"Number six?"
Red-Silver Dragon Deborah was not satisfied with this ranking. Her gaze swept over the tiny creature, which looked like a kitten, and catching it off guard, she blew a breath of air at it.
Watching the Faerie Dragon swaying unsteadily in the gale-like breath, the Red-Silver Dragon narrowed her eyes comfortably and said, "Little one, I should be second. Only Garros can be above me here."
The pride of the Hybrid Dragon boiled in her Bloodline.
Red-Silver Dragon Deborah could allow Garros to be above her; after all, she had lost to Garros more than once.
But other dragons ranked above her? She could not accept it.
The Faerie Dragon flapped her butterfly-like wings, spinning several times before stabilizing her body.
"I have a name; you can call me Vera."
"As for the order, it is based on who arrived first."
She loved to play around and was not angry about it. She giggled while counting on her little claws: "Boss Garros is first, Samantha is second, and I am third."
"You came last, so you are sixth."
The Red-Silver Dragon glanced at the White Dragon, who was feeding roughly on the other side: "You mean to say that even a White Dragon can be ranked ahead of me?"
The Faerie Dragon blinked.
She pondered and said: "Tereshi is fifth, but she is Garros' 'prisoner.' After being defeated by Garros, she is working to pay off her debt, so she doesn't count as a true member of Dragon Valley."
Looking up at the Red-Silver Dragon, the Faerie Dragon said in an encouraging tone: "Strictly speaking, you should be fifth! Your ranking has improved; aren't you happy?"
The Red-Silver Dragon was speechless.
She turned her head away dismissively, not wanting to entangle herself in this topic with the Faerie Dragon.
This childish ranking was obviously just the Faerie Dragon amusing herself and was not worth taking seriously.
At this moment, the Red Dragon Samantha and the White Dragon Tereshi finished their meal and arrived one after another where Garros was.
The two Evil Dragons stared at the Metallic Dragon simultaneously, their gazes unfriendly.
Among the Chromatic Dragon, the Red Dragon and the Silver Dragon have always been rivals. If given the chance, the powerful and evil Red Dragon loves nothing more than to enslave a Silver Dragon and repeatedly humiliate it.
As for the White Dragon, the White Dragon and the Silver Dragon both share the cold attribute and prefer similar habitats, often leading to conflicts. The result goes without saying, usually ending with the White Dragon fleeing in defeat.
The Silver Dragon scent on the Red-Silver Dragon made both Samantha and Tereshi feel displeased.
However, having learned her lesson, Samantha realized that it was best to keep her claws hidden when she was weak, so she did not spout wild words or provoke the Red-Silver Dragon.
As for the Silver Dragon, Tereshi adhered to the philosophy of "Kings do not meet."
But since they were now Face-to-Face, she decided to give the other party some Face and not start a conflict.
The Red-Silver Dragon looked at Samantha and suddenly spoke, a hint of approval in her Silver Dragon eyes: "You and Garros are siblings, aren't you? No wonder you could answer my riddle. You are very smart, unlike the Red Dragon I have in my memory."
For any Dragonkin who could cooperate with her in solving riddles, even a Red Dragon, she could be amiable.
Upon hearing Deborah's praise, the hostility in the Red Dragon's eyes dissipated significantly.
This damned Metallic Dragon could actually say nice things?
The Red Dragon's spines slightly relaxed, and she said: "You are also very impressive. The riddle you designed was complex and exquisite. Besides myself and Garros, I cannot think of anyone else who could answer it correctly."
Although she thought the riddle at the time was very simple, the Red-Silver Dragon gladly nodded at the Red Dragon's self-praise and flattery without refuting it.
"Metallic Dragon, do you come from Red Maple Valley?" the White Dragon Tereshi asked.
The Red-Silver Dragon did not even look, not sparing a glance, and did not reply.
She did not want to communicate with the White Scale.
The ignored White Dragon flared with anger, her tail smashing the hard ground, and she let out a heavy cold snort. She no longer spoke to the Red-Silver Dragon, cursing in her heart that the Metallic Dragon did not know what was good for her.
"There are only five dragons here. Vera, did you count wrong?" the Red-Silver Dragon said, her gaze sweeping across the Dragonkin present.
"That's right! Sorog is currently in deep slumber. He is fourth; he came later than me." The Faerie Dragon was concerned about the order and emphasized it.
At this moment, sunlight bathed the devastated battlefield.
The dependents of the Molten Iron Legion were piling intact weapons and armor into an iron hill.
Broken blades were also gathered together.
These scraps would be transported to the Sulfur Hills to be reborn in the Red Dragon Samantha's alchemy furnace and smelted into new weapons and equipment.
The corpses of the Minotaur and their mounts were not left to rot in the wilderness.
The remains of the Minotaur, Heavy Armored Rhino, and mammoth were skillfully skinned and deboned; tendons were hung on makeshift smoking racks, and fat was stored in jars.
The wisdom of struggling to survive in the wilderness was etched into the genes of these monsters.
Every piece of meat would be air-dried into strips as hard as boards, and every bone would be smashed to extract the last bit of marrow oil.
They knew well that food was hard-won and would not waste any of it.
Garros issued orders for a portion of his dependents to garrison and occupy the Bloodhoof Clan territory.
After the previous siege battle, the Bloodhoof Clan territory was devastated but not completely reduced to ruins. The wall-like fortifications had many gaps, but the structure was still quite intact, and many stone houses and various buildings remained standing inside.
The most valuable items were the totem poles.
The Bloodhoof Clan's totem poles were wealth obtained through normal accumulation and expansion, as well as plunder. They were crafted over a long time by shamans using precious magical Materials like Star-Silver and Magic Branch Wood obtained through trade along the Estonia Great River. Each one was incredibly valuable.
They were mostly damaged and destroyed.
However, if handed over to the Molten Iron Clan's warlocks and shaman group to study, there was a possibility of repairing them. If that failed, breaking them apart and selling the main bodies would still be a decent amount of wealth.
Additionally, the Bloodhoof Clan's base was located in the Fertile Plains. This area was not large, but unlike other areas of The Borderlands, it was not desolate or barren. As the name suggested, it was lush with grass, and wild berry bushes could be seen among the birch forests. It was territory carefully selected by the Bloodhoof Clan.
But from today on, the Bloodhoof Clan territory would become a stronghold of the Molten Iron Clan.
The Fertile Plains would also belong to the Molten Iron Clan.
"Elvie, Zakley, Jokic."
Garros said to the three Centaur leaders: "Your Centaur tribe will take over the Bloodhoof Clan territory. Each battle group will draw a portion of combat units to assist you."
Centaur could exert greater strength when galloping and charging on the plains, and grassy vegetation was part of their diet.
It was appropriate for them to be responsible for the Fertile Plains.
The place they were previously in had no value, and its geographical location was poor, so it could be directly abandoned.
In this war against the Bloodhoof Clan, the brave and battle-hardened Centaur performed well, charging at the very front, which had already proven their value.
Now, the Centaur and Ogre were the two strongest tribes under the Molten Iron Clan. With a little cultivation, they could provide a steady stream of fresh blood for the Crimson Iron Cavalry and the Star-Shattering Hammer.
Besides that, there were resource points like the Obsidian Mine, Heavy-armored Rhino Ranch, Iron Ore Mine, and Spined Beast Ranch.
They all belonged to the Molten Iron Clan as well.
Because their style of operation in The Borderlands was more active than it had been in the Serel Wilderness.
Dragon Valley, Fertile Plains, Sulfur Hills, Giant Ruins—the flags of the Molten Iron Clan gradually spread across the southwest corner of The Borderlands. Although they had not been here long, their scale had already surpassed the foundation in the Serel Wilderness.
"Iron Will suffered forty percent casualties."
"Crimson Iron Cavalry suffered twenty percent casualties."
"Star-Shattering Hammer suffered thirty percent casualties."
"Eye of Annihilation suffered ten percent casualties."
At this moment, the heads of each battle group reported the battle losses in low voices.
The war against the Bloodhoof Clan was not an overwhelming victory; they had gone through intense battles, and the Minotaurs were stubborn with strong resistance. The Molten Iron Clan also suffered significant casualties and paid a certain price for it.
Garros was slightly silent, pondering in his heart.
Although they won this battle, the loss of dependents made the already scarce manpower even more stretched.
"With more strongholds and territories, the number of resource points that need to be garrisoned and guarded has also increased."
"But the scale of my dependents has not increased; rather, it has decreased. Managing the current territory makes manpower appear slightly tight."
Garros' gaze swept over his dependents, pondering in his heart.
After the battle with the Bloodhoof Clan, his dependents had suffered significant losses, and apart from slaves, there was no other fresh blood. However, the scale of his territory had expanded significantly, so he was struggling to manage it all.
"Strike while the iron is hot, conquer a few more clans, and expand the scale of my dependents?"
The Red-Iron Dragon's eyes flickered as he thought to himself.
The Borderlands lacked organized, powerful legions and had no nations, only various clans and tribes, powerful Vicious Beasts, and monsters. After arriving here, Garros' ambition had expanded slightly.