Late at night, Garros folded his dragon wings and hovered above the clouds.
His gaze pierced through the thin mist and the night, overlooking the hills below.
Broken Spine Hills—the territory of the Bone-Chewing Clan Ogres.
Six years ago, Garros had scouted this place roughly, but now, while the general situation of the hills remained unchanged, the Ogre territory above was unrecognizable, completely different from what he remembered.
The once sparse Ogre camps had now expanded into a cluster of tribes stretching for miles.
Hundreds of tents sewn from the hides of giant beasts were parasitical upon the earth like tumors.
The number of bonfires was more than ten times what he remembered, with five or six stout Ogres gathered around each fire.
They wore trophy necklaces made from the teeth of their prey, metal tassets draped over their bodies, and high-quality weapons like steel clubs, giant axes, or warhammers nearby.
Elite Ogre Warriors about four meters tall were numerous, and even the most ordinary adult Ogres were over three meters tall.
There were also Ogre Warlocks, more than just one.
The most eye-catching thing was the throne on the central hill.
It was a giant platform built from a large number of unknown biological skeletons, its surface coated with a dark red lacquer mixed with metal, making it exceptionally prominent in the night.
Karu Bone-Chewing's body occupied the throne.
From its size and appearance, it was difficult to associate this Ogre with the rest of its kind.
It stood six meters tall, like a giant.
Its body was bloated but not fat; beneath its iron-black skin lay layers of knotted muscles like thousand-year-old vines. Its mouth was full of shark-like teeth, and a pair of winding horns grew from its head. Its entire body looked like cast steel, possessing an indestructible texture.
Four-meter-tall elite Ogre Warriors constantly carried various foods, even rocks and giant logs, to serve Karu.
And Karu accepted everything.
Meat, stones, wood—it ate them all, its appetite seemingly endless.
"This appearance... it really is a Gluttony Demon! Samantha wasn't wrong."
Garros narrowed his eyes, quietly watching and assessing from the night sky.
A Gluttony Demon, a high-level variant rare among the Ogre race, possessed the Gluttony Talent, allowing it to break through its original size limits.
As long as there was enough food.
A Gluttony Demon could continuously grow stronger. If it didn't die young, becoming a Legendary creature was a certainty. Moreover, at the same level, its combat power was comparable to elite Dragonkin; even the likes of White Dragons would find it hard to defeat a Gluttony Demon of the same rank.
Gazing down at the Gluttony Demon, Garros felt a stir of interest.
Until now, he had no core subordinates under his command.
Dire Bears, Gnolls, and Grey-mane Werewolves—their limits were clear. Even with Dragon Vein Transformation, their talent remained limited. The scale and strength of the entire clan were insufficient for major tasks.
And looking at the current scale of the Bone-Chewing Clan...
The Red-Eye Clan, the Howling Moon Clan, and another Lizardfolk clan had either abandoned their territories to hide or had already met a grim fate; none could compete with the rising Bone-Chewing Clan.
"My own strength is what matters most."
"But a powerful army of subordinates is also indispensable."
Garros calculated in his mind.
It was well known that Evil Dragons were easily besieged and suppressed. Heroes or adventurers seeking to slay dragons would tirelessly track and attack them.
A powerful subordinate army could handle many unnecessary troubles for an Evil Dragon.
Garros didn't consider himself an Evil Dragon; he felt he should be a neutral dragon. However, he knew that once discovered, he would be hunted as an Evil Dragon.
He couldn't just abandon his territory and flee with his tail between his legs every time he faced a suppression force.
Moving to an unfamiliar environment also carried risks. Unless absolutely necessary, no monster lord would want to give up their territory.
Garros felt he needed to make some preparations in advance.
"This Gluttony Demon hasn't fully grown yet, and this Ogre clan... they could become my core subordinates."
Garros felt a surge of excitement, pondering how to subjugate the Ogres.
There was one Gluttony Demon, three Ogre Warlocks, and a large number of elite Ogre Warriors here.
"I'll check on the status of the Gnolls and Grey-mane Werewolves. If they haven't been wiped out, I'll regroup them, then bring Samantha, the Dire Bears, Fire Lizards, and Giant Fire Ants to attack the Bone-Chewing Clan together."
This was Garros's first thought, born of caution and prudence.
His eyes flickered as he stared at the Ogre territory, then he slowly shook his head.
One of Garros's goals was to one day be able to topple the entire world with the power of a single dragon, no longer needing to live so cautiously.
Current caution was for the sake of achieving future goals.
And although he was cautious, he was not cowardly.
Garros knew his own level and rank clearly. He had a clear understanding of his own power. He wouldn't constantly suppress himself after growing and evolving; playing the pig for too long makes one a real pig.
"My speed, my burst power, and these newly evolved dragon wings have already put me in an invincible position."
"I don't need to fear an Ogre clan or an underdeveloped Gluttony Demon. I can take them down alone."
"The goal of toppling the whole world with the power of a single dragon... I'll start by trying it with this Ogre clan."
Garros confirmed repeatedly, making sure this wasn't the influence of arrogance or conceit, but the result of rational thought and assessment of both sides' levels. He even took a small pinch of fairy scale powder to boost his mental activity.
After careful consideration, he made up his mind.
Meanwhile, Gluttony Demon Karu chewed on a block of marble handed over by a clansman, crunching and swallowing it.
Its appetite was too massive. If it only ate fresh meat, the entire clan would be dragged down. As the chieftain, for the long-term development of the clan, Gluttony Demon Karu would also eat some stones to satisfy its hunger.
This was not just for the clan, but also for itself.
Only if the clan grew stronger could it provide more food.
Suddenly, Karu caught an unusual scent, stopped chewing, and looked up at the sky.
A dragon shadow appeared in the Gluttony Demon's vision, making no attempt to hide its dragon might and aura.
Not just the Gluttony Demon, but the elite Ogre Warriors and several warlocks also noticed the appearance of the dragon shadow.
But they felt little fear; instead, they were eager for a fight.
Since the birth of the Gluttony Demon, the entire Bone-Chewing Clan had been in a state of excitement, fervor, and relentless momentum. Any obstacle or creature that appeared before them would be torn to shreds and turned into food for their continued growth.
"It's a Young Dragon."
The most experienced and knowledgeable Two-headed Ogre Warlock spoke with both heads simultaneously.
"What kind of dragon?"
Karu asked.
The Two-headed Ogre Warlock's left head said, "It looks like a Red Dragon." The right head disagreed, "No, it's an Iron Dragon!"
"It must be a Red Dragon!"
"It must be an Iron Dragon!"
The two heads started fighting while arguing. The Ogre Warlock seemed to have a mental breakdown, its fists swinging, sometimes hitting the left head and sometimes the right.
Karu asked again, "Does it taste good?"
Can it be eaten?
Does it taste good?
These were the things the Gluttony Demon cared about most.
The Two-headed Ogre Warlock stopped and said in unison, "It must be delicious!"
Saliva dripped from the corner of Karu's mouth.
It looked up, a hint of 'cunning' in its eyes, and shouted in a gruff voice, "Dragon in the sky, please come down to the Bone-Chewing Clan as a guest. I am willing to share food with you!"
The Red Iron Dragon suddenly flapped its wings, but instead of diving, it cleared the surrounding clouds for hundreds of meters and shot straight into the higher heavens, as if startled and fleeing.
Karu watched longingly as the dragon shadow grew smaller and harder to see, letting out a sigh.
But before it could lower its head and look away.
It suddenly noticed a red light igniting in the distant high altitude, tearing through the sky like a crimson comet falling from the heavens.
Those weapon-like dragon wings flapped, and a thick, dark red stream of flame surged from the ends of the silver crystal bones.
Garros's speed surged.
The crimson scales on the wing membranes vibrated at high frequency, cutting the air with a hum like ten thousand blades being unsheathed. His Explosive Scales also gradually turned glowing red due to extreme friction with the air, emitting muffled thunder-like booms as he descended.
Rock walls cracked, and small pebbles fell rustling down.
The roar from breaking the sound barrier caused the ordinary Ogres of the Bone-Chewing Clan to painfully cover their ears.
Karu stood up abruptly, his eyes shining brightly, staring fixedly at the descending, comet-like Red Iron Dragon.
Thump, thump, thump!
It beat its chest, making a sound like a war drum. Its bloated body tightened at a visible rate, every muscle fiber twisting like steel wire, containing thick and terrifying power.
"Come, Dragon!"
It roared.
The elite warriors also gripped their weapons tightly, standing ready, while several warlocks were brewing Spells, waiting for the dragon to land.
However, they were disappointed.
When Garros was about three hundred meters from the ground, he suddenly flapped his wings.
Boom—!
A wave of air billowed out, uprooting and blowing away some tents, leaving the ground a mess of flying sand and stones.
But this was only the most insignificant aftershock.
Garros did not stop. The stream of flame behind his dragon wings surged violently as his body traced a beautiful arc in the air, instantly adjusting direction with unbelievable maneuverability and rising high again.
At the same time.
Those glowing red Explosive Scales, which had converted enough thermal energy from the high-speed friction with the air, fell upon the Bone-Chewing Clan in a dense, torrential downpour.
Gluttony Demon Karu's pupils suddenly constricted.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Balls of fire soared into the sky, emitting explosive roars like the bellows of angry dragons, swallowing the Gluttony Demon and all the elite warriors and warlocks surrounding it.