The Serel Wilderness, a vast and primitive land, has been a paradise where all kinds of Vicious Beasts and monsters have run rampant since ancient times.
Compared to the massive groups of Vicious Beasts and monsters spread throughout the wilderness, the outposts painstakingly established by the Federation States and the clans difficultly formed by intelligent beings are but a few embellishments in this savage land.
However, the vast majority of Vicious Beasts and monsters possess no wisdom, acting and hunting only according to their most primitive instincts.
Although the danger they bring is constant, it is ultimately scattered and limited.
However, once a powerful Beast King with extraordinary wisdom is born in the wilderness, the situation becomes entirely different.
Under the leadership of a Beast King, the originally disorganized Vicious Beasts and monsters in the wilderness are organized into fearsome hordes, and their threat level skyrockets to a terrifying degree.
This is especially true for the lion-like predators that already occupy the middle and upper tiers of the wilderness food chain.
Different types of powerful lion beasts gather in groups, with staggering numbers and many elites among them; their ecological niche in the northwest region has risen crazily, and they have already built a fearsome reputation with their bloody claws and fangs. At this moment, the ambitious Lion King is driving its legion, extending its fangs and claws to attack the borders of the neighboring Molten Iron Tribe, attempting to devour more territory to expand its Lion Kingdom.
Even more concerning is that the lion pride's attacks are not mindless charges, but carefully planned lightning guerrilla warfare.
"Roar—!!!"
In a Molten Iron outpost located at the foot of the border mountains, accompanied by a deafening roar that seemed capable of tearing the Soul, more than ten lion-like Vicious Beasts and monsters of various sizes and distinct features suddenly leapt down from the flank of the ridge.
Among them were Vicious Beasts that relied purely on terrifying physical strength to kill, as well as monsters capable of manipulating elements and performing Spell-like abilities.
Leading the charge at the very front was a massive Mammoth Lion that resembled a mobile fortress.
The two huge curved tusks protruding from its mouth glinted with a cold light, transforming into a violent battering ram that, despite the dense long-range attacks from the outpost, resolutely smashed through the sturdy wall defenses.
Its heavy body's momentum did not diminish as it carried debris and dust, slamming hard into the center of the outpost camp, kicking up clouds of dust and splintered wood.
Inside the camp, an agile Centaur archer reacted swiftly, instantly drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, his sharp gaze locked onto the Mammoth Lion's eye.
Powerful Demonic Energy was highly condensed and compressed on his arrowhead, ready to be released.
However, at the very moment the arrow was about to leave the string, a shrill, sharp whistle that cut through the air suddenly rang out.
Sizzle—!!!
Not far away, a lion-like monster over three meters long with a thick cyan mane crouched low.
The air around it distorted violently as countless visible wind element energies gathered and intertwined frantically. Immediately after, a giant Wind Blade several meters long, thin as a cicada's wing yet shimmering with a deadly cold light, instantly took shape.
It flew through the air at extreme speed, slicing toward the Centaur archer's slender neck.
Forced into a corner, the Centaur archer could only perform a clumsy low roll, narrowly avoiding the fatal sneak attack.
The Demonic Energy arrow he fired in haste lost its aim due to his distorted movement, merely striking the Mammoth Lion's iron-hard skull, sending up a trail of sparks and leaving only an insignificant scratch, causing nothing more than a superficial wound.
"Damned beast!"
A tall Ogre Warlord let out a furious roar, wielding a giant battle-axe the size of a door. He seized the opportunity to rush forward and hacked fiercely into the Mammoth Lion's flank, tearing open a large, bloody wound.
But in the next second, his roar came to an abrupt halt.
Three lion beasts streaked through the air, pouncing simultaneously from different tricky angles.
Their sharp claws tore through the Ogre's thick iron-studded leather armor, and their hideous fangs sank into his throat, joints, and other vital areas.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
Amidst roars declaring victory and death, more lion beasts poured in through the breached wall, or used their amazing jumping power to leap directly over the not-so-high outpost perimeter wall, rushing into the camp like a bursting flood, beginning a slaughter.
The guards in the outpost responded hastily, trying to organize a defensive line.
However, the lion pride's surprise attack came too fast and too hard, and there was a massive gap in strength between the two sides.
Fangs easily bit through the sentries' throats, and sharp claws ruthlessly tore open the guards' chests... the scent of blood filled the air instantly, and screams intertwined with the roars of the lion pride.
In just a few short minutes.
The originally peaceful outpost camp was completely bloodied, and the few collapsing guards and sentries scattered in flight.
Not long after, when the elite reinforcement troops of the Molten Iron Tribe, who had received the distress signal, rushed to the scene, the attacking lion pride had already retreated like a tide, vanishing without a trace, leaving behind only a mess of wreckage, debris, and gradually cooling corpses to tell of the previous tragedy.
Looking at the entire border war situation.
The total number of the lion pride was undoubtedly at an absolute disadvantage compared to the Molten Iron Tribe's massive guard legion.
But their individual average Life Level was higher, their bodies were more agile and swift, and they possessed mobility and individual combat skills far exceeding those of ordinary Molten Iron guards.
The lion prides attacking the Molten Iron Tribe's border were not a single massive legion concentrated together.
They were split into dozens of independent combat squads, each consisting of ten to twenty powerful lion beasts.
They precisely selected those outposts, guard posts, or patrols with relatively weak defenses to launch lightning-fast raids. Once they succeeded, regardless of the outcome, they would immediately retreat far away, never lingering for a fight.
This behavioral pattern did not resemble mindless beasts, but rather elite special forces.
Clearly, the yet-to-appear Lion King possessed an extraordinary level of control and command over its massive horde, showing no small amount of wisdom.
The guards of the Molten Iron Tribe were by no means weak; they were well-trained and well-equipped.
However, facing the lion pride's exceptionally fierce, flexible, and hit-and-run guerrilla tactics, the elite guards had strength but found it difficult to catch their targets. For a time, they fell into a passive state of being beaten, with smoke rising from outposts large and small, suffering much destruction.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Red-Iron Dragon circled high in the sky, the piercing wind howling beneath his wings.
His gaze swept over the outposts below where smoke was rising one after another, damaged by the lion pride's attacks.
"These scurrying vermin, I will turn them along with their territory into ash and dust!"
Samantha, positioned on Garros's left wing, let out a low roar suppressed with anger. Two lines of scorching fire puffed from her nostrils, and the surrounding air distorted slightly from the high temperature.
Moreover, the current Red Dragon was different from before.
On her already strong and agile dragon body covered in crimson scales.
Over her chest, back, limbs, tail, and the base of her wings, a layer of heavy, pitch-black armor shimmering with a metallic luster had been added.
The surface of the armor was engraved with complex and profound Alchemy Runes. Its lines were sharp, and it looked extremely sturdy and heavy.
More strikingly, many of the sharp corners were covered with pointed metal spines, and some of the edges were forged as sharp as honed giant blades; the overall style was incredibly powerful and domineering.
Additionally, it is worth mentioning.
Wearing this hideous Alchemy Armor, Red Dragon Samantha's silhouette looked somewhat similar to Garros's at first glance.
In fact, it was precisely because she greatly envied Garros's incomparably powerful body that she used Garros as a template, applied her increasingly profound knowledge of Alchemy, and spent a massive amount of Materials and countless hours to forge this armor for herself, longing to use it to simulate and exert power similar to Garros's.
Garros turned his head slightly, his gaze carefully scanning Samantha's new equipment.
This full-coverage armor even encased her lower jaw in heavy steel, leaving only her dragon pupils, shimmering with a fierce light, and her nostrils exposed. The whole set emitted a suffocatingly heavy pressure.
Indeed, visually, it possessed some of Garros's majestic demeanor.
"This armor looks very good, Samantha. Both the craftsmanship and the design prove that your Alchemy is becoming increasingly powerful."
Garros was not stingy with his praise.
He was always happy to acknowledge the growth and progress of his kin.
Hearing this, the Red Dragon opposite him subconsciously puffed out her armor-covered chest, her face showing pride and delight that were hard to hide, her long dragon tail covered in spiked armor swaying from side to side.
Garros withdrew his appreciative gaze and turned his eyes back to the land below, where smoke signals were rising.
"These scenes before me feel somewhat familiar."
He turned his massive head and looked toward the Iron Dragon on his right, who maintained a calm posture, and asked:
"What do you think? Solrog."
Iron Dragon Sorog nodded his massive head slightly and said, "I feel the same way."
"It reminds me of the Early Stage of our rise when the tribe was still weak. To deal with the Golden Tooth Tribe, we also used very similar tactics."
Back then in The Borderlands.
The Molten Iron Tribe, relying on the agility and swiftness of their monster kin as elite individuals, adopted a guerrilla strategy of striking multiple points and constant harassment, leaving the Golden Tooth Tribe—which was larger overall—in a state of total confusion and exhaustion.
Ultimately, they forced the opponent, in their anger and impatience, to make the mistake of concentrating all their forces to assault the Fertile Plains. As a result, they were wiped out by the main force of the Molten Iron Tribe, which had been waiting at their leisure, laying the foundation for the Molten Iron Tribe's rise.
Now, times had changed.
The powerful Molten Iron Tribe had instead become the side being attacked, and the enemy had adopted a similar strategy to the one they once relied on to win.
In all fairness.
The Molten Iron Tribe's current Vassal Legion completely surpassed the attacking lion pride in terms of overall strength, organization, and equipment.
However, at the level of individual elite Life Level, the tribal warriors were somewhat inferior.
Even the lowest of the lion pride were level seven or eight Vicious Beasts or monsters, with more than half even exceeding level ten. In the rugged, complex, and movement-restricted wilderness environment, they relied on their strong individual strength and innate agility to scatter and attack the tribe's border outposts, indeed causing no small amount of trouble and loss to the Molten Iron Tribe in the short term.
"To be able to earn the reputation of the 'map king' in the cruel and chaotic wilderness, this Lion King indeed has some skill and methods."
The Red-Iron Dragon's gaze slowly swept across the land where smoke rose everywhere, his voice low as he said, "Guerrilla warfare and lightning warfare... this is no longer a lion pride in the ordinary sense. We must strike with a heavy fist and completely crush their delusions."
He paused slightly, then continued, "Since they are so keen on guerrilla warfare and regard speed and agility as their magic weapons for victory... then as they wish, we shall accompany them in this game of chase and hunt."
On the other side, Iron Dragon Sorog also gazed down at the surface.
He stretched his broad, massive wings and grinned, revealing rows of sharp fangs. "That these lowly beasts can use such practical tactics indeed causes me a hint of surprise."
"But that is all."
"They have overlooked one most important and fatal fact."
The Iron Dragon's voice was cold and sharp as he said solemnly, "The victory or defeat between ordinary kinship soldiers has little meaning in this war."
"Their true enemies are us! The noble existences who rule the sky! The dragons who command the heavens!"
"Attempting to play guerrilla warfare against the true overlords of the sky by relying on the speed of running on the ground? A foolish and laughable approach!"
Lightning warfare and guerrilla warfare were almost the most frequent combat strategies used by dragons.
Facing any large organization or nation on the ground, the dragons' most classic and favorite tactic was to rely on their unparalleled mobility and powerful individual strength to conduct guerrilla raids like lightning, constantly striking the enemy's weak outposts until the opponent completely collapsed or surrendered.
The lion pride's mobility on the ground might be considered strong; there was no doubt about that.
However, that also depended on who they were being compared with.
When the opponent was the absolute overlord of the sky, the lion pride's proud land speed and so-called agility and swiftness became a most ridiculous joke.
No matter how complex the wilderness terrain with its crisscrossing ravines and dense forests, for dragons who possessed a high-altitude view overlooking the entire region, it did not constitute much substantial obstruction or influence.
Every dash, every hiding spot, and every movement of the lion pride on the surface.
Under the watchful gaze of the dragons' sharp dragon pupils, they had almost nowhere to hide.
"Roar! I will make these arrogant beasts understand, through their blood and wails, just what an insurmountable chasm exists between a mere lion pride and our Ignas Dragon Flight!"
Samantha, wearing her heavy armor, let out an impatient low roar.
Her dragon claws clenched tightly, as if holding the head of an enemy.
Then, with a brief command from Garros, the Ignas Dragon Flight set out once more, including Blue Dragon Heriam, who had been standing by in the rear flank, and the young and bellicose Red Dragon Cahill.
Giant wings blotted out the sun, and dragon shadows swept through the sky!
The dragons instantly scattered, kicking up howling winds that tore through the clouds, like arrows of death leaving the string, resolutely flying toward the places where the fires of war burned in different directions along the border.