Under the impact of the Red-Iron Dragon's Aura, which was as solid as substance, the Blue Dragon Zolaya felt her mind go blank; all her thoughts were frozen, and she couldn't utter a single word.
She felt as if an invisible sharp claw had seized her throat and was slowly tightening its grip.
The breath of death was so close, as if it would completely swallow her in the next second.
Should she rise up and resist regardless of the cost?
The moment this thought flashed through Zolaya's mind, she subconsciously rejected it.
She was absolutely certain that in this situation, any form of resistance would only lead to a faster and more miserable death.
Just then, the suffocating Dragon Might suddenly retracted, vanishing without a trace.
Zolaya's limbs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. She gasped for air, staring at the Red-Iron Dragon with fear.
Garros acted as if nothing had happened, his tone returning to its previous indifference as he commanded, "Contact your father."
Zolaya's heart was filled with confusion and unease; she couldn't guess the King of Molten Iron's intentions at all.
She hesitated for a few seconds, but under that calm yet unquestionable gaze, she ultimately didn't dare to delay.
She nodded silently and took out a strangely shaped communication Alchemical Item, which resembled a dragon scale, from beneath one of her scales.
Zzzzt—!
As she injected her lightning-like Demonic Energy, fine blue electric arcs immediately danced across the surface of the Alchemical Item, and runes lit up one by one.
On the other side, far away in the central region of the Serel Wilderness, lay the territory of the Dominic Dragon Flight.
The Blue Dragon leader, Heart of Thunder Perest, had just finished frantically absorbing the energy from the surrounding thunderclouds.
The dark clouds in the sky above this area were still thick, but not a single spark of lightning could be seen.
On his majestic deep-blue body, dazzling bright white electric arcs still jumped from time to time, as if the entire dragon had transformed into a dragon-shaped thunderstorm.
At this moment, he was lying on a steep cliff with a wide view.
Various kinds of flesh and energy-containing Ores were piled around him.
Just like Garros after he ended his slumber, Perest was also consuming large amounts of food to quickly replenish the energy and matter lost during his sleep.
Thanks to his extensive experience with hibernation, his recovery speed was extremely fast.
His Aura had already become very stable, deep, and powerful, far exceeding that of an ordinary adult Blue Dragon.
Suddenly.
His movement of tearing at a large piece of meat paused slightly, as if he had sensed something.
The Blue Dragon leader deftly retrieved a similarly styled dragon-scale Alchemical Item from under his thick neck scales.
Within the Dominic Dragon Flight, there was a dragon specialized in alchemy; this was a product of its creation, used for communication within the flight.
"She didn't die in the King of Molten Iron's territory..."
Perest's eyes flickered slightly.
After hearing the rumors about the King of Molten Iron, he had judged the other party to be a cruel Evil Dragon in his heart.
Sending Zolaya this time was ostensibly to propose negotiations, but deep down, he also intended to use the other dragon as a blade to kill her. He wanted this daughter, whose prestige was growing daily and who might threaten his rule, to die far away.
Zolaya respected and even idolized him immensely, and with her outstanding abilities, she was indeed a child he could rely on.
However, just as Perest ended his slumber, he keenly noticed that among the many dragons who welcomed him back and reported the current state of the flight, only Zolaya could state everything clearly and thoroughly.
And all the other dragons seemed to have accepted her as the primary spokesperson by default.
Only one habitually irritable and brainless Red Dragon had tactlessly interjected a few words.
These subtle signs meant that while he was asleep, Zolaya had invisibly built up considerable prestige by managing the flight in his stead, even gaining a certain level of trust from the flight members.
Even though Zolaya handled the flight's affairs in an orderly fashion and always maintained respect and trust toward him—just like her late mother—Perest would never allow any Dragonkin, even his direct bloodline, to have the slightest possibility of challenging his absolute rule.
After waking up this time, there was still a long way to go before the next long hibernation period.
He no longer had much need for Zolaya as a primary combat support and administrator.
Therefore, killing intent quietly took root.
However, he couldn't just strike at Zolaya without reason, as that would inevitably trigger suspicion and instability in the hearts of the other dragons, which would be extremely detrimental to his rule.
There would be plenty of opportunities...
The Blue Dragon leader suppressed the churning killing intent in his heart and activated the Alchemical Item.
"Greetings, leader of the Dominic Dragon Flight."
A calm voice that seemed to suppress a slight breath came through the item: "Some sapient beings call me the King of Molten Iron; I am also the lord of the Ignas Dragon Flight."
The other party paused and continued, "I heard that you seem to have some words you wish to discuss with me."
Perest's expression immediately became serious and earnest as he responded in a deep voice, "King of Molten Iron, I do indeed have business to discuss."
"I heard that your Ignas Dragon Flight has taken in several traitors from under my command."
Garros's voice remained steady: "Oh, that is indeed the case."
"Heriam, Cahill, Ludwig, Serafina... all four of them explicitly told me they came from a Blue Dragon group called Dominic."
"However, in my memory, your group's traditional territory seems to be in the coastal region, by the shores of the Boiling Sea."
"I thought that deep in the wilderness, far from the coast, I wouldn't have the chance to meet your members. But the current situation seems different from my understanding."
The Red-Iron Dragon asked politely, "Could you please resolve this doubt in my heart?"
"Tell me, why would you choose to abandon your long-established coastal territory and go through the trouble of traveling over mountains and waters to come to the wilderness?"
The wilderness was indeed full of opportunities now, but the level of danger accompanying them was also increasing.
Under normal circumstances, a mature dragon flight would never easily abandon a long-managed territory unless forced to.
Garros guessed from the information Blue Dragon Zolaya had previously revealed that the Dominic Dragon Flight's migration was likely related to the Storm Giants she mentioned.
The Heart of Thunder on the other side fell silent for a few seconds.
This question seemed to touch on matters he was reluctant to discuss.
"To seek broader room for development."
He finally answered in a somewhat stiff tone, "I grew tired of the unchanging scenery of the sea, as well as the unchanging enemies and conflicts. Therefore, I made a strategic choice to turn the future of the flight toward this wilderness of infinite possibilities."
This was a whitewashed lie.
But he couldn't just frankly admit that it was because the Dominic Dragon Flight had been steadily losing ground in the war against the Storm Giants on the coast, suffering heavy losses and being unable to sustain themselves, that they were forced to abandon the territory they had managed for generations and migrate to the wilderness in disgrace.
After perfunctorily brushing it off, the Blue Dragon leader unobtrusively pulled the topic back on track, his tone becoming forceful.
"Any orderly and dignified dragon flight cannot tolerate the existence of traitors. Rules are the cornerstone that maintains the unity and strength of the flight; they are of paramount importance."
His voice, like thunder brewing in rain clouds, said, "You and I, both being lords of dragon flights, must be able to understand my meaning and should also understand my firm determination to punish traitors."
Garros was not intimidated by the other's Aura.
He asked, "According to your flight's rules, how do you usually punish those you call traitors?"
The Blue Dragon leader Perest declared decisively and resonantly, "Public execution!"
"In front of all members of the flight, a bloody public execution sufficient to deter anyone with ill intentions!"
"Only the blood of traitors can wash away the shame they have brought and maintain the majesty of the rules."
Hearing this, Garros shook his head slightly: "It sounds like there is no room for maneuver."
The Blue Dragon leader's attitude was exceptionally firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Of course, traitors must die! Without thunderous means of deterrence, other dragons will gradually develop rebellious hearts."
"All dragons must be made to clearly realize that betraying the flight requires paying a painful price."
Opposite him, Garros was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked back in a somewhat playful tone:
"Why don't you try looking for the problem within yourself?"
He chuckled softly, his voice coming through the Alchemical Item as he said, "Is there a possibility that your flight's management style itself has certain problems, which led to the betrayal of the younger members?"
Back when he took in Heriam and the others, Garros had already learned about the internal rule of the Dominic Dragon Flight.
It was a top-down, pyramidal structure that relied on absolute high pressure and ruthless exploitation to maintain its operation.
Almost all Dragonkin below the young adult stage were treated like slaves within the clan, forced to obey and contribute unconditionally.
Only after growing into the young adult stage did they barely gain the qualification to exploit younger kin, yet they still had to endure the exploitation and oppression from older, more powerful Dragons.
This model might perhaps be appreciated by White Dragon Tereshi.
It fit her Niche Theory perfectly.
However, everything has its limits; too much is as bad as too little.
In the eyes of Garros, the interior of the Dominic Dragon Flight was already riddled with problems, with undercurrents of conflict surging.
Young Dragons choosing to betray, and Zolaya harboring thoughts of patricide, were, in a sense, the inevitable bitter fruit derived from this distorted management model.
Of course, there was another crucial factor.
The Blue Dragon leader Perest was not "strong" enough.
Or more accurately, he had failed to bring all members of the Dragon Flight a sense of absolute security and worship, the feeling that he was 'omnipotent and invincible.'
Other members would fear his great power.
But deep down, they would also harbor ambition and dissatisfaction, thinking, 'I could replace him.'
In contrast, look at the Ignas Dragon Flight and Molten Iron Tribe under the rule of Garros himself.
Whether it was other Dragons or the various kin under his command, almost all held a nearly blind trust in him, believing that this King of the Dragon Flight was omnipotent.
Even if they encountered temporary setbacks, they firmly believed the Dragon King would soon reclaim everything with interest.
Even if Garros declared that he could slay a Legendary being right now and intended to make an enemy of a Legendary, the members of the Dragon Flight believed he could do it and were willing to follow him through fire and water.
Furthermore, Garros was well-versed in the way of shared benefits.
The Dragons who followed him could tangibly share in the dividends of development; their effort was proportional to their reward, and they often even received rewards beyond their expectations.
"I know better than any Dragon how to manage a Dragon Flight; there is no need for other Dragons to worry about that."
The Blue Dragon leader stiffly interrupted Garros.
"The problem we need to solve now focuses on those traitors."
He brought the topic back, his voice growing deeper as he said, "Hand over those four traitors, including Heriam—four Dragons in total—and I will pay you an amount of gold equal to their weight as a reward for retrieving the traitors for me."
When the Dominic Dragon Flight was entrenched in the coastal area, they had excavated and controlled a massive gold mine with abundant reserves.
The one thing they were not lacking was this shiny yellow metal.
In all fairness, the price offered by this Heart of Thunder was already quite tempting to many Dragons who prioritized profit and were inherently greedy, and they would likely nod and agree.
However, Garros was not one of those short-sighted individuals.
He relied not only on powerful deterrence to rule the Dragon Flight, but also on the charisma that made him worthy of his subordinates' trust and allegiance.
If he were to easily hand over his own members for some seemingly generous amount of gold and let other Dragon Flights publicly execute them, then how would the other members of the Dragon Flight view him?
Those Dragons who followed him, those kin who swore loyalty to the death.
The trust and loyalty in their hearts would inevitably suffer irreparable cracks.
"The so-called traitors you speak of are, in my eyes, just a few pitiful Young Dragons forced by a cruel environment to flee their original Dragon Flight in order to seek a glimmer of survival."
The tone of Garros did not fluctuate much.
He continued, "Considering that your Dragon Flight did, after all, shelter members of my command for a period, I can pay you a sum of compensation."
He proposed his own plan: "Accept the compensation, and this matter will be written off."
"Afterward, our two major Dragon Flights can sit down to discuss the possibility of forming an alliance and jointly exploring the rich resources and opportunities of the Wilderness; what do you think of this proposal?"
The Blue Dragon leader did not hesitate.
He said decisively, "We can explore the possibility of an alliance."
"But before that, the execution of the traitors is a prerequisite that must be completed; rules are rules, and there is no room for negotiation on this point."
His attitude was very firm.
After a pause, the Blue Dragon leader continued, "They are merely four insignificant Young Dragons; are they really that important to your Ignas Dragon Flight?"
"Hand them over."
"This will not cause you any substantial loss, and you will gain a generous amount of gold, as well as the friendship of our Dominic Dragon Flight—my friendship."
The Red-Iron Dragon shook his head.
He said, "Regarding this point, my attitude is the same as yours just now—no room for negotiation."
In essence, he was also a very tough Dragon leader.
Occasional forbearance and concession were all expedient measures taken because of the necessity in the face of an absolute gap in strength.
While the Blue Dragon leader Perest was powerful, he was not yet powerful enough to make Garros feel he had to retreat three steps.
Crack!
On the other end, the Blue Dragon leader remained expressionless as the electricity swirling around his claws surged uncontrollably; the Alchemical Item could not withstand it, and its surface was instantly covered in cracks, then, amidst a faint explosive sound, it completely shattered and turned into powder.
At the same time.
The Alchemical Item in front of Garros also became dim and lusterless.
The conversation between the two sides was interrupted and came to an abrupt end.
This negotiation, which concerned the fate of the four Young Dragons and the future relationship between the two major Dragon Flights, ultimately ended in an unhappy parting.
Throughout the entire negotiation, the Blue Dragon Zolaya held her breath, listening silently from the side, her heart filled with turbulent emotions.
As the conversation progressed, she was surprised to discover that this King of Molten Iron, whom Dragons feared, did not seem to have any intention of exposing her or using her as a bargaining chip in the negotiation.
This left her bewildered, yet a faint glimmer of hope emerged.
"Your father, the Heart of Thunder Perest, does he have any unknown weaknesses or habitual flaws in combat?"
Just as Zolaya was lost in thought, the deep voice of the Red-Iron Dragon suddenly sounded in her ears.
Immediately after, although the King of Molten Iron had not explicitly agreed to her proposal, Zolaya told him everything she knew about her father without the slightest hesitation.
This included the opponent's habitual combat opening moves, preferences for specific skills, subtle sluggishness that might appear after prolonged combat, trump cards that had been revealed, and certain habits that perhaps even Perest himself had not realized.
She recounted everything, down to the smallest detail.
A moment later.
The Red-Iron Dragon pondered for a while, then turned to Zolaya and said, "You may leave now; return to your Dominic Dragon Flight."
A look of hesitation and unease appeared on Zolaya's dragon face.
She couldn't help but ask, "What exactly do you want me to do after I go back?"
The Red-Iron Dragon's gaze swept over her, and he said, "That is up to you; whatever you want to do, just do it."
This answer was full of uncertainty, yet it caused the faint fire of hope in Zolaya's heart to burn even further.
She nodded heavily, as if she had understood something, then slowly stepped back a few paces, flapped her pair of broad, sky-Blue Dragon wings, and her body gradually ascended, finally merging into the pitch-black night sky and the snow-filled air, flying in the direction from which she had come.
High in the air, the biting cold wind rushed toward her.
Zolaya looked back, gazing once more at that imposing dragon silhouette.
She felt even more strongly the power and majesty of this King of Molten Iron, while at the same time finding him elusive and unfathomable.
Dragon Valley, at the bottom of the valley.
The Red-Iron Dragon watched as Zolaya's figure gradually shrank and finally disappeared on the distant horizon.
"Dominic Dragon Flight. If I could control it, perhaps the Molten Iron Tribe could advance toward more vast lands."
He was lost in thought.
The kings of other regions did not believe that the King of Molten Iron would be satisfied with the status quo and manage his territory peacefully after controlling the entire Northwest region.
As it turned out, they were right.
Garros longed to step into the Legendary realm at a faster pace, or at least to raise his Life Level to the Peak of level 20 as soon as possible.
Besides relying on sweat and talent, the support of massive resources was also indispensable.
The initial choice to stabilize his territory was mainly because he lacked sufficient manpower, and further expansion would be difficult to control, so it was better to digest resources first; but if the timing was right and conditions allowed, Garros would never mind his territory being more vast and the resources he controlled being more abundant.
At the very least, he wanted to get his hands on the central region of the Wilderness, which was currently still ownerless.
Now that the Mad King was dead, the places where he had once rampaged should rightly be inherited by Garros, his descendant.