Chapter 102: Chapter 101: Gorgon’s Ambition

And that was the truth. Ever since it was born, no one of its own kind was a match for it. Later, it fought the strongest warriors from every tribe in the surrounding Wilderness and had never once known defeat.

It suddenly became lost, no longer knowing the meaning of its own existence...

Until the arrival of Lady Sophia!

She was to it as the sun is to life, as the starry sky is to the earth. Lady Sophia was a shining beacon in its aimless life, illuminating the path forward.

Gorgon didn’t know why Lady Sophia, a Giant Dragon, would come to the barren Wilderness, but it was undoubtedly a gift from the Gods to a pitiful soul such as itself.

Lady Sophia had arrived in the Wilderness with nothing to her name, yet she had singled it out from the crowd at a single glance.

Her Ladyship gave it a new life and a new purpose.

The Dragon Blood flowing in its veins destined it to fight for Lady Sophia, to eventually face an unknown, powerful enemy in an epic battle so moving it would be told for a thousand years.

It led its followers to annihilate the surrounding tribes, absorbing those who surrendered, and was appointed Legion Commander of the Giant Dragon Corps by Lady Sophia.

After accepting the appointment, Gorgon knew it had to do something for its lady.

And it felt that only the royal throne, which humans constantly fought over, was worthy of Lady Sophia’s noble status.

Thus, it had a new goal: to help its lady unify the Wilderness, become its queen, and then rule the entire world!

Therefore, once the Giant Dragon Corps possessed a basic level of combat readiness, Gorgon began leading its army on the offensive to wipe out the various tribes of the Wilderness, large and small. These low-intensity battles served to train its Warriors and seize food supplies, while also providing an opportunity to gather treasure for its lady.

These were all just small, insignificant things it could do for its lady.

Just a few days ago, it heard a rumor that two large tribes in the south were at war, and nearly every one of their members possessed a piece of iron equipment.

Gorgon instantly recognized this as an opportunity. In terms of sheer martial prowess, the Wilderness People were far superior to those scrawny humans. The only reason they were consistently routed in battle was because of the humans’ superior weapons and armor.

With such equipment, the might of the Giant Dragon Corps would clearly ascend to a whole new level.

Gazing at the vast, boundless prairie and the wide-open sky, feeling the gentle breeze and the scent of grass and trees on the air, Gorgon had an exceptionally powerful feeling. ’Destiny is on my side!’

"My Lord, the Black Forest, where the two tribes are located, is about twenty miles ahead," a Jackal Wolfman Scout Captain said respectfully, urging his Warg Mount forward until he was just a pace behind the Black Mountain Deer Boar.

The Warg Mount under him was cruel and bloodthirsty by nature, but when faced with a Fierce Beast like the Black Mountain Deer Boar, which carried the bloodline of a Magical Beast, it couldn’t help but reveal its innate cowardice. Its four legs were trembling slightly, and it didn’t dare to pant too loudly.

Gorgon snapped out of his reverie and nodded slightly. "Mm, I understand."

"Have the men rest for a while. We attack after they’ve recovered their stamina."

Gorgon believed that pure martial prowess was for brutes. No matter how powerful an individual might be, their strength would be dwarfed in the chaos of a full-scale war.

So, it had purchased a book titled *Knight Ah Bin* from a human merchant caravan. According to the merchant, it was the diary of a Knight who fought his entire life to become a King, a bedside staple for every single one of the Debei People.

It poured over the book day and night, gleaning what it believed to be profound words of wisdom.

—A reckless charge only hastens the end. Thus, the preservation of strength is of the utmost importance.

’How wise and elegant!’

Gorgon mulled over the phrase again and again. It liked it a lot.

"My Lord, shall I have the men scout ahead to ascertain the two tribes’ situation?"

"Unnecessary. Before the advance of the Giant Dragon Corps, which rolls forward like an unstoppable chariot, these two tribes will be crushed like praying mantises." Gorgon gave a disdainful smirk. "Don’t overestimate them. They’re just a couple of slightly larger tribes, no different from Goblins in essence."

"Yes, My Lord." The Scout Captain struck a fist to his chest in a military salute, then hastily spurred his Warg Mount and departed.

It was no wonder Gorgon was so confident. Its Giant Dragon Corps numbered over three thousand strong. Even setting aside its own kin and the Goblins, who were mostly there to pad the numbers, there were still about two thousand warriors from other powerful Races.

The most elite unit was the vanguard it personally led: the Minotaurs. Each of these Minotaurs stood nearly three tri-blades tall, with burly frames and the finest equipment available. Every one of them wore a simple suit of Iron Armor and wielded a giant Wolf Fang Club or Warhammer.

They were the elite of the elite. Though few in number, after undergoing the training regimen from that book, Gorgon could command them as easily as its own limbs.

One might even say that Gorgon was confident it could hold its own even against the regular army of Debei.

Such confidence was born from nothing less than sheer power! 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The Jackal Wolfman Cavalry blew sharp whistles, relaying the command. After a brief moment of confusion and disorder, the warriors finally understood their lord’s intention and sat down on the grass to rest. It could, generously, be called a display of military discipline.

...

Today marked the seventh day of the war between the Wind Surge Tribe and the Lizardman Tribe. As the sun began to set, both sides left a few dozen more corpses in the basin where they fought. With the sounding of resounding horns from each tribe, they began an orderly retreat.

Ever since the Lizardman Tribe had somehow "found" wild weapons and Archers within their own territory, the Wind Surge Tribe’s previously unstoppable advance had become bogged down in a stalemate.

The two sides were now locked in a strange stalemate. Every day ended the same, with nothing to show for it but a few dozen more bodies left behind by each side.

The Warriors all breathed a sigh of relief. The day’s slaughter was over; it was time to pack it in. They were lucky to have survived another day. As for tomorrow?

’Leave tomorrow’s troubles for tomorrow.’ Besides, the Tribe Elders hadn’t ordered them to defeat the enemy by the next day, anyway.

A few Warriors from the Wind Surge Tribe were cleaning up the battlefield. One even waved goodbye to a familiar-looking Lizardman on the opposing side. Their eyes met, and they shared a nod of tacit understanding.

No one knew if they would survive to see the next day, so they developed a special appreciation for these enemies who had managed to live through the past few days alongside them. It was a strange sort of comradeship.

Of course, if they were to meet on the battlefield again, they would stab each other with far more ferocity than they would a complete stranger.

All for the satisfaction of standing over the other’s corpse, laughing wildly, and getting to say, "Sorry, friend. Looks like I get to live one day longer than you!"

The Tribe was about half a meal’s time away from the battlefield.

They chose a battlefield this far out for a reason: in the summer heat, corpses rotted quickly, and nobody wanted the chore of cleaning them up after a fight. A distant battlefield was simply more convenient.

Back in the Tribe, Sam watched the Warriors return, having made no progress yet again. His expression was as dark as the storm clouds of the Southern Territory’s October rainy season.

But when he turned to face the Guard Team from High Cliff Castle, his expression shifted to a sycophantic smile. "Captain Jos, I’ve already had the goods equivalent in value to this batch of weapons packed for you. You can have it all shipped out directly."