The sky became darker and darker, leaden clouds hung low, and a deep curtain of rain enveloped the entire wilderness.
The raindrops all over the sky seemed to connect the sky and the earth, falling softly and causing endless ripples on the rocks and puddles.
"Ennus, tell me your origin."
A low voice sounded in the rain.
Red Iron Dragon stood on the cliff that was smooth and wet by Echo Rift. Countless raindrops hit his hard scales and then shattered into finer mist.
Ennus--This is the name of Amethyst Lion King.
In addition, just as Ignas Dragonflight guessed when they first met, Ennus is not an ordinary monster leader.
Amethyst Dragon blood flows in its body, and its Dragon Blood concentration is so high that it surpasses most Hybrid Dragon descendants.
This powerful bloodline not only gave it an amazing physique and Magic Energy, but at a certain key point in its life, it activated a part of Dragon Inheritance that was sleeping deep in the bloodline, making it born with a high degree of intelligence, making its thinking profound and its vision clear, far exceeding that of Beast who relied on instinct.
At the same time, the other half of Lion-beast blood flowing in its body is not simple either.
The blood of lion gives it a primitive temperament that can control thousands of lions and make all beasts surrender.
Roar!
Amethyst Dragon Lion raised its scarred, majestic-looking head and let out a low roar, and the invisible Psionic Energy fluctuations spread out, conveying everything it had experienced to Garos.
The story goes back more than two hundred years ago, a distant era before Garos was born.
At that time, Ennus was already active in this vast, dangerous but full of opportunities Ser Wilderness.
Back then, it was young, strong, intelligent, and full of ambition, with a burning fire burning in its heart, determined to create a kingdom of ferocious beasts and monsters that would be completely ruled by it, with a powerful pride of lions at its core, and a well-ordered kingdom.
Relying on its strong strength, Dragonkin's natural majesty and outstanding wisdom, it has gradually gathered many powerful elite Lion-beast and monsters of various shapes under its command.
It became king in a remote area and initially realized a seemingly unattainable dream.
The emerging power is like a grain of sand in the wilderness. At first, its quiet rise did not attract the attention of the outside world.
Federation's sights are focused on the more fertile areas, and the powerful native Monster Lords are also busy in their own territories, and no one comes to disturb them.
However, as power gradually became more stable and ambition grew uncontrollably.
The young Amethyst Dragon Lion was no longer satisfied with staying in a corner, and began to expand the boundaries of his territory, and cast his greedy eyes on the Federation stronghold and the caravan full of goods. For the first time, he truly extended his sharp claws to the civilized world.
The result was far beyond its expectations at the time and became extremely bad.
The defenders of Federation who were attacked responded quickly and retaliated fiercely, which taught young Ennus a heavy lesson.
Federation quickly organized a well-equipped, well-coordinated military force led by powerful professionals, and launched a comprehensive sweep against the lions of Ennus.
Soon after, the lions that had worked so hard to gather under Ennus died, fled, and scattered.
It itself suffered unprecedented heavy losses during that siege, and was almost on the verge of death. By consuming all Companion Amethysts, it managed to fight its way out of the desperate situation and escaped with its life in embarrassment.
Since then, the frustrated and unwilling Ennus chose to go into complete hibernation.
It hides in the most remote corner of the wilderness, like an injured Beast, silently licking the wounds on its body with its tongue, and at the same time, like the most patient hunter, it carefully accumulates strength, reunites the lost Lion-beast, cultivates new elites, and builds its lion army.
It is waiting for the opportunity in the darkness, eager to one day make a comeback and realize its former ambitions.
[What happened next... you all know]
Amethyst Dragon Lion let out a heavy sigh, and a helpless growl emerged from his throat.
As Federation's control over the wilderness has weakened in recent years, it believes that the long-awaited opportunity has finally arrived, and decides to go out again, vowing to realize its dream.
But.
It never expected that when it had just emerged and its power was beginning to take shape, because it provoked Molten Iron Tribe, who was also determined to expand and was stronger than the lions, it was hit hard by Red Iron Dragon, and was finally defeated, and had to lower its proud head.
"Sure enough, the so-called Map King that has risen to fame in the wilderness recently are mostly old things like Lion King that have been dormant for a long time, waiting for the opportunity."
"Those who are really young like me are one of the very few among the very few, the aliens among the aliens."
Garos slowly stretched his wings in the torrential rain, letting the rain wash away his scales, thinking deeply in his heart.
The Lich we encountered before and the Amethyst Lion King in front of us, including ourselves, are similar to some extent.
They all once chose to hide because they were afraid of the powerful power of Federation, but now they are taking advantage of the changing situation to show their talents.
"Map King has already taken over one side, as well as some powerful entities that are still watching in secret and have not yet surfaced... I guess this is the case for many."
"This wilderness is much deeper than it appears."
The rainwater continued to slide down the thorns on the horns of his head and face. Garos turned his head slightly and stared at Amethyst Lion King.
He asked, "Your Dragon Blood concentration is extremely high. Is there a real Amethyst Dragon among the direct blood relatives of the previous generation?"
Amethyst Lion King shook his head, a trace of confusion flashed in his eyes.
[I don't know]
It responded via Psionic Energy.
It did not awaken to the inheritance as soon as it was born, but it suddenly became enlightened one day during its growth and naturally acquired part of the knowledge of dragons.
As long as it can remember, it has only seen its mother, a powerful and beautiful giant lion.
It grew up under the care and protection of a pride of lions.
It didn't know much about its father, or the being who provided the other half with powerful bloodline.
"Ennus is over three hundred years old now."
"If the Amethyst Dragon that gave birth to it is still somewhere in the wilderness, then it is most likely an old dragon that is over 400 years old."
Thinking of this, Garos couldn't help but tremble slightly in his heart.
Old age - this word means weakness, slowness and end for most biological races. When placed on the unique Dragon Race, it represents a deeper accumulation of strength, more terrifying magical power, more exquisite combat skills and more cunning wisdom.
An elderly Amethyst Dragon that is over 400 years old must have at least level 20 Life Level.
If you are the best among Amethyst Dragon, with extraordinary talents and extraordinary circumstances, you may even be able to break through that difficult threshold and achieve an astonishing qualitative change in your life level, reaching level 21 or even higher.
Thinking that in this vast wilderness, there might be such a powerful and old kin dormant.
Moreover, his descendant who was living outside had just been defeated and subdued by him, and Garos inevitably felt a little uneasy in his heart.
This is not fear, but an instinctive caution towards the unknown and powerful existence.
However, he immediately thought that Amethyst Dragon generally belongs to the absolutely neutral camp.
They are completely different from Chromatic Dragon who likes to do evil wantonly and spread fear; or Metal Dragon who is keen on punishing rape and eradicating evil and maintaining justice and order.
As the leader of Gem Dragon, Amethyst Dragon is by nature more inclined to be independent from the world and aloof from others.
They often choose to build their nests in secluded places, even outside Material Plane, and quietly watch the changes of time and the rise and fall of civilization. They maintain a cold-eyed attitude towards the development of world affairs and rarely take the initiative to participate in any form of secular struggle.
Dragonkin There are of course differences between individuals.
But overall, the neutral Amethyst Dragon is definitely easier to deal with than the evil Evil Dragon; to some extent, it is even easier to have pragmatic communications than some stubborn Metal Dragon.
"In fact, there is no need to worry too much."
"To worry too much about distant and uncertain possibilities is not to prepare for a rainy day, but to fight with the air. It is a waste of energy and random thoughts."
Garos exhaled slowly, calmed his mind, and his eyes became calm and sharp again.
"I understand your ambition, and I also know your dreams."
Red Iron Dragon's huge and thick head turned slightly, and his eyes fell on Amethyst Lion King: "I know that you have no choice but to submit at this moment."
"But I can tell you."
"Following under my dragon wings, your probability of realizing the blueprint in your heart will only become higher, not lower."
His voice was calm and low, but it carried a convincing power.
If the charm value can be embodied, then this value of Garos must have reached a rather astonishing height, not weaker than his body value.
"Ennus, you are still the ruler of this land."
"The lions under your command will still be commanded and dispatched by you in the future. Molten Iron Tribe needs loyal warriors and lords, not slaves who have lost their souls."
Hearing these words, Amethyst Lion King's dim eyes suddenly brightened up, and the whole lion's spirit was obviously lifted.
[Seriously?!]
It let out a low growl that was a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"Molten Iron Tribe is good at allowing each family member to maximize their value and occupy the most suitable position, and you are the most suitable choice to guard and manage this plain."
Garos said, "As long as you meet some necessary prerequisites and abide by your loyalty and obligations."
"If you want to gradually develop this place into a prosperous place with order and civilization, or let it continue to maintain its original barbaric style, that is your freedom. I will not interfere too much."
"I only care about the results - prosperity, prosperity, and ready availability of warriors and resources."
the other side.
After hearing the conversation between Red Iron Dragon and Amethyst Lion King, Iron Dragon Sorog's eyes moved slightly and he listened quietly.
"First of all, you continue to be the lord of this place, enjoying governance rights and most autonomy, but you are no longer allowed to use the title of king. There is only one king in this land."
"Secondly, the tribe will dispatch a certain number of elite molten iron warriors as needed, led by reliable leaders, stationed at the pass, resource nodes and near your lair."
"They are responsible for assisting in defense, supervising the flow of resources, and maintaining the basic order of the tribe here. You must cooperate and not obstruct them."
"Third, the lions must be incorporated into the tribe's military system, regularly transport qualified warriors, and accept recruitment from the tribe..."
Garos put forward several conditions, which were not loose but not harsh either, and retained the autonomy of Ennus to a large extent.
Amethyst Crystal The giant lion accepted it happily after thinking about it for a while.
[You are so powerful, wise and wise, surrendering to your command will be the wisest choice I make in my life]
It continued to growl, expressing submission and respect.
Garos nodded lightly, then as if he remembered something, he added, "Similar words expressing compliments and allegiance can be said directly with Dragon Language next time. In this regard, I prefer to hear the actual voice."
Amethyst Crystal The giant lion looked solemn, nodded very seriously, and wrote down these words.
After briefly explaining the follow-up matters and leaving behind the high-level Communication Artifact that could be used for long-distance communication, Garos led the dragons into the sky, tearing through the heavy rain curtain, and embarked on their way back.
"Garos, it seems you have finally made a decision."
"Will we widely adopt this strategy of feudal lordship to govern new territories in the future?"
On the way back, Iron Dragon Sorog flew steadily beside Red Iron Dragon. He did not speak, but his deep voice echoed directly in the depths of Garos's mind through telepathy.
With the continuous rapid development and rapid expansion of the Molten Iron Tribe, the scope of territory under its command is increasing and becoming increasingly dispersed.
How to effectively guard, govern and stabilize these newly acquired territories has become a crucial practical issue.
Long before the Quenching Heights recapture war, the core members of Ignas Dragonflight had focused on this issue when discussing future planning in Mind Network.
They have proposed several different governance strategies, ranging from centralized power to loose coalitions.
Now, judging from the way Garos handles Ennus and its lion territory, it is obvious that he is inclined to adopt a more traditional but efficient enfeoffment system.
"Yes, Sorog. This seems to be the optimal solution at present."
Garos responded, "The tribe is in a period of unprecedented rapid expansion, and the window of opportunity is fleeting."
"The enfeoffment system can maximize the enthusiasm of the surrenderers, stabilize the newly acquired territories as quickly as possible, ensure the effectiveness of rule, and free us from cumbersome local governance to focus on more important directions."
Confer powerful conquered creatures into lords.
Allowing them to continue to manage the land and ethnic groups they are familiar with while being loyal to the Molten Iron Tribe and fulfilling their obligations is undoubtedly the most efficient, lowest cost, and least resistance way.
But this approach also has an obvious shortcoming.
--Has extremely high requirements for the supreme ruler.
The leader at the top of power must have an unparalleled deterrent to the various lords under his command, and must have the absolute power and prestige to make the lords from all directions dare not have second thoughts.
Otherwise, let alone continue to expand.
A huge force is likely to begin to disintegrate from within and fall into never-ending rebellions and disputes.
However, for the Dragonkin, which has a long lifespan and will only get more powerful, the impact of this shortcoming is minimized.
Dragons will not age and weaken like mortals, but will only become stronger as time goes by.
As long as Garos is still alive and maintains his momentum of getting stronger.
The lords under his command will naturally remain loyal, and will even gain more benefits from following an increasingly powerful Dragon King.
In short.
As long as Garos is still strong, his territory will be as stable as a rock; if one day he really falls, then it will no longer matter to him how this territory becomes.
"Perhaps the title of tribe will be removed soon."
Iron Dragon let out a deep and joyful laugh.
Witnessed with my own eyes and deeply participated in an organization growing from scratch, from weak to strong, and gradually developed into a daunting and huge force.
The process itself is enough to make Iron Dragon Sorog feel extremely satisfied and happy.
After that, time passed quietly under the rain curtain.
Since the war between Molten Iron King and Amethyst Lion King was decided, the northwest region of Ser Wilderness has lost a famous and separatist Map King.
Under the Molten Iron Tribe's command, there is an additional Lion-beast lord with the blood of Amethyst Dragon, as well as a huge army composed of many fierce Lion-beast and monsters.
However, both Amethyst Dragon Lion Ennus and its Lion-beast army suffered considerable damage in this battle.
They need a long period of time to recuperate and regain their strength.
In a short period of time, this newly added force will not be able to provide much substantial help for the further expansion of the Molten Iron Tribe.
Currently, they still stay in the vast territory centered on Echo Rift. This unnamed area, which originally belonged to ferocious beasts and monsters, has been officially named Lionheart Plains and marked on the military map that Molten Iron Tribe is constantly updating.
What is different from before is that the highest ownership of this plain belongs to the Molten Iron Tribe.
The current identity of Ennus and its lions is that they are the guardians and governors who were ordered to stay in place and exercise management rights on behalf of the tribe, and are no longer the former Overlord.
Molten Iron Tribe plans to build some strong forward posts, watchtowers and small fortresses in strategic locations and resource-rich areas of this new territory, and leave a capable and loyal core army of molten iron to assist in defense.
Both as a deterrent and as a tentacle of contact and supervision.
Besides that.
As Garos mentioned before, as the price and obligation of surrender, the lion group needs to provide soldiers for the Molten Iron Tribe.
Those powerful Lion-beast, in addition to forming an independent characteristic legion themselves, will also have elite individuals among them selected based on their different characteristics and transported to other legions of the Molten Iron Tribe to form mixed groups with warriors of other races for coordinated operations.
Various mineral resources, magical plants, special Hunt fields found on the plains, etc.
Their mining and main income will also be uniformly allocated by the Molten Iron Tribe.
When Molten Iron Tribe is in need, Amethyst Dragon Lion Lord Ennus must also fulfill his obligations, answer the call, and fight for the tribe.
Soon after.
New information was sent back to the Molten Iron Tribe through the scouts, and also reached the ears of Garos.
"Yesterday's Map King may become a corpse today."
"This wilderness is getting really messy."
Garos whispered silently in his heart and continued to exercise.
Python King located at Lost-Track Marsh was attacked.
The overwhelming eagles, birds, flying ferocious beasts and monsters, led by a powerful firebird, attacked and killed Python King. After a fierce battle, Python King died, the birds occupied Lost-Track Marsh, and the group of pythons fled in all directions.