Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 111: Garoth: No One Understands Evil Dragons Better Than Me

The silver moon of Goddess Solune gradually faded from the dark blue sky as the blazing sun representing light and life slowly rose from the distant horizon.

Bearing a body covered in wounds, the red iron dragon returned from Tempering Heights to Needleleaf Valley, landing heavily on the ground.

"Garoth?!"

Samantha and Vira exclaimed simultaneously, their eyes scanning the red iron dragon's body and taking in his shocking array of injuries.

The bleeding had stopped, but the cracked dragon scales, broken horn, and unnaturally twisted claws all bore witness to the intensity of the previous battle.

"You're hurt. Badly."

Neither dragon had ever seen Garoth so severely injured before, and it frightened them both.

"This is an acceptable cost."

Garoth waved a claw dismissively as he spoke.

His physique was stronger than ordinary dragons, so what Samantha and Vira considered serious injuries hadn't quite reached that level for him - though it came close."Though the process had its twists and difficulties, I emerged victorious in the end."

Garoth produced the diamond core, displaying it before the two dragons.

Normally steady in temperament, his inevitable joy at winning this war and defending his territory surfaced, along with a small desire to show off his spoils.

Even Garoth possessed the vanity typical of dragonkind.

He usually suppressed such emotions, however.

At that moment, a ray of dawn light shone upon Needleleaf Valley, illuminating the diamond core and coating its already dazzling surface with golden radiance, making it shine even more brilliantly.

Both the faerie dragon and red dragon stared transfixed, utterly enchanted by the glittering treasure.

"So beautiful."

The words escaped Vira's lips in genuine admiration.

The red dragon seemed to lose all sense, moving toward Garoth like a puppet on strings with outstretched claws before suddenly snapping back to reality when meeting Garoth's gaze, offering an embarrassed smile instead.

"My dear brother, let me touch it. Just once."

Samantha pleaded.

Garoth promptly swallowed the diamond core, storing it in his stomach cavity.

As senses and reason gradually returned to normal.

Samantha's attention shifted back to Garoth's wounded body, her covetous gaze lingering as she said, "You should have taken me to fight the stone giants. I'm a powerful and noble red dragon, a born warrior."

"My claws could have shredded those rocks to pieces."

"With me there, I guarantee you would've won much more easily."

For the assault on the stone giant encampment, Garoth hadn't brought the red dragon - in fact, he hadn't taken any followers or subordinates from Needleleaf Valley.

Garoth's territory was now vastly different from before.

He controlled multiple resource points including pastures, mineral veins, and riverways, plus an entire trade route.

The question was:

How to protect and continue developing them all.

Garoth understood clearly that with the changing of eras, the age of massive creatures like dragons and giants had long since ended. Now belonged to medium and small-sized beings like humans and elves.

They existed in vast numbers, with powerful individuals among them, possessing tremendous creativity and growth potential.

Even most dragons had been driven to remote wilderness or oceanic regions, while human empires, elven kingdoms, and dwarven realms stood tall across the prosperous continents - not dragon empires.

Dragons were like fallen nobility.

Wallowing in the glories of ancient times, reminiscing about past splendor while maintaining an arrogant, superior attitude.

And this.

Was one key reason dragons struggled to rise again.

Failing to recognize current realities, blinded by self-importance.

A dragon like Samantha would inevitably grow swollen with pride upon achieving territory like Garoth's, strutting about thinking herself invincible until provoking some powerful entity and meeting destruction.

Garoth constantly battled the innate arrogance of dragon nature.

He knew this was precisely when he couldn't afford to relax.

He wasn't yet strong enough to ignore all risks and act recklessly.

Dangers still lurked everywhere in the wilds.

His thriving territory today might attract greedy adult evil dragons or the Lothern garrison that hunted them tomorrow, plunging him into extreme peril.

Therefore.

He always kept escape routes prepared.

For instance, none of the Molten Iron Clan's followers knew about the Needleleaf Valley faction's existence, nor Garoth's daily whereabouts.

To them.

Garoth remained elusive, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.

Should powerful enemies target the Molten Iron Clan later, they couldn't expose Garoth's true location because they simply didn't know it.

"Samantha's red dragon bloodline makes her incapable of settling for peace - this is a liability."

To red dragons, scars represented merit and glory. As Samantha matured, her thirst for battle and bloodshed grew stronger. Even her ant-play served to satisfy these urges.

"Should I exile Samantha?"

Garoth shook his head slightly.

He wasn't a completely heartless evil dragon - years together had fostered some affection.

More crucially, Samantha could refine black oil for him.

The black oil Garoth drank in battle, further refined by Samantha, became higher quality, converting to energy more efficiently upon consumption.

The Molten Iron Clan included an ogre alchemist.

But it only crafted weapons and armor, using alchemy for enhancements.

Unless operating large alchemical golems, normal clans had no use for black oil, and alchemists wouldn't specifically learn oil refinement skills.

Exiling Samantha would require Garoth to study alchemy and oil refining himself.

Not impossible.

But such repetitive drudgery would distract from more important matters.

His sorcerer subordinates lacked dragons' magical aptitude and couldn't be relied on short-term.

Yet the red dragon couldn't remain a liability either.

"Garoth, I want to fight! I want bloodshed! Not just stay in the rear practicing alchemy!"

Samantha complained.

Garoth pondered briefly before asking, "Samantha, do you truly enjoy battle?"

Flames snorted from the red dragon's nostrils as she nodded without hesitation.

"For what purpose?" Garoth pressed.

After consideration, Samantha answered excitedly, "For glory! To make my name shake the heavens!"

Red dragons were arrogant and proud, with the strongest vanity among dragonkind - exactly the response Garoth expected.

Blinking, Garoth said as if enlightened, "Ah, you wish to gain widespread fame."

"Yes, Garoth, you understand me well."

Samantha praised.

Of course - while I'm not an evil dragon, I understand them perfectly... A barely perceptible smile touched Garoth's lips as he said, "In that case, you should focus on alchemy rather than battle for fame."

Suspicion filled the red dragon's eyes.

"Are you trying to trick me, Garoth? I'm smart and wise with my own thoughts - I won't fall for your schemes again."

She declared.

Garoth remained impassive. "Nearly all red dragons excel at combat. Compared to them, what are your advantages? How will you stand out and be remembered among so many?"

Samantha opened her mouth, then closed it wordlessly.

"Yeah yeah, what are your strengths, Samantha?"

Faerie dragon Vira chimed in curiously from the side.

Garoth stepped forward, placing a claw on his sister's shoulder with profound sincerity. "My dear sister, your strength lies in wisdom! You're the most intelligent red dragon I've ever met! Your alchemical talents astound me, your wisdom leaves me in the dust."

Opposite him.

With each of Garoth's words, Samantha's head lifted slightly higher, her tail wagging faster and faster.