Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 158: Welcome the Omen of Death

Thick night enveloped Dragon Valley. Before Garoth hovered a message stone, from which the voice of the iron dragon emerged.

"It's always me getting hurt! Those damned centaurs pretended submission to gain my trust, made me lower my guard, then ambushed me." The iron dragon spoke angrily: "Daring to attack us dragons, they're no ordinary centaurs anymore. We must strike hard! If not for my wisdom and calmness, I might have been permanently left behind."

Garoth listened quietly to the iron dragon's account. After understanding the situation, he said: "No matter, as long as you're not dead, it's a minor issue."

The iron dragon asked: "How to deal with these centaurs? They call themselves the White Mane Clan, there should be more centaurs than just those I encountered."

"Tasha!" Garoth called out. The leader of the flying dragons, who had been circling in aerial patrol, quickly descended.

"Do you know of the White Mane Clan? A centaur clan." Garoth inquired. He never fought unprepared battles - before acting, he needed to understand the enemy's situation to ensure no hidden dangers existed.

The flying dragon leader pondered briefly before answering: "Yes, their territory lies west of Dragon Valley. We've clashed with centaurs during hunts before."

"What's their strength?"

"Neither large nor small. Overall stronger than our flying dragon group, but certainly no match for you." The flying dragon leader replied, then the scar on his face twitched excitedly: "My lord, are we going to war with the centaurs? The flying dragons will tear them apart."

Garoth said: "They shall pay for their actions. However, your task is to guard Dragon Valley." He sent the flying dragons back to patrol.To the iron dragon, Garoth said: "I'll be there soon." Retrieving the message stone, the red iron dragon slowly rose to his feet.

He stretched his wings, his majestic form fully visible under the moonlight, black scales like heavy armor with dense spikes in many places. Against enemies, Garoth adhered to the principle of striking first.

What happened tonight would be settled tonight. With a sweep of his wings that sent sand and stones flying, Garoth soared into the sky amidst roaring winds, tearing through the night like a comet towards the gray magnetite mine.

Some time later. The sky remained dark, night still deep and thick.

At the gray magnetite mine, Silvermane and Ironhoof had been testing each other's strength but reached no conclusion. As it wasn't a fight to the death between non-enemies of similar skill, they eventually stopped to rest when neither could gain advantage.

"Duels can't determine victory." Silvermane suggested: "Later when we return to the clan, we'll drink strong liquor. Whoever remains sober last gets charge of the mine operations. How about that?" Centaurs loved drinking no less than dwarves.

Ironhoof, confident in his drinking capacity, flicked his horse tail: "No problem. I'll be the last one standing." As he spoke, both suddenly tensed, looking skyward simultaneously.

The young iron dragon had returned, circling high above, cold eyes fixed upon them.

"Bring my bow." Ironhoof extended his hand. A centaur archer handed him a longbow and arrows.

With a shout, Ironhoof's arm muscles bulged as he drew the bow to full moon shape, channeling magical energy into it. The next moment, an arrow shrieked through the air - but failed to reach the high-flying iron dragon. The distance was too great.

"Cowardly lizard!" Ironhoof cursed loudly, taunting: "Did you return to show off your wounds?"

The iron dragon replied unhurriedly with a cold laugh: "Insects, your doom approaches unbeknownst to you." Ironhoof paid no heed, but Silvermane felt uneasy. This young dragon's behavior differed from typical dragonkind.

Silvermane opened his mouth to probe further when suddenly - a sound like countless blades unsheathing, tearing through wind and sky pierced their eardrums from afar, making all centaurs pale. The iron dragon, however, looked pleased.

"Hear that? The sound of death approaches." Looking down at the disturbed centaurs, the iron dragon roared: "The Redwing Lord, death's omen, my dear brother - he comes!"

Brother?! Ironhoof and Silvermane pawed the ground nervously, looking up at the sky.

The firmament was torn apart. A crimson meteor streaked across the night, parting clouds in its wake with a blazing tail. BOOM! A thunderous roar sounded as shockwaves exploded behind the diving meteor.

As it neared, the centaurs finally saw clearly - no meteor, but an impossibly massive, terrifying dragon. His wing membranes sparked red-hot as scales rubbed together, trailing dark crimson flames, black scales glowing faintly red from air friction during his unstoppable descent.

Dragon might gripped their hearts like an invisible hand, nearly suffocating them.

"Alert! Enemy!" Ironhoof bellowed. The mighty centaur loosed an arrow while other elite centaur marksmen unleashed a volley.

Ting-ting-tang-tang! Arrows that could pierce steel struck Garoth's scales, sparking before shattering. Even hits to his facial armor drew no blood.

"Scatter! Scatter!" The centaur leader bent his knees to leap away.

The red iron dragon suddenly spread wings mid-plunge, arcing sharply towards Ironhoof. Though centaurs ranked among the fastest land creatures, they moved sluggishly compared to Garoth.

Ironhoof skidded to a halt, hooves plowing deep furrows. With a roar, acting purely on instinct, he thrust his war spear at the approaching dragon's eye socket in a move surpassing his normal limits, fueled by surging magical energy in this life-or-death moment.

"Faster! Faster!" Time seemed to slow as Ironhoof focused entirely on his strike.

Then his body convulsed as if lightning-struck. "Aaargh—!" Ironhoof's scream sprayed forth with blood and organ fragments. The dragon's claw struck first.

Before the spear could connect, the four-meter-tall giant was swiped aside like being hit by a meteor, his massive body tumbling to leave a gruesome blood trail. Simultaneously, Garoth casually swung his tail, sending three flanking elite centaurs flying like wheat stalks.

Another centaur leader leapt high, concentrating all magical energy into a two-handed sword slash at Garoth's neck - unaware this neck had withstood a level 13 paladin's Holy Smite unharmed.

The red iron dragon slightly turned. Clang! Silvermane's strike landed on shoulder spikes instead, sparking wildly before explosive scales detonated, sending spikes piercing through Silvermane's armor and magical defenses, riddling his body with bloody holes while flames blasted him away.

Garoth hadn't even actively attacked - his "thorns" alone dealt severe damage. Less than thirty seconds since his arrival, both centaur leaders lay critically wounded.

Remaining centaur warriors froze in place, weapons trembling in hands that had once dared chase white dragons. Without truly attacking, just through sheer presence, this monstrous dragon had crushed their leaders like ants.

"I said—" Garoth surveyed the scene with indifferent eyes. "—kneel!" His soft voice carried mountain-like weight.

Thud! Knees struck earth in unison. Even the most hardened veterans prostrated, foreheads pressed to bloodied soil. One young warrior lost bladder control, yellow liquid running down steel greaves - but none mocked him, for all centaurs shook uncontrollably under the dragon's might.

Around the red iron dragon, centaurs knelt en masse in abject submission.

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