[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen":3,"chapter-giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-chapter-164":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},577716,826,"Chapter 164 - 158: Profiting Within the Rules","giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-chapter-164",164,"\u003Cp>Makeshift catapults launched millstone-sized boulders that howled through the air toward the city walls. But upon impact, they burst in a halo of earthy yellow light before powerlessly crumbling and tumbling away, leaving only faint white marks on the crimson rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several siege towers and a dozen or so scaling ladders, pushed by soldiers, slowly approached the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From atop the walls, arrows rained down, a dense black cloud that hammered against the tower shield defensive line with a staccato of sharp thuds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From time to time, a soldier would be struck by an arrow and fall with a short, sharp scream, only to be immediately trampled underfoot by his comrades behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tallest siege tower finally, arduously, docked against the wall, its top drawbridge slamming down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For glory!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Knight squad leader roared, the first to charge out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, what greeted him was not the blades of the enemy, but a cauldron of molten iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was molten iron, carrying a destructive heat as it poured down from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Knight’s shriek was so piercing it barely sounded human. His Refined Steel armor instantly glowed cherry-red, and his entire body became a living torch as he fell stiffly from the siege tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The few Knights right behind him didn’t escape either; they were splashed by the molten iron and writhed on the ground in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene brought the ensuing soldiers’ assault to a grinding halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the walls, the Valen Family defenders displayed a tenacity and precision that seemed at odds with their status as blacksmiths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike regular soldiers who loosed their arrows indiscriminately, they operated in teams of three, specifically targeting commanders and Heavy Armor units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearly every whistle of an arrow slicing through the air was accompanied by a muffled grunt or a cry of pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The siege raged from noon until dusk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The setting sun, the color of blood, cast a tragic, heroic hue over the entire battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground beneath the walls of Red Iron Castle was already carpeted with corpses and shattered war machines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air was thick with the nauseating stench of blood, scorched flesh, and the sour tang of sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viscount Andrew’s face was as black as thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As night fell, he did not order a retreat. Instead, he had torches lit and launched an even more frenzied night assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed that after a full day of fighting, the defenders’ morale and stamina must be at their breaking point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he had underestimated the blacksmiths’ resilience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of the Valen Family were like the steel they forged: hard and unyielding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chaos of the night battle did not throw them into disarray. On the contrary, relying on their familiar defensive structures, they inflicted even greater casualties on the besiegers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouts of battle, screams of pain, and the clang of steel against steel rang out for the entire night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when the morning sun pierced the clouds on the second day did Viscount Andrew sound the retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Allied Army soldiers withdrew like a receding tide, every man wounded and utterly dejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The medical officers’ tents were already overflowing, and the groans of the wounded merged into a single, heart-wrenching chorus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raylo stood on high ground, using a spyglass to observe Red Iron Castle, which still stood tall and defiant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a night of bitter fighting, the banner bearing a crossed hammer and anvil, though blackened by smoke, still fluttered stubbornly in the morning breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A messenger stumbled into Viscount Andrew’s tent, reporting in a hoarse voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Viscount... the casualties... the casualty report is in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speak!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viscount Andrew slammed a fist onto the map.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In... in one night, we... we lost over a hundred Knights, more than four hundred and seventy soldiers... Three siege towers were destroyed, and the catapults are...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The messenger’s voice trailed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viscount Andrew swayed, his face instantly turning deathly pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hundred Knights lost!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they had won, it would have been a pyrrhic victory. What’s more, they hadn’t even breached the outer walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning sun dispersed the smoke of battle from the sky, but it could not dispel the gloom that hung over the Allied Army’s camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Count Gao Wen’s command tent, the atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noble lords of the Northern Territory sat on either side of a massive sand table, upon which a model of Red Iron Castle stood stubbornly, as if mocking their incompetence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gentlemen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Count Gao Wen’s voice was hoarse from a sleepless night as he scanned the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Last night’s assault... we failed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viscount Andrew’s face was livid, and the dark circles under his eyes made him look like a caged, irritable beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had spent the entire night listening to the wailing of the wounded and the reports from the quartermasters, each number a hammer blow to his pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The few Barons who had participated in the attack were even more restless, shifting in their seats as if sitting on thorns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the silence, Viscount Andrew suddenly turned his gaze to Raylo, who sat calmly in the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Baron Raylo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice sounded as if it were being squeezed through clenched teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Black Stone Army is strong and well-equipped. They’ve rested for a full day and night and are full of energy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lillian’s eyebrow twitched slightly as she glanced at her brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raylo lifted his eyes to meet Viscount Andrew’s bloodshot gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is your proposal, Viscount?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Simple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viscount Andrew’s palm slammed down on the sand table, making the small castle model tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our two forces will join together. We can undoubtedly crush Red Iron Castle before sunset today! Once it’s done, I’ll give you half of all the spoils in the castle!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he said this, a collective, quiet gasp went through the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half the spoils!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The accumulated wealth of a family that held a century’s worth of core forging techniques was immeasurable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every Lord present knew that Viscount Andrew was paying a hefty price, and that he was using this profit to force Raylo’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Andrew’s eyes, this was a massive concession; the young Baron had no reason to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Raylo simply shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Viscount, I appreciate your generosity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was as mild as if he were discussing the weather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Black Stone Territory’s foundations are too shallow; we truly cannot afford such losses. You’ve seen how tenacious the Valen Family is. If I throw away several hundred more lives, I won’t be able to face the wives of my Knights.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viscount Andrew’s face instantly turned a furious shade of purple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought he had offered an olive branch, but to his shock, the other man had snapped it in two right in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Raylo! This is cowardice!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shot to his feet, his hand dropping to the hilt of his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t forget, we are an Allied Army! Do you intend to stand by and watch us bleed here while you reap the rewards?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Viscount, I suggest you watch your words.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lillian’s cool voice rang out as she moved to stand by Raylo’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere in the tent crackled with hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raylo raised a hand, signaling for Lillian to remain calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the value of Red Iron Castle better than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’But what he wanted was never \"half.\"’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the rules set by Duke Luke, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Alliance Army, on the lands of the Fiery Sun Kingdom, whoever conquers a castle claims everything within it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an ironclad rule—and the opportunity he had been waiting for.\u003C\u002Fp>",1273,"2026-05-30T16:08:59.262Z","2026-06-01T04:31:39.774Z",1,"novelbin.me","812a39573a09c67e7e72c3a06158f5a30d5fdfd7115a853110a05f5c8e94dfe1","giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-chapter-165","giant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-chapter-163",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fgiant-dragon-lord-starting-from-daily-intelligen-cover.jpg"]