Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 186: Inflated Ambitions

"Number six?"

The brass-silver dragon Deborah was dissatisfied with this ranking. Her gaze swept over the kitten-sized little one, and taking advantage of her unpreparedness, she blew a breath at her. Watching the faerie dragon stagger about in the gale-like breath, the brass-silver dragon narrowed her eyes contentedly and said, "Little one, I should be second. Only Garoth should rank above me here."

The arrogance of the metallic hybrid dragon boiled in her blood.

Deborah could tolerate Garoth being above her - after all, she had lost to him more than once.

But other dragons ranking above her? That she couldn't accept.

The faerie dragon flapped her butterfly-like wings, spinning several times before stabilizing herself.

"I have a name. You can call me Vira."

"As for the order, it's based on who arrived first."

Being playful by nature, she wasn't angry about this, counting on her tiny claws with a giggle: "Garoth is first, Samantha is second, I'm... since you came last, you're sixth."

The brass-silver dragon glanced at the white dragon roughly eating nearby: "Are you saying even a white dragon ranks above me?"The faerie dragon blinked.

After some thought, she said:

"Trixie is fifth, but she's Garoth's 'prisoner', defeated by him and now working to repay her debt. She doesn't count as a true Dragon Valley member."

Looking up at the brass-silver dragon, the faerie dragon said in an encouraging tone:

"Strictly speaking, you're actually fifth! Moving up in the ranks, aren't you happy?"

The brass-silver dragon was left speechless.

She turned her head away dismissively, not wanting to continue this childish debate with the faerie dragon.

This playful ranking was clearly just the faerie dragon's own amusement, not worth taking seriously.

At this moment.

Red dragon Samantha and white dragon Trixie finished eating and came to where Garoth was.

Both evil dragons stared at the metallic dragon with unfriendly expressions.

Among the five-colored dragons, red dragons and silver dragons had always been rivals. Given the chance, powerful and wicked red dragons most enjoyed enslaving silver dragons and humiliating them repeatedly.

As for white dragons.

White dragons and silver dragons shared cold attributes and similar preferred habitats, often leading to conflicts that invariably ended with the white dragons fleeing in defeat.

The silver dragon aura emanating from Deborah.

Made both Samantha and Trixie feel displeased.

However, having learned from previous experiences, Samantha realized it was best to keep her claws sheathed while she was still relatively weak, so she refrained from hurling insults or challenges at the brass-silver dragon.

Trixie held to the principle of 'kings should avoid each other' regarding silver dragons.

But now that they were face to face, she would at least give the other some face by not provoking conflict.

The brass-silver dragon looked at Samantha and suddenly spoke, her silver dragon pupils showing a hint of approval: "You and Garoth are siblings, right? No wonder you could solve my riddle. You're clever, unlike the red dragons I've known."

For any dragon who could engage with her puzzles, even a red dragon, she could show kindness.

After hearing Deborah's compliment, the hostility in the red dragon's eyes lessened considerably.

Since when did these damn metallic dragons know how to give compliments?

The red dragon's spikes flattened slightly as she said, "You're quite impressive yourself. That riddle was complex and ingenious. Besides me... and Garoth, I can't think of anyone else who could have answered correctly."

Though privately she thought the riddle had been simple.

Still, she accepted the red dragon's self-praise and flattery with a pleased nod, offering no rebuttal.

"Metallic dragon, are you from Red Maple Valley?"

White dragon Trixie asked.

The brass-silver dragon didn't even glance her way, not dignifying the question with a response.

She had no interest in conversing with white scales.

The ignored white dragon flared in anger, her tail smashing hard into the ground as she snorted heavily, deciding not to engage further with the brass-silver dragon while inwardly cursing the metallic dragon for not knowing her place.

"There are only five dragons here."

"Vira, did you miscount?"

The brass-silver dragon's gaze swept over the assembled dragons as she spoke.

"Nope! Sorog is hibernating - he's number four, came after me." The faerie dragon, still hung up on the order of arrival, emphasized this point.

At this moment.

Sunlight bathed the scarred battlefield.

The retainers of the Molten Iron Legion were piling intact weapons and armor into iron hills.

Damaged weapons were also being gathered together.

These scraps would be transported to the sulfur hills to be reborn in red dragon Samantha's alchemical furnace, smelted into new weapons and equipment.

The corpses of minotaurs and their mounts weren't left to rot in the wilderness either.

Minotaurs, armored rhinos, and mammoths were being expertly skinned and butchered, their tendons hung on makeshift smoking racks, their fat stored in jars.

The wisdom of wilderness survival was etched in these monsters' genes.

Every piece of meat would be dried into wooden-hard strips, every bone crushed to extract the last drop of marrow oil.

They knew well the value of food and wasted nothing.

Garoth issued orders for part of the retainers to garrison the conquered Bloodhoof Clan territory.

After the recent battle, the Bloodhoof territory was scarred but not completely ruined. Though the wall-like fortifications had many gaps, they remained largely intact, with numerous stone buildings and structures still standing.

Most valuable were the totem poles.

The Bloodhoof Clan's totem poles represented wealth accumulated through normal means and plunder, traded via the Estonian Great River for precious magical materials like star silver and witchwood, then painstakingly crafted by shamans over long periods - each one immensely valuable.

Most had been damaged or destroyed.

However, given to the Molten Iron Clan's sorcerers and shaman corps for study, there was hope for restoration. Failing that, breaking them down for sale would still yield considerable profit.

Additionally.

The Bloodhoof Clan's main base was located in the King's Fertile Plain. While not large, this area was unlike other barren parts of the borderlands - as its name suggested, it had lush grasses, birch forests dotted with wild berry bushes, carefully chosen by the Bloodhoof Clan.

But from today onward, the Bloodhoof territory would become a Molten Iron Clan stronghold.

The King's Fertile Plain would belong to the Molten Iron Clan.

"Elvy, Zachary, Jokic."

Garoth addressed the three centaur leaders: "Your centaur tribe will take over the Bloodhoof territory. Each warhost will allocate some units to assist you."

Centaurs could unleash greater power when charging across plains, and grasses fit their diet.

The fertile plain suited them well.

Their previous location held no value and was poorly positioned - it could be abandoned outright.

In the battle against the Bloodhoof Clan, the brave and warlike centaurs had proven their worth, fighting at the forefront.

Now.

The centaurs and ogres were the Molten Iron Clan's two strongest subject races. With some cultivation, they could continuously provide fresh blood for the Crimson Iron Riders and Starbreaker Maul.

There were also the obsidian mine, armored rhino ranch, iron mine, and spikebeast ranch among other resource points.

All now belonged to the Molten Iron Clan.

Having operated more actively in the borderlands than in the Ser Wilderness.

Dragon Valley, King's Fertile Plain, Sulfur Hills, Giant's Ruined Fort... the Molten Iron Clan's banners were gradually planted across the southwestern corner of the borderlands. Though newly arrived, their scale already surpassed their Ser Wilderness holdings.

"Iron Will casualties: forty percent."

"Crimson Iron Riders casualties: twenty percent."

"Starbreaker Maul casualties: thirty percent."

"Annihilating Eye casualties: ten percent."

"..."

The warhost lords quietly reported their losses.

The battle against the Bloodhoof Clan hadn't been an overwhelming victory - the stubborn minotaurs had put up fierce resistance, inflicting significant casualties on the Molten Iron Clan at considerable cost.

Garoth fell briefly silent, contemplating.

Though victorious, the retainer losses left his already limited forces stretched thinner.

"With more strongholds and territories, we need more guards for resource points."

"But our retainer numbers haven't increased - they've decreased. Managing our current holdings is becoming difficult."

Garoth's gaze swept over his retainers as he pondered.

The Bloodhoof war had cost him dearly in retainers, and beyond slaves, there were no new additions, yet their territory had expanded greatly, making management challenging.

"Strike while the iron is hot - conquer more clans to expand our forces?"

The red iron dragon's eyes gleamed with this thought.

The borderlands lacked organized powerful armies or nations, only various clan tribes, powerful magical beasts and monsters. Since arriving here, Garoth's ambitions had grown somewhat inflated.