Evil Red Dragon

Chapter 77 Concept

While Alecto was still discussing the application of gunpowder with Odette, Gru had already brought Cyril to the mine.

When Gru arrived at the mine, Natsu was already waiting at the entrance.

He looked at the tall man following behind Gru with a hint of wariness in his eyes, puzzled.

Although he maintained his human form, Cyril's dragon aura instinctively filled him with awe.

That heavy, mountain-like sense of oppression was completely different from Alecto's, yet it made his heart pound just as hard.

"Lord Gru, who is this?"

"This is Lord Cyril, the bronze dragon, my master's new vassal, who has come to help."

Gru's introduction made Natsu's dog ears stand up instantly.

A copper dragon?! The metal dragon that attacked us has become our master's vassal?

Natsu was inwardly turbulent, but outwardly he still bowed his head respectfully:

"Greetings, Lord Cyril. Welcome."

Cyril's lips twitched; if he could, he would never want to come here again.

In the end, Cyril simply nodded indifferently, his gaze passing over Natsu as he walked straight into the depths of the mine.

"You've discovered a copper vein?"

"Yes, Lord Cyril."

Natsu quickly followed and replied:

"The ore quality is very high, but..."

The entrance to the cave has been expanded to a height of about 5 meters and a width of 4 meters. Torches are lit inside, extending into the depths.

The dog-headed men lined up in a long queue, pushing out mine carts loaded with ore to the smelting area.

"Is this the place?"

Cyril asked, his voice indifferent.

"Yes."

Cyril reached out and pressed against the rock wall, extending his senses.

The earth pulsed, and the rock strata gradually became clear in his eyes.

The iron ore layer is on top, the copper ore layer is below, and there is a granite layer about thirty meters in between. The kobolds need to penetrate that granite layer.

"Granite is very hard. At your efficiency, it will take at least two months to dig through it."

Cyril opened his eyes and gave the order:

"Everyone, get out of the mine."

Natsu immediately ordered the kobolds to evacuate, and soon Cyril was the only one left in the mine.

He walked to the end of the tunnel and pressed the dragon's claws against the rock wall.

Magic began to gather.

"Rock strata remodeling".

The dragon's language echoed through the mine.

The rock face began to undulate, and the hard rock became as soft as mud.

Cyril controlled his magic and carved a three-meter-diameter passage through the rock strata.

The rocks were squeezed to both sides, forming a tunnel.

When Cyril withdrew his magic, a straight tunnel fifty meters long appeared before him, leading directly to the copper ore layer below.

The tunnel structure is robust and requires no additional support.

Cyril's forehead was covered in beads of sweat.

This kind of precise control is extremely demanding on mental and spiritual energy, especially in ensuring the stability of the tunnel structure and preventing it from collapsing.

But he had to admit that the feeling of using magic to transform the earth wasn't actually bad for him.

"Lord Cyril! You are amazing!"

Natsu rushed into the tunnel, staring blankly at the straight tunnel in front of him, speechless for a moment.

Is this the power of a level six peak Crimson Copper Dragon?

The ore layers that the dog-headed people had to work in shifts for days to mine were instantly pulverized by him.

"This...this is faster than us digging for a month!"

Cyril did not respond, but walked to the end of the tunnel.

We have reached the copper ore layer, and the ore is visible to the naked eye.

"Mark the mining area and pay attention to the supporting structure."

Cyril said coldly:

"Although this tunnel is sturdy, it needs to be reinforced after large-scale mining. I will apply solidification magic to key locations."

"Yes! Thank you, sir!"

Natsu excitedly ran out to inform his tribe.

Cyril stood still, gazing at the copper mine on the rock face.

A strange feeling welled up inside me.

He never imagined that his magic would be used for such a low-level purpose.

But looking at the tunnel he had personally dug, and seeing the kobolds about to extract vast quantities of ore from it…

I actually felt a little bit of a sense of accomplishment.

"absurd."

Cyril shook his head, banishing the thought from his mind.

He is a noble copper dragon, not a miner.

But as he turned to leave the mine, he couldn't help but look back one last time.

Deep inside the tunnel, the dog-headed men had already begun their work, the clanging sounds of digging echoing between the rock walls.

Perhaps I should have taken in some followers like that instead of being a lone dragon...

After Cyril left the mine, Gru took him to the Stone Forest.

The Stone Forest has a very unique landform, with countless thick stone pillars rising from the ground, some over a hundred meters high and others over ten meters high, densely distributed in one area.

From a distance, it looks like a forest of stones.

"This is it, Lord Cyril."

Gru stopped and pointed to the stone forest path ahead.

Cyril gazed at the stone forest with a complex expression.

As a copper dragon, he does indeed prefer this dry, rocky environment.

The rocks here are hard and the stone pillars are numerous, naturally forming many structures that can provide shelter and protection.

In the past, he would have gladly chosen this place as his new hideout.

But things are different now.

This stone forest is too close to Chifeng, so close that the red dragon could come over to inspect it at any time.

Everything about him would be exposed to the other party, leaving him with absolutely no privacy.

"You have chosen to build your nest in an underground cave."

Gru added:

"If we need manpower, we can deploy it at any time."

"No need."

Cyril coldly refused.

He didn't want the red dragon's retinue involved in building his lair; that would destroy the last shred of his dignity.

Cyril spent a day using magic to carve out a nest that was 50 meters in diameter and 20 meters high.

The cave walls were reinforced and the ground was leveled, but the inside was empty.

All his original treasures had been taken by Alecto, and now he had nothing.

Cyril sat in the center of the cave, the wound on his chest still throbbing.

He transformed back into his dragon form and licked his wounds with his tongue.

The healing factors in saliva accelerate wound healing, but a fractured jawbone takes longer.

"Damn it..."

Cyril closed his eyes, contemplating how to survive under Alecto.

First, you need to demonstrate value.

Alecto recruited him because he valued his fighting prowess and his magic.

Cyril opened his eyes and looked out of the cave.

He had seen it; although Chifeng Territory now had trolls and orcs, its defense system was extremely rudimentary.

No city walls, no magic circles...

"The city wall..."

Cyril began to conceive of the idea.

With his abilities, he could build a formidable city wall tens of meters high in a short period of time.

When combined with an earth-based magic array, the defensive power can be increased several times over.

But this requires Alecto's consent, and even more so, a great deal of manpower and resources.

"Report it tomorrow."

Cyril made the decision.

Since we can't resist, we should try our best to play the role of a vassal.

Until a way to break the contract is found, he must live obediently.

At the same time, in Chifeng.

Alecto was lying on the pile of treasure, counting the spoils he had plundered from Cyril.

There are a total of 7 magical items, including 2 defensive amulets, 1 storage ring, 3 weapons, and 1 auxiliary item.

Alecto picked up a longsword.

The sword is long and slender, made of fine steel, with a blue crystal core inlaid at the hilt.

He channeled a wisp of magic into the sword, and it immediately emitted a pale blue glow.

"Level 4 quality...so-so."

He tossed the longsword aside and picked up a ring.

"Three cubic meters of storage space... is better than nothing."

Alecto examined each item one by one, assessing its value.

Overall, Cyril's collection was somewhat worse than he had expected.

For a bronze dragon that has lived for nearly two hundred years, its assets are indeed rather meager.

"It seems that life isn't easy for metal dragons in this world either..."

Alecto remarked.

But on second thought, this might also be why Cyril would risk robbing them.

Dragons have an innate desire for treasure, so it's not surprising that they would turn to their own kind when they lack sufficient wealth.

After taking inventory, Alector poured most of the treasure into his own treasure mountain, leaving only a few useful magical items to distribute to the dragonborn.

His attention returned to his own injuries.

The laceration on the left wing had stopped bleeding, but thanks to the dragon's powerful self-healing ability, the edges of the wound began to scab over.

The impact of the falling meteorite injured his lungs and internal organs, but not enough to seriously impair his mobility.

"It should fully recover after a few days of rest..."

Alecto estimated.

This is based on his possession of the powerful vitality of a red dragon. If it were a human or another race, such injuries would result in immediate death.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his body, and began to slowly open up a third magical corridor in his head.

This process is slow and painful, but it is stable.

The construction of this corridor was far more difficult than the previous two.

If the first two corridors are like tunnels dug underground, then this one is like laying pipelines in a sophisticated and complex neural network.

Every step must be taken with utmost care, as the slightest mistake could cause irreversible damage to his brain.

Because this main line is laid along the neural network, it will eventually connect the eyes, ears, and most importantly, the pineal gland region.

Once completed, his mental resistance will be elevated to a terrifying level.

At that time, Helena's mental manipulation will no longer pose an easy threat to him, and he may even be able to launch a mental attack in return.

But all of this is contingent on him living to complete the construction.

Alecto wasn't in a hurry.

With Cyril subdued and the Thunderwing Serpent dead, Crimson Peak Territory should not face any major threats in the short term.

He has ample time to develop this main corridor, which is arguably the most crucial one.

Research on gunpowder continues to advance, and Odette has proven that given enough support and resources, she will certainly be able to produce even more results.

He also told Odette all his ideas from his previous life, and drew a lot of blueprints, explaining rifling, ballistics, recoil, etc. to Odette. How many actual things will she be able to produce later?

Guns? Cannons? Or TNT? I'm really looking forward to it.

the next day.

Cyril arrived at the dragon's lair early, awaiting Alecto's summons.

He remained in human form, the wound on his chest had scabbed over, and the pain in his jaw had lessened considerably.

In just one day, he recovered most of his serious injuries.

"Come in."

When Cyril entered the lair, Alecto was lying on a pile of treasure, fiddling with a fist-sized ruby.

"Owner."

Cyril bowed respectfully.

"I heard you did well yesterday."

Alecto looked up and sized up Cyril:

"Naz reported that the tunnel you dug was of very high quality and would save at least two months of construction time."

"I'm just fulfilling my duty."

Cyril continued:

"I have a proposal regarding the defense of Chifeng Territory."

"explain."

"Chifeng Territory currently lacks proper defensive fortifications, and would be in a very passive position should it encounter a large-scale attack."

Cyril began to explain his plan:

"I suggest building a wall around the entire territory and reinforcing it with earth magic."

"A watchtower was set up every hundred meters along the city wall, with observation posts and firing ports inside."

"Dig a moat around the city walls and divert water from nearby streams to fill it."

"Finally, defensive magic circles were inscribed on the city walls to enhance overall protection."

He spoke in great detail, clearly after careful consideration.

Alecto listened quietly, quickly assessing the situation in his mind.

This plan is indeed excellent.

Chifeng Territory is now like an open target; anyone can get in.

Although thanks to Alector's dragon might and the bravery of the dragonborn warriors, no enemy dares to approach for the time being, what if the Church of Light really sends a large army over?

Having city walls and not having city walls are two completely different concepts.

"How long will it take? How many people will be needed?"

Alector asked.

"If there are sufficient materials, the main project can be completed within a year."

Cyril replied:

"But the inscription of the magic circle takes time and requires a large amount of magic crystals as an energy source."

Alecto pondered for a moment.

Time is not a problem, and as for materials, Cyril is there, so it's not an issue.

But manpower and magic crystals...

The magic circle requires a continuous supply of magic crystals to operate, and he simply cannot sustain it with his current amount of magic crystals...

"Let's put the magic circle aside for now; we can build the city walls."

Alecto made a decision:

"As for manpower... you can handle that yourself."

"what?"

Cyril's face flushed with embarrassment, and he hurriedly tried to persuade them:

"But, this requires a certain amount of time to complete the project..."

"It's okay, it doesn't matter how long it takes."

"Yes, Master."

Cyril looked pained. Why did he have to go through all this trouble? Did he think his future life was too leisurely? He really shot himself in the foot.

"in addition……"

Alecto rummaged through the pile of treasure and pulled out a small bag, tossing it to Cyril:

"This is yours."

Cyril caught the bag; it felt heavy in his hand.

He opened it and found 50 gold coins and several good-quality gems inside.

He stole that gem!

"This is……"

"reward."

Alecto said calmly:

"Work hard, and I won't treat you unfairly."

Cyril was stunned.

He hadn't expected Alecto to reward him, and quite generously at that.