"The Molten Iron Clan right now is like a beggar holding a golden bowl while begging."
Garros thought silently to himself.
Selling raw mineral deposits in exchange for processed goods results in an incalculable loss of value, but given the current state of the Molten Iron Clan, this is the only way they can trade.
This is also the current situation in the Serel Wilderness, The Borderlands, the Permafrost Tundra, and other regions.
With backward alchemy industries, they can only endure exploitation at every level, selling local resources at low prices to obtain expensive processed goods, while nations with advanced alchemy industries can hoard vast amounts of basic resources just through trade.
The nobles of the Lothern Federation like to call the wilderness clans beasts or barbarians.
This mentality is the contempt of developed regions for backward areas.
"The status quo is hard to change; I can only pin my hopes on future development."
After staying in the Sulfur Hills for a while longer, Garros explained the importance of the alchemy industry to Red Dragon Samantha. If they could not develop a powerful alchemy industry, their wealth would be lost every day.
At the thought of her wealth flowing away every day,
the Red Dragon gritted her teeth, wishing she could turn one day into two and pour all her time into the development of the alchemy industry.
This could greatly motivate her.
Given the natural laziness of Dragonkin, if there were no corresponding incentives, she would definitely be inconsistent in her efforts.
After leaving the Sulfur Hills, Garros did not return directly to Dragon Valley.
He spent almost all his time training and evolving. Today, he wanted to relax for a change, so he decided to patrol his territory.
After the Sulfur Valley.
Garros passed by the Giant Ruins.
It was still in ruins, though some of the previously decayed and cracked foundations had been replaced with new stone slabs.
The location of the Giant Ruins was excellent. Iron Dragon Sorog wanted to rely on the relatively intact foundation here to renovate and rebuild it, creating a fortress suitable for giant lifeforms to inhabit.
In the beginning,
he brought a group of subordinates and had them quarry stone and polish it for construction in the surrounding area. However, not long after starting, because the stone mine they found was too small, they ran out of stone, and the fortress construction stopped.
Later,
the Iron Dragon searched personally. He did not find any good stone deposits but accidentally discovered the Grey Magnetite Mine, which led to subsequent events. Later, Iron Dragon Sorog fell into a deep sleep, and the Giant Ruins remained in a state of suspension.
"When Sorog wakes up, let him supervise and take charge."
Garros just took a brief look.
Supervising and urging subordinates to build a fortress was not something that he, the King of the Molten Iron Clan, should handle.
Shortly after, Garros arrived at the Heavy-armored Rhino Ranch and saw an Ogre taming a Heavy Armored Rhino.
Under the gaze of many companions, an elite Ogre warrior spat out the crushed beast bones in his mouth, his several-meter-tall body walking toward the center of the paddock like a mountain of flesh.
A Heavy Armored Rhino clad in bone armor was anxiously pawing the ground, its bowl-sized hooves kicking up dust every time they landed.
Its size was not much larger than the Ogre's. It was not fully grown, which was the perfect age for taming.
"Come on, you beast!"
The Ogre stomped his legs on the ground, sinking his lower legs into the soil. To the Heavy Armored Rhino, this action was a provocation, just like how they liked to paw the ground when threatening enemies.
The Heavy Armored Rhino was enraged. It lowered its head, aiming its thick and sharp horns at the Ogre's abdomen as it charged.
The Ogre roared, his two fan-sized hands gripping the base of the rhino's horns tightly to wrestle with it head-on.
With a beast-like roar, the Ogre's muscles swelled, and his veins squirmed under his skin like earthworms.
The Heavy Armored Rhino's front hooves began to tremble, and its thick neck was slowly forced to bend. The watching Ogres frantically struck their weapons, the ground vibrating under their stomping.
Finally,
after a few minutes, the Heavy Armored Rhino was thrown down by the Ogre.
When this Vicious Beast stood up again, there was a hint of fear in its eyes as it looked at the Ogre.
The Ogre did not press the attack. Instead, he took out a salt block from his waist, sat on the ground, and beckoned to the Heavy Armored Rhino.
When the Heavy Armored Rhino finally lowered its head and licked the salt block in the Ogre's hand, the other watching Ogres cheered, celebrating their companion's successful taming of the Heavy Armored Rhino.
It had been more than a year since the war with the Bloodhoof Clan.
Since taking over the Heavy-armored Rhino Ranch, the Star-Shattering Hammer Warband quickly gained a new unit type—Heavy Cavalry, and their numbers had grown steadily over the past year.
Unlike the light cavalry of the Crimson Iron Cavalry, they lacked mobility and were positioned entirely as heavy cavalry.
As the heavy cavalry vanguard of the Star-Shattering Hammer, when the knights and their Vicious Beast mounts were clad in heavy armor and charged at the front during frontal combat, they could crush and tear through enemy lines like a raging flood.
"The Heavy Armored Rhinos that can be tamed can serve as mounts, and those that cannot are a good source of meat. However, their breeding and growth are not simple, and the ranch needs more formal management."
Garros did not land; he just watched and surveyed silently from the thick clouds high in the sky.
The Molten Iron Clan's utilization of ranches like the Heavy-armored Rhino Ranch was currently extremely inefficient, and Garros felt there was still a lot of room for development.
For example,
selecting the strongest and most excellent individuals from the Heavy Armored Rhinos to serve as breeding stock.
Using artificial intervention to optimize their breeding generation after generation, or capturing other rhino-type Vicious Beasts and magical creatures for crossbreeding.
Also, formulating 'milk powder', discovering the best ratio of forage and meat, shortening the growth cycle of young rhinos, and so on.
Furthermore, the culled individuals could serve purposes other than just food.
Their horns, bones, iron armor, and even their dung could actually be collected and classified, each with its own use.
Garros had a general idea for this kind of ranch management, but implementing it was a troublesome matter. He had no time to handle it; he would wait until later to pick a clever and smart subordinate leader to be responsible for it.
Garros left the Heavy-armored Rhino Ranch and continued to soar and patrol in the sky.
His wings flapped, and the shadow cast by his body on the ground swept over one base after another until the night grew thick, and he finally returned to Dragon Valley.
At the same time, through this serious patrol,
Garros realized that although the Molten Iron Clan's current scale was already quite large, many areas were still in the initial stages, very immature, and had great room for growth.
"It seems I am still in the stage of primitive accumulation."
Garros looked up at the twin moons casting their clear radiance and thought to himself.
The Red-Iron Dragon did not feel impatient; his mindset was very calm. Just at this moment, a wave of drowsiness suddenly surged into his mind, sweeping over him repeatedly like a tide, making his eyelids increasingly heavy.
Garros was not surprised by the arrival of the drowsiness.
The Dragon Sleep of his juvenile stage was coming.
He had given orders in advance that during this period, the Molten Iron Clan would retract its claws, develop silently, and would not show its edge until he woke up.
Afterward,
Garros first called over the Red-Silver Dragon.
"Are you going to enter Dragon Sleep?"
Looking at the sleepy Red-Iron Dragon, Deborah asked.
Garros nodded and said to the Red-Silver Dragon: "Deborah, you are the only Metallic Dragon in Dragon Valley, but compared to other Evil Dragons—"
He suddenly pressed his foreclaw onto the Red-Silver Dragon's shoulder armor and said: "—I trust you more."
"You are a reliable companion. My Dragon Sleep this time depends entirely on your protection. Do not let any creature approach or disturb me."
His expression was serious, stern, and incomparably solemn.
For the first time, the Red-Silver Dragon felt so valued.
She was stunned at first, then nodded vigorously and clenched her dragon claw: "Rest assured, I guarantee that you will pass through the Dragon Sleep period safe and sound."
Garros did the same with similar words, modifying them appropriately according to the personalities of the different dragons, and informed them one by one.
After giving some instructions to the various subordinate leaders,
Garros went into the depths of Dragon Valley.
Behind the place where Iron Dragon Sorog was sleeping, there was a newly excavated cave.
Garros entered it, folded his dragon wings, and coiled his body. His wing membranes wrapped around his vitals like a curtain, and his consciousness gradually blurred.
"I don't know how long I will sleep this time, but at least it will make me a Young Dragon. I hope there won't be too many variables during this period," he thought.
The Dragon Sleep of the infant stage is usually three to five years; he slept for six years.
The Dragon Sleep of the juvenile stage is longer, about five to eight years.
Garros estimated that his Dragon Sleep time would most likely exceed eight years.
This duration is not long in the Dragonkin's concept of time, but it is enough for many changes to happen in the outside world, bringing variables and accidents.
This is something Garros does not like but cannot control.
"Ethereal luck, look after me this once."
As the drowsiness grew stronger, Garros thought muzzily and gradually fell asleep.
Note: After unloading till 200 chapters I will switch to uploading 2 chapters daily with Power Stones goals for bonus chapters.