A Dragon against the Whole World

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Combat Alchemy Golems, Earth-Splitting Centipede

Galos stood at the vantage point of the Iron Pine Hills, his gaze sharp as a blade sweeping over the ground.

The usual entrances of the Earth Spiders’ tunnels were silent, not a shadow of an Earth Spider in sight.

This was very unusual.

Driven by their inherent breeding desires, these Earth Spiders wouldn’t go missing without reason, let alone collectively defy orders.

Galos clawed at the empty Black Oil Tank, his mind heavy and thoughtful.

For the past few months, the small oil fields that the Earth Spiders frequented belonged to the Black Rock Duchy, a nation composed of the Dwarf Race and a member of the Lothern Federation.

A military force from the Black Rock Duchy was stationed at the oil field, which Galos had observed from a distance.

Overall, it was far less impressive than the Carmel Black Oil Field belonging to the Lotheren Kingdom, but it shouldn’t be underestimated.

Just the heavy infantry alone numbered over two thousand, and since they were responsible for guarding the oil field in the perilous wilderness, each one was an elite, clad in full heavy armor reinforced with runes, equipped with battle axes, and well-crafted shields.

There were over two hundred Rock Armor War Ram Heavy Cavalry.

Galos had seen them in field drills, where the heavy cavalry charged, raising clouds of dust, with Ironhoofs causing the ground to tremble and wail. Their prowess and military discipline far exceeded that of the previous Goblin Wolf Riders.

Every dwarf heavy cavalryman wore superior Rune Steel Full Body Armor and wielded lances several meters long with arched tower shields.

There were also some light scouts responsible for scouting the outermost areas of the oil field, equipped with crossbows, hooks, and smoke bombs, every one of them mounted on Cyan-Maned Horses, which were magical creatures as swift as the wind.

As for the rarer Casters, Galos hadn’t seen them directly, but they surely existed.

Yet these were still not the most formidable.

The real core of the Black Rock Team lay in those war machines and Alchemy Golems.

The Alchemy Golems, heavy and sturdy as boulders, exuded an oppressive aura of ’do not approach’ even while standing still.

In conclusion.

Compared to such a sizable force, Galos was currently too weak to contend.

If a young Dragon was discovered and its location exposed, the Black Rock Team stationed near the oil field would certainly not mind dispatching troops to hunt it, capitalizing on unexpected resources.

The Dwarf Race had many Alchemists.

There was a great demand for top-tier Alchemy Materials.

And on the body of a Dragon Race, Dragon Scales, skin, flesh, bones, claws, and teeth... all were excellent materials. Capturing and breeding a young Dragon could provide a continuous supply of high-quality Alchemy Materials.

”Over these few months, the total amount of oil soil brought back by the Earth Spiders is quite substantial. Although it’s just the surrounding soil, if someone attentive notices it, they can detect something amiss.”

Galos flicked his tail, sending a few rocks flying.

At this moment, the frequently used entrance of the Earth Spider tunnels suddenly cracked and lifted, as if an underground creature was drilling to the surface.

”Have the Earth Spiders returned? No, that’s not right!”

First, an Earth Spider crawled out of the tunnel, but after taking only a few steps, it was suddenly afflicted as an invisible shockwave passed through, harming its soft organs beneath the carapace, causing it to collapse on the ground.

Galos’s eyes narrowed slightly as he saw a triangular, flat head emerge.

Following that.

A massive, elongated body completely drilled out from the ground.

With a cold, metallic sheen, its black, metal-like exoskeleton formed a lengthy body with dozens of linked steel segments, densely packed like folded battle blades. At the joints, its appendages extended, constantly contracting and expanding.

It was clearly the Alchemy Golem that Galos had seen in the memory fragments of the Earth Spiders, guarding the underground of the oil field.

It was 8.2 meters long, with a trunk diameter of 1.5 meters, resembling a steel centipede.

Earth-Splitting Centipede.

A burrowing counter-penetration Alchemy Golem, also a combat type.

Stained with some green Earth Spider blood, this Earth-Splitting Centipede first stepped forward to easily shred the last remaining Earth Spider into pieces, then slightly raised its head to scan its surroundings, its two metal feelers on the triangular-shaped head constantly swaying, as if examining and scrutinizing the environment.

Clack! Clack!

The ground again lifted and cracked.

Two more Earth-Splitting Centipedes emerged, probing the surroundings together, their body lengths and trunk diameters identical, as if cast from the same mold.

”The loss of oil soil over the past five months caught their attention. Originally just guarding the Black Oil, the Alchemy Golems killed the Earth Spiders and followed the underground passage all the way here.”

Seeing them, Galos confirmed his suspicions.

”This day has finally come.”

He thought.

Being discovered was inevitable; Galos had anticipated this. In his regular flight training, he was also observing the movements from high above to prevent any units from approaching for a surprise attack.

Meanwhile.

The heads of the three Earth-Splitting Centipedes lit up with a red glow, as if sensing something, and then they simultaneously looked up at the Red Iron Young Dragon perched higher in the Iron Pine Hills.

The closer Red Young Dragon Samantha, however, was ignored by them.

The reason was simple; they had detected a more dangerous high-energy reaction from Galos, identifying him as a threat, whereas Samantha was not deemed worthy of caution.

”They spotted me.”

Galos’s mind became vigilant, yet he was not panicked. Glancing from his position to the distance, he did not see any sign of the Black Rock Team.

”Things have come to this, let’s test the strength of these Alchemy Golems.”

These Earth-Splitting Centipedes were obviously different from the Giant Arm Miners.

With their cold, hard color, they projected a sense of danger and coldness, immediately looking like weapons rather than mining tools like the Giant Arm Miners.

”Samantha, Möbel, keep your distance, do not interfere.”

Upon hearing Galos’s words, Samantha, though eager, did not disobey. Flapping her wings, she flew to the skies, spiraling away from the ground, while the Earth Bear Möbel hid behind an iron pine.

Simultaneously.

Galos leaped from the high point of the hills, diving rapidly toward the three Earth-Splitting Centipedes.

As countless branches and tree trunks were sliced apart, the fine scales on his wing membranes rubbed against each other, sparking flames, almost pulling out a hazy cloak woven from sparks.

Facing the rapid attack of the Red Iron Young Dragon.

The Earth-Splitting Centipedes spread one blade-like appendage after another, vibrating at high frequencies, but instead of confronting the imposing clash head-on, they plunged into the ground, their bodies swaying as they vanished beneath it.

Boom!

As Galos came down, a massive crater appeared on the ground, rocks scattering like bullets, dust carried by shockwaves spreading out.

Galos’s dragon wings lightly flapped, scattering the dusty air.

He narrowed his eyes, scanning inch by inch around him, but the Earth-Splitting Centipedes were nowhere to be seen.

They seemed to have fled.

No.

They hadn’t fled.

Galos felt subtle tremors originating from beneath the ground, gradually intensifying. The Earth-Splitting Centipedes had burrowed underground merely to avoid his initial overwhelming attack, not to escape.

These combat-type Alchemy Golems didn’t have the option to flee without a fight in their systems.