Chapter 271 The Uninvited Guest, Golden Dragon's 'Extortion' (Daily 10,000 words, seeking monthly votes)
"A wise captain, and brave sailors!"
As they approached their destination, Alberto greeted them with a warm smile and a clear voice, gracefully taking out a finely crafted harp from his waist that emitted a faint, pleasant woody scent.
"Thank you all for your generous rides and care along the way. I once traveled to the legendary Everbright Forest and was fortunate enough to learn an ancient melody imbued with the spirit of nature from the forest fairies who lived there."
He bowed slightly, performing a graceful adventurer's greeting.
"Please allow me to offer this song as a small token of my gratitude for this journey!"
Before he finished speaking, he swayed and lightly leaped to the most open center of the deck.
Under the curious and expectant gazes of the captain and sailors, Alberto's expression instantly became incredibly focused.
His long, graceful fingers, as if imbued with magic, gently and precisely brushed across the harp strings.
Ding-dong… The first ethereal and clear note leaped out, breaking the tranquil air on the river. Immediately afterwards, a series of distant, pure melodies, as if from the depths of the forest or the pulse of the earth, began to flow like a babbling brook, lightly lingering between the gunwale and mast of the boat. The listeners' tense spirits relaxed involuntarily, as if they had suddenly sailed from the dry river to a vast, boundless, vibrant ancient forest, with a gentle breeze on their faces and the shadows of the trees swaying.
Even more amazing is...
As Alberto's fingers deftly plucked the strings of the harp, his tall, agile, and energetic body seemed to come alive with the music, dancing to the rhythm. His movements blended the elegance of an elf, the exuberance of a human, and a touch of indescribable exoticism, sometimes like a deer leaping through the forest, sometimes like vines swaying in the wind, full of vibrant life and pure artistic appeal.
"Great! That's fantastic!"
"This young man is quite capable!"
The audience was captivated by the wonderful performance, and they generously burst into enthusiastic applause and heartfelt praise.
Alberto, at the center of the performance, wore a pure and radiant smile, his eyes filled with rapture, as if he were completely immersed in the ultimate joy brought by the music and dance, enjoying this brief and simple pleasure.
No one could imagine it, much less understand it.
The passionate, multi-talented young adventurer before us, who seems to radiate sunshine... is actually the legendary pinnacle of the metal dragon race, the embodiment of wisdom and power—the Golden Dragon!
The Golden Dragon Clan is extremely skilled at perfectly disguising themselves as various humanoid creatures.
This method allows the aloof Golden Dragon to temporarily escape the constraints of heavy responsibilities and experience the relaxed moments of being surrounded by companions and sharing simple joys.
Another point worth mentioning is...
Regardless of Jinlong's true character—whether he is benevolent, arrogant, objective, or harbors ambitions of conquest like Alberto.
Once they have chosen and entered a certain "pretend role", they will strictly follow the behavior logic, emotional expression and even the details of the role with an almost demanding professional spirit. They will never break the carefully constructed role on their own due to momentary emotional fluctuations or accidents.
Not long after.
Adventurer Alberto waved goodbye to the captain and sailors with a bright smile, then his figure flashed lightly and disappeared into the depths of the lush, intertwined jungle on the riverbank, vanishing without a trace.
The night, like thick ink, slowly soaked into the vast sky.
The stars, like scattered diamonds, were set against the deep blue velvet curtain, and their cool starlight was sprinkled on the undulating surface of the Estonian River.
A fortified watchtower platform at a riverside outpost.
Silvermane Zachli led a team of elite archers, ready for battle.
Their strong arms were taut, like a bow drawn to its fullest extent, and their sharp, hawk-like eyes pierced through the cool night breeze, firmly locking onto the river below, which appeared even more turbulent and churning in the darkness.
A few minutes passed.
Splash!
The previously rhythmic sound of the waves suddenly became violent and unnatural.
A large spray of water suddenly erupted in the middle of the river, and several huge dark shadows darted rapidly underwater, stirring up chaotic eddies.
"Raise the net!"
Silvermane Zakri's eyes sharpened, and his deep command boomed like a muffled thunderclap.
Buzz—!!!
Accompanied by the heavy whirring of the winches and the ravages' roars, the strong ogres that had been lying in ambush on both sides of the river suddenly exerted their strength. The giant net, woven from a special metal and bound with thick iron chains, was instantly pulled out of the water, like an iron wall across the river, firmly intercepting the ferocious water beasts that tried to rush upstream.
Splash! Splash!
Water splashed everywhere, like a torrential downpour.
One after another, the massive, ferocious river beasts, caught off guard by the sudden obstacle, crashed violently into the sturdy iron chain net with a dull thud; others, relying on brute force, leaped high out of the water, attempting to cross the blockade and drawing wild arcs in the air.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Almost simultaneously, the Centaur archers released their arrows, the vibrating bowstrings tearing through the air. Each specially constructed arrow, shimmering with a faint alchemical enchantment, seemed to have eyes, piercing the vital points of the ferocious beasts leaping out of the water or attempting to crash into the iron net with unparalleled precision!
Pfft! Pfft!
The dull thud of a blade piercing flesh mingled with the agonizing roars of a ferocious beast, and crimson blood quickly stained the river, filling the night air with a strong, pungent stench.
Estonia has a vast and extensive river system with numerous branches and channels.
The ferocious water beasts that dwell in the deep waters often attack merchant ships that travel back and forth, including the river waterways that the Ironforge tribe now actually governs and relies on as an important trade route.
Therefore, it became a crucial task for the Ironclad Retinue stationed at various strongholds along the riverbank to regularly and systematically hunt down and eliminate the river monsters.
This not only ensured the safety of river navigation and maintained the tribe's trade lifeline, but also allowed them to hunt and harvest large quantities of energy-rich ferocious beast meat to supply the tribe's needs, making it a win-win situation.
Whoosh—!
Another arrow, imbued with powerful force, whistled through the air and shot straight at a giant fish-like beast that had just leaped to its highest point and was attempting to climb over the iron net.
The arrow was about to strike its tough, scale-covered body.
A sudden change occurred.
"hold head high--!!!"
Suddenly, a deep, majestic, and oppressive roar erupted from the mouth of that seemingly ordinary fish-like beast—a dragon's roar!
Under the fearful and tense gazes of all the centaurs, ogres, and even goblin servants.
The beast's body expanded, twisted, and deformed rapidly, as if being inflated. The ordinary fish scales covering its body were replaced in the blink of an eye by dazzling, liquid gold-like metallic dragon scales! Its thick dragon neck was raised proudly, its majestic dragon horns pierced the night sky, and its broad dragon wings spread wide, obscuring the stars and moon.
A colossal, majestic beast, radiating brilliant golden light and exuding pure and powerful dragon might, suddenly replaced the original fish-shaped monster and hovered above the waves.
A metallic dragon! And the pinnacle of metallic dragons—a golden dragon!
"Before unnecessary bloodshed breaks out, I prefer to have a...civilized dialogue first."
Alberto Aurelius's majestic, molten-golden dragon eyes slowly swept over the monstrous retinues on the bank, some stunned, others on high alert. His deep voice, like rolling thunder, echoed across the river: "Indiscriminately slaughtering innocent river beasts, attacking a... noble dragon who is 'playing amiably' with them..."
His enormous dragon snout parted slightly as he slowly said, "Monsters, you need to prove to me that your actions do not stem from a purely evil nature."
Silvermane Zachary took a deep breath of the cold night air, forcing himself to barely recover from the shock of the dragon's might.
Damn it! How could it be a golden dragon?! This is a huge problem!
In any case, the most urgent task is to stabilize this golden dragon, which is clearly hostile and too powerful for them to resist.
"Your...Your Highness, the Golden Dragon!"
Silvermane Zakri suppressed the tremor in his voice and tried his best to maintain a respectful posture, replying loudly, "Please see the truth! These river beasts are by no means innocent! They frequently attack passing merchant ships, causing casualties and cargo losses, and are a threat that we must eliminate."
He bowed slightly, lowering his posture even further: "As for the offense to you... it was absolutely a huge misunderstanding. We had no intention of disrespecting you whatsoever! We simply failed to see through your noble disguise."
Knowing the nature of dragons well, the centaur leader spoke quickly, and decisively waved his arm behind him, lowering his voice and urgently ordering, "Bring the chest of the finest gold coins from the storeroom."
Several goblins, trembling and almost collapsing to the ground, scrambled towards the warehouse and quickly worked together to carry out a heavy metal treasure chest.
Silvermane Zakri stepped forward personally, presenting the treasure with utmost humility: "This is the deepest respect and awe the Ironforge tribe has for your exalted status! A humble gift, we humbly request that you accept it to atone for our ignorant offense!"
However.
The golden dragon hovering in the air did not soften its attitude as expected because of the treasure.
"Gift?"
Alberto's voice suddenly turned cold.
"What do you take me for? A bandit who robs people on the road? Or a greedy robber?!"
The terrifying dragon's might surged down like a tangible tide, causing the relatives on the shore to buckle at the knees and almost suffocate.
Silver-Maned Zakri was instantly drenched in cold sweat. He quickly lowered his posture even further, almost prostrating himself on the ground: "Absolutely not, Your Majesty the Great Golden Dragon, you misunderstand. This is not a ransom or a bribe. It is merely... merely out of sincere awe and utmost respect for your majesty. Please... please accept it!"
He practically roared at the goblins, urging them to pile up everything of value they could find in their stronghold, all the wealth they had recently plundered and traded, onto the shore, forming a small, glittering "mountain of reverence" in front of the golden dragon.
The golden dragon hovered silently, its gaze like a tangible probe, lingering on the centaur leader's feigned composure for several seconds, the atmosphere as oppressive as solidified lead.
Sudden.
"Hahaha!"
Alberto burst into a loud, hearty laugh that seemed to dispel the darkness of the night, his face beaming with delight.
"Awe? Respect? Yes! I like that word!"
His enormous dragon head nodded, his voice filled with "magnanimous" pleasure: "Since it is a gift of 'respect'... then this time, I will mercifully forgive your ignorant offense."
The broad dragon wings swept across the surface seemingly casually.
Whoosh—! All the gold coins, gems, and valuables piled up on the shore were swept up by an invisible tornado and instantly disappeared beneath those gleaming golden wings.
"Remember this, and don't let it happen again!"
Leaving behind this majestic warning, the massive golden dragon suddenly flapped its wings.
Boom! The powerful airflow pressed the river water into a huge crater, and the golden dragon's dazzling figure transformed into a golden streak of light that tore through the night sky, soaring into the heavens and disappearing in the blink of an eye into the deep night sky dotted with stars.
However……
The matter did not end there.
Not long after.
At another riverside outpost on the Estonian Great River belonging to the Iron Smelting Tribe, almost the exact same scenario played out again.
The Golden Dragon's behavior contradicts the image of a noble and benevolent dragon in legends. It is more like a vicious dragon covered in golden scales, systematically and greedily extorting and robbing the wealth of the Ironforge tribe.
at the same time.
A biting north wind, carrying the chill of the depths of the Serian Wilderness, howled across the rugged cliffs of Dragon Valley.
Alberto the Golden Dragon's actions, like a cold message carried on the wind, were quickly conveyed.
Inside the valley, Garros finished his training, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes. He raised his head slightly, and an invisible spiritual fluctuation was transmitted to the Iron Dragon Sorog through the connection of bloodlines.
"Golden Dragon..."
"His actions do not seem to be simply for the purpose of plundering wealth; it is more like a deliberate provocation or a test of something."
Red Iron Dragon's pupils contracted slightly as he pondered.
"Sorog".
After a few seconds of contemplation, Red Iron Dragon gave the order: "Notify Red Dragon Samantha and Nurturer Therese that the three of you go ahead and meet this... ill-intentioned uninvited guest."
He himself wouldn't just sit idly in Dragon Valley waiting for something to happen.
I'll secretly follow them, letting Sorog and the others show themselves first to investigate the Golden Dragon's true intentions. I'll act according to the situation. Oh, and I'll also bring Deborah along to ensure everything goes smoothly.
(End of this chapter)
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