Conifer Valley

"Why are we changing territories? Aren't we doing quite well here in the Iron Fir Hills?"

Samantha asked with a puzzled look, not understanding at all.

She hadn't considered that the appearance of the Earth-Splitting Centipede was merely a beginning, meaning it was very likely to attract a much larger-scale Black Rock Troops soon.

Moreover, due to the inherent laziness of Dragonkin, she had grown accustomed to life in the Iron Fir Hills and was not yet ready to relocate her territory.

"Use that brain of yours and think—were the appearances of these Alchemy Golems just a random accident? Others will be coming soon."

Garos said.

Samantha tilted her head and began to think seriously, gradually understanding the reason.

Red dragons were not actually stupid; on the contrary, their intelligence was considered quite high among Dragonkin, but their thought logic tended to be My wisdom allows me to solve problems with strength.

Only when brute force failed to solve a problem would a red dragon change its way of thinking.

"Oh, you're afraid an army will come to surround and kill us, so you're planning to run away."

After a few seconds of thought, Samantha came to a sudden realization and said.

Smack!

Garos whipped her on the head with his tail, his dragon face solemn.

"This is a strategic retreat. If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense."

Having taken a tail-strike, Samantha rubbed her head with her claws, baring her teeth and hissing. Out of instinct, she subconsciously wanted to counterattack, but the moment she met Garos's gaze, she immediately turned submissive again.

"Dragon Lord, where are we going next?"

Mobel the Earth Violent Bear asked cautiously.

Hearing this, Garos fell into deep thought and contemplation.

There was a proverb in Dragonkin culture.

--A dragon that sees the roses of spring must also mind the footprints of winter's giants.

In essence, it meant being prepared for danger in times of peace and taking precautions for a rainy day.

And Garos did this exceptionally well.

While staying in the Iron Fir Hills, knowing that this was merely a transitional place with limited resources, he had not forgotten to keep a lookout and survey other suitable places for habitation.

After surveying and weighing his options over the previous period.

He had three targets.

Graystone Ridge.

--The rock walls were filled with natural caves, allowing for the establishment of a highly concealed Dragon Lair. Moreover, it was lofty and steep, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. There were lakes and forests nearby, with numerous creatures inhabiting the area, offering abundant biological and water resources.

Silver Moss Plains.

--It once held a large Mithril mine, and the soil still contained certain Mithril microparticles, causing a great deal of Silver-Bud Moss to mutate and grow. Eating the soil and moss could both aid in the development of the Dragonkin's scales, claws, and teeth, and the population of fierce beasts was extremely numerous.

Conifer Valley.

--A bowl-shaped valley surrounded by mountains on three sides, with hot springs steaming within the valley. The smell of sulfur could mask the scent of Dragonkin, and a tributary of a large river meandered through it.

All three of these locations possessed far richer resources of every kind than the Iron Fir Hills.

Territories like these were all claimed land within the Ser Wilderness.

After thinking briefly for a moment, Garos ultimately chose Conifer Valley.

The overlords of Graystone Ridge were a group of Giant-Tailed Steel Scorpions.

These were a class of enormous fierce beasts harboring terrifying and lethal venom; their toxin posed a life-threatening danger to hatchling dragons.

Garos's poison resistance had not been specially enhanced, and he wasn't certain he could withstand the poison of the Giant-Tailed Steel Scorpions.

The Silver Moss Plains, on the other hand, lacked overlord-grade groups or individuals. This place featured numerous packs of fierce beasts locked in the law of the jungle, fighting among themselves. Garos had originally favored this location the most, but he later discovered that armies would occasionally come here to collect samples of silver moss and other mutated plant specimens, making the potential risk the highest of all.

As for Conifer Valley.

Aside from having the lowest inherent risks, it was located at a moderate distance from a branch line of the Trail of a Thousand Snakes—which meandered and wound across the Ser Wilderness like meridians—allowing contact with caravans traveling along the Trail of a Thousand Snakes, or various teams transporting resources such as minerals and black oil.

The drawback was that numerous intelligent creature tribes, such as goblins and gnolls, inhabited the surrounding area.

"Conifer Valley? Roar roar roar, that's great!"

Upon hearing Garos's decision, Mobel the Dire Bear widened his eyes and shouted excitedly.

The reason for his excitement was simple.

Conifer Valley had an even more formal name determined by some of the surrounding intelligent creature tribes and clans.

--Dire Bear Ridge.

It was the place where the Earth Violent Bear pack, to which Mobel originally belonged, inhabited, and it was also the location Mobel had proposed and recommended to Garos back then, upholding the philosophy of a son bidding farewell to his father with a smile.

It was precisely when they went to scout the dire bear pack back then that Garos had inadvertently discovered the branch route of the Trail of a Thousand Snakes.

"My esteemed Dragon Lord, I am willing to be your sharpest blade and take Conifer Valley for you!"

Mobel knelt before Garos, speaking in a rough voice.

The night wind ruffled his fur, revealing dense clusters of numerous runes engraved upon his skin; these were the masterpiece of the red alchemist Samantha over the past half-year.

Strengthened through these Alchemy Runes, Mobel had grown quite a bit stronger as well.

However, he knew he still couldn't compare to the old bear, but his greatest reliance was not himself, but the Dragonkin before him.

"Hmph hmph, that detestable old thing."

"This bear is going to take back everything he lost, seize your territory, and dominate your mother bears!"

Mobel thought gleefully in his heart.

Garos didn't forget his promise, patting the dire bear's shoulder with his hand.

"Once we subjugate the bear pack, you will be the commander responsible for them. But don't forget, if anything goes wrong with the pack, I will break your legs."

Immediately afterward.

The Earth Violent Bear hoisted the largely intact Earth-Splitting Centipede along with other necessary items, running across the ground and hurrying toward Conifer Valley.

Garos flapped his wings and soared through the sky.

The outline of the Iron Fir Hills gradually blurred in the twilight.

He cast a parting glance back at the territory where he had lived for nearly a year.

The iron fir trees snapped apart by explosive scales, the ruins of the alchemy workshop built crookedly and unevenly, the winding tunnels excavated by the earth spiders, and the collapsed fissures smashed open by his impact.

Everything would return to the wilderness along with his departure.

As if remembering something.

Garos suddenly paused his movements, then turned back and flew toward the Iron Fir Hills, instructing Samantha to follow the Earth Violent Bear and press on toward Conifer Valley ahead of time.

Samantha didn't know what Garos wanted to do, but she didn't question him either.

After a little while, she flew in the sky while turning her head to look back in the direction of the Iron Fir Hills.

A cluster of fire suddenly flared up, and then, like a wildfire sweeping across the plains, it grew increasingly intense, gradually igniting the entire Iron Fir Hills and turning the massive hills into a blazing torch burning fiercely in the dark night. The light illuminated a stretch of the night sky, and the heat waves caused the surrounding air to constantly distort and rise.

Dazzling flames reflected upon his scales.

The Red Iron Dragonet soared into the air from the "volcano" like a shooting star, swiftly giving chase.

Alchemy items and magic possessing peculiar effects emerged endlessly in this world.

Though he felt a trace of lingering attachment, for the sake of safety assurance and to prevent continued tracking, Garos ultimately decided to burn the Iron Fir Hills to the ground, purifying everything with fire and erasing as much as possible any traces that could prove he had ever existed here.

He wasn't certain whether this would be effective.

Still, it could at least give his mind a little peace.