Translator: AnubisTL
"Garos, why are you asking so many questions about Elena? She's my princess. You can't steal her from me! If you like princesses so much, go snatch one from another kingdom when the federation falls into chaos."
Iron Dragon Gordon said warily.
Hearing such foolish words, the red-iron dragon couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not interested in the princess herself, but in the interests she represents. Gordon, don't reveal our existence to Princess Elena for now."
Gordon relaxed considerably.
Garos thought for a moment and then said, "Your current mission is to play your role well. Do your best to please Princess Elena, make her trust you more, and let her feel the steady reliability of dragonkind."
"When the time is right, I will notify you on what to do next."
The federation was on the brink of chaos, with tensions between the kingdoms tightening like a bowstring, but it hadn't snapped yet. Under the current circumstances, approaching Princess Elena directly to discuss a partnership might not garner enough attention.
It would be best to wait until the fires of war were ignited, heroes rose in rebellion, and the internal strife became inevitable.
Only then would it be the right time to hand Princess Elena a "knife"—a fuse that could start a prairie fire. At that point, even if the cost was exorbitant, she would likely seize the opportunity at all costs.
Besides, the Ironforged Tribe was now located in the Frontierlands, a remote region so neglected by the various nations that it held little strategic value.
They were far from qualified to seize a piece of the pie from the Federation's internal strife.
At the very least, I must become the King of the Crossroads and fight my way back into the Sierre Wilderness, Garos thought.
It had been over a decade since the Federation had driven them from the Sierre Wilderness into the Frontierlands.
Though he harbored no deep sentiment for the wilderness, nor any obsessive need to develop it, the sheer abundance of its resources made it the most logical target from a purely strategic standpoint. Returning to the wilderness was far better than remaining cowered in the Frontierlands.
The red-iron dragon narrowed his eyes, a glint of ambition flickering in his pupils.
Hiding one's claws and fangs is merely a means to reveal them at the perfect moment, isn't it?
The Federation's internal strife would be the ideal opportunity to execute his grand design.
Garos sensed that he wouldn't be alone. Many other powerful creatures, long dormant and harboring their own ambitions, would likely seize this chaos to reveal their strength, snatching up interests and plundering the Federation's resources.
For instance, Garos's red dragon father.
A chaotic evil red dragon in his prime—as long as he lived, he would never miss a chance to retaliate against the Federation once news of its turmoil reached him, driven by the legendary grudges of his kind.
And there were many other creatures like him, who had been forced into submission by the Federation's might, waiting for their moment to strike.
"We need to take down the other tribes as soon as possible."
"I must be fully prepared before the fires of war ignite."
Garos plotted in his mind.
"Consider it done!" Iron Dragon Gordon vowed with absolute certainty.
After instructing Gordon on several crucial details, the Ignis siblings chatted for a few minutes. Solgorn's spirit energy was too depleted, so this "group chat" meeting was temporarily adjourned.
"Solgorn, go to the Venomtail Tribe immediately and gauge their attitude."
"The Frontierlands are just our beginning. For our future development, we must secure this area as soon as possible. We can't afford any more delays."
Garos's serious, low voice echoed in Solgorn's mind through the Chain of Kinship.
As before, acting as a relay to connect multiple Chains of Kinship simultaneously consumed a significant amount of spirit energy. However, a one-on-one connection was much less taxing, and Solgorn could now handle it.
"Understood. Leave it to me," Solgorn replied.
Garos nodded slightly and ended the bloodline dialogue.
"They're both iron dragons, yet the difference in temperament between Solgorn and Gordon is so vast it's as if they're two different species."
He sighed inwardly. "Individual differences are immense. Inherited collective impressions might hold some truth, but they can never be fully trusted. Otherwise, you'll eventually suffer for it."
Garos had never been perfect. He admitted he could be careless, make mistakes, and occasionally be negligent.
For instance, he had once been fooled by a silver dragon's smiling face and nearly got beaten up.
However, Garos's strength lay in his ability to summarize and reflect on his shortcomings. Unlike other dragons—or most intelligent creatures—he didn't blame external factors for his failures, refusing to acknowledge his own flaws and thus remaining stagnant.
"I've rested enough."
The red-iron dragon stretched his body, a sound like clashing metal echoing from his scales.
He turned to look at Deborah. The red-silver dragon was asleep on a rocky ledge, her long tail dangling in mid-air, swaying gently from side to side. She showed no sign of waking.
Glancing at the sun high in the sky, Garos prepared to start a new round of training. But as he took his first step, he suddenly felt a surge of energy within his body.
He stopped and focused on his physical state, discovering that his dragon qi had reached the 3.9 level.
This meant his martial combat level was now 3.9—the great perfection of level 3, a half-step away from level 4.
With dragon qi at level 3.9, I need to choose a specialization path for the martial dragon, Garos thought.
Logically, he should have chosen a specific path the moment his Martial Dragon level reached 3. However, since he hadn't decided, he had put it off for now.
Branch paths were also the routes for subsequent advancement.
For an ordinary Martial Monk, there were many paths to choose from after level 3:
The Lifeflow Sect, which could quickly heal itself.
The Sun Soul Sect, whose body radiated energy as scorching as the sun.
The Divine Dragon Sect, which mimicked the dragon's form.
The Four Symbols Sect, which used 'qi' to manipulate and control elements.
The Sanda Sect, which developed combat techniques to their absolute limit.
The Shadow Sect, which pursued the path of stealth and escape arts.
(End of the Chapter)
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