Ser Wilderness, Blackrock Duchy's Chromite Mine Outpost.
Dwarf sorcerer Groni was fiddling with several dragon scales of different colors in the alchemy workshop, a satisfied smile flashing in his single eye.
Over twenty years ago.
He had been responsible for operating and maintaining alchemical golems at Blackrock Duchy's black oil field outpost when he lost an eye during an experint attempting to track a hybrid dragon.
Yet he didn't beco disheartened because of this.
After that, he realized that one must be ticulous and careful in everything, never negligent or careless.
After painful reflection, almost none of the dwarves' innate roughness remained in his character.
Precisely because of this, his alchemy skills actually advanced to another level.
Later, he was transferred to this chromite mine outpost as chief sorcerer, where all other alchemists had to follow his commands, overseeing the maintenance, improvent, and operation of various weapons, armor, alchemical golems, defensive heavy equipnt, and more.
"Truly privileged creatures, the Creator is really biased."
After studying and observing the dragon scale structure for a long ti, the dwarf sorcerer took a temporary break and sighed with emotion.
Armor mimicking dragon scale patterns clearly provided better defensive effects than other armor. If they could uncover the more subtle structural mysteries of dragon scales and craft scale armor from them, the defensive capabilities would surely leap to new heights.
"But."
"The microscopic structure of that hybrid dragon's scales back then was completely different from these scales—more complex and special."
Thinking of this.
The dwarf sorcerer's smile suddenly vanished as he raised his hand to touch the black eyepatch covering his blind eye, the excruciating pain from back then seemingly still vivid in his mory.
Precisely because of this blinded-eye vendetta.
He grew to hate the red iron dragon.
Unfortunately, he never managed to track down the red iron dragon's traces afterward. Later, when he heard about its appearance, it had raided Raymond Duchy's outpost and demonstrated considerable power, earning epithets like Death's Harbinger and Wings of the Skyrend.
Gradually.
Since he could do nothing about the red iron dragon and didn't even know where it was, with no way to seek revenge.
The dwarf sorcerer slowly buried his hatred deep in his heart, transferring it onto other dragon kinds.
Not long ago, when their sentries spotted a dragon flock flying through their airspace, all of them young dragons, he imdiately issued orders to track and ambush them. It was because of this decisiveness that they successfully captured three dragons in one go.
Once the reinforcent troops arrived and these dragons were transported away, he would claim the foremost credit.
Such rit was enough to elevate his position even higher.
Though he had only one eye, the dwarf sorcerer seed to already see a bright and smooth path ahead.
"However, before that, let collect so interest first."
A trace of venom flashed in the dwarf sorcerer's eyes before he walked out of the alchemy workshop and arrived at the heavily guarded rear section of the outpost.
Blue, green, black... steel-textured, alchemically enhanced cages held three dragons tightly bound inside by chains carved with runes piercing through their ribs and wings.
"Little dragon whelps, how does it feel?"
The dwarf sorcerer said with a cheerful laugh.
"Vermin, when I break free, I'll strip your skin and flesh piece by piece, making you die in endless agony."
The female black dragon whelp emitted a hoarse low growl, her gaze sinister and dangerous.
"Oh? Such a terrifying threat."
The dwarf sorcerer stepped forward, having the guards pull the chains. With the painful friction of iron against flesh and bone, he dragged the black dragon tight against the cage bars. The runes on the chains all lit up, with an immobilization effect, making the weak and severely injured black dragon difficult to move.
The dwarf sorcerer stepped forward, having the guards pull the chains. With the painful friction of iron against flesh and bone, he dragged the black dragon tight against the cage bars. The runes on the chains all lit up, with an additional immobilization effect, making the severely injured black dragon difficult to move.
The dwarf sorcerer took out a sharp knife, peeling off the black dragon's scales along with skin and flesh piece by piece.
Throughout the entire process, the black dragon remained silent, just staring fixedly at the dwarf sorcerer as if branding his appearance firmly into her mory. Though young, the black dragon's inherent sinister nature and grudging ntality were already evident.
"Anyone else like to make noise?"
After collecting a bucket of dragon scales and flesh, he looked at the other dragons.
"Dwarf, release us, and we promise not to seek revenge for this. On the contrary, you'll gain dragonkind's friendship."
The male green dragon whelp said quietly: "Friendship versus hatred—this is an easy choice, isn't it?"
Green dragons were generally considered the most intelligent among the Five-colored Dragons, fond of sches and intrigues, skilled at deception and conversation.
Unfortunately, the dwarf sorcerer knew this well too.
"Compared to deception, I prefer hearing threats and curses."
The dwarf sorcerer ignored the green dragon's various cunning words and continued peeling off its scales and flesh.
Then, he walked up to the blue dragon.
The blue dragon was the largest, with the thickest and longest chains restraining it, and the most dense runes.
It simply lay quietly on the ground, completely relaxed, without any intention to attack or defend, as if already accepting reality.
"Little whelp, aren't you going to say sothing?"
The dwarf sorcerer asked.
He greatly enjoyed the feeling of humiliating top-tier magical beasts like dragons.
The blue dragon opened its eyelids, glanced at him, then without a word continued lying on the ground.
"Could it be that among your dragonkind there's also saying about biting dragons not barking?"
The dwarf sorcerer laughed heartily, then began peeling off the blue dragon's scales and flesh bit by bit.
These were all valuable materials he wanted to keep for himself first.
"Lowly creature, you'll pay for this."
The black dragon barely lifted its head and said.
The dwarf sorcerer looked at it pityingly and said: "What price? You think you have a chance to survive? A dragon whelp like you truly doesn't know the imnsity of heaven and earth. When you're transported south, you'll learn what truly—"
Before he finished speaking.
The dwarf sorcerer suddenly felt his heart tighten, an intangible sense of danger making his hair stand on end.
After a montary daze.
The dwarf sorcerer sharply looked up.
Silently, a crimson harbinger of death streaked across the sky, its dark red trail tearing through the gray-blue night like a burning scar.
Dragon wings that split the sky.
The harbinger representing death.
He had arrived.
The dark red trail scorched through the Ser Wilderness sky. When all dwarves noticed the red iron dragon making a teor-like entrance, their hearts instantly tightened.
"Audacious evil dragon!"
A furious roar accompanied by a war hamr striking the ground ca from the mine's center, a dwarf commander's beard and hair whipping wildly in the wind.
"Let it taste Blackrock's firepower!"
He shouted, issuing the fire command.
Simultaneously, ten multi-barreled steam ballistas embedded in the ground roared first.
These three-story-tall killing machines were driven by adamantine gears, each steel crossbow arm wrapped in whale oil-soaked wyvern tendons.
Dozens of barrels rotated and fired simultaneously, weaving a realm of death in the air with armor-piercing ballista bolts.
Those anti-air heavy artillery followed closely behind. As the mana crystals embedded in their bases shone with dazzling light, their thick barrels spat out materialized energy spheres.
But the descending giant dragon didn't even dodge.
He rely avoided attacks aid at vital areas, allowing other strikes to land on his body.
Ballista bolts crashed against his breastplate-like crimson scales, exploding not into blood flowers but blinding sparks.
Dwarf artilleryn watched in horror as arrowheads twisted and shattered.
Those weapons that could pierce through land dragon hearts now resembled fragile ice spikes hitting an iron plate. Then, the magic cannon attacks landed on the red iron dragon, making his body sway slightly, scales cracking and shattering.
"This dragon... why does it look so familiar?"
"It's him, it's Death's Harbinger!"
"How many years has it been?! He's grown stronger, co back for revenge!"
The dwarf alchemist's heart shook violently as he recognized Garoth.
The young dragons also ignored their physical pain, all propping themselves up to look toward the sky.
Under everyone's gaze, the red iron dragon's wings folded.
Frenzied State!
Activate!
Zap zap zap! Thick, shining golden lightning erged from the red iron dragon's body. His already imnsely powerful fra expanded another circle. Then, before more artillery fire could arrive, he descended with earth-shattering terrifying montum, crashing down in a straight line.
BOOM!
With a sound like heaven collapsing and earth cracking, countless fissures extended across the ground like lightning.
Wind, shockwaves, earth and stones... mixed together in surging expansion. The steam ballista array imdiately suffered devastating blows.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Before the dwarf guards could regain their composure.
The golden frenzied red iron dragon spread his wings, hovering mid-air.
That fierce, heaven-descending impact didn't even leave him dazed or sluggish for a second.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The earth shook, engines roared as Blackrock Duchy's war golems 'Sons of the Mountains' activated.
Three massive constructs made entirely of tal and steel leaped high, propelled by light flas from their backs, swinging siege hamr-like fists directly at the red iron dragon, the shock runes on their fist peaks shining like small suns.
BANG!!!
The mont Garoth's right claw collided with the golem's iron fist, the shockwave shattered all glass in the mining facility.
The red iron dragon's hooked talons dug into the golem's arm armor, muscle fibers tightening like crimson steel cables.
Rip——! The entire golem arm was torn off alive!
Garoth swung the heavy tal limb remnant like a windmill, smashing it hard into the second golem's head. The collision between the two giants resembled a mountain collapse, flying gear components cutting dwarf heavy infantry in half who failed to dodge in ti.
The scales on the dragon tail interlocked like a giant blade, swift as lightning, first sweeping across the golem's chest, directly bisecting it.
The Sons of the Mountains were just the beginning.
Golem after golem charged relentlessly at the red iron dragon.
Courageous heavy dwarf warriors also coordinated their attacks.
These 'steel fortresses' in full plate armor showing only eyes charged at the red iron dragon, tower shield edges extending rotating saw blades, war axes wreathed in runic lightning.
When the first row of saw-blade shield formations crashed against dragon scales.
The red iron dragon's expanding chest from inhalation directly crushed the front row dwarves into iron-sheet at patties. His sweeping tail whipped up a bloody tal storm, sent flying dwarves collapsing ore refining towers, molten iron cascading like waterfalls into the crowd.
So warriors took the opportunity to jump on the dragon's back to fiercely hack at the cervical spine. War axes shattered Frostburst Scales, their bodies slowing from the perating cold, instead getting impaled by extending and retracting spikes.
So warriors took the opportunity to jump on the dragon's back to fiercely hack at the cervical spine. War axes shattered Frostburst Scales, their bodies slowing from the perating cold, instead getting impaled by the extending and retracting spikes.
He tanked attacks from all directions while counterattacking with unstoppable montum, dismbering golems, crushing dwarf warriors.
The entire chromite mine's garrison couldn't handle the rampaging red iron dragon.
After another golem was bisected by a spinning wing slash, the dwarf defenders' morale completely collapsed. Most dwarves stopped attacking the red iron dragon, scattering in all directions like rock rats fleeing everywhere.
But two massive dragon shadows descended from the sky, blocking key passages, sealing off the mine.
Scattered remnants, low-level alchemical golems—none could break through their interception, torn apart by claws and fangs, swallowed by dragon breath.
"Vermin, how do you feel now?"
On the other side, the black dragon asked sinisterly.
The dwarf sorcerer's expression turned ashen, manipulating the chains trying to kill all the young dragons, at least take so down with him.
BOOM!
As the ground shook violently, the sound of sothing heavy landing ca from behind.
He turned abruptly and saw that fierce, ferocious red iron dragon coldly looking down at him, behind him burning flas, scorched earth everywhere, wreckage, ruins.
None had managed to block his advance, all shattered and broken by him.
The dwarf sorcerer's expression shifted and changed, finally revealing a resolute look, magical energy surging throughout his body.
But before he could finish speaking, before he could launch an attack, under the young dragons' exhilarated and awestruck gaze, the dwarf sorcerer was smashed into a radial paste by the red iron dragon's raised and descending claw.
Having never faced him directly, Garoth had no impression of the dwarf sorcerer, crushing him like an insect without any emotional fluctuation.
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