Chapter 47: Needleleaf Valley

“Why change territories? Aren’t we doing fine in Iron Fir Hills?”

Samantha asked, puzzled.

It had not considered that the appearance of the Crack-Earth Centipede was merely the beginning, signaling that even larger Black Rock forces might soon follow.

Moreover, due to the dragon’s laziness, it had grown accustomed to life in Iron Fir Hills and was not ready to relocate.

“Use your head. Do you think the appearance of these alchemical golems was just an accident? Others will come soon.”

Garos said.

Samantha tilted her head, thinking deeply, and gradually understood the reason.

Red dragons are not stupid; in fact, their intelligence is among the highest in dragonkind, though their logic is often: [My wisdom tells me to solve problems with force].

Only when brute force fails do red dragons consider another approach.

“Oh, you’re afraid an army will come to kill us, so you’re planning to flee.”

After a few seconds of thought, Samantha suddenly realized and said.

Thwack!

Garos whipped his tail across its head, his dragon face stern.

“This is a strategic withdrawal. Don’t speak nonsense if you don’t understand.”

Samantha rubbed her head with her claw, grimacing; driven by instinct, she wanted to strike back, but when she met Garos’s gaze, she instantly became meek.

“My Lord Dragon, where are we going next?”

Earthbreaker Mober asked cautiously.

Hearing this, Garos fell into deep thought.

In dragon culture, there is a proverb.

——A dragon who sees spring roses must also watch for winter giant’s footprints.

It simply means: remain vigilant in peace, prepare before trouble comes.

Garos had embodied this well.

While staying in Iron Fir Hills, knowing it was merely a temporary land with limited resources, he never forgot to scout other suitable habitats.

After recent reconnaissance and evaluation,

he had three targets.

Graystone Spine.

——Its cliffs are riddled with natural caves, ideal for building a highly concealed Dragon’s Nest, steep and defensible, surrounded by lakes and forests teeming with life and abundant water.

Silver Moss Plain.

——Once home to a large mithril mine, its soil still contains trace mithril particles, causing mutated silver-bud moss to grow; eating soil or moss aids dragon scale and claw development, and the area hosts vast numbers of ferocious beasts.

Needleleaf Valley.

——A bowl-shaped valley surrounded by mountains on three sides, with hot springs steaming, sulfur fumes masking dragon scent, and a major river tributary winding through.

All three locations offer far richer resources than Iron Fir Hills.

Such territories in the Ser Wilds are all claimed.

After brief consideration, Garos ultimately chose Needleleaf Valley.

The dominant force in Graystone Spine is a clan of Giant-Tailed Steel Scorpions.

These are massive, terrifyingly venomous beasts; their poison can threaten young dragons’ lives.

Garos has never specifically enhanced his venom resistance; he is unsure whether he can withstand the Giant-Tailed Steel Scorpion’s toxin.

Silver Moss Plain has no dominant clan or individual, but numerous ferocious beast packs fight for dominance; Garos originally favored this place, but later discovered that armies occasionally came to collect silver moss and other mutated plants—its latent risk was highest.

As for Needleleaf Valley,

besides being the lowest-risk option, it lies neither too close nor too far from a tributary of the Thousand Serpent Trace, a winding vein-like path crossing the Ser Wilds, allowing contact with caravans traveling along it, or teams transporting minerals, black oil, and other resources.

The drawback: numerous intelligent tribes—goblins, worgs, and others—reside nearby.

“Needleleaf Valley? Hehehe, perfect!”

Upon hearing Garos’s decision, Mober the Earthbreaker widened his eyes and shouted excitedly.

His reason was simple.

Needleleaf Valley has another, more formal name, confirmed by surrounding intelligent tribes and clans.

——Bear Ridge.

It was the former habitat of Mober’s original Earthbreaker clan, and the very place Mober had recommended to Garos, driven by the old idea: [A father’s death, a son’s laughter].

It was during that initial scouting of the Bear Clan that Garos had accidentally discovered the tributary of the Thousand Serpent Trace.

“My noble Lord Dragon, I shall be your sharpest blade—let me seize Needleleaf Valley for you!”

Mober knelt before Garos, his voice rough and loud.

The night wind stirred his hair, revealing countless runes etched into his skin—masterpieces of the red dragon alchemist Samantha over the past half-year.

Through these alchemical runes, Mober had grown significantly stronger.

Yet he knew he still could not match the old bear; his greatest advantage was not himself, but the dragon before him.

“Hmph, damn old bastard.”

“I’ll reclaim what I lost—take your territory, seize your she-bears!”

Mober thought happily to himself.

Garos remembered his promise and patted the Earthbreaker’s shoulder.

“Once you’ve subdued the Bear Clan, you’ll lead them—but remember, if they fail, I’ll break your legs.”

Then,

the Earthbreaker carried the mostly intact Crack-Earth Centipede and other essentials, sprinting across the ground toward Needleleaf Valley.

Garos flapped his wings, soaring through the sky.

The silhouette of Iron Fir Hills blurred in the twilight.

He glanced back at the territory he had lived in for nearly a year.

The iron firs shattered by his scaled explosions, the crooked ruins of the alchemical workshop, the winding tunnels dug by earth spiders, the collapsed fissures from his impacts.

All would return to wilderness with his departure.

As if remembering something,

Garos suddenly halted, turned back, and flew toward Iron Fir Hills, instructing Samantha to continue ahead with the Earthbreaker toward Needleleaf Valley.

Samantha did not know what Garos intended, but asked no questions.

After a while, as she flew through the air, she looked back toward Iron Fir Hills.

A cluster of flames suddenly flared, then spread like wildfire, engulfing the entire Iron Fir Hills, turning the vast hill into a blazing torch in the night, its light illuminating the dark, the heatwave warping the air around it.

His scales reflected the dazzling firelight.

The red iron hatchling rose from the ‘volcano’ like a meteor, swiftly chasing after.

This world abounds in alchemical artifacts and magic with peculiar effects.

Though he felt slight regret, for safety and to prevent pursuit, Garos chose to burn Iron Fir Hills, using fire to purify everything and erase as many traces of his presence as possible.

He was unsure if it would work.

But it brought him some peace.

(End of Chapter)