In the year 289 of the New Calendar, the King of Molten Iron officially began his deep slumber.
The Borderlands, the Permafrost Tundra, the Serel Wilderness, the Southern Kingdoms, and even the distant human Empire... the trajectories of various powers did not stagnate due to the temporary silence of a young adult Dragon. Under the manipulation of the invisible hand of time, they continued to develop along established lines, sometimes slowly and sometimes urgently.
In the year 292 of the New Calendar, Iron Dragon Gorton, located in the Lothern Royal Court, also entered his slumber period after a long period of accumulation.
In the year 293 of the New Calendar, Iron Dragon Sorog, who presided over the northwest of the wilderness and coordinated the overall situation of the tribe, followed closely into slumber.
In the year 295 of the New Calendar, Red Dragon Samantha, who had a violent temperament and was responsible for the alchemy industry and equipment research and development, was likewise pushed by her accumulated power into a crucial growth slumber.
At this point, the core members of the Ignas Dragon Flight had entered a period of hibernation.
The rule and consolidation of the Molten Iron Tribe in the Serel Wilderness were mainly maintained by the experienced adult Blue Dragon Zoraia and three vassal lords with outstanding abilities.
Time flew by, and it reached the year 300 of the New Calendar.
In the southern part of the Permafrost Tundra, the territory centered on the Dragon Tooth Fortress had begun to take shape.
The Blue Dragon Heriam, who had shouldered heavy responsibilities and headed north from the Serel Wilderness years ago, had now shed his immaturity and reached the young adult stage.
On the vast and harsh frozen land, he successfully carved out a new territory for the Molten Iron Tribe.
The so-called Dragon Tooth Fortress was not a brick-and-stone building in the traditional sense, but a rugged place carved out of a massive glacier. Its jagged and steep appearance resembled the fangs of a giant beast protruding from the ice, hence the name.
Around the fortress.
Surrounded by domestication pens maintained by geothermal wells, workshops belching black smoke, and settlements for the followers, the overall style was rugged and practical. Under the methodical management of Blue Dragon Heriam.
Everything was in good order.
The standing military force here was primarily composed of thick-skinned Ogre Warriors who did not fear the cold.
In addition, there were large numbers of Kobolds, Gnolls, and Lizardfolk responsible for construction, maintenance, rearing the cold-resistant livestock unique to the North, and planting berry crops that could survive in extreme cold.
Some of these relatively weak followers were lost to the harsh climate when they first arrived at the ice plains.
However, their races were able to spread across many worlds because they possessed extraordinary environmental adaptability. After a round of cruel natural selection, the surviving individuals had gradually adapted to this frigid land.
Another indispensable force was the Alchemy Golems from the Great Workshop of the Black Iron Plain in The Borderlands.
These iron creations were more resistant to extreme low temperatures than flesh and blood. Although they occasionally malfunctioned due to internal freezing, they remained the most reliable backbone of the pioneering legion under the careful maintenance of the accompanying Alchemists.
It was also in this year that the Dragon Tooth Fortress faced its first significant war on the tundra.
A Troll clan named "Frostclaw," driven by an extreme shortage of food, turned their greedy eyes toward the well-managed pastures of the Dragon Tooth Fortress.
They gathered the warriors of their tribe and launched a surprise attack on a day of swirling wind and snow.
However, they had clearly seriously underestimated their opponent, and their intelligence work was pitifully lacking.
From the very beginning, this attack was destined to be a one-sided crushing defeat.
"For the glory of the Molten Iron Tribe!"
In the middle of the blizzard, a burly Ogre Warrior let out a deafening roar.
The heavy greataxe in his hand whistled through the air, hacking fiercely into the junction of a Troll's neck and shoulder! The axe blade bit deep into flesh and bone, making a tooth-aching thud.
The Troll was in pain, but its ferocity did not diminish.
The Troll race might be slightly inferior to Ogres in terms of pure strength, but they possessed a troublesome and powerful regeneration ability. At the same Rank, a duel between a Troll and an Ogre was often unpredictable and evenly matched.
Seeing that the wound was not fatal, the Troll roared.
With one hand, he tightly gripped the axe handle stuck in his flesh and bone, while the other hand held a crude spear, thrusting it with incredible speed toward the Ogre's heart!
However, instead of panic, a ferocious smile appeared on the Ogre's face.
"Die, trash!"
His finger pressed down hard on a hidden mechanism on the axe handle.
Buzz—!
The runes engraved on the surface of the greataxe suddenly lit up with a crimson light, like lava flowing across the axe head!
The next moment, BOOM!!!
A violent explosion rang out, and flames, shattered flesh, and bone fragments flew everywhere.
The Troll's head, along with a small portion of its upper body, was blown to pieces by this sudden explosion!
Acid Arrow!
Not far away, a Troll Warlock waved a crude bone staff. High-concentration corrosive acid condensed into the shape of an arrow, whistling through the air with a hiss as it shot toward the face of the Ogre who had just completed the explosive kill.
Normally, with an Ogre's relatively slow reaction speed, it would be difficult to avoid.
But just as the Acid Arrow was about to hit, the set of armor covered in heavy steel plates on the Ogre's body suddenly emitted the whirring of gears and the hiss of steam.
The Ogre, who should have been clumsy in dodging, suddenly became as agile as a leopard.
With an incredibly swift sidestep, he narrowly avoided the lethal acid!
Explosive Greataxes, Powered Heavy Armor—these were all produced by the Alchemy Workshop of the Broken Spine Hills. Designed by Red Dragon Samantha, they were standardized armaments tailored for the Ogre followers.
Similar scenes were constantly playing out across the entire battlefield.
Ogre Warriors equipped with alchemy gear demonstrated destruction and mobility far beyond the ordinary.
Meanwhile, on the flank of the battlefield.
The Alchemy Golem legion sent by the Dragon Tooth Fortress officially arrived.
They were no longer the old models like the Flesh Tearers or Steel Tearers.
Rockbreaker-I, a heavy formation-breaking golem, was like a mobile miniature fortress.
They were about five meters tall, cast entirely from dull black iron, with sharp edges and a full sense of power.
Their arms were not hands, but two massive battering rams that performed continuous reciprocating impact motions. The surfaces of the rams were engraved with complex vibration runes.
Facing the dense formations the Trolls were still trying to maintain, the Rockbreaker golems advanced boldly with heavy steps that shook the earth.
Their twin hammers alternated, slamming violently onto the frozen ground.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Every hammer strike triggered intense ground tremors and visible circular shockwaves within a small area! The Trolls within the range of influence were not only left staggering and unable to stand firm, but they also felt their internal organs churning and their bones seemingly about to shatter.
The powerful regeneration ability they were so proud of was greatly diminished in the face of this internal vibrational damage.
The Rockbreaker golems were like heartless iron plows, carving out bloody paths of death through the Troll Ranks.
Fire Dragon's Wrath-I, a long-range support golem, was shaped more like autonomous mobile iron artillery platforms.
They were relatively slender compared to the Rockbreakers, and their backs were mounted with a complex, large-caliber heavy ballista. What they fired were not ordinary bolts, but specially alchemy-treated Explosive Bolts.
The single eye on the golem's head flickered with red light, performing complex ballistic calculations and target locking.
Whiz—Boom!
Bolts trailing crimson exhaust flames crossed hundreds of meters like meteors, accurately falling into the areas where the Troll Warlocks gathered. They then exploded violently, not only causing massive casualties instantly but also splashing black oil mixed with magical fire that burned fiercely, creating impassable seas of fire.
...
This war's outcome was decided from the start.
Alchemy Golems of different functions and Ogre Warriors armed to the teeth coordinated closely, forming an efficient and lethal killing system. The Trolls of the Frostclaw clan were battered and broken, their Ranks collapsing.
Their formidable leader was also quickly subdued and captured after Blue Dragon Heriam personally intervened, assisted by the coordinated attacks of several elite golems.
In the end, the Frostclaw clan was completely defeated.
The young adult Blue Dragon assessed the situation and led his followers in a pursuit, capturing all the remaining Trolls of the clan who still had combat capability and absorbing them into the Dragon Tooth Fortress.
After this battle, Heriam still kept in mind the core mission entrusted to him by his leader.
He insisted on prioritizing steady development and consolidating the Foundation.
Unless absolutely necessary, new wars would never be lightly initiated.
As the years passed, the Molten Iron Tribe's territory in the Permafrost Tundra gradually stabilized, like deep roots taking hold in the frozen soil.
Dragon flags emblazoned with the Molten Iron Tribe's insignia fluttered proudly and snapped in the cold wind.
Year 305 of the New Era.
In The Borderlands, the Abyssal Rift erupted with a magic tide of unprecedented scale and intensity.
The Centaur Elvie and the Medusa Sword Saint Naris, who were stationed there, fought back with all their might, but their strength was still insufficient.
Golden Dragon Natasha, who was observing the tribe's operations in the Serel Wilderness, received the call for help and immediately returned to defend, settling the magic tide.
However, after this incident, demon disturbances originating from the Abyss became increasingly frequent.
The Molten Iron Tribe was forced to commit more defenses to the Abyssal Rift.
Furthermore, it wasn't just The Borderlands; Abyssal Rifts of various sizes began appearing all over the world.
The vast majority of rifts were quickly snuffed out by local forces before they could cause significant damage, but a few successfully expanded, resulting in heavy disasters.
Even in the northeastern region of the Serel Wilderness, an Abyssal Rift appeared.
This rift was eventually forcibly suppressed and blocked by mountain ranges shaped by the Mountain King.
Many intelligent creatures and organizations privately suspected that this global Abyssal shift was related to the Holden Empire's increasingly aggressive Abyss Development Plan in recent years.
However, out of fear of the Empire's strength, no organization or nation issued any direct questioning or condemnation.
Even the Elven Empire Nausir, which had always been at odds with the Holden Empire, remained uncharacteristically silent for some reason.
In Year 309 of the New Era, the Orc Empire Kantum, located on the continent of Selesia, completed the great cause of unifying the continent.
The fanatical Orcs were not satisfied with this.
Chanting battle songs passed down from ancient times and filled with a desire for conquest, they began large-scale quarrying and logging to build a massive fleet capable of crossing the endless ocean, their intentions clear.
However, while the Kantum Empire was renowned for its bravery, its alchemy and industrial levels were relatively backward.
In the short term, they were unable to pose a substantive threat to other continents.
In Year 313 of the New Era, the Southern War, which had lasted for decades, finally reached a decisive turning point.
After the Battle of Belton, the Kingdom of Lothern continued to fight and resist, but it gradually found it difficult to sustain itself.
The Royalist faction retreated step by step, while the Anti-Royalist faction, led by the Kingdom of Ripos, advanced triumphantly, seizing more than half of the Kingdom of Lothern's territory.
Inside the kingdom, nobles and ministers one after another pleaded with King Aubrien to accept reality and negotiate peace with the enemy, even if it meant ceding land and paying reparations, to preserve a sliver of Origin Qi for the kingdom.
The Kingdom of Ripos also sent an envoy, bringing a truce agreement.
Logically, with the war having progressed to this point, as long as the Kingdom of Lothern chose to yield, this long ordeal could end.
However, all suggestions for peace talks were rejected one by one by King Aubrien with an unquestionable attitude, and the envoy from Rebos ultimately returned empty-handed.
This Ironblood King seemed determined to live or die with his kingdom, vowing never to sign any agreement that would humiliate the nation or forfeit its sovereignty.
In the same year, the King of Molten Iron's kin who had been sleeping for over twenty years—Gorton, Solrog, and Samantha—as well as Alberto, who had entered slumber even earlier, woke up one after another.
Their power had all made significant progress.
Year 315 of the New Era.
The various armies of the Anti-Royalist faction, like a converging torrent of steel, finally arrived at the gates of Waldo City—the last core of the Kingdom of Lothern, a royal city that had stood for a thousand years.
Above the royal city, dark clouds gathered, so heavy they seemed to condense the despair of the entire kingdom.
"Elena, come with me! We'll flee to the Serel Wilderness, to Garros's territory!"
Deep within the royal city, in a still relatively intact palace courtyard.
The Iron Dragon Gorton, whose form was like a steel tower, looked down at the human woman before him, his voice low and urgent.
Standing before him was none other than the Crystal Princess.
She still maintained her slender figure and elegant temperament, but the traces of time had inevitably crept onto her face; she looked like a noblewoman in her forties who still possessed her charm.
Even with the massive resources of the royal family tilted in her favor and being a high-Rank mage herself.
As long as one failed to step into the Legendary Domain, human lifespan had an end. She could live to about two hundred years at most, and now she had already entered the midpoint of her life, and the rate of aging would only get faster.
The wrinkles added to the princess's face did not change the pure and stubborn possessiveness and protective desire in Iron Dragon Gorton's heart.
His thoughts remained as they had always been.
While speaking, Gorton spread his massive iron-gray dragon wings.
The various augmentation runes carefully inscribed on the wing membranes all lit up with a faint glow at this moment, and his entire body emitted a valiant and powerful aura, his dragon pressure spreading around like something tangible.
Late young adult stage, Rank 17.
Although not Legendary, he was by no means weak.
Almost at the same time Gorton's dragon pressure spread, three figures silently appeared in the shadows around the courtyard.
Blind Aster, valiant Theros, and lithe Elsa... the three children from back then had now grown into true Divine Dragon Monks.
The Qi flowing within them was thick and resilient, and their average Rank had shockingly reached 18.
This even surpassed the current Iron Dragon Gorton.
"The coalition's blockade of the royal city is not monolithic; there are weak points that can be exploited, which I have already identified,"
Blind Aster said in a low voice; his perception was even more acute than those with eyes.
"Your Highness, Gorton, if you have decided to leave, you must act now, as quickly as possible."
Three Rank 18 Divine Dragon Monks plus one Rank 17 Iron Dragon.
As long as they weren't too conspicuous and avoided the attention of the enemy's Legendary powerhouses, they had a great chance of escorting a princess to quietly escape this city that was about to fall.
However, Elena only gave the Iron Dragon a calm and slightly sorrowful smile, gently shaking her head.
"If I had wanted to abandon the land that raised me and the people who trust me, I would have left long ago."
Her voice was still soft, yet it carried an unshakeable firmness. "Just as I have told you many times before, Gorton."
"The people of Waldo City will never see their princess deserting her post at the final moment."
"I deeply love this land beneath my feet. No matter the outcome, I will live or die with it."
Iron Dragon Gorton fell silent.
His massive dragon pupils stared at the princess's resolute face. A few seconds later, he took a deep breath as if having made some kind of decision and said in an unusually serious tone, "Elena, I must tell you honestly."
"I, Gordon Ignas, will not throw away my life for the survival of a human kingdom."
"Since you have made up your mind to face the end with your kingdom... then, let us part here."
Saying this, he gave the Crystal Princess one last deep look, then suddenly beat his wings. His massive body took to the sky with a whistling sound of wind.
The three Divine Dragon Monks in the courtyard looked at the princess's lonely and firm back. In the end, they could only let out a silent sigh as their figures gradually faded, once again vanishing into the shadows.
Meanwhile, atop the high walls of Waldo City.
King Aubrien was clad in battle robes, his once majestic face now etched with exhaustion and determination.
He stood at the edge of the wall, looking at the coalition camps spreading like a boundless tide outside the city. In his eyes, there was no fear, no retreat, only a burning flame.
Shortly after, the horns of war tore through the sky once again.
The Anti-Royalist faction gathered their final offensive strength, preparing to crush the Kingdom of Lothern's last resistance in one fell swoop.
In the sky, figures emitting Legendary pressure stood suspended, looking down coldly.
On the ground were endless phalanxes of soldiers, Alchemy Golems shimmering with magical luster, and rows of hideous heavy siege cannons... the torrent of destruction was poised and ready.
The great battle was on the verge of breaking out.