novelraw Chapter 155: Ultra-High-Speed Regeneration and Hardening, Mind Sorcerer
Chapter 155: Ultra-High-Speed Regeneration and Hardening, Mind Sorcerer
The evening glow layered and overlapped like a magnificent oil painting smeared across the sky. The scales of the two young dragons gleamed with the sunset light as they conversed.
“Unclaimed gray magnetite? Not a bad find.”
Garoth said, “With this iron ore, we finally have bargaining chips for trade. Dispatch warhost units to guard it, and have the kobolds handle the mining—they’re the best miners.”
He paused, then added, “Bring the Kora Giant Eagles over as aerial sentries.”
The borderlands were less fertile than the wilderness, so Garoth attached great importance to the first discovered gray magnetite deposit.
To conduct waterborne trade via the Estonian Great River, relying solely on biological materials like beast horns and pelts obtained through hunting was hardly enough. The crucial factor was a continuously extractable, valuable mineral vein.
Moreover,
Nick’s caravan was about to arrive again.
Having received new intelligence from the Clan of Molten Iron, the caravan would change its route and come through the Estonian Great River waterway. The red iron dragon had not forgotten Nick’s request for an audience.
The Clan of Molten Iron was relocating to the borderlands to restart, and it was a time when various resources were urgently needed.The alchemical equipment, manual knowledge, and item blueprints requested last time were also very important, as they concerned the development of the clan’s alchemical industry.
“I will handle the mining and extraction operations.”
Iron Dragon Sorog nodded, his gaze landing on Garoth as he said, “Garoth, my dear brother, have you undergone another mutation?”
He was referring to the spikes on Garoth’s body.
After settling in Dragon Valley and spending another month, Garoth’s spikes had now completed their evolution.
Black-brown hardened spikes of various sizes, especially concentrated on Garoth’s neck, vambraces, and shoulders, shimmered with a chilling cold light and looked extremely dangerous.
“Come feel them.”
Garoth said to the curious Iron Dragon, slightly turning his body to expose his shoulder and gesturing for Sorog to attack the shoulder.
“Here I come.”
Sorog warned before raising his sharp claw and striking the densest cluster of spikes on Garoth’s shoulder.
Clang!
The spikes scraped against the claws, sparks flying in all directions.
Rip… Sorog bared his teeth, quickly withdrawing his claw. Looking down in shock, he found that his normally sturdy claw had been pierced by the dense, sharp spikes, and thin strands of dragon blood oozed out.
These spikes were sharp and tough enough to pierce dragon claws!
Dragons generally had spikes.
Evil dragons’ spikes were denser and sharper than those of metal dragons.
But such spikes were far less sharp than dragon claws and not as hard as scales, so they didn’t serve much practical purpose for dragons, mainly acting as an aesthetic feature fitting the evil dragon’s appearance.
Garoth’s spikes, however, were more than just ornamental.
Even with the hardness of Sorog’s claws, he was scratched—these were like razor blades, and at the level of divine weapons.
Gasping sharply, Sorog looked up at Garoth’s shoulder.
What surprised him even more happened next.
He saw those broken spikes rapidly regenerate at a speed visible to the naked eye, growing back fully within a few breaths. Judging by their color, they didn’t look like newly grown spikes, which was alarming.
“They can regenerate?!”
Sorog showed an envious look and asked, “Garoth, how on earth did you manage this? I admit your training intensity is beyond my reach, but this is no longer something that training alone can achieve.”
Through training, it was possible to make spikes harder.
But to the point where they could pierce Sorog’s claw and even regenerate? That was pure fantasy.
“Mutation formed from hybrid blood, plus my persistent training.”
Garoth attributed it to his hybrid bloodline and relentless training.
He changed the subject, asking, “Sorog, have you decided on your profession yet?”
Sorog nodded: “Mind Sorcerer. I plan to become a Mind Sorcerer.”
Garoth was a little surprised; he had thought Sorog would prefer a warrior-type profession.
“You’re enough for combat,” Sorog said. “Besides, Mind Sorcerers also have decent combat skills. Most importantly, this profession lets me better manage the territory and command our followers.”
The division of labor among the Ignas brothers was now clear.
Garoth was the leader and the symbol of strength. Whenever he acted, any difficulty or crisis would be resolved.
Sorog was the minister, highly skilled at managing clan affairs, which was why he chose the Mind Sorcerer profession. Samantha was responsible for alchemical logistics—not very important now, but indispensable as the clan developed its alchemical industry.
“Your mind and willpower are stronger than ordinary Iron Dragons.”
“I believe you can become a Mind Sorcerer.”
Garoth smiled slightly and said.
Becoming a Mind Sorcerer required a threshold: awakening spiritual energy through meditation, a tedious and boring process. Samantha would never sit still for that, but Sorog had a natural talent for it.
After exchanging words for a while longer,
Sorog took several teams of followers and flew toward the gray magnetite deposit, preparing to establish a foothold there first.
Garoth continued focusing on himself.
He concentrated his spirit on the spikes covering his body, then violently shook his body.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Each spike tore through the air, deeply piercing the surrounding soil, stones, and plants like enchanted and alchemically enhanced arrows. The range was vast, and the damage was greater than the shattering effect of Explosive Scales, also catching enemies off guard.
“Now that my spikes have evolved, I no longer need the damage from Explosive Scales.”
Garoth thought, then called the flying dragons over to ‘step on his back’ again.
The flying dragons carefully avoided the spike range and attacked Garoth’s scales.
Enduring the flying dragons’ attacks, Garoth’s Explosive Scales gradually turned red, but since he kept stopping intermittently, the reddening speed slowed significantly. Still, the scales eventually overloaded and exploded, requiring time to gradually adapt and evolve anew.
When night deepened,
Iron Dragon Sorog led his followers to the gray magnetite deposit.
Before officially beginning extraction, they needed to build a simple camp base here to support subsequent work.
Ogres, gnolls, and lizardfolk started setting up tents and constructing watchtowers and other living and defensive facilities.
The kobolds carried mining picks behind Sorog; their small eyes gleamed cunningly under the moonlight.
The gray magnetite deposit was located around a low mountain. Sorog tapped the rock face lightly with his claw and closed his eyes carefully to sense it.
“Here.” He pointed at a rock wall. “Start mining here first.”
The kobolds immediately sprang into action, the crisp sound of their steel picks hitting rock breaking the silence of the night.
At the same time, the Kora Giant Eagles circled in the sky, their sharp eyes scanning the ground. They occasionally emitted piercing cries to warn of any possible threats.
Under Sorog’s command, the stationing and mining of the gray magnetite deposit proceeded vigorously.
Meanwhile, in a distant cold-resistant pine forest,
Silvermane lowered his hawkeye binoculars hidden in the canopy shadows, his silver-white mane bristling slightly with tension.
“Those large, sturdy ogres wear metal armor.”
He lowered his voice and said, “And those hyena knights and giant wolf knights all have excellent equipment. They don’t seem like followers that young dragons could command.”
Ironhoof pawed the ground restlessly, saying, “What’s more troublesome are those giant eagles. With them patrolling the skies, it’s very hard for us to approach silently and launch a surprise attack.”
The two exchanged a silent glance, seeing hesitation in each other’s eyes.
Ironhoof suddenly grinned and said, “What, are you scared?”
Silvermane said, “I’m just thinking maybe Elvy was right.”
He looked toward the busy followers in the mine and mused, “This Iron Dragon... is not simple.”
Ironhoof said, “Don’t forget, whoever settles things here first could become the chieftain. This Iron Dragon is different, but not enough to make us afraid.”
Across from him, Silvermane suggested, “How about we join forces, deal with the Iron Dragon together first, then fight for the chieftain position afterward? In any case, we can’t let a half-blood become chieftain.”
Ironhoof thought for a moment, then nodded firmly.