The Borderlands, Dragon Valley.
Piercing cold winds carried swirling snow, howling and raging under a lead-gray sky as a massive dark-red figure streaked across the firmament.
The Red-Iron Dragon's thick scales were currently smeared with viscous demonic blood and fragments of flesh. These foul remnants from the Abyss were gradually charring and peeling away due to the high temperatures generated by his extreme friction with the air, torn away by the gale to dissipate in his wake.
Having finished his forced training of the Red-Silver Dragon Deborah, Garros still felt unsatisfied. He had simply taken a trip to the Abyssal Rift, venting his accumulated Fury through a slaughter of demons.
At this moment, he was in a state of peaceful, calm, and rational'sage time'.
Certain things only seem more precious when faced with the threat of losing them.
Because of the continuous erosion of the Frenzied Flame within his body, Garros felt more than ever before how vital it was to maintain clear and calm thinking.
"Wait... after I completely adapt to and master the Frenzied Flame, what kind of state will I ultimately reach?"
A thought suddenly flashed through Garros's calm mind.
"Will I be able to maintain clarity and reason even in a state of extreme Fury? Or will my mental will be tempered so resiliently that I won't feel Fury at all?"
He hoped for the former.
If so, his opponents would no longer face a mindless, frenzied beast, but a truly terrifying "Wild Dragon with a brain."
That would be the nightmare of all his enemies.
But the latter possibility wasn't non-existent.
His Adaptive Evolution process wasn't entirely controlled by his subjective will. The final results often exceeded his initial expectations, bringing about unforeseen changes.
"It seems I need to consciously seek out and try suitable methods to guide the direction of adaptation as much as possible, so that I can eventually maintain composure within Fury, rather than moving toward the other extreme of completely severing or discarding my furious emotions."
Garros mused thoughtfully.
"For example, when my Fury level accumulates to a high point but hasn't completely spiraled out of control, instead of rushing to find a way to vent it, I should strive to force myself into methodical, calm thinking as a form of resistance and adaptation training."
He quickly formulated his first viable idea.
Forcing rational thought amidst a tide of Fury was undoubtedly an extremely difficult task. In his dragon heritage information, there were no recorded precedents of a dragon successfully achieving this.
But it wasn't absolutely impossible.
Garros knew that among certain intelligent races, such as humans, there were naturally gifted individuals capable of maintaining logical thinking under extreme emotions.
Since it wasn't impossible...
He might just be the first dragon to set such a precedent.
When that time came...
He could smugly leave this achievement in the section of the dragon heritage reserved for showing off.
[I can maintain my reason while in a Wild State; can you?]
Continuing to ponder the various possibilities of Frenzied Flame adaptation and emotional control, Garros maintained his flight path toward the Dragon Valley region.
Just a few minutes later.
The Red-Iron Dragon's silhouette tore through the dense curtain of wind and snow, appearing in the sky above Dragon Valley.
He lowered his massive head, his gaze scanning the valley floor, and immediately noticed the two sides engaged in a fierce battle below.
"Attack! My loyal subjects, fight for the glory of the great Red Dragon Queen! Crush the target!"
A female dragon's roar rang out, pitched in a high, theatrical tone.
"Foolish insects! You dare offend the majesty of the great King of Molten Iron?! Be reduced to ashes under this King's Red Lotus fire!"
Another even more exaggerated voice, imitating a deep growl, roared in succession.
...
On a relatively flat clearing at the bottom of the valley.
A group of varied, hound-sized miniature golems made of metal and unknown Materials were clicking and clacking with the friction of internal gears and levers.
Under the command of a haughty Red Dragon figure with its hands on its hips, they were launching a siege against a large dragon across from them that closely resembled Garros in his four-armed Crimson Lotus State, referred to as the King of Molten Iron.
The Red Dragon Queen was Samantha.
The King of Molten Iron was the Faerie Dragon Vera, transformed using a Gallos Mimicry Technique.
"How old are they now, still playing such childish role-playing games?" Garros watched this scene, shaking his head slightly.
Samantha and Vera.
They had often played this kind of game long ago.
As time passed and Samantha grew, she began taking charge of the Molten Iron Tribe's increasingly massive alchemy industrial system. She became busy, and the number of times she played the Red Dragon Queen had greatly decreased.
But clearly...
Deep down, she hadn't truly abandoned this source of joy.
At this moment, the battle below seemed to have reached a fever pitch. Both Samantha and Vera were so immersed in their play that they didn't notice Garros's return immediately.
Whoosh—!
Garros intentionally flapped his dragon wings, creating a powerful downward air current that sent the snow at the bottom of the valley flying in all directions, finally catching the attention of the combatants.
The Red Dragon Queen and the King of Molten Iron stopped their movements simultaneously.
They looked up at the dark-red figure in the sky.
Under Garros's gaze, Samantha quickly waved a claw. The legion of miniature golems charging on the ground stopped instantly, then were gathered up as if by an invisible hand, turning into specks of light and disappearing into a piece of spatial equipment.
On the other side, the Faerie Dragon Vera also immediately deactivated her mimicry. The majestic King of Molten Iron vanished on the spot with a 'poof' like a bursting bubble.
"You may continue; don't mind me."
Garros slowly landed beside them, his massive talons leaving deep imprints in the snow.
His desire for control wasn't so strong that he would interfere with his companions' hobbies; he didn't mind this harmless role-playing between Samantha and Vera.
On the contrary.
Seeing that they could still retain such a sense of fun while carrying their respective responsibilities made Garros feel amused.
"Game? What nonsense are you talking about?"
Samantha reacted as if her tail had been stepped on, immediately raising her head in protest.
She tilted her chin up, putting on a serious and solemn expression, and explained righteously, "I am conducting a serious combat drill! By simulating the command of a legion in battle, I am improving my actual level of legion tactical control. It's not some childish game like you imagine."
After speaking, she didn't forget to signal the Faerie Dragon next to her with her eyes, seeking support.
"Exactly! Exactly! Samantha is right!"
The Faerie Dragon Vera immediately flew to the right of the Red Dragon, near her head, nodding her little head like a woodpecker as she echoed, "We are conducting very important training!"
Wouldn't it be better to just be honest and admit they were playing a game to relax?
Garros looked at the two of them acting in concert and couldn't understand this stubborn behavior.
He didn't bother to press the issue and instead turned to Samantha.
"You came over from the tribe; is there something the matter?"
Garros asked.
Samantha didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stepped forward a few paces, looking the Red-Iron Dragon's increasingly majestic and formidable frame up and down, paying special attention to the bulging lines of his muscles and the structure of his joints.
"Regarding that set of Binding Armor you commissioned me to design and forge, after this period of research, I have some preliminary ideas and concepts."
She extended a red-scaled dragon claw and lightly tapped Garros's hard shoulder plate, continuing, "However, ideas alone aren't enough. I need more precise data."
"Let me see."
"I need to specifically record your current body structure, the length and width proportions of various parts, the maximum contraction and extension ranges of muscle groups, and other key data."
Hearing this, Garros cooperatively fully extended his massive wings while slightly adjusting his stance, fully displaying his powerful and aesthetic, rugged and fierce body.
The Red Dragon Samantha began to pace slowly around him, her gaze as sharp as a ruler. From time to time, she would gesture in the air with her claws or mutter numbers and technical terms under her breath, observing and recording.
The Faerie Dragon Vera also mimicked Samantha, fluttering her wings and flying circle after circle around Garros, her eyes wide as she carefully observed every detail.
This would help her further refine the details of her Gallos Mimicry Technique, making the images she manifested even more realistic and powerful.
"I must remind you, Samantha."
Garros looked at his sister and spoke, "Given my current growth rate, the body data recorded now might lose its reference value in the near future."
Samantha heard this and glanced up at her brother.
"My dear brother, do you really think a professional Alchemist like me wouldn't consider such a basic issue?"
Her tone carried a hint of smugness and pride as she said, "You just need to cooperate obediently with the measurements. Leave professional matters to a professional dragon.
"Give me some time, and I guarantee the Binding Armor I eventually deliver will not only perfectly meet your functional requirements but will also be designed to look both magnificent and fierce, absolutely worthy of your status as the King of Molten Iron."
The current Molten Iron Tribe possessed the abundant resources of the entire northwestern region of the wilderness; its wealth was incomparable to the past.
As the tribe's chief Alchemist, Samantha could freely call upon vast quantities of various rare Materials for experimentation and production. Her alchemy skills had advanced by leaps and bounds under the combination of her own talent and the mountain of resources, so she was naturally full of confidence now.
A short while later, Samantha and the Faerie Dragon concluded their data collection on the Red-Iron Dragon's body.
Samantha didn't immediately set off back to the wilderness's alchemy industrial zone. Instead, she excitedly ran back to the other side to continue her and Vera's so-called "Legion Tactical Control Improvement Training."
Soon, this corner of Dragon Valley once again rang with the "Red Dragon Queen's" marching orders and the "King of Molten Iron's" angry roars.
Their second world war had officially broken out!
Meanwhile, inside Burning Steel Fortress, the Red-Silver Dragon Deborah, who had been exhausted by Garros's "forced training," had long since fallen into a deep slumber, completely oblivious to the world war outside the fortress.
The White Dragon Tereshi was on another training ground, drilling the young dragons, teaching them the importance of ecological niches and various combat and exercise methods.
The entire Dragon Valley presented a sense of order and tranquility amidst the wind and snow.
Garros had no intention of joining either side, nor did he choose to rest.
Whoosh, whoosh—!
Outside the valley, the wind and snow continued to howl tirelessly.
Inside the valley, the Red-Iron Dragon silently drank a large vat of viscous high-energy black oil and swallowed several gems containing pure Demonic Energy to replenish his consumed energy. Then, he began his training again, silently accumulating every bit of strength and polishing every inch of his muscle and bone.
Talent had made him.
But he always insisted on responding with sweat.
Not long after, the sky outside grew even darker and heavier as night fell. However, the interior of Dragon Valley was illuminated by a fierce red light. That was the brilliant radiance naturally emitted by Garros after he activated his Crimson Lotus State, casting a red glow even on the falling snowflakes.
However, before long...
The light began to gradually recede.
"The Dominic Dragon Flight has sent an envoy; they wish to see you."
Having received the message from the Iron Dragon Sorog via their Bloodline Connection, Garros concentrated his mind and began to consciously control his state, slowly withdrawing from the high-consumption Crimson Lotus State.
"Is it because of Heriam and the others?"
The Dominic Dragon Flight's base was located in the central region of the Serel Wilderness. Previously, they had little interaction with the Ignas Dragon Flight that ruled the northwestern region.
Evil Dragons almost never engaged in meaningless social visits.
Garros already had a faint suspicion regarding the purpose of this sudden dispatch of an envoy by the Blue Dragons.
"I asked directly, but the other party prefers to negotiate with you. They didn't give a definitive answer and their attitude was somewhat vague, but I estimate it's eighty to ninety percent likely to be about that matter."
The Iron Dragon Sorog said, "The one who came is a Blue Dragon named Zolaya. She is said to be a direct descendant of the Dominic Dragon Flight's leader, a female Mature Adult Blue Dragon. She wishes to meet with you face-to-face."
The Red-Iron Dragon's gaze suddenly turned cold, and several faint bloodshot streaks appeared in his eyes.
A sense of irritability welled up in his heart.
"If their leader has matters to discuss, he should come to see me in person! Instead of sending a descendant!"
Garros said in a low voice.
Solrog keenly sensed Garros's emotional instability and irritable tendencies.
"Garros, calm down."
He reminded him.
With the reminder from his kin, Garros snapped back to his senses, realizing he had once again let the irritability brought by the Frenzied Flame cloud his judgment.
He took a few slow breaths, trying his best to maintain rational thought amidst the rising anger.
In fact, putting aside his subjective feelings of being offended and looking at it objectively: when two powerful dragon flights with no prior relationship make initial contact, sending an envoy to communicate first—and an envoy who is a high-ranking Mature Adult Dragon and a descendant of the leader—is quite sincere.
This was itself a fairly sincere and polite diplomatic gesture.
This Blue Dragon named Zolaya coming to visit alone was equivalent to placing herself in potential grave danger. Should the Ignas Dragon Flight harbor ill intentions, she might never return.
"..."
Garros spoke slowly, his voice regaining its steadiness. "I reacted a bit excessively. Since she comes on behalf of the Dominic Dragon Flight, then let it be as she wishes. Have her come to The Borderlands to see me; I will give her the chance to communicate."
The Iron Dragon Sorog nodded slightly on the other end.
"Good, I will convey your wishes to her."
He paused, his tone becoming serious as he added, "However, I suggest that while we conduct the meeting, it would be best to have the dragons and lords of the tribe prepare for war in advance."
If the outcome of the communication was unsatisfactory and negotiations broke down...
Then the Molten Iron Tribe would make the strongest reaction immediately, striking with thunderous force to seize the initiative.
During this period, although the Molten Iron Tribe had maintained steady development in the northwestern region, focusing on absorbing resources and accumulating strength, this by no means meant they feared war.
On the contrary, they were always ready to defend their interests and dignity with fire and war.
"Agreed. We'll prepare for both possibilities."
Garros responded.
After the brief communication, he ended the bloodline conversation.
The Red-Iron Dragon stood in the valley as it was gradually shrouded by twilight, looking at the distant, still-howling snow. He remained silent for a moment, then stretched his body and once again assumed a training posture.
No matter how the outside world changed...
The improvement of his own strength was always the most important cornerstone for facing all challenges.
"The Blue Dragon race is known for a calm and order that distinguishes them from other Evil Dragons. I hope they are sensible; otherwise, I don't mind letting them feel my Fury."
The Red-Iron Dragon calmed his mind and continued his training.
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