novelraw Chapter 322: The Encirclement of the Red Dragon Father
Chapter 322: The Encirclement of the Red Dragon Father
“This place stirs memories in me, but it feels markedly different from how I remember it.”
Surrounded by rock walls sheathed with polished metal plates that glinted with a cold, hard sheen, the vast Dragon Nest shimmered. Garoth reclined on the floor in a relatively relaxed posture.
When he was still a dragon, this nest often felt cavernous and immense, seemingly boundless.
But now, returning to his old lair, he only found it rather cramped. Although it could still barely hold his now-enormous body, any sense of spaciousness had vanished.
“Garoth, what exactly happened to you after you left my territory that allowed you to grow so tremendously?”
Across from him, Iron Dragon Matriarch Leticia did not directly ask which specific areas Garoth wanted to cooperate in. Instead, she steered the conversation toward Garoth’s own experiences.
She clearly wanted to dig into the story behind this offspring’s astonishing growth.
She waved one massive claw.
A few trembling followers standing at a distance immediately sprang into motion, like a stream of attendants continuously offering various carefully prepared delicacies, plump juicy fruits, and fragrant wines poured into huge stone vats... all to entertain the formidable red iron dragon.
“Just went through a bit of trial and hardship.”Garoth replied calmly, then casually chose some inconsequential and unembellished past events and briefly related them to the Iron Dragon Matriarch—some harmless adventures, friction with certain factions, and the acquisition of some resources.
Time passed quietly as their deep, rumbling dragon-language conversation continued.
After listening intently for a while, Leticia’s huge dragon pupils flashed with contemplative light. “Your experiences sound richer and more convoluted than I imagined.”
She paused, then shifted her tone, her gaze sharpening.
“But you still haven’t told me the most crucial part.”
“What exactly did you rely on to grow into this... almost inconceivable form? The experiences you just described are not sufficient to create your current appearance and strength.”
Those exceptional traits on Garoth, and the unparalleled strength in his attributes, were not the sort of things shaped merely by a few twists and turns in fate.
“Primarily my own day-after-day sweat and unremitting effort.”
Garoth answered as if stating a simple fact.
He paused slightly, then added, “Of course, it also helps that I’m a hybrid of red dragon and iron dragon blood, which gives me certain innate advantages. I possess a constitution that allows accelerated growth; it’s not something ordinary dragons can match.”
He summed up the root of his strength simply.
“Samantha and Gordon... I remember they left the territory with you. Do you know what happened to them now?”
Leticia suddenly changed the subject and asked.
Seeing how drastically Garoth had changed, she couldn’t help but be strongly curious about the fate of the other offspring who had left at the same time.
“At first we did go our separate ways, but later, due to various circumstances and shared interests, we regrouped and formed the Ignas Dragon Cluster, with me at the core. We advance and retreat together.”
Garoth stated matter-of-factly.
Hearing that, the Iron Dragon Matriarch’s approval deepened.
Unlike the metallic dragons, who are relatively united and prone to cooperation by nature, the Chromatic Evil Dragons are fiercely territorial and proud, each preferring to be the sole ruler and refusing to bow to other dragons or creatures. A stable evil dragon group is a completely different concept from a metal dragon cluster.
This implied that within such a group there had to be an absolute leader—one whose strength, wisdom, and prestige compelled the others to respect or even willingly submit.
And that leader, clearly, was the Garoth before her.
Leticia’s estimation of Garoth rose another notch in her mind.
If she knew that their cluster even included metal dragons and the extremely rare Dimensional Dragons, she would have been even more astonished.
“They’re far weaker than I am, but their current strength surpasses the vast majority of dragons their age.”
Garoth offered a succinct assessment, not going into lengthy detail about Samantha and Gordon’s exact conditions.
After exchanging a few more straightforward particulars, the conversation moved to the main topic.
“Now that the Lothrian Federation is mired in civil war, its control over the Ser Wilderness has greatly weakened, causing frequent shifts in power here.”
“This is precisely an excellent opportunity for us dragons to rise and expand our influence.”
Garoth’s tone grew solemn. “However, opportunity always comes hand in hand with risk. To truly rise in this chaotic wasteland, we will face countless challenges and lethal dangers.”
“In such circumstances, having reliable and powerful allies is of utmost importance.”
His eyes locked onto Leticia’s as he said in a low voice, “And you, my mother, I hope that when we face enemies we cannot handle alone in the future, we can become each other’s strongest support—assisting one another and fighting side by side.”
A powerful, trustworthy ally—especially one like Garoth, with boundless potential and astonishing strength—was precisely what Leticia had longed for in her heart.
She naturally disliked being subordinate to any dragon, but as an ordered iron dragon, she did not reject cooperation founded on equality and mutual aid.
Leticia fell into serious thought, her massive head dipping slightly and her gaze flickering.
After a moment, she slowly raised her head and said, “Garoth, I have personally witnessed your power and would very much like to cooperate with you.”
“But there is a practical problem: cooperating with me may also bring you a huge trouble.”
“I will tell you this specific situation first. Whether you choose to ally with me in the end is up to you.”
Her voice hesitated, then grew exceptionally grave.
“Gorthax—also known as the Wing of the Burning Mountain, the Madfire Bloodflame—a middle-aged red dragon, is a complete calamity. He is the source of chaos and destruction, and currently the greatest trouble for me.”
As she spoke, her gaze swept over the red dragon traits on Garoth’s body.
She hesitated for an instant, but continued in a calm tone to the red iron dragon before her: “And he... also has one other identity—”
“He is my biological father.”
Garoth received her words with composure, his tone unruffled.
Leticia’s voice cut off abruptly, and a clear shock flashed across her giant pupils.
“How did you know? I’m sure I didn’t tell you or even Samantha about any matters concerning Gorthax. Have you already contacted him?”
Garoth shook his head slightly.
“I have never had any contact with him.”
He replied, “I only heard fragments of rumors through other channels. Combining those with my own circumstances, it wasn’t hard to deduce a blood relation between us.”
Leticia slowly nodded, accepting the explanation.
“In that case, you should be clearer than anyone how dangerous and unpredictable he is.”
Her voice carried deep apprehension. “He embodies chaotic evil. Among red dragons he is a red dragon; among evil dragons he is the worst—raging, bloodthirsty. He’s also awakened an unusually strong ancestral bloodline, making him virtually invincible among peers. Below the legendary tier, very few can face him head-on.”
Invincible among his peers?
Garoth did not comment on that.
Although he preferred and excelled at fighting enemies of higher tiers downward, up to now he had never encountered anyone at the same life level who could defeat him—or even barely force a stalemate.
He had won upward-level fights before, too.
That did not make him take Gorthax lightly; rather, his own experience made him more cautious.
“Before you came, I was also seeking allies to jointly deal with Gorthax.”
Leticia’s voice held a trace of helplessness. “But the results were unsatisfactory. Potential partners either feared his power or saw no profit in confronting him.”
She looked at Garoth with a complex expression. “Allying with me means you will sooner or later face Gorthax directly.”
“You may be astonishingly powerful, but you are certainly not his match yet. And with his madness, he will have no sense of familial affection toward you; your unique nature and potential might instead excite him further.”
After a few seconds of silence, as if she had made up her mind, she asked, “Having heard all this, Garoth, do you still insist on your original idea of allying with me?”
She had anticipated hesitation or outright refusal—few dragons would deliberately provoke such a terrifying madman.
Yet, to her surprise,
the red iron dragon’s eyes narrowed slightly; instead of retreating he displayed a faint, cold gleam.
“When faced with foes we cannot handle alone, we should seek trustworthy allies, gather forces, and overwhelm them with numbers.”
“My desire to ally will not change because of this.”
Dragons with close bloodlines sense and recognize each other more readily.
In fact, Garoth had already faced a similar dilemma when he first learned from Gold Dragon Alberto that Gorthax was also active in the Ser Wilderness.
If he attempted to develop influence in this wasteland, he would sooner or later have to consider an encounter with Gorthax.
Given Gorthax’s infamous chaotic madness, an encounter between them would likely end poorly.
If possible, Garoth preferred to strike first and dispose of such a huge potential problem before it came knocking—he favored offensive action over passive defense.
He had not expected that his visit to the Iron Dragon Matriarch would yield further detailed information about Gorthax, and he was pleasantly surprised to discover Leticia’s desire to preemptively eliminate the common threat matched his own.
That was an unexpected boon.
Garoth then outlined to Leticia his concerns about Gorthax and his inclination to take the initiative.
“Do you know Gorthax’s current movements? Or... do you have any way to lure him to a specific location?”
Garoth asked.
If they could set an ambush in advance and concentrate superior forces, their chance to defeat that mad red dragon would increase dramatically.
“I don’t know.”
Leticia shook her head, helplessness in her voice. “No one really knows what that madman is thinking.”
“His mind is utterly chaotic, with no logic or pattern.”
“Although he holds a territory, he rarely stays put. He wanders, and on whims or for amusement brings destruction wherever he goes.”
She pondered a moment, then added, “However, he once came to my territory and slaughtered many of my followers. He might return.”
At this, Garoth nodded thoughtfully.
If Gorthax had a chance of coming again, then when he did, Leticia might be able to delay him for a time while Garoth rapidly mustered forces.
That would be an excellent opportunity to encircle and crush him.
They then began more earnest and deeper discussions,
detailing the specifics of cooperation, how to share resources, how to exchange intelligence, and—most importantly—how to jointly confront the enormous potential threat posed by Gorthax.
Meanwhile,
in a dark, damp underground cavern somewhere in the Ser Wilderness, far from prying eyes,
a figure shrouded in a wide black robe, face unseen, held still and watched a translucent crystal ball hovering before them.
In the polished surface of the orb, a bustling town scene reflected clearly.
Human merchants and all manner of oddly shaped alien creatures jostled shoulder to shoulder in a lively, thriving crowd.
This was a live image of Ximu Domain.
“So many souls, so vibrant... and even dragons are mixed among them.”
Beneath the black robe, two faint green lights flickered where eyes would be, revealing unrestrained greed.
Years ago, he had enslaved a powerful beast to probe Ximu Domain.
Although the beast was torn apart by dragons, he had learned something about their power levels.
A hand pale as bone, as if made only of skeleton, extended from the robe sleeve and cradled the crystal ball.
“If I can harvest and devour all these souls, I might have a chance to return to the legendary tier.”
“The Lothrian Kingdom... progeny of the holy land... then I will make you wish for death.”
Beneath the robe stood a lich—a high undead transformed from a legendary necromancer—has lain dormant in the Ser Wilderness for centuries, and now, with the turmoil, was ready to emerge.