"For the glory of the White Mane!"
Battle cries shattered the silence of the night. Following the sudden assault by the two commanders, all the Centaur Warriors drew their weapons and charged at the Iron Dragon and its kin, their spears gleaming coldly under the night sky.
"Despicable things, I'll tear you apart!"
The warriors of the Molten Iron Clan were momentarily stunned, then flew into a rage, roaring as they met the enemy.
The most dangerous situation was undoubtedly faced by the Iron Dragon, who was being attacked by two Centaur Commanders simultaneously.
Sorog's pupils suddenly constricted into narrow slits.
Damn it, I was too proud and let my guard down, getting deceived. If it were Garros, he would have definitely seen through these Centaurs' bluff.
At the critical moment.
The Iron Dragon rolled sideways somewhat awkwardly.
Silvermane's blade traced a cold arc, grazing the Iron Dragon's wing membrane and leaving a shocking wound. Simultaneously, Iron Hoof's spear pierced the Iron Dragon's shoulder, penetrating the hard scales and creating a bloody hole deep enough to see the bone.
Neither of the two Centaur Commanders was simple.
The ambush just now was only the beginning; they were relentless, using their initial advantage to launch a fierce, storm-like assault.
The spear struck at tricky angles like lightning, targeting the Iron Dragon's joints, eyes, wings, throat, and other weak points. While the Iron Dragon was dodging and defending...
Silvermane's heavy sword came down with overwhelming force, hacking at his body and leaving deep sword marks every time.
The kin also began fighting the other Centaurs. Since they weren't the main force, their formation was quickly broken by the Centaurs, making it difficult to reinforce the Iron Dragon. Instead, Centaur elites launched attacks on the Iron Dragon, throwing grappling hooks or hunting nets to restrict his flight and coordinate with the two commanders in the siege.
The most troublesome ones were the Sharpshooters among the Centaurs.
The arrows they fired could pierce the Iron Dragon's scales and dig into his flesh. They were extremely precise and skilled in archery, causing great trouble for the Iron Dragon.
Sorog could feel at least five arrows stuck in his muscles, the paralytic poison on the arrowheads spreading through his blood.
"Young Dragon, fall here! You shall become my honor!"
Iron Hoof grinned and laughed.
This Centaur Commander was now displaying formidable combat skills. His four-meter-tall body was incredibly agile. With every move, his spear accurately stabbed at the Iron Dragon's eyes or wing membranes.
The anger of being deceived and the pain coming from his body.
These feelings made the Iron Dragon almost lose his mind, making him want to kill the two Centaurs right here regardless of the cost.
"Be patient, my brother. Remember, time is on our side."
At this moment, he remembered Garros's words.
"Calm down! Sorog, calm down! You are not a bloodthirsty beast; you are a noble and wise Dragonkin!"
Taking a deep breath, the Iron Dragon suppressed the surging anger in his heart and tried his best to calm himself.
"I can't keep fighting. One-on-one, I don't fear a Centaur Commander with a higher Life Level, but now I'm being besieged and restricted everywhere."
Body Hardening!
The Iron Dragon used a Spell-like Ability. A layer of black light flashed over his body as he reared up on his hind legs.
Clang!
The spear pierced his chest plate but could barely advance an inch into the flesh. The heavy sword clashed with his claws, sending out a shower of sparks. The Centaur archers' arrows clattered against him, causing the black light on his body to dent and crack.
He endured the attacks of the two Centaur Commanders and the archers, gaining a moment to breathe amidst their fierce assault.
The Iron Dragon's chest swelled as he took a deep breath and then exhaled violently. Dazzling Electric-Fire Dragon Breath surged from his mouth, causing the Centaur Commanders' expressions to change slightly as they were forced to dodge.
Several Centaur elites were caught off guard and engulfed by the Dragon Breath, their skin tearing and flesh splitting as they rolled on the ground wailing.
The grappling hooks and hunting nets were also snapped by the Iron Dragon in the process.
"It seems I can fight."
Having regained a bit of an advantage, the Iron Dragon thought subconsciously: "My life force is more abundant than theirs, my physique can withstand a massive amount of damage, and as long as my attacks hit, they will be heavily wounded. It's not certain who will win in the end."
His old habit was acting up.
However, such a thought only existed for a moment.
The shame of being captured by the Ogres was still fresh in his mind. The lesson from Garros made him realize he shouldn't linger in battle now.
After forcing back the Centaurs suppressing him, the Iron Dragon flapped his wings and took to the sky without hesitation, ascending without looking back.
Whoosh!
A spear pierced the air, letting out a piercing whistle.
The Iron Dragon tilted his body, narrowly avoiding the spear and the subsequent rain of arrows, and continued to ascend.
"Cowardly lizard!"
Silvermane looked up and let out a long howl, taunting: "Leave all your Dragonkin dignity and glory here and run away with your tail between your legs."
The Iron Dragon's body paused slightly, then he continued to ascend without looking back.
Running away?
No.
According to Garros's words, this was a strategic retreat.
Only after ascending to a high altitude completely out of the Centaurs' attack range did the Iron Dragon stop, circling and looking down at the tiny Centaurs below.
Silvermane and Iron Hoof shouted continued insults and provocations.
They remembered that years ago, a White Dragon also tried to flee after being defeated, but after being taunted, it lost its head and continued to fight. The White Mane Clan had beaten it to a near-death state, almost succeeding in hunting a dragon.
However, what made them feel uneasy was...
The Iron Dragon in the sky just looked at them coldly, not lowering his altitude or lingering in the fight.
The innate nature of Dragonkin makes them prone to early death, but stereotypes of Dragonkin like those held by the Centaurs can also lead to a backlash.
The Iron Dragon said coldly, "Centaurs, you will pay the price for your deception and betrayal."
Leaving behind those words, the Iron Dragon directly abandoned the camp and his kin here, flapped his wings, and gradually disappeared into the night.
"A pity, we couldn't kill him."
"Our clan lacks the sorcerer class. It's easy to repel and drive away Dragonkin, but killing them is always a bit out of reach."
Iron Hoof and Silvermane looked in the direction the Young Dragon had left and said.
Neither of them took the Young Dragon's final threat to heart.
They knew Dragonkin held grudges and would surely come for revenge once they grew up.
But Centaurs were naturally uninhibited and had nomadic habits; they wouldn't stay in the same place for very long. Given the growth rate of Dragonkin, by the time it returned, the Centaurs would have long since moved on.
"Driving away the Iron Dragon and reclaiming the Grey Magnetite Mine can be considered a resolution to this incident."
The two Centaur Commanders looked at each other and said, "The position of Clan Chief will be chosen from between the two of us."
Their gazes met in sharp opposition.
Immediately after, they shifted their gaze toward the monsters that had been wounded and captured by the Centaur elites.
"Kill them all. The smell of these monsters disgusts me,"
Iron Hoof said with murderous intent.
"The clan needs slaves for mining. It's best to keep them as slaves,"
Silvermane said.
"The Grey Magnetite Mine needs to be excavated, but the question now is, who do you think should be in charge?"
Iron Hoof looked directly at Silvermane and asked.
Silvermane smiled slightly, flicked the heavy sword in his hand, and said, "I think I should be in charge, but I suspect you don't think so."
Iron Hoof picked up the spear handed to him by a nearby Centaur and said, "Then let's settle this the traditional way."
The surrounding Centaurs stepped back, leaving an open space.
Under the moonlight, Iron Hoof and Silvermane stood about a hundred meters apart, staring at each other. Then they began to walk, run, and accelerate, charging at each other to decide the ownership of the Grey Magnetite Mine through a duel.
As for the driven-away young Iron Dragon, they had already put him out of their minds.