"The Mushroom King's territory has been attacked; a war has broken out."
Upon receiving the urgent transmission from the Iron Dragon Sorog, the Red-Iron Dragon's eyes contracted slightly, flickering with the light of deep thought.
The Mushroom King's territory was vast, occupying almost the entire southern portion of the Serel Wilderness.
And the south happened to be the zone closest to the Southern Kingdoms, bearing the brunt of any contact.
If any kingdom was determined to execute a so-called Purge Plan against the wilderness, the Mushroom King's territory would inevitably be the first target.
Moreover.
With the mycelium carpet covering the ground and constantly extending, along with the vast number of creatures controlled by fungal spores like the walking dead... from the perspective of surface threat and visual impact, the Mushroom King was also the one among the Regional Overlords who most needed to be eradicated immediately.
In previous internal discussions, Garros had already anticipated this.
Therefore, the Molten Iron Tribe had already taken precautions, deploying a large number of scout kin in the areas surrounding the Mushroom King's territory.
Among them were intelligent creature scouts skilled in concealment and judgment, as well as numerous domesticated or utilized flying birds and beasts, all for the purpose of being prepared for any eventuality.
Once the Mushroom King's territory encountered a large-scale attack, the Molten Iron Tribe would be able to receive an early warning immediately.
In terms of intelligence collection and strategic layout, the Molten Iron Tribe had always been the most thorough among the Regional Overlords.
And those early arrangements were finally paying off now.
"Scouts at the front witnessed with their own eyes a sword light tearing through the sky, surging into the clouds, even churning the cloud layer into a massive, shattered hole."
The Iron Dragon Sorog's voice grew increasingly heavy.
He added, "Judging by this display... I believe there is a high probability that a Legendary has personally taken action."
None of the Regional Overlords of the wilderness were easy to deal with; if those human kingdoms wanted to eliminate them reliably and efficiently, sending a Legendary powerhouse to oversee the operation was almost the only choice.
Chewing on the word 'Legendary', the Red-Iron Dragon felt a bit uneasy.
Only a Legendary can deal with a Legendary.
A Legendary is difficult to defeat.
All below Legendary are but mortals.
Similar sayings echoed in his mind, making him feel tense and uneasy, as if his life were under threat; his gaze suddenly became sharp and cold.
Garros had not experienced such emotions for quite a few years.
This matter was of no small consequence.
Solrog quickly pulled the spirits of the Iron Dragon Gorton and the Red Dragon Samantha into the mental network, explaining the general situation at the fastest possible speed.
"Should we go to support the Mushroom King immediately?"
The Iron Dragon Sorog continued, speaking rapidly, "If the southern Regional Overlord is quickly defeated, the next target will likely be our Central Region. If the Regional Overlords can temporarily join forces, we might be able to buy some time to collectively resist the Legendary's offensive."
Garros suppressed the surging thoughts in his heart and slightly shook his massive head.
He said, "Solrog, you are being hasty again."
"Rashly joining forces with other Regional Overlords at this moment has no substantive meaning."
Hearing this, the Iron Dragon Sorog took a deep breath, allowing his restless emotions to gradually calm down and his usual composure and rationality to return.
Compared to Garros, he still lacked some serenity in the face of a massive crisis.
"You're right, I was indeed a bit impatient just now,"
Solrog admitted.
He settled his mind and thought carefully, realizing there was indeed no need to join forces with the other Regional Overlords.
Setting aside whether the Regional Overlords could truly set aside their past grievances and present a united front without reservation.
Most importantly, an insurmountable chasm existed between the Legendary and the non-Legendary.
The power of a Legendary was by no means something that could be resisted simply by a few non-Legendary powerhouses joining forces.
If a Legendary could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, then this threshold of life—which has troubled countless heroes and requires even dragons a long period of accumulation to breakthrough—would not seem so solid and despair-inducing.
"The power of a Legendary is unquestionable, but our dragon flight is by no means weak!"
The Red Dragon Samantha's fierce voice rang out in the mental network: "Just like when we joined forces to hunt Gorthax, by gathering the power of the dragon flight for a pincer attack, it's not impossible to kill a Legendary together!"
"No, Samantha, this situation is completely different from when we hunted Gorthax."
Solrog immediately negated this overly optimistic idea, saying rationally: "First, we no longer have a precious magical item like the 'Gladiator Array Plate' to restrict movement. Second, even if we did, it couldn't trap a Legendary."
"Furthermore, the opponent didn't come alone; they are accompanied by an organized legion under their command."
A Legendary powerhouse leading a legion was far more dangerous than the lone Red Dragon Gorthax had been.
At this moment, the Red-Iron Dragon's steady voice spoke again: "Immediately dispatch more elite scouts and use all available surveillance methods to keep an eye on every movement in the Mushroom King's territory."
Solrog immediately responded: "Understood!"
After a pause, he asked: "Then, do we need to simultaneously summon all the lords and the entire dragon flight to enter a state of combat readiness? Or... first make preparations to evacuate the wilderness if necessary?"
The Red-Iron Dragon did not answer immediately.
This was a major strategic decision sufficient to affect the future fate of the tribe and even his own path; he had to be extremely cautious.
At the same time, the Iron Dragon Gorton, who had been silent in the mental network for a moment, suddenly spoke up, bringing unexpected information.
"I just informed Elena of the general situation and asked her for relevant intelligence."
"Elena used an Astrolabe to remotely observe the situation in the Mushroom King's territory for us, and then gave me some key feedback."
He paused and said clearly, "The one conducting the purge operation and attacking the Mushroom King's territory is the Legendary Sword Saint of the Theo Kingdom, Kairos, the 'Unfinished Sword'."
"This person is a Legendary who broke through and was promoted during the fires of the previous federation civil war."
"He belongs to the relatively 'young' Legends, Level 21."
With the end of the Lothern Federation's civil war, the trading relationship between Elena and the dragon flight had actually ceased.
However, perhaps because of her special connection with Gorton, or perhaps because she still held some long-term investment vision for the dragon flight and Garros, she did not seem prepared to completely cut this line.
At the very least, the information she provided at this moment was extremely critical for Garros.
The Red-Iron Dragon's spirit was suddenly bolstered, and he immediately said: "Tell Elena there will surely be a reward in the future."
Immediately after, he said to Solrog in a deep voice: "Prepare both plans for war and retreat simultaneously."
His voice was steady, containing a certain firm resolve; he had already made his choice.
Preparing both plans at once meant that the Red-Iron Dragon was internally inclined to face this incoming Legendary Sword Saint head-on! As for whether an eventual evacuation would be necessary, they would fight first and see.
Before this, his hesitation in making a decision was largely due to knowing nothing about the enemy Legendary's background.
The unknown was the greatest source of fear.
But now, he knew the opponent's identity, class pathway, and exact Level—Level 21.
For the Red-Iron Dragon, this was paramount.
Strength gaps also existed among Legendary powerhouses.
Although the gap between a Level 21 and a Level 22 or 23 Legendary was not an abyss like that between a mortal and a Legendary, there were certainly differences in power levels.
If a Senior advanced Legendary had come, then avoiding their edge and preserving strength would undoubtedly be the best choice.
But a Level 21 human Sword Saint who had only recently been promoted?
Garros was cautious by nature, but he would not be baselessly timid.
Through the knowledge of the Dragon Race's Inheritance, the information collected from various sources, and the accumulation of his own experience, he had a general understanding of the Legendary realm.
He knew well that for a being at the peak of mortality, a Legendary was certainly powerful but not entirely impossible to contend with.
For example, a normal Level 20 Dragon, while having a high probability of being unable to defeat a Level 21 human Legendary, could still manage to hold out for a period of time by relying on the Dragon's naturally powerful Physical Body and immense life force.
It certainly wouldn't result in being instantly killed upon the first encounter.
With Garros's Dragon body, his Level 20 mortal peak status, and the strength forged through repeated Adaptive Evolution.
Aside from the Domain, the numerical attributes of a Legendary creature were definitely far lower than his.
Furthermore, the Sword Saint is an advancement of the Warrior pathway; their strength lies in attack and damage, but they are very deficient in auxiliary and control skills such as large-scale control, eerie curses, and spatial locking.
This meant.
Even if he were ultimately outmatched in a head-on confrontation, Garros was quite confident that he could retreat immediately by relying on his evolved, more powerful, and swifter dragon wings.
At the same time, Solrog sensed Garros's intent from his words.
He did not offer any warnings such as "the risk of making an enemy of a Legend is too great."
For a long time, he had observed his brother's style of doing things.
Garros never fought a battle he wasn't sure of.
Since he had decided to fight a Legend, it at least indicated that he inwardly believed he had the confidence to survive, or even... that there was a possibility of winning this battle.
Solrog did not hesitate and responded solemnly, "Fine! I will go make the arrangements and pass down the orders immediately!"
After a brief and swift exchange, this emergency mental communication temporarily ended.
In The Borderlands, on the training grounds, the Red-Iron Dragon slowly exhaled a breath of scorching air, which condensed into a brief white mist in the air.
He did not immediately fly toward the wilderness in a panic upon learning of the Legend's impending attack; instead, he remained where he was, beginning to methodically stretch and relax his muscles and joints. His massive body, covered in black and red scales, reflected a cold, hard metallic luster, like a war machine warming up.
At the same time, he contacted his subordinates developing in the south through a communication item.
Information regarding the Theo Kingdom's recent movements and intelligence on the Unfinished Sword were being rapidly gathered by the Gem Merchant Guild and the Starfire Monastery, then reported to him via Nick.
"What happened? Your aura suddenly became very heavy."
Nearby, the Golden Dragon Alberto noticed the change in Garros's state, stopped his training, and came over to inquire.
"I may soon have to face a human Legend head-on."
Garros did not hide anything and gave Alberto a rough explanation of the attack on the Mushroom King's territory and the appearance of the Theo Kingdom's Legendary Sword Saint. Then, he asked, "If I fight a Level 21 Legendary Sword Saint, what do you think my chances of winning are?"
Alberto had seen and even felt the power of a Legendary Dragon with his own eyes.
His understanding of the Legendary Domain was more direct and profound than Garros's, and Garros was well aware of this, not hesitating to ask his junior.
"A human Legend... that's not so bad; at least it's not a Legendary Dragon."
Upon hearing this, Alberto showed a thoughtful expression.
He carefully sized up Garros's formidable and strong body and said, "I can't speak for other Dragon Domains, but as far as the Calm Wave Dragon Domain I know is concerned, aside from those Seniors who have already stepped into the Legendary Domain, among all the Young Adult Dragons and Adult Dragons, no dragon has as much of an oppressive presence as you."
He weighed his words and assessed cautiously, "You might not yet be a match for those Legendary Dragons."
"But against a Level 21 human Legendary Sword Saint? I think... you should at least have the ability to contend with him and fight to a draw. At the very least, with your defense and speed, escaping alive shouldn't be a problem."
Garros pressed further, "Only a draw or a loss? Is there no possibility of me defeating him?"
Alberto shook his head, his expression becoming serious. "Garros, you must understand, that is a Legend after all!"
"The existence of a Domain itself makes them almost invincible. It's a qualitative change brought about by a leap in the level of life. Take the Holy King of Lothern for example; back when he was at Level 20, he only managed a draw against an ordinary Legendary powerhouse, unable to completely break through the opponent's Domain."
The Golden Dragon warned seriously, "You haven't encountered a Domain, so you don't know how indestructible it is."
"Fighting a Legend is fine, but you must never lose your head or ignore the consequences for a moment of satisfaction, cutting off your own retreat."
To this, Garros remained noncommittal.
He hadn't been entirely without contact with Domains.
They were indeed incredibly hard, but they were not truly indestructible in the absolute sense.
Otherwise, even if it were a weakened Domain, he wouldn't have been able to break it back then.
However, Alberto's reminder was also sound.
Garros was not a reckless fool willing to fight to the death just to show off; only by staying alive was there a future.
The Red-Iron Dragon turned his gaze toward Alberto and issued an invitation: "Will you join me in slaying a Legend? If we succeed, it would be an extraordinary feat."
Hearing this, a look of great temptation appeared on Alberto's face.
But in the end, he let out a sigh and shook his head regretfully.
"Garros, I would love to fight alongside you. If I had also reached Level 20, I would definitely join you in facing a Legend without hesitation! But right now, the level gap is too large."
"Rashly participating in a battle of this level wouldn't just be unhelpful; I would become a burden instead."
Then, his tone shifted as he said boldly, "However, don't worry! Since we are allies, I, Alberto, will never stand by and watch you face a powerful enemy alone, or even be slaughtered by a Legend, without doing anything!"
"When the time comes, I will head to the vicinity of the battlefield to observe the situation."
"If you are completely outmatched by the Legend, or if even retreating becomes difficult, find a way to stall for time by contending with him as much as possible! I will immediately send a distress signal to the Calm Wave Dragon Domain."
Good, taking in this Golden Dragon hadn't been in vain.
He could be counted on at critical moments.
Garros felt a trace of satisfaction in his heart and nodded.
With his cautious personality, since he had decided to clash with a Legend, he naturally had to use every possible means to increase his chips and set up multiple layers of insurance.
Alberto's presence was undoubtedly an important safety valve.
Furthermore, he knew deep down that this battle was very necessary.
Its purpose was not to verify how high his own strength had reached, nor was it to pursue the empty fame and honor of slaying a Legend; Garros focused on the practical and was not interested in these superficial things.
The most crucial issue was:
If the Molten Iron Tribe wanted to keep the foundation they had built in the Serel Wilderness, this battle was unavoidable!
Now that the Lothern Federation had dissolved, the nominal joint sovereignty of the various kingdoms over the wilderness no longer existed. Future competition in the wilderness, to put it bluntly, would be naked survival of the fittest, where everyone relied on their own abilities.
In the wilderness to come, being weak and backward meant getting beaten and being carved up at will!
Garros needed a victory to demonstrate the Molten Iron Tribe's muscle and fangs to all the Southern Kingdoms coveting the wilderness! He had to tell them that he was by no means a soft persimmon that could be squeezed at will!
—Strike one blow to forestall a hundred!
Only by showing strength sufficient to make opponents wary could they win the space for survival and development.
"Vera."
The Red-Iron Dragon called out in a deep voice.
"Here!"
A slight ripple appeared in the air, and the petite figure of the Faerie Dragon instantly manifested, her face showing surprise at being called.
Then, she fluttered her wings somewhat suspiciously, flying half a circle around Garros.
"Garros, how did you know I happened to be nearby? Has your perception become so strong now? You can even see through my perfect concealment?"
The Red-Iron Dragon responded simply, "Intuition."
He paused and instructed, "I am preparing to set out for the wilderness. Relay the news to Deborah to put her at ease. At the same time, notify all the subordinate leaders in the valley to raise the alert level, but no one is to act without my orders."
"Understood! I guarantee the mission will be completed! Loyalty!"
The Faerie Dragon Vera immediately puffed out her small chest and responded with a mock-serious face.
Then, the Red-Iron Dragon delayed no longer. His broad dragon wings swept violently, creating a fierce current of air, and his massive body shot into the sky like an arrow from a bow.
Seeing this, the Golden Dragon Alberto also vibrated his wings without hesitation, following closely behind and turning into a golden stream of light.
High in the sky, biting cold winds and flying snow blew against them.
The Golden Dragon Alberto asked amidst the whistling wind, "Are we heading straight to the Mushroom King's territory to fight that Legendary Sword Saint now?"
"No, there's no need to be so urgent."
Garros shook his massive head and looked toward a certain direction in the wilderness, saying, "Before we formally face the Legend, we're going to another place first."
Alberto asked in confusion, "Where? For what?"
Garros said, "To see your sister, Nasha."
He was going to give himself one more layer of insurance.