Evil Red Dragon

Natsu stood at the entrance of the mine, stroking the rock strata in front of him.

After becoming a dragonborn, the world he saw was completely different.

The metal deposits hidden underground were now as clearly visible as fireflies in the night.

He could sense the vein meandering through the rock strata like a sleeping giant python, containing astonishing reserves.

"The great Dragon Lord..."

Natsu murmured softly, his eyes flashing with fanaticism.

He used to be a small tribal leader who could only lead kobolds and barely survive during the regular human extermination campaigns.

Now, he is a genuine dragonborn sorcerer, a servant of the red dragon, and bears the heavy responsibility of mining veins for his master.

This change was so sudden that Natsu is still somewhat dazed.

He took a deep breath, turned around, and Natsu looked at the 400 kobolds gathered behind him.

"Listen up, everyone!"

Natsu shouted in Dragon Language:

"The great red dragon Alekto has bestowed upon us unparalleled glory! He has made us his servants!"

The dog-headed people looked up, their eyes filled with awe.

"Now, our master needs us!"

Natsu raised his newly grown claws, their tips as sharp as knives:

"We must mine the finest iron ore for our master, smelt it into the hardest steel, and forge the sharpest weapons!"

His gaze swept across every kobold's face:

"We are kobolds! We were born to serve dragons!"

"Dig for veins, gather treasures, and protect the dragon's nest! This is a mission etched in our blood!"

"And now, the great Red Dragon has given us this opportunity!"

Naz's voice grew louder and louder:

"As long as we fulfill our master's requirements, as long as we mine enough ore, we will all be rewarded! Food! Safety! Even..."

He deliberately dragged out the last syllable:

"...Like me, become a Dragonborn!"

To get the kobolds to serve the Dragon Lord with all their might, Natsu would tell any lie.

It's just a matter of a word. At most, he'll recommend it to the Dragon Lord, but whether it can be implemented is not up to him.

This statement, like a boulder thrown into water, stirred up huge waves among the dog-headed crowd.

"Dragonborn..."

"Boss Natsu has really become a Dragonborn..."

"I want one too..."

Whispers arose among the kobolds, and longing gradually spread.

The kobolds' worship of dragons runs deep, and for them, dragonborn is not only the highest honor, but also means gaining unparalleled power, breaking free from the limitations of lifespan, and bullying other weaker beings.

An old kobold shakily raised its paw:

"Chief...can we really become dragonborn?"

"certainly!"

Natsu said firmly:

"My master told me personally that as long as we work hard, the rewards will be plentiful! But there's a condition..."

He pointed to the mine behind him:

"We must mine enough ore within two months—no, within one month!—to smelt the first batch of pig iron!"

The dog-headed people's breathing suddenly became rapid.

Natsu knew the time was right.

"Now, everyone split into two teams!"

Natsu quickly assigns tasks:

"One team will follow me into the mine to start mining, and the second team will be responsible for transporting the ore outside!"

The dog-headed people sprang into action.

Natsu led the first group of kobolds, torches held high, into the dark mine tunnels.

The mine tunnel is a naturally formed fissure, about three meters high and only wide enough for two kobolds to walk side by side.

"stop."

Natsu suddenly raised his hand.

He closed his eyes, feeling the pulse of the earth.

At this moment, he could clearly see the direction of the ore vein.

"Start digging from here."

Natsu pointed to the rock wall on the left:

"You can reach the main ore layer by going diagonally downwards."

The dog-headed people looked at each other in bewilderment.

A kobold miner hesitated:

"Chief... how did you know...?"

"Because my master's dragon blood flows in my veins!"

Natsu glared at it, and the dragonborn's imposing aura made the kobold instinctively retreat.

"Now, dig!"

The dog-headed men dared not ask any more questions, and they all raised their pickaxes and began to dig.

Ding!Ding!Ding!

The sound of metal colliding with rock echoed through the mine tunnels.

Natsu was not idle.

He walked to the rock wall, stretched out his dragon claw, his five fingers joined together like a cone, and suddenly pierced into the rock.

puff-

The claws easily sank into the rock layer, and with a forceful snap, Natsu tore off a large chunk of rock.

Iron ore is faintly visible at the cross-section.

Natsu shook off the pebbles from his claws and breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he was confident in his senses, the moment he actually saw the ore, the sense of security put his mind at ease.

"Keep digging! Don't stop!"

Natsu urged loudly:

"I need to see the main ore layer before nightfall!"

At the same time, in the smelting area.

Gru stood in front of the first furnace that had just been built, his brow furrowed.

The furnace is about four meters high and is built of clay and stone. Its interior space is large enough to hold half a ton of ore.

Below the furnace was a ventilation opening connected to a simple blower, an air bladder sewn from animal hides, which was operated by two trolls taking turns stepping on to blow air.

The problem lies in the temperature.

"Chief, it's still not hot enough inside."

Lag poked his head out of the furnace, his face flushed red from the firelight.

"I checked, the current temperature is far from enough to melt it."

Gru crouched down and began to inspect the structure of the furnace.

Rag scratched his head:

"What do we do now? Rebuild it?"

"It's too late."

Gru stood up and dusted off his hands:

"We don't have time to start over."

He looked around.

The smelting area was located on an open space beside a stream, surrounded by piles of timber felled from the forest.

The remaining trolls are building the second furnace, and they are already more than halfway there.

"so."

Gru walked to the furnace and placed his hands on the furnace wall:

"I'll reinforce the furnace with earth magic and increase heat reflection. You increase the blower speed, and assign four trolls to each furnace, working in two shifts, non-stop."

Rag's eyes lit up:

"Great idea! I'll arrange it right away!"

Gru nodded, closed his eyes, and began to manipulate earth elements, allowing them to seep into the furnace walls.

The clay structure inside the furnace wall begins to reorganize under the influence of magic, and the inner surface becomes smooth as a mirror, which can better reflect heat.

This process lasted a full fifteen minutes.

When Gru withdrew his hands, fine beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead.

"call……"

He let out a long breath and looked at Rag:

"Give it a try."

Rag immediately commanded the trolls to add charcoal and ore to the furnace.

This time, the flames were noticeably more intense.

Crimson flames shot out from the furnace mouth, reaching a height of two meters, and the heat wave hit them in the face, making Rag feel his face burning.

"The leader's temperature has risen!"

Lag said excitedly:

"It's at least 50% higher than before!"

Gru wiped his sweat, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

Deep within the mineral vein.

Natsu is leading the kobolds in a frenzied digging.

After becoming a dragonborn, his physical strength far surpassed what it used to be.

Ordinary kobolds need to work in shifts to dig, but Natsu has been working continuously for four hours and still doesn't feel tired.

Each time he swung his dragon claws, he could tear large chunks of rock off the cliff face.

"Faster! Faster!"

Natsu kept digging while urging the kobolds behind him to hurry up.

The mine tunnel has extended downwards for more than 20 meters, with a steep slope, requiring the miners to use ropes to hoist the excavated ore up basket by basket.

However, the mining efficiency was still lower than Naz had expected.

Although the kobolds were skilled at digging, their tools were too rudimentary.

Most kobolds still use stone pickaxes, with only a few receiving iron tools from Gru.

If their tools are inadequate, they can only dedicate more time and energy to battling the rock strata.

25 meters, 26 meters, 27 meters...

Ding!

A crisp, clear sound of impact.

The rock wall cracked the moment the pickaxe struck.

"The main ore layer! It's the main ore layer!"

The dog-headed people cheered and jumped for joy.

Natsu rushed to the end of the tunnel and shoved through the rubble.

The iron ore that appears before us is densely distributed in the rock strata and is extremely pure.

Main ore layer.

Natsu's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to his knees.

It wasn't exhaustion, but a feeling of relief.

"quick!"

Natsu suppressed his excitement, his voice trembling:

"Increase mining efforts!"

"yes!"

The dog-headed people excitedly rushed out of the tunnel.

Only Natsu remained, slumped in front of the newly excavated mine, panting heavily.

Although the Dragonborn's physical strength far surpassed that of before, several hours of continuous digging still left him feeling exhausted.

"Boss Natsu!"

A kobold tumbled and crawled into the mine tunnel, its face beaming with excitement:

"The ore we've mined is piled up like a mountain; we can't move it."

Natsu used the rock wall to support himself as he stood up.

"Then we'll carry it out little by little."

Natsu strode out of the mine shaft, muttering to himself:

"It's more than a mile from the mine to the smelting area. Carrying it basket by basket is too slow. We need to use wooden rails and mine carts to build a transport route..."

Smelting area.

As soon as the first batch of iron ore arrived, the trolls sprang into action, throwing charcoal and iron ore into the furnace.

Iron ore softens rapidly at high temperatures, impurities turn into slag and float to the surface, and molten iron gradually accumulates at the bottom of the furnace.

"It's done!"

When Rag saw this, he was so excited he almost jumped up.

Entrance to the ore vein.

Natsu is directing the kobolds to lay wooden tracks.

"Here! Bury the sleepers deeper!"

"The track must be level! There must be no undulations!"

"You! Yes, you! Go and cut down ten more tree trunks as thick as a bowl!"

The dog-headed creatures were busy running around at Natsu's shouts.

Laying wooden tracks is a delicate task, and a challenge for kobolds.

But Natsu is patient, or rather, he has to be patient.

The Dragon Lord said that within a month, enough ore must be mined and the first batch of pig iron must be smelted.

Natsu didn't know how much was enough, but he knew that the more the better.

"leader."

An elderly kobold walked over shakily, carrying half a dark stone in his hands:

"Look at this... we found it next to the main ore layer."

Natsu took the stone; it felt heavy in his hand.

The stone has a rough surface and is dark black in color.

"This is……"

Natsu scratched the surface with his claws, scraping off a layer of black powder.

He leaned closer and sniffed; there was a faint smell of sulfur.

"Black sulfur stone?"

One of the most hated ores by dwarven miners, it has a high sulfur content and produces toxic gases during smelting.

"Is there anything else?"

Yes, there are many.

"Mark the location, but don't dig yet."

Natsu returned the stone to the older kobold:

"Let me ask the Dragon Lord first."

He continued to direct the laying of the wooden tracks, but his mind had already wandered far away.

Black sulfur stone... if properly processed, can also be a good mineral.

Soon, more than 500 meters of wooden tracks were laid, extending from the depths of the mine all the way to the entrance of the mine.

Although rudimentary, the use of tracks and wooden carts increased transportation efficiency by more than 10 times.

"Lord Gru!"

Natsu then took the black sulfur stone and found Gru standing nearby:

"Take a look at this."

Gru took the stone and examined it carefully.

Naz explained:

"This is black sulfur stone, which has an extremely high sulfur content. When it is smelted, it produces sulfur dioxide, which is toxic."

Gru weighed the black sulfur stone in his hand, his brow furrowing slightly:

"Poisonous? Then why dig it up?"

Natsu quickly explained:

"Lord Gru, although black sulfur is troublesome, it can be refined into pure sulfur after special processing. Sulfur is an important material for making gunpowder and alchemical potions, and it is quite valuable."

A flicker of interest crossed Gru's eyes: "Are you sure?"

Natsu nodded:

"Although the kobold race is weak, they have dealt with minerals for generations and have some understanding of these things."

Gru hesitated for a moment, then handed the black sulfur stone back to Natsu:

"Mark the location first, don't move it yet, I need to ask the master for permission."

"Yes."

Natsu respectfully accepted the stone, but then added:

"Lord Gru, there's one more thing..."

"explain."

"The current mining speed is still not fast enough."

Natsu points in the direction of the mine:

"There aren't many kobolds, and their tools are too rudimentary. Their stone pickaxes wear out quickly and are inefficient. Many of our people have blisters on their hands."

Gru looked in the direction he was pointing.

At the entrance to the mine, the dog-headed men lined up in a long queue, carrying baskets full of ore out of the mine.

Their small bodies were hunched over under the heavy burden, and every step they took was difficult.

The baskets were roughly sewn from rattan and animal hides, and when they were filled too full, the ore would leak out from the gaps and spill all over the ground.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Gru asked."

"We need better tools."

Natsu spoke frankly:

"Iron pickaxes, shovels, carts... the more the better. If every kobold could be equipped with iron tools, mining efficiency could be increased several times over."

Gru remained silent.

Natsu is right, but he also has his own difficulties.

The Chifeng Territory is currently in dire need of iron.

Although an iron ore mine has been found, the first batch of pig iron has not yet been smelted. The existing ironware is all leftover from before, and the quantity is limited. Priority should be given to supplying these combat personnel.

"I see."

Gru finally said:

"Once the first batch of pig iron is produced, I will allocate a portion to you first."

"Thank you, Lord Gru!"

Natsu bowed gratefully.

Gru waved his hand:

"Go ahead and get busy."

After Natsu left, Gru headed towards the smelting area.

The sight before the first furnace invigorated him.

Flames roared inside the furnace, and molten iron pooled at the bottom, with a layer of gray-black slag floating on the surface.

Lag is using a long iron rod to probe into the furnace to test the depth of the molten iron.

"How is it?"

"Gru asked."

"Soon!"

Rag wiped the sweat from his face and grinned:

"In another hour, we'll have the first batch of molten iron ready!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding trolls all showed expressions of excitement.

Although they did not understand the specific principles of smelting, they were amazed by the intuitive change of watching rocks turn into liquid at high temperatures.

"it is good."

Gru nodded:

"After the iron is tapped, it is immediately cast to make a batch of mining tools."

"clear!"

Gru walked around the furnace, inspecting every detail.

Everything is going according to plan.

But Gru knew in his heart that this was far from enough.

The master wants large-scale mining, enough steel production to support the development of the entire territory.

A furnace can produce half a ton of pig iron a day, which sounds like a lot, but for an expanding power, it's just a drop in the ocean.

"Lag, when will the second furnace be completed?"

"Before noon."

Lag estimated:

"The third one has already started construction and can be completed within a day."

Gru was making plans in his mind.

Three furnaces, each producing half a ton per day, totaling 1.5 tons of pig iron per day.

In a month, it can reach forty-five tons.

It sounds like a lot, but after deducting losses and scrap, only about thirty tons are actually usable.

What can you make with thirty tons of iron? One hundred sets of full plate armor? Or fifty thousand arrows?

These numbers flashed through Gru's mind, finally turning into a soft sigh.

Not enough, far from enough.

"leader?"

Lag noticed Gru's expression:

"Is there a problem?"

"We need to speed things up, get more weapons, get more armor."

He looked at the second furnace that was being built:

"I want to see five furnaces operating simultaneously tomorrow."

"Five?"

Rag gasped.

"Then we need manpower..."

Gru decisively said:

"Transfer them from the orcs."

"yes!"

Rag turned to make the arrangements.

"Lord Gru!"

A shout drew Gru's attention.

He turned his head and saw Natsu leading several kobolds, pushing a wooden cart as they ran from the direction of the mine.

The wooden cart had only four wheels and a plank, but it traveled quite smoothly on the wooden tracks.

"Lord Gru, look!"

Natsu excitedly pointed to the wooden cart:

"We've tried it, one truck can carry ten baskets of ore, which is much faster than carrying it on our backs!"

Gru stepped forward and inspected the structure of the wooden cart.

It's very rough; the wheels are carved from a single piece of wood, resulting in a lot of friction when rotating.

But it does work.

"How many were made?"

"Gru asked."

Three vehicles.

Natsu replied:

"But I've got the kobolds working through the night, so we should be able to make at least ten tomorrow."

"Go do it."

Gru patted Naz on the shoulder, a gesture that nearly made the kobold warlock fall over:

"Just tell me what you need."

"Yes, Lord Gru!"

Natsu excitedly led the kobolds back to the mine.

Gru watched their retreating figures and smiled, a rare occurrence for him.

The owner made the right decision to give this dog-headed human dragon blood.

At least, it tried its best.

As night fell, Chifeng Territory did not fall silent.

Dozens of torches were lit inside and outside the mine, and the dog-headed men were busy in the firelight.

Natsu stood on a high point at the entrance of the mine, giving loud commands in Dragon Language.

After becoming a dragonborn, Natsu found that his control over his people had greatly increased.

Previously, he needed to give repeated commands to get the kobolds to do something, but now he only needs to give them a look and they will obediently follow his instructions.

This is the lingering echo of the dragon's might.

Although far inferior to a real dragon, it was enough to exert a suppressive effect on kobolds, creatures who are born to worship dragons.

"leader."

An old kobold walked shakily over, carrying a bowl of mushy food in his hands:

"You haven't eaten anything all day."

Natsu then realized that he hadn't eaten anything since morning, except for a few sips of water.

His dragon-blooded physique has weakened his sense of hunger, but that doesn't mean he doesn't need to eat now.

"Just leave it there."

Natsu took the bowl and swallowed the food in a few bites.

The old dog-headed man didn't leave; instead, he looked at Natsu with a hesitant expression.

"Is there anything else?"

Naz asked.

"leader……"

The old dog-headed man hesitated:

"Some of our tribesmen have collapsed from exhaustion; three have already fainted today."

Natsu frowned:

"Take me to see it."

Led by the old dog-headed man, Natsu arrived at a makeshift thatched hut next to the mine.

Seven or eight dog-headed men lay in the thatched hut, all pale-faced and breathing weakly.

A shaman apprentice was examining them when he saw Naz enter and quickly stood up to bow.

"Boss Natsu."

"How is the situation?"

Naz asked.

"Physical exhaustion, coupled with malnutrition."

The shaman apprentice reported truthfully:

"They've been working so hard, they haven't had a break since this morning."

Natsu watched his people in silence.

He knew why they were fighting so hard.

The allure of the Dragonborn is too great.

Every kobold wants to prove its worth, wants to gain its master's favor, and wants to become as powerful as itself.

This fervor drives them to work relentlessly.

But that won't work.

An exhausted kobold is unable to work and instead becomes a burden.

"Let them rest."

Natsu gave the order:

"No work tonight."

"But Chief, the transport route isn't finished yet..."

"To be continued tomorrow."

Natsu interrupted:

"Tell all the tribespeople that for every four hours of work, they must rest for one hour. They must take turns working in shifts and are not allowed to work continuously."

The shaman apprentice paused for a moment, then nodded:

"Yes."

Natsu stepped out of the thatched hut and looked up at the night sky.

The stars twinkled, and the moonlight was cool and clear.

He remembered what his father had said when he was still a little dog-headed man:

"Natsu, remember, the kobold race has survived to this day not because of brute force, but because of unity and reproduction."

He didn't understand at the time.

In the wilderness where the strong prey on the weak, strength is the only standard; what use are unity and reproduction?

But now he understands.

Four hundred kobolds working hard might unleash astonishing productivity in a short period of time.

But then what?

Half of them will collapse from exhaustion, a group will fall ill, and the rest will also experience a decline in efficiency due to overwork.

This is not a long-term solution.

True efficiency comes from reasonable planning and a sustainable pace.

Natsu stood still and took a deep breath.

The night breeze carried the scent of earth, and he could sense that things were changing in Chifeng Territory.

From a desolate mountain peak, it gradually transformed into a true territory.

And I am one of the participants in this change.

This sense of belonging is something I've never experienced before.

Wandering in the wilderness, the kobold tribe lived in constant fear, never knowing whether they would be wiped out by humans or devoured by other monsters.

But now, they have shelter, goals, and a home.

"For the Dragon Lord..."

Natsu muttered to himself, his eyes burning with fire.

He turned and walked back into the mine, where work awaited him.

Smelting area.

The moment for tapping the first batch of molten iron has finally arrived.

Ragnarok commanded four trolls to use their large iron pincers to clamp the plug at the bottom of the furnace.

"One, two, three—Pull!"

The stopper was pulled out, and molten iron gushed out like lava, flowing down a clay channel and into a pre-prepared mold.

laugh--

White smoke rose the moment the molten iron came into contact with the mold.

The mold was made of fired clay and had simple grooves carved inside, used to cast iron ingots.

Each iron ingot weighs about ten pounds, which is a standard size and facilitates subsequent processing.

"The first one!"

Rag shouted excitedly.

When the molten iron filled the first mold, the surrounding trolls and orcs cheered.

Although it is rough and has many impurities, it is of great significance.

This means that from now on, they will no longer be completely dependent on external supplies and will be able to produce and be self-sufficient.

"Keep going! Don't stop!"

Rag urged them on, and the trolls took turns operating the machine, pouring molten iron into each mold.

Soon, all twenty molds were filled.

The remaining molten iron was poured into a larger mold, which was used to cast the tool blanks.

Pickaxe, shovel, mining pick...

These are all tools that the mine urgently needs.

Gru walked over and inspected the cast iron ingots.

The surface is rough, with many pores and a high content of impurities.

But for the current stage, it's enough.

"Well done."

Gru patted Rag on the shoulder:

"We'll continue tomorrow. I want to see the second and third batches."

"Don't worry, Chief!"

Rag grinned and said:

"The second furnace will be lit tomorrow, and production will double!"

Gru nodded, his gaze sweeping across the entire smelting area.

In the firelight, the busy figures of the trolls and orcs appeared exceptionally tall.

These soldiers, these workers, these families...

They are building a powerful territory for their master with their own hands.

And I, I, must lead them on this journey.

"Rag".

Gru suddenly spoke.

"Yes, Chief."

"Once these tools are made, you will personally lead a team to deliver them to the mine."

Gru said:

"Tell Natsu that he deserves it."

Lag paused for a moment, then realized:

"yes!"

Gru turned and left the smelting area, heading towards the dragon's nest.

He needs to report today's progress to his master.