A Dragon against the Whole World

Chapter 209 - 198: Joy of Procreation, Golden Tooth Tribe

"Little demons are mere trash in the Abyss, but they have some value in the Material Realm."

Iron Dragon Solrog pondered, "Demon blood is a rare material for casting spells, and some casters would pay a high price for it. If this rift can continuously spawn little demons to harvest demon blood, as long as it’s properly controlled, it can provide us with many resources."

Red Dragon Samantha rummaged through and picked out a reasonably intact pair of demon bat wings.

She blinked and said, "There’s a blueprint for a flying tool in my alchemy legacy, which is made using demon wings. Although the quasi-demon wings are of inferior quality, they might just do."

Flying-type alchemical tools are quite expensive.

If a production line could be set up using demon wings to manufacture flying tools, the Molten Iron Tribe could have its unique output, gaining more resources that way.

"Our ancestors seemed to have visited the Abyss and were well-versed in demons, leaving behind a legacy."

Galos mused, feeling that the legacy contained quite detailed records about demons.

At the same time, he increasingly realized the value of this Abyssal Rift.

Even just the lowest-grade quasi-demons could yield fine Abyssal materials, and if there were higher-grade demons, they would be worth a fortune, potentially priceless, even comparable to the Dragon Race.

It could also be used for training warriors.

The demonic aura has a mind-disrupting effect, but everything has two sides. Warriors who grow through fighting demons will have wills as strong as iron.

Of course.

Opportunity and danger coexist.

Galos suppressed his greedy thoughts, never forgetting that the Abyssal Rift is essentially something extremely dangerous.

If conditions permit, the best choice would be to root it out completely. But for now, without a way to eradicate the rift, one could obtain certain resources based on specific circumstances.

After the appearance of little demons.

Out of curiosity and caution towards demons.

The young dragons lingered here for a while longer, hoping to see some real demons rather than just little demons, which are insignificant rift scraps in the Abyss.

But things didn’t turn out as hoped.

Disappointingly for the young ones, no signs of other demons emerged later.

"The appearance of the quasi-demon was just a coincidence."

Galos said, "This Abyssal Rift hasn’t been discovered on a large scale by demons yet."

The Red Dragon and Iron Dragon felt a little regret, saying, "In that case, it cannot bring us much value, as the number of demons is too small."

"Perhaps, we could try to expand the Abyssal Rift?"

A glimmer of greed appeared in their eyes.

The dragons found it challenging to eliminate the Abyssal Rift, but through attacks and destruction, there’s a probability it could expand.

The Red Iron Dragon shook his head slightly, solemnly saying, "Don’t forget the danger of the Abyssal Rift. It is, in the end, a huge hidden danger. It’s left here now because there’s no way to deal with it, not for the benefits within."

The benefits of the Abyssal Rift tempted him.

But he believed the risk of the Abyssal Rift outweighed the gains.

This thing is a hot potato; one misstep, and the foundation of Dragon Valley in the southwestern border area could be destroyed because of it.

"Benefiting from the process of guarding against demons is acceptable."

"But it must never be allowed to, or even actively, cause it to expand."

The Red Iron Dragon said with an unwavering expression.

Samantha and Solrog rarely saw the Red Iron Dragon in this manner, both feeling a chill within, understanding that the Red Iron Dragon was exceptionally serious at this moment, and there was no room for doubt.

"Understood."

The Iron Dragon said in a low voice, "The Molten Iron Tribe’s development speed is already fast enough; there’s no need to rush. Expanding the rift poses a backlash risk."

Galos’s rigid expression slightly softened, and he nodded.

Arrogance and greed are the top two factors leading to the high mortality rate among the Dragon Race. As the leader of Dragon Valley, he set an example by controlling his desires with reason and also needed to prevent his subordinate dragons from causing trouble due to arrogance and greed.

Not long after.

A mixed unit consisting of various battle groups arrived here upon summons, led by Elvira, responsible for guarding the Abyssal Rift, while White Dragon Trish also remained here as a trump card.

The Ignatius Brothers, facing the rising dawn light, returned to Dragon Valley.

"Tell me about the changes in the Molten Iron Tribe during this period."

Galos said.

Although he was not in charge, he needed at least a general understanding of his tribe.

The Iron Dragon nodded and began to speak, describing the situation to Galos.

He had been asleep for a total of seven years and woke up around the fifth year of Galos’s slumber. He then began to manage the territory and the development of the followers, revitalizing the Molten Iron Tribe, which had almost completely withdrawn due to the lack of leadership.

First, the population of the Molten Iron Tribe.

Jackal-Wolf Folk, Kobolds.

Their leisure activity was mating, reproducing at a rapid rate with one litter every three months, sometimes having over ten offspring at a time, and reaching adulthood around six years of age. They were like wild grass in the wilderness, growing one after another.

Their numbers grew like locusts.

Were it not for Iron Dragon Solrog’s use of whipping and starvation to curb them, their numbers could have overwhelmed the Fertile Plain.

Even so, the scale of the Steel Will Battle Group alone surpassed the total of the other groups, while simultaneously becoming a burden on the Molten Iron Tribe.

With so many Jackal-Wolf Folk and Kobolds, the existing ranches of the Molten Iron Tribe could not sustain them.

To reduce their numbers, they were ordered to charge in front when hunting powerful beast-like monsters, using their flesh and blood to fill the dens of the Wild Monster Lords in the Southwest.

As of now.

Most of the fierce beasts and monster lords in the Southwest have been cleared by the Molten Iron Tribe, and some stubborn small clans have been incorporated or crushed.

The Molten Iron Tribe has completely taken over the southern Border Area, leaving only a few formidable Wild Monster Lords that are hard to deal with.

For this, the Steel Will was invaluable.

Ogres, Centaurs, and Gray-haired Werewolves, though not as prolific as Jackal-Wolf Folk and Kobolds, are also skilled at reproduction, though with longer maturation periods.

Thanks to the favorable growth environment, their youth and adult numbers have also increased significantly.

With the growing population base, the numbers of gifted Warrior units, Mages, and Shamans have steadily risen, adding many elite leaders.

During Galos’s Dragon Sleep, he felt the Molten Iron Tribe’s population was struggling to keep up with territory development, feeling slightly anxious.

Now, it’s the limited territorial resources in the Southwest that restrict population growth.

"There are reasons these inherently savage and ignorant intelligent creatures can hold a place in many material realms," Galos thought silently.

Take the Jackal-Wolf Folk and Kobolds, for example; they are weak and lowly, with rare powerful individuals, yet can take root and survive in any harsh environment, growing anew even after being burned to the ground.

"Don’t forget about me. My Sulfur Hills are now the backbone of Dragon Valley!"

Red Dragon Samantha raised her head high, like a proud swan, and spoke about the current state of Sulfur Hills.

She has built what Galos called the production line.

Kobold miners send raw ores to the furnace, Ogre craftsmen forge steel blanks with quenching hammers, and Alchemists inscribe runes. In Sulfur Hills, specially trained followers and other Alchemists handle different stages, processing mined ores into various alchemical industrial products, which are then sold to caravans passing through the Estonian River, earning countless wealth.

The Alchemists of the Molten Iron Tribe have also made progress.

The previous Alchemy Apprentices, with years of growth, can now be considered true Alchemists, capable of inscribing and solidifying Alchemy Runes on Fine Steel Armor with Magic, and the number of new Alchemy Apprentices has tripled.

Additionally.

The Ignatius Brothers have long discussed the specific distribution of benefits.

Even among blood brothers, accounts should be clear, and dragons are particularly sensitive to wealth, so it’s best not to be casual about it.

The wealth earned by the Alchemy Industry managed by Samantha is partly her own reward, going to her private collection, while the rest all goes into the treasure vault of Dragon Valley, belonging to Galos as the leader.

The Iron Dragon’s payments for managing the territory and followers come directly from Galos.

For the Iron Dragon, watching the growth of his subordinate territory is more enchanting than wealth, his greed for wealth is weaker than that of the Red Dragon.

As for White Dragon Trish, only the spoils she personally kills can partly belong to her.

She is essentially a ’slave’ of Galos, serving Dragon Valley without a reward.

If after fifty years she is willing to stay and continue working for Dragon Valley, she may get the corresponding reward.

"Now let’s talk about the four major tribes."

After gaining a basic understanding of the territory’s situation, Galos changed the topic and said to Iron Dragon Solrog: "I heard you mention earlier that during my slumber, there was a small conflict with the Golden Tooth Tribe."

The Golden Tooth Tribe is the formal name of the goblin tribe.

The Iron Dragon nodded.

"Before we appeared, in this Border Area, the Golden Tooth Tribe understood the importance of trade the best."

"They are located in the Southeast near the Estonian River, trading for years with the merchant groups of the Estonian River, establishing fixed trade channels. Their alchemy industry is more developed than ours."

The Iron Dragon snorted coldly and said, "These deceitful lowly creatures attempt to completely control the trade channels of the Estonian River. They have defenses along the East and West banks of the river, and sometimes our paths crossed, leading to conflicts."