Two young Stone Giants wanted to assist the Granite Giant.
In their desperation, they forgot their instructions and broke through toward the Granite Giant's position.
The Grey-mane Werewolves took the opportunity to pounce on the unprotected young and adolescent giants, their claws tracing cold trajectories under the moonlight.
Those Lizardfolk lurking via Invisibility also quietly approached several adolescent giants, their spears thrusting toward the hard stone bodies.
The young Stone Giants were startled and tried to pull back to defend.
However...
Swarms of Gnoll elites and Giant Wolf Knights surrounded them, tightening the circle to strangle them.
A crimson star of ill omen streaked across the night sky, appearing above the giant camp.
"The Diamond Giant is dead!"
Garros raised his claws, and within his palm was a shining diamond core.
In an instant, the Stone Giants' morale plummeted to freezing point. Those monster kin also trembled under the thick Dragon Might, surrendering one after another as they lost their will to fight.
The strongest protector of the clan was dead.
This terrifying and powerful Dragonkin had returned with its heart, blatantly displaying his victory.
"Damn Dragon!"
"You must have used despicable means to kill the Elder!"
The Granite Giant smashed a fist into the Gluttonous Ogre, struggling to stand up as he roared at Garros.
Despicable?
The enemy's insults sounded like hymns to the victor's ears. Garros was not annoyed; he merely looked down coldly at the battlefield below.
"How dare you provoke the great Dragon Lord! Giant, you must be tired of living!"
The Gluttonous Ogre, protecting its master and eager to prove itself, pounced at the Granite Giant again. As those monster kin stopped resisting and chose to surrender, even more monsters surrounded the giants.
Time passed amidst smoke and slaughter.
After only a few minutes...
Karu twisted off the Granite Giant's head, pounding his chest and roaring with excitement. Those young giants and even smaller adolescent and juvenile giants all had their limbs broken and were tied up tightly with iron chains by the kin.
Garros unhurriedly folded his wings and landed in the camp that had already been captured.
"Dragon Lord, how should we handle these giant prisoners?"
Russell licked a claw stained with monster blood as he stood before a captured young giant and asked.
Garros looked toward the giants.
In the eyes of these giants, large and small, he saw fear, anger, and hatred.
Try to tame them?
Enslaving giants was a rare honor for Dragonkin.
Better not. He couldn't spend all his time worrying about them, and these kin might not be able to suppress Stone Giants. Moreover, with such deep-seated hatred, he couldn't leave them alive.
When cutting grass, one must remove the roots.
Garros flicked his tail and said, "Kill them all. Leave none alive."
A simple sentence decided the fate of these Stone Giants.
The monsters swarmed forward, dismembering the giants into large chunks of stone. These stones had been tempered by Demonic Energy and were excellent Materials that could be used to manufacture high-quality alchemical weapons and armor.
As for those monsters, Garros ordered that they be divided and enslaved by the several clans.
Garros walked to the center of the camp and looked at the Leyline Symbiosis Pool.
"By throwing different Ores into the Leyline Symbiosis Pool, mineral essences can be extracted. These essences, nurtured by the symbiosis pool, will then condense into higher-quality Ores."
"The long-term benefits of preserving it are higher than the remains of the Diamond Giant."
The troublesome part was that he didn't know the method to relocate the Leyline Symbiosis Pool, so it could only stay here.
After a moment's thought, Garros gave the order for the Bone-Chewing Clan to dispatch some Ogres to station here and guard the Leyline Symbiosis Pool.
"This highland where the Stone Giant camp is located has a good geographical position."
"Stationing a team here isn't a waste."
Thinking of this, Garros's eyes flickered, suddenly realizing that he should perhaps properly plan his territory and kin.
"The present is different from the past."
"After this period of management, I have taken root here. The territory is developing steadily. Unless I encounter great danger, I won't easily give up this land."
"In that case, I might as well put the knowledge from 'the prince' and 'Lordship Theory' into practice."
"Rule the territory in a better way."
Garros decided he could no longer let the kin under his command develop haphazardly. If not properly restrained, they would instead cause him trouble. His territory also needed proper planning.
Before he was strong enough himself...
The kin could better ensure Garros's safety. They were Garros's claws and teeth, his scales, and more importantly, they could serve as his eyes and ears.
"Sentries need to be set up at important highlands and strategic passes."
"Pastures where herds breed, and river channels rich in water resources—these resource points also need to be guarded and controlled."
"Uncontrollable powerful Vicious Beasts and monsters must be cleared out first. The remaining ones should be penned and enslaved for livestock development."
"..."
A vast amount of knowledge regarding territory and kin management surged like a tide, letting Garros know what to do next.
But he actually didn't like these trivial matters.
Compared to spending time on territory management, Garros would rather crash into a few more mountains or smash the ground a few more times.
"Let's start with the simple things. Later, I'd better recruit a sufficiently clever kin or Dragonkin follower to act as a 'Prime Minister' or 'Minister' to control the territory and clans on my behalf."
"Samantha? Never mind. She might treat my kin like ants, letting them kill each other for her amusement."
"Karu is also quite smart and meticulous, but his intelligence is more like 'cunning and treachery.' He isn't suited for governing a territory."
Garros always believed that personal strength was the most important; everything else was just an embellishment by comparison.
However, the territory couldn't be completely ignored either.
This concerned the acquisition of resources during his growth phase.
Pondering the knowledge in 'the prince,' Garros flapped his wings, whipping up a gale to attract the attention of all his kin. He suspended himself in mid-air, his pair of wings spreading like banners, casting a heavy shadow.
Under the curious gazes of the many kin...
Garros said, "Bone-Chewing Clan, Howling Moon Clan, Red-Eye Clan, Ripped-Claw Clan—all these names shall become history!"
His gaze was like lightning as it swept over the kin.
"From tonight onward..."
"You have only one name!"
Garros raised his head and let out a dragon roar, his voice sounding like rolling thunder.
"The People of Molten Iron!"
Unifying the scattered clans and giving them a single name was the first and most important step in planning the territory. It could increase the cohesion of the kin, letting them know exactly who they were fighting for and who they were living for.
Under the witness of the twin moons and the starry sky, the Molten Iron Clan, led by Garros, was officially established today.