Chapter 392 Expanding Territory, Retreat Route to the Ice Plains
"You want to give me fifty units of black oil crystals?"
When Garros received the message from Gorton through blood ties, he was surprised. His thick dragon tail slapped the ground, leaving deep furrows, and he was not at peace with himself.
However, he quickly took a few deep breaths of cold air to suppress his surging emotions.
Tell her that I don't need the payment at the moment.
He responded in the context of blood ties.
The reason is clear: the strongholds of the Kingdom of Reipos located in the wilderness are now mostly within the spheres of influence of other regional kings. If they continue to attack these strongholds, they will inevitably have a direct conflict with the Mountain King or the Fungus King.
This contradicts his current strategy of steady development.
The potential profits are enormous, but the risks are also very high.
Galos is not prepared to change its current development strategy because of this.
Iron Dragon Gorton, on the other end, seemed to have anticipated this and immediately said, "I guessed you might say that."
“However, Galos, Elena emphasized that this is not a transaction or a reward.”
"She made it clear that this was a free gift, and we wouldn't have to do anything; it would be given to us directly."
Gift?
Hong Tielong fell into a brief moment of contemplation.
A gift that doesn't require immediate reciprocation has a self-evident meaning. Moreover, although it may be said to be free, it actually has a price tag behind it and should be treated with caution.
After some thought.
Ultimately, he decided to accept this kindness.
"I understand. Please thank her for the gift on my behalf."
"Garos said to Gorton."
He knew very well that the war between the southern countries was a protracted struggle with no end in sight.
Even if the Kingdom of Lorthern ultimately fails to achieve victory, with its profound foundation, it will certainly not be easily destroyed. At most, its national strength will be damaged and its status will decline. In any case, it will still be a vast kingdom that has stood for thousands of years.
Maintaining a good relationship with such a potentially powerful ally is more beneficial than harmful at this stage.
“There is one more thing, Garus.”
Gorton's tone became unusually serious.
He relayed every word that King O'Brien of Lorthorn had said when he came to the training ground to Red Iron Dragon verbatim.
After listening to Gorton's retelling, Galos's expression became serious and focused.
However, he did not show any signs of tension or panic.
The king was not surprised that the Crystal Princess's deal with the dragons came to his attention.
Within the royal court, there are probably very few things that can truly escape the eyes of that iron-fisted king.
As for the king's seemingly friendly greeting, its subtext was more like a well-intentioned reminder, or perhaps an invisible demarcation.
He allowed this cooperation to exist, but hoped that the dragon would exercise restraint and not do anything that would harm the interests of the Kingdom of Lorthen.
In addition, the king's attitude itself conveys a message.
He did not view the dragons' actions in the wilderness as a threat.
This is the most normal reaction.
In the eyes of those rulers who control vast kingdoms and have their eyes on a wider battlefield, the struggle between regional kings in the Wilderness of Sel is nothing more than "chickens fighting each other." Once the war in the south is over, whichever side wins, all they need to do is send a legendary powerhouse to lead an elite legion, and that will be enough to easily sweep across the wilderness and restore order.
On the contrary, the news that King Lorthorn had decided to personally lead the expedition surprised Garos.
This king was clearly not content to remain on the throne and intended to emulate his ancestors by consolidating his rule through outstanding military achievements, or even by expanding his territory.
At this moment, Iron Dragon Gorton couldn't help but comment: "Arrogant humans!"
"Although he is a legend, the battlefield is unpredictable and treacherous, and even legends are in danger of falling. Leaving the secure royal court to go to dangerous places is not a wise move."
He paused, then asked, "Garos, what do you think?"
Hong Tielong shook his head slightly, his gaze deep, and said, "It's too early to draw conclusions about right or wrong."
History is always written by the victors.
King Lorthorn of that time also chose to lead his troops into battle personally, which may have been considered a risky move at first, but now all that remains in history is praise and acclaim for his martial prowess.
Time will tell who is right and who is wrong.
With his current limited knowledge and information, Garros is unable to judge the success or failure of King O'Brien's move.
In addition, the news that the legendary guardians were about to awaken also attracted Garoth's great attention.
Once those ancient beings that have been dormant are deployed to the battlefield, they will greatly change the balance of the war, forcing the opposing camp to also bring out their most treasured resources. In terms of historical accumulation and legendary heritage, the Kingdom of Lorthern undoubtedly has the advantage.
The king personally led the expedition, surrounded by legendary guards...
If the front lines can achieve successive victories as a result, the morale of the Lorthene camp will soar to its peak, and may even shake some of the forces that were originally wavering or even supported the Kingdom of Reipos.
Galos speculated that this might be exactly the situation King O'Brien hoped to see.
With overwhelming force, the deadlock was broken.
However, regardless of the final outcome, the intensity of the war in the South will inevitably escalate dramatically, entering a white-hot phase.
This is not good news for Galos.
"The longer the war among the southern countries drags on, the more time I will have to develop in peace. Conversely, if the war is decided quickly, I will lose this precious window of opportunity."
He calmly analyzed the situation in his mind.
"We cannot place all our hopes on the steady development of the wilderness."
Red Iron Dragon raised its head, its gaze seemingly piercing through the wind and snow of Dragon Valley, looking towards the land further north.
After a brief moment of thought, an idea gradually took shape in his mind.
Permafrost tundra.
That land is ruled by harsh cold and blizzards all year round, and is covered with countless treacherous glaciers and bottomless rift valleys. Its terrain is extremely complex, and its overall resource abundance is far less than that of the Ser Wilderness. Moreover, it is extremely difficult to mine.
However, it also gave birth to two legendary figures who were famous far and wide—the King of the Northern Barbarians and the King of the Frost Giants.
The reason I say "in the past" is because these two powerful and legendary kings perished together in a decisive showdown.
Today, the perpetual snow and wind at the border is largely a consequence of that decisive battle.
"The environment at the border is now almost indistinguishable from the permafrost tundra, and has almost become part of it."
As Galos pondered, a bold idea began to sprout in his mind.
"If that's the case, why not go with the flow and extend the tribe's reach further north, into the true permafrost tundra?"
Once the thought arose, it spread rapidly through his mind like wildfire.
The Ironforge tribe had sent elite scouts to the frozen tundra in its early years.
Through years of infiltration and development, these scouts have successfully taken root among some local biological clans and are continuously sending back intelligence about the tundra.
The final battle between the Barbarian King and the Frost Giant King brought more than just the fall of two legends.
Along with them perished were a large number of powerful high-ranking leaders and elite warriors from both sides.
Since that devastating war, the two races, the northern barbarians and the frost giants, though their hatred for each other had not disappeared, had to temporarily cease hostilities and enter a long period of recuperation to heal the enormous wounds inflicted by the war.
During this period, some new clans and tribes also rose to prominence on the tundra.
However, in any case, there is currently no legendary figure to govern the permafrost tundra.
The overall level of danger in the Wilderness of Sel is actually lower than that of the Wilderness, where many heroes rise up and regional kings vie for supremacy. The existing forces of the Northern Barbarians and the Frost Giants are probably not much stronger than the regional kings of the Wilderness.
Before long, a plan began to take shape in Galos's mind.
He decided to formally send a legion to the permafrost tundra, but the strategic objective was not to wage war against the local natives for territory.
That's unnecessary.
Although the permafrost is vast and boundless, most of its area is devoid of life, barren and frigid. Its resources are far less concentrated and abundant than those in the Sel wilderness, and most of them are hidden beneath thick layers of ice and permafrost that are extremely difficult to excavate.
The main purpose of sending the legion north was to open up a potential retreat route and a strategic depth for the tribe.
"If the war in the South ends before I break through to the Legendary level, then the foundation I have painstakingly built in the wilderness will be difficult to preserve under the onslaught of the victors, regardless of who ultimately emerges victorious."
"We should plan ahead and consider the worst-case scenario, making preparations in advance on the permafrost tundra."
"In case the situation turns bad, at least we will have a way to quickly relocate and preserve our strength."
"However, the key is whether I can reach the legendary realm before the situation stabilizes. Once I reach the legendary level, even if the Southern War ends and I can no longer take advantage of the chaos, my foundation in the wilderness may still be preserved."
Thinking of this, Garus smiled silently.
Ultimately, the power one possesses is the foundation that determines everything.
"Negotiation, transactions, cooperation... all these means can only be effective if they are based on a force that makes the other party take them seriously or even fear them."
If he is unable to break through to the Legendary level, then even if the Kingdom of Lorthen ultimately wins, and even if the Royal Court still holds goodwill towards the dragons, they will never allow a non-Legendary force to occupy half of the wilderness for an extended period.
But if he succeeds in becoming a legend... then the situation will be completely different.
At that time.
Any force that wants to deal with the Ironforge tribe must carefully consider the terrible consequences of angering a powerful dragon legend before taking action.
Ambush?
Perhaps we could give it a try.
Expel or defeat?
That's possible.
But to completely and cleanly kill a legendary dragon with a large retinue and a flock of dragons following him... no one dares to boast that they can definitely do it.
Galos took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent thoughts and restoring his mind to a calm state.
At this point, after reporting all the information, Iron Dragon Gorton had withdrawn from the bloodline connection.
Galos did not immediately sever the connection, but turned his attention to another blood relative.
"Sorog".
He called out.
“I am here, Garus.”
Tie Long responded immediately with his calm voice.
"The tribe's development in the wilderness has entered a stable period. The northwest and central regions are basically stable, and the kings in other regions are currently showing signs of consolidation and no signs of expansion."
Galos said, "I am prepared to turn my attention to the permafrost."
Sorog, on the other end, remained silent for a moment, quickly processing the information and weighing the pros and cons.
He quickly responded, "We do need to plan ahead and prepare a backup plan for the tribe in case the situation in the south changes unexpectedly."
He also heard from Gorton the news about King Lorthene's personal campaign.
With a little thought, one can understand the deeper meaning behind Galus's actions.
At this point, Sorog raised a practical question: "Currently, all aspects of the tribe's affairs require the dragon's supervision, and there are no capable leaders available. Who do you plan to entrust with the task of developing the permafrost tundra?"
Samantha, the red dragon, is brave and skilled in alchemy, but not a managerial type of dragon; Sorog, the iron dragon, needs to be stationed in the northwest wilderness to oversee the overall situation; Zoraya, the blue dragon, is highly capable, but the central region is newly established and cannot be separated from her management; the other feudal lords also have their own duties and are difficult to transfer.
Galos did not answer directly.
He countered with, "Who do you think is more suitable?"
After a brief exchange and deliberation, the two dragons reached a consensus, and a name emerged.
"Thank you for your trust and attention, Chief! I will never let you down!"
When the blue dragon Heriam received the direct message from Garros, he was stunned at first, almost unable to believe his ears. Then, even with his calm and rational nature, he was overwhelmed by immense excitement and a strong sense of honor.
Over the past period of time.
His companions, the green dragon Ludwig and the black dragon Serafina, jointly govern the undead lair and are responsible for the core matter of the dragonforging ritual. Apart from assisting the iron dragon Sorog in handling some miscellaneous management tasks of the territory's servants, he has not been entrusted with any important responsibilities on his own.
He had always longed for more trust and to be able to take charge of a truly important mission that was his own.
But he never expected that the leader would entrust him with such a crucial and strategic task, to a blue dragon who had not yet entered his youth.
To open up new territories and expand the territory of the Ironforge tribe in the frozen world...
This was far more significant and glorious than any task Hisriam had ever imagined.
In fact, in Garros's opinion, although the blue dragon Heriam is currently slightly weaker and younger, his calmness, decisiveness and overall perspective are outstanding among dragons of the same age, and even surpass many adult blue dragons.
The primary objective of this northward march to the permafrost tundra was not conquest, but rather to securely establish outposts and escape routes.
Therefore, a leader's ability is not the only criterion; a prudent mind and loyalty are more important.
Moreover, the base camp at the border can provide support at any time, and if necessary, he can even go there in person to give the tundra creatures a surprise appearance.
Most importantly.
Heriam was a dragon who joined the tribe early on and was influenced by the tribe's training and ideology for a long time.
Compared to the newly surrendered young and adult dragons from the Dominic dragon pack, his loyalty and familiarity with the tribe's operating methods are more trustworthy.
Galos entrusted him with this important task after careful consideration.
"You can bring Cahill with you."
“Carefully select a group of suitable dependents to form a pioneering legion to help you establish yourself and develop in the ice plains.”
As he spoke, his tone became serious and low.
"Hriam, remember that your core mission is not to fight the creatures of the ice plains, but to drive a firm foothold for the tribe on that frozen land and open up a strategic passage for maneuver."
"Remember, patience and wisdom are far superior to brute force."
Blue Dragon Heriam nodded emphatically.
He straightened his chest, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"For the glory of the Iron King! I, Heriam, swear by my life and soul, that I will do everything in my power to open up a new world for the Horde in the frozen tundra and achieve results that will satisfy you!"
Immediately afterwards, Galos ended the message.
Blue Dragon Hriam couldn't wait to share the good news with his companions, and immediately threw himself into the intense work of selecting elite followers, planning the formation of the legion, and preparing for the upcoming northward expansion mission.
Galus, on the other hand, turned his attention back to himself.
He understood deeply that no matter how external strategies were planned, or who was sent to execute them, what ultimately determined the upper limit of the tribe's fate was still the power he himself possessed.
He swung his dragon tail, took heavy steps, and walked back to the training ground to continue his endless training and honing his skills, day after day.
This wasn't just for himself.
For the entire Ignath Dragonflight and the Ironforge, the strength of their leader is always the paramount and overriding priority.
(End of this chapter)
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