Morning light pierced through the clouds, dyeing the entire sky a transparent blue, reflected on the lake of Dragon Valley like a giant sapphire, until ripples appeared on the surface, shattering the reflection into shimmering waves.
"The No. 95 black oil you wanted."
Samantha pushed a large barrel of black oil in front of Garros, her voice calm yet carrying a hint of anticipation.
The tip of her tail flicked unconsciously, her gaze drifting toward the Red-Iron Dragon every now and then.
Garros understood the Red Dragon's little thoughts well; he bared his teeth in a fierce yet satisfied smile: "You did well."
The Red Dragon's tail wagged significantly more, and several cheerful sparks seeped from the gaps between her scales.
But soon, her tone took on a bit of regret: "Unfortunately, my skills are not yet proficient enough; my control over the heat wasn't precise, and the quality of the furnace limited the refinement efficiency, leading to significant loss."
Since being defeated by the White Dragon, Samantha had matured a lot.
In the past, she would never have admitted her shortcomings and would only have complained about the tools being inadequate.
"It is enough," Garros tapped the black oil barrel with his claw, producing a dull echo. "Your skills will become more and more exquisite. One day, you will be able to refine alchemical products that will shock all of Bernardo. I look forward to that day."
One could not simply suppress a Red Dragon.
After a lesson, appropriate encouragement was equally important.
Garros was well-versed in this path.
He even had an idea: perhaps he should compile these insights into the [Dragon Taming Art] and place it within the Legacy for future generations.
Thinking of this, Garros suddenly had a question.
"If I have descendants in the future, will they inherit my Adaptive Evolution talent?"
"Talents are difficult to pass down; it likely won't work."
"Then what about the traits I have already evolved? For example, Explosive Scales, Comet Wings, or the Frenzied State. Will these traits be fully inherited, or only partially?"
The Legacy could not provide Garros with an answer to this question.
He could only explore it in the future.
Meanwhile, at the thought of descendants and such matters...
Garros suddenly felt a surge of heat.
Many figures involuntarily surfaced in his mind: the Copper Dragon he once defeated, Samantha before him, the White Dragon Tereshi, the beautiful Centaur who was a half-elf, and Frostfang who yearned to serve him. Almost all the females flashed through his mind.
Seize all females!
Defeat female enemies, conquer them, and humiliate them repeatedly!
Make them his exclusive playthings!
Have them bear his children!
—These violent desires surged like magma.
The instincts of an Evil Dragon were so strong.
Although the Iron Dragon Bloodline was relatively restrained, the lustful nature within the Red Dragon Bloodline was strongly influencing Garros at this moment.
"Whew—"
The Red-Iron Dragon exhaled deeply, his scorching breath condensing into white mist in the morning air.
He suppressed this heat with a will of steel, banishing those erotic thoughts from his mind one by one.
"I cannot be dominated by instinct."
"Now is not the time to indulge in desire."
Garros gradually regained his composure.
The current environment was not yet stable, and dangers lurked everywhere.
At least he had to wait until the situation stabilized and there weren't so many threats to deal with before considering releasing these impulses and breeding descendants.
"My Lord."
The commander of the Crimson Iron Cavalry, a Dragon Vein Werewolf, came to report.
It was worth mentioning that the half-elf Centaur Elvie had thoughts of competing with the Dragon Vein Werewolf for the position of cavalry commander, but Garros had suppressed it. Russell's loyalty and leadership skills had been tested by time, and he was his Dragon-blooded Kin; Elvie was still a bit lacking.
In the Molten Iron Clan, a major factor in determining a subordinate's position was strength.
But more important than strength was Garros's will.
As long as he was willing, even the lowliest Kobold would have the chance to become a Warband Master.
"We have identified five strongholds of the Bloodhoof Clan. Three of them are small with few guards, while two are heavily guarded by the Minotaur."
Russell said with his head bowed.
"Tell me the main points first."
Garros looked at the werewolf.
"The Obsidian Mine and the Heavy-armored Rhino Ranch."
The werewolf Russell said: "The Bloodhoof Clan's largest resource point is the Obsidian Mine, where they enslave creatures of other races to mine. At the same time, they raise Heavy Armored Rhinos, selecting excellent individuals to serve as mounts for their cavalry, while those that don't qualify are slaughtered for meat. The Heavy-armored Rhino Ranch is the Minotaurs' largest source of meat and fodder."
Minotaur are omnivorous creatures.
Their primary food sources are vegetarian items like grass, tender leaves, and melons, but they also eat meat. If they go too long without meat supplements, they become weak and their development slows.
After a pause, the werewolf added: "We were spotted by Minotaur sentries during our reconnaissance."
"But strangely, after their patrol discovered us, they only chased us for half a mile symbolically before retreating."
Tasha, the Wyvern Leader, landed before Garros and said: "The Bloodhoof Clan has no effective countermeasures against the harassment of the Wyvern Swarm. They are currently ignoring us almost entirely, focusing on passive defense and only occasionally counterattacking."
After hearing the words of the werewolf and the Wyvern Leader...
Garros narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
The Red Dragon Samantha snorted fire from her nostrils and suggested: "The Bloodhoof Clan fears Dragon Valley."
"Garros, they are not as powerful as you think. I believe we should directly gather the legion and crush our way to their base; that would be most efficient."
The White Dragon Tereshi also nodded, rarely agreeing with the Red Dragon: "Minotaur are stubborn creatures. They are easily provoked into a frenzy when faced with defiance. Their timid reaction proves they are actually the weaker side."
Hearing the two say this...
Garros had similar thoughts in his mind.
With the nature of a Red-Iron Hybrid, he preferred a straightforward way of fighting—for instance, flying over the Bloodhoof Clan right now, destroying their defenses, and choosing to either subjugate or annihilate them based on the Minotaurs' reaction.
However, Garros's rationality, along with the Martial Dragon's keen intuition for danger, made him feel something was amiss.
Garros called Vera over and took a few sips of the fresh Scale Powder from the Faerie Dragon.
Since Vera became a Dream Weaver, the effects of her Scale Powder had improved.
His mind became active under the stimulation, and the world in his eyes turned into bright tones. Garros brainstormed, thinking at high speed.
"According to the Centaurs' descriptions, the Bloodhoof Clan is extraordinary."
"That they could establish multiple strongholds in the Borderlands and continue to expand is not something an ordinary clan can do."
"Now, faced with the wyverns' harassment and the cavalry's reconnaissance, they have chosen to endure instead."
Garros's thoughts were more comprehensive: "Either they truly cannot respond, or they have other matters to attend to, or—they are feigning weakness."
Garros immediately ruled out the first thought.
He was meticulous and cautious, unlike the Red and White Dragons who took things for granted.
If the Bloodhoof Clan were truly so weak, it would be impossible for the Centaurs to fear them so much. The Centaurs of the White Mane Clan had dared to hunt the White Dragon back then, yet they lacked the courage to face the Bloodhoof Clan.
"There are other matters or other enemies pinning down the Bloodhoof Clan, or they are feigning weakness."
"The werewolves and wyverns found no evidence of the Bloodhoof Clan having conflicts or wars with other forces."
"If they are feigning weakness—why?"
"If it were just to deal with wyverns and reconnaissance cavalry, the Bloodhoof Clan would have no reason to feign weakness unless my existence, or the existence of other dragons, has already been exposed."
At this point, Garros's train of thought stopped.
Exposure was the most likely possibility.
Moreover, the Minotaurs' feigned weakness didn't mean they feared Dragonkin.
If they truly feared Dragonkin, they would choose to migrate or come to pledge loyalty. Feigning weakness now instead exposed the hidden ambitions of the Bloodhoof Clan.
Garros slowly exhaled.
His spirit gradually calmed down.
"Whether they are feigning weakness or have other matters pinning them down."
"We'll know after a test to see how they respond."
Garros's gaze was like a torch; he did not rush to attack their base just because of the Bloodhoof Clan's current reaction.
Other Young Dragons, or even adult dragons, might do that.
But Garros had a steady mindset; he chose a more stable approach.