Translator: AnubisTL
The torrential rain, like molten black oil, cascaded over the watchtower, scouring its metal-reinforced walls and pooling into turbid streams in the grooves.
The Hyena-Man knight stood drenched, a half-eaten pickled lizard tail dangling from his mouth, his amber eyes narrowed to slits. His hyena mount, Ironfang, scratched behind its ear with a hind leg, the iron-chain saddle clanking with each movement.
"Something's approaching," the kobold sentry on the watchtower called out, his voice uncertain as he peered into the distance.
"I bet you a white crystal coin your broken telescope spotted another ground lizard and mistook it for an enemy attack," the Hyena-Man knight scoffed, kicking the ogre guard beside him.
As for the white crystal coin he mentioned:
This currency, forged from diamond dust mixed with white minerals, circulated within the Ironforged Clan. Over a year, the Iron Dragon Solgorn had taught the clan's monsters the importance of currency, moving them away from primitive bartering.
The task of minting these coins fell to the Red Dragon Alchemist Samantha.
The diamonds produced from the symbiotic pool were no ordinary gemstones used for decoration. Harder than steel and notoriously difficult to process, only the red dragon alchemists, with their brute force and searing flames, could efficiently mass-produce white crystal coins and diamond-infused weapons and armor.
Among the dragons of the Ironforged Clan, excluding Lord Garos, Samantha was now the wealthiest.
Samantha's newfound wealth filled her with satisfaction regarding her path as an alchemist. She felt Garos hadn't deceived her and took pride in her initial choice, grateful for having trusted him.
Returning to the present, the ogre guard leaned against the watchtower's brazier, using his massive hand to turn a skewer of unidentified meat. Fat dripped into the charcoal, sizzling and crackling, creating an eerie tranquility that mingled with the sound of rain.
A robust gray hyena suddenly pricked up its ears, halting its scratching, and let out a low growl.
The Hyena-Man knight instinctively gripped his curved sword, rainwater dripping from between his clawed fingers.
The ogre guard, however, remained oblivious, the savory aroma of the roasting meat completely occupying his attention, drool continuously dripping from the corners of his mouth.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The kobold sentry seemed to have spotted some terrifying monster in the rain-soaked darkness. As if its tail had been stepped on, it let out an ear-piercing shriek and blew the alarm horn.
A split second later, a faint tremor ran through the foundation of the watchtower, and the charcoal in the brazier extinguished simultaneously.
On the distant horizon, a shadow darker than the night itself tore through the rain.
At first, it was just a blurry outline, but as it drew closer, the figure gradually sharpened into focus—a terrifying giant beast taller than the watchtower itself. Its white fur was saturated with icy blue qi, causing the rain to evaporate into white mist that condensed into ice crystals on its body.
Each step made the earth tremble, and branch-like fissures cracked and spread across the ground.
It moved with astonishing speed. As it approached, its full form became visible to the Hyena-Man knight.
This humanoid behemoth possessed massive limbs, its forearms as thick and powerful as those of a giant ape. Mammoth-like tusks protruded from its mouth, its entire body covered in white fur, and its blood-red eyes burned with malevolent intensity. The creature stretched nearly twenty meters in length.
"Ancestral spirits above..."
The Hyena-Man knight's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
The giant beast's crimson eyes glowed like two blood moons in the torrential rain. It threw back its head and unleashed a deafening roar, the shockwave toppling the nearest watchtower.
"Hammer skulls, drink blood, shatter bones into song!"
The ogre guards rose as one, bellowing their battle group's war cry as they charged toward the behemoth. The steel-willed warriors, their bodies trembling slightly, followed the ogres into the fray. But against the giant beast, the ogres were tossed aside like toys, while the Hyena-Men and kobolds were crushed into bloody pulp.
Giant wolf knights and hyena knights galloped forward, relying on speed and agility to harass the behemoth.
Whoosh!
The giant beast exhaled a frigid blast of qi, instantly freezing the torrential rain into icy particles. The ground turned to ice, nearly freezing the knights solid and immobilizing their mounts.
Soon, the monsters began to rout.
As intelligent creatures, they naturally lost morale and fled when they realized they were hopelessly outmatched and facing mass slaughter.
A kobold sentry, his face contorted with panic, spread a pair of feathered wings behind him.
A small number of kobolds are born with wings and the ability to fly, and this sentry was one of them.
It desperately flapped its wings through the rain, glancing back to see the giant beast had destroyed the watchtower in its path but showed no interest in pursuing the fleeing soldiers. Instead, it wandered aimlessly toward Gravel Beach.
Needleleaf Valley.
Solgorn shook the rain from his scales, the damp chill making the iron dragon uncomfortable. But what truly unsettled him was the earlier incident.
The outpost stationed north of Gravel Beach had been attacked by the giant beast.
The stationed monsters were routed, though not all were killed. The survivors immediately reported the incident.
After receiving the report, Solgorn personally investigated and found the target had already crossed Gravel Beach and was heading toward the Quenching Highlands.
Recognizing the beast's identity, Solgorn didn't foolishly attempt to confront it. Knowing he was no match, he immediately sought out his brother, the true king of the Ironforged Clan, to deliver the urgent news.
"You're saying a frost behemoth is approaching the Quenching Highlands?" Garos frowned, his brow furrowing as he paused his daily neck-stretching exercises.
"Yes! I suspect it came from the Permafrost Tundra."
Crossing the Estonian Great River and heading north, we would soon leave the wilderness and approach the Permafrost Tundra.
This region, also known as the Permafrost Ice Plains or the Cold Desert, is the domain of frost giants, white dragons, winter wraith undead, and silver dragons.
The Permafrost Tundra is a harsh and barren environment.
From time to time, powerful ferocious beasts and demonic creatures migrate south into the Sierre Wilderness.
The outpost that was attacked earlier was located north of Gravel Beach, near the Estonian Great River, specifically to guard against attacks from the north.
Though destroyed, it had fulfilled its initial mission and would be rebuilt.
"I initially thought it was a vanguard from a frost giant tribe seeking to expand their territory into the Sierre Wilderness, but after careful investigation, I found no frost giants following behind," the iron dragon said solemnly.
Garos closed his eyes slightly, deep in thought.
The behemoth is not a creature in the traditional sense, but a biological weapon created by the giantkin in ancient times to combat the dragon race. It possesses terrifying strength but lacks intelligence, behaving like a wild beast and often being controlled by giant sorcerers.
Frost behemoths are primarily found within the largest frost giant tribes.
"It's wandering aimlessly, but its overall trajectory is toward the Quenching Highlands."
"If it gets near the symbiotic pool at Crushed Stone Camp and causes damage, our losses will be catastrophic," Iron Dragon Solgorn said in a low voice.
Crushed Stone Camp referred to the former Stone Giant Camp. The symbiotic pool within was now the Ironforged Clan's most precious resource, producing high-quality ore used for crafting equipment and trade. As a strategic asset, it couldn't be lost.
The Starfall Hammer Warband's combat units, including Karu, were primarily stationed at Crushed Stone Camp.
But given the frost behemoth's immense power, they would likely be unable to withstand it if encountered.
Iron Dragon Solgorn never disturbed Garos unless absolutely necessary. He knew Garos was more focused on his own power. Solgorn's deliberate visit made his intentions clear: he wanted Garos to intervene and resolve the situation.
Apart from Garos, no one else could handle it.
If Solgorn led the battle group in an all-out assault, sacrificing countless lives to whittle down the frost behemoth's vitality, they might eventually defeat it. But the Ironforged Clan would pay an excruciatingly high price.
Garos flapped his wings, the powerful gusts whipping the rain into surging waves.
"Lead the way," he said tersely, instructing Iron Dragon Solgorn to guide him.
The frost behemoth's unknown origins and the faint sense of threat it posed compelled him to act. He couldn't afford to ignore it.
(End of the Chapter)
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