The Serel Wilderness was as scorching hot as ever.
The sunset's light still resembled molten iron, pouring down through the rifts in the clouds and dyeing the entire wilderness a rusty red; the distant horizon seemed to be burning, steaming with distorted heat waves in the twilight.
Carmel Black Oil Field.
The roar of Alchemy engines was incessant.
Oil pumps with steel skeletons stood at equal intervals across the horizon, densely packed like countless pious pilgrims, knocking against the earth in a steady rhythm to pump massive amounts of black oil to the surface.
An army armed with sophisticated Alchemy equipment was stationed nearby to guard it.
Combat-type Alchemy Golems [Iron Guardians], each over ten meters tall, moved with heavy steps, accompanied by fully armed human soldiers who remained vigilant for any movement on the surrounding ground.
Within dozens of kilometers of the oil field, no powerful Vicious Beasts or monsters existed.
—They had all been purged in advance.
On the ground, Alchemy Golems like Iron Guardians and human soldiers were on alert and patrolling; besides these, there were Sky-Hunter Heavy Crossbows fixed around the oil field. Each meter-long, thick bolt was engraved with Alchemy runes, specifically designed to deter and deal with flying monsters and Vicious Beasts.
"It really is heavily guarded."
Garros hid high in the clouds, gazing from afar.
During his hunt, he passed by this oil field and, after a moment's thought, decided to observe from a distance, hoping to detect a few vulnerabilities.
The Red-Iron Young Dragon hovered with vibrating wings, squinting his eyes to look into the distance.
Because of the great distance, the alchemical creations appeared tiny in Garros's eyes, and the human activities around them were like ants.
But he felt no contempt in his heart.
As his gaze swept over the Iron Guardians and the Sky-Hunter Heavy Crossbows mounted around—which instinctively felt very dangerous to him—Garros silently pulled up to a higher flight altitude.
"The ground and sky are both strictly guarded; there's simply no chance to get close."
"However, it seems possible to pick up some scraps through the underground."
Garros observed the layout of the oil field, lost in thought.
The defensive fortifications of the Carmel Black Oil Field were mainly concentrated on the surface; the vigilance against the ground and sky was very heavy, and on the surface, the defense against the underground seemed somewhat weak.
"Better not. The wilderness doesn't lack creatures like Rock-Crushing Worms that move underground; just because I can't see them with my naked eye doesn't mean they aren't there."
Garros calculated in his mind that he would wait until he had subdued some creatures like Rock-Crushing Worms that could travel through the earth before ordering them to test the waters.
As for a frontal assault...
Even the Iron Dragon Mother would have to take a detour past such a place. The current Garros only dared to gaze from afar; even getting close required deep consideration, and he stayed very far away.
Even so.
Garros, hidden high in the clouds, was still discovered.
Clack, clack, clack!
To the northeast, a Sky-Hunter Heavy Crossbow slowly rose and adjusted its angle.
The bolt mounted on it was less of an arrow and more of a spear—sharp-tipped, thick, and long, its entire body engraved with dense Alchemy runes.
The runes lit up one after another.
Then, with a soft, barely audible 'whoosh'...
The Sky-Hunter Heavy Crossbow fired a bolt, piercing through the clouds and air as it shot toward Garros.
It was extremely fast, yet it made no sound of breaking the air or screeching through the airflow mid-flight, making it difficult to detect. It was silent, fast as lightning, dangerous, and lethal.
However.
While observing the layout of the Black Oil Field, Garros had maintained the utmost vigilance in his heart.
He had noticed the moment the Sky-Hunter Heavy Crossbow adjusted its angle.
"The attack range is so far."
Garros clicked his tongue and timely tilted his body, dodging the strike from the heavy crossbow.
Looking back.
A massive hole had been punched through the clouds where Garros had originally been.
The power of the heavy crossbow could well be imagined.
If Samantha had come here the first time and encountered an attack from the heavy crossbow...
She would have almost certainly died.
The Alchemy arrows fired by the Goblin Wolf Cavalry back then were on a completely different level; even with Garros's physique, taking a hit would not feel good.
Since he had been discovered, his paper-cutter-like wings tore through the thick clouds as he decisively moved away from the area to avoid more attacks.
The Sky-Hunter Heavy Crossbow, now loaded with a new bolt, fell silent.
It did not continue to strike the young dragon that had left its attack range.
"It seems to be a dragon."
"What a fast reaction; a pity we couldn't shoot it down."
The human soldier guarding the Sky-Hunter Heavy Crossbow blinked and thought with regret.
The reserves of this Black Oil Field were still very rich; besides the long natural accumulation, a large number of monsters and Vicious Beasts killed by the garrison were also thrown into it.
"Places where the Losern Federation garrison is stationed are still too dangerous. I shouldn't have approached such a place; I was a bit reckless this time."
"Even if I want to investigate, I should let my subordinates do it. I cannot risk my own life."
Having encountered an unexpected attack, Garros summarized the lesson from this incident and thought to himself.
He thought the distance he maintained was far enough, but he still underestimated the prowess of alchemical creations. Fortunately, he had never let down his guard.
Obtaining black oil directly from the oil field was basically impossible for the current Garros.
Having tasted the powerful flavor of black oil—especially how it significantly increased his adaptation efficiency—Garros could not stop thinking about it.
Unfortunately, he was too weak right now.
A vast amount of black oil resources was right here, but other than staring at it longingly, there was no good way. The only sliver of a chance was to steal oil from underground, but he currently had no subordinates capable of traveling through the earth, so it could not be implemented.
Not long after, Garros returned to the Iron-Fir Hills.
"My dear brother!"
Just as he landed among the Iron-Fir Forest, Garros heard Samantha's call.
"What is it?"
He looked at the fiery Red Young Dragon and asked.
Samantha came walking over with a skip in her step, raised her chin slightly, and said in a proud tone, "I have grasped the true essence of Alchemy! The great Alchemy Dragon King has taken its first step toward world conquest."
Since Garros first told Samantha to study Alchemy...
About three months had passed.
What she called 'grasping the true essence of Alchemy' was actually just reaching the entry level.
But that was already not bad.
If it were an ordinary person, several years of accumulation and day-and-night study might not necessarily lead to entry level. Top-tier monsters like Dragonkin had no lack of talent in any aspect.
The Red Young Dragon stared at Garros without blinking, as if waiting for something.
The longing for praise in her eyes was almost tangible. Garros saw it, smiled slightly, and said, "Oh, that's truly good news. Congratulations."
Ever since Garros saved this Red Dragon Sister...
And pointed out a path for her...
The Red Dragon Sister's arrogance and conceit rarely flared up in front of Garros; instead, she had become much more respectful toward him.
"Can you refine black oil now?"
Garros asked.
Samantha's expression froze, and she shook her head, her tone weakening slightly.
"Not yet."
Garros asked again, "What about forging Alchemy tools?"
"That... that's also a no."