novelraw Chapter 365 - 302: Dust Settles (Part 2)
Chapter 365 - 302: Dust Settles (Part 2)
In just a few seconds, the situation was beyond suspense.
The Guardian Mage under the White Tiger’s claws couldn’t move, the Alchemist entwined by the giant serpent was pale-faced, and coupled with the Evil Wolf General clutched weakly in Solrog’s grasp, not a single high-ranking leader of the Albert Family’s elite private army escaped; they were all captured.
Until this moment.
Seeing all their leaders fall and get captured, the remaining human warriors finally crumbled, their last pillar of morale completely shattered.
On the other side, standing on the edge of the battlefield, Galros captured this decisive moment.
He suddenly raised his head adorned with prominent dragon horns, his chest heaved, and he let out a majestic dragon roar into the deep night sky, announcing victory and conclusion.
Sonic waves carrying the Dragon Lord’s will swept across the chaotic battlefield in an instant.
Blood kin who received this clear instruction understood immediately.
Iron Dragon Solrog grabbed the captives, spiraling upward into the sky, his voice heavy and cold as iron clash echoed across the entire battlefield, drowning all moans and wails.
"The kneeler lives! The stander dies!"
These eight words weighed heavily on the hearts of every surviving human warrior.
Hearing this, the majority of warriors who had long lost the will to resist immediately dropped their weapons, their knees thudding heavily onto the blood-soaked ground, deeply bowing their heads.
A few stubborn ones, brainwashed by the family honor and attempting a last desperate struggle, met their inevitable fate.
Cold steel blades fell mercilessly, hot blood splattered, their heads rolled to the ground, and warm blood snaked on the ground, eventually pooling into dark crimson streams, thick with stench.
Galros counted with a sharp gaze, confirming roughly a few dozen captives.
However, these people survived not by luck.
Most were the elite among elites in this private army, seasoned veterans who formed its backbone, mixed with a few middle-level leaders who happened to survive.
Keeping these people alive was not due to the Flower Knight’s feeble request.
Galros had already planned the follow-up long before raising the army.
He knew very well that live, valuable captives sometimes meant more than cold corpses.
Especially the three high-ranking figures on the captives list.
—— Rune Knight, Alchemist, Defense Mage.
Training these three top talents must have cost the Albert family generations of gold and countless resources.
The former Marquis’s head of the family was a great army general, with a foundation far beyond an ordinary count family.
If not, it would have been impossible to cultivate such a powerful private force.
"Until this moment, no real bargaining power existed."
Galros silently mused.
He knew better than anyone that the negotiations are never about rhetoric, but chips and strengths each side holds; the Molten Iron Tribe already proved its might with a total victory.
From now on, the Albert family would be sleepless as if lying on thorns.
It should be noted that Galros was naturally suspicious and lacked a sense of security.
He instinctively tended to utterly destroy all enemies, cutting grass and removing roots, eliminating future troubles.
Indeed, the Albert family’s many years of core foundation located in the south, with influence rooted deeply and mainly in the Sel Wilderness where the Molten Iron Tribe couldn’t reach in short order, making it hard to uproot completely.
For now, he could tolerate the Albert family lingering on the map.
But with Galros’ personality, once he amassed enough power, or found an effective way to strike a fatal blow across the distance, he would not hesitate to eradicate this enemy which repeatedly opposed him, eliminating roots completely.
Soon after.
The clamorous battlefield fell silent, leaving just the pungent smell of blood and gunpowder lingering.
Whether surviving prisoners or cold corpses, the once-glorious alchemy armor and fine weapons of Albert’s private army were stripped meticulously by the Molten Iron Tribe’s warriors, leaving nothing behind.
The battlefield was efficiently cleaned by the tribal warriors, all valuable items collected, sorted, and useless debris was concentrated and dealt with.
Dozens of dejected, numb-faced prisoners were shackled, under threat from the sharp blades of tribal warriors, they were escorted back on the road to Ximu Town.
When several giant dragons spread their wings, sweeping over Ximu Town like clouds covering the sky.
When those captive private soldiers, along with piles of blood-stained armor and broken weapons, were openly displayed in front of the townsfolk.
The occupants here genuinely felt the terrifying power wielded by the Molten Iron Tribe.
People making their livelihoods in the chaotic Scale Earth Rift mostly knew about the grudge between the Molten Iron Tribe and the Albert family.
They also understood clearly:
The Molten Iron Tribe’s re-taking of the Scale Earth Rift would definitely provoke the Albert family’s conquest eventually.
And now, the expected conquest met an unequivocal devastating defeat.
The Molten Iron Tribe, gone for over twenty years, returned now with a fierceness and might surpassing its past.
The usual juvenile Green Dragon inhabiting Ximu Town, managing daily affairs here, seemed weak as a fledgling bird compared to the giant dragons swarming overhead, exuding immense dragon might.
The townspeople suddenly realized that this young dragon was probably merely a minor leader among the massive dragon group, far from its real core strength.
How immense was the true scale of this dragon group?
The power they displayed on this land was likely just the tip of the iceberg, a scale and claw, far from showing their full might.
In the complex emotions of Ximu Town residents, blending shock, awe, and comfort from having a might protector, time passed quietly, reaching a few days later.
Because human warriors’ armor and weapons were generally not suited to the burly and tall followers of the Molten Iron Tribe, forcing a fit would only backfire.
If all were to be melted into raw materials and recast, it would consume the tribe’s blacksmiths much valuable time and effort.
After consideration, the Molten Iron Tribe made a decision.
Thus.
The blood-backed adventurers in Ximu Town joyfully discovered.
In the town square center, sets of armor shimmering with alchemy rune light, finely forged, cold gleaming fine steel spears, rune war sabers engraved with energy patterns...these high-quality equipment were openly displayed for sale with listed prices.
Although most equipment bore gaps and various degrees of damage from the fierce battle.
But the selling prices adjusted according to the specific extent of damage seemed very affordable.
And the equipment adventurers snapped up was just a small segment.
The real bulk buyers were the major merchant groups shuttling through the Scale Earth Rift.
Now within the tense and conflicted atmosphere in the Federation, superior weapons and equipment were in short supply, expensive yet hard to find a seller willing, worry-free about sales.
Thus.
Adventurers and merchants obtained the gear and profits they urgently needed.
While the Molten Iron Tribe gained wealth and resources from it.
The shining gold coins would not be hoarded by Galros for admiration.
They would roll like a snowball, along with ongoing trade, continuously converted into strategic resources the tribe urgently needed: towering alchemy workshops rising from the ground, impregnable defensive structures standing at strategic points, and towering watchtowers piercing the sky along the alert line... solidifying the Molten Iron Tribe’s unwavering foundation on this regained perilous land.