Bab 180: Chapter 180: The Alpha that Astonishes Dragons
It's highly unlikely that there are other legends in the City of Flame Steel and the Stone City Labyrinth.
Otherwise, the situation here wouldn't be a stalemate between these two types of elemental lives.
As for legendary creatures that came from other planar worlds, attracted by this environment, and without ambition, choosing to seclude themselves here... there might or might not be such beings, which is hard to say for sure.
In the magma pool, Garlon soaked in the steaming lava, integrating and sorting through the information of the lava demi-plane.
After gathering the flesh-and-blood life clans living in the crevices of the elemental giants, he was ready to make his move.
It wouldn't take much longer.
Almost every day, new clans came from afar, swearing allegiance to the Eternal Dragon.
However, even in such difficult living conditions, not all creature clans are willing to become subordinates to other beings, even if the other party is a legendary powerful existence.
This is quite normal.
Even if a deity descended in person, displaying miracles and extraordinary power, it would be difficult to make everyone believe.
Garlon wasn't surprised by this, although he had gotten used to others coming to pay homage, but it was within expectations that there were clans choosing to refuse.
"You're saying there's a significant human tribe living here?"
In an open space of the Fire Dwarf tribe, the silver dragon stood, its indifferent eyes looking towards the Fire Dwarf Elder in front of it.
"Yes, they are called the Alpha Tribe, the most powerful tribe among all flesh-and-blood life in this world."
The Fire Dwarf Elder nodded.
The Alpha Tribe. A curious name.
Garlon thought to himself.
"Rick, that boy, personally visited the Alpha Tribe, inviting them to receive the protection of the true dragon."
"However, those humans clearly refused."
"They said they do not wish to submit to the rule of any creature, even if you are a legendary being."
The Fire Dwarf Elder relayed the events calmly.
It's worth mentioning he spoke in the Common tongue.
Although not able to master a language after hearing it once like Garlon, after serious and careful study for a period, the Fire Dwarf Elder could now speak a fairly fluent Common tongue.
"The Alpha Tribe humans"
Garlon remained silent, pondering in his mind.
"Did the red dragons go?"
Garlon had instructed that if there were clans unwilling to come and swear allegiance, the red dragons should go and show their power, then give the clans another chance to choose.
"Lords Roel and Grelsa went, but have not returned. The people of the Alpha Tribe do not fear the power of the flame dragons, and their attitude remains the same."
"So, after learning of this situation, I immediately came to report to you."
It seems I must take action myself. Garlon's gaze was calm.
"Are they pure humans, or elementals?"
He asked.
Garlon's mention of "elementals" doesn't refer to elemental beings but to flesh-and-blood life influenced by elemental powers, descendants of elements.
Besides being directly influenced by elemental energy, elemental descendants could also result from ancestors having indescribable relations with powerful elemental giants, giving birth to special offspring with innate elemental powers, propagating through generations to form unique tribes.
Elemental descendants living in corresponding elemental planes or demi-planes isn't difficult.
Whether independently or by attaching to elemental giants, elemental descendants can live very comfortably.
So Garlon asked this.
Because in his view, it's nearly impossible for ordinary human tribes to survive in such a demi-plane.
"The Alpha Tribe consists of pure humans, not elemental descendants."
The Fire Dwarf Elder's voice carried a hint of unbelievable astonishment and envy, adding, "The humans of the Alpha Tribe can survive in such an environment because one-fifth of them are spellcasters."
"With over a thousand people in the Alpha Tribe, there are more than two hundred spellcasters, and all of them wield fire magic."
Hearing the Fire Dwarf Elder say the tribe wasn't elemental descendants but pure humans, Garlon was surprised, thinking these humans must possess some exceptional quality.
After hearing what followed, Garlon's surprise turned into astonishment.
"One-fifth are spellcasters?"
He asked again for emphasis.
The Fire Dwarf Elder's rugged face showed a look of helplessness, saying, "It's hard to believe, but it's true."
"The Alpha Tribe has many spellcasters, unbelievably many, which might be due to some special bloodline."
It was clear from the Fire Dwarf Elder's face filled with envy.
Spellcasters are always noble and powerful, but not everyone can become one.
There are over eight hundred Fire Dwarves in the Huoxu clan, but only a pitiful handful have the talent for spellcasting, not even reaching one percent. This is related to the dwarven species itself, but mainly because of the high intelligence level required for spellcasters.
"One-fifth is a terrifying ratio."
"If this ratio were maintained at a national level, how powerful would that nation be?"
Garlon thought to himself.
In the human countries of Noah's continent, even at the height of its prosperity, the ratio of spellcasters never reached one-fiftieth.
Nesseril, the glorious magical empire mentioned in the tales of the rakish paladins, had a spellcaster ratio of about one in nine.
The Alpha Tribe, with only a thousand people, having more than two hundred spellcasters... This number, some small nations might not even have, yet appeared in a tribe of merely a thousand.
Garlon exhaled, gradually calming his mind.
At the same time, a thought suddenly struck him, recalling the Shadow of Time seen on the stone gate.
"Could they be descendants of those mages?"
Garlon remembered, at the end of the Shadow of Time, a part of the spellcasters using fire entered the stone gate, leaving the planet destroyed by the violent hurricane.
"It's very possible."
Both proficient in fire magic and related to the lava demi-plane, if there was no relation between them, it would be too much of a coincidence.
"With such talent and history in the human tribe, it cannot be overlooked."
Garlon's gaze brightened, a determined smile appearing on his face.
He had yet to have human vassals; Krichens and Fred were temporarily following him due to a vow, likely to return to human society once the time was up, not considered vassals.
But high-level spellcasters are very useful.
Many things can be left to them, relieving Garlon of concerns.
Therefore, Garlon set his sights on the Alpha Tribe, where one-fifth are spellcasters.
Subduing this tribe, he could gain a group of spellcasters of his own, which would also be a significant help in managing the lava demi-plane in the future.
"Tell me the location of the Alpha Tribe."
With that thought, Garlon spoke gravely to the Fire Dwarf Elder.
In the central area surrounded by towering volcanoes, there lay a small human tribe. Rows of houses were orderly and closely arranged, interspersed with towering, skyward fire-red mage towers.
This was the Alpha Tribe.
Many humans enveloped in elemental light, spellcasters, were looking up at the sky from the tribe below.
Their expressions were somewhat serious, neither relaxed nor too solemn.
Under the fiery, rolling sky, two oversized red dragons were circling aggressively, occasionally spewing scorching flame streams towards the Alpha Tribe.
The dragon breath, roared out by the red dragons, poured down, carrying the terrifying momentum of turning the Alpha Tribe into ashes.
However, when the glaring flame stream was about to fall, the spellcasters of the Alpha Tribe remained unfazed, jointly casting spells, targeting the red dragon's breath, shooting out beams of red light from their fingertips.
The raging fire dragon breath was hit, violently distorted at that moment, then exploded into a sky-full of scattering sparks, spreading out, losing its concentrated power, resulting in a red fire rain.
The fire rain was easily intercepted by a magical barrier.
"Damned, you lowly humans!"
Roel and Grelsa were very angry now.
Because their usually unstoppable dragon breath was directly dispersed by the opponents before it could even land.
Initially, they intended to repeat their tactic, destroying some of the tribe's buildings to demonstrate their unrivaled power and then use it to make the tribe fear and submit. However, to the red dragons' surprise, their dragon breath couldn't even land.
If it were blocked by barriers or such defenses, they would have been accustomed to it.
But what the red dragons couldn't accept was that those humans actually had a way to directly interfere with and disperse the fiery dragon breath mid-way, preventing them from even completing their breath.
Not a single building in the Alpha Tribe was destroyed.
All stood intact as before.
For the red dragons, this was tantamount to a challenge to their dignity.
Proud red dragons encountering this situation for the first time, where could they endure such humiliation, thus they stubbornly continued to breathe fire, although their throats were almost dry and smoky, they persisted.
However, although the pressure on the spellcasters of the Alpha increased, under their unknown magic, the red dragon's dragon breath simply couldn't achieve its effect.
"Powerful red dragons, this is merely wasting your time."
"Please calm down first, and let's discuss this matter properly."
Anya, with a voice soft and gentle, unmatching her demeanor, said.
The red dragons didn't listen, still stubbornly breathing fire, determined to turn the buildings of the Alpha Tribe into ruins amidst a sea of fire.
This single-mindedness of the red dragons caused veins to pop on the forehead of the high-ranking female mage, who subconsciously clenched her fist.
Whoosh! Clusters of flames spontaneously ignited, enveloping Anya's tall and graceful body, the bright firelight making her complexion glow red.
Anya gently stroked her prominent chest, taking a few deep breaths, and the veins on her forehead gradually subsided.
She seemed unaffected by the red dragons' words, remaining calm and softly saying, "We have already heard of the existence of the Eternal Dragon. Perhaps the two esteemed red dragons could return first, and the Alpha Tribe will immediately come to visit."
When Garlon was mentioned, Roel and Grelsa regained some rationality.
But they were still angry.
A small human tribe, not fearing the great red dragons at all.
And the number of spellcasters here was somewhat excessive, including an unknown high-ranking spellcaster. If they didn't truly go to war, just wanting to cause destruction, it indeed was difficult under these spellcasters' protection.
But as the female mage said, returning without accomplishing anything was definitely not acceptable.
The red dragons didn't want to leave Garlon with the impression of being inept, unable to handle even the small matter of subduing vassals.
Roel bared his fangs, his face fierce, saying, "No, you—"
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