with blood power?"
Rhett nodded in approval. "Good insight, Tylus."
Tylus smiled and, after some thought, said, "During my time at the Ring Tower, the hottest topic was blood power. It’s a new and boundless source of strength, found in all living creatures. If properly harnessed, it could greatly enhance the strength of humanity—not just for the extraordinary but for ordinary people as well!"
Riley, who had also heard about blood power, was visibly astonished and fell into deep thought.
Rhett gave a thoughtful nod and summarized, "You’re right. After my discussions with Haipaste, we both believe that this power will shape the future balance of the world and the comprehensive strength of nations. Imagine the difference between a country that actively harnesses blood power and one that ignores it. In a few years, one nation’s population could all possess the strength of third-level knights, while the other remains ordinary. If a conflict were to break out, would the outcome be in any doubt?"
The gravity of Rhett’s words struck everyone, and their expressions turned serious.
Indeed, such a growing disparity would be catastrophic. Although the effects might not be immediately apparent, if the gap continued over generations, people might still appear human on the outside, but they would, in reality, become two distinct races.
"So, are you saying that each city and town should establish a herding pool?" Riley asked thoughtfully.
"Essentially, yes. The National Herding System will be divided into two parts: extraordinary herding and ordinary herding. The former involves extraordinary individuals driving beasts into designated areas, while the latter is just regular herding," Rhett explained.
"Extraordinary herding..." Riley mulled over the term before adding, "That’s going to place a significant demand on alchemy, isn’t it? After all, capturing and containing wild beasts would require an unrealistic number of extraordinary individuals to guard them. And using alchemical formations would be an enormous drain on resources."
Rhett narrowed his eyes, contemplating the challenge. "You’re right. Containing a large number of beasts would require extraordinary individuals to be far more powerful than the beasts themselves, which is not feasible."
"However, aquatic beasts don’t pose the same challenge. They’re generally more docile and easier to manage. In my vision, the rural towns and villages will primarily focus on aquatic beasts and ordinary herding, while regional capitals will manage aquatic beasts along with stronger land beasts.
"Of course, even so, extraordinary herding will require extensive testing to identify relatively docile beasts, whose combat strength and blood power yield are inversely proportional, maximizing efficiency."
"That makes sense, but I’m afraid I won’t be much help with the beast testing. That task will fall to you, Father," Riley admitted candidly, aware of his own limitations.
"Don’t worry. Soon, I’ll provide you with a list," Rhett replied confidently with a smile.
In this regard, he had a natural advantage thanks to his ability to explore through simulations.
At that moment, Rhett was certain that other kingdoms were also conducting similar tests, even if no official announcements had been made. They were undoubtedly engaged in heated discussions and proactive explorations behind the scenes. He was determined to stay ahead of the curve!
"By the way, Father," Riley continued, "since blood power will be so crucial in the future, I believe we should implement policies to regulate beast hunting as well. Otherwise, short-sighted individuals might overhunt wild beasts, leading to a shortage of blood power sources and severely depleting the beast population in the future."
Rhett was startled by Riley’s words. He realized that Riley had raised a critical point—unchecked overhunting would indeed be a serious problem.
When the potential profits outweighed the risks, people wouldn’t care about long-term consequences. There would inevitably be selfish individuals who would exploit resources recklessly.
Rhett was reminded of countless cases from his previous life, where illegal hunting had driven many species to the brink of extinction. Riley’s warning served as a wake-up call.
His expression turned grave as he said, "You’re absolutely right. The beasts within Green Kingdom’s borders are a vital and renewable resource that we cannot allow poachers to destroy!"
"From now on, we must officially restrict the hunting of magical beasts. Poachers will face severe punishment!"
Riley frowned slightly, thinking aloud, "But… are we going to ban all hunting? Isn’t that a bit extreme?"
Rhett shook his head and thought for a moment before answering, "There’s no need for a complete ban. Instead, we’ll create a new profession: hunters. These won’t be your typical hunters but professionals who pass an official exam, receive certification, and are granted the title and rights to hunt."
"Their titles could be something like ‘Full-Time Hunters’ or ‘Extraordinary Hunters.’ The name doesn’t matter. What matters is that we control the hunting of magical beasts by regulating who has the right to hunt."
Riley’s eyes lit up at the idea, and he added enthusiastically, "That’s a great idea! But I think we should also add one more thing—even full-time hunters should have to pay taxes on the profits they earn from their hunts."
"We could establish a dedicated institution for full-time hunters, providing them with exclusive services. If they sell their prey to the government, not only would they be exempt from taxes, but they could also earn points. The more points they accumulate, the more valuable resources they can exchange for, and they can even upgrade their titles to reflect their experience and status."
"This way, we meet their financial needs while also offering them a sense of prestige. It would surely win the hearts of the people and gain widespread support."
Rhett blinked in surprise, staring at Riley. His son’s proposal sounded remarkably like something straight out of a game from his previous life!
He looked his son up and down, thinking that if Riley had been born in his previous world, he might have made an excellent game designer!
—Of course, that was just a joke.
In reality, Riley’s suggestion was highly practical and had significant potential. Rhett couldn’t help but admire his son’s foresight. Truly, children are their parents' greatest creations. Seeing Riley perform so well filled Rhett with immense pride.
"That’s an excellent suggestion. Once we finalize the details, we’ll have a complete system ready to implement when the population reaches a certain size."
"Understood!" Riley responded, grinning as he pulled out his notebook and began jotting down ideas.
After recording the outline of the plan, Rhett took a copy and, after some idle chatter with his family, found a smooth stone to sit on.
He reflected on the various details of the National Herding System that still needed testing. Doing all that in the real world would undoubtedly waste a lot of time, so he decided to handle it through the simulation system to save both time and effort.
With that thought, Rhett activated the system.
The familiar screen appeared before his eyes.
【Would you like to begin a text simulation? Each simulated year costs 5 Destiny Points.】
"Yes, simulate one year."
【Gillon Calendar Year 482, June 23: The royal families of various nations send top-tier designers, architects, and alchemists to assist you in planning the layout of the royal city and perfecting its infrastructure.】
【June 24: You bring the entire staff of Green Manor to the new Green City, relocating everyone to the royal palace. Based on your findings, refugees and ambitious extraordinary individuals from the southwestern border and other parts of the world are steadily flowing into the Green Kingdom…】
【June 25: You travel the world, seeking out and attempting to tame various magical beasts.】
【August 27: In the Dark Mountains, you discover a mid-tier magical beast with bloodline potential—the Light-Horned Rhino. It is gentle in nature and loves to sleep when well-fed.】
【Gillon Calendar Year 483, February 4: While exploring the far north, you hear rumors of a Saint-level magical beast with great bloodline potential—the Frostfang Whale calf. It has a natural dominance over water-type magical beasts and is perfect for maintaining order in a specific region.】
【February 7: After extensive searching, you locate the Frostfang Whale calf, but it has already been claimed by a royal child of the Ice Kingdom.】
【April 11: In the extreme west, you discover a low-tier magical beast with bloodline potential—the Frost Serpent. It is lethargic and lacks any aggression when exposed to high temperatures.】
【June 19: You complete your travels without making any further discoveries.】
【Simulation complete. Would you like to continue?】
"No."
A thoughtful look crossed Rhett’s face as he noted down the locations and details of the magical beasts mentioned in the simulation.
Based on the descriptions, the Light-Horned Rhino and Frost Serpent seemed ideal candidates for domestication.
—One simply needed to be well-fed, while the other required a controlled temperature environment, making it possible to establish a relatively safe containment system.
Moreover, there was an unexpected discovery—a Saint-level magical beast calf, the Frostfang Whale. This species had been considered extinct for nearly a millennium, and yet it had reappeared.
"If there’s a calf, it’s likely that its parents are still alive. It seems the far north may still harbor a few Frostfang Whales..."
Rhett mused, but a sudden realization struck him. The far north was the Ice Kingdom's territory. Could it be that the royal family had intentionally allowed a Saint-level beast with such potential to roam free?
"If that’s the case, it’s likely that the Ice Kingdom’s royal family has been subtly creating a favorable environment for the Frostfang Whale to thrive, perhaps with the goal of acquiring its calf."
Rhett frowned. If that were true, obtaining the Frostfang Whale calf would prove challenging.
But after a moment, he relaxed. A magical beast with a natural dominance over other water-type beasts would be invaluable in the domestication of magical beasts!
No matter what methods were needed, he would have to try.
The day passed quickly.
It was as if someone had pressed the fast-forward button. The once-barren plain now bore the majestic outlines of towering castles, stretching walls, and vast city squares.
The city walls shimmered with a faint black light, and in the sunlight, they appeared to bear feather-like patterns, symbolizing the strength of the walls, akin to an eagle’s wings—just as the blueprint had envisioned.
Seeing the grand city take shape filled Rhett and his companions with joy. The thought of soon moving into such a magnificent capital filled their hearts with anticipation.
A few minutes later, over a hundred figures emerged from the city—the team of alchemical builders who had constructed it—gathering before Rhett.
"King Rhett, we’ve successfully completed the construction of the capital. The only task remaining is the underground pipeline system, which requires careful reinforcement. Installing the necessary alchemical formations will take about a month to complete."
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