Evil Red Dragon

As soon as Alector flew back to Chifeng, Oliveira rushed over in a flurry:

"Brother, are humans coming again? Are there many of them? Should we run?"

"no."

Alekto was still thinking when he subconsciously replied, "They're a group of orcs."

Orcs, like trolls, are high-quality races that can be considered for conversion into familiars.

Orcs are generally stronger than humans of the same level in combat, only slightly weaker than trolls, but they have a higher reproductive rate and a larger population.

The troll tribe has only had twelve newborns since before he fell into slumber, and they will not reach adulthood and become warriors for about 10 years.

This is also why Alector implemented the aquaculture program.

Trolls have an enormous need for food, but the number of monsters in their territory is limited and difficult to replenish quickly.

If hunting is the only method used, the biosphere surrounding the territory could collapse every time a troll is born.

This leads to a vicious cycle.

If food is insufficient, the hunting area must be expanded. However, a larger area will affect the difficulty, time, and success rate of the hunt.

This resulted in a food shortage, forcing the trolls to either control the population or migrate elsewhere to find other solutions.

But where can they migrate to in this wilderness? They'd be lucky if they didn't become someone else's food.

So until Alekto arrived, the population of Gru's tribe remained stable at around ninety, or at most a little less.

The breeding program can provide them with a large and stable food source, avoid ecological imbalance, support the tribe's sustainable development, and break the troll tribe's population ceiling.

While this orc tribe could alleviate the manpower shortage, it also brought about food shortages.

The farm is just starting out, and suddenly there are hundreds more mouths to feed; the reserves won't last long.

trouble……

"Oh." Seeing that Alecto was distracted, Oliveira quietly slipped away.

She had a feeling that if she didn't leave soon, she would have something else to do.

Alektor walked to the cave entrance and glanced down at the troll camp, breeding area, and smelting workshop that were already taking shape.

He remembered that when he first arrived, he had nothing.

Now he has a loyal retinue, an expanding territory, and has even started a livestock farm...

"To become a true strong person, one cannot be timid and hesitant."

Alecto murmured to himself.

He looked at Gru beside him:

"Take three dragonborn to make contact with them. Don't attack first. Identify yourselves and see how they react."

Gru immediately accepted the order, went down and selected Mog, Ug, and Rag. The four of them, fully armed, set off towards the orc camp.

At this moment, in the orc camp, the high shaman was meditating with his eyes closed.

He suddenly opened his eyes and looked towards the northeast.

Something's coming.

Goron grabbed his battle axe and roared:

"Prepare for battle!"

"No."

The high shaman raised his hand to stop them: "Their aura is very obvious, and they are moving very slowly. They have no intention of attacking. Let's observe first."

A moment later, the figures of Gru and his three companions appeared a hundred meters outside the orc camp.

They stopped, and Gru raised the wooden staff totem carved with a dragon's head.

"We are the lords of Crimson Peak, messengers of the great Red Dragon Alekto!"

Gru shouted in Common:

"Let your leader come out and speak!"

Goron looked at the high shaman, who nodded slightly.

Goron walked out of the camp carrying his battle axe and stopped twenty meters away.

"I am the tribal chief. What business does your master have with us?"

Following Alecto's previous words, Gru organized his thoughts and said:

"This mountain range, with Chifeng at its center, encompasses a radius of a thousand miles, and all of it is my lord's territory."

"You have set up camp here without permission, which is a blatant violation! But our Lord is merciful and is willing to give you a chance."

"Submit, become a subject of the great master, and receive his protection and blessings!"

"Those who refuse will be considered enemies and eliminated!"

Upon hearing this, Goron's eyes blazed with fury.

The orc warriors behind him also let out low growls.

"Submission?"

"We orcs will never be slaves to men!"

Goron gripped his battle axe tightly.

"Not a slave!"

Gru shook his head and shouted, "They're family members!"

"You will receive territory, food, safety, and..."

He pointed to the dragon scales on his body:

"Divine blessing! Just like us."

Goron looked at the scales on Gru and the other three, a look of surprise and doubt flashing in his eyes.

He could sense that the auras of these four trolls were far stronger than those of ordinary trolls, especially the leader, who gave him a slight sense of pressure.

The high shaman slowly walked out of the camp, his bone staff lightly tapping the ground.

"Is your master a red dragon?"

Gru nodded respectfully: "Indeed."

The high shaman closed his eyes, then opened them a moment later.

"Take us to your master. Orcs can become your servants, but they must be seen by the true dragon."

Gru and his companion exchanged a glance and slowly nodded:

"Yes, but only you and the chief are allowed, and neither of you may bring weapons."

Goron wanted to object, but the high shaman firmly pressed down on his arm: "Do as instructed."

Soon, Gru returned to Chifeng with the disarmed Great Shaman and Goron.

When the two stepped onto the foot of Chifeng Peak and felt the intense fire element and dragon might in the air, their expressions changed.

"Is this the Dragon Realm?"

The great shaman murmured, his heart filled with even deeper shock.

At the entrance to the cave, Alekto did not appear in his dragon form.

He transformed into the form of a human child and sat on the rock platform.

Oliveira, who had been captured, lay behind him, her dragon eyes half-closed.

As the Great Shaman approached Goron, his pupils constricted the moment he saw Alector in human form.

He sensed the immense magical power contained within that small body.

"You are the Lord of Chifeng?"

Goron stared in disbelief at the tiny Alekto. If it weren't for the real dragon behind him and its might, he would have really doubted it.

"it's me."

Alecto spoke, subtly using some techniques to make his voice resonant and powerful:

You can call me Alecto.

The high shaman bowed in respect:

"Kula, the high shaman of the Bloodstain Tribe, greets His Excellency the True Dragon."

"This is our chief, Goron."

Alecto nodded slightly: "State your purpose and your choice."

Kula took a deep breath and slowly began to speak:

"Great Lord of Crimson Peak, we lost our homeland due to human encirclement and extermination, and migrated all the way here. In my dream, I received a revelation from my ancestors that the Crimson Peak will be the opportunity for our tribe to rise again."

"We did not come here to fight, but to seek a place to live and a place of refuge."

It seemed as if they were heading in the same direction as him, and things seemed to become simpler.

"Asylum comes at a price."

Alecto looked him straight in the eye: "Red Peak Territory doesn't support idlers. What can you bring?"

Goron stepped forward:

"We can fight! Orc warriors are brave and fearless; they can defend your territory and expand your lands!"

"Being brave is not enough."

Alekto shook his head: "What I need is loyalty. How many people in your tribe can fight right now? What's their average level? What special abilities do they have?"

Goron was taken aback and looked at Kula.

The old shaman continued:

"One hundred and forty-eight warriors are capable of fighting, sixty-nine are first-level, fifty are second-level, twenty are third-level, eight are fourth-level, and one is fifth-level."

"I am a level 5 shaman, and Gronn is a level 4 peak warrior."

"In addition, our tribe has inherited some of our ancestors' war cries and spells, and we are good at group combat."

Alecto quickly assessed the situation in his mind.

This orc tribe's fighting strength has actually surpassed that of the current troll tribe in every aspect.

If we accept it, the strength of Chifeng Territory will immediately increase significantly.

"I can give you a place to live and set aside an area as your territory."

Alecto said slowly:

"But you must swear allegiance to me and participate in the construction and defense of the territory."

"In return, you will receive food, safety, and the blessing of the dragon's blood."

"Blessed by Dragon's Blood?"

Goron's eyes burned with intensity.

The power of the beastmen was something the warlike orcs could not resist.

"That's right."

Alekto pointed at Gru: "Like them, become Dragonborn, gain greater power, longer lifespan, and evolutionary potential."

Kula responded:

"If you take us in, we are willing to fight for you."

A glint of gold flashed in Alecto's eyes: "Are you sure?"

"Sure!"

Kula did not hesitate.

"I swear by the honor of my ancestors and the orcs, the Bloodscar tribe will fight for you, to the death!"

There was nothing to hesitate about; the tribe's choice had been made from the moment he received the ancestral revelation.

This is a pledge of allegiance, and it also demonstrates their determination.

Kula's decisiveness pleased Alecto: "Very good."

He stood up, his human form vanished, and his twelve-meter-long crimson dragon body reappeared, unleashing its dragon might without reservation.

"We will definitely have a place in this world in the future. No one can stop us, and no boundaries can limit us."

Goron and Kula trembled slightly under the dragon's might, but hope ignited in their eyes at the same time.

"I pledge my allegiance to you, the great Lord of Chifeng!"

Alekto slowly folded his dragon wings atop the red peak, his scales shimmering in the setting sun.

He looked down at the orc tribe moving below, which resembled a green river slowly flowing into the foot of the Red Peak.

Some trolls looked at the group of green-skinned newcomers with curiosity, their eyes filled with both wariness and scrutiny.

Not long ago, they had only heard of orcs, but now these guys have come to their doorstep.

Will they become allies, or potential competitors?

Oliveira peeked out from the side: "Brother, will they really listen to you?"

"Yes, because they have no other choice."

He turned and flew to the cave.

"Gru".

"Yes, Master."

Gru knelt on one knee, his dragon scales gleaming slightly.

"Go and help the orc tribe settle down. Give them that gentle slope on the east side, close to the stream, but far away from the troll breeding area."

"Tell them that the camp must be built within three days, and they will begin working on the territory on the fourth day."

"clear."

As Gru got up to leave, Alecto added:

"Take a squad of trolls to help, and while you're at it... observe."

"What are you observing, Master?"

"Observe their discipline, teamwork, and..."

Alekto paused:

"The degree of obedience they show to orders."

The migration of the orc camps went more smoothly than expected.

Kula's prestige was unmatched in the tribe. When he announced that the tribe would pledge allegiance to the Lord of Red Peak, although a few orcs showed dissatisfaction, no one dared to openly oppose him.

"I know what you're thinking."

Kula stood on the makeshift wooden platform, lightly tapping the ground with her bone staff:

"Freedom is more important than anything else, isn't it?"

Some of the beastmen below the stage remained silent, but their eyes gave them the answer.

"Then tell me."

Kula's voice suddenly rose:

Where is freedom when the iron hooves of human knights trample down our gates?

"Can freedom fill the stomach when our children are crying from hunger?"

"When our soldiers fall one by one, can freedom bring them back to life?"

A barrage of questions made the beastmen lower their heads.

"My ancestors guided me here in a dream."

Kula's voice softened:

"Not because it's safe here, but because there's hope here."

"The Lord of Chifeng can provide us with food, territory, and power."

He pointed to Gru in the distance, who was carrying huge stones:

"See those scales on those trolls? Those are the marks of dragon blood blessing."

"They once struggled to survive in this wilderness, just like you."

"But now, they have shelter, homes, and opportunities to become stronger."

Goron leaped onto the wooden platform, slamming his battle axe heavily onto the ground:

"I, Goron, swear in the name of the chieftain that if Kula deceives us, I will be the first to cut off his head!"

"But before that—"

He scanned his clansmen:

"We need to prove our worth first!"

"Orcs never owe favors; if you accept protection, you must offer something in return!"

"Now, get moving! Get the campsite set up before dark!"

The orcs' emotions were ignited, and they began to get busy.

Cutting down trees, moving things, building houses...

Gru stood not far away with a group of trolls, observing silently.

"Boss, they're working really hard."

A young troll whispered.

Gru nodded, but his gaze fell on several orcs who were arguing.

Those were three level-three soldiers, who seemed dissatisfied with their assigned tasks.

One of the orcs slammed the log he was holding onto the ground and pointed at the orc captain in charge, shouting something.

"Shall we go take a look?" the young troll asked.

"Wait a little longer."

Gru squinted.

The argument quickly escalated, and the orc who was throwing logs shoved the captain aside and started to walk out of the camp.

But before he could take more than a few steps, a figure blocked his way.

It's Goron.

He didn't say anything, he just stared at the orc.

A few seconds later, the orc lowered his head, silently picked up the log, and returned to his work post.

"Their level of obedience is quite good."

Gru made a note in his mental notebook.

As night fell, campfires were lit in the orc camp.

Kula sat alone at the edge of the camp, holding a necklace of animal bones in his hand, and chanting ancient prayers in a low voice.

The bone chain glowed faintly, echoing the stars in the night sky.

"The Great Shaman".

Goron walked over and sat down beside him:

I'm very sorry about what happened today.

"You did the right thing."

Kula opened her eyes: "The tribe needs faith, especially at times like this."

"I'm just worried..."

Goron hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Are you worried he'll use us as cannon fodder?" Kula said for him.

Goron nodded.

No, it won't.

The old shaman shook his head: "At least not in the short term. Have you noticed those trolls?"

"Although their equipment was rudimentary, it was clearly all new. Their camp was well-planned, with clear divisions between breeding areas, workshops, and residential areas. What does this indicate?"

Goron pondered for a moment:

"Does this mean... he's seriously managing this territory?"

"That's right."

Kula continued, "A red dragon that has planned its retinue's camp in an orderly manner will not easily let its investment go to waste."

"Trolls are a treasure to him, and so are we. He won't let us die in vain, because that's not in his interest."

"But we are ultimately outsiders."

Gronn whispered, "The way those trolls looked at us..."

"That's natural."

Kula smiled, waved her hand, and didn't seem to care.

"If you were in that situation, and suddenly a group of neighbors who were even stronger than you moved in, how would you feel?"

He stood up and patted Goron on the shoulder:

Trust takes time to build.

"And the first thing we need to do is prove our worth."

"Tomorrow I will select a group of promising young people and begin training them to master more refined skills that were not needed before but may be required now."

"fine?"

Gronn frowned: "Orcs fight by charging bravely."

"So we were defeated by humans who outnumbered us, and were driven to complete collapse."

Kula bluntly stated:

"Human knights form battle formations, archers fire in layers, and mages cast spells in unison. And what about us? We rush in like a swarm of bees, only to be picked off one by one."

The old shaman's eyes deepened:

"We still have a lot to learn, Goron."

"It's not just about fighting, but also about building, farming, smelting... If we want to truly put down roots here, we must change."