Evil Red Dragon

But how should we arrange this bronze dragon?

Alecto looked around. Cyril's lair had been completely emptied, leaving only the outer maze, but he couldn't possibly leave Cyril there.

This nest is too far from Red Peak Territory, so Cyril must place the nest near Red Peak Territory to protect his territory and contribute to its development.

Besides telling jokes, the copper dragon is also very skilled in earth magic, which is of great value to the development of the territory.

Using Cyril merely as a henchman is a waste; his earth magic should be used for construction.

City walls, fortifications, underground warehouses... all of these require professional earth-element mages to design and build.

There are also mines. Although Naz found rich iron ore, the mining efficiency is still low.

Kobolds are good at digging, that's true, but how could they possibly compare to a bronze dragon?

Moreover, Cyril can improve the mine structure, prevent collapses, and open new mine tunnels... He's definitely a super miner foreman.

"What kind of earth magic do you know?"

Alector asked.

Cyril paused, then answered hesitantly:

"Rock Shield, Earth Spikes, Rock Manipulation, Earth Sense, Rock Wall... and some support spells below level five."

What are the CET-6 (College English Test Band 6) levels?

"You've already seen the meteorite fall. There's also the ley line tremor, which can trigger small-scale earthquakes. And the Rock Giant Summoning, which can summon a temporary rock giant to fight."

Alecto memorized them one by one.

The spell to summon a rock giant is quite interesting; if it can be maintained for a long time, it can also be used as a source of labor.

"Besides combat magic, are there any spells used for construction?"

"Construction?"

Cyril's tone was tinged with confusion:

"You mean...?"

"Reinforcing the rock strata, leveling the land, building houses, and digging tunnels."

Alector continued to list:

"I need you to build fortifications in Chifeng Territory, improve the mine structure, and develop new residential areas."

Cyril remained silent for a moment.

As a bronze dragon, he never imagined that his magic would be used for such a lowly purpose.

In his mind, magic was a symbol of power, a tool for battle, not a craftsman's hammer.

But the contract made it impossible for him to refuse.

Cyril, finally despondent, said:

"I can do it."

Cyril realized that in the eyes of this red dragon, he was nothing more than a tool.

He felt a pang of sorrow, yet there was nothing he could do.

"You hate me."

Alecto suddenly spoke, his voice echoing through the nest.

Cyril froze, looked up at the red dragon, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes, which he quickly suppressed.

"I wouldn't dare, Master."

"It's not that I don't hate it, but that I dare not."

Alecto walked up to Cyril, placing his dragon claw on the bronze dragon's shoulder, feeling the taut muscles beneath the scales:

"It's okay, I allow you to hate me, but hatred can't change reality."

"You are now my vassal; your life, your freedom, everything you have belongs to me."

He increased the pressure on Cyril's chest, causing the wound to ooze dragon blood.

Cyril gasped in pain, but dared not break free.

Alecto retracted his claws, turned, and slowly walked towards the exit:

"Face reality, use your abilities to survive."

"And your nest is in a good location."

It was impossible to tell whether Alector's tone was one of praise or a statement of fact.

Cyril paused, unsure how to respond, and could only reply in a low voice:

"...Thank you, Master."

"But it's too far."

Alecto continued:

"From here to Chifeng, at your speed it would take more than ten hours to fly. In case of an emergency, this distance could cause delays."

Cyril felt a sense of foreboding.

"So you need to move to the vicinity of Chifeng and build a new nest so that you can respond to my call at any time."

"But...but Master..."

Cyril trembled as he said:

"The environment of Chifeng..."

What's wrong with the environment in Chifeng?

Alecto interrupted him, his tone now tinged with danger:

"Too hot? Too dry? Unsuitable for the noble bronze dragon to inhabit?"

Cyril froze, then quickly lowered his head.

"No, no... I just..."

"Haven't you figured out your place yet?"

Alecto crushed the pebbles under his claws into powder:

Whether the environment is comfortable or not is not within your choice...

He paused, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes:

"You should be glad I'm a red dragon, not a white or black one. At least the temperature near my lair isn't fundamentally different from the dry mountains you're used to."

Cyril fell silent.

He knew that Alecto was telling the truth.

Copper Dragons do indeed prefer dry, rocky areas, and although Red Peak is hot, they are not unable to adapt to it.

What he truly resisted was the prospect of living in the shadow of a red dragon, being at the beck and call of others at any time, and having to abandon the independent nest he had cultivated for two hundred years.

Alecto commanded:

"Get up and come with me."

Cyril struggled to his feet, blood still seeping from the wound on his chest.

He looked back at his empty nest, where two hundred years of accumulation had vanished in just half an hour.

Two hundred years.

He lived in this nest for two hundred years.

From a young dragon that has just emerged from its juvenile stage, it has grown step by step to the peak of level six, and is only one step away from level seven.

He carefully managed his territory, keeping his distance from humans, occasionally punishing some rampant evil creatures, and incidentally taking over their legacy.

He thought he would continue like this until he broke through to the legendary level and became a regional overlord.

But now... he doesn't even have the option to stay.

"I see."

Cyril finally spoke in a low voice, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth:

"I will look for a suitable location near Chifeng."

"Not searching."

Alecto corrected:

"There's a stone forest near Chifeng that would be perfect for you. You should settle down there."

There is absolutely no choice given.

Cyril closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, only numb obedience remained in his eyes.

"Yes, Master."

"very good."

Two giant dragons flew out of the nest, one after the other.

The two dragons flew for more than ten hours, and by the time the outline of Chifeng Territory appeared on the horizon, it was already dark.

The chimneys in the smelting area were still emitting wisps of smoke, and at the entrance of the mine, the dog-headed men were lining up to transport truckloads of ore out.

Cyril looked down at the scene below, slightly surprised.

He had originally thought that the Red Dragon's territory would be a chaotic and barbaric land, full of slavery and oppression.

But everything before him overturned his understanding.

The campsite was neat and uniform, with the workshop area separated from the residential area. The roads were simply leveled, and some rudimentary but practical drainage ditches could be seen.

The trolls and orcs each performed their duties, and although they were busy, there was no chaos as one might have imagined.

This doesn't look like the territory of a red dragon; it's more like a small, developing town.

"Surprised?"

Alecto noticed Cyril's gaze.

"Yes."

Cyril answered honestly:

"I thought..."

"Did you think I would treat all my followers like other red dragons, using them as slaves until they died of exhaustion?"

Alecto sneered:

"That's the most foolish thing to do."

"Slaves like that have no motivation and will only slack off. But if you give them a goal, give them hope, and reward them occasionally, they will work hard for you."

He pointed to the mine below:

"Those kobolds used to live a precarious existence in the wilderness, constantly on the verge of death. But now they have safe havens, plenty of food, and the chance to become dragonborn."

So they were willing to dig desperately, because every basket of ore they unearthed brought them one step closer to their dream.

Cyril fell into deep thought.

He never thought about governance from this perspective.

In the traditional view of metal dragons, goodness is protecting the weak, and evil is oppression and enslavement.

But the actions of this red dragon blurred that line.

"You are exploiting their desires."

Cyril said.

"Desire is the most powerful driving force of life."

Alekto landed on the ground and transformed back into human form:

"Fear can only make people obey, but desire can make people fight desperately."

"I give them what they want, and they give me the work I want."

"This is a transaction; each party gets what they need."

Cyril landed as well, transforming into a tall man with a neatly trimmed beard.

Gru and Kula were already waiting near the landing point.

Upon seeing Alecto, the two immediately knelt on one knee.

"Owner."

"Get up, Kula, how are you feeling?"

Kula grinned:

"Excellent, thank you for your kindness, Master!"

"That's good. Let me introduce you."

Alecto pointed to Cyril behind him:

"This is Cyril, a bronze dragon, at the peak of level six. From today onwards, he is a member of Crimson Peak Territory."

Gru and Kula exchanged a glance, both seeing wariness in each other's eyes.

The bronze dragon that attacked? It's become its master's vassal? Aren't metal dragons and five-colored dragons natural enemies?

But they didn't ask any further questions, they simply bowed respectfully to Cyril:

"Welcome, Lord Cyril."

Cyril nodded, his attitude indifferent.

Bowing to the red dragon was already the limit of his patience; it was impossible for him to show any friendliness to the red dragon's retinue.

Alecto didn't care about these trivial details.

He turned to Gru:

"Has the Thunderwing Flying Python's corpse been disposed of?"

"It's been brought back, Master."

Gru replied:

"As you instructed, we are conducting preliminary segmentation and have unexpectedly discovered a crystal core."

As he spoke, he handed a crystal core with both wind and thunder attributes to Alecto, and then pointed to the corpse of the Thunderwing Serpent lying on the open ground in the center of the camp.

A dozen orcs were dismembering the animals, carefully extracting venom glands, skinning them, and collecting valuable organs with sharp blades in hand.

Gru then reported to the leader:

"The scales are in very good condition, enough to make at least thirty sets of light armor. The venom glands are well preserved, and Kula says they can be used to formulate advanced paralysis potions."

Alecto nodded.

Level 6 magical beasts are treasures from head to toe, especially rare ones like the Thunderwing Python, whose materials and cores can fetch astronomical prices on the market.

"Prioritize equipping the Dragonborn warriors with scale armor, give the poison glands and organs to Odette for research, and roast the rest. The flesh and blood of a level six magical beast is a great tonic."

"Yes."

"in addition……"

Alector points to Cyril:

"Send someone to take him to the Stone Forest; that will be his lair from now on."

Cyril's expression turned somewhat grim, but he held it in.

"clear."

Gru nodded, then hesitated and said:

"But Master, about the mine..."

"explain."

"Naz discovered another associated vein today, which appears to be copper ore with high purity. However, the vein is located deep, and the kobolds' mining efficiency is very low."

Alecto looked at Cyril:

"It's up to you now."

Cyril took a deep breath, suppressing the humiliation in his heart:

"I need to know the location of the mine and the nature of the rock strata."

"Natsu will tell you."

Alecto waved his hand:

"Let's go now."

Cyril said no more and left with Gru.

Kula stayed where she was, and only after the two had walked a distance did she ask in a low voice:

"Master, is that bronze dragon trustworthy?"

"Unreliable."

Alecto spoke frankly:

"But the contract binds him, and he dares not betray it until a way to break it is found. Moreover, he is currently seriously injured, his strength is greatly reduced, and he can't cause any trouble."

He looked at Kula:

"You're in charge of monitoring him, but don't make it too obvious. If he does anything unusual, tell me immediately."

Kula nodded thoughtfully:

"I see."

The problems that followed Cyril's capture were quite thorny.

How can Cyril's loyalty be ensured?

Contracts are just a means, not a panacea.

Throughout the history of dragons, there have been many instances of vassals turning against their masters.

Metal dragons, in particular, are better at concealing their intentions and scheming than the five-colored dragons. Once they find a loophole in the contract, their counterattack will be ruthless and precise.

"We must completely suppress him at the level of his soul and spirit..."

Alecto muttered to himself.

The third corridor must be about the spiritual realm.

Alecto looked towards the smelting area:

"How's the gunpowder research going? Any new information from Natsu?"

"Natsu delivered a batch of newly refined sulfur powder yesterday, with a higher purity than before. Miss Odette is designing a fuse device that is said to be able to control the timing of the explosion."

fuse?

A flicker of interest crossed Alecto's eyes.

Odette's learning ability and ability to apply knowledge to new situations are indeed outstanding; she was able to implement the concepts I mentioned.

"Take me to see it."

"Yes."

The two walked towards the medicinal herb field, one after the other.

The door to the alchemy workshop was open, and from inside came Odette's gentle explanations and Oliveira's impatient grumbling.

"...So you see, the key to this rune circuit lies in the stability of the magic conduction. If it breaks down, the entire enchantment will fail."

"I know, I know, you've said it three times already!"

Oliveira interrupted perfunctorily.

Alecto stood at the doorway, looking at the scene inside the workshop.

Odette stood in front of the experimental table, holding an iron sword in her hand, the blade outlined with intricate runes.

She was patiently explaining the function of each node to Oliveira.

The little female dragon remained in human form, sitting on a chair with her hands supporting her chin, but her eyes kept glancing at the spear in the corner.

That was the first piece of equipment she had successfully enchanted yesterday—a spear imbued with the Sharpness Rune. As agreed, Alecto should pay her 10 gold coins.

But Alecto has yet to see a dragon.

"elder brother!"

Oliveira keenly sensed the presence at the doorway, turned her head sharply, and her eyes instantly lit up:

"Look! That's the equipment I successfully enchanted at level one! Where's my gold?"

Alecto walked into the workshop, took a small bag from his pocket, and threw it over.

Oliveira hurriedly caught it and eagerly opened it, the golden light immediately illuminating her face.

She counted them carefully; there were 10, not one more and not one less.

"hey-hey……"

The little dragon happily tucked the gold coins into her bosom, only then remembering her important task:

"Oh, right, brother, Odette designed something really fun!"

She ran to another lab bench and picked up a metal tube about the size of her palm.

The metal pipes are cast from pig iron and have a rough surface, clearly indicating that they are new products from the smelting area.

One end is closed, and the other end is open. Several small holes are drilled in the tube, and a hemp rope soaked in grease is threaded through the small holes.

"What is this?"

Alecto took the metal tube; it felt heavy in his hand.

"Fuse tube".

Odette came over and explained:

"Based on the concept you described, Master, gunpowder requires a controllable detonation method. I tried several solutions and finally found this structure to be the simplest and most effective."

She pointed to the hemp rope:

"This rope is soaked in a mixture of grease, and after drying, it is flammable and burns at a stable rate. To use it, gunpowder is loaded into the tube, a fuse is inserted, and the end of the rope is lit. When the rope burns into the part inside the tube, it detonates the explosive."

Alecto examined the simple device closely.

The principle is very simple; it's the most basic trigger.

"Has it been tested?"

"It's been tested several times."

Odette took a wooden box from under the lab bench. Inside were several fuse tubes of the same structure, three of which had been used and were deformed and cracked from being blown up.

"Regarding power..."

She walked to a corner outside the workshop, where there was a three-meter-high granite rock with a noticeable pit on its surface, surrounded by radial cracks.

"We tested it with half a pound of gunpowder, and the granite was blasted open."

Alecto walked up to the rock and reached out to touch the crater.

The crack is about three fingers deep and extends half a meter.

Half a pound of gunpowder has this kind of power; if the amount is increased to five or ten pounds...

The image of a violent explosion was already flashing through his mind.

"very good."

Alecto praised:

"Continue to improve it, and also research how to make it waterproof and how to use it in humid environments."

"Yes, Master."

Odette responded respectfully, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

This feeling of creating new things was far more interesting than her previous routine studies at Starmoon Academy. And the fact that she was researching an explosive that didn't rely on magic made it even more challenging.