Garros said: "The process of Dragon Vein Transformation is intense and painful."
"Russell, accepting the transformation with your currently heavily injured body will only result in a slim chance of survival, and a waste of dragon blood."
After a pause, he continued: "However, I will still give you this opportunity; you can make the choice yourself."
Due to their past history of following him and to set an example for other subordinates, Garros decided to give the werewolf the chance for Dragon Vein Transformation regardless of the outcome.
Now, two choices lay before Russell.
One was to drag out a miserable existence with his crippled body.
The other was to risk death through Dragon Vein Transformation to seek survival.
As a warrior and a leader who once led his clan to struggle for survival in the wilderness, Russell did not hesitate. With a firm gaze, he said: "Dragon Lord, please grant me your dragon blood. I wish to become stronger and continue to serve you faithfully."
The most critical part of Dragon Vein Transformation is will.
As long as the will to survive and the will to become stronger are intense enough, even if the body is completely destroyed, there is a high probability of successful transformation.
Garros saw the unquenchable will in the werewolf's eyes and said: "As you wish."
Immediately after, he had his subordinates bring the previously collected dragon blood to perform the transformation ritual on the werewolf.
During this time, many subordinate leaders came to watch.
A sphere of blood, looking like magma or molten iron, was dropped into the werewolf's mouth.
The moment the dragon blood entered his throat, Russell's greyish-white fur stood on end.
His originally weak body suddenly snapped straight, his muscles bulging like they were being inflated, and his bones let out a tooth-aching crackle; he seemed to be improving.
But this power came too violently.
The werewolf's skin suddenly cracked, revealing new black scales beneath. The old skin peeled off like dried bark, but the growth rate of the new scales was far from keeping up with the destruction. His body soon turned into a terrifying form of half-scale and half-flesh, his spine was also lengthening and deforming, and his tailbone pierced through his flesh, extending into a bony tail over two meters long.
The most painful part was the reconstruction of the skull. The wolf's muzzle tore and healed, and dragon horns gradually grew from his head.
Frostfang watched her father rolling on the ground. The furrows gouged out by his wolf claws were filled with a mixture of blood and scales. She clenched her claws and silently prayed to the ancestors that her father could overcome this trial.
"Remember who you fight for."
"When your body is at its limit, let your will lead you through the encirclement."
The Red-Iron Dragon's voice exploded directly within Russell's near-collapsing consciousness.
In a daze...
Russell thought of the Old Shaman's instructions years ago, telling him he must lead the werewolves to glory; he thought of the werewolf pups waiting to be fed, the difficult past, and the broader future after following Garros.
He erupted with an unprecedented instinct for survival.
"I cannot fall."
Russell's bony tail suddenly smashed the ground, and a roar like a trapped beast escaped his throat. His body stood up inch by inch, and as he stood, the new dragon scales grew into shape like armor.
When he finally stood up, his body was twice as tall as before, transformed into a brand-new form.
He retained his wolf head, but it had gained dragon-like features. His fangs were as cold as daggers, and beneath the thick fur on his body, a layer of steel-like black scales was visible to the naked eye. A pair of wings had also grown from his back.
Garros gazed at the werewolf who had turned into a Dragonkin and smiled slightly, saying: "You have earned a new life for yourself."
To be honest, he hadn't expected Russell to succeed.
Dragon Vein Transformation is actually easier for purer creatures to complete, like Karu, whose head is filled with nothing but food.
An intelligent werewolf like Russell, who even liked to read books to absorb knowledge, was actually more prone to hesitation because of his rationality. However, this werewolf's will was extremely tough and tenacious, better than Garros had anticipated.
This will allowed him to be reborn through blood.
Unlike Karu, however, Russell had black, iron-cast scales and features belonging to an Iron Dragon; he had clearly inherited the power of the Iron Dragon Bloodline.
"Karu has a crude and reckless temperament, close to that of a Red Dragon, so he inherited the Red Dragon Bloodline."
"Russell is more rational and intelligent, with a personality leaning toward an Iron Dragon, so he inherited the Iron Dragon Bloodline."
"Could it be that the closer one's inherent personality is to a certain type of dragon nature, the more the transformation result will lean toward the corresponding dragon Bloodline?"
Garros was lost in thought.
Since the number of Hybrid Dragons was small, there were no records of this in his Legacy; he was currently making his own deductions.
At the same time, Russell panted heavily, his chest heaving violently as he knelt before the Red-Iron Dragon.
He said in a resonant voice: "My strength, my life, and my Soul—all burn for you!"
From then on, Garros had another dragon vein subordinate under his command.
The former Bloodtooth Overseer, now the Warband Master of the Iron Will warband, the Gnoll Hodge, knelt before Garros with a face full of fawning and flattering smiles: "Noble, invincible, and great Dragon Lord, Hodge also wants to become stronger to better serve you."
Garros was concise: "You would one hundred percent die."
The Iron Will warband had a grand name, but it was composed of the most ordinary warriors of various races with no special characteristics; essentially, it was a cannon fodder unit.
Hodge did not have the courage for Living through Death.
He shrank his neck and said with a sheepish smile: "Please pretend I never said anything. Give the opportunity to someone more qualified."
He was still in his prime and hadn't reached the point of desperately craving Dragon Vein Transformation to extend his life. Moreover, Russell's painful struggle just now was still fresh in his mind, making his heart palpitate with fear and lack of confidence.
Garros did not plan to continue transforming other subordinates for now.
The remaining dragon blood would continue to be sealed and preserved.
He had his subordinates disperse to develop the territory while he himself began various types of training. During his training, the Demonic Energy and life energy within his body gradually transformed into Dragon Qi, bit by bit.
The method for raising the early Ranks of a Martial Dragon was very straightforward.
Only through cruel training that pushed oneself to the limit or intense combat would Dragon Qi transform.
For every tenth of the total amount of Dragon Qi increased, one could rise by 1 Rank. When the Rank reached Rank 10, Garros's life energy and Demonic Energy would completely transform into thicker and tougher Dragon Qi.
In the following days, Garros's life in Dragon Valley became fulfilling once again.
Dragon Qi, Explosive Scales, Dragon Heart, and occasionally honing his wings and tail—he immersed himself in various exercises and his own improvement.
Meanwhile...
As time passed day by day...
Samantha, loathing the cold weather, took her subordinates and some Lizardfolk to the Sulfur Hills to rebuild the Alchemy Workshop.
Under the command and management of the Iron Dragon Sorog, the subordinates were also building the territory, such as setting up defensive lines, arrow towers, and hidden outposts outside the valley, as well as establishing strongholds at key points and high ground.
He was mainly stationed at the site of the former Giant's Ruined Fort, occasionally going to Dragon Valley.
The Iron Dragon was the busiest. Besides commanding the subordinates, he himself was not idle. Relying on his innate talent for sensing metal, he searched the ground inch by inch for hidden ore veins.
Only the Fairy Dragon Vera's sole task was to collect her Scale Powder for Garros. Other than that, she just played around, her days being the most relaxed and carefree.
Just like that, a month passed in the blink of an eye.
The Molten Iron Clan gradually took root in Dragon Valley and the Borderlands.
The sun shed its none-too-warm light. The Iron Dragon Sorog took a deep breath and then, with an excited expression, slowly stood up from a pit, clutching a greyish-black rock in his claws.
"I've finally discovered a valuable ore vein!"
Right beneath his feet, he sensed the existence of a metal ore vein.
After excavation, it was confirmed to be a Grey Magnetite Mine.
Grey Magnetite Mine is not a magical metal, but it still has decent value. Moreover, he felt that the scale of the ore vein here was not small, making it a resource point that could be continuously mined.
A happy expression appeared on his dragon face.
The Iron Dragon noted the location, flapped his wings, rose into the high sky, and flew toward Dragon Valley to deliver the good news to Garros.
But the Iron Dragon failed to notice.
Over ten miles away, a group of agile Centaur scouts raised their heads from the cold-resistant pine forest, their eyes fixed on the Iron Dragon's back as it gradually disappeared into the sky.
The Borderlands were the territory of monster clans and powerful Vicious Beasts and magical creatures.
The Young Dragons were more active in the Borderlands, where no armies were stationed, than they were in the wilderness.
At this time, the natives of the Borderlands, the monster clans of the Borderlands, also discovered the arrival of the Young Dragons.