Translator: AnubisTL
Garos and Solgorn shared the same Iron Dragon Legacy.
The moment he heard about the Chain of Kinship, he immediately understood its effects and purpose.
The Chain of Kinship was a mind magic spell with distinct strengths and weaknesses. It allowed the Ignis Brothers to communicate rapidly and efficiently, even when separated by vast distances. As a mind mage's level increased, they could establish links with their parents and elders above, and their children and descendants below.
"With my current sorcerer level, the Chain of Kinship can only connect siblings," Garos thought.
"But that's already enough for our needs."
Iron Dragon Solgorn said, "Before we head to the Venomtail Tribe, I plan to establish the Chain of Kinship. That way, we can communicate in real-time on a mental plane."
He paused before continuing, "When I use the bloodline to anchor a kin, the target will feel a certain sensation in their heart."
"Remember not to resist too much, or the link will fail."
Garos nodded slightly. "I know. Go ahead and prepare. Just remember to notify Samantha first, or she'll bare her fangs and claws, roaring as she tears your link apart with her spirit."
The projection ended.
Thinking of the Chain of Kinship's effects, Garos suddenly recalled Gordon, the missing member of the Ignis Brothers.
"I've never known whether Gordon was dead or alive. Now, through the Chain of Kinship, I should be able to confirm it."
He estimated that even if Gordon had somehow survived, he was likely living a life on the run, hiding in the shadows.
Meanwhile,
Iron Dragon Solgorn began to weave his spell.
He was currently located at the steel spike outpost that Garos had previously destroyed.
After being rebuilt and restored, the outpost had been heavily reinforced with guards. As a critical defensive node situated roughly in the center of the southern region, it offered convenient access to other garrisons. The Iron Dragon himself was stationed here.
Iron Dragon Solgorn stood atop the rebuilt central platform, his feet planted on the reinforced metal floor.
Taking a deep breath, Solgorn closed his eyes. Low, ancient dragon language rumbled from deep within his throat, each syllable as heavy as an anvil strike, echoing through the outpost.
For a sorcerer, incantations were not strictly necessary.
However, they could enhance the spell's potency.
As he chanted, the Iron Dragon's heartbeat gradually slowed, becoming heavy and deliberate. His breathing nearly ceased, yet his body radiated an intense spirit energy that appeared as a glass-like white light in the physical realm.
Then.
The iron dragon slowly raised its front claw, the sharp tip slicing across its chest. With a piercing, metallic screech, it carved a deep wound into the hard iron scales.
Dragon blood flowed out but did not drip.
Instead, it suspended in the air, transforming into fine crimson threads that flowed and intertwined like molten iron before vanishing into thin air.
Solgorn's spirit sank deep into his bloodline, following its call to seek out a blood kin of the same origin and generation.
—First, Garos.
Through the mental realm, the iron dragon Solgorn "saw" the red-iron dragon's mental body: incomparably tough and as imposing and profound as its physical form.
Powerful and majestic, every scale was rendered with lifelike detail, possessing an indestructible texture.
His gaze was calm, his body slightly lowered, claws and fangs concealed. His posture seemed defensive and retreating, yet his front claws were subtly extended, his hind legs slightly bent, and his wings spread wide, with the muscles beneath his scales all tensed.
"Cautious, yet always ready for battle."
"As expected of Garos," the iron dragon Solgorn thought.
The posture of a mental body could, to a certain extent, reflect the nature of its physical body.
He had no doubt that Garos's mental body could instantly tear apart this strand of his spirit energy.
In Dragon Valley, not too far nor too near, the red-iron dragon lay resting and waiting. Suddenly, he felt a slight tremor in his heart, as if an invisible iron chain had gently tapped against his bloodline.
He opened his eyes, a flash of understanding crossing his vertical dragon eyes, and then relaxed his mind.
"Accept," Garos whispered.
The invisible thread abruptly tightened, establishing a link between the two juvenile dragons.
—Next was Samantha.
Red Dragon Samantha was overseeing the extraction of black oil on the alchemy production line in the Black Iron Plains.
Suddenly, she felt a spirit attempting to probe into her consciousness.
She snapped her head up, her crimson pupils igniting with furious rage, a low roar rumbling from deep within her throat: "Who?!"
Solgorn's voice came through the bloodline: "Samantha, it's me, constructing the Chain of Kinship."
He had notified Samantha in advance, but the red dragon's instinctive stress response still nearly snapped the Chain of Kinship.
The red dragon's vertical pupils slowly dilated, calming down, and she gave a slight nod.
Another Chain of Kinship had been successfully established.
After completing the two chains, Iron Dragon Solgorn intended to end the spell. However, to his surprise, he sensed another bloodline anchor far to the south.
"...Gordon?"
Solgorn was taken aback.
To be honest, he had assumed Gordon was long dead.
In his memory, this youngest of the iron dragon brothers often lacked basic common sense. Without Garos's protection, surviving alone in the wilderness during his young dragon years would have likely resulted in his death.
"The location is far. He seems to be within the Federation's borders."
"Could he have been captured and imprisoned by the Lothurn Federation?"
Solgorn's mind raced with the grim possibilities of Gordon's fate.
Kept in a sunless dungeon, his scales stripped, his blood drained, his flesh carved away... He might even have been used as a breeding dragon, exploited day and night to produce dragon bloodline war pets. All of it was painfully plausible.
"Try establishing a link with him."
Solgorn's consciousness followed the bloodline's guidance, crossing the vast distance to approach this bloodline anchor.
He expected to see a scarred, chain-bound juvenile dragon.
Or even worse.
—A shriveled corpse, drained of all its dragon blood.
However...
When he finally "saw" Gordon's mental body, Iron Dragon Solgorn's consciousness nearly crashed on the spot.
It was a round, plump "iron ball" that barely resembled a dragon.
Yes, an iron ball.
Gordon's mental body should have featured the cold, hard lines unique to iron dragons—angular scales, sharp claws, and fangs.
But now, his mental body looked like an inflated balloon. His scales were stretched smooth and glossy, his neck had developed three fat folds, and he was even wider than Garos. Bloated and obese, he looked like a super pig draped in dragon skin.
What was even more absurd...
The ghostly images of various foods floated around his mental body.
—Roasted suckling pig, honey cake, cream puffs... there was even a whole roasted ox glazed in syrup!
Gordon's mental body was feasting on the food with utter abandon, completely unguarded.
Solgorn: "..."
He fell silent for three seconds before finally unable to resist sending a soul-piercing question through the Chain of Kinship: "Gordon... you're still alive? Why are you fatter than a pig?"
"Who's there?!"
Within the Lothurn Federation, Iron Dragon Gordon, who was savoring a gourmet meal, flinched and narrowed his eyes warily.
At this moment, his physical appearance and mental body were virtually identical.
When he had first awakened from his deep slumber, Gordon's body had returned to normal. Driven by anxiety about the future, he had vowed to control his diet and exercise diligently.
However...
He was lazy to his core and craved indulgence.
Initially, he had been filled with determination. His iron dragon instincts had taken over, urging him to analyze the situation and protect both the princess and himself in the coming war. But reality was cruel: as a mere "pet," he could change nothing.
Persistence was hard; giving up was easy.
Gordon simply threw in the towel. Adopting the philosophy of "eat while you live, die when you die," he began to indulge in gourmet food every day. He soon transformed back into a fat iron dragon, resembling the new dragonkind.
Iron Dragon Solgorn took a deep breath. Even though he was now only a spirit body, he still simulated the action to soothe his inner disbelief.
He said, "Gordon, my dear brother, it's me, Solgorn."
Solgorn?
Hearing that name, Gordon's memories instantly rushed back to his days as a hatchling in the Iron Dragon Mother Heavenly Pit Territory. Back then, he had loved following Solgorn, even hoping Solgorn would take him along on his adventures.
He still remembered Solgorn's words.
"Gordon, my dear younger brother, you are staggeringly brilliant. You need not follow the great Iron King to dominate the wilderness alone."
"Gordon, my dear younger brother, you possess innate talent. Even if you roam the wilderness alone, you are destined to achieve great things."
"Gordon, my dear younger brother, you have a world-shaking wisdom. You are a born king, and a king walks alone."
"..."
There were many similar phrases.
Solgorn also remembered those words.
Back then, among the three hatchlings younger than him, Gordon was the easiest to fool. After just a few words, he was willing to leave with Solgorn.
However.
Solgorn soon discovered that this hatchling was both a glutton and a fool. Following him would only drag him down. So, he came up with all sorts of flattery to convince Gordon to abandon the idea of following the "Iron King."
Now, decades later, after a long separation, they were suddenly connected in this manner.
Both fell silent for a moment as they recalled the past.
Considering that his heart was still dripping blood to maintain the spell's state, Solgorn was the first to break the silence after a few seconds.
He asked, "I sensed your presence while constructing the Chain of Kinship. Where are you? Has an enemy imprisoned you, using curses or torture to turn you into what you are now?"
Gordon was speechless.
For a moment, he didn't know how to answer.
(End of the Chapter)
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