novelraw Chapter 247: Expansion Plan, Adopting a Young Dragon
Chapter 247: Expansion Plan, Adopting a Young Dragon
In the vast skies above the convergence lands, the sun rose and set repeatedly, with day and night taking turns replacing each other.
Since the Venomtail Tribe had been conquered and pledged allegiance.
All lands across the four directions of the convergence lands now flew the banners of the Molten Iron Tribe, and Garoth had officially become the ruler of this territory.
Redwing Lord, Wings of the Skyrend, Death's harbinger, King of the Molten Iron Tribe... Beyond these titles, Garoth had gained another new name—Lord of the Convergence Lands.
After unifying the convergence lands, conflicts and disputes among the intelligent creatures here came to an abrupt halt. The former tribes no longer existed, leaving only the Molten Iron Tribe standing upon this land, and one unquestionable will.
After the war ended.
The entire Molten Iron Tribe, the entire convergence lands, entered a period of prosperous and rapidly developing growth.
Along the riverbanks bordering the Estonian Great River to the south.
The previously destroyed major trade points were all rebuilt, with further expansions implemented.
Trade negotiations were still primarily handled by the cunning goblin clans.But goblins were notoriously deceitful, their nature hard to change, with many underhanded tricks.
Therefore, additional centaur supervisors were stationed along the trade river sections.
Strict prohibitions were enforced against goblins accepting bribes, demanding tips, or any behavior that could damage trade reputation.
Besides conducting interviews with passing merchant groups and regular inspections, goblins were encouraged to report on each other. Verified reports received substantial rewards, while those reported faced severe punishment.
Harsh times call for harsh measures.
In remote barbaric regions like the convergence lands, maintaining orderly upward development required strict punitive deterrence. Otherwise, with so many wild, untamable intelligent creatures of different habits living together, chaos would have long ensued.
Then there were those critical mineral resource sites.
The most dangerous and labor-intensive work was primarily handled by slaves composed of previous defeated combatants, supplemented by industrial-type alchemical golems. With no worries about attacks or raids from other tribes, mining efficiency saw tremendous improvement.
Every day, large quantities of mined and processed ore were collected.
Some was transported to the Black Iron Plains for processing through alchemical industries, manufacturing golems and various alchemical tools beneficial to tribal development. Another portion continued as raw ore trade via the Estonian Great River, while processed or refined ores were handled exclusively by the Gem Merchant Consortium.
More advanced large-scale alchemical facilities were also under construction.
These were generally controlled items that even the Gem Merchant Consortium couldn't obtain completely, and the Black Iron Plains' alchemical level couldn't produce them.
But where there's a will, there's a way.
With enough dedication, solutions could always be found.
The Gem Merchant Consortium, having the closest relationship with the Molten Iron Tribe, purchased blueprints, then acquired different core components from various nations, finally shipping them in batches to the convergence lands for assembly at the Black Iron Plains.
The process was somewhat troublesome, but absolutely essential.
Because with more advanced alchemical facilities, the Grand Artificer—who had profound expertise in golem research—further improved the golem production assembly line, creating mecha golems that kobolds, gnolls, and lizardfolk could operate.
These subordinate species had the largest populations.
Even when used as cannon fodder in previous battles, as long as they weren't completely wiped out and given sufficient food resources, they could multiply like weeds.
Based on their massive population base, quite a few talented golem operators had been selected.
Becoming a golem operator was like ascending to heaven in one step for these low-ranking subordinates—their status became infinitely higher than fellow clansmen who could only be cannon fodder or assembly line workers. Therefore, during various training exercises, they displayed desperate ferocity.
The Grand Artificer also discovered that kobolds' thought frequencies were relatively similar, unlike goblins' wildly varying mental patterns.
If kobolds with synchronized thinking could be selected and carefully trained, multiple kobolds working together could operate large alchemical golems.
And this prerequisite wasn't difficult to implement.
Kobolds gave birth to over a dozen offspring per litter, with high probability of similar thought frequencies among siblings from the same birth.
Operators weren't the problem—they only needed to wait for the Molten Iron Tribe's alchemical industry to develop enough to produce corresponding golems.
Without doubt.
Once alchemical golems and operators accumulated in sufficient numbers, golem guards would become a major main force of the Molten Iron Tribe, their importance not inferior to the Starbreaker Maul.
But currently, the biggest problem facing the Molten Iron Tribe was.
In animal husbandry and agriculture, the Molten Iron Tribe lacked corresponding talent, resulting in perpetual food resource shortages.
Because many subordinates died in previous wars.
This wasn't an immediate problem currently.
But after the territory became fully consolidated and population developed again, food sources would become a serious issue.
At that time, they would either need to expand through military campaigns or find ways to solve food scarcity problems.
"Expansion, war... temporary solutions that don't address root causes."
"The food resource shortage problem must ultimately be resolved."
After reviewing and contemplating the Molten Iron Tribe's current situation, the spiritual energy glow in iron dragon Sorog's eyes gradually faded, his gaze dimming.
Territory development and subordinate management.
These were the two primary tasks the red iron dragon had assigned him.
Sorog had always completed them excellently.
But as the Molten Iron Tribe expanded to encompass the entire convergence lands, even as a Mind Sorcerer, he felt waves of exhaustion and weariness.
"Individual thinking has limitations."
"To manage a vast empire, besides oneself, many trustworthy subordinates who can be commanded are needed."
"...I need some dragons as assistants."
Iron dragon Sorog was a standard dragon supremacist, fundamentally not recognizing other biological races in his heart. For important matters, he only wished to assign them to dragons.
"Unfortunately, the Dragon Valley currently has too few members."
"To establish a massive dragon nation, dragons are the foundation, the core—we need more like-minded companions."
The iron dragon thought to himself.
Meanwhile, in the northeastern convergence lands.
Boom!
The ground suddenly shook violently, countless rubble flying, tall thick trees snapped in half one after another, with flying sand and rolling stones amid billowing dust.
Finally.
As the turbid air was scattered by a fierce wind, the red iron dragon folded his enormous wings, pressing heavy claws against the ice deer's neck, pinning this wild beast lord firmly to the ground. No matter how it struggled, the mountain-heavy claws remained unmoved.
When the ice deer beast lost strength, breathing heavily.
Garoth's whisper echoed in its mind through Mind Link.
"Submit or die."
The giant deer emitted a mournful cry, its head—with only half a remaining antler—lowering, its gaze gradually shifting from ferocious to submissive.
Only then did Garoth release it.
This giant deer was the third wild beast lord he had tamed.
After unifying the convergence lands, Garoth began cleansing the convergence lands of wild beast lords. After the white tiger, he tamed a giant snake lord in territory originally belonging to the Venomtail Tribe, followed by this current giant deer.
These wild beast lords with life levels at least at 15 and high racial values each could enhance the Molten Iron Tribe's foundation, becoming advanced combat units.
Even with limited intelligence, they could serve excellently.
Unfortunately.
If intelligence reports were correct, this giant deer was the last wild beast lord.
Thirteen wild beast lords.
Ten chose death over submission, too proud and untamable, with only three ultimately choosing obedience.
"Garoth."
With a bloodline-tapping-like response, iron dragon Sorog's voice arose from within his heart: "What we discussed before—imitating blue dragon communities, adopting and nurturing other dragons—I think we can implement this now."
He explained the Molten Iron Tribe's current problems and his own limitations to Garoth, frankly admitting he was gradually becoming overwhelmed, and that it would be best to have other dragons as assistants to help manage territory and subordinates.
Finding assistants for Sorog was something Garoth had considered before.
Now that Sorog proposed it himself, mentioning the dragon adoption plan, and given the Molten Iron Tribe's current scale, they could indeed support more dragons and genuinely needed more.
For example.
If a green dragon existed, with green dragon talents combined with corresponding career paths, the Molten Iron Tribe's agricultural problems would be greatly alleviated, even properly resolved.
"Juvenile dragons surviving alone face difficult circumstances."
"If Dragon Valley is willing to provide sanctuary, any juvenile dragon—even young dragons, young adult dragons—who has experienced life's hardships would gladly join."
"But I'm not their parent, without obligation to raise and protect them."
"Henceforth, any dragon wanting to join Dragon Valley must demonstrate their value—we don't support idle dragons here."
"Wait... dragons available for adoption would likely be evil dragons lacking parents. With many such dragons, wouldn't this place become Evil Dragon Valley? Then I probably couldn't shake the evil dragon title, even being seen as the evil dragon leader."
Garoth pondered internally, ultimately deciding to expand the dragon population.
Evil dragon or good dragon, as he grew, Garoth cared less about other creatures' opinions.
But dragons were scarce in the convergence lands. To implement this concretely, they needed to start from the Ser Wilderness or the Permafrost Tundra.
Comparatively, Garoth was more familiar with the Ser Wilderness.
"Ser Wilderness... first send some scout rangers to investigate, paving the way for returning to the wilderness."
"The Permafrost Tundra can't be ignored either, after all bordering the convergence lands, with powerful barbarians and giants—preparations are needed."