The light that rose in the wilderness was actually very weak. Compared to the vast land, the number was pitifully small. Even so, in just a few minutes, Melita still felt as if they had filled her entire field of vision. She could not even turn her eyes away.
After a while, some of the lights were temporarily extinguished, but the rest were still there, shining like stars in the cold and dim 'polar midnight'.
"That one over there — the farthest one, at the foot of the mountain, there may be another camp there." Noretta also looked into the distance with her eyes wide open. She pointed to a cluster of fire at the end of her field of vision with a hint of excitement on her face. "Can you see it? There are a few smaller light sources moving around there. Maybe that's the patrol team! "
"I see it, I see it," Melita said. "And to the east of the camp, in the direction of the former Ruse Valley, there were also a few fireballs there … Maybe a few survivors have gathered together …"
Noretta quieted down and looked at those places for a long time. After a long time, she broke the silence. "Now they should be able to hold on for longer …"
Melita scratched her head and did not know what to say for a moment. After a long while, she squeezed out a few syllables. "Yes, that's true …"
…
On the tall sentry tower, the soaring flames were burning with the help of the pressurizer. Although the cold wind from the direction of the coast was still howling, it still could not blow out the dazzling flames. Balogel stood next to the pressurizer until he confirmed that these things could operate stably. He then handed the matter over to the other Dragons and turned to leave the sentry tower.
He came to a nearby high platform. Here, Andal and Helagol were standing in the night wind, looking in the direction of the distant plains. Some other red dragons were standing on the edge of the high platform, concentrating on recording something.
"Did you see those signals just now?" Hearing the footsteps behind him, Andal was the first one to turn around and tell Balogel, "It's more than we expected!"
"I saw it, but not as clearly as you." Balogel could not help but smile. He even felt that he had not smiled like this for a thousand years. "The pillar of fire on the sentry tower was very bright, and it somewhat affected my vision. Like I said, it was a very big bonfire."
"We have memorized the location of the signal," Helagol said. "Frankly speaking, a considerable number of them are in very far or very dangerous places. Based on the current situation of the camp, we can't send a team to search for them. But at least this has pointed us in the right direction. As long as the situation here is slightly better, we can send a team to help our compatriots trapped in the ruins."
"Besides that, there is a more important point. We have confirmed the existence of other survivor camps," Andal continued. "At least one of the beacons showed obvious characteristics of a camp: it was larger in scale, lasted longer, and there were other activity signals around. This is not something that a few dragons can do. Looking at the direction, that should be Akatos. There are sturdy factories and underground bunkers. There is also a very deep mine. The mine was originally a node of the Omega System. The survivors have a high chance of surviving by relying on those facilities. "
Balogel had a glimmer of hope. "Can we now …"
"No, it's too far away, and there is a blockade zone in the middle where the elements are rampant and gravity is out of control." Helagol shook his head. "But we can slowly open up a communication line in the wilderness. In any case, the most important thing is to confirm the existence of other camps. "
Balogel nodded gently. Then he showed a contemplative look and said slowly, "Now that we have confirmed more survivors, we should think about the long-term future. With the current situation of the camp, how many people can we feed?"
"To be honest, it's not optimistic." Andal sighed. "I have discussed this with Ducemore. Now our main source of food is a few warehouses and a food processing plant nearby. Some of the goods are not burned and contaminated. They can last for one to two months. In addition, the camp has sent a team to the direction of the coastline. We can find some supplies from the sea and the nearby islands, but not too much. The gravitational storm has torn the edge of the continent, and the entire coastal area is greatly affected.
"In comparison, the problem of fresh water is easier to solve. In addition to filtering and purifying the water from the sea, we can also capture the low-level water elements wandering nearby. Just be careful not to go overboard. It will be troublesome if the elemental riot is triggered."
"So, we can't be self-sufficient in the short term. Even if we can get a stable food supply from further islands, it will take a long time," Balogel said in a low voice. "Before that, everyone will starve. The only way to survive is to dig in the warehouses and factories buried in the ruins. It's impossible to get a stable supply."
"And one more thing to note: almost no Dragons know how to grow and harvest crops without relying on automatic systems. Not to mention, without the eco-dome and weather controller, most of the Arctic cannot achieve agricultural production," Andal said. "The harvest from hunting is limited. We have to learn how to get food and even process food from scratch. Without automatic farms and synthetic factories, it will be extremely difficult for us to start. If this situation continues, the surviving Dragons will have to turn their eyes to … a warmer human world."
Balogel's expression changed slightly. "You mean …"
"Instead of waiting for the situation to continue to worsen, and waiting for some of our compatriots to take the risk and choose the worst option when there is no hope, we should take the initiative to do something." Helagol looked into Balogel's eyes and said, "The era of Tarlonde's isolation is over. Since we have survived, we should find a way to face these changes.
"For more than a million years, our compatriots have never faced 'changes.' They don't know how to survive other than the Cradle. So now is a very critical moment. We have to be at the forefront. We have to be the first 'representative' of Tarlonde to contact the outside world. In this way, we can establish a new order of communication with the outside world. This new order should be civilized and orderly.
"I have just discussed with Andal. The Dragons have to return to the stage of the world. They have to contact humans and other intelligent races on the Loren Continent. We do need help, but we are not begging. We have to take out something to exchange for scarce resources and even scarce living space. All of this has to follow the principle of equivalent exchange. "
Andal listened quietly. When Helagol's voice trailed off, he sighed with a complicated expression. "Equivalent exchange … Now we owe a lot of debts."
Balogel quickly reacted. "You mean … the Mithril Vault?"
"To this world, the Mithril Vault exists in name only. Other than the network set up outside of Tarlonde, there may still be some things left. The vault's headquarters and all the main warehouses have been reduced to ashes. At least, that is the case in Agundor. We now owe a huge debt, and this debt is not limited to the prime material world … "
"Then pay it back slowly," Helagol said. "The Giant Dragon keeps its promise. We will pay what we owe, and give what we can."
Balogel said this in a low and serious tone. He could hear the determination and thoughtfulness in his tone. He looked at his old friend in front of him. Since 1.87 million years ago, he was the leader of the Giant Dragon. Today, 1.87 million years later, he was still maintaining everything of the Dragons in his own way, including the survival of the Dragons and the survival of the Dragons.
"What do we have left now?" After a moment of silence, Balogel asked. "This wasteland does not even have enough things to feed ourselves."
"There is always something that can be taken out. Even if Tarlonde is destroyed, we still have many things that are enough to attract the interest of other races. Other than the technology with a dangerous generation gap, we still have some knowledge that can be divulged. There may be some treasures in some warehouses, and there is always something under the ruins. If not … we still have our own flesh and bones. "
Helagol spoke slowly, but his eyes were unwavering. His expression revealed his attitude. That was the bottom line that he had drawn for the Giant Dragon civilization.
Tarlonde may have fallen, but the Giant Dragon was still standing. The Dragons were once the most powerful civilization on the planet, and the only civilization that had successfully broken free from the shackles of the gods. Even if the situation was now dire, he would not allow his race to fall. The Dragons would not become thieves, robbers, and would not live like beasts.
The dragons would return to the world's stage in a dignified manner.
"Since you have decided, I will naturally support you." Balogel nodded. "Then, since we want to contact the humans and other intelligent races, we have to have a plan. First, we need to find people who understand the various races of the Luolun Continent. Second, we need to find targets to contact in the early stages. Finally, we need to collect some information to understand the current situation of the Luolun Continent. "
"The situation of the Luolun Continent," Andal muttered. "We should investigate it first. The speed of change in the outside world is much faster than what we are familiar with, and now is the time when they are changing the fastest. "
As he spoke, he nodded slightly. "As for the people who understand the various races of the Luolun Continent and the targets to contact in the early stages, I have a general idea."
"That's good." Balogel sighed. "I will also take action. When the camp is more stable, I will return to the Dukedom of Holy Dragon. Now that the Dukedom of Holy Dragon had established contact with the human countries of the Luolun Continent, it could also be a window for Tarlonde to understand the Luolun Continent.
"Besides, although there is not much surplus crop production in the Dukedom, I should be able to collect some food and medicine. But I may need some extra time to prepare there. After all, the Dragonkin … are not ready to face Tarlonde. "
Speaking of this, the Dragonblood Archduke could not help but feel a little regretful. "It is a pity that it is winter in the Luolun Continent now. The situation of the Northern Region should be limited. It is probably difficult for the Dukedom to buy enough food from the neighboring human countries in a short period of time … I can only do my best."
"The Dragonkin …" Helagol's expression was a little complicated. After a long time, he sighed. "The mountains are not rich in resources. It will be a great burden for the Dragonkin to feed the huge consumption of primitive dragons. So just do what you can. After all, we have never thought of relying on the power of the Dukedom of Holy Dragon … "
"For our bold plan, the Dragonkin have taken on too much without knowing it." Andal also sighed. "We should have been their shelter and guide, but in the end, we have become their burden."
Balogel shook his head. "For many years, I have been watching the Dukedom of Holy Dragon. I have watched the Dragonkin slowly come to this day. The genetic adjustment took away their wings and even made them live in human form for most of their lives. But the Dragonkin have never forgotten Tarlonde — we are connected by blood.
"Perhaps not all the Dragonkin can understand what we are doing, but I believe that most of them will choose to help their mother after knowing the truth. After all, we are all dragons."
After that, the platform fell silent for a moment. The three leaders were each thinking about matters that would affect the long term, so much so that none of them spoke. Apart from the whistling of the wind, there was only the flapping of the search party's wings as they took off and landed, as well as the intermittent music that came from the depths of the camp.
The sky seemed to be a little darker than before. The stars appeared on the side of the sky closer to the night sky. Helagol looked up and swept his gaze across the quiet and cold night sky. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
At this moment, his expression suddenly changed.
"Helagol?" Andal, who was closest to him, was the first to notice the change in his old friend. "What's wrong with you?"
"Did you hear the sound?" Helagol's expression was unusually serious. His eyes were so solemn that it was almost terrifying. "Did you hear … 'him'?"
Andal and Balogel were startled by Helagol's expression at first, but then they were truly shocked by his words. They even exclaimed in unison, "'him'?!"
"Did you not hear it?" Helagol's gaze swept across the faces of his two old friends as if to confirm if their minds were normal. "Just now, there was a momentary echo."
"No." Andal was also nervous. He repeatedly confirmed the condition of his mind before he shook his head hard. "I'm sure."
"I didn't hear it either." Balogel confirmed as well.
Helagol frowned as he confirmed the condition of his mind. After a full half a minute, he was slightly relieved, but his brows did not loosen at all.
"Could it be that you are too nervous and have an illusion?" Balogel asked hesitantly. "The shackles have disappeared. We have confirmed this over and over again. Once the ritual is completed, the process is irreversible."
"… I hope this is an illusion, but I dare not use the word 'illusion' to explain any abnormal phenomenon in my mind," Helagol said in a low voice. "We … better confirm it again."
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