A Dragon against the Whole World

Chapter 162: Chapter 154: Pegasus and Elf

The resin in the fire pit crackled as the scout rushed into the White Mane Clan’s tent, bringing with him a gust of cold wind, his hooves still stained with the hard mud of the Border Area.

The creature, over three meters tall, with a human-like upper body and horse-like lower body, was panting heavily.

”Iron Dragon! An Iron Dragon appeared at the newly discovered gray magnetic iron ore vein!”

The centaur scout reported.

It wasn’t only Iron Dragon Solrog who noticed the presence of the gray magnetic iron ore. In fact, the centaurs of the White Mane Clan had discovered its existence half a month ago. However, due to some internal issues within the clan, they had not yet proceeded to mine it, only sending scouts to monitor the iron ore situation.

Thus, they discovered the presence of the Iron Dragon.

”This Iron Dragon, how big is it?”

”Almost thirteen meters, not yet fully grown, probably a young or adolescent dragon.”

”Is he still at the gray magnetic iron ore location?”

”No, he’s already left, but he mined the iron ore and discovered the vein. He’ll definitely come back.”

After a round of communication.

The Shaman of the White Mane Clan slowly stood up from the shadows.

The Elder Ma, draped in a raven feather cloak, frowned deeply, his skeletal right hand gripping a bone staff embedded with frost giant’s teeth, while the three bells hanging from the staff silently trembled.

In the Shaman’s eyes,

this was a sign of impending danger.

”This Iron Dragon didn’t come by chance, he will pose a threat to our clan.”

The Elder Ma said slowly.

By the fire pit, Ironhoof, the commander of the charge battalion, suddenly stood up.

The nearly four-meter-tall centaur giant was clad in heavy, sturdy chain armor, his dark brown mane interwoven with bone necklaces that clattered eerily with his movements.

As he stood up, he knocked over the fire pit, scattering burning resin on his iron-gray hooves, yet he didn’t even flinch.

He picked up the battle spear beside him, its notched blade a testament to countless battles.

”Thirty heavy arrow teams, plus my charge battalion.”

Smiling, he said, ”We’ll set an ambush near the gray magnetic iron ore, and when he comes again, we’ll use his skull as a drinking bowl!”

To them, a juvenile dragon was merely a slightly stronger beast.

The clans from the Border Area and the Icefield were generally mightier than those from the Sel Wilderness. The White Mane Clan had once repelled a White Dragon that attempted to conquer them, and the dragon scales that fell were still displayed in the camp as a badge of honor.

They knew the Iron Dragon was stronger than the White Dragon.

But the White Dragon they had fended off was much larger in size than the Iron Dragon the scouts encountered.

On the other side of the tent,

Silver Mane was leisurely cleaning the mud from his hooves.

As the warrior commander of the hunting team, he exuded a rare scent of pine resin and amber, his silvery mane smooth and flowing, and the steel-forged horseshoes sparked with each step.

”Why waste the lives of warriors?”

He looked at Ironhoof and said slowly, ”First figure out the Iron Dragon’s travel patterns, then set a trap or use poison. In any case, engaging in direct combat is the most foolish choice.”

Ironhoof cast a cold gaze at Silver Mane.

”The glory of the centaur lies in our spears and arrowheads, in front-line charges. Devious and underhanded tactics only bring shame to our ancestors.”

Silver Mane retorted, ”Don’t confuse reckless stupidity with glory.”

It’s been a year since the last Clan Leader of the White Mane Clan passed away, yet they had not elected a new leader.

Both centaurs, code-named Ironhoof and Silver Mane, were strong candidates, each confronting the other fiercely and showing no weakness.

The primary reason the gray magnetic iron ore remained unmined was their dispute over its ownership.

However, there were a total of three candidates.

Elvira flapped her large wings on her horse back, moving from a seated position to standing.

This elf-blooded female hybrid was more slender than other centaurs, her snow-white wings shimmering with a pearly glow in the firelight, her mane and skin a pure white, sparkling with soft luminescence.

As she spread her wings, the entire tent was momentarily darkened.

It was as if all the light focused on her.

After taking a sip of strong liquor and hanging the wine pouch on her waist, Elvira’s elf-like, beautiful face took on a hint of red, yet her gaze remained calm and bright.

”Fools, do you see nothing but slaughter and poison?”

Elvira said, ”Without even figuring out how many followers the Iron Dragon has or the reason he has come, you think about hunting it? Your rashness would only bring harm to the clan.”

Ironhoof and Silver Mane exchanged a glance.

Then, in a tacit understanding, they both turned their sights on Elvira.

Ironhoof sneered, ”Half-blood, your mixed lineage makes you indecisive.”

Silver Mane, a bit more tempered but not hiding his disdain, said, ”A young dragon can’t have many powerful followers; your worry is unnecessary. Your Elf Blood makes you overly cautious.”

In ancient history, centaurs once established a magnificent realm.

They galloped across wildernesses and tundras, drank strong liquor, and savored the feeling of the wild wind against their bodies.

But as the years passed, the centaur kingdoms crumbled, fragmented, and faded into just another ordinary monster race.

Yet they never forgot their former glory and prided themselves on their pure bloodlines.

Normally, as a pegasus variant naturally born with wings, Elvira should be respected and esteemed by her kin. However, her elf bloodline and her distinctly beautiful appearance instead brought her discrimination and prejudice, as centaurs favored rugged faces and physiques.

Her mother was a warrior in the White Mane Clan.

Her father was an Elf Ranger passing through the Border Area.

Her centaur mother yearned for the world the Elf Ranger had traveled, and the Elf Ranger appreciated her mother’s unrestrained and straightforward character, sparking a romance that ultimately gave birth to Elvira.

This should have been a beautiful story crossing races.

But, Elvira’s pegasus wings marked her as different from birth, and brought her mother to death with her birth.

Her elf father also left this place of sorrow afterward, leaving the young Elvira in the White Mane Clan rather than taking her with him.

Though surrounded by various disapproving glances and subjected to disdain and discrimination from birth,

she fought her way through it all with her remarkable talents and willpower, becoming the Guard Captain of the White Mane Clan, competing for the Clan Leader position, and drawing the wary attention of Ironhoof and Silver Mane, who often teamed up against her.

She had already proven her excellence.

But the centaurs’ obsession with pureblood placed her at a disadvantage in the competition.

”Your lust for the Clan Leader position has clouded your minds.”

”You lack the necessary rationality and calmness now, focusing solely on showcasing yourselves, forgetting that the clan’s future is the most important.”

Elvira retaliated without hesitation.

Meanwhile, the Elder Ma’s gaze constantly shifted.

As a Shaman, he had farewelled two Clan Leaders and was highly esteemed in the White Mane Clan. His opinions deeply affected the next Clan Leader appointment.

”Silence, all of you.”

His gaze was no longer cloudy at this moment. Using his bone staff, he slowly spoke in a hoarse voice, ”Danger and opportunity coexist. In the unseen, I sense that the appearance of this Iron Dragon is crucial to our White Mane Clan; it may well be an important turning point in our clan’s development.”

The Shaman, for years, listened to the voices of all things.

The closer they came to the end of their life, the more extraordinarily sharp a Shaman’s intuition.

From the moment the centaur scout relayed the news of the Iron Dragon, the Elder Ma sensed something extraordinary, as if he stood at an abyss, yet also as if he was on the clouds.

”What do you think we should do?”

Elvira asked, looking at the Elder Ma.

The Elder Ma’s gaze swept over the three, pondering silently for a few seconds before saying, ”I’m already old, my thinking now lacks clarity; the earth and wind belong to you young centaurs. Your ideas are more important than mine.”

After a pause, the Elder Ma continued, ”Whoever can properly handle the Iron Dragon incident will receive my support.”

The resin in the fire pit sparked, illuminating the distinctly different expressions of the three centaur commanders.

It was the first time the Elder Ma publicly declared who he would support. With his prestige, his support would most likely decide the next Clan Leader.

The appearance of the Iron Dragon would become the touchstone for their competition for Clan Leader.

ps: From now on, intelligent beings will be referred to as he/she, non-intelligent beasts or semi-intelligent creatures like the Violent Bear will use it.