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Chapter 791 Dumpy's Growth
Chapter 791 Dumpy's Growth
Chapter 791 Dumpy's Growth
(The next day, Terra Nova Online)
The next day, as Leo returned to Terra Nova Online, the first thing he noticed was how his DM was flooded with messages from ChaosBringer.
At first the messages were questions about how to govern the Empire, some important decisions that ChaosBringer felt compelled to ask Leo.
However, as ChaosBringer received no responses for his questions day after day, the messages slowly turned into update briefs where ChaosBringer explained to Leo what decision he was taking and what was his logic behind making such a choice.
Every single day, without fail, ChaosBringer sent Leo a report of what all he did in office that day as his regent and what he achieved in his stead.
"Oh? Public approval is up to 58%, military recruitment has been expanded and border security is heightened.
Not bad… not bad at all, ChaosBringer is running things quite smoothly it seems" Leo murmured, rubbing his chin as he read the reports that ChaosBringer sent him.
Some of the decisions ChaosBringer had decided to take were borderline genius, especially in the public taxation domain, where he completely revamped the taxation structure, reducing the general income tax and instead implementing indirect taxation on the sale of all goods.
This way, the burden of taxation on commoners who hardly purchased any luxury goods was reduced significantly, whereas the taxation burden on the urban elite who could afford the tax was heightened.
It was a stroke of genius and it earned the crown a lot of goodwill from the commoners who appreciated not paying large income taxes.
"Good Work, Keep it up–"
This was the only response Leo sent to ChaosBringer after days of constant messaging from the regent, as he closed the DM's tab, and went out of his apartment to look for Dumpy.
Leo had made up his mind to travel to the North, towards the collapsed ruins of the previous Assassin Alliance and hence he wanted to take Dumpy alongside him, to complete the journey as fast as possible.
As he stepped out of his apartment, he immediately found Dumpy training alongside Ben in their courtyard, where the frog seemed to be clearly wiping the floor with the old veteran, who was in a pool of sweat.
*SHINGG*
*SHING*
*SHINGGG*
Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal, with Dumpy's sword overpowering Ben's daggers with each clash.
[Vanish]
[Vanish]
At one point in the fight, both of them used Vanish at the same time, with both having the exact same attack plan, of aiming for the other's leg.
*SHINGG*
*SHINGGG*
Just the sparks of their weapons clashing were visible now, as both opponents remained invisible, until eventually, a giant crack formed in the apartment wall, with Ben being the recipient of the blow.
"My back! Agh hell, my back..." Ben cursed, groaning as he sat up against the cracked wall, rubbing his lower back with a grimace.
"I'm getting too old for this….. Dumpy, I told you to control your strength, you overgrown frog, I can no longer go toe to toe with you!" Ben complained, as Dumpy turned visible once again and hopped with excitement.
"Lord Father, did you see that? Lord Grandfather did not stand a chance! He couldn't even keep up with me for a full minute this time!" Dumpy declared proudly, puffing out his chest.
Leo smirked as he approached the pair. "Impressive, Dumpy. Seems like you've really improved in my absence."
Master Ben chuckled dryly, still nursing his back. "Improved is putting it lightly. In the last two months, that little monster has grown stronger than I could've imagined. If you put three of me against him right now, I doubt we'd last a minute. He's a force to be reckoned with, No question, can probably wipe the floor with you too."
Dumpy's grin widened as he pointed his sword at Leo. "Lord Father, care to duel me today? I've been dying to test my skills against the strongest."
For a second, Leo considered the request.
After Ben said that Dumpy could probably take him on too, Leo felt the itch to take him down, just to prove a point to his old master, however, he resisted the urge.
His time in the world of Terra Nova was very limited and every second he had left was precious.
Hence, shaking his head in denial, Leo raised his hand to calm his pet down. "Not today, Dumpy. We've got other plans today…. And I need you sharp and ready for them. We are embarking on a long journey northward to the ruins of the old Assassin Alliance Headquarters."
Dumpy tilted his head curiously. "The ruins? Are we going on an adventure, Lord Father? Will there be enemies to crush?"
"There might be," Leo replied, patting Dumpy on the head. "But it's not just for fun. There's something important I need to retrieve from those ruins."
Ben, who had been listening quietly up-till this point, raised an eyebrow at Leo's words. "The ruins of the Assassin Alliance, you say? What are you looking for there, exactly?"
Leo glanced at him, deciding there was no harm in telling the truth. "I'm looking for a skill scroll hidden deep within those ruins. A unique skill called [Blade Switch]. It's something I've read about in a book I recently came across and I feel like having that skill in my arsenal will really elevate my combat potential."
Ben's expression turned serious, and he nodded slowly. "That's no small task. Those ruins aren't just abandoned; they're dangerous. Traps, unstable structures, and more than a few creatures have made a home there over the years."
"Anything I should know before heading there?" Leo asked, crossing his arms.
"Plenty," Ben said. "First off, don't rush. The ruins are littered with pressure plates and tripwires that can trigger anything from poison darts to collapsing ceilings. Always keep an eye on the ground and the walls. Secondly, never trust a quiet room. Silence in those ruins usually means there's a predator waiting for an unsuspecting visitor. And lastly, if you encounter any strange inscriptions or markings, don't touch them unless you know exactly what they do. The last thing you want is to trigger a curse or summon something nasty."
Ben's warnings were enough to chill the blood of many small-time adventurer parties, however, Dumpy's excitement seemed undeterred.
"Predators, traps, curses... Sounds like my kind of place, Lord Father! Let's leave right away!"
Ben chuckled, shaking his head at Dumpy's words.
Over the days, he had grown quite fond of the talented frog, and while Ben acknowledged Dumpy's strength in battle, he also understood that in the end, Dumpy was still a little child.
"He's got the spirit, I'll give him that. Just make sure he doesn't go charging in without a plan, Leo. Those ruins are no joke."
Leo nodded. "Thanks, Master. I'll keep everything you've said in mind."
As Dumpy continued hopping in excitement, Leo glanced at the sky. The ruins would be a challenge, but if he truly found the [Blade Switch] scroll, it was a journey worth taking.
"Alright, as soon as we are out of the City, grow to full size Dumpy, today we go full speed!" Leo instructed, as Dumpy gave him a curt salute.
**********
As soon as Leo and Dumpy exited the City and entered the northern trail, Dumpy grew to his full size which was now over 50 feet, to a 55 feet tall frog.
"Woah! You're almost as big as a Dragon now…." Leo commented, as Dumpy took that as a compliment.
"I surely am, Lord Father, and I'm sure that in 4-6 months time, I will grow taller and stronger than that black lizard…." Dumpy assured, as Leo grinned ear to ear listening to his words.
Leo needed Dumpy to be at his peak if he wanted to defeat Drogo and Anos, as while Leo was not scared to face the Demon King, he knew that he could not defeat the Black Dragon without Dumpy's help.
As soon as Leo climbed over Dumpy's shoulder, the massive frog took off, his colossal legs coiling and releasing with a force that sent them soaring into the air.
'Holy shit—' Leo cursed, as he felt his stomach crunch alongside Dumpy's ascent, as although he had ridden the frog before, his leap strength and size were incomparable now to before.
Each leap that Dumpy made, carried them vast distances, the ground beneath stretching and contracting like a rolling map.
From his vantage point, Leo could map the speed and efficiency of their journey with ease, which honestly shocked him once he plotted the data.
On horseback, the best-trained steed could cover approximately 60 miles in a full day of riding. Yet here, with Dumpy's relentless leaps, they surpassed that distance in mere couple hours.
Dumpy's current speed was about 35 miles an hour, giving Leo the ability to reach his destination that was 210 miles away in just about 6 hours.
'Bloody hell, I thought it'll take me a full day to reach my destination, but I can reach it in 6 hours and still have half the gaming day left to explore!' Leo rejoiced, as once again, Dumpy seemed to have delivered him a pleasant surprise.