Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 398: Facing the Storm

After Gordon threw out his outrageous statement, the entire psychic network fell silent.

Even the normally steady and prudent Iron Dragon Sorog couldn't help but speak up. "Is there a possibility," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully in an attempt to wake his dragon brother and pull him back to reality, "that all of this is merely the result of you having too much free time after eating your fill, leading to excessive overthinking?"

This dragon brother, having been adopted by the human royal court and raised in a pampered, comfortable environment, had likely experienced his greatest struggles and hardships in battling his own overly plump physique, striving to shed that layer of fat.

While he had indeed put in effort for this, his current relatively more imposing figure was proof.

However, compared to his other blood relatives who struggled to survive and grew step by step in the perilous, resource-scarce wasteland, his experiences still seemed far too naive and smooth.

The innate pride and arrogance inherent in draconic nature was still particularly evident in him.

In fact, due to a lack of sufficient real-world beatings, it had become even more inflated.

Gordon was now utterly convinced of his own theory and believed he was the dragon destined by fate, not swayed in the slightest by Sorog's arguments.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

His consciousness waved a claw within the psychic network as he declared this.In truth, from a certain perspective, Gordon's way of thinking precisely reflected the common psychology of many proud, high-minded great dragons.

The inherited memories recorded far too much about the glory and power of the dragon race.

From the moment most dragons hatched, they subconsciously believed the entire world should revolve around them.

This perception often required a brutal, head-on collision with harsh reality, like being doused with ice water, to gradually sober them up.

Sorog and Samantha, including Garoth who had to fight for survival even as a hatchling, had all gone through similar self-centered cognitive stages to varying degrees.

The biggest difference from Gordon was this.

After experiencing numerous storms and witnessing the vastness and cruelty of the world, they had all clearly recognized reality.

The world does not easily turn according to an individual's will.

To realize the grand blueprints and ambitions in one's heart, one must pay an immense price in blood, sweat, and effort.

Even if they might not ultimately reach the envisioned shore, they still chose to press forward.

The journey of trekking itself was the meaning of their existence.

At that moment, the Red Dragon Samantha let out an undisguised laugh, breaking the brief silence.

"Gordon, by your logic, you might as well revert to your former fat, pig-like appearance."

Her dragon face was cold, her tone sharp as a blade. "Since you are so convinced you are destiny's chosen, then naturally you don't need to engage in any more arduous exercise or tedious training. Just eat, sleep, sleep, eat, enjoy yourself to the fullest, and let your so-called 'destiny' achieve all those 'remarkable' accomplishments for you!"

Samantha keenly felt that Gordon was just finding a high-sounding excuse for laziness.

Seeing his physique change before, she had thought this dragon brother had finally grown somewhat. But now it seemed the essential, worthless dragon underneath hadn't changed at all.

For this hopeless dragon brother, she couldn't help but feel a surge of frustrated irritation and disappointment, like being exasperated at one's failure to make good.

However, what Samantha absolutely did not expect was this.

Iron Dragon Gordon did not take the opportunity to go with the flow as she anticipated. Instead, he firmly shook his thick neck.

"You are mistaken, Samantha."

He responded with utmost seriousness. "Exercise, training, these arduous practices must not stop. On the contrary, they are absolutely necessary."

He paused, then continued. "I believe destiny is not an eternally fixed, once-and-for-all bestowal."

"I am indeed the dragon chosen by destiny now, but precisely because of that, I must strive to be worthy of this favor of destiny. I absolutely must not become negligent or complacent because of it."

"Otherwise, this precious favor of destiny will eventually transfer elsewhere, or... completely disappear."

Hearing this unexpected statement, Samantha couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, a flicker of surprise crossing her massive dragon face.

Immediately after, she bared her teeth, seemingly about to habitually mock him, but the smile that had just appeared instantly vanished. Instead, she switched to an even more ferocious tone. "Idiot! What kind of self-contradictory nonsense are you spouting? When we meet later, I'll have to smash that stupid head of yours, make you properly recognize what cruel reality truly is!"

Samantha spoke with vicious menace.

Naturally, Gordon was not about to back down, immediately retorting sarcastically. "Come on then! Who's afraid of who! All the things this dragon has eaten over the years weren't for nothing! They've long been converted into strength!"

The two of them, like ignited powder kegs, began arguing fiercely.

Their words were pointed and confrontational, neither yielding an inch.

To this familiar scene, Garoth was long accustomed, his heart utterly calm.

Ever since their hatchling days, because their hatching times were extremely close, these two dragons had always been in this state of bickering and fighting, neither willing to submit to the other.

"Nasha and Alberto, this pair of Gold Dragon siblings are both in the wilderness now. What have they been up to recently?"

Garoth ignored the quarreling dragons beside him and directed the question to Iron Dragon Sorog.

"Alberto has been circling around the various territories of our Molten Iron Tribe, observing and recording."

Sorog answered meticulously. "According to his own words, he wants to 'observe and reference' our tribe's operational model and management system."

"I agreed to his request, and on that condition, have him occasionally make public appearances in important gathering places like Ximu Domain, delivering some pre-designed lines. It's essentially using his reputation and image as a Gold Dragon to endorse our tribe."

"As for that Gold Dragon Nasha, she has absolutely no interest in things like managing territories or administrative affairs."

At this point, Sorog felt a bit of a headache.

"This Gold Dragon... is overly belligerent. After arriving in the wilderness, she's completely let herself go."

"Under the banner of martial arts exchange, she has challenged and 'exchanged' with almost every notable member of our dragon group, the Blue Dragons of the Dominik herd, and powerful follower leaders like Karu."

"Day after day, she's either fighting or on her way to find her next fighting target."

Sorog continued his explanation.

For this hopeless dragon brother, she couldn't help but feel a surge of frustrated irritation and disappointment, like watching iron that refuses to become steel.

Facing opponents whose life levels are clearly lower than her own, she deliberately suppresses her own strength and speed, striving for a fair contest. But even so, the formidable combat skills and physical prowess of a Martial Arts Gold Dragon are far beyond what ordinary dragons or followers can match.

The outcome of exchanging blows with her is often not very pleasant.

"However, the situation has improved slightly recently."

Sorog changed tack, with a hint of relief. "She's recently gotten quite familiar with several other lords in the wilderness. Now, when she has free time, she goes to find them for martial arts exchanges, reducing the harassment of our dragon group."

At this point, his voice paused briefly, then he lowered it. "While she's solved quite a few troubles for the tribe... this pair of Gold Dragon siblings both seem... not quite normal."

That goes without saying...

Would normal Gold Dragons mingle with a group of evil dragons, to the point of not even wanting to return to the dragon domains?

He responded with utmost seriousness. "Exercise, training, these arduous disciplines must not stop. On the contrary, they are absolutely necessary."

At that moment, Gordon, who had just finished another round of arguing with Samantha on the other side, suddenly seemed to remember something and interjected.

"Oh, right. It seems someone just asked me how my relationship with the Crystal Princess is progressing?"

His consciousness instantly filled with a smug, suggestive undertone. "I can tell you clearly, the progress is going very smoothly!"

"I am indeed the dragon chosen by destiny now, but precisely because of that, I must strive to be worthy of this favor of destiny. I absolutely must not become lax or complacent because of it."

"I, Gordon, chosen by destiny, will have a noble princess of my own!"

Who asked you?

Garoth and Sorog carefully recalled the previous conversation and were both certain that no one had posed that question.

At that moment, the Red Dragon Samantha seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world.

She couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Crystal Princess? Hahahaha!"

Immediately after, she bared her teeth, seemingly about to habitually mock him, but the smile that had just appeared instantly vanished. Instead, she switched to an even more ferocious tone. "Idiot! What kind of self-contradictory nonsense are you spouting? When we meet later, I'll have to smash that stupid head of yours, make you properly recognize what cruel reality truly is!"

"Acquiring a Crystal Granny actually makes you this happy and proud?"

She continued her merciless mockery without holding back. "Those truly awe-inspiring great evil dragons, the princesses they abduct are all young and beautiful, like freshly blooming maidens."

Upon hearing this, Gordon immediately snorted coldly.

He rebutted with righteous indignation. "What do you know? Superficial!"

"A true beauty is like a top-tier wine stored in a cellar. Only after the precipitation and fermentation of time does it release an increasingly rich, mellow fragrance and charm!"

As he spoke, the two dragons once again began arguing fiercely around the topics of aesthetics and princesses.

The Red Iron Dragon simply shifted his gaze, no longer paying attention to the endless debate. He looked at Sorog and brought up serious business. "During the twenty-nine years I was asleep, between the tribe and the other two regional kings, the Mountain King and the Fungus King, has it been entirely peaceful, or have there been occasional friction?"

Iron Dragon Sorog immediately collected his thoughts and focused on responding.

"Overall, it has basically maintained a peaceful situation."

"Both the Mountain King and the Fungus King are content with guarding their existing territorial ranges and have not shown any intent to expand outward."

"The only exception was during the period when the Abyssal Rift suddenly appeared in the northeastern region. The giants under the Mountain King's command seemed somewhat restless, displaying signs of certain expansionist tendencies."

"After the Abyssal Rift was suppressed, those giants quickly returned to their usual peaceful state, with no further boundary-crossing behavior."

When one's own resources are still sufficient, rashly starting a war with other powerful regional kings is undoubtedly an extremely foolish decision.

Blindly pursuing war will only continuously drag down one's own development and accumulation.

Both the Mountain King and the Fungus King are clearly creatures with high intelligence. Having obtained the territory and resources they desired, choosing peaceful development to digest their gains is the most normal, rational behavior.

At this point, the war of words between Samantha and Gordon over the princess gradually subsided.

Adhering to the pure philosophy of enjoying a good fight, Samantha turned her gaze toward the Red Iron Dragon.

"Garoth, since you have awakened and have undergone such a long period of slumbering evolution, you must now be stronger than ever before. How about we simply take this opportunity to formally declare war on the other two regional kings!"

"If they are sensible, let them obediently submit to the rule of our Molten Iron Tribe. If they dare to resist fiercely, then just crush them outright! Turn them, along with their ambitions, into dust and ashes on the wilderness!"

Samantha excitedly shook her head.

"Kill them, take over all regions of the Ser Wilderness in one fell swoop! At that time, our dragon group will be the sole masters of this vast land!"

"When that time comes, my title of Red Dragon Queen can be rightfully solidified."

"And you, my dear elder brother, you will be crowned as the undisputed Wilderness King. All creatures of the entire Ser Wilderness, regardless of race, regardless of strength, will kneel beneath your wings, offering you their loyalty and reverence!"

She raised her head high, as if already seeing the vision of victory.

This bold declaration depicting the future was indeed spoken quite impressively. Even Garoth, upon hearing it, couldn't help but feel a slight surge of fervor within, as if seeing the magnificent panorama of himself ruling over the wilderness.

However, he quickly suppressed that thought and calmly shook his head.

"Now is not the appropriate time for a full-scale war with the other regional kings." The Red Iron Dragon said steadily.

A look of confusion appeared on Samantha's dragon face. "Why? I think the timing is perfect right now. The tribe has been quiet for so long; it needs a great war to revitalize its prestige. And you have just awakened; you also need a glorious victory to announce your return and awe the surrounding lands!"

The Red Iron Dragon said, "The enemy we need to pay the most attention to right now is not in the wilderness."

He paused, then continued, his tone carrying a trace of gravity. "The decades-long civil war among the southern nations ultimately ended with the dissolution of the Lothrian Federation. For us, this is absolutely not a good thing."

"Without the cover of war, the wilderness is bound to re-enter the sight of the various nations."

"At that time, what we will face will no longer be a few regional kings, but rather... those main kingdom powerhouses with legendary power, who once hung like suspended swords, suppressing the wilderness natives."

It has been three years since the end of that civil war that swept the south.

This period is neither long nor short, but it has been enough for those kingdoms depleted by the war to catch their breath initially and turn some of their attention back outward.

Garoth internally estimated that before too long, some duchies, and even more powerful kingdoms, would notice these regional kings who had seized large swathes of fertile territory in the wilderness.

It's even quite likely they have already noticed.

It's just that due to the cumbersome decision-making processes of those human nations, and because they have other matters to handle, they haven't taken large-scale action for the time being.

The timing of his awakening this time, with the tribe not having just happened to face imminent danger and trouble, was fairly good.

At the very least, it gave him preparation time to face the coming storm.

If it had been a few years later, facing the organized cleanup operations of the various nations, the leaderless Molten Iron Tribe, lacking unified command, might have been forced to abandon the vast foundation built in the wilderness and retreat first to the convergence lands, or even the more distant tundra.

"As long as the other regional kings are not fools, they presumably understand this reasoning as well."

Iron Dragon Sorog spoke up in agreement, his thoughts aligning with Garoth's.

"That's why we've been able to maintain basic peace between us all these years, coexisting without incident."

"The enemy we truly need to rack our brains to figure out how to deal with has never been each other, but the southern nations."

After hearing their words, Samantha also realized the crux of the problem and recognized the potential huge crisis.

She quickly reined in her fiercely burning desire for war, her attitude becoming cautious.

"The southern nations... In our expansions over the years, we haven't held back from destroying and occupying the outposts they established in the wilderness."

"If all the duchies and kingdoms see us as a thorn in their side and come after us together, that would be terrible."

"Fortunately, we've already sent Heriam to expand our territory in the tundra."

"If something goes wrong here in the wilderness, at least we have a place to migrate to, to temporarily avoid a direct confrontation."

At this point, Samantha couldn't help but sigh, somewhat irritably swishing her tail, saying with reluctance, "But just thinking about abandoning the vast foundation we've built over so many years of operating in the wilderness... it really makes me unwilling!"

The Red Dragon's intelligence and strategic vision were actually not low.

Things might seem calm and peaceful now, but according to Garoth's meaning, the tribe was actually already at a critical juncture. Facing powerful kingdoms, whether the tribe fights or retreats, both are decisions that would significantly impact future development.

At this moment, as the master of the dragon group, Garoth slowly spoke.

"I will not abandon the wilderness unless it is absolutely the last resort."

He said, "Now, with the Lothrian Federation dissolved, the various nations' nominal sovereignty over the wilderness no longer exists. This is a free land; whoever can take it, does so by their own ability."

"The war ended only three years ago; most of them are still preoccupied with their own affairs."

"Moreover, for the vast southern nations with their complex and intertwined interests, the development and conquest of the wilderness is just one of the many aspects they need to pay attention to, not the current focus."

"Ordinary duchies, we need not fear."

"If a certain kingdom sets its sights on us, there's no need to be overly tense either. The nations are no longer a monolithic bloc; there is plenty of room for maneuvering."

Sensing Garoth's consistently steady spirit, the slight unease and anxiety of his several blood kin gradually subsided.

As long as this Lord of Molten Iron, this master of the dragon group, still existed, they dared to face any storm.

"But the prerequisite for all of this is that I can rival a legendary..."

This final sentence, Garoth did not voice within the psychic network. It only echoed silently within the depths of his own heart.

If he was completely unable to rival a legendary, to those kingdoms he would be nothing more than a roadside... Unable to match a legendary, he wouldn't even have the qualification to negotiate. Wanting to maneuver between nations? At the very least, one needs to have some capital.