Chapter 342 The Map King Comes to the Door, Dragons and Lions
"The four map kings in the northwest wilderness, apart from the Eye Demon, are somewhat similar to the wild monster lords I subdued in the border area."
Galos sorted through the information in his mind.
Judging solely from the types of creatures and the categories of ferocious beasts and monsters they belong to, the map kings and the monster lords under their command seem to be no different.
But this is only on the surface.
In fact, without exception, all those map kings are powerful beings with high intelligence.
They also command sizable and disciplined legions, far from being lone wolves with limited strength.
The individual strength and the collective power they can mobilize far exceed those of the wild monster lords who occupy a region based solely on instinct in the border areas.
However, possessing wisdom also means having the potential for communication and negotiation.
This means that there is an opportunity to conquer them and turn them into one's own allies.
"At the border, I killed more than a dozen monster lords, but only three of them chose to surrender."
"The situation might be different for these map masters in the Northwest region."
"Theoretically, the probability of successfully bringing them under our control should be higher."
Galos silently analyzed the situation in his mind.
The Ironforge tribe's development in the border region had already reached its limit, but after migrating to the wider stage of the Sel Wilderness, the situation was completely different.
Given the tribe's current size.
Let alone controlling the entire wilderness, even the idea of completely controlling the Northwest region seems beyond their capabilities.
As conquest and expansion continue, the core retinue forces that can be mobilized at any time will actually be diluted.
At that time, conquering and occupying territory with the dragons' powerful military might not be difficult, but effectively managing the vast territory they have conquered will become an extremely difficult problem.
For example, after the Ironforge tribe took over the entire border region, its size expanded rapidly. However, when it decided to launch a large-scale invasion of the wilderness, it also had to allocate a portion of its valuable forces to remain in the rear to guard and manage the basic order of the border region. It could not completely abandon it.
Similarly.
As the dragon flag is planted on new land after new land, more outposts, sentries, and strongholds need to be established, and strategic locations like the Tempering Heights also need to be garrisoned by troops...
Tribes are not a source of limitless power, and their strength will be further dispersed and diluted.
"In the process of expansion, it is a necessary strategy to absorb and subjugate new and powerful forces as allies."
Red Iron Dragon flicked its thick, long tail, slapping the ground as it pondered.
"Otherwise, the strength of the dragons and tribes will only be gradually depleted by repeated wars and dragged down by their ever-expanding territories, resulting in more harm than good."
His ultimate goal is to wield the power to sweep across the world with the strength of a dragon, so that one day he can truly act without restraint and do whatever he wants.
However, at this stage, the importance of territory and family remains self-evident.
On a purely military level, Galos doesn't actually need them that much; on the contrary, it is they who need Galos's protection to survive and thrive.
However, the various resources required for Garus's rapid growth are inseparable from the collection and supply of his vast territory and retinue.
Without them, Garus would have to do all the trivial things himself, which would waste his endless time and energy, preventing him from focusing on his training and becoming stronger.
"These map kings are potential dangerous enemies, but they are also ready-made targets for subjugation."
After a moment of contemplation, Hong Tielong had already identified his first clear goal.
The closest map king to Riverwood is the Lion King, who resides in Echo Rift.
This lion king designated Echo Rift and the vast surrounding area as his territory, ruling over a large number and variety of lions and monsters, and establishing a hierarchical lion kingdom.
According to scouts, the lion king's power continues to expand.
Not content with its existing territory, it intends to turn a larger area of land into a hunting ground for lion prides.
Immediately afterwards, the red iron dragon slowly closed its huge eyes and began to rest and recover its body.
Once he has reached his peak condition and the tribe's army has taken a short rest, he will personally lead the dragons and elite retinue to Echo Rift to attack the Lion King's territory.
On the one hand, it's important to realistically assess the true skill level of other map masters;
On the other hand, it was an attempt to subdue the entire pride of lions, adding a powerful new force to the Ironforge tribe.
As for why they mobilized such a large force, bringing along a dragon horde and its retinue, instead of choosing to go alone for a one-on-one battle...
The reason is simple: out of caution.
As things stand, Galos himself is just a newly crowned Map King, ranking alongside other Map Kings in terms of reputation, with no clear distinction between them.
Galos believed it was necessary to give due respect to powerful beings who were worthy of being ranked alongside him.
If the opponent is a formidable foe with hidden strength and many trump cards, there is a real risk that if you rashly charge in alone and are then surrounded and annihilated by the opponent's large army, you could easily be caught off guard and suffer a crushing defeat.
Galos didn't want to charge in with great fanfare only to end up defeated.
The sky gradually darkened as I pondered.
Garus is entrenched in the Conifer Valley, and his physical strength and the state of his body, which were damaged by the Crimson Lotus Form and the curse, are recovering at a visible rate.
After that, time passed by at a moderate pace.
The atmosphere in the wilderness of Sel is becoming increasingly tense, with map masters revealing their claws and sharp edges, and conflicts erupting in various regions.
The strongholds of human principalities and kingdoms are also constantly being attacked by various wilderness forces or powerful creatures.
However, let alone carrying out the previous missions of sweeping away wilderness creatures, the garrison troops at these outposts are now too busy to take care of themselves due to the sharp decline in federal control, and most of them have adopted a conservative strategy of turtling and defending.
During this period.
In order to survive in the chaotic world, many small and medium-sized wilderness monster clans chose to actively seek refuge with those renowned and rising new forces.
The Ironforge tribe was naturally one of the targets for many clans to join.
Almost every day, wilderness clans of different races would travel across mountains and rivers to other strongholds of the Riverwood Territory or the Ironforge, expressing their willingness to pledge allegiance to the dragons in exchange for protection.
After a period of time.
The deepest part of the underground lair of the undead.
The black dragon Serafina and the green dragon Ludwig exude a profound aura of death and a vibrant life force of nature, respectively, creating a striking contrast.
Their chests were heaving violently, and their breathing was rapid and heavy.
Their once glossy scales are now covered with all sorts of wounds—deep claw marks, corrosive marks, and some wounds even reaching the bone, from which dragon blood is slowly seeping out.
Clearly, the two dragons had just gone through a fierce and dangerous battle and paid a heavy price in order to clear out and suppress this lich's lair.
Around them lay the shattered remains of undead creatures, now lifeless, and a few wounded but still standing elite members of the Ironforge tribe.
"These undead... are finally all gone."
The green dragon Ludwig grimaced, his body writhing in excruciating pain from multiple wounds, as if being corroded by negative energy.
He took a deep breath of the thick, deathly aura in the air that made him feel uneasy, and finally couldn't help but turn his head to look at the equally wounded black dragon beside him.
“Serafina, tell me… why did the leader specifically send me to help you deal with this awful place?”
He said, "This intense negative energy is my natural nemesis. Logically speaking, I should be more suited to managing a vibrant jungle or valley outpost."
Green dragons are naturally inclined to concealment and strategy, preferring to remain behind the scenes rather than charge into battle.
He rarely showed himself in front of the leader.
Therefore, he was quite surprised by the task the leader had given him.
He scrutinized the black dragon closely, strongly suspecting that Serafina had recommended him to the leader behind the scenes.
Under the scrutinizing gaze of the green dragon, the black dragon Serafina nodded frankly, directly acknowledging it.
"It was I who suggested it to the leader."
She met the green dragon's wide eyes and said in a calm tone with a hint of pride, "I told the leader that the strong negative energy environment of this nest is an excellent training and tempering for you, which can help you better understand the other side of life."
"Moreover, your help is indispensable for the subsequent transformation of this place into a site for the dragon casting ceremony."
Green Dragon Ludwig: "…………"
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"Everything I said is true."
The black dragon flicked its tail, even gently patting the green dragon's shoulder with the tip of its tail, and grinned, saying, "The fact that the leader entrusted you with such an important task has a lot to do with my advice. However, we are companions, so you don't need to thank me too much."
The green dragon suddenly rolled its eyes wide and slapped the black dragon's tail away.
"Thank you so much!"
He forced out those words through gritted teeth.
"Yes, like I just said, you don't need to thank me."
Black Dragon seemed completely oblivious to the irony in the other's words. Instead, he nodded seriously and let out a few clear and pleasant chuckles: "But if you insist on expressing your gratitude, I can only reluctantly accept it."
She was naturally inclined to be gloomy and somber, but every time she saw Green Dragon looking so frustrated and helpless, she would feel inexplicably relieved.
"Hmph, what's the point of verbal thanks compared to actions?"
A sly glint flashed in the eyes of the green dragon Ludwig, who suddenly stretched out a front paw and pressed it hard against a wound on the back of the black dragon Serafina!
The next second, vibrant green natural magic energy, brimming with vitality, poured into the black dragon's body.
*Screech!*
The moment the vibrant energy came into contact with the black dragon's scales and flesh, which were soaked in negative energy, a violent conflict occurred. It was like cold water being poured into a pot of boiling oil, producing a piercing scorching sound and even wisps of white smoke.
"Damn Ludwig! That hurts! What are you doing?!"
The black dragon Serafina jolted violently in pain, her scales bristling. She quickly retreated a few steps, creating distance between herself and the green dragon, baring her teeth and growling at him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
The green dragon Ludwig slowly retracted its claws, shook its head, and offered no apology whatsoever.
"I almost forgot that our energy attributes are naturally incompatible."
"Just as I feel uncomfortable in this awful place, my vibrant natural magic is even more unbearable for you than sword attacks."
The black dragon Serafina glared fiercely at the green dragon, baring her teeth and growling, but ultimately did not continue the fight.
She dropped her joking expression, which gradually became serious and focused, and stepped into the central area where the remains of the dead lay scattered everywhere.
She took a deep breath of the air, thick with the scent of death and decay, and began to stroll around the base of the altar.
At the same time, the black dragon dipped the tip of its nimble tail into the still-uncongealed dragon blood from its wounds and began to trace complex and ancient runes on the ground, constructing a massive magic circle.
Time slipped away silently, bit by bit.
The black dragon painfully plucked a few of its sharpest scales, tore off a few small pieces of flesh containing dark energy, and even forcibly disassembled a few ribs, placing them as the highest quality spellcasting materials at several key nodes of the magic circle.
Finally, the black dragon stood at the very center of the magic circle, which was constructed from its own flesh and bones.
She solemnly took out a crystal box—the Life Box.
This was a key item that the leader had temporarily lent her to control the undead lair.
She raised one of her front paws, the dragon claw wreathed in dense negative energy, and then slowly pressed it onto a rune at the very core of the magic circle.
At the same time, she used her other paw to slowly lift the lid of the life box.
In an instant.
Centered on the black dragon Serafina, a pure and powerful torrent of negative energy surged out like a tsunami, then spread wildly in a ring towards every corner of the underground cave.
Click, click, click...
With a series of chilling sounds—the grinding of bones and the writhing of flesh—the previously fragmented and motionless remains of the dead on the ground began to tremble and twitch violently.
Their bones seemed to come together and assemble automatically, as if they were alive; the shattered pieces of flesh merged and regenerated.
Soon after, those dead undead creatures shakily and struggled to their feet once again, and their movements gradually became more agile.
However, what is completely different from before is:
Deep within the rekindled soul fire in their eye sockets, a trace of the spirit of the black dragon Serafina was imprinted.
“With this undead lair as my foundation, and through careful management… given time, I might have a chance to surpass those two guys, Heriam and Cahill.”
Despite feeling both physically and mentally exhausted, Black Dragon couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth into a somewhat ferocious smile.
However, she did not forget her other tasks.
After quickly bringing her scattered thoughts back to the surface, the black dragon Serafina began to manipulate the undead through a mental link.
She directed them to begin a radical transformation of the area, centered around the obsidian altar where the life casket was originally stored, striving to turn it into a site capable of performing dragon-forging rituals as quickly as possible.
The spirits of the dead are tireless and unafraid of death.
The renovation project here is expected to be completed in a short period of time.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Ironforge territory, in the border area bordering the Lion King's territory.
A cool breeze, carrying the dust and bloody stench unique to the wilderness, swept past the sentries and guards on patrol.
This is just a small border post set up by the Ironforge tribe. The sentries stationed here are mainly kobolds and gnolls, supplemented by ogres and werewolves, as well as several alchemical golems.
The overall defense capabilities are relatively weak, and its main role is to provide warnings and alerts.
"The tribe just won a great victory and conquered the Tempering Highlands. I heard they will continue to expand outwards soon."
A gnoll sentry leaned against the rough stone fence, gazing at the distant wilderness with longing in his voice.
"It's so exciting... I also want to fight for the tribe, make meritorious contributions, and earn a higher status and rewards! Instead of staying in this remote little place and being an ordinary sentry who can only look at the scenery all day long."
Upon hearing this, the other kobold sentinel beside him cautiously shook his head.
He lowered his voice and said, "Come on, with your small frame, if you really went to that kind of meat grinder battlefield, you probably wouldn't even last one charge before you turned into a pile of minced meat."
After decades of development and standardization, the Iron Melting Tribe has gradually gotten on the right track in all aspects.
Even the largest Iron Will Legion has its soldiers selected and trained to a certain extent, and not all of their members meet the standards.
"Hmph! I'll definitely outlive you by at least a few days."
"The gnoll sentry retorted."
The kobold sentinel was about to argue when suddenly his long, thin ears twitched violently, and his pupils contracted sharply.
"Shh... don't make any noise!"
He lowered his body, his voice grave: "I think... I smell something is wrong."
Almost the instant the words fell to the ground.
Click.
A very faint, crisp sound drifted over.
The sky was an eerie gray-blue, dawn was approaching but not yet here, and the wind still howled and whistled across the wilderness.
But a dangerous aura belonging to a powerful predator seeped into the air like an invisible tide, making all the more perceptive sentinels instantly feel a chill run down their spines.
"alert!"
"Something's wrong! All personnel on alert!"
The lookout in the watchtower was the first to sound the piercing alarm.
The ogre and werewolf guards below immediately gripped their weapons, their muscles tense, and they looked warily in the direction from which the danger might be approaching.
Boom—!!!
However, at almost the same time, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently.
A huge, swift black shadow suddenly shot up, accompanied by a muffled, drum-like thud, and smashed directly through the granite wall surrounding the outpost with an incomparably brutal force.
"roar--!!!!!!"
A deafening, wild, and powerful lion's roar suddenly exploded, tearing apart the silence before dawn like a thunderclap!
It was a monstrous lion beast with a massive build, comparable to a giant bear! Its fangs, white as daggers, reflected a chilling glint in the sparse morning light. Most striking of all, the mane on its neck was not the usual brownish-yellow, but rather a dark, gloomy black, like condensed night mist, seemingly capable of absorbing light.
Monster - Shadowmane Lion.
Its speed was beyond imagination, like a black lightning bolt skimming the ground, instantly rushing to the foot of a watchtower.
Immediately afterwards, it used its body as a weapon and savagely rammed into the watchtower.
Bang! Crack!
The base of the watchtower groaned under the strain and began to shake violently!
The gnoll sentinel on the tower screamed in terror as it plummeted, and while still in mid-air, the Shadowmane Lion's claws swept across it.
Sizzle—!
The gnoll sentinel was instantly torn to pieces in mid-air, its blood splattering on the ruins of the watchtower and the ground.
Buzzing—!!!
An alchemical golem activated its chest engine, wielding a heavy, high-speed spinning, chainsaw-like weapon, and slashed fiercely at the Shadowmane Lion from behind.
But the black lion seemed to have anticipated this; its body simply sank slightly, blending into the shadows and instantly disappearing from the spot.
The next second, it emerged from the shadows behind the golem and pounced on it. With terrifying force, it forcefully pinned the heavy golem to the ground, its claws tearing wildly at the golem's metal body, producing a teeth-grinding sizzling sound.
"Damn it! Get out of here!"
A burly ogre guard, wielding a giant spiked club, roared and charged toward the Shadowmane Lion with heavy strides.
However, whoosh—!
Another gust of wind suddenly swept in from the side.
Another lion with exaggeratedly white, protruding teeth, slightly smaller but more agile and ferocious, crashed into the ogre guard's side like a cannonball.
The ogre guard's massive body was knocked backward by the impact, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
Before it could even get up, the fanged lion pounced fiercely, its terrifying teeth, sharp enough to crush steel, precisely and cruelly biting through the ogre's relatively vulnerable throat.
This is just the beginning.
Flame Lion, Swift Shadow Lion, Steelback Lion, and many other different lion-like ferocious beasts and monsters emerge from the shadows where the dim dawn and the lingering night have intertwined.
Their numbers may not be overwhelming, but each one exudes a fierce and violent aura.
They were not chaotic wild beasts; some were responsible for frontal assaults, some for flanking attacks, and some for hunting down lone sentries, demonstrating a basic awareness of coordinated combat.
Within a minute, the small border post, without waiting for reinforcements, was reduced to a burning wasteland and ruins by the lion pride's swift and ferocious attack.
Similar incidents occurred at almost the same time at more than one outpost bordering the pride's territory.
As deep, resonant roars echoed across the wilderness, more members of the pride continued their advance deeper into the territory of the Ironforge, stepping over the corpses of sentries and the ruins of outposts.
Clearly, driven by their desire to expand their own territory, the pride of lions has turned its dangerous gaze toward the lands of their neighbors.
Upon receiving the urgent message that the sentry had risked his life to deliver, the Ironforge tribe immediately responded.
The elite legions quickly assembled from their various strongholds and sped toward the border region that bordered the pride's territory.
Not long after.
When the first true rays of dawn finally broke free from the horizon and shone upon the coniferous valley.
The red iron dragon, which was coiled within, slowly opened its eyes. The languor in its eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp glint.
"The pride of lions... bared their claws and fangs at me first."
"But it's nothing. I've recovered to my peak condition. It's a good time to see what level the Map King, whose reputation is on par with mine, really is."
Galos had already received information about multiple attacks on the tribe's territory through the mental link.
He stood up, his massive body crushing the falling dawn light into countless tiny specks of light, then flapped his wings and soared into the sky, flying towards the area engulfed in war.
(End of this chapter)
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