Translator: AnubisTL
"This much oil-rich soil must contain far more black oil than what's left in the alchemy engine."
Garos wagged his tail with delight, picked up a chunk of the oily soil, squeezed it, and dripped the black oil into his mouth.
However, contrary to his expectations of a fiery, invigorating sensation, the taste was harsh and unpleasant, like eating dung. Garos frowned.
He'd never eaten dung, but he imagined it couldn't taste much worse than this.
Unlike the black oil he'd consumed before, this crude oil seemed full of impurities. Swallowing it didn't immediately unleash a surge of potent energy; instead, it required digestion first, and even then, the energy yield would likely be lower than the refined black oil.
"Why is this?" Garos wondered, puzzled.
After a moment's thought, he realized the likely reason.
"The black oil from the alchemy engine had already been refined, unlike this crude oil. What I'm eating now is pure, unprocessed crude oil, still full of impurities."
Crude oil is edible too.
However, its absorption efficiency was inferior to black oil, and the taste was indescribable.
Fortunately, there was a solution.
Garos turned to Samantha and issued a command: "Use your alchemy to refine all the crude oil from this oil-rich soil into black oil."
To please Garos and earn his favor, Samantha had been diligently studying alchemy day and night. She had already mastered the basic process of refining crude oil into black oil, though her skill level was only average. Still, she could handle this simple task.
Hearing Garos's words, Samantha licked her lips and purred, "Oh, my dear brother, I would do anything for you. But... will this truly make you happy?"
She was clearly angling for payment, unwilling to work for free.
This was a reasonable request.
Samantha's current position was akin to Garos's follower, a dragon who served a greater dragon. In dragonkind society, such followers were distinct from familiars and slaves.
Follower dragons served their master dragon.
Master dragons were obligated to provide their follower dragons with regular compensation.
Relying solely on empty promises wouldn't work. Red dragons might be dull and brutish, but when it came to treasure, they became meticulous and cunning.
Garos hadn't completely shaken off his obsession with wealth. Parting with even a few coins felt like a pang in his heart.
After a moment's thought, Garos ultimately displayed a generous spirit, arranging several gold coins in a neat row.
"Do good work, and these are yours."
For a young dragon, these coins were more than enough. Samantha's eyes lit up as she pounced forward, eager to claim her reward.
"My dearest brother, you're the best! I'm willing to serve you, to do anything for you!" she exclaimed.
"Hold on, my clever sister," Garos said, his words carrying a strange, almost magical weight that froze Samantha in place. "Do you want more?"
"Of course!" she declared emphatically.
Garos continued calmly, "Considering our blood ties, I'll offer you two options."
"First, you can take these five gold coins directly, guard them carefully, and risk losing them."
"Second, you can leave them with me for safekeeping. By the Dragon God above, I guarantee you six gold coins after one year and eight gold coins after two years, with the amount increasing annually."
Samantha hesitated, unsure of what to choose.
Garos pressed his advantage, coaxing her gently, "Think about it—which is better, unchanging wealth or constantly growing riches? As dragons, we should focus on long-term gains."
After a long pause, Samantha weighed her options. Ultimately, she couldn't resist the allure of ever-increasing treasure and agreed.
"I'll take it after one year. You must give it to me then, or I won't work for you anymore!" she declared firmly.
Her words sounded resolute, but Garos knew she might change her mind by then. Moreover, as a dragon himself, he understood the weaknesses in dragonkind's nature. He was skilled at manipulating dragons, and if she proved diligent and honest, rewarding her with some extra treasure wouldn't be a problem.
Garos nodded, gathered the gold coins, and said solemnly,
"Of course, you know me. I'm not some treacherous green dragon."
Thinking about the wealth she was about to accumulate, Samantha bounced with joy as she hurried off to work.
Using common iron ore found throughout the Sierre Wilderness, she melted it with her flaming dragon breath, slowly hammered it into shape, and inscribed it with alchemical runes, forming a basic alchemy crucible.
She placed chunks of oily soil into the crucible.
Chanting incantations, Samantha traced symbols in the air with her claws, channeling magical energy to etch runes into the crucible. Then, she unleashed a blast of dragon breath, initiating the alchemical refinement of black oil.
Soon after, Garos received a batch of refined black oil.
It was stored in a crude iron jar, the viscous, pitch-black liquid glistening thickly.
After a brief sniff, Garos drained the jar in one gulp.
Whoosh!
A searing flame erupted in his belly.
"Pure taste, potent stuff! This is the black oil I've been craving."
Sparks shot from his nostrils as Garos's spirit surged with renewed vigor. The crimson patterns on his inner scales glowed more vividly, and even the iron-red edges of his cushion scales seemed to brighten.
Flapping his wings, Garos soared into the sky, landing on a desolate stretch of wilderness where he often trained.
Whoosh!
Using the Silverfrost Ring, Garos exhaled a frigid blast that froze the rock, turning it as cold and hard as steel.
Burning with impatience, Garos charged forward headfirst, eager to begin his daily training.
Meanwhile, along a narrow path branching off the Thousand Serpents' Trace, a group of five adventurers slowly advanced.
Leading the way was a golden-haired warrior clad in heavy armor, his back burdened by a massive, door-sized greatsword. Towering at nearly two meters tall, he possessed a pale complexion and a lean, wiry build. Trailing behind him was a necromancer, his gaunt frame wreathed in an aura of dark energy. A lithe rogue, her waist adorned with a dagger and a crossbow, followed closely. A fair-faced priestess in white robes and a young spellcaster in light blue robes completed the party.
This quintet formed the "Tomorrow" adventurer guild.
Having heard rumors of a powerful alchemical construct hidden within an abandoned mine in the Sierre Wilderness, they had set out to investigate, hoping to uncover the legendary artifact.
The rogue glanced at the intricate map in her hand and murmured, "Beyond this point, there are no proper roads. We're officially entering the wilderness—the territory of demonic beasts and ferocious beasts."
The necromancer grinned, revealing his teeth. "Opportunity always comes with risk. This is the path we must take."
On Bernardo Planet, professions like necromancy—which desecrated corpses and souls—faced some discrimination, but practitioners weren't automatically branded as evil outcasts. Whether someone was considered evil depended on their actions, not their profession.
"They say many dragons roam these wilds," the priest whispered. "Let's hope we don't encounter any."
The spellcaster lowered his voice. "What if it's a young dragon? If we find one, we'll be rich! We can skip exploring the abandoned mines and head straight back. With my containment spells, we can easily drag a young dragon to the surface, leaving it no chance to escape."
Young dragons posed no threat to them.
Their fear lay with older, more powerful dragons.
"Stop daydreaming," the blond warrior growled, his towering frame leading the way. "Luck like that doesn't just fall into our laps. Stay alert and stick close to me."
The group ventured into the wilderness, their senses on high alert, gradually advancing deeper.
An aerial view would reveal their path: they were heading toward Hemlock Hills. If fortune favored them, they might just encounter a young dragon, as the spellcaster hoped.
(End of the Chapter)
⚡ 𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝟖.𝟓𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝟏𝟒.𝟑𝐌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]