The red dragon Galkro flew over the last ridge, and Lain Plateau appeared in front of us.
He originally planned to go back to Red Emperor Royal City first, but with his father's breath lingering in the air, he turned around and flew directly over.
The ground beneath our feet gradually opened up, and the wilderness spread out in all directions, like an unfolded blanket.
There is a large river running across the distance. The surface of the river is wide and sparkling, with waves rolling in from time to time.
Galkro Slow down and get closer.
There was a figure on the river, its scales looming in the water, its head sticking out of the water, its eyes half-closed, as if enjoying the coolness of the river.
Sensing the approach of his eldest son, he opened his eyes.
Wow!
Water splashed everywhere, and a dragon shadow emerged from the water.
Her scales were natural Blue Dragon, glowing faintly in the night. Her slender body flipped deftly in the river, and used her tail to splash a splash of water on Red-Iron Dragon's face.
Zolaya.
One of Red Iron Dragon's companions.
She was much smaller than Red Iron Dragon. The two seemed to be playing in the river before and then stopped.
Galkro landed on the river bank, folded its wings, and brought up a gust of wind, making the reeds on the bank rustle.
"You father and son will talk first."
Zolaya's eyes turned to the two of them, and after saying that, he fluttered his wings and flew into the night sky.
Red Iron Dragon stood up from the water.
Water poured down from the gaps in his scales, formed a stream at his feet, and flowed into the river.
He was much larger than Galkro. Standing in the shallow water, the river water only covered his knees.
"Father, it's rare to see you rest."
Galkro lowered his head slightly and said, "I'm sorry to disturb your leisure."
Garos looked at him and did not answer immediately, but walked slowly from the river to the shore.
The water flow parted at his feet and closed behind him. He stood on the stone beach on the shore and shook the water off his body. Fine water droplets splashed around.
"Look at your expression, is something wrong?"
he asked.
Galkro was silent for a while.
The river water lapped at the stones on the shore, making a splashing sound. A night bird flew by in the distance, casting a fleeting shadow on the river surface. He lowered his head and swung his tail uneasily behind him.
"Father."
The red dragon finally spoke.
"Huh?"
"When I broke through the Legendary Realm, I got a characteristic named Blood-Plundering Demon Dragon."
Galkro told his father everything about this feature.
"When it affects me and threatens to seize Black Oilfield, I want to kill all the creatures present."
He hesitated for a moment, and the swing of his tail became smaller. "For a moment - I even had the idea of killing my father and killing you."
After saying this, he raised his head and glanced at Garos, then quickly looked away and stared at the stone at his feet.
Garos looked at his eldest son, there was no wave in his eyes, but there was a bit of amusement in his eyes.
"Then come."
"Haven't you always wanted to challenge me? You can do it now. Come, let me see how much you have grown since you were promoted to the Legendary Realm."
Galkro shook his head so hard that his head almost fell off.
"Father, I didn't mean that!"
"I mean, that trait is affecting me, it's making me think that way, but I don't want to.
That's not what I really think, I--"
The more he spoke, the more urgent he became, and his tongue was almost tied.
"Okay."
Garos interrupted him.
"If you can say it, it means you can still control it."
The red dragon was stunned for a moment and stopped moving.
"Fear that can be expressed is not fear, and desire that can be acknowledged is not desire."
Garos looked at him and said in a calm voice, "You stood in front of me and told me that you wanted to kill me for a moment. This in itself proves that that moment has passed."
Galkro slowly calmed down.
His father's voice echoed in his ears. He pondered these words carefully and gradually grinned.
"Yeah."
He said with a lighter tone, "As expected of me, I suppressed it without even realizing it."
He shook his head with a smile and his tail wagged again.
But then, he looked at Red Iron Dragon, suppressed his smile, and said sternly, "I know you have also gained power that made you lose control, but you have completely controlled it."
"So, I want to ask you, how can I better control my desire to kill?"
He paused and emphasized his tone. "I don't want to be controlled by it. I want to control it perfectly."
Garos did not answer immediately.
He turned around and looked at the river.
The river glowed silvery under the moonlight, wave after wave, never stopping. The night wind blew over, carrying the smell of water vapor and distant vegetation.
He looked at it for a while before speaking.
"I've been affected by anger before," he said.
"I know." Galkro nodded, "You defeated it."
"It's not victory, it's coexistence."
Galkro looked at him, not quite understanding.
"Just like you, the desire to kill will not disappear suddenly. It is a part of you and cannot be completely eliminated. Your characteristics only amplify it."
"Do you think I can't feel anger? This is an innate emotion of living things."
"However, it is not the reason for my actions, it is just something that accompanies my actions."
Galkro nodded thoughtfully.
"You need to know what you're killing for."
Garos turned his head and looked into the eldest son's eyes.
"Killing to become stronger and killing for the sake of killing are two different things."
"The former has a goal, but the latter does not. The latter will only make you like Beast, but you are not Beast, you are a dragon, and my blood is flowing in your body."
Garos's voice was faint and the conversation changed slightly.
"Do you know your grandfather? Gorsas."
Galkro nodded.
Of course he knew this name, he was crazy and powerful, and eventually died at the hands of his father.
"The world thinks he is as crazy as a ferocious beast. I finally killed him with my own hands, but I have to admit that to a certain extent, he is as resilient as me."
He looked at Galkro again.
"And you will not succumb to the so-called killing instinct."
Galkro stood there, wings folded at his side, looking at his father without blinking.
"Can I--can do it?"
he asked hesitantly.
Garos looked at him and nodded with certainty.
"I believe you can."
After a pause, he continued, "If you want to control yourself better, you can go to Fey Wilds.
"Fey Wilds?"
Galkro is confused.
"The emotions are more active and the desires are stronger over there. Stay there for a while, fight against it, and exercise your will. When you come back Material Plane, the desire to kill you feel will be nothing."
Galkro nodded heavily.
"I know! Without further ado, I'll set off immediately."
He took a step back and prepared to turn around.
"Go." Garos said.
Galkro took a deep breath, spread his wings, and brought up a burst of air, which made the reed bend down.
"Father."
He suddenly stopped again and turned his head.
"Huh?"
"I won't let you down."
After saying that, he jumped up and disappeared into the night sky.
Garos stood there, watching the smaller and smaller shadow blend into the night.
The river wind continued to blow, the reeds rustled, and Zolaya flew back out of nowhere and landed next to him.
"Finished?"
she asked.
Garos nodded.
"Of all your children, he is the most like you."
Zolaya said.
Red Iron Dragon said, "Yes, but it means he needs to pay more."
The news that Aura Legendary Realm crossed the border and captured Black Oilfield spread like wildfire.
In less than ten days, almost everyone from the kingdoms of Eastern Plains to the alliance of Southern Domain knew about this matter.
Black Oilfield of Farrell is lost.
However, no one jumped out to condemn, no one issued a strong statement, and there was not even a diplomatic protest.
Everyone knows that this is meaningless.
Diplomatic rhetoric was still effective when the strength gap between the two sides was not that big, but now - Crown-Rank Legendary has been swept away, and other countries have no confidence to face Red Emperor.
In front of Aura, they were as weak as little lolita in front of a giant man.
Farrell and Ratona are the backbone of the countries Eastern Alliance and Southern Domain.
All countries are waiting for their reaction.
More than half a month after the Aura Legion crossed the border, Farrell King August and Ratona King Severus came hand in hand and arrived at Red Emperor Royal City in person.
"This is the capital of the Aura Kingdom--"
August looked up at the magnificent Dragon Court and murmured to himself.
"Let's go. Now that you're here, don't hesitate."
Severus said.
Soon after, the two walked into Dragon Court under the guidance of the guards.
Passing through long corridors and passing through multiple gates, the Aura guards along the way had expressionless faces, and no one glanced at them.
Most of these guards are Dragonkin, tall and with cold eyes.
The eyes that occasionally glanced over were like looking at two bugs that had strayed into Dragon Lair.
After walking for nearly a quarter of an hour, they finally arrived in front of a huge meeting hall.
Farrell King is walking on the right. He is a middle-aged man in his fifties, with a thin face and a neatly trimmed beard, but his eye sockets are sunken and there are obvious black and blue spots around the eye sockets, as if he has not slept well for a long time. His pace is relatively steady, but his breathing is obviously faster than usual.
Ratona King is on the left.
He is younger than King Farrell and has a stronger body, but his complexion is poor. His hands are constantly twisting his cuffs. His movements are very small, but he has not stopped doing this since he entered Dragon Court.
The two stopped for a moment in front of the chamber door.
If you look at each other, you can see the same thing in the other person's eyes.
fear.
This is nothing to be ashamed of.
Although they are kings and have a very high status, they are not good at fighting and rarely leave their palace.
At this moment, on someone else's territory, facing a dragon emperor who can kill multiple Crown-Rank Legendarys and kill them at will, fear is a normal reaction.
They took a deep breath and walked into the meeting hall together.
Then, they saw the giant dragon.
Garos·Ignas, Red Emperor, Lord of Aura...,..
It is occupying the center of the meeting hall.
His body seemed to be made of flames and steel. Every scale was glowing with a dark red sheen, like solidified magma. The dragon wings were folded at his sides. Even so, they occupied a huge space. The pillars on both sides looked thin in front of him.
Under the gaze of the giant dragon, the two kings stopped after taking only a few steps.
It's not that they want to stop.
Even though Red Emperor is restrained from Dragon Might, the size of this giant beast alone is enough to make people feel breathless.
His head was bigger than a giant elephant, and each tooth was like a sword. When his claws fell to the ground, each one shone with a cold light.
The dragon's breath was like a strong wind, blowing on the two kings. They were trembling slightly, their knees were weak, and if they moved any further, they might fall to the ground.
"Farrell King August, Ratona King Severus, see Red Emperor His Majesty."
The two voices sounded almost at the same time.
One was hoarse and the other was trembling, most of which were blown away by the wind.
After saying this, the two of them lowered their heads without pride, instinctively not daring to look into those dragon eyes.
Garos looked down at them.
He didn't get angry, he just looked at the two men calmly, but just by looking at them like this, beads of sweat broke out on the foreheads of the two kings.
"Because of my mercy, your kingdom survives in Demon Tide."
"However, you repaid me with betrayal."
Having said this, he paused and glanced across their faces.
"You tell me, what should I do with you?"
These words were not serious, but when they fell in the ears of the two kings, they were like a huge stone hitting their chests, and their faces turned pale.
"Your Majesty, there are some misunderstandings between our country and your country--"
Farrell King said, wanting to explain something.
"It's not a misunderstanding."
Garos interrupted him.
Farrell The king's words were choked in his throat.
"The Legendary Realm you sent attacked my territory while I was sleeping and tried to kill me."
The dragon's voice didn't have much fluctuation, and he said calmly, "This is not a misunderstanding, this is an act of war."
"We have no knowledge of the attack on you."
Ratona King whispered, "Those Legendary Realm are acting on their own initiative--"
He couldn't finish his sentence.
The corners of Garos's mouth opened slightly, and an invisible pressure suddenly came, causing King Ratona's words to stop abruptly. His face instantly turned pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
August was no better.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, but his whole body was shaking uncontrollably.
"There are multiple Crown Rank and Legendary Realm, each of them is an elite, and none of them is an ordinary Legendary Realm who has just been promoted."
Garos's voice became deeper and he asked, "Oh, with such a lineup assembled, can they hide it from you two kings?"
The two kings opened their mouths but were speechless.
What can they say? Say they don't know? They don't believe it themselves.
Saying you know? That means admitting that you participated in the attack.
Garos did not continue to ask.
He withdrew his pressure and regained his calm posture, as if everything just now was just a small warning.
"I don't like nonsense."
He said, "So, if you want peace talks, show your sincerity."
As soon as he finished speaking, Iron Dragon Gordon came over from the corner next to him.
His steps were slow and leisurely, and he held something like a scroll on his paws.
As Iron Dragon raised its claws, the scroll hung down, like a long waterfall, all the way to the ground. The scroll was very long, and the writing on it was densely packed. You could tell at a glance that there was a lot of content.
Iron Dragon placed it in front of the two kings and stepped aside.
"Atlant Surface Nations Unification Treaty."
"Let's take a look."
Garos said.
The two kings took a deep breath and moved closer together.
The two heads almost touched each other, and the four eyes were fixed on the treaty. Here, they were no longer the aloof kings in their own kingdoms, and looked a little humble, even a little pitiful.
They concentrated their attention and began to browse the contents of the treaty.
Article 1: Recognize Aura Kingdom's status as suzerain, and the heads of state must be approved by Aura before they can ascend the throne.
Article 2: Accepting the garrison of Aura, the cost of garrisoning shall be borne by each country. The number and location of garrison troops shall be unilaterally decided by Aura.
Article 3: Pay tribute to Aura every year. The quantity and type of tribute must be determined by Aura according to the conditions of each country.
Article 4: The militaries of all countries shall be integrated into the Aura unified pill and command system.
Article 5: Legends from all countries must obey Ora Maru's orders and are not allowed to leave their own territory without Ora's approval.
Article 6: Foreign affairs are coordinated by Aura. Countries are not allowed to conclude alliances with other countries without permission, and are not allowed to accept envoys from other countries without permission.
Article 7:
There is a lot of content, each item has a detailed explanation, and some clauses are followed by supplementary explanations, which are densely written on the entire parchment.
The two kings' faces turned paler as they looked at each other, and their hands trembled more and more.
Moreover, they already realized what kind of treaty this was before they finished reading it.
"Your Majesty,"
Farrell King Chi Ji said, "This is a vassal treaty."
Red Emperor Not much to say.
Next to him, Iron Dragon Gordon spoke with a smile.
"It's Integration Treaty. However, you can also make it into a vassal treaty. The name is not important, the important thing is the content, right?"
After he finished speaking, he smiled, showing his sharp teeth.
Ratona King was silent for a moment.
His hands began to twist the cuffs of his sleeves again. After thinking for a long time, he spoke carefully.
"We are not unwilling to coexist peacefully with Aura."
He tried to sound sincere and said, "On the contrary, we very much hope to establish friendly relations with Aura, but the content of this treaty is indeed too harsh."
He paused and glanced at Garos. Seeing that the dragon showed no signs of being angry, he continued.
"If Your Majesty is willing, we can discuss other options."
"For example, we can cede territory and ransom to Aura at once as the price for releasing our country Legendary Realm and conducting peace talks. At the same time, we can also make a formal contract promising never to invade Aura's territory and to coexist peacefully with Aura forever."
After he finished speaking, he waited for a response.
August also quickly added, "Severus King's meaning is exactly what I mean. We can provide generous compensation and even transfer territory. As long as His Majesty is willing to relax the conditions of the treaty, we can negotiate anything."
Sanlong was silent for a few seconds.
Then, he laughed lowly.
The entire meeting hall was shaking, a few wisps of dust fell from the dome, the air vibrated, and the hearts of the two kings trembled with the laughter.
"What do you think you are doing here?"
Garos said, his laughter gradually subdued, "The content of the treaty will not be changed even a word. This is not a negotiation, this is a notice."
"I know what you are thinking, but I tell you, you have no choice."
The two kings opened their mouths and wanted to say something, but in the end nothing came out.
"Of course."
Garos's voice softened a little and he said, "If you really can't accept it, I won't force you. The door is right there. You two can leave at any time."
He paused and his eyes became sharper.
"But, I only give you two one month."
"Go back first and think it over carefully. At the same time, you bring the news to other countries of the Eastern Alliance and Southern Domain. Within a month, the kings or plenipotentiaries of each country will come to Red Emperor Royal City to sign Integration Treaty."
"This is my last mercy."
"If you don't wait when it's late, you'll have to bear the consequences."
After saying this, Garos stopped talking. He resumed his entrenched posture, with his eyes half closed, as if he no longer paid attention to the two people in front of him.
Finally, August sighed and resigned to Red Emperor, and Severus followed suit.
The two turned around and left, their figures slowly disappearing.
Soon after, Iron Dragon Gordon waggled its tail and walked to Garos.
"Do you think they will sign it honestly? Or will there be some other small tricks?"
Garos's face remained as usual, and his eyes were still half-closed.
"They will come."
he said.
After a pause, he continued, "I have shown my kindness. If I don't come, or if I show some self-righteous cleverness, what awaits them will be cruelty."
In the past, Garos had a lot of worries.
Holden's attitude, Dragon Realm's reaction, and even the stability of his own territory... all need to be weighed.
But it's different now.
Just like he once said to Varta, now he can do whatever he wants to a certain extent. He doesn't need to think deeply about many things, it just depends on whether he wants to or not.
Once your strength reaches this level, many problems become simpler.
the other side.
After the two kings walked out of Dragon Court, their steps gradually stabilized.
They looked back at this magnificent building.
The sun shines on the surface of Dragon Court, reflecting a cold and hard luster. The highest spire is inserted into the clouds, making it difficult to see the whole picture. They felt like two ants in front of the giant dragon just now.
"There is no room for negotiation--"
Ratona The king sighed, his voice full of exhaustion.
"I know." King Farrell said.
"But at least he gave us a month."
"What can you do in a month?"
"We can think of a way." King Farrell said, his eyes flickering, "For example, find someone who can help us."
Ratona King was stunned for a moment, and then he came to his senses.
"You mean--Holden?"
The two kings looked at each other, each seeing the last glimmer of hope in the other's eyes.
Yes, Holden.
If this Human Empire is willing to come forward, Aura will at least have some scruples.
"Try it." Severus said, "It's better than doing nothing."
"Yeah." August nodded, "We still have one month."
The two of them didn't say anything else, got in the car and left Red Emperor Royal City.
Soon after, after returning to their respective countries, the first thing the two kings did was to contact the envoy through the contact information left by the previous Holden envoy.
In the Farrell Royal Palace's study, August personally communicated with Holden's messenger.
He did not beat around the bush, and directly told the whole story of Red Emperor Royal City's trip, including Garos's words, the contents of the treaty, and the one-month limit.
He spoke in detail and didn't even hide his feelings.
"Your country is the hope of mankind."
He finally said, "If even Farrell and Ratona are reduced to vassals, it will be impossible for other countries to resist. We ask Holden to come forward and put pressure on Aura, at least let Aura take a step back and change the terms of the peace talks."
At the same time, King Ratona is doing the same thing.
They asked Holden to intervene and save them from the fire and water.
The messenger's answer was almost exactly the same.
"I already understand your country's request."
The envoys said, "This matter is of great importance. I will forward your country's request to Imperial Core. Please wait patiently. A glimmer of hope ignited in the hearts of the two kings."
They began to wait.
One day, two days, three days - each day is as long as a year.
A few days later, Holden's reply was sent to Farrell and Ratona.
The content is very simple, only a few lines of text.
"The empire is aware of your country's request and will pay attention to it. However, the empire's affairs are currently heavy and Demon Calamity has not yet subsided, so it is inconvenient to intervene directly."
"I hope your country will maintain communication with Aura and resolve disputes in a peaceful manner."
After receiving the response, both of them recognized the reality.
The matter of Demon has not yet been completely decided.
The current peace is only temporary, maybe someday a new demonic disaster will emerge.
Red Emperor has already proven his strength. For the current Holden, the existence of Red Emperor is very important. He can help Holden resist Demon.
We can't say for sure in the future, but now, at this juncture, Holden will not push Red Emperor into the opposite direction.
The two kings actually knew this. They knew from the beginning that they just had illusions that Holden would give them a hand for the sake of being human beings.
But now, the illusion is shattered.
What lies before us is the cruel reality.
For the current Holden, even if all the other countries on the surface are stacked together, none of them is important to Red Emperor.
So, the two accepted their fate.
Soon after, Farrell and Latona Kingdom sent plenipotentiary representatives to Red Emperor Royal City to sign Integration Treaty.
With their start, other countries will not dare to neglect.
Those who were still waiting, hesitating, and taking chances all realized the situation. Suddenly, the road leading to Red Emperor Royal City was filled with envoys from various countries.
In the blink of an eye, time came one month later.
In the early morning, Red Iron Dragon stood on the edge of Dragon Court.
The morning breeze was blowing, bringing with it a biting chill. On the eastern skyline, the morning sun was rising slowly, dyeing the entire sea of clouds golden red.
Next to him, Gordon was grinning so big that he could hardly see his eyes.
His voice was very excited, and he reported to Garos, "Including the kingdoms and principalities, all the Eastern Alliance ten kingdoms have signed. Southern Domain the nine kingdoms have all signed."
He paused and looked at his blood relatives beside him, his eyes full of pride.
"My dear brother, now three-quarters of the Atlant Continent are under your wings. Of course, I have a small contribution to this, so please allow me to be proud and happy for this."
After he finished speaking, he grinned again.
"Hmm."
Garos nodded and said, "This is the future we create together."
He did not keep the glory to himself, but shared it with his blood relatives.
For Garos, this kind of thing has never been his most important thing.
His face was calm, looking at the increasingly wider sky.
Lord of Atlant.
He doesn't care about these false names, but his title is indeed changing from being praised by Northern Frontier people to becoming a fact recognized by the entire continent.