A Dragon against the Whole World

The tribal leaders tempered in blood and fire might be plotting in secret, or perhaps forming alliances in the shadows.

The horn of war will sound at the latest, before the Molten Iron Tribe fully unifies the south and digests the spoils of victory.

This is the countdown to life or death.

Otherwise, faced with the towering Molten Iron Tribe, other tribes can only await their doom.

Thinking of this, the depths of Red Iron Dragon’s pupils remained unruffled.

He was no longer the young dragon who needed to be cautious with everything. He was still prudent, but not everything could instill fear in him.

By his directive, the Molten Iron Tribe was also preparing for the impending war.

At that time.

If they lost, the accumulation of these years would be destroyed in an instant, but it would be nothing more than starting over. Galos would never let his life fall into danger.

If they won, Galos would be crowned King of the Borderland. This land, though overall barren and backward, could still offer an abundance of resources to accelerate growth if one stood at the summit.

At this moment, the followers saw the arrival of the Red Iron Dragon, pausing their tasks, bowing deeply, prostrating themselves, and reverently chanting.

"Praise the Dragon Lord!"

"Loyalty! Honor!"

"......."

Galos nodded slightly: "Continue your work."

The followers on the assembly line resumed their tasks.

Those who had just been rotated off, looked satisfied, devouring the almost endless supply of food.

The work on the assembly line was intense, not easier than combat, but the Molten Iron Tribe considerately provided ample food for these followers, allowing them to eat and drink their fill without worrying about sustenance.

In the Border Area, where resources were scarce and starvation a real threat.

This treatment exceeded that of many grassroots followers.

Jackal-Wolf Folk and Kobolds eagerly competed to work on the assembly line, and were genuinely thankful to Galos, admiring and grateful from the heart.

"Goblin, why does my rune engraving always fail?"

From another Alchemy Workshop, the voice of Red Dragon Samantha echoed.

Ever since the capture of the Black Iron Plain, with its numerous Alchemy Workshops and suitable temperature environment, Samantha directly relocated from the Sulfur Hills to here, making it more convenient to control and command the major assembly lines.

Galos turned his head to look.

He saw Red Dragon Samantha extending her forearm before the Great Workshop Master, pointing to a scale.

Rune engraving is a more advanced technique than ordinary carving, capable of amplifying and enhancing the etched object using Alchemy Runes.

Red Dragon Samantha was attempting to engrave Defense Runes onto her scale armor, but had failed several times.

"I’ve been very careful, so why can’t I succeed?"

The Red Dragon asked.

The eyes of the construct emitted a ghostly blue light, sweeping over the Red Dragon’s scale.

With just a glance, the intelligent left by the Advanced Alchemist understood the issue.

The light withdrew into its eyes, then instantly expanded.

One of Red Dragon Samantha’s scales was magnified countless times, with surface grooves resembling mountain ranges.

"The Dragon Scales are not a flat surface visible to the naked eye; they have a more microscopic structure."

He said, "You need to observe more finely, building a three-dimensional geometric model."

The Great Workshop Master gestured with his finger, sketching vibrant green lines with magic energy. The green lines meandered like rivers along the natural lines of the scale, avoiding all obstacles, eventually forming a complex and intricate, perfectly harmonious rune circuit.

"Nature is the optimal rune baseboard; forcing modifications is not as effective as following the natural texture."

The Great Workshop Master spoke with mechanical calm.

Nature is the optimal rune baseboard?

Samantha did not find similar words in her legacy. Her Alchemy legacy did not mention that rune engraving required considering that Dragon Scales were not flat.

This was new knowledge not in her legacy.

Though unwilling to admit it internally.

Red Dragon Samantha was fully aware that the intelligent golem before her possessed profound alchemical knowledge and was an excellent mentor.

It wasn’t her first time consulting the Intelligent Golem with questions.

Every time, the Great Workshop Master could see through the essence of the problem, using simple language to unravel her confusion, making her suddenly realize and understand.

Galos heard this exchange and nodded slightly.

Not for nothing did he painstakingly wage war with the Golden Tooth Tribe, merely gaining the Great Workshop Master’s allegiance was of immeasurable value.

"Do not give me gold, give me the flame of transmutation."

Galos rather agreed with this saying. The Great Workshop Master construct was essentially an educational intelligent golem, continuously training Alchemists for the Molten Iron Tribe.

The praise from Golden Tooth Tribe goblins about his legend was indeed not exaggerated.

If not constrained by the Border Area and held back by his tribe, he would likely have become truly legendary in his lifetime.

Understanding the key to rune engraving, Samantha began to experiment.

The Great Workshop Master did not idle; he patrolled the territory, pointing out issues to every Alchemist, tirelessly and diligently.

Galos did not linger there for long.

He beat his wings, soaring into the sky, reaching the hinterlands behind the Black Iron Plain, soaring in the sky, a joyous smile on his dragon face, looking down below.

On the dark plain, countless figures bustled like tiny worker ants through the earth’s veins.

Miners lined up in long rows, chanting in low and rhythmic calls, sweating profusely as they used thick crowbars and heavy oak hammers to drive the deeply embedded steel wedges deeper into the strata inch by inch.

In the center of the mine, several iron constructs stood.

They were monsters pieced and welded together with iron and metal.

With metal arms as large as pillars, they held heavy steel drill heads at the top, pounding! pounding! pounding! into the depths of the earth.

Each strike made the ground rumble dully, oil mixed with mud sprayed from the drill holes, drenching the Minotaur slaves operating the winches below.

Flying dragon group, Kola Giant Eagle.

Centaurs, Giant Wolves, and various elite cavalry.

A large number of soldiers patrolled and guarded the ground and sky, preventing any living creature from approaching, with countless hidden scouts and sentries surrounding the area.

Moreover, the sounds and movements of the Black Oil Field were confined within its range, constrained by arrays jointly constructed by mages and shamans, which prevented them from spreading further.

"What a wonderful smell."

The Red Iron Dragon took a deep breath, able to smell the subtle scent of the black oil exposed to the air.

This Black Oil Field was only the tiniest, yet its reserves were still quite abundant for a tribe. Although the goblins had mined and utilized it for some time, because they didn’t dare to exploit the Black Oil Field before their rise, the remaining reserves were still ample.

In some time.

Building a pool belonging to Galos with the extracted black oil would be easy.

"However, compared to the scale of the Black Oil Fields I saw in the Sel Wilderness, it’s still too small."

The Red Iron Dragon’s eyes flickered as he thought to himself.

The scenes of the Black Oil Fields he saw in his youth during his adventures—those closely guarded and powerful garrisons, the alchemy heavy equipment pumping black oil revered like pilgrims—all left a significant psychological impact on him.

By comparison.

The Molten Iron Tribe’s Black Oil Field was too small, and their mining techniques were very backward.

"Black oil even has a higher solid form."

"The lore mentions that a hundred tons of black oil can be condensed into only a small Black Energy Stone, which is the primary energy source for legendary-level alchemy golems."

"I really want to taste the flavor of a Black Energy Stone, wonder how powerful it is."

"Unfortunately, while there are black oil resources now, the Molten Iron Tribe’s alchemy industry can’t achieve this, nor is there a purchasing channel."

Galos licked his lips, longing within.

Anyway, he finally had his own Black Oil Field and no longer needed to make deals with creatures like earth spiders for a bit of black oil, and then hasty escape when found out.

However, the Molten Iron Tribe’s possession of a Black Oil Field still needed to be kept hidden and could not be openly exposed.

Such a strategic resource, no nation would ever find too plentiful.

Just like when Galos learned that the Golden Tooth Tribe had a Black Oil Field, he immediately prepared for war. Discovering that the Borderland Tribe actually had a Black Oil Field would surely invite attacks against the Molten Iron Tribe.

After admiring his Black Oil Field for a while.

Galos returned to Dragon Valley.

It was now noon, sunlight poured down from the sky like golden liquid, coating the valley and the Red Silver Dragon resting on a rock slab, making her dragon scales glow brilliantly and beautifully, appearing magnificent.

"As the Molten Iron Tribe grows stronger, it will eventually be exposed to the Silver Dragon’s sight. It’s better to increase Deborah’s favorability sooner, should not confront a mature Silver Dragon anytime soon."

Galos thought.

"Hey, Metal Dragon."

The Red Iron Dragon called: "Wake up, now is riddle time."

Upon hearing the word riddle, the ears of the Red Silver Dragon perked up immediately, waking from her nap, she then blinked and looked expectantly at Galos.

Galos cleared his throat, using a chanting-like tone, he said:

"I burn without ashes; I fall yet forever rise."

"The shepherd uses me to mark the time his sheep return to the pen; the wise use me to measure the path of destiny’s turn."

"I never speak, yet witness every epic’s beginning and end; I was cold ashes, yet ignited civilization’s first campfire."

With the final syllable, he looked at the Red Silver Dragon.

This riddle was not complicated, quite straightforward.

"Stars!"

Deborah’s pupils narrowed into a brilliant thin line as she answered.

The Red Iron Dragon nodded, saying: "Correct."

After pausing for a moment, he fixed his gaze on the Red Silver Dragon’s silver eyes, laughing softly, said: "But... your innate shimmering scales are much more lively than those dead things in the sky."

The Red Silver Dragon’s tail stiffened into a silver spear, and in the next second, it dropped limply as if her muscles were pulled out.

"Re-really?"

"Thank you for the riddle and the compliment, I really liked it."

The Red Silver Dragon spoke in a low voice, not daring to look directly into Galos’s eyes, but couldn’t help sneaking a glance from the corner of her eye, feeling her heartbeat accelerating, and the scales on her body tingling and itching.

This method of first stirring thoughts with a riddle, then breaking defenses with praise.

Especially when that praise came from the seemingly fierce and savage, crude and violent Red Iron Dragon, wrapped in the unique scorching breath of the Red Iron Dragon.

The contrast of it, made her almost defenseless.

Favorability +100!

Favorability +100!

...Though such information was not visible, the response of the Red Silver Dragon was clear to Galos.

[Dragon Taming Technique: Red Copper Dragon’s Chapter]

[Whether it’s provoking or praising, adding a riddle, will always make the Red Copper Dragon elated]

Galos perfected his dragon taming technique a little more.