Lothern Federation

The Ser Wilderness lay on the border of the Atlant Continent, bordered by the [Permafrost Tundra] to the north, the [Lothern Federation] to the south, and surrounded by the [Rust Mountains] and the [Boiling Sea] to the east and west respectively.

Dense forests, towering mountains, crystal-clear lakes.

All of these could be found in the Ser Wilderness.

However.

In the Ser Wilderness, where scorching heat persisted year-round, the most common sights were all kinds of sulfur rifts, hills, and abandoned mine pits. Beneath the ground lay abundant veins of magical metal, once prompting the various kingdoms to wage fierce wars over control of the region's mineral resources.

Around eight hundred years ago.

The Southern Kingdoms waged endless wars over the Ser Wilderness, bringing misery to all living things and frequent natural disasters. Many intelligent races struggled to survive, and wails filled the land.

Until a human king appeared, one versed in strategy, magic, and governance alike.

He led his legions to sweep through the Southern Kingdoms, forced them to sign a peace treaty, and formed the [Federation] under the leadership of his own kingdom, [Lothern]. Though the Lothern Federation was not as powerful as an Empire, it far surpassed ordinary kingdoms.

Only then did the struggle for the Ser Wilderness come to an end.

Under the leadership of the Lothern Kingdom, the Southern Kingdoms divided and occupied the Ser Wilderness through negotiation. After centuries of mining and excavation, the Wilderness's mineral resources were now far less abundant than before. Many veins had been exhausted, and its importance in the eyes of the kingdoms had greatly declined.

However.

Even now, some unexhausted mineral veins remained in the Ser Wilderness. Such places were often guarded by outposts and bases belonging to the various kingdoms, with troops stationed there as well.

"I can't get close to the Lothern Federation's outposts."

"If I went there, I'd be nothing more than magical material delivered right to them. I'd be dismantled and turned into all kinds of magic items, or enslaved and imprisoned to live a life worse than death."

Amid the drifting winds and clouds above the Wilderness, Garos raised his head and looked westward—there was a Lothern Federation outpost in that direction, occupying a large [Fire Marrow Stone Mine].

For a long time, the Iron Dragon Mother had coveted Fire Marrow Stone Mines, unable to stop thinking about them.

Iron Dragons were not purely fire-type dragons, but their nature was still related to fire. If an Iron Dragon had a large supply of Fire Marrow Stones to devour, its growth rate could be greatly increased.

Yet even an adult dragon like the Iron Dragon Mother.

Could only covet them and dared not act rashly.

There were many Legendary Realm powerhouses in the Lothern Federation. Any one of them could skin the Iron Dragon Mother alive.

Legendary Realm—this was a level of life above level 20, a leap and sublimation. Level 20 was also the dividing line between ordinary creatures and the Legendary Realm.

As long as dragons did not die young, they were destined to become Legendary Realm beings. The only question was whether it happened sooner or later.

As for humans, Legendary Realm powerhouses were one in ten thousand. Only exceptionally gifted humans could reach the Legendary Realm, but because humanity's population was so vast, their numbers were still considerable.

On the planet Bernardo, humans were the race with the greatest number of Legendary Realm beings.

Dragons, Giants, Elves—these races all had fewer Legendary Realm beings than humans. However, at the same level, a human Legendary Realm being fighting one from these races alone would be no different from committing suicide.

"Fire Marrow Stone Mines. There are many such veins in the Ser Wilderness."

Garos thought.

The ores in the Iron Dragon Mother's Sinkhole Territory were scattered fragments, nowhere near enough to be called mineral veins. They were also full of impurities and poorly refined.

But even so.

Whenever Garos ate various ores, he could still clearly feel the abundant energy within them. They greatly aided the growth of his scales, claws, fangs, and bones.

"Unfortunately, every known mineral vein, regardless of size, already has an owner."

"Even the Iron Dragon Mother hasn't been able to occupy a vein. I can only think about it for now. Better focus on what's in front of me and train my practical combat skills first."

With the Sinkhole Territory as his center, Garos circled through the surrounding skies, searching for targets.

Time passed slowly. The sun tilted slightly westward, yet remained bright and glaring, pouring down scorching heat over the entire Ser Wilderness.

At an abandoned mine pit filled with deep holes and collapses.

Three Grey Hyenas slowly paced along the edge, their limbs moving in turn, ears raised high, eyes vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

After finding no other creatures nearby, the Grey Hyenas lowered their heads and licked the salt crystals seeping from cracks in the rocks.

The beasts, covered from head to toe in heat-resistant Thorns, were taking in salt their bodies required.

But they did not know.

A cruel and cunning predator had set its sights on them.

Rock-Crushing Worms—a type of creature that preferred to dwell in abandoned mines, feeding on ore slag and metal in their daily lives.

They resembled worms covered in a layer of black chitinous armor, nearly twenty meters long and as thick as barrels. The rings of spiraling sharp teeth within their mouths could easily grind ore into powder like a stone crusher, while tearing through flesh was even less difficult.

The patterns on its shell blended perfectly with the cracks in the surrounding rocks.

The Rock-Crushing Worm's shell scraped against the rock wall, sending Shockwaves through the strata to sense movement within a kilometer, and it discovered the Grey Hyenas.

It moved underground, slowly approaching its targets.

Dirt and rock tore apart before it like tofu, while the ground above bulged slightly, leaving behind a long trail.

A minute later.

The Grey Hyenas had nearly finished licking the salt and were preparing to leave.

The strongest Grey Hyena suddenly turned its head and noticed the raised trail of earth rushing toward them. Instinctively, it sensed danger.

Awooo!

It roared a warning to its companions and leaped to the side.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

The Rock-Crushing Worm's tail suddenly exerted force, shattering the rock layer and ground like brittle crackers.

Its enormous body burst from the earth, its shadow covering the rocks below as it lunged and bit like lightning.

Buzz!

Its stone-crusher-like mouth seized two Grey Hyenas. The spiraling sharp teeth within began to rotate, almost instantly grinding their fur and bones to pieces before swallowing them along with the spreading blood mist.

The remaining, strongest Grey Hyena let out a whimper and fled without pausing for even a moment.

The Rock-Crushing Worm raised half its body and sprayed a parasol-shaped net of acid from its mouth. It fell upon the fleeing Grey Hyena, instantly dissolving through its fur and flesh with a sizzling sound.

Slowly wriggling up to the Grey Hyena, the Rock-Crushing Worm swallowed it into its abyss-like maw.

After devouring all three Grey Hyenas.

The Rock-Crushing Worm that had emerged from the ground did not burrow back underground. Instead, it wriggled onto a flat boulder and lazily basked in the sun.

These creatures primarily lived underground.

But they occasionally needed to come to the surface, allowing sunlight to stimulate their shells, shed damaged areas, and grow new, harder armor.

Beneath the sunlight, the Rock-Crushing Worm lazily rolled over.

Unfortunately, it did not know.

A crueler, more cunning predator had set its sights on it.