"Hey, kid, is it really necessary to go through all this flashy stuff?" Black Dragon Ailio looked at the white palace in front of him with a pained expression. Following Ryan's suggestion, he rented a piece of land from Muria to serve as the base for the Light of Truth society within the Dragon Academy.
"Of course it's necessary. This will help more dragons recognize your wealth. No one will follow a leader who's dirt poor. If you can't even offer rewards after achieving something, who would stick around?"
"You do have a point."
"By the way, since this palace is finished, let's give it a name. How about calling it the White House?" Ryan suggested with enthusiasm.
"A white palace, and you want to call it the White House? You're really a naming genius." Ailio rolled his eyes but, after thinking about it, couldn't come up with a better name. Since Ryan was the one handling everything, he just went along with it.
"Let's notify my sister to come here for the final initiation ceremony!"
"Hey, kid, where do you get all these weird ideas? When you joined the society, I didn't set up so many obstacles for you. Now you're putting your own sister through nine rituals to join. Can she handle it?"
Ailio felt a headache coming on after hearing Ryan's words. Three days had passed since Ryan's sister expressed her desire to join the society, and she still hadn't completed the initiation ceremony that Ryan had set up.
"This process is necessary, Lord Ailio," Ryan didn't back down in the face of his boss's questioning. He even argued with the towering black dragon, who was as imposing as a mountain.
"The more complicated the ceremony, the higher the loyalty after joining. As long as you don't go too far, they won't easily betray you."
"Is that really true?" Ailio looked skeptical.
"Absolutely. From observing my sister, I concluded that if something is given for free or is too easy to obtain, no one will treasure it. The harder it is to get something, the more they'll cherish it. So, the initiation ceremony should be as complicated as possible."
"Won't making it too complicated scare other dragons away?" Ailio's face showed concern. He came here to recruit dragons to prepare for the formation of his future army. So far, he had only managed to recruit one dragon, and the other eleven had similar results. Some hadn't even recruited a single dragon.
"Don't worry, Lord Ailio, this won't scare them away. I bet that when the news is announced, my classmates will rush to join. They definitely won't mind the complicated initiation."
"Why?"
"Because life needs rituals, Lord Ailio. These seemingly flashy ceremonies and venues are actually very important."
...
"I finally joined!" After completing the last initiation ritual, Ryan's younger sister Sera cheerfully celebrated, as if she had just discovered a gemstone mine.
"Brother, can I now breathe five different types of dragon breaths?" Sera eagerly asked.
"You're dreaming. Without undergoing modifications, where would you get five different types of breaths?" Ryan rolled his eyes. "As a benefit for joining the society, you can choose one of five breath types. If you achieve more in the future, you can gain more breath abilities."
Ailio looked speechlessly at Ryan deceiving his sister. He wanted to say something several times but held back, realizing that Ryan was better at managing these things. He remembered what Muria told him: Leave difficult tasks to the experts.
"Lord Ailio, could you please arrange for my sister to be fitted with a fire breath gland?"
"I remember discussing this with you before. We said that anyone who joins our society would get five different breath abilities. Why is your sister only getting one?"
"President, I'm doing this for her own good. I don't think my sister can afford the cost of modifications. If she really had as many organs transplanted as I did, she'd spend her whole life working for those warlocks."
"So, what's your next step?"
"We've done everything we need to. Once my sister gets used to the fire breath gland, she'll naturally start showing off her new ability, which will help spread the word for us."
"Are you and your sister really from the same parents? Maybe your mom picked you up from a swamp, or maybe your sister was the one who was adopted?"
...
As expected, after gaining the ability to breathe fire, Sera couldn't wait to show it off. Within just one afternoon, nearly half of the Dragon Academy knew about a little black dragon named Sera who could breathe two different types of breaths. Naturally, this led to the Light of Truth society being discovered by some curious dragons.
Through a series of strategic moves, Sera quickly revealed everything she knew, including the most important piece of information Ryan wanted to spread: Anyone who joins the Light of Truth society can gain multiple breath abilities.
Soon, the Light of Truth society became famous across the academy. Numerous five-colored dragons, eager for power, sought out Ryan to join the society and gain the ability to wield multiple breaths.
Of course, some dragons, especially metallic and gem dragons, remained calm. They didn't see the need to join a society founded by a five-colored dragon just for an ability that might not grow with them and could potentially be harmful in the future. But many five-colored dragons, especially the young ones, didn't care.
Erathia is a cruel world, and most creatures living in it have a sense of crisis. Even dragons feel insecure, especially the five-colored ones. They don't care about the future; they only care about the present.
As a result, dozens of dragons flocked to Ryan every day, seeking to join the Light of Truth society. Ryan, once again showcasing his dramatic flair, initially refused everyone, forcing the dragons to band together and pressure him. Reluctantly, he finally led them to Ailio.
Seeing nearly a hundred dragons wanting to join the society and follow him, Ailio grinned from ear to ear, immediately leaving all the details to Ryan.
Ryan, following their established strategy, organized a series of complex initiation rituals that were almost overwhelming. But none of the dragons backed out, believing Ryan was deliberately making things difficult to prevent them from gaining power. The more difficult it was, the more determined they became.
Thus, the Light of Truth society finally recruited its first batch of dragons. Following this breakthrough, the other eleven societies also managed to recruit their own dragon members, offering similar benefits. For a time, the twelve societies stirred up a storm within the Dragon Academy.
...
"Twelve societies, all led by five-colored dragons. What is Muria thinking? Has he forgotten where his bloodline comes from?"
"Silence! Don't look at it so narrowly. His vision extends beyond just metallic, gem, or five-colored dragons. He's looking at the entire dragon race."
"So, what do you suggest we do about this? Although no metallic dragons have joined these five-colored societies so far, that's only temporary. Many of our descendants are already getting restless. If we don't come up with a new solution, soon we'll see five-colored dragons leading metallic dragons in the academy."
"While Muria's vision may encompass the entire dragon race, my focus remains narrow. I only care about my metallic dragon kin. I believe we cannot allow five-colored dragons to lead metallic dragons."
"So, does anyone have a good solution?"
"Simple. Since the five-colored dragons have established twelve societies, the metallic dragons can't be outdone. Let's establish twelve societies too!"
"Sounds easy, huh? Heh," said the ancient green dragon Fiona, who had remained silent during the meeting. "According to Muria's rules, to establish a society, you must find a path for dragon development that differs from traditional routes."
"When was that rule made? Why didn't I know about it?"
"It's a new rule, made for the development of the dragon race. Without strict standards, if societies could be formed at will, the academy would be in chaos."
The ancient dragons exchanged glances but said nothing. However, three days later, three societies led by metallic dragons were established, causing a sensation in the academy. It was obvious to any discerning dragon that these societies were created to counter the twelve five-colored dragon societies. Yet most dragons didn't care about the larger dragon disputes; they only cared about the benefits they could gain from joining a society.
"Let them compete. Only through competition can progress be made." A black-haired, golden-eyed youth sitting on a crystal throne watched the academy's turmoil with a smile. As long as the conflicts between these dragons were kept within limits, it would foster healthy competition.
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