Nie Yan followed Ignatius into a grand hall and saw a tall NPC wearing a dark purple scaled suit standing at the front. The suit shimmered under the light, and on the left shoulder was an emblem of a soaring dragon.
Seeing the purple suit, Nie Yan’s heart skipped a beat.
This was a legendary Dragon Armor set!
Dragon armor was usually crafted from dragon scales, offering strong defense, light weight, and enhanced combat agility with minimal encumbrance.
NPCs wearing legendary dragon armor were usually of high status. Nie Yan recalled something from his past life—he had once heard that among all the governors of cities in the Granlan Empire, the governor of Carol City held the highest noble rank, a royal duke. The governor of Hilton Fortress ranked second, being one of the three grand dukes of the Granlan Empire and among the most powerful figures.
Nie Yan cast a Super Insight spell on the NPC.
Governor Kierfether: Grand Duke, High General, Dragon Slayer. ??? Level.
Nie Yan couldn’t see Kierfether’s level, but he was certain that Kierfether was at least a level 180 lord.
“Master Scholar, greetings. Thank you for everything you’ve done for Hilton Fortress. If not for your accurate prediction of the disaster, Hilton Fortress would have faced annihilation. You have saved this city,” Kierfether said. Once a scholar successfully predicted a major event, they were considered nearly a prophet, close to the divine, hence Kierfether treated Nie Yan with great respect.
“As a citizen of the Granlan Empire, this is my duty,” Nie Yan replied, politely responding in the quest dialogue.
Kierfether explained the recent disasters that had befallen Hilton Fortress. Nie Yan now understood the details of the monster attack. Nearly 80% of the fortress’s NPCs had perished, though most of the high generals and generals had survived. If not for the timely reinforcements from Carol City, the consequences would have been unimaginable, and the losses among Hilton’s elite would have been even greater.
“Respected Master Scholar, you have saved Hilton Fortress. This is a small token of our appreciation,” Kierfether said.
Hearing Kierfether’s words, Nie Yan’s heart quickened. Finally, he was about to receive his reward.
Nie Yan heard two crisp system notifications and looked down.
System: You have obtained the title “Protector of Hilton.”
System: You have obtained the legendary “Guardian Bracers of Anglish.”
“Protector of Hilton” was an advanced title. While it might not be particularly impressive in other cities, in Hilton Fortress, it ranked second only to the governor himself.
Nie Yan checked the title’s status:
Protector of Hilton: Grants +50 Reputation in Hilton Fortress. Enjoy 30% discounts in all NPC shops within Hilton Fortress. Additionally, any NPC who offends Nie Yan will be marked as an enemy by the fortress’s NPCs. Any aggressive actions would almost certainly result in imprisonment.
Except for the governor, no NPC in Hilton Fortress would dare to disrespect Nie Yan.
Nie Yan’s status in Hilton Fortress had essentially reached its peak. The only rank above was the governor himself.
In addition to the title “Protector of Hilton,” Nie Yan also received the highly coveted item: the legendary “Guardian Bracers of Anglish.”
The Guardian Bracers of Anglish were a high-defense item, gray-white in color, seemingly unremarkable. Thieves generally wore plain-colored gear, primarily gray and black, as these colors offered better concealment in darkness. Thief equipment emphasized simplicity and practicality, with no flashy designs. These bracers were no different, with ancient runes engraved on them, giving them a mysterious aura. The sides of the bracers had retractable spikes that could be used to block attacks.
Nie Yan checked the bracers’ attributes:
Guardian Bracers of Anglish: Required Level 100.
Item Description: A legendary item crafted by the Hilton blacksmith Anglish, offering excellent protection to the wearer.
Attributes: Defense 720-768, Block Rate +20%, All Control Skills +1, All Free Skills +2.
Nie Yan examined the bracers’ stats. The defense was impressive, but more importantly, the +20% block rate was rare, typically found only on shields. This allowed a chance to completely block incoming attacks, significantly reducing damage taken.
Additionally, the +1 to all control skills and +2 to all free skills were exceptional attributes, considered top-tier.
Although the Guardian Bracers of Anglish did not grant any special skills, they were undoubtedly worthy of a legendary item. Being wearable at level 100, they would serve as an excellent transitional piece before obtaining the Abak set at level 180.
Nie Yan placed the bracers into his backpack and started thinking about how to ask Governor Kierfether about purchasing land.
Land in Hilton Fortress was highly coveted by all guilds. Since he had finally gained access to the governor himself, this was an opportunity he absolutely could not miss.
Kierfether continued explaining the current situation in Hilton Fortress and expressed hope that Nie Yan would continue contributing to the city. For a city, retaining a master scholar ensured greater safety, primarily due to Nie Yan’s Grand Prophecy ability, which could predict impending disasters.
“As the governor of Hilton Fortress, I hope to attract more residents here in the future to jointly defend against monster invasions. As an incentive, those who contribute significantly to Hilton Fortress will receive certain benefits. Respected Master Scholar, we will gift you a villa located near the Governor’s Hall, reachable within a minute,” Kierfether explained, describing the villa’s location.
This villa was located in the commercial heart of Hilton Fortress. Just stepping outside led to a bustling commercial street. If used for building shops, it would have immense future appreciation potential. Yet the governor had chosen to build a villa there, prompting Nie Yan to exclaim inwardly about the waste.
But a free villa—why not accept it?
“Respected Governor, may I ask if I can purchase land in Hilton Fortress? I believe Hilton Fortress will need more shops. Prosperous and convenient commerce will attract more residents,” Nie Yan finally asked, eagerly awaiting the governor’s response.
“Of course. Hilton Fortress still has around 230 land plots available, with over 60 located in the most prosperous commercial zones. Our rules state that based on each player’s contribution to Hilton Fortress, they can purchase between 1 to 6 land plots. These plots are non-transferable and require an annual commercial tax of 5% of business profits. If no longer in use, they can be sold back to us at 80% of market value. As the highest-ranked contributor, you are entitled to own six plots and are exempt from all taxes,” Kierfether replied.
The land purchase rules in Hilton Fortress differed from those in other cities. Nie Yan reviewed the specific regulations. Being able to purchase six land plots was already the best benefit available. With the “Protector of Hilton” title, he was exempt from commercial taxes, making it far more advantageous than other players.
“These are the available shops,” Kierfether said, presenting a map.
Nie Yan casually glanced at it. The map marked the locations of over 230 shops. Some were near the central Governor’s Hall, while others were in remote corners of the fortress, priced from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of gold coins. Since no players had yet purchased land, only a few guilds above level 5 had received plots, mostly in undesirable locations. The prime spots were still available. Based on his past-life experience, Nie Yan immediately identified over 20 prime locations.
Selecting the best among so many excellent plots was no easy task.
Nie Yan examined the map and selected six plots with the most potential. He skipped smaller prime spots, focusing instead on plots capable of upgrading to level 16 shops.
“Respected Governor Kierfether, I have made my selections,” Nie Yan said, pointing out the six land plots he wished to purchase.
Following Kierfether, Nie Yan completed the procedures, paying 180,000 gold coins. Thanks to his title granting a 30% discount, he only paid 180,000 gold. Other players would have had to pay a full 600,000 gold!
After completing the procedures, the six land plots officially belonged to Nie Yan.
This visit to the Governor’s Hall had been highly rewarding.
Six land plots were far from enough to satisfy Nie Yan’s needs, but he himself couldn’t purchase more. He decided he should urge Cui Can Daoguang (Cui Can Daoguang), Shui Se Yan Tou (Shui Se Yan Tou), and others to quickly accumulate contribution points in Hilton Fortress, so they could purchase one or two shops before other players. Now there were still prime spots available, but in a few months, even the most remote plots would likely be snapped up.
There were various ways to gain contribution—completing NPC quests in Hilton Fortress, killing monsters, etc. Contribution had to be accumulated gradually; it couldn’t be rushed.
After finishing these matters, Nie Yan bid farewell to Ignatius and Governor Kierfether and exited the Governor’s Hall. He was eager to see the villa assigned to him by the system.
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