The Red Iron Dragon's tail coiled.
The Earth Sunderer, which had been lying quietly among the rubble, was dragged out, accompanied by a clattering cascade of rolling stones.
He lifted the enormous battle-axe before his eyes, his sharp claws scraping across the axe-head's surface, which was riddled with chips and cracks. Then, he parted his draconic maw, revealing a playful grin.
"Attempting a breakthrough right in front of , huh? Did you think reaching the legendary realm would co with invincibility fras?"
Setting aside whether Mountain King Grumm, teetering on the brink of life and death, could truly succeed in taking that final step.
This fundantal leap in life level alone was rarely a miracle achieved in an instant, impossible to accomplish in one go. It required a relatively quiet environnt, free from intense external interference.
Forcing a breakthrough in the presence of a powerful enemy? The success rate was minuscule.
Moreover, during the breakthrough process, due to violent fluctuations in one's own energy and extrely unstable aura, precise control over power was impossible. Strength would actually be inferior to the normal state, which was almost tantamount to seeking death.
Those storybooks weren't lacking in plots where the protagonist made a breakthrough in the heat of battle and turned defeat into victory.
However, cruel reality often dealt the most rciless blow to such fantasies.
Garoth tried to mobilize the Dragon Qi within his body, channeling it into the Earth Sunderer.
Yet, the battle-axe showed no reaction. The patterns on the axe-head that should have glowed were now completely dead and silent.
It looked like nothing more than a massive, ancient-styled battle-axe, utterly devoid of the various awe-inspiring powers displayed when the Mountain King wielded it.
Even from the axe haft, there ca a faint, continuous sense of backlash vibration.
It seed to be resisting his power.
Or rather, resisting his identity as a dragon.
It appeared this legendary equipnt had been forged with the consideration that it might fall into the hands of non-giant races, especially their sworn enemies, the dragons.
"A piece of equipnt with racial restrictions. What a pity... Otherwise, I could have used it for adaptation and training."
The Red Iron Dragon shook his head slightly with regret, hefting the battle-axe in his claw.
However, upon second thought, his mind eased.
Its value still existed.
Even if he couldn't use it himself, it could serve as an extrely precious bargaining chip for exchange with the tal Dragon domains or the Lothrian Kingdom.
They most likely wouldn't refuse.
Top-tier alchemists had the ability to reshape it into a brand-new legendary piece of equipnt or simply remove its restrictions.
The Red Iron Dragon stopped dwelling on it.
With a powerful beat of his wings, he stirred up a cloud of dust from the ground. His sharp claws tightly gripping the enormous battle-axe, his body soared into the air, swiftly flying towards the area where the dragon swarm and the giants were still locked in fierce combat.
At this mont, although the giant race was firmly suppressed by the dragon swarm, relying on their nurical advantage and familiarity with the ho terrain, they had not yet shown signs of a one-sided collapse. The battle continued to rage fiercely.
It wasn't until the sky suddenly darkened that the situation underwent a fundantal shift.
The majestic form of the Lord of Molten Iron circled into view. His fully extended dragon wings seed to blot out the sun, casting a massive shadow that completely covered a large swathe of the combat zone below.
The giants locked in battle instinctively looked up.
They saw the Lord of Molten Iron. They saw the weapon belonging to their leader, held casually in his sharp claws.
Yet.
Scanning their surroundings, their eyes could not find that familiar, mountain-like figure—their king, Grumm.
After a brief, deathly silence, the giants realized what had happened. They let out roars filled with grief and despair, while their subordinates began to scatter and flee in all directions.
"For Lord Grumm! Revenge!"
"Kill! Kill all these damned dragons! Fight to the death together!"
"Blood for blood! A tooth for a tooth!"
...
Having lost their leader, the giants' morale did not collapse and plumt. Instead, it surged as if in a final rally, or rather, they beca utterly crazed.
The flas of a desperate, fight-to-the-end resolve burned in their eyes. They were preparing for a final, cornered-beast struggle.
They had no intention of surrendering whatsoever, completely abandoning defense and evasion. They began trading wounds for wounds, lives for lives, launching a near-suicidal, frenzied counterattack.
Faced with this level of determined, all-or-nothing counterattack.
Even a force as powerful as the dragon swarm would inevitably suffer more or less casualties.
And in Garoth's view, this was completely unnecessary, entirely avoidable.
Thus.
The Red Iron Dragon took action.
He dove down, his gaze instantly locking onto a Mountain Giant with a level as high as 18.
This giant's strength was second only to the Mountain King's, his aura formidably powerful. He had just brandished a rune-engraved stone hamr, temporarily forcing back a Four-Elent Gold Dragon.
It was also at this very mont that the giant's eyes reflected a crimson figure.
The Lord of Molten Iron appeared within a few dozen ters of the Mountain Giant.
For creatures of the size of dragons and giants, this distance was almost point-blank, close enough to feel each other's breath.
And only now did the deafening sonic boom caused by the supersonic movent arrive like a delayed thunderclap, exploding with a roar!
At the critical mont!
The Mountain Giant roared wildly, raising his rune-inscribed stone hamr. Carrying earth-shattering, mountain-cracking montum, he smashed it down towards Garoth's head. The runes on the hamr's surface suddenly lit up, gathering earth elental radiance as thick and heavy as a mountain.
The Red Iron Dragon neither dodged nor evaded. His foreclaw shot out like lightning, striking later but arriving first, accurately grabbing the falling hamrhead!
CLANG!!!
A dull, bell-like impact sound erupted. The giant elder only felt an irresistible, imnse force travel up the hamr haft, numbing his arms to the point of nearly losing sensation. The stone hamr could no longer move downward even a fraction, frozen in mid-air.
Simultaneously, Garoth's dragon claw exerted a powerful squeeze.
CRACK—SNAP!
The heavy war hamr, forged from refined mountain rock and inscribed with countless profound runes, was crushed to pieces as if it were fragile pottery! Rubble and fragnts of runes pattered down from between the dragon claw's talons.
The next second, giving the opponent no ti to react whatsoever,
Garoth's left claw shot forth like a crimson bolt of lightning, ruthlessly piercing through the giant's chest.
The dragon claw entered from the front, exiting from the back!
As his arm gave a powerful shake, surging Dragon Qi erupted from within, instantly turning the powerful Mountain Giant into a shower of scattered debris.
From locking onto the target, supersonic diving approach.
To crushing the weapon bare-handed, instantly annihilating a level 18 Mountain Giant.
The entire process flowed seamlessly, taking only a few short seconds.
This overwhelming, crushing scene was like ice water poured over their heads, instantly dousing the flas of madness ignited by grief and fury in the hearts of most giants. Their movents involuntarily beca sluggish and stiff.
However, the Red Iron Dragon did not stop his killing pace because of this.
He locked onto another giant chieftain, his form darting forward like electricity.
Ti, at this mont, seed to beco exceptionally slow and cruel.
The Red Iron Dragon was unstoppable, invincible wherever he went, like an autumn wind sweeping over withered leaves. Wherever he passed, the giant chieftains and powerful warriors who had been fighting valiantly just monts before couldn't even put up decent resistance before eting their end on the spot. None could withstand a single exchange.
Furthermore, without his command, the dragon swarm showed no signs of stopping either.
Led by Garoth, the dragons swept across the land. Before long, they had completely ended the battle, annihilating every single giant, leaving none alive.
As for those subordinates who had scattered and fled, the dragon swarm did not imdiately pursue, temporarily allowing them to escape in different directions.
The Red Iron Dragon beat his wings, ascending back into the sky. His sharp gaze slowly swept over the undulating, continuous mountain ranges below.
At the sa ti, the victorious dragons flapped their wings, gathering from various directions across the battlefield with the deanor of victors and reverence for their king. They clustered around the majestic form of the Lord of Molten Iron, like stars surrounding the moon.
"Samantha."
Garoth looked towards the red dragon beside him and issued a firm order. "You are responsible for taking over the giants' forr core lair, as well as any key locations they might have, such as workshops and storage vaults."
He paused briefly before continuing, "I suspect that the reason Mountain King Grumm stubbornly held this territory for decades is that beneath this land, so unknown secrets might be hidden. After our subordinate forces arrive later, you personally lead our team of alchemists to conduct a careful and thorough investigation of this entire area."
A breakthrough to the legendary realm was no accident, nor could it be achieved in one go.
The Mountain King showing signs of a breakthrough at the final mont was not only due to the pressure brought by death but also related to his long-term accumulation. Considering his decades-long, unwavering hold on this territory and his various attempts to stall for ti before the battle,
Garoth had reason to believe that beneath this land, so unknown treasures might be buried.
"Alright, understood. Leave it to ."
Samantha's massive dragon head nodded up and down as she accepted the task, then added a suggestion. "The mineral resources in the northeast region are the richest in the entire Ser Wilderness. I should stay here to develop the alchemical industry."
Garoth: "Agreed. Proceed according to your plan."
He paused slightly, then gave an additional instruction. "There is an Abyssal Rift within this territory. It was previously suppressed by the Mountain King, but its exact location is unknown. You must be extra vigilant during your investigation."
This was a potential hidden danger.
However, before the powerful Molten Iron Tribe, it wasn't too much of a problem. The key was discovering and controlling it early.
Imdiately after, the Red Iron Dragon turned his gaze towards the blue dragon Zoraya.
He said, "The legion led by the Gluttonous Ogre will need so ti to arrive. Before that, you will lead a portion of the Blue Dragons to temporarily maintain order and defense in this area."
Zoraya lowered her slender neck, speaking softly. "As you command, my King."
"I will spare no effort and will not disappoint you."
Finally, the Red Iron Dragon's gaze settled upon the iron dragon Sorog.
"The Ser Wilderness is vast. We need a sufficient number of subordinates to effectively control each region."
"Those giant subordinates who fled earlier—once our legion arrives, eliminate those that need eliminating, recruit those that can be recruited. You have full authority to decide. After handling this matter, you will return to the northwest region."
Sorog slowly nodded, responding in a deep voice. "Hmm, I will handle it properly."
The construction, integration, and developnt following conquest were no less important than the war itself.
As the Lord of Molten Iron issued one clear and precise command after another, although the smoke of battle had not yet fully dissipated, a new order had already begun to sprout and grow within these mountains.
Thus, the northeast region of the Ser Wilderness, this final piece of the puzzle, was integrated into the grand territory of the Lord of Molten Iron.
Several days later, the Gluttonous Ogre Karu arrived as scheduled, leading a massive subordinate legion, and began skillfully clearing the battlefield.
The subordinates carefully checked each giant corpse, ensuring no one was feigning death to slip through, while collecting all valuable materials.
Fragnts of Mountain Giant bodies, Molten Hearts of Fire Giants, elental crystals of Stone Giants...
These were all exceptionally excellent materials for alchemy and enchantnt.
If fed into the Geosymbiotic Pool, they could produce top-grade materials.
Especially the body fragnts of Mountain King Grumm, whose rarity was in no way inferior to materials from dragon bodies.
Samantha showed great interest in this. She ticulously collected all the body fragnts left by the Mountain King, preparing to use them for alchemical creation. Subsequently, she plunged into a comprehensive survey of the mountain ranges, striving to uncover any potentially hidden secrets and pinpoint the exact location of that Abyssal Rift.
And at this mont, the majestic form of the Red Iron Dragon was no longer within the mountain ranges he had conquered.
Northwest region of the wilderness, the forr undead lair, now transford into the Dragon-Forge Base.
From the outside, it appeared as an unremarkable hill, but its interior and underground had been completely hollowed out, forming a vast, complex structure.
Garoth retracted his wings, slowly landing on a flat piece of ground.
Two dragons had been waiting here for so ti.
One was the black dragon Seraphina, her scales a deep, dark black. The other was the green dragon Ludwig, his body a vibrant erald green.
Now, they had both smoothly entered the Young Dragon stage. Furthermore, whether in terms of physical size or actual life level, they had surpassed ordinary adult dragons, clearly superior to their kin.
"Dragon Lord."
Seraphina's voice was low, slightly husky, and filled with respect.
"Lord Garoth, you have arrived."
Ludwig's voice was relatively more lively, but equally filled with respect.
The Red Iron Dragon gave a slight nod to both in acknowledgnt.
Then, using Transformation, he slightly reduced his overly massive body to better fit so of the passages inside the base.
He spoke succinctly. "Lead the way."
Imdiately, guided by these two Young Dragons, he strode towards the depths of the Dragon-Forge Modification Base.
After decades of continuous investnt and ongoing modifications, this place was worlds apart from its initial state when first occupied.
The walls of the passageway leading inward, once rough and uneven, had been reworked to be smooth and level, covered with a layer of hard tallic substance. At regular intervals, undead guards or concealed magical traps were positioned, making security extrely tight.
The deeper they went, the more expansive the interior space beca.
Finally, a magnificent cavern, as if the entire mountain's belly had been completely hollowed out, appeared before Garoth's eyes.
This was the most important area of the entire Dragon-Forge Modification Base.
The first thing to rush into view was an enormous pool.
The pool was not filled with scorching magma, but with a strange, viscous, heavy liquid that continuously shimred with dark red and tallic luster. That was the Dragon-Forge Primordial Liquid, processed through complex alchemical techniques and mixed with dragon blood and various catalytic agents.
Countless thick energy conduits connected to the pool's surroundings, channeling geothermal energy from deep underground and elental energy gathered from all directions into the pool, maintaining the primordial liquid's activity and constant high temperature.
"This is the Dragon Blood Crucible."
The green dragon Ludwig, following beside him, explained in a low voice. "Now the modification process has been simplified a lot. Just an initial soak in it can quickly complete the most basic first-stage Dragon Scale Modification."
"Subsequent, deeper modifications require undergoing other, different rituals."
Through years of practice and optimization, the Dragon-Forge Modification ritual had gradually matured and beco systematized, no longer as cumberso and dangerous as during the initial exploration phase.
At this mont, several dozen carefully selected elite warriors from races like ogres, gnolls, or centaurs, with complex feelings mixing reverence and longing, were stepping onto specific stone daises at the edge of the crucible one by one.
Once they took their positions, complex-structured, bone-like giant arms slowly descended from the vaulted ceiling.
The bony giant hands firmly secured them, then slowly imrsed them into the constantly boiling, churning Dragon-Forge Primordial Liquid.
"Urgh—ah!"
"ROAR!!!"
Cries of pain and muffled roars imdiately echoed through the cavern.
Their bodies convulsed and struggled violently in the viscous primordial liquid. Muscles beneath their skin writhed irregularly. Rough scales bearing draconic characteristics forcibly pierced through their epidermis, growing out tinged with bloodshot veins.
Draconic traits manifested and solidified on their bodies at a visible rate.
They were being transford into Dragonforged Warriors.
Right at that mont, an anomaly suddenly occurred.
A gnoll warrior undergoing modification let out a shrill, piercing scream.
His body began to swell uncontrollably and violently. The scales on his surface also started proliferating irregularly and wildly. His eyes beca bloodshot, his skin cracked. It seed he was on the verge of losing control, of the modification failing.
At this critical juncture,
On an observation and control platform above the crucible, a wight mage responsible for monitoring the modification process quickly raised a withered, bony hand, pressing it onto a rune before him.
Whoosh!
A gray energy ray shot out in response, accurately coiling around the gnoll on the brink of collapse. The gray energy perated his body, effectively suppressing the rampaging dragon blood energy within, gradually calming it down.
The gnoll's condition stabilized accordingly, allowing the modification process to continue.
Before long, the Dragonforged Warriors born from this base would be dispatched to the various strongholds, outposts, or resource points spread across the Molten Iron territory in the Ser Wilderness.
They were all elite mbers who had been ticulously selected, were fiercely loyal to the tribe, and whose own strength far surpassed that of ordinary subordinates.
After successfully undergoing modification, they could generally beco small-unit leaders commanding other subordinates. Or they were already chieftain-level figures, who, after modification, advanced further, becoming key anchor points through which the Lord of Molten Iron firmly controlled his vast territory.
User Comments
0 comments from readers