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"You think I'd believe you? I'll give you two choices: either you obediently stop at the stone pillar ahead and wait for me, then I'll make your suffering less. Or you keep running until I catch you, and then I'll beat you half to death before we discuss the rest... You don't have much time left, I'm getting closer and closer to you!"
The drow dragon didn't turn towards the stone pillar, but continued flying close to the water's surface, seemingly taking a gamble. Casalos had just revealed a few pieces of information: even if the drow dragon stopped, Casalos would still not let it go; conversely, if Casalos caught the drow dragon, he wouldn't kill it.
Since the outcome would be the same anyway, the inherently chaotic Zorlong was more inclined to take a gamble—Cassaloz wanted to give it a good beating, and if the Zorlong actually stopped and submitted, it was afraid it would be difficult to use its claws against it.
Since they're going to take the risk, Zhuoerlong has to bear the consequences.
Casalos once again lunged at the Drow Dragon from above, raising its upper body and extending its powerful hind claws forward, its sharp claws opening like a cage to envelop the Drow Dragon.
The latter's eyes widened, its body, illuminated by the flames, stood ramrod straight in the black mist. Just as the iron dragon's massive claws were about to grip its back, it suddenly plunged its head downwards, plunging entirely into the water and escaping the reach of the dragon's claws.
Just as it was rejoicing, an invisible force followed it into the water, strangled its neck, pulled it out of the water, and caused it to break and disappear.
However, in that instant, it was back within Casalos's reach—its outstretched hind claws couldn't kick back in time, but the dragon still had its tail!
From its hatchling stage to its juvenile stage, Casalos's tail has grown longer and thicker, transforming from a short, thick, chibi-style tail into a more realistic one, making it capable of launching various forms of attacks.
Casaloz's tail, like a pillar, slammed into the Drow Dragon that had been pulled out of the water, using the momentum of its rising body. With a thunderous explosion, it was sent flying, the sound of bones breaking barely audible among the noise.
91. Zhuo Erlong's Plan
Back then, Casaloz was just a fledgling that had just become a hideous dragon, and even a single stab from Casaloz nearly left a drow dragon seriously injured. Now that Casaloz has grown so much, taking a full-on tail sweep from Casaloz almost knocked the drow dragon unconscious.
But this is just the beginning.
Casalos adjusted his posture and caught up with the completely unbalanced and thrown Zorro, extending his hind claws to grab its back, clamping it tightly like hydraulic clamps. Then, he slowed down and flew level, pressing the entire creature into the lake water, cutting through the waves as he went.
"So you ran into the water and got involved with those slimy catfish demons, huh? You thought you could escape with their help underwater? Come on, now that you're in the water, let them come! I'll slaughter them all, skewer them on steel skewers, and make a feast of eighty different flavors of crazy grilled catfish!"
Whether or not Zollong actually contacted the Kotto murloc Casalos is unknown, but this could easily become one of the excuses for it to torment Zollong.
When it flew around in the water twice and was then lifted up, the entire Zorosaurus had completely disappeared from the shadows. Its slender body drooped like a paralyzed snake, its limbs twisted unnaturally, and its translucent wing membranes dangled from its sides along with its dislocated wing toes.
"You're not dead, are you? Hmm, you're still breathing. Let's continue!"
Under the terrified gaze of Zorron's green eyes, Casaloz carried it.
Chapter 83
He flew to a stone pillar on a cliff with quartz deposits, dismissed the kobolds who were mining there, and swung the drow dragon upwards.
"Kobolds worship dragons so much, what a loyal and hardworking bunch of little dogs they are, and you actually killed a bunch of them. Now you're asked to help them mine some ore, you don't mind, do you?" Casaloz's cursing never stopped. It was currently under the level one Bloodscale Frenzy buff, and if it didn't find a way to vent the anger that had been accumulating over time, it was afraid that it might accidentally enter a berserk state and beat the drow dragon to death.
"If you have any, keep it to yourself. You're paying off a debt, don't you understand? Don't worry, it's okay. I have two dogs with pretty good healing magic at home. I promise I won't kill you. You have a lot, a lot of debt to pay off."
Mining, tilling the land, driving piles, clearing wasteland, smelting steel... Using the drow dragon as a tool, he did every single labor project that was currently underway in the dragon realm. Both kobold dragon vein sorcerers who possessed healing spells exhausted their mana before Casalos finally carried the dying drow dragon into a temporary lava nest. He then summoned his dragon servant, a goblin, to bring in a ceramic jar containing a dragon-locking chain tailor-made for the dragon dragon.
The dragon-binding chain consists of four neck rings, six tail rings, one waist ring, eight claw shackles, two limb shackles, and a set of wing restraints, all connected by chains to restrict movement. The rings are imbued with anti-magic properties, and the shackles have pre-drilled holes corresponding to the joint gaps where they are restrained. If necessary, steel spikes can be driven through these holes to penetrate the dragon's joints, structurally restricting its movement. The wing restraints are made of woven steel cables; when fitted over the dragon's wings and the restraints tightened to their limit, the wings can be forcibly folded and restrained to a state where no movement is possible.
Casalos didn't use joint spikes on the already exhausted Zorosaurus, and its wing restraints allowed for limited movement. After all, it was still waiting to subdue this dragon and make it the head of its intelligence department; completely crippling it wouldn't do.
"Now, I'll give you two more choices. Either you find a way to gain my trust, whether it's a blood oath, abandoning your elven bloodline, and swearing an oath to the Dragon God as a pure dragon, using your true dragon name, to completely and wholeheartedly serve me as your master; or I'll summon a mind warlock—you participated in the riot, so you should know very well that a grey dwarf mind warlock has completely sided with me, and that's the root of your failure. If you're unwilling to serve me as your master, then I'll summon it, have it erase your consciousness, control your body, and make you its puppet, thus serving me. I think no mind warlock would refuse to control a drow dragon puppet..."
The drow dragon slowly raised its head, its green eyes flickering for a long time before it spoke weakly: "I don't have a blood oath with the devil, so I can't swear a blood oath. But I think since you've kept me here, you must want me to do something for you, and you probably don't want me to abandon my elven bloodline, right? A drow dragon is much more useful than a shadow dragon."
"Smart!" Casalos clicked his iron beak and gave the drow dragon on the ground a thumbs up with his wing hook: "If that's the case, it seems you've already made your choice."
"This is called a choice? Did I have a choice?" Even now, Zhuo Erlong still couldn't resist his sarcasm: "Yes, now you're in charge. I've made my choice, and I'm willing to swear a blood oath to serve you as my master. If you want me to become your servant, you'll have to get a blood oath contract first!"
“…Of course I don’t have a blood oath. But what I just said was, you figure it out!” Casalos tilted his head speechlessly, staring at Drow Dragon with one eye for a while: “It’s okay, if you can’t think of one, I can. Anyway, you’ve already made your choice.”
But in that case, I promise that before I get the Blood Oath Contract, if I'm in a bad mood, I'll make you experience the labor you just went through again, so that you'll deeply realize how huge a mistake it was to kill your labor force.
I've been cooped up in this awful place for five years, and I rarely have a good mood..."
"Green Dragon!" The drow dragon struggled to raise its head, its voice hoarse as it shouted a name: "The adult green dragon Lantro, it's the one who sent me to track you. I've secretly investigated it, and there are two Blood Oath Contracts in its treasury. Now that you have the Shell Ship and a group of dragon vein sorcerers to help you, dealing with it will be easy."
"Hmm? What other tricks are you planning to pull..."
"Don't worry, Lantelo and Lylothar's lairs aren't together. You know about green dragons; if it weren't for Lady Tarama's rules regarding dragons' responsibilities in raising offspring, they would have parted ways long ago... No, not only that, Lylothar, relying on her age and strength, often bullies Lantelo. Lantelo now hates her to the core, and she's constantly on guard against him. You're an iron dragon, able to shapeshift at will. With a little disguise, becoming a red dragon or something else, you can make yourself unrecognizable to Lylothar... She definitely wouldn't recognize you now. Your power has grown too fast; you could easily disguise yourself as a red dragon and cause trouble for Lantelo. In that case, Lylothar will just watch from the sidelines. She'd love for someone to jump out and kill Lantelo, as long as it's not her enemy. That way, she won't have to fulfill her responsibility of raising offspring, and she can legitimately 'inherit' the portion of the treasure Lantelo left in the breeding lairs!"
92.Reason
Drowlong's proposal was indeed a very feasible plan. However, even without the blood oath pact, Casalos was already planning to find a way to cause trouble for the green dragon couple—Drowlong had no idea how much Casalos had grown. He was just a young adult and a mature green dragon, not an old man with some legendary power. He was fearless in a head-on confrontation.
"Are you so sure I can handle a fully grown green dragon... Oh, I just remembered, you must have made some kind of pact with Lantero, right? Only if it dies can you break free from its control. You're still thinking of using me as a pawn."
"No, absolutely not. It was it that wanted to cause you trouble, and you wouldn't let it get away with it, right!" Zorlong seemed to have regained some strength and began to tell Casaloz how it had observed it over the years. Then, it steered the conversation back to Lanlot, belittling the spineless male green dragon for how lowly and weak it was, and how it had infiltrated its treasure vault and plundered its riches…
"Wait, you emptied out all the most valuable small treasures from Lanlot's vault?"
"Yes, I took all the treasures I could carry from its vault. Once I defeat it, obtain the Blood Oath Contract, and successfully swear the blood oath, all those treasures will belong to you."
Casalos brought his head close to the face of the Zorron, glaring at it with one eye, and said fiercely, "They were originally mine!"
Without offering any further assurances to the dragon, Casaloz turned and left the lair. He ordered Eisen to summon two dragon vein sorcerers, along with several dragon servant goblin warriors immune to dragon's might, to keep an eye on the sinister dragon.
The search for the Green Dragon cannot be rushed. All production in the Dragon Territory has been suspended for quite some time to allow it to slumber. Although the riot instigated by the Mind Flayers failed, it still destroyed a lot of projects and facilities. The loyal dragon servants are still waiting for news from Casalos, and the second batch of prisoners of war from the failed riot also urgently need to be dealt with.
Before that, Casalos first went alone to the workshop in the mushroom thicket to find Edgeworth.
It was eager to know why this gray dwarf, whom it had crippled and who hated it to the core, would suddenly turn against it when given the chance to fight back.
When the two dragon servants guarding outside the workshop saw Casaloz land, they knelt on one knee to pay their respects and then announced to the workshop that the craftsmen should come out and assemble.
"Don't disturb the craftsmen, I'm just here to take a look." Casalos stopped them in time and slipped into the workshop. Everything in Dragon Territory was built for dragons, so even the workshops used by kobold craftsmen and grey dwarves to research new techniques had passages large enough for Casalos, who had grown to a large size, to move freely in and out.
A few minutes later, Casalos looked at him with a strange expression.
Chapter 84
After leaving the workshop, he looked back at it for a long time before shaking his head and spreading his wings to leave.
"My lord, what kind of change has occurred?" Eisen inquired through the telepathic link. She believed that if the root cause of the gray dwarves' mental transformation could be understood, the loyalty of the Dragonflight's people would no longer be an issue.
“It’s no use, Eisen. The reason for its change of heart can’t be generalized. That bald gray dwarf Edgeworth still hates me, and he hates you all, but…” Casalos paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts before continuing, “But he will never again turn that hatred into action. Instead, he will continue to work for us and find ways to eliminate anything that stands in his way, like that unfortunate mind flayer.”
"Huh? I don't understand."
"Of course you can't understand. You're not a gray dwarf. Although you share some commonalities with gray dwarves, you're not... some kind of special disability. It no longer has those worldly desires. Forget about it. What happened to it is a special case and has no value for generalization. You'd be better off thinking about developing a contract spell that suits us."
"A special kind of disability?" Eisen was even more puzzled. It completely followed Casalos's advice and would no longer try to get involved with Edgeworth, but it was still quite curious: "My lord, can a disability cause such a drastic change in temperament? There are many ways to restore limbs, it can't be this serious."
"Of course it will. The nerve endings extend to every cell in the body. Such severe damage as limb disability is enough to cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system. Even if magic or other means are used to repair the limbs, the impact on the central nervous system is still irreversible. It's perfectly normal for limb disability to lead to mental illness, not to mention that the damaged part of this gray dwarf is the source of many intense emotions..."
Casalos didn't want to give the kobold a physiology lesson right now, mainly because it wasn't sure how applicable its physiological knowledge would be under the influence of the all-encompassing magic. Right now, it was simply certain of Edgeworth's condition and knew that the dwarf wouldn't cause it any more trouble.
Casalos's tail not only ripped off Edgeworth's legs, but it also destroyed some organs in its lower abdomen, including the gonads, the main site of male hormone synthesis. Simply put, this guy was castrated!
Androgens are one of the main hormones that regulate the brain's emotional center. Without a large amount of androgen regulation, the emotions of the gray dwarves would naturally become somewhat irritable. If it were humans, or even ordinary gray dwarves, this would probably make them more irritable, jealous, and suspicious.
But Edgeworth is no ordinary person; he is a psionicist who has reached the Exemplary level!
Losing control of emotions is fatal for a spiritualist. Edgeworth, who promptly noticed the change in his emotions, used spiritual means to correct and solidify his thinking, attempting to stabilize his emotions to an ideal state.
What is the ideal psychological state of a gray dwarf?
Every grey dwarf has their own thoughts, and as the iron dragon Casalos cannot give a definitive answer. He only knows that even the most wicked grey dwarves do not consider their irritability, gloom, violence, and ungratefulness to be good, because these emotions severely hinder their pursuits. Greed and focus are their true nature.
Edgeworth successfully regulated her emotions, but perhaps because her chaotic endocrine system lacked a crucial link, the effect was somewhat unexpectedly good.
Its greed and focus have undergone a slight change; it is now greedy for focus, and focused greed: focusing on making its work surpass everyone else's, including the crafts created by Casalos, which is its ultimate goal of greed.
Fighting and killing would hinder its ability to hone new skills. Dragon's Territory provided it with a safe and stable working environment, as well as a goal it was determined to surpass. This was Edgeworth's reason for defecting.
93. Publicity and presentation
The Mind Flayer sensed Edgeworth's hatred for Casalos and the Dragonlords, but it couldn't understand how Edgeworth had inexplicably transformed that hatred into a goal of self-transcendence. Therefore, when the Mind Flayer contacted Edgeworth, its defeat was inevitable.
Not to mention, this mind flayer even wanted to help Edgeworth restore its missing limbs!
Which craftsman would be willing to give up a super stable site and a pair of robotic arms with all kinds of tools in exchange for weak flesh and blood?
That's the perfect form that craftsmen pursue their whole lives.
Therefore, Edgeworth, who originally intended to ignore the Mind Flayer, turned around and sold the Mind Flayer out.
The mind flayer was completely unprepared for this, because during its mental communication, it had clearly sensed Edgeworth's sudden surge of hatred under its guidance—even the mainframe couldn't have imagined that this hatred would be directed at the mind flayer.
We had no prior grudges (this is debatable), and now that I'm trying to help you out of kindness, why are you starting to hate me?
Thus, the powerful mind manipulator, the mind flayer Mei Nuo·Xuan Zhi Yu, capsized inexplicably.
"You unlucky fellow, actually discussing treason with a eunuch! If you don't suffer, who will?"
That night, when the fluorescent light dimmed, all members of the Dragon Territory gathered at the mushroom-covered stone pillars to hold a grand open-air banquet to celebrate Casaloz's return from his slumber.
The kobolds lit the traditional central bonfire, danced strange dances, and surrounded the dragon vein sorcerers as they breathed dragonfire into the sky to welcome the arrival of the Dragon Lord.
A massive figure, over 12 meters long, emerged from the darkness, shimmering with flames, and hovered above the mushroom bushes, amidst a surging cheer.
After surveying the area, Casalos folded its wings and landed on the stone platform, straightening its forelimbs and long neck, standing like a statue, looking down at its people. The campfire rippled across its scales like the dragonfire, casting swaying shadows of the dragon's inhabitants.
The kobolds and their people fell completely silent. They gathered around the stone platform, knelt on one knee before Casaloz, silently chanting simple prayers, and bowed their heads.
“For a dragon, each passing year of slumber is like a rebirth.” Casalos spoke slowly in the high-pitched dragon language, as solemn and dignified as its current appearance.
"Newborn" tells of the dangers and hardships of sleeping through the ages, as if experiencing a calamity.
Fortunately, I have you, my loyal dragon servants. It is you who protected me; you built an unbreakable fortress with your courage and flesh, shielding me from a sudden catastrophe, a conspiracy and riot aimed at killing me, allowing me to safely pass through my slumber.
The kobolds simultaneously looked up and let out long howls, and the bewildered goblin scratched his head and also looked up and howled.
“You, my loyal servants of the dragon, in the fight against the treacherous insurgents, some of you have sacrificed your lives and left us forever; others have been seriously wounded, and although they survived, they have become disabled.”
The kobold didn't know why Casalos brought this up, but he also recalled his lost companions, touching his wounds, his sadness spreading.
"But you did not falter, you did not retreat. Your heroic battle successfully repelled the rioters' attack, suppressed the riot, and wiped out those foolish traitors and rebels, as well as their instigators. Those who sacrificed their lives, those who were wounded, and all of you, are heroes who fought for me!"
The lingering sadness was instantly dispelled, and the kobolds straightened their heads and stood tall. To receive the dragon's approval was the greatest honor for any kobold.
The goblins and grey dwarves were less excited; for them, no amount of praise was as effective as a tangible reward.
"The new life tells a story that goes beyond just..."
Chapter 85
This calamity also represents a sublimation after being baptized in fire; it is not only mine, but also yours. This riot was also a baptism you endured. Now, you too have been reborn from the ashes; you too have been sublimated.
This is not just Casalos's nonsense. After a riot, the residents of Dragon Territory experienced a comprehensive increase in strength—whether the cause of this change was the transformation brought about by the dragon lord entering infancy, or the stimulation of a real battle, it is an undeniable reality.
Aside from the captured rebels, all the remaining residents of Dragon Territory have achieved a Dragon Servant advancement level of 1 or higher. Whether they are gray dwarves, goblins, or even the very few ogres that did not participate in the riot, their bodies are covered with fine dragon scales.
The dragons' magic established a connection with them.
This riot was precisely the kind of purification Casalos had been waiting for—a process of purifying the inhabitants of Dragon Territory. Otherwise, with nearly a third of its few hundred inhabitants harboring rebellious intentions, how could the territory possibly develop in the long run? The orderly and neutral Casalos disdained controlling its people through fear and violence. Its ideal territory was one where every inhabitant genuinely admired, loved, and supported it, abided by its established order, and willingly contributed their strength to the construction and development of the territory—a vibrant and energetic "empire," not a filthy den of bandits.
Meat must be eaten one bite at a time, and a road must be walked one step at a time. The population size of the Rift Valley is far smaller than that of the Empire. If this cannot eliminate those treacherous elements, then talking about the Empire is simply laughable.
"You have grown and progressed alongside me, and the internal troubles of Dragon Territory have been eliminated. It will be more orderly and develop more rapidly. But..." Casalos changed the subject:
"But we cannot simply forget the heroes who sacrificed for us!"
Those who sacrificed their lives, those who were injured, and everyone who survived intact will receive the reward they deserved for their sacrifices, as well as the glory I bestow upon you!
I will erect a monument of steel right here, where I stand now, and inscribe upon it the names of those heroes who bravely sacrificed their lives, and imbue it with the magic of radiance, so that their names may shine forever.
In addition, their names will be bestowed as honorary surnames upon every hero who has fought bravely in the past, present, and future, to be passed down through generations forever!
As for those who are injured, I promise that I will heal all your injuries according to your wishes, or replace them with construct replacements, so that you can regain your fully functional bodies and be active wherever Dragon Territory needs you.
At the same time, I will fully reveal the secrets of dragon magic to you, allowing each of you to come into contact with it and thus have the hope of embarking on the path of advancement in the Dragon Pact!
April leave slip 1
Taking care of a baby is giving me a headache.
94. Mobilization
"From today onward, every official resident of Dragon Territory will be able to access the essence of dragon magic, understand the mysteries of dragon spells, learn the philosophy and thought system of dragons, and gain access to the knowledge, wisdom, and practice of dragons."
You no longer need to travel far and wide to find inspiration for your professional paths, nor study dragons through distant observation, historical records, or firsthand accounts. For I, the merciful Iron Dragon, chief of the Supreme Athena, will directly bestow upon you the knowledge of dragons, the magic of dragons, and the blood of dragons!
Those of you skilled in hand-to-hand combat, I will teach you how to fight like dragons—dragons represent the epitome of extraordinary fighting skills; those proficient in arcane power, I will teach you to channel arcane magic like dragons—dragons represent the highest known form of intuitive magic; and those exalted ones, priests and paladins who aspire to guide the power of the gods, I will also teach you the philosophy of divine power—dragons represent the ability of the gods to create beings with magnificent power surpassing their heavenly masters; therefore, to take the dragon as your example is to aspire to become the greatest of creations.”
The kobolds erupted in cheers. This time, the goblins and grey dwarves genuinely enjoyed the lively atmosphere. Only the ogres, still confused, instinctively joined in the laughter.
Although the gods regarded dragons as mortals, dragons were still extremely special beings.
Those who possess the blood of dragons, or who take dragons as role models to learn from and emulate, may be able to draw power from the source of dragons. Dragon vein sorcerers and dragon servants are typical examples, but they are not all.
In fact, other species can draw upon dragons to obtain power forms that correspond to the basic professions developed for almost every humanoid species—dragons are among the oldest rulers of Faerûn, and in the distant Age of Dragons, elves and dwarves were servants of the dragons. It's difficult to say whether the current humanoid professions originated from those dragon-derived professions.