Chapter 613 - 390: Expanding Territory, Icefield Retreat (Part 2)
He analyzed calmly in his heart.
"We can’t place all our hopes on the steady development of the wilderness."
The Red Iron Dragon lifted its head, its gaze seemingly piercing through the blizzard in Dragon Valley, looking towards the lands further north.
After a brief deliberation, a plan gradually took shape in his mind.
Eternal Frost Tundra.
That land is dominated by extreme cold and blizzards all year round, filled with countless perilous glaciers and bottomless chasms, the terrain is unimaginably complex, and the overall abundance of resources is far less than the Sel Wilderness, and mining is extremely difficult.
However, it once nurtured two legendary figures known far and wide—the King of Northern Barbarians and the Frost Giant King.
The reason it was once, is because these two powerful Legendary Kings perished together in a destiny-defining peak duel.
Nowadays, the perpetual blizzard of the Border Area is largely the aftermath of that decisive battle.
"The environment of the Border Area is now almost indistinguishable from the Eternal Frost Tundra, virtually becoming a part of it."
Galos pondered, as a bold idea began to sprout in his mind.
"Since that’s the case, why not take advantage of the trend and extend the tribe’s reach further north, into the true Eternal Frost Tundra?"
Once this notion arose, it spread rapidly in his mind like wildfire.
The Molten Iron Tribe had sent elite scouts to the Eternal Frost Tundra in its early years.
Through years of penetration and development, these scouts have successfully rooted within some local biological clans, continuously sending back intelligence about the tundra.
The decisive battle between the Barbarian King and the Frost Giant King not only brought about the demise of two legends.
Alongside them, a large number of powerful high-ranking leaders and elite warriors from both camps perished.
Since that mutually destructive war, although hatred between the Northern Barbarians and Frost Giants has not diminished, they have had to cease hostilities temporarily, entering a long period of recuperation to recover from the great wounds inflicted by the war.
During this time, some new clan tribes emerged on the tundra.
But in any case, the current Eternal Frost Tundra does not have any Legendary level presence stationed.
Its overall danger level, compared to the Sel Wilderness with its numerous heroes and Regional King competitions, is actually somewhat lower, and the existing forces of the Northern Barbarians or the Frost Giants likely aren’t much stronger than the Regional Kings in the wilderness.
Soon, a plan took shape in Galos’s mind.
He decided to formally send a legion to the Eternal Frost Tundra, but the strategic goal was not to aggressively seize territory from the local natives.
That was unnecessary.
Although vast and boundless, much of the Eternal Frost Tundra lacks life, is barren and frigid, and resource distribution is far less concentrated and rich than that of the Sel Wilderness, mostly hidden beneath thick ice layers and permafrost that are extremely difficult to excavate.
The main purpose of sending a legion north is to open up a potential escape route for the tribe, a strategic depth.
"If the war in the south concludes before I break through to Legendary, then the foundation I’ve painstakingly built in the wilderness, regardless of who the final victor is, will be hard to preserve under their advancing forces."
"Prepare ahead, consider the worst-case scenario, and arrange in the Eternal Frost Tundra in advance."
"In case things go wrong, at least have a route for quick relocation and preservation of strength."
"However, the key still lies in whether I can reach the Legendary Domain before the situation stabilizes. Once I reach the Legendary Tier, even if the southern war ends and I can’t continue fishing in troubled waters, my empire in the wilderness may still remain."
With this thought, Galos smiled silently.
"Ultimately, the power one possesses is the foundation that determines everything."
"Negotiation, trading, cooperation... all these methods work on the premise of power that demands attention, even fear from the other side."
If he could never break through to Legendary, then even if the Lotheren Kingdom eventually triumphed, even if the Royal Court remained favorable towards the Dragon Group, they would never allow a non-Legendary force to occupy half of the wilderness long-term.
But if he successfully ascends to Legendary... the situation would be completely different.
By then, any force wanting to deal with the Molten Iron Tribe would have to carefully consider the dire consequences of angering a powerful Dragon Legendary before making a move.
Encirclement?
Perhaps an attempt could be made.
Expulsion or defeat?
It’s possible too.
But to completely and cleanly kill a Dragon Legendary with numerous followers, accompanied by a Dragon Group... no one would dare boast of being able to guarantee it.
Galos took a deep breath, suppressing his surging thoughts, and returned his mind to a calm state.
At this moment, Iron Dragon Gordon had already exited the blood bond connection after reporting all the information.
Galos didn’t immediately cut off the connection and instead turned his mind to another blood relative.
"Solrog."
He called.
"I’m here, Galos."
The steady voice of the Iron Dragon immediately responded.
"The tribe’s development in the wilderness has entered a stable period, the Northwest and Central Region are basically secure, and the other Regional Kings currently show signs of holding firm and have no indications of expansion."
Galos said, "I intend to focus our development on the Eternal Frost Tundra."
On the other end, Solrog remained silent for a moment, quickly digesting the information and weighing the pros and cons.
Soon, he responded, "We indeed need to prepare in advance, to prepare an escape route for the tribe in case unexpected changes occur in the southern battle situation."