Translator: AnubisTL
"If black oil is edible..."
"Then energy ore, which is of higher quality than black oil, should provide me with even more energy."
"The problem is, these resources are strategic assets. Small amounts of black oil are manageable—I might even be lucky enough to find a deposit myself, or an alchemist might refine some for me. But large black oil reserves and other energy ore deposits are tightly controlled by the major powers."
Garos fell into deep thought.
Leaving aside other considerations, the human empire of Holden and the Elven Empire of Nausir were still locked in a covert struggle over the division of resources from a massive black oil deposit, their tensions simmering.
If not for the catastrophic consequences of open war between such colossal powers—likely mutual annihilation—they would have long since abandoned their clandestine maneuvering.
"There are oil fields in the Sierre Wilderness, but they're all guarded by military garrisons and actively being exploited."
"I'll deal with that later. Provoking them now would be suicide. Besides, the energy I need for my current evolution isn't excessive; hunting demonic beasts and ferocious beasts should suffice."
Garos mused inwardly, glancing down at the black oil clinging to his claws.
He extended his sensitive tongue and carefully licked it clean, then picked up the alchemy engine and poured the remaining black oil directly into his mouth.
The intense, spicy sensation shot straight to the crown of his head.
After gulping down the last of the black oil from the alchemy engine, Garos felt as if a raging fire were burning in his stomach, his mind buzzing with exhilaration.
Whoosh!
He unfurled his dragon wings, summoning a howling gale as he soared into the sky. He streaked across the heavens, continuously spewing torrents of flaming dragon breath. The crimson patterns on his scales glowed like molten lava, flowing and shimmering.
The ceaseless, surging flames dyed the clouds crimson, as if the sky itself had caught fire.
Half an hour later, Garos folded his wings and landed on a rocky plateau. The burning sensation in his stomach had subsided, leaving him feeling strangely unsatisfied.
In that brief half-hour, he had clearly felt the effects of his training surpass a week's worth of normal practice, especially in the intensity and duration of his dragon breath. Moreover, he felt barely fatigued.
"This stuff is incredible," he muttered, picking up the alchemy engine and tilting it again.
A single drop of black oil remained, which he caught in his palm.
He considered swallowing it directly, but then his gaze fell on Samantha.
"The inheritance says this isn't food, but it sure packs a punch. Could the inheritance be wrong?"
The dragon heritage isn't necessarily infallible; its information might be outdated or contain omissions and errors.
"Let Samantha try it."
Garos woke Samantha, and under her suspicious gaze, he said, "The black oil is rich in energy. I just ate a lot of it. You should try some too."
"Really? My inheritance doesn't say anything about this stuff being edible," Samantha said, skeptical.
She extended her warm tongue and licked the drop of black oil from Garos's palm.
Then...
Pah!
Pah pah pah!
Before she could even swallow, Samantha's eyelids twitched violently as she spat the black oil onto the ground.
"This stuff is edible? It's completely unpalatable!" she exclaimed, wiping her tongue to rid herself of even the slightest trace of the oil.
"Looks like the inheritance is fine. The problem is me," Garos said, at a loss for words.
"Here, take this alchemy engine. It will help you learn alchemy spells."
He tossed the alchemy engine to Samantha.
Black oil varies in quality, and the oil Garos had consumed earlier was of the lowest grade.
Alchemy can further refine and purify ordinary black oil, and it can also transmute the bodies of demonic beasts into ordinary black oil. These are fundamental techniques in alchemy.
Once Samantha masters these skills, she'll owe him a favor.
Garos didn't keep idle dragons.
This wouldn't take long, after all. Dragonkind possessed exceptional learning aptitude, and the initial grasp of alchemy wasn't particularly difficult.
Samantha accepted the alchemy engine, examined it curiously for a few moments, then coiled it with her tail, closed her eyes slightly, and resumed delving into the inherited knowledge.
Garos glanced at Samantha, who was fully immersed in the dragon heritage.
He suddenly wondered about the other iron dragon brother, Gordon, and his current situation.
Gordon's arrogance and self-importance were less pronounced than Samantha's, but his intellect was less sharp. He had always been somewhat dim-witted, making survival on his own likely challenging.
Shaking his head, Garos dismissed the thought.
He had already given Gordon his chance; the choice of what to do next was entirely his own.
If Gordon were to come seeking refuge like Samantha, willing to obey commands and abandon his impulsive behavior, Garos would accept him as a follower. Like Samantha, he would be taught alchemy spells that could assist Garos and benefit his interests.
What Garos didn't know was that Gordon would never come.
From high above, one could see a main road winding through the Sierre Wilderness, its branching paths like a dense spiderweb, extending in countless directions like the veins of a vast, desolate landscape.
This network was known as the Thousand Serpents' Trace.
In essence, it was the collective name for the many roads that facilitated merchant caravan traffic and mineral transport across the Sierre Wilderness.
The main artery of the Thousand Serpents' Trace led directly south to the territory of the Lothurn Federation. The road was wide and paved with a tar-like substance, stretching endlessly into the horizon under the relentless sun.
A series of faint tremors shook the ground as metal-rimmed, rubber-coated wheels rolled across the road.
Ten massive, alchemically crafted vehicles, each nearly fifteen meters long and resembling cargo trucks, roared past.
One of these trucks carried an open-air steel cage.
Each steel bar was as thick as an adult's arm, etched with intricate alchemical runes.
Inside the cage was the Iron Dragon Gordon.
He lunged at the bars, jaws snapping.
The grating screech of metal against metal filled the air, sparks flying.
Gordon's teeth ached, but he managed only to leave shallow marks on the cage, utterly failing to breach its defenses.
After leaving the iron dragon maid's territory, Gordon planned to start by raiding merchant caravans and then head south to make his mark on the world.
But the moment he showed his face, he was instantly captured by the caravan's formidable guards. After being passed around, he was eventually bought by this large merchant caravan.
"Stop biting. You'll break all your teeth before you get through this cage. It's been alchemically reinforced—even a young dragon can't escape it," a human warrior in heavy armor said, standing outside the cage.
"Damn humans! What do you want with a great true dragon like me?!" Gordon roared, baring his fangs.
The warrior clicked his tongue. "Don't get so worked up. We won't skin you alive or break your bones and scales. On the contrary, we'll dress you up beautifully and let you live a life of luxury."
"What?" Gordon didn't believe him, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"The Kingdom of Lothurn's beloved little princess wants a dragon companion for her birthday. The kingdom has issued an official bounty notice, and you, lucky little iron dragon, are the gift we'll present to her."
Gordon's eyes widened at this news.
He never imagined he would reach the southern lands he longed for in such a way.
(End of the Chapter)
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Translator's Corner
🙏Sorry for the delayed chapters. Had a technical issue. To read ahead please go to the site. It is always updated first.
𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝟖.𝟒𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝟏𝟒.𝟐𝐌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]