Serre Wilderness, Dragon Ridge Mountains
The ground was scorched slightly hot by the sunlight, and distorted heat waves rose from the cracked rock crevices. Light dust flickered in the air, as if invisible flames were burning in the silence.
The Red Iron Dragon stood in the center of an open space surrounded by mountains.
This site in the Dragon Ridge Mountains had undergone special modification; the ground was paved with solid metal, and a large number of solidified magic runes existed on the surface.
With him as the center, countless flames and hard steel appeared in turns.
Suddenly, a sea of crimson fire ignited, the rolling heat waves distorting the air into transparent ripples; then, countless metal spikes and sharp edges condensed, their cold metallic luster flickering under the sunlight.
The two Domains alternated, causing the surrounding air to almost solidify.
At the same time, he wore extremely heavy and oppressive heavy armor. Under the influence of the super-gravity Formation built into this place, his majestic and huge body tumbled and moved actively. Accompanied by sounds like thunder, the ground solidified by the Formation trembled and cracked continuously.
As time passed, the sun gradually sank to the west, stretching the shadows of the Dragon Ridge Mountains longer and longer.
When the layers of sunset clouds, like burning fire, covered the sky, the Red Iron Dragon stopped briefly.
He folded his wings, his chest heaving like a bellows. With every breath, he exhaled currents of air carrying sparks, and white mist rose from the gaps in his heavy armor.
Hu! Keng!
The Flame Domain and the steel Domain still appeared alternately around him, though the frequency was much slower than in his prime.
The temperature of the flames had dropped, and the solidity of the metal had also weakened slightly.
"Compared to my body, my Domain is still too weak."
"Even with dual Domains, it's not actually that powerful for me."
He stared at and felt the changes in his Domain, his eyes showing a look of contemplation.
Putting aside the suppression effects on enemies and some self-buffs, a Legendary Domain is, to some extent, equivalent to a shield bar.
When a Domain is deployed, it automatically offsets part of the energy from external attacks, whether they are physical impacts or magical bombardments.
When attacked, the shield bar gradually decreases, and when its own recovery cannot keep up with the consumption, it will disappear and require time to reconsolidate.
In the Legendary Realm, Domains can be said to be the most fair.
Perhaps based on the depth of understanding and different development directions of the Domain, the final effect presented is completely different, but its strength starting point is roughly the same, and there won't be too many differences because of different races.
The initial strength of a Domain shield for a newly Breakthrough human Legendary is almost the same as that of a newly Breakthrough Dragon Legendary.
Therefore, for creatures like humans, dwarves, and elves, Domains are crucial.
Their bodies are inherently fragile, and their total health is far less than the shield value of the Domain. In battle, they often need to rely on the Domain for protection, blocking the enemy's attacks outside the Domain to avoid direct injury to the main body.
But for the Dragon, Domains are not that important.
The scale hardness of a Legendary Dragon is comparable to adamantine, their muscle density far exceeds that of other creatures, and their vitality is as vast as the sea.
Their fighting style is often to suppress the opponent's actions and interfere with them using their Domain, then take advantage of their powerful bodies to end the battle quickly in a short time.
Protecting oneself with a Domain? What a joke. In terms of pure physical protection, a Dragon's body is much harder than a Domain.
An attack that can pierce a Legendary Domain's shield might not necessarily break through a Dragon's scales and flesh.
And this is just for normal Dragons.
As a Red Iron Dragon, Gairos's physical strength is top-tier even among Dragons of the same level. Having undergone repeated training and multiple evolutions, it has reached an inconceivable level.
On Gairos, the length of that shield bar is almost negligible.
Moreover, no matter how this shield is specifically enhanced, unless Gairos abandons the essentials for the trifles and spends a lot of time and resources on Domain development while ignoring the training of his main body, it will still never keep up with the growth speed of Gairos's physical strength.
"As it stands, these two Domains of mine are truly like chicken ribs—tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard."
Gairos flicked his tail, leaving a trench in the ground. "How can I make them useful? Relying solely on step-by-step strengthening yields too little result. Should I try to take a radical approach and highlight a single effect of the Domain?"
He calculated in his heart.
No matter what type of Domain it is, the effects can be summarized into three main types.
Suppressing enemies, buffing oneself, and protecting the body.
The improvement of these three effects is often gradual and complementary, quite balanced. A Domain with high shield values often also has a good suppression effect, and a Domain with strong buff effects won't have weak protection.
One idea in Gairos's mind was to find a way to highlight one of these effects and adaptively evolve it to the extreme.
Although this would lead to a serious imbalance, making other effects relatively weak, it would at least make the Domain truly useful to him, rather than being in an awkward position as it is now.
However, he has not yet fully determined the subsequent direction of development.
Gairos flicked his tail, ended his rest, and began training again.
But before long, his movements paused slightly, and he stopped again.
Gairos took out a crystal.
Weng!
Light and shadow condensed around the crystal item, first as a blurry ball of light, then quickly stabilizing to show a clear portrait.
The King of Lothorn, OBrien.
He wore that familiar silver crown. The sapphire set in the center of the crown was somewhat dim, and there were even a few fine cracks on the edges. Moreover, he was not wearing a royal robe; instead, he wore blood-stained silver-gray armor. There was a deep slash on the breastplate with curled edges, clearly having just experienced a fierce battle.
The background behind him was not a palace hall or a study, but a certain mountain forest.
Trees were sparse, the ground was charred black, and some gunpowder smoke could be vaguely seen drifting in the sky. In the distance, there seemed to be smoke rising from fires that had not been completely extinguished.
The reason for this was that this king had once again chosen to lead the army in person.
He had broken through to Legendary during his military career and usurped the throne by killing his brother; he was not a king who lived in luxury in the traditional sense.
He could not bear the thought of his soldiers fighting for the country on the front lines while he could only stay in the palace, waiting every day for news from the various war zones.
So, after the war entered its climax, he rushed to the front lines and personally oversaw the Quinn Highlands war zone.
What surprised Gairos somewhat was OBrien's appearance.
The last time the two had direct contact was three years ago when Gairos asked him for military Formation magic.
For humans, three years is not a very long time, especially for Legendary experts, whose appearance often remains unchanged for decades after breaking through.
However, compared to how he looked then, the current OBrien seemed to have aged decades.
The King of Lothorn in the image, though his hair was still neatly combed, was already somewhat withered and not so lustrous, like weeds in a drought season.
His face was so thin that his cheekbones protruded, and deep lines were clearly visible on his skin, especially around the eye sockets and the corners of his mouth, like cracks in a dried-up riverbed.
His beard had also grayed a lot, with ragged edges, and it seemed it hadn't been meticulously trimmed for a long time.
Only a pair of deep-set eyes still maintained a clear sharpness and the light of wisdom.
"Ignas, my appearance seems to have surprised you a bit."
OBrien spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse, but his tone was fairly steady.
He addressed Gairos by his surname, but without adding a more formal title, which was a way of showing closeness.
The Red Iron Dragon nodded slightly, the scales on his neck making a faint metallic sound as they rubbed together.
In a casual conversational tone, he tilted his head slightly and said, "Yes, you look much older."
OBrien shrugged and sighed, "Compared to you Dragons, human life is still too fragile, both in terms of physical strength and lifespan."
"Three years for you might just be a single slumber, but for us, it's enough to change many things."
Gairos said, "You are a Legendary, and you enjoy the resources of a nation; you shouldn't have aged this much in such a short time."
This was not comfort; he was speaking an objective fact.
Legendary experts have a decent lifespan, and their aging curve is very gradual. Unless they have suffered heavy injuries or overdrawn their life, such a cliff-like aging would not occur.
OBrien was silent for two seconds.
In the image, he lowered his head slightly, looking at the bloodstains on his armor, before raising his eyes again.
He said, "For us humans, every battle, whether we win or lose, as long as we are injured, it will inevitably be affected."
"If the injuries are too severe, they can even directly cut off the path forward, burning future potential to ashes."
"During the first civil war, I was betrayed and ambushed; although I didn't die, I was seriously injured."
"Afterward, I used the best healing potions from the national treasury and invited the most skilled priests, resting for a full year before recovering, but that was only on the surface."
"In reality, my body suffered severe depletion because of it; my Origin was damaged, my lifespan was greatly reduced, and it's difficult to make any further progress."
"I will likely stop at the current Advanced Legendary level. It's a pity I can no longer personally witness the scenery of the Crown Rank."
At this point, OBrien's mood dipped for a moment, and a look of regret flashed in his eyes.
But in an instant, he recovered, a carefree smile appearing on his face.
"So you see, my life is constantly slipping away, and my condition is gradually weakening."
"Instead of dying on a sickbed in the deep palace, watching myself weaken day by day, it's better to turn this remnant body into a blazing fire and burn for my kingdom while I can still fight."
"Anyway, if there were a better choice, I would have preferred to be a general rather than sitting on the throne."
"The current situation is actually not bad. Even if I eventually burn to ashes, I will have no regrets."
Gairos listened quietly, not interrupting until he finished.
Normal Dragons might be completely unable to empathize with OBrien, but he, after all, once had memories of being human. Although those memories were distant and blurry, he could still understand OBrien's current feelings.
"In your position, as long as you want to live, there will be many ways. You might as well try."
Gairos said.
As the king of a nation and a Legendary, there are too many ways to extend one's life.
"Apart from ordinary life-extending methods that treat the symptoms but not the root cause, those ways are nothing more than changing the life form."
OBrien said in a deep voice, his tone becoming serious, "Becoming a lich, transforming into a bloodkin, fusing with elemental creatures, transplanting organs from other races... I am human, and I take pride in my identity as a human."
"Changing into another form will inevitably change my thoughts, change my will, and even distort my memories and emotions."
"I cannot accept that kind of 'living'."
Gairos respected his ally's thoughts and didn't say more.
"Why did you contact me personally this time?"
He changed the subject and asked directly.
OBrien contacting him personally was certainly not just to vent his feelings.
"First, congratulations on your victory."
OBrien laughed, "Falling Stars from the Sky, breaking through the pass alone, rising from the dead... every one of these pieces of news shocked me greatly when they reached my ears, especially the last one; I even confirmed the truth of the intelligence three times."
"To be honest, at that time, a thought of undergoing Dragon Vein Transformation even arose in my heart, if it could make me as resilient and undying as you."
"We both led our armies in person, but I must admit, I cannot do these things."
"You should have heard by now that some people have given you some new titles."
OBrien added, "Undying Emperor, indestructible dragon—these two have spread very widely. It's said that in some places, they've already painted you on doors as a warding totem."
Hearing this, the Red Iron Dragon raised his head, showing a calm expression, seemingly indifferent to those titles.
He said nonchalantly, "Hmm, it was just luck. I don't care about those empty titles. Let's talk business."
Just empty titles; he really didn't care.
However, indestructible dragon sounded quite good; Gairos was still satisfied in his heart.
Speaking of business, OBrien leaned forward slightly, the image shaking accordingly, allowing a clear view of several personal guards busy moving supplies behind him.
His attitude became serious, his eyes sharp as knives.
He said solemnly, "At the Quinn Highlands beneath my feet, the Lossern Legion is engaged in a fierce battle with Rippos."
"This is one of the key points leading to the heart of Rippos. The terrain is treacherous and difficult to attack. In the past two months, the front line has been lost and regained, regained and lost, oscillating back and forth many times."
"Overall, we have the advantage, but Rippos has built three lines of defense here, each with solid fortress groups built against the mountains and equipped with a large number of war machines."
"We cannot take this place in a short time; we lack a key Breakthrough."
"Your war with Xio has come to an end, and the Aura Kingdom's army is resting," O'Brien continued. "I hope to receive support from Aura to break the deadlock. It doesn't need to be much—just one sufficiently powerful assault unit."
The Second The Nations of Romania War was completely different from the first.
In the first civil war, the states formed two major camps around Rippos and Lothorn, fighting fiercely on several main fronts as a coalition, resembling a large-scale convention of battles.
This time, after the disintegration of the Federation, the war aims among the The Nations of Romania became more complex.
To compete for land resources, trade routes, to settle historical grievances, and to seize advantageous positions in the new landscape. States formed alliances with each other and allied nations provided support, but they did not form the large-scale coalitions seen in the first war.
Lothorn against Rippos, Matna against Cambrook, Sack against Lane... the states were primarily engaged in one-on-one combat. However, because old and new grudges were accumulated together, the fighting was actually more intense and deadlocked than the first time, with the flames of war burning everywhere.
In the battle between Rippos and Lothorn, Lothorn currently holds the advantage.
In fact, in terms of foundation and heritage, Lothorn has always been superior.
Lothorn has a wider territory, a larger population, richer resources of all kinds, and a greater number of Legendary powerhouses.
The reason for the defeat in the first civil war was mainly because Rippos brought out several secret weapons without any warning, even including strategic-level weapons.
This time, when Rippos attempted to replicate their previous success by using strategic-level weapons, the Holy King of Lossern would take action to destroy them.
That's right, that Holy King personally joined the war.
However, his true state was exposed by Rippos's intelligence network and made public immediately after his first participation, before he could even deter the other states. It is currently no longer a secret.
The true Holy King of Lossern, the existence who once unified the states and established the Federation, has indeed fallen.
He did not return from the dead.
However, in order to continue protecting the Lothorn Kingdom, the Holy King performed a near-successful Immortality Technique before his death. Through a complex ritual and some time, he closely linked his own Soul with the land and people of the Lothorn Kingdom, becoming the "Holy Spirit of Lossern."
This Holy Spirit does not possess a complete self-awareness.
The only meaning of his existence is to protect the Lothorn Kingdom according to the instructions set by the Holy King before his death.
Furthermore, every time he takes action, it consumes a massive amount of rare Materials such as high spirit essence crystals; the consumption is enormous.
To some extent, this Holy Spirit is now a strategic asset and national foundation for Lothorn, rather than a living Destiny Legend.
At this time, O'Brien continued: "I need a heavy hammer that can break the balance, a unit that can charge head-on into the Rippos legion's positions, tear through their defensive lines, and sufficiently deter the enemy's morale."
"Its defense must be high, able to charge while taking hits; its strength must be great enough to quickly destroy fortresses and fortifications; ideally, it should have area-of-effect attack capabilities to effectively clear groups of enemies."
"I thought of a Legend under your command."
"The Ancient White Dragon, Beskar. His Frost Breath can freeze entire sections of a wall, his dragon body can withstand heavy bombardment, and his Dragon Might can make ordinary soldiers lose their Battle Intent. He is exactly what I need."
In a tense and fierce situation where one's own side holds a slight advantage, a Legendary Dragon is enough to break the balance.
As long as Beskar and the Lothorn Legends can tear a hole in the first line of defense, the legions can pour in, occupy key strongpoints, and then use them as a springboard to attack subsequent defensive lines.
Once a snowballing accumulation of advantages is formed, Rippos's defensive system on the Quinn Highlands could completely collapse.
As for directly asking the Red Emperor for support... O'Brien didn't even mention such an excessive request.
He knew very well that Galos had just annexed the Xio Kingdom and needed time to digest the territory, suppress resistance, and establish rule.
Furthermore, for a king to personally go to another country's battlefield was inappropriate, both in terms of political symbolism and actual risk.
"Beskar is currently unable to leave."
Galos gave a negative answer. "In my newly occupied lands, besides the fertile Aris Province, there are also those border towns living north of the Cui Luan Mountain Range. The people there are fierce, with lingering loyalty to the Xio royal family, and the terrain is complex, suitable for guerrilla warfare."
"In the past month, many instances of resistance have already occurred."
"Beskar is currently suppressing those resistances using his Legendary might and flight advantage; he cannot be spared."
A flash of disappointment crossed O'Brien's eyes, but he did not lose his composure.
He said: "Understood. Protecting a territory is harder than conquering it. Those resistance forces are like weeds; if not thoroughly cleared, they will grow again when the spring breeze blows."
The Red Iron Dragon continued, his voice steady: "However, I can send the Aura War Overseer there."
"He is currently free and can reinforce Lothorn."
Hearing this, O'Brien nodded.
"The Aura War Overseer, General Karu... I suppose that works."
He said, but judging by his tone, he didn't seem to have much trust in that War Overseer.
This was normal.
Although the Gluttony Demon Karu had many battle achievements, he had, after all, only just broken through to Legend, so his seniority was shallow.
Furthermore, in the dragon-based Aura Kingdom, the reputation of a Legendary Ogre was not as deterrent or reliable as that of an Ancient White Dragon.
Galos smiled slightly and said directly: "You seem a bit disappointed. However, I can tell you clearly that in the entire Aura Kingdom, Karu's strength is second only to mine."
"You can completely treat him as a Legendary Red Dragon of the same level."
"In fact, I believe he is stronger than a Legendary Red Dragon of the same level."
O'Brien was somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected the Red Emperor to have such a high evaluation of that War Overseer.
Comparing an Ogre to a Red Dragon was already the highest praise.
However, he trusted the Red Emperor's judgment; perhaps he really had underestimated that Legendary Ogre.
He quickly adjusted his mindset, the hesitation on his face dissipating, replaced by a solemn and expectant smile: "...I see. Thank you for your honesty. In that case, Lothorn welcomes General Karu's arrival."
"I believe that with your vision and guarantee, he will certainly bring unexpected surprises and Breakthroughs to me and to the war on the Quinn Highlands."
Galos nodded and said: "He will set off immediately."
"Excellent."
With the official business finished, a brief silence fell.
O'Brien in the image seemed a bit tired. He leaned back against a charred tree stump. The faint sound of a horn came from the distance, likely the signal for a shift change.
Galos suddenly asked: "Have you chosen a candidate for the next King of Lothorn?"
This question of his was a bit over the line.
Throne succession is the most sensitive part of internal affairs and is usually not discussed with foreign monarchs.
O'Brien clearly hadn't expected Galos to suddenly ask this. He was silent for a moment, weighing his options. Finally, he looked around and made a gesture. Several personal guards at the edge of the image bowed and stepped back to ensure the privacy of the conversation.
"Currently, there are two candidates."
"My third son, Eric. He has a steady personality and is skilled in politics, handling government affairs with clarity and maintaining harmonious relations with the nobles. But he is somewhat conservative and lacks an adventurous spirit; in military decisions, he tends toward safety rather than boldness, perhaps lacking the necessary courage and drive."
"My ninth son, Raymond. His political intuition isn't very sharp, and he often suffers hidden losses in court struggles. However, he has military talent. He entered the army at fifteen, starting from the bottom, participated in many small-scale conflicts, and commanded a legion-level operation. His own talent is good, and he has hopes of breaking through to Legend."
O'Brien paused and continued: "Eric is more suitable to be a king during peacetime. He can keep the kingdom running smoothly, satisfy the nobles, and let the people live in peace. But the Romanian Plain is currently in turmoil, and it will be difficult to maintain peace in the future."
"I prefer Raymond. He is more like me, with a soldier's straightforwardness and drive, willing to go to the front lines personally and unafraid of danger."
"After this war ends, I will pass the throne to him. Even if I accidentally die in this battle, the magic scrolls I left in advance will convey my thoughts."
Galos slightly furrowed the scales between his brows.
From the perspective of Aura's interests, he actually preferred a conservative monarch.
That would mean the relationship between Lothorn and Aura might not change much in the future; the alliance would be steadily maintained, trade would proceed normally, and the relationship would remain peaceful.
A conservative king would not easily take risks or suddenly change national policy.
This was the most ideal state for Aura.
As for a new monarch who was more like O'Brien... a king with military ambition, who worshipped power and might long to establish achievements, always added a layer of uncertainty for other kingdoms.
But Galos remained noncommittal and said nothing.
"How will the next monarch," he simply asked, "view the alliance with Aura?"
O'Brien took a deep breath and then began to speak word by word.
"I will tell him: Garos Ignis is the ruler of a nation, but he is first and foremost a powerful dragon with a long life, and he will only get stronger. Being allied with him requires sincerity and wisdom; one cannot play power politics or act in bad faith."
"This alliance, this friendship tested by blood and fire on the battlefield, must be well-managed and maintained, because it is beneficial to Lothorn."
Galos nodded slowly.
"I likewise cherish the friendship with Lothorn," the Red Iron Dragon said. "Aura is willing to coexist peacefully and prosper together with kingdoms that respect us."
Pausing for a moment, he made a promise.
"After you... leave, for ten years, Aura will not adjust any terms of the alliance with Lothorn. Consider it an adjustment period for the new king."
O'Brien nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his face.
"I generally don't believe the promises of evil dragons; you are always fickle and greedy." He made a small joke, and the atmosphere relaxed a bit. "However, I believe you will not break your word. A ten-year buffer period... is enough. Enough for Raymond to find his footing and learn how to deal with dragons."
At this point, the communication was about to end.
"By the way," the king suddenly said, as if remembering some small matter, "if one day in the future, that boy Raymond gets confused and makes some short-sighted decision... for the sake of today's conversation, please give him a chance to correct it."
"This isn't a negotiation between kings; consider it a dying request from an ordinary friend."
Galos was silent for two seconds.
The wind in the valley whistled past, kicking up dust. The cries of nocturnal birds came from the distance as night began to fall.
"Once," he said.
Although he had never personally met O'Brien, the King of Lothorn, Galos's impression of him was quite good.
This king had a soldier's straightforwardness, a politician's shrewdness, and a warrior's pride.
He had given Aura support at critical moments. Although that support was more out of interest considerations, it did help Aura through the difficult times of its early establishment. When Galos had asked Lothorn for military Formations and support back then, the other party had also agreed decisively.
For a personal request, Galos was willing to respond based on this recognition.
"That's good," O'Brien smiled. "Then... farewell, Galos. May your flames never be extinguished."
The communication ended.
O'Brien's figure flickered a few times before turning into points of light and dissipating.
The Red Iron Dragon put away the crystal and looked up slightly toward the direction of the Lothorn Kingdom.
Twilight had completely enveloped the Dragon Ridge Mountains. Stars began to appear in the sky, and a pale crescent moon hung over the mountain peaks.
A prominent figure of an era, the King of Lothorn and an old ally of Aura, was slowly taking his final bow, while Galos's own era had only just begun, with the tapestry of the future only having one corner unfolded.
Next, what challenges would wait? What opportunities would emerge?
These were as yet unknown.
"I hope O'Brien's son can cherish this friendship left by his father's generation in the era of war."
The Red Iron Dragon whispered, and then began his training once more under the deepening night.