Chapter 7: Luo Si Federation

The Ser Wildlands lie on the border of the Atlant Continent, bordered to the north by the [Eternal Frozen Tundra], to the south by the [Luo Si Federation], and surrounded to the east and west by the [Iron Rust Mountains] and the [Boiling Sea] respectively.

Dense forests, towering mountain ranges, clear large lakes.

All of these can be seen in the Ser Wildlands.

But.

In the Ser Wildlands, where heat is constant and intense, the most numerous features are various sulfur fissures, hills, and abandoned mines; its underground harbors rich veins of magical metals, once sparking fierce wars among nations vying for control of these mineral resources.

Roughly eight hundred years ago.

The southern nations waged endless wars over the Ser Wildlands, bringing ruin to all life, triggering frequent natural disasters, and making survival unbearable for many sentient species, whose cries filled the land.

Until a human king emerged, master of strategy, magic, and governance.

He led his legions to sweep through the southern nations, forced them to sign a peace treaty, and established a [Federation] under the leadership of his own kingdom, [Luo Si]. Though not as powerful as an empire, the Luo Si Federation far surpassed ordinary kingdoms.

Thus, the struggle for the Ser Wildlands came to an end.

Under the leadership of the Luo Si Kingdom, the southern nations negotiated and partitioned the Ser Wildlands among themselves; after centuries of mining, the region’s mineral resources are now far less abundant than before, many veins exhausted, and their importance to the nations greatly diminished.

However.

Even now, some unexhausted mineral veins still remain in the Ser Wildlands, often guarded by outposts and bases of various nations, with stationed armies.

“Do not approach any Luo Si Federation outpost.”

“If I go there, I’ll become their magical material—immediately dismantled into magical artifacts, or enslaved and imprisoned, living a life of unspeakable suffering.”

Amid the drifting winds and clouds above the wildlands, Garos lifted his gaze westward—toward a Luo Si Federation outpost that controlled a major [Fire Core Stone] vein.

The Iron Dragon Mother had long coveted this Fire Core Stone vein, yearning for it endlessly.

Iron Dragons are not purely fire-type dragons, but their affinity is tied to fire; consuming large quantities of Fire Core Stone can greatly accelerate their growth.

Yet even the Iron Dragon Mother, a fully grown dragon,

could only covet it, daring not to act.

The Luo Si Federation boasts countless legendary powerhouses; any one of them could peel the Iron Dragon Mother’s skin off.

Legendary—this is the life tier above level 20, a leap and transcendence; level 20 is the dividing line between mortal and legendary.

Dragons, if they do not die young, are destined to become legendary—only the timing differs.

Among humans, legendary powerhouses are one in ten thousand; only those with extraordinary talent can become legendary, yet due to humanity’s vast population, their numbers remain substantial.

On the planet Bernardo, humans are the race with the most legendary powerhouses.

Dragons, giants, elves—all have fewer legendary powerhouses than humans; yet if a human legendary fought one-on-one with a legendary of these races at the same level, it would be suicide.

“There are many more veins like the Fire Core Stone in the Ser Wildlands.”

Garos thought.

The ores in the Iron Dragon Mother’s crater territory are scattered, nowhere near the scale of true veins, and full of impurities, low in purity.

Yet even so,

when Garos consumed various ores, he could clearly sense their rich energy, which greatly promoted the growth of his scales, claws, and bones.

“Unfortunately, all known veins, large or small, are already claimed.”

“Even the Iron Dragon Mother couldn’t seize a vein—I can only dream. Better focus on the present: first, hone my combat skills.”

Centered on the crater territory, Garos circled the skies above, searching for targets.

Time passed slowly; the sun slanted westward, still bright and blinding, pouring scorching heat across the entire Ser Wildlands.

Everywhere were deep pits and collapses—abandoned mine shafts.

Three gray hyenas moved slowly along the edge, their limbs alternating, ears erect, eyes alert, scanning their surroundings.

After finding no other creatures nearby, the hyenas lowered their heads to lick salt crystals seeping from rock crevices.

These beasts, covered in heat-resistant spines, were absorbing the salt essential to their bodies.

But they did not know,

that a cruel and cunning predator had set its sights on them.

Rock Shredder Worm—a creature that dwells in abandoned mines, feeding on mine slag and metal.

It resembles a worm covered in black chitinous armor, nearly twenty meters long and as thick as a barrel; its mouth, ringed with spiral sharp teeth, crushes rock into powder like a stone grinder, and rends flesh effortlessly.

The patterns on its armor blend perfectly with surrounding rock fissures.

As the Rock Shredder Worm’s armor scraped against rock walls, vibrations traveled through the strata, sensing movement within a one-kilometer radius—it detected the hyenas.

It tunneled underground, slowly approaching its target.

Soil and rock tore apart before it like tofu; the ground above bulged slightly, forming a long trail.

One minute later.

The hyenas had finished licking and were preparing to leave.

The strongest hyena suddenly turned its head, noticing the rapidly rising earth trail approaching—it instinctively sensed danger.

Awooo!

It barked a warning to its companions and leapt sideways.

Too late.

The Rock Shredder Worm’s tail surged, shattering the rock and surface like brittle biscuits.

Its massive body burst forth, casting a shadow over the rocks, striking like lightning—lunging and biting.

Zzzz!

The rock-grinding mouth clamped down on two hyenas; the spiral teeth spun, instantly shredding fur and bone, swallowing them into its gut amid a mist of blood.

The third, strongest hyena whimpered and fled without hesitation.

The Rock Shredder Worm reared half its body, spraying a net of acid from its mouth onto the fleeing hyena; instantly, the acid dissolved through fur and flesh, hissing loudly.

It crawled slowly forward, then swallowed the hyena into its abyssal maw.

Having devoured all three hyenas,

the Rock Shredder Worm did not retreat underground; instead, it wriggled onto a flat rock and lazily basked in the sun.

These creatures primarily dwell underground.

But occasionally, they must surface to let sunlight stimulate their armor, shedding damaged sections and growing new, harder chitin.

Under the sun’s rays, the Rock Shredder Worm lazily rolled over.

Yet it did not know,

that an even crueler, more cunning predator had set its eyes on it.

(End of Chapter)