Under the Iron Dragon's command, the legion of kin began entering Dragon Valley in batches. Simultaneously, some Lizardfolk and Kobolds scaled the steep cliffs on both sides to begin constructing watchtowers and other fortifications.
The count of the Wyvern swarm was also completed.
There was one prime Wyvern, Tasha; four adult Wyverns; six young Wyverns; and forty-six other, younger Wyverns in total.
They would provide the Molten Iron Clan with a significant aerial force that could not be ignored.
The night was as dark as ink. Garros, having finally found a suitable territory, did not immediately relax to rest; instead, he impatiently began his training.
Ever since the migration began, he had to remain constantly vigilant and alert on the journey; it had been too long since he had had a proper workout.
Now that he was finally free, and had a group of new sparring partners to boot.
Garros felt an unbearable itch in his heart. He ordered Tasha and four other adult Wyverns to besiege him together. He would not counterattack, only using his body to withstand their assault as a form of defense.
The Wyverns found such a request somewhat difficult to understand.
However, that did not stop them from obeying orders, so they began a frantic beating of Garros.
The Wyverns soared into the air and dove down time and again, their powerful talons trampling and tearing at Garros's body.
The strength of drakes was a level above Vicious Beasts and monsters of the same size. It had to be said that their attacks felt more comfortable to Garros than those of Great Bears or Ogres.
Accompanied by sounds like the clashing of metal, red-hot sparks flew in all directions.
The Explosive Scales on Garros soon became glowing red, like red-hot steel.
At this point, he had the Wyvern swarm stop for a moment while he charged into the center of the icy lake.
Sizzle! After a plume of steam rose like quenching steel, his Explosive Scales gradually cooled, returning to their normal dark-gray state, before he allowed the Wyverns to continue their attack.
In truth, using the Frenzied State to directly stimulate the Explosive Scales was faster.
However, the Frenzied State was pure high-temperature stimulation without the impact force needed to further strengthen the shock-absorbing and energy-absorbing effects of the Explosive Scales. Furthermore, the Wyverns' attacks included tearing from their talons in addition to the force of the impact, which could also improve the scales' defense against sharp weapons. This was a more comprehensive improvement than simply ramming into mountains or the ground.
Garros hoped that through this method,
He could gradually cause the Explosive Scales to evolve once more.
He no longer needed the explosive trait, but the basic shock and energy absorption needed to be preserved. Beyond that, there were two evolutionary outcomes Garros wanted most.
First, the ability to feed the absorbed energy back into himself.
If that happened, while using this layer of defense to tank damage and wear down the enemy's condition, Garros would instead remain at his Peak state constantly, without any physical exhaustion.
Second, the ability to store the absorbed energy and release it in a sudden burst.
In this case, by absorbing damage first and then exploding all the accumulated energy at once—combined with the Frenzied State—Garros could strike a blow that surpassed his own limits. It wouldn't be impossible for him to defeat the strong as the weak or turn the tables to kill a powerful enemy in an instant.
Of course.
The best, absolute best result would be a combination of the two, where he could control the energy to either provide a steady trickle of feedback to himself or concentrate it for a one-time use depending on the situation.
It was just too unrealistic.
Garros currently had no clue how to evolve in this direction. Even after consuming fairy scale powder, he couldn't think of a good way. He could only hone the Explosive Scales and try to make them stop exploding first, then find a way based on the subsequent evolutionary progress.
Additionally.
The Wyverns' attacks covered large areas of his body.
The spines on Garros's body were also snapping off, while simultaneously scratching and leaving gashes on the Wyverns' talons and hardened scales.
In the spots where the spines had broken, he felt a distinct tingling and itching sensation. This usually meant that after years of adaptation, the area had reached a sufficient accumulation and was undergoing ultra-high-speed evolution.
Garros hadn't intentionally trained his spines.
However, during every battle and training session, the spines on his body would suffer some breakage and damage. After repeated regeneration and wear, this evolutionary opportunity had finally arrived.
The evolution of the spines was already close at hand.
Regrettably, the evolution of the Explosive Scales and the Dragon Heart, which Garros valued more, was still an unknown amount of time away.
After training for a while longer.
Garros's eyes flickered slightly as he signaled the Wyverns to stop.
"All of you, withdraw and rest."
He said.
Most of the Wyverns were exhausted, their talons bleeding. Hearing this, they felt as if they had been liberated and hastily flew away.
Tasha, the leader, however, was still quite excited.
She possessed a body stronger than a normal Wyvern's not because of birth, but because she herself enjoyed tempering her body and trained more diligently than her kin. Though she couldn't reach Garros's level, it was enough to make her stand out.
"My Lord, please summon me whenever you wish to train. I am happy to be of service,"
Tasha said.
She was currently the only kin who felt satisfied and looked forward to being Garros's sparring partner.
At the same time, Frostfang arrived at the lakeside. Behind her followed two Werewolves carrying Russell on a stretcher.
"Dragon Lord."
Russell was very weak. He struggled to climb off the stretcher to pay his respects but accidentally fell to the ground. He was helped up by the Werewolves and barely managed to stand straight.
Exploring unknown lands was a very dangerous task.
In the previous encounter, he had been struck by a merciless and fierce tail swipe from the Wyvern leader. His sternum had been broken, and his body had been slashed by the tail stinger, infecting him with a potent toxin.
Afterward, the Wyvern leader had sucked out the poisonous blood, but toxins still eroded and damaged Russell's internal organs.
This made his already serious injuries even worse.
The Werewolves applied ointments to him and fed him healing potions obtained from previous trades. Frostfang, as a Shaman, also communicated with Healing Spirits to treat him.
These measures had improved Russell's condition significantly, but they could not fully heal him.
He wouldn't die immediately, but it would be difficult for him to fight again; his body had become far too weak.
"Please forgive me for being unable to bow to you."
In front of the Red-Iron Dragon, Russell was as humble as ever.
Garros looked down at this Werewolf who had followed him since the early days.
At this moment, he was much like the Old Shaman who had been so aged he could barely walk; he had reached a point of critical illness and was on the brink of death.
"There is no need for formalities."
"You have already proven your loyalty to me."
Garros said.
At that moment, Frostfang knelt on the ground and pleaded, "Great Dragon Lord, please grant my father the chance to continue serving you."
Such a chance was Dragon Vein Transformation.
Russell was a good leader. Whether leading the former Howling Moon Clan or the current Crimson Iron Cavalry, his intelligence and foresight—superior to that of ordinary monsters—allowed him to perform excellently in both managing subordinates and executing orders from above.
Garros gazed down at the Werewolf.
The dragon blood collected and stored last time could transform more than one Dragon Vein kin. Russell was already under his consideration, along with the Ogre Ugo and the Gnoll Hodge.