Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 24: Gordon

"If black oil can be eaten."

"Then higher quality energy ores should logically provide even more abundant energy."

"The problem is, these are all strategic resources. Small amounts of black oil are negligible - with luck you can find deposits yourself, and some alchemists refine their own. But large black oil reserves and other energy mines are tightly controlled by major nations."

Garoth fell into deep thought.

Setting aside other considerations.

Just between the human empire [Halden] and the elven empire [Nausil], these two powers have been secretly competing over the division of an ultra-large black oil reserve, with constant friction between them.

If not for the fact that a full-scale war between such powers could lead to mutually assured destruction.

They wouldn't still be just covertly contending.

"The Ser Wilderness has oil fields too, but they're all occupied and mined by military forces."

"I'll consider that later. Provoking them now would be suicide. Besides, my current evolution doesn't require much energy - hunting magical beasts should suffice."Garoth silently contemplated.

Looking down at the black oil on his claws.

He extended his agile tongue to carefully lick it clean, then tilted the alchemical engine to pour the remaining black oil directly into his mouth.

An intensely spicy sensation shot straight to his brain.

After draining the last drops from the alchemical engine.

Garoth felt like a raging fire burned in his stomach, his spirit becoming extremely excited.

Whoosh!

His dragon wings spread, catching the howling wind as he shot into the sky, soaring rapidly at high altitude. He continuously spewed bursts of fiery breath, the dark red patterns on his scales glowing like flowing magma.

The billowing flames.

Dyed the clouds crimson, as if setting the sky ablaze.

After half an hour, Garoth folded his wings and landed on a stone slab. The fiery sensation in his stomach had faded, leaving him somewhat unsatisfied.

Because in that brief half hour.

Garoth could clearly feel his training effectiveness surpassed what would normally take over a week, especially regarding the intensity and duration of his dragon breath.

And he didn't even feel particularly tired now.

"Truly excellent stuff."

He picked up the alchemical engine and tilted it again.

Only a single drop of black oil remained, falling onto Garoth's palm.

He nearly ate it immediately.

But after reconsidering, Garoth looked at Samantha.

"The legacy says this isn't food, but it clearly works great for me. Could the legacy be wrong?"

The Dragon Legacy might not be absolutely accurate - its information could be outdated or contain omissions.

"Let Samantha try it."

Garoth woke Samantha, and under her suspicious gaze, said: "The black oil contains abundant energy. I just consumed quite a bit - you should try it too."

"Really? My legacy never mentioned this being edible."

Samantha was skeptical.

She extended her warm tongue to lick the drop from Garoth's palm.

Then.

Pah!

Pah! Pah!

Before even swallowing, Samantha's eyelids twitched as she repeatedly spat the black oil onto the ground.

"This is edible? Completely unpalatable!"

She wiped her tongue clean, wanting no trace of the black oil remaining.

"Seems the legacy was correct after all - I'm the anomaly here."

Garoth had no rebuttal.

"Take this engine - it'll help you learn alchemy spells."

He tossed the alchemical engine to Samantha.

Black oil has quality grades - what Garoth consumed was the lowest grade.

Alchemy can further refine ordinary black oil, and also process monster corpses into basic black oil. These are fundamental alchemical techniques.

Once Samantha masters them, she'll need to repay the favor.

Garoth didn't keep idle dragons around.

And it shouldn't take too long - dragons naturally excel at learning, and basic alchemy isn't particularly difficult.

Samantha took the alchemical engine, examined it curiously, then coiled it with her tail. Closing her eyes slightly, she resumed delving into her legacy knowledge.

Watching Samantha immersed in her legacy.

Garoth suddenly wondered about his other sibling - the iron dragon whelp Gordon.

Gordon was less arrogant and conceited than Samantha, but also less clever - always a bit slow-witted. Surviving alone would be challenging for him.

Shaking his head, Garoth didn't dwell on it.

He'd given Gordon the same opportunity - the choices were his own.

If Gordon came seeking refuge like Samantha, willing to follow orders without causing trouble, Garoth would accept him as a follower. He'd have Gordon learn some useful skills too, just like Samantha.

But what Garoth didn't know.

Was that Gordon wouldn't be coming here.

From extremely high altitude, one could see a main thoroughfare winding across the entire Ser Wilderness, its branching roads spreading like a dense spiderweb or forked tree branches extending in countless directions - resembling the wilderness's vascular system.

This network was called - the Thousand Serpent Traces.

Essentially, it was the collective name for all trade routes transporting goods and minerals across the Ser Wilderness.

The main Thousand Serpent Trace led directly to territories of the southern Lothrian Federation. The road was extremely wide, paved with an asphalt-like substance stretching endlessly under the sun.

With rhythmic tremors shaking the ground.

Wheels with metal cores and rubber-coated surfaces rolled along the road.

Ten massive alchemical vehicles resembling trucks, each nearly fifteen meters long, roared down the highway.

One truck carried an open steel cage.

Each bar was as thick as a man's arm, covered in dense alchemical runes.

Inside the cage was the young iron dragon Gordon.

It bit at the bars.

With a screech of metal, sparks flew.

Gordon's teeth ached, having only left shallow marks on the reinforced cage.

After leaving the Iron Dragon Mother's territory, Gordon planned to start by raiding caravans before making his grand debut in the south.

Instead, he was instantly captured by powerful caravan guards, eventually being sold to this large trade company.

"Stop biting. You'll break all your teeth before breaking out. This cage is alchemically reinforced - it could hold a juvenile dragon."

A heavily armored human warrior standing outside the cage remarked.

"Damned humans! What do you plan to do with a mighty true dragon?"

Gordon roared, baring his teeth.

The warrior clicked his tongue: "Don't overreact. We won't skin you or dismantle you for bones and scales. Quite the opposite - we'll groom you beautifully for a life of luxury."

"What?"

Gordon didn't believe it, eyes full of suspicion.

"The beloved little princess of Lothrian Kingdom wants a dragon companion as her birthday gift. The kingdom issued an official bounty notice. And you, lucky little iron dragon, are our gift to the princess."

Hearing this, Gordon's eyes widened.

He never imagined reaching the south in this manner.