The sparse, drizzling rain, like fine silver needles, quietly fell from the sky, soaking the slightly desolate land of the Scale-Earth Rift Road. The air was filled with the scent of damp earth and the fresh fragrance of grass after the rain.
This trade route, winding along the northwestern edge of the Serel Wilderness.
For long years, it had remained obscure, rarely trodden by the wheel ruts of merchant caravans.
This was mainly because monsters often appeared to plunder, and coupled with the great distance from the Federal Garrison camp, security was a concern, causing it to be deserted year-round, nearly abandoned, with only the wind, sand, and wild grass as its most loyal companions.
Only those destitute small merchant caravans that were truly strapped for cash and unable to afford the high tolls of the main roads would, when pushed to the brink, hold onto a sliver of wishful thinking, grit their teeth, and risk choosing this perilous path.
However.
Since that turning point over twenty years ago, everything here had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
Today's Scale-Earth Rift Road, although still incomparable to those bustling and prosperous main roads, was certainly no longer the desolate, nearly abandoned goat path it once was.
At this moment.
On the road that had been widened by more than double, the old merchant, Matthew, wrapped in a thick, waterproof dark cloak, huddled beside a pile of cargo on the open-bed truck.
The cold drizzle kept seeping into the gaps, bringing waves of chill.
He turned slightly to the side, telling the long-buried past of this trade route to the young apprentice beside him, who was inexperienced in the ways of the world and still bore the fatigue and curiosity of the journey on his face.
The engine roared lowly, driven by black oil.
This truck, built from metal and hardwood, maintained an unexpected stability and speed on the muddy road.
Matthew raised his hand to wipe the rain from his face, his voice sounding somewhat distant amidst the drizzle.
"Back in the day... right here on the Scale-Earth Rift Road, an event occurred that could not be ignored. It caused quite a stir, even alarming many high-and-mighty nobles, which is what gave this godforsaken place the prosperity it later had."
The young apprentice immediately straightened his back, the curiosity in his eyes growing even more intense.
Accompanied by the rhythm of the truck moving steadily and unhurriedly through the hazy rain, the old merchant, with the composure of a storyteller, smilingly narrated the tale.
The apprentice listened with rapt attention, and the ins and outs of the story gradually became clear in his mind.
Over twenty years ago, a group of fierce wilderness monsters integrated and unified, occupying the land of the Scale-Earth Rift Road and marking it as their own territory.
But to everyone's surprise.
The monsters entrenched here were not as cruel and bloodthirsty as rumored, slaughtering or plundering passing merchants.
Quite the opposite.
They had miraculously restrained their inherent cruelty and greed, taking out the rough minerals they had worked hard to mine in the depths of the wilderness, as well as the animal skins they had hunted, which carried a primitive aura, and actively signaled to passing human caravans that they were willing to engage in fair, barter-based trade.
What was even more unbelievable.
They even took the initiative to assume the role of "scavengers," clearing away the truly cruel and bloodthirsty Vicious Beast and dangerous magical monsters in the surrounding area, forcibly turning the perilous Scale-Earth Rift Road into a relatively safe and reliable wilderness passage.
You must know.
On this vast and dangerous land, only those large trade routes that required high tolls and taxes could enjoy the treatment of the Federal Garrison periodically clearing surrounding threats; this was a security guarantee that merchants bought with real money.
Yet this free, monster-governed passage had security that was not inferior at all, and in some aspects, even superior.
A merchant's nature is to keenly pursue profit.
After keenly perceiving the unique value and potential profit of the Scale-Earth Rift Road, more and more caravans began to tentatively travel through here. When they personally verified that the monster clan had indeed restrained their minions and trade could proceed smoothly, this trade route gradually became bustling.
"But."
Hearing this, the young apprentice, not yet twenty and straightforward, could not hold back the surging doubts in his heart.
"Old Man Matthew, why have we been on this road for so long and haven't seen even a shadow of a wilderness monster? Aren't they the masters here?"
He looked around at the desolate rainy scenery, his voice filled with confusion.
"Young man, don't be impatient, be patient and keep listening."
The old merchant took a sip of the hot tea he carried, continuing to describe the turning point of the story in his voice, which was full of the vicissitudes of life.
Just as the Scale-Earth Rift Road was becoming increasingly prosperous, with merchants coming and going in an endless stream, and it seemed everything was moving in a positive direction.
The nominal owner of this place—Viscount Ironthorn—felt his heart stirred by the prosperity of the territory, and his greed expanded rapidly.
He increased the taxes on merchants traveling the Scale-Earth Rift Road, and the intensity of his exploitation was staggering.
At the same time, he began to extend his greedy tentacles toward the monster clans that were entrenched here and maintaining order on the passage, demanding high taxes from them as if those monsters were his tenants.
The apprentice frowned and asked suspiciously: "Do you mean that it was Viscount Ironthorn who drove away those wilderness monsters?"
"Yes, but to be more precise, it was the monsters who killed Viscount Ironthorn, and then voluntarily abandoned the Scale-Earth Rift Road."
Hearing this answer, the confusion on the apprentice's face deepened: "This... this can't be right, can it?"
"Nobles are noble and have prominent statuses, why would he personally take the risk to come to this perilous wilderness?"
"Those wilderness monsters, no matter how fierce, how could they kill a noble lord who must have had layers of elite guards protecting him?"
"I cannot understand."
Watching the expression on the apprentice's face, full of confusion mixed with astonishment, the old merchant's mouth curled up, revealing an extremely satisfied smile.
He particularly enjoyed the emotional fluctuations that young people revealed due to the unknown.
Especially looking forward to seeing the shocked and stunned expression on the other person's face after learning the truth, which always brought a hint of pleasure to him, the narrator, as if he had seen his former self.
The old merchant slowly shook off the accumulated water droplets on his raincoat, and the droplets fell with a patter.
He cleared his throat and continued his narrative.
In order to train his heir and let the future leader of the territory accumulate merit and prestige, Viscount Ironthorn dispatched him to this wilderness land, accompanied by many elite guards of the Family, including an Alchemy Golem.
This team had a powerful lineup and a clear goal.
—With force as backing, to conduct a negotiation with those unappreciative monster clans, forcing them to accept the Viscount's will and obediently pay that exorbitant tax.
However, no one expected that the development of events would completely exceed everyone's expectations.
Behind that seemingly ordinary monster clan stood three Young Dragon!
Evil Dragon are naturally arrogant and violent; how could they tolerate human extortion?
They instantly tore through the hypocritical facade of peace, fiercely killing the noble heir, and then took the entire monster clan and left, disappearing into the depths of the wilderness.
Viscount Ironthorn was furious upon hearing the news and spared no expense to recruit a powerful Dragon Hunting Group, personally leading the team deep into the wilderness to pursue them.
However, this team eventually vanished like a stone into the sea, with no further news.
People who knew about this generally believed in private that it was those three Evil Dragon who killed Viscount Ironthorn along with his Dragon Hunting Group.
The environment in which Evil Dragon live is certainly perilous, often inviting encirclement and suppression by humans, but no one dares to underestimate their power and cruelty.
There are quite a few examples of crusaders being slaughtered in return.
"A noble Viscount, along with his heir, was killed by monsters in the wilderness... This stirred up quite a storm at the time, shaking many in the upper echelons of the Duchy of Raymond."
The old merchant sighed with emotion.
"Subsequently, in order to calm the situation and also to demonstrate their power, the Federal Garrison mobilized on a large scale and conducted a thorough sweeping operation in the area surrounding the Scale-Earth Rift Road."
"The surrounding Vicious Beast, magical monsters, and even some innocent or weak scattered monster clans were almost all slaughtered by the army, leaving nothing behind. This bloody purge, conversely, made the surroundings of the Scale-Earth Rift Road unprecedentedly stable, at least on the surface."
"And with the death of Viscount Ironthorn and the collapse of his control over this place, the tolls and taxes originally collected by him, which made merchants miserable, also vanished like smoke."
"The caravans coming and going not only did not decrease because of the previous killings, but instead increased day by day due to the exemption of taxes and the temporary improvement in security, seeming even more bustling than when the monsters were entrenched."
The apprentice still had doubts circling in his mind, and he asked: "But, when we came here, weren't we clearly stopped by soldiers at the intersection and had to pay a hefty toll?"
The old merchant smacked his lips, a trace of helplessness appearing on his face.
"That's because seven years ago, the Albert Family—that is, the Family of Viscount Ironthorn—sent people to retake control of the Scale-Earth Rift Road, started setting up checkpoints to collect taxes again, and their behavior was even uglier than before."
"Their greed made many merchants shy away and abandon this route, but overall, the Scale-Earth Rift Road is still much more prosperous than it was initially, and caravans like ours that have needs will still choose to pass through here."
Albert is the surname of the late Viscount Ironthorn.
The Albert Family holds a prominent and deep-rooted position within the Duchy of Raymond, having once produced a powerful Marquess as their head during their prime.
Although they have declined slightly and their glory has faded, they still have an Earl as their head and possess multiple Viscount lords guarding their territories.
A lean camel is still bigger than a horse; their network of connections and deep entanglement of interests far exceed that of an ordinary Earl Family.
The drizzle continued incessantly, like endless threads, shrouding the world in a gray mist.
As time passed, this small caravan, consisting of only a few cargo wagons, slowly approached the checkpoint ahead in the hazy rain.
Gazing forward through the misty rain, the outline of a small town—small but complete in every detail—gradually became clear.
It was built right next to the Scale-Earth Rift Road, with low wooden and stone houses crowded together haphazardly, the thin smoke rising from chimneys quickly dispersed by the rain.
———— Riverwood.
It had gradually sprung up from nothing over the past twenty years, following the ups and downs and increasing prosperity of the Scale-Earth Rift Road, primarily serving the weary passing caravans, the soldiers stationed here, and the adventurers living on the edge in the wilderness.
At this moment, the town appeared exceptionally quiet in the rain.
When the caravan finally arrived at Riverwood, the slanting rain was hitting the tiles on the roof of the watchtower densely.
Six soldiers wearing cloaks with the Albert Family emblem blocked the road in front of the barrier.
The bald captain leading them had sharp eyes, scanning the caravan members like a hawk.
"The old rules! For every wagon of goods, a thirty percent transit tax!"
The captain impatiently tapped the iron bars of the wagon with his scabbard, rainwater dripping from his shiny scalp into his collar.
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, his voice filled with undisguised greed: "Or... do you have any special donations?"
The old merchant nimbly slid off the wagon and walked quickly to the soldier captain.
He first respectfully handed over the travel documents stamped with the bright red seal of the Duchy of Raymond, then, as if performing a magic trick, pulled two bottles of alluring amber mead from his bosom.
"You've worked hard, my lord, out in the wind and rain. This is a small token for the brothers to ward off the cold and warm themselves."
He put on a fawning smile and handed over the mead, keeping his posture extremely low.
The bald captain was not at all polite, stuffing the mead directly into his own bosom.
The old merchant then lowered his voice and leaned in: "I heard a caravan only 'donated' twenty gold coins last month?"
He quietly held up three fingers, his voice lowering even further: "Our caravan is a small business, but we know the rules. We are willing to donate this much; we only ask that you be lenient and provide a receipt for the full tax payment."
The bald captain narrowed his eyes.
This meant he could pocket thirty gold coins privately, while only needing to report a mere ten gold coins in tax to the Viscount's mansion.
"Haha, sensible!"
The captain burst into laughter and pounded the old merchant's shoulder hard. However, when he took the heavy money bag handed to him, his expression suddenly changed, and his voice turned cold.
"However, the situation has changed! Times are tough, and the brothers have high expenses! It has to be—this much!"
He opened his five fingers and waved them in front of the merchant.
The young apprentice stood to the side, shaking with anger, fists clenched, but he dared not attack these armed soldiers.
The gleaming weapons at their waists and the Alchemy Golem standing in the rain, emitting a cold metallic luster, were definitely not for show.
"Damn bloodsuckers! Greedy bastards!"
The apprentice gritted his teeth, cursing in a voice that only he could hear, unable to help but mutter softly.
"Compared to this, it would be better to let those wilderness monsters take over! At least they aren't this insatiably greedy!"
His voice was already extremely low, masked by the patter of the rain, nearly inaudible, but with a warrior's keen hearing, the captain still locked onto this faint sound.
"Hmm?!"
The bald captain turned his head sharply, staring dangerously at the apprentice: "You! Just now! What did you say?! You little bastard! Say it again if you have the guts?!"
The old merchant's expression changed drastically, his heart sinking as he realized something was wrong, already prepared to suffer a heavy financial loss to appease the situation.
Just at this moment of extreme tension, when the air seemed to have frozen,
Rip—!!!
A terrifying sound, extremely shrill, like giant leather being torn apart, suddenly came from the sky!
A figure with an indistinguishable hue suddenly spread its wings, circling in the gray rain curtain. With it as the center, countless falling raindrops seemed to be dyed by an invisible force, instantly turning into an eerie emerald green.
As soon as this green rain hit the ground, it immediately made a hair-raising hissing sound.
Waves of thick mist with a sweet, fishy smell permeated the area.
The few low-level soldiers closest to it only accidentally inhaled a trace, and immediately felt the world spinning, dizzy, and nearly fainted on the spot.
Almost at the same moment, the ground shook violently.
Emerald green vines, covered in poisonous barbs and writhing like living creatures, broke through the wet, muddy ground and coiled around the limbs and torsos of all the surrounding soldiers.
The soldiers' terrified screams and angry curses were instantly drowned out by the creaking sound of the vines constricting.
Even the heavy, metal-forged Alchemy Golem was instantly wrapped and tightened by several thicker and tougher vines. The immense force caused the metal to emit a shrill groan, and in an instant, it was wrapped into a giant, constantly contracting green cocoon, unable to move.
Chromatic Dragon!
It's a Green Dragon!
The bald captain's pupils constricted sharply, and immense fear gripped his heart.
"Enemy attack! It's an Evil..."
Before his words could fully fall, they were abruptly interrupted by an even more violent whistling sound that tore through the wind and rain! A mace, huge enough to chill one's blood, was thrown out like a meteorite!
Bang!
A teeth-aching thud!
The mace struck the bald captain's upper body with pinpoint accuracy. The terrifying force instantly smashed him to pieces, and hot blood mixed with minced meat and bone fragments splashed all over the old merchant standing directly in front of him, like a fountain.
Thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump!
A heavy and rhythmic vibration, like the footsteps of a giant, came from deep within the rain curtain again.
An elite Ogre warrior riding a massive rhinoceros clad in heavy armor, like a moving hill, casually pushed aside the trees blocking the way as if they were straw, suddenly appearing before the terrified garrison soldiers.
But this was merely the beginning of the disaster.
Hiss, hiss, hiss... Deep in the gloomy rain curtain all around, pairs of cold eyes—flickering with eerie green, crimson, and pale white lights like ghost fires—lit up one after another without warning.
Densely packed, layer upon layer.
They had long since surrounded the entire intersection, including Ximu Town, completely airtight.
Looking at the human garrison's scouts and sentries, they had no reaction.
Without knowing when, they had already been silently killed by Lizardfolk assassins hiding in the shadows.
The soldiers were easily torn apart by the swarming monsters, and the Alchemy Golem was smashed into twisted scrap iron by powerful monster warriors; the sporadic resistance appeared incomparably fragile in the face of overwhelming power.
Many merchants and adventurers stranded in the town huddled under the eaves, watching all this in horror, at a complete loss.
Just then, Green Dragon Ludwig spread its wings, circled at low altitude, and let out a deafening roar that declared sovereignty.
"From this moment on! This place belongs to the powerful Molten Iron Tribe!"
"Those who surrender shall live! Those who resist—shall die!"
The old merchant wiped the blood covering his eyes with a trembling hand, knelt to the ground with extreme sagacity, and at the same time pulled the already terrified, dumbstruck apprentice down beside him hard.
Molten Iron Tribe?
What a familiar, yet heart-palpitating name.
More than twenty years ago, those monsters that had fled into the wilderness after killing the nobles had returned! And, their comeback seemed far more unstoppable than it had been back then.
At this moment, the wind and rain grew stronger.
But an invisible curtain, thicker than the wind and rain, had already quietly shrouded the Scale-Earth Rift Road.
Everyone in Ximu Town realized that here, the sky was about to change.