The sunset clouds layered upon each other like a brilliant oil painting spread across the sky. The scales of the two Young Dragons were plated in the sunset's glow as they conversed.
"An ownerless Grey Magnetite Mine? A good discovery."
Garros said, "With this iron mine, we have the leverage to conduct trade. Dispatch warband units to station there and have the Kobolds handle the excavation; they are the best miners."
After a pause, he added, "Take all the Kora Giant Eagles there for aerial surveillance."
The Borderlands were not as fertile as the wilderness, so Garros placed great importance on the first Grey Magnetite Mine they discovered.
To conduct waterborne trade via the Estonia Great River, relying solely on biological Materials like horns and furs obtained from hunting was a drop in the bucket. Most important were mineral veins that could be continuously mined and held value.
Furthermore...
Nicks Caravan was about to return soon.
Having received new information about the Molten Iron Clan, the caravan would change its route and come via the Estonia Great River waterway. Moreover, the Red-Iron Dragon had not forgotten Nick's request for an audience.
The Molten Iron Clan had migrated to the Borderlands to start anew, and it was a time when they urgently needed various resources.
The alchemy equipment, manual knowledge, and item blueprints requested last time were also very important, as they concerned the development of the Molten Iron Clan's alchemy industry.
"I will handle the excavation and mining of the mineral vein."
Iron Dragon Sorog nodded, his gaze falling on Garros as he said, "Garros, as for you, my dear brother, have you mutated again?"
He was referring to the spines on Garros's body.
After entering Dragon Valley and settling down for another month, Garros's spines had now completed their evolution.
Hardened blackish-brown spines of varying sizes, especially concentrated on Garros's back, neck, arm plates, and shoulders, shimmered with a cold, piercing light, looking extremely dangerous.
"Come and feel it."
Garros said to the curious Iron Dragon, slightly turning his body to reveal his shoulder, signaling the Iron Dragon to attack it.
"Here I come."
The Iron Dragon gave a warning, then raised his sharp claws and swiped toward the area on Garros's shoulder where the spines were most concentrated.
Clang!
Claws ground against spines, and sparks flew in all directions.
Ssss. The Iron Dragon bared his teeth and quickly retracted his claws. Looking down, he was stunned to find that his hard claws had actually been pierced by the dense, sharp spines, and trickles of dragon blood were seeping out.
These spines were actually strong and sharp enough to pierce dragon claws!
Most Dragonkin have spines.
The spines of an Evil Dragon are denser and sharper than those of a Metallic Dragon.
However, such spines were far less sharp than dragon claws and not as hard as scales. They didn't actually serve much purpose on a Dragonkin's body, mainly serving an "aesthetic" effect for Evil Dragon beauty standards.
Garros's spines, however, were more than just aesthetic.
Given the hardness of the Iron Dragon's claws, they were still wounded by them; these were already like sharp blades, and even of the level of a divine Sharp Weapon.
Hissing and drawing in a cold breath, the Iron Dragon looked up at Garros's shoulder.
Something even more unexpected happened.
He saw those broken spines regenerating at an ultra-high speed visible to the naked eye. Within a few breaths, they had grown back completely, and judging by their color, they didn't look like new spines at all, which was heart-palpitating.
"They can even regenerate?!"
The Iron Dragon showed a look of envy and asked, "Garros, how on earth did you do it? I admit your training intensity is far beyond my reach, but this is surely more than just what training can achieve."
Through training, one could make spines harder.
But to reach the point of piercing an Iron Dragon's hand? And being able to regenerate? It sounded like a fantasy.
"A mutation from being a Mixed-blood, plus my persistent training."
Garros attributed the cause to his Mixed-blood and training.
He changed the subject and asked, "Sorog, have you decided which class to choose first?"
The Iron Dragon nodded. "Psion. I plan to take the path of a Psion."
Garros was a bit surprised; he had thought the Iron Dragon would prefer a warrior-type class.
"In terms of combat, having you is enough, and a Psion also possesses impressive combat skills," the Iron Dragon said. "Most importantly, this class will allow me to better manage the territory and command our minions."
The three Ignas siblings now had very clear roles.
Garros was the leader, the symbol of the strongest; once he acted, any difficulty or desperate situation would be easily resolved.
Sorog was the minister, extremely skilled in coordinating and managing the clan's affairs, which was why he chose the Psion class. Samantha was in charge of alchemy logistics; though not very important now, the alchemy industry would be indispensable as the clan developed.
"Your mind and will are stronger than those of an ordinary Iron Dragon."
"I believe you can take on that class."
Garros smiled and said.
Being a Psion had a threshold; one needed to awaken psionic energy through meditation, and meditation was a dull and tedious process. Samantha definitely wouldn't be able to sit still for it, but the Iron Dragon had talent in this area.
After a bit more conversation...
The Iron Dragon took several teams of minions and flew toward the Grey Magnetite Mine, intending to establish an outpost there first.
Garros continued to focus on himself.
He concentrated his mind on the spines on his body and then gave his body a violent shake.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
One spine after another tore through the air, deeply piercing the surrounding earth, stones, grass, and trees like enchanted and alchemical arrows. The range was extremely wide, and the killing effect was stronger than the shattering of Explosive Scales, and it could also be quite unexpected.
"After the spines evolved, I have even less need for the damage from Explosive Scales."
Garros thought to himself, and then called the Wyverns over again to "trample his back."
The Wyverns carefully avoided the area of the spines and launched attacks on Garros's scales.
Enduring the attacks of the Wyverns, the Explosive Scales on Garros's body gradually turned red. However, because he stopped midway time and again, the speed at which the Explosive Scales turned red significantly slowed down. They would still eventually overload and explode, but it would take time to gradually adapt and undergo new evolution.
When night fell...
Iron Dragon Sorog led his minions and arrived at the Grey Magnetite Mine.
Before officially starting the excavation, they had to build a simple camp and base here for subsequent work.
Ogres, Gnolls, Lizardfolk, and others began to set up tents and construct watchtowers and other living and defensive structures.
The Kobolds carried pickaxes and followed behind the Iron Dragon, their small eyes glinting with cunning in the moonlight.
The Grey Magnetite Mine was located around a low mountain. Sorog tapped the rock layer with his claws, closing his eyes to sense carefully.
"Here," he pointed to a rock wall. "Start mining from here first."
The Kobolds immediately sprang into action. The crisp sound of refined steel pickaxes colliding with rock broke the silence of the night.
At the same time, the Kora Giant Eagles circled in the sky, their sharp eyes scanning the ground. They occasionally let out piercing cries, warning of any potential threats.
The stationing and mining of the Grey Magnetite Mine proceeded in full swing under the Iron Dragon's command.
Meanwhile, amidst a cold-resistant pine forest in the distance...
Hidden under the shadow of the canopy, Silvermane put down his Eagle-eye Scope, the silver-white mane on his body bristling slightly from tension.
"Those tall and sturdy Ogres are wearing metal armor."
He lowered his voice and said, "And those Hyena Knights and Giant Wolf Knights are all equipped with excellent gear. They don't seem like minions a Young Dragon should have."
Iron Hoof's hooves pawed the ground uneasily. "What's more troublesome are those giant eagles. With them patrolling the sky, it's hard for us to approach and attack silently."
The two looked at each other in silence, both seeing hesitation in the other's eyes.
Iron Hoof suddenly grinned and said, "What, scared?"
Silvermane said, "I'm just thinking that perhaps Elvie was right."
He looked at the busy minions in the mine and mused, "This Iron Dragon... is not simple."
Iron Hoof said, "Don't forget, whoever can settle the matter here first will likely become the Clan Chief. This Iron Dragon is somewhat different, but not enough to make us afraid."
Opposite him, Silvermane suggested, "Why don't we join forces? We'll deal with the Iron Dragon together first, and then you and I can compete for the position of Clan Chief. In any case, we cannot let a Mixed-blood become the Clan Chief."
Iron Mane thought for a moment and then nodded heavily.
PS: From now on, intelligent beings will be referred to as he/she, while non-intelligent Vicious Beasts or semi-intelligent ones like the violent bears will use "it.