Quenchfire Highlands, Ogre Camp.
As dawn approached and the dark curtain of night slowly brightened, a sliver of white appearing on the horizon, Karu arrived with the elite forces of the Bone-Chewing Warband.
"Karu, take the warriors of the Bone-Chewing Warband and head north. Subjugate an Iron Dragon and fight for me."
Garros calmly issued the command.
"My Lord, the Bone-Chewing Ogres will crush your enemies and gnaw on their bones for you."
After chewing and swallowing the last piece of meat on the bone in his mouth, Karu spoke in a deep, rumbling voice.
"There is no need to be so brutal."
Garros said with a chuckle, "Your mission is to capture the Iron Dragon alive if possible, and then bring it before me."
"Aren't you going to take action?"
Karu paused, startled, and asked.
"No, this is a trial for the Bone-Chewing Warband and a chance for you, as the Legion Commander, to gain experience."
Garros said.
Karu nodded heavily.
Immediately after, the Dragon-vein Gluttony Demon shouldered a thick, gleaming mace and called for the Ogres to gather, preparing to march.
The main body of his mace was cast from metal, its surface studded with gleaming, diamond-like teeth.
These were fashioned from the ground-down remains of the Diamond Giant; they were exceptionally hard and sharp. With Karu's strength, they could even break through Garros's defenses.
A closer look at the Ogres' weapons revealed more.
It wasn't just Karu.
The axes, warhammers, and other weapons of some large Ogre leaders also bore a faint, shimmering light.
After defeating the Diamond Giant, Garros had bestowed one of its arms as a reward to the Bone-Chewing Warband, while other fragments were given to other warbands.
Most of these were used to forge weapons.
Led by Karu and assisted by his two lieutenants, Ugo and the Two-headed Warlock, the Bone-Chewing Warband was soon fully organized. Guided by several Gnoll prisoners, they set out for the Stony Beach.
Garros flew high in the sky, following from behind.
Stony Beach.
The young Iron Dragon Sorog resided in a dragon nest cave at the bottom of the river, feeling a faint sense of unease.
The Gnoll scouts were all stranded in the Quenchfire Highlands. They hadn't returned at the usual time and there was no word from them, suggesting something had gone wrong.
Sorog flicked his tail, the dragon hide above his eyes furrowing.
"The Crimson Comet that landed on the highlands a few days ago is definitely unusual."
His intuition was sharp, and he realized that some changes must have occurred in the Quenchfire Highlands, though he wasn't sure exactly what.
"Should I investigate the giant camp personally?"
"No, that's too dangerous. A sovereign should not put himself in peril. If my presence is exposed and it draws the giants to subjugate me, I won't be able to hold the Stony Beach. I would be forced to abandon the territory I've cultivated for years."
The Iron Dragon's gaze suddenly sharpened.
"The problem is, I have likely already been exposed."
"I can't expect Gnolls to keep secrets or remain unyielding in the face of death."
Now, Sorog faced two choices.
First, stay and hope the Stone Giants hadn't discovered his existence, continuing to live as neighbors with them.
Second, relocate immediately and wait until he grew stronger to reclaim his honor.
Sorog was torn.
He was naturally ambitious, with grand plans to establish a Dragonkin Empire. Although he possessed the typical arrogance and conceit of Dragonkin, he knew how to learn from experience. His years in the wilderness had taught him to hide his claws and teeth.
To achieve his ambitions.
In the face of insurmountable danger, he would choose to avoid the brunt of the threat for a time.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Sorog's gaze became resolute as he prepared to migrate with his vassals.
Being scared off by the Stone Giants before even clashing seemed somewhat shameful.
In fact, Sorog did feel the shame, but he didn't decide to fight the Stone Giants to the death because of it. Instead, he etched the feeling deep into his memory, turning it into motivation to spur himself forward.
"Damn Stone Giants!"
"The great Iron King will return sooner or later and smash you all to pieces!"
He thought to himself as he gathered his few belongings and crawled out of the underwater cave to summon the leaders of the Iron Clan's Gnolls and Kobolds.
These vassals previously belonged to different clans.
After Sorog gained their loyalty, he followed the knowledge in the prince and had them abolish their clan distinctions, unifying them into the Iron Clan.
Since being unified into the Iron Clan,
these lowly, insignificant creatures seemed to have found a new sense of hope, becoming more proactive than ever before.
Sorog frequently studied the knowledge in the prince, greatly admiring the Iron Dragon Ancestor who wrote it. He took the ancestor as a role model, hoping to one day establish an Empire ruled by Iron Dragons.
"Whether ascending the mountain peak or falling into the deep valley, I have benefited much!"
Sorog mulled over a self-description by his ancestor from the prince as he watched his vassals gradually gather before him.
Suddenly.
The ground vibrated slightly.
Neither the Gnolls nor the Kobolds noticed.
But the Iron Dragon sensed it.
His gaze sharpened as he looked toward the south.
A group of Ogres was running across the land with heavy steps, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
They were numerous, well-equipped, and physically robust—completely beyond what the Gnolls and Kobolds under Sorog's command could rival.
Worst of all,
they were charging straight toward his location with a clear objective.
"Vassals of the Stone Giants?!"
"They got here fast."
Ogres often served giants. Upon seeing these Ogres, Sorog judged them to be a vassal legion from the giant camp based on the experience in his Legacy.
He looked nervously toward the horizon behind them, then breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately,
the Stone Giants hadn't come.
However, even this Ogre legion was not to be underestimated.
Seeing the Ogre legion surging like a black tide, Sorog immediately realized that a direct confrontation would result in certain defeat. Furthermore, the Ogres were tall and their frontal charge was fast; if they weren't hindered and caught up directly, his vassals would likely be wiped out.
He quickly scanned the surroundings.
The rapid river, the soft beach, the thick reed beds... a simple delaying plan formed in his mind.
Sorog himself circled in the air, having the Gnolls cross the river quickly while ordering the Kobolds to utilize their innate talent for digging to excavate hidden pits in the shallow beach area.
Before long,
the Ogre vanguard arrived and began crossing the river in pursuit.
Their bodies were massive and heavy; when they stepped into those pits, more than half of their bodies sank in, severely impeding their movement. Even the Ogres who didn't hit the pits were significantly slowed down by the rapid current as they crossed.
The reeds on the opposite bank were suddenly pushed aside.
Swish, swish, swish!
The Gnoll Rogues fired poisoned arrows, forcing the Ogres to defend themselves while waist-deep in water, turning them into little more than sitting ducks.
Some Kobold warriors skilled in swimming lurked underwater, using specially made bone hooks to pull at the Ogres' leg armor.
While the Ogres were distracted by the Gnolls' poisoned arrows, they specifically targeted the Ogres' knee joints. Three Ogres fell due to joint injuries and were swept downstream toward the jagged rocks area by the current.
The young Iron Dragon also dove down.
A cluster of electrical sparks brewed in his mouth as he prepared to unleash his Electric-Fire Dragon Breath upon the Ogres.
Boom!
A powerful figure shot into the air like a cannonball.
Sorog was startled and beat his wings to pull up and avoid the attack, finally seeing the figure's appearance clearly.
This was a Gluttonous Ogre as tall as a giant, covered in the characteristics of a dragon-vein creature. He carried the intense aura of a Red Dragon and held a mace that shimmered with fine light.