The Natural Empire of the Oceanic Dragon

The ceaseless water vapor was evaporated into the sky, forming cloud masses. Under Atilan's control, it transformed into water dragons that surged into the ditches, the currents slamming against the riverbanks and stirring up surging waves.

The minotaurs scattered in a panic, fleeing away from the waves, terrified of being swept in and drowning. Only now did they realize the purpose of digging the long waterways for so long.

Originally, they had thought that digging the waterways was time-consuming and laborious, but the amount of water discharged was minimal, a complete waste of their strength. But now, the minotaurs were so shocked that their mouths hung open.

So, the purpose of building the waterways was not for natural drainage, but to discharge the water vapor extracted by the Dragon Lord all at once.

The Dragon Lord is so powerful! No wonder even a minotaur warlord as formidable as Lista submits to the Dragon Lord and remains loyal. Following the Dragon Lord, they will definitely eat meat to their fill every meal!

This was the unanimous sentiment of all the minotaurs upon witnessing the astonishing scene of evaporating water vapor. From that moment on, they harbored not a single thought of rebellion.

Atilan's creation of such a grand spectacle affected even the elven villages hundreds of kilometers away. The suddenly rapid and doubled flow of the river swept away many unlucky elves.

Fortunately, Atilan only extracted the water vapor from the surface of the swamp. These elves were at most injured, not killed.

After Atilan extracted the water vapor, the soil was still very soft, but compared to the previous situation where one would step into a puddle with every footstep, this fertile soil only needed to be dried to be suitable for planting grain.

Atilan landed in front of Lista, took a deep breath, and said:

"Have them go and scoop up the fish and shrimp from the soil to eat. Organize the land, and it can be planted with black beans and wheat. Repair the river channels well. The rainy season in the rainforest is coming soon."

"I don't want the land that was painstakingly drained to be flooded again after the grain is planted."

Hearing that they could catch fish to eat, the minotaurs excitedly rushed towards the newly dried land.

Although they could eat meat now, the large amount of grass mixed into their meals made the minotaurs feel uncomfortable. They were fierce minotaurs; what was the difference between eating grass and being a wild ox?

The swamp that Atilan occupied did not have an excessively high water content. Although the lake only extended three rivers into the rainforest, these three rivers gradually branched out into many tributaries in the southern part of the rainforest.

The winding rivers gradually eroded the land in the south of the rainforest into a swamp.

Although the scene displayed by Atilan's extraction array seemed earth-shattering, the land he drained only occupied a small part of this swamp.

Moreover, as the water from the lake continuously flowed south, relying solely on the currently excavated river channels was not enough to protect the land. The few river channels selected by Atilan had to be deepened and widened.

The elves only had a few people swept away, but the situation of the fishmen was truly tragic.

Fishmen cannot be drowned, but the powerful impact of the water released by Atilan caused over a hundred fishmen to break their ribs. The great commotion alarmed many fishmen tribes, who sent out warriors to investigate what had happened in the north.

The loose minotaurs were suddenly molded into a unified whole by a powerful minotaur, who drove out the fishmen tribes that originally lived in the north and spent their days digging on the ground, not knowing what they were digging for.

The fishmen migrated to the territory ceded by the minotaurs, but the fishmen shaman was constantly worried about when these minotaurs would move south and turn them into minotaur slaves.

But after so long, the minotaurs still had sufficient food. They used to launch plundering wars against them, but now they had become self-sufficient and not minotaur-like at all.

The commotion today could not possibly have been caused by the minotaurs.

When the fishmen warriors reported that a giant dragon had appeared in the minotaur camp, along with hundreds of elite warriors, mostly fishmen, the knowledgeable fishmen shaman knew their time had come.

First, the suddenly appearing minotaur barbarian subdued all the minotaur tribes. Now, it seemed that the barbarian was a subordinate of this dragon that had appeared.

In a fishmen tribe with a population of over two hundred, the old fishmen shaman sighed while looking at the fish bone staff in his hand.

"It seems that our life of fishing will soon be over. From now on, we will be loyal to the dragon, fighting for his ambitions and sacrificing the precious lives of the fishmen."

The fishmen warrior clenched the fish spear in his hand.

"What's there to fear? It's just a dragon. I don't think he's particularly big. Even if we can't beat him, can't we run away?"

The shaman sighed.

"Run? Tell me, where can we run to? Will the lizardmen, centaurs, and frogmen in the south give us their territory to live in and give us fish to eat?"

"Then go further south?"

"At first, they did plunder a lot of food and enjoyed it for a while, but soon the elves' counterattack arrived. The Centaur King eventually died in the swamp in disgrace."

A fishmen warrior said impatiently:

"His bones are in the lake where we often fish. We've heard this story since we were little. We're already tired of hearing it. We can't go anywhere, so we can't just wait for death, can we?"

"Shaman, please give us a clear direction for migration so I can have everyone pack their things and prepare to leave."

The shaman slowly shook his head, his eyes gradually becoming firm.

"No, we will not migrate. We will submit to the dragon! No matter where we go, we will inevitably have to fight. But submitting to the dragon will allow all our people to fill their bellies."

"It's just that we may inevitably have to go to war with the elves in the future. Are you afraid?"

The impatient red fishman waved his hand and drew the short knife from his waist with fervor.

"You said it yourself, we may die fighting anyone. Why not choose a powerful opponent to fight? That way, even if we die, we won't have any regrets."

The calm black fishman asked:

"Was it the cyan fishman who came to our tribe before that made you change your mind, Shaman?"

The shaman nodded and took out a package wrapped in leaves, handing it to the warrior.

"This is a gift he gave me. They make snacks from the fish they raise themselves and let me try them. When we submit to the Dragon Lord and build fish ponds in the lake where we fish, we can also eat dried fish every day."

"Until we, like them, are tired of eating fish."

The shaman said with a wry smile:

"I've lived for decades and eaten fish almost every day, but I've never experienced what it's like to not want to eat fish. Every time, I wish I could eat the bones too."

The red fishman said with a laugh:

"You certainly do."

Saying that, the red fishman opened the package, revealing the golden dried fish inside, and said disdainfully:

"It's just ordinary dried fish. Sometimes when we catch too many fish, we also make dried fish to preserve them. What's so enviable about it?"

The calm black fishman picked up a piece of dried fish and smelled it.

"Why does it smell so good?"

He tentatively took a bite and was immediately struck by the rich aroma of the dried fish.

"It's so delicious! Is this really just their snack? And not a sacrifice used when worshiping the gods?"

The shaman said in a quavering voice:

"Judging from his indifferent expression, this kind of dried fish is not precious in the Dragon Lord's kingdom. He promised to let all the fishmen eat their fill and use iron weapons to fight, and have armor to improve their defense."

The red fishman grabbed a piece of dried fish and stuffed it into his mouth. Although he was also shocked, he still stubbornly said:

"It's just delicious dried fish. Maybe he's just acting to deceive you. In fact, the fishmen won't have enough to eat after submitting to the dragon, and they may even live worse than before."

The black fishman stared at him and asked:

"Then have you seen the minotaurs gathered together for four months? Have they ever lacked food? I remember you went to scout why the minotaurs don't lack food, right?"

"Do you remember how their food was transported?"

The red fishman clenched the dried fish in his hand.

"It was more than a hundred centaurs carrying large bags, and some reindeer carrying even more bags, into the minotaur camp, all full of food."

"They accidentally spilled a bag of grain. I saw them just randomly collecting most of the grain, and they didn't even want the remaining scattered grain."

"I tasted it. The black beans with salt were indeed quite good."

The black fishman nodded and continued:

“I agree with seeking refuge with the dragons. Although the Minotaurs gave up some territory, they occupy even more of our land, making it increasingly difficult to find food.”

With their living space squeezed, life for the Fishmen tribe was becoming difficult.

“Then the two of you should go to the Minotaur camp to pay your respects to the Dragon Lord now. Don't let the other Fishmen beat you to it. I imagine the first Fishman to pledge allegiance will receive the greatest benefits.”

“Yes!”

Although this Fishmen tribe of two hundred was practically the strongest force among the seven or eight tribes, numbering over a thousand Fishmen, in this area,

their opponents were equally formidable. Moreover, the fewer the Fishmen in a tribe that still managed to exist, the more cunning and wise their leader or shaman must be.

Besides this tribe, the Dragon Lord's Fishmen emissaries must have visited other tribes as well.

Seeing the lightning and thunder in the north, with dark clouds overhead, the old shaman knew he had to make a decision.

Pledging allegiance to the Dragon Lord and fighting the elves might be the destiny of them—the Fishmen, Minotaurs, Serpentfolk, Centaurs, and other creatures. After all, besides dragons, the elves, humans, and dwarves would never accept their loyalty.

As the two Fishmen hurried to the camp, Atilan was enjoying fresh grilled fish, having brought the Halflings along on this trip.

The number of Halfling cooks accompanying the army had grown from zero to three. Besides the initial Halfling adventurer, he had convinced two more Halflings to return with him after bringing soy sauce back to the Halfling town.

Then the three of them became Atilan's personal chefs, responsible for preparing meals for the Dragon Lord, overseers, and commanders, while ordinary soldiers were catered to by mediocre Fishmen cooks.

Atilan hadn't brought all of the few qualified Fishmen cooks that Greenfin Town had painstakingly trained. Even if they had come, they would mostly be directing the work of their apprentices.

The remaining Fishmen cooks were responsible for hosting the druids who occasionally visited Greenfin Town. The Thunder Mutual Aid Society, the Agricultural Planting and Cultivation Association, the Fruit Wine Society, and the school cafeteria were also their responsibility.

The Agricultural Planting and Cultivation Association was a new group formed by Atilan, centered around the Grass Witch, with the main purpose of cultivating better quality millet, wheat, black beans, carrots, parsley, and onions.

The secondary goal was to improve all edible foods and useful furniture. Basically, anything related to food, clothing, shelter, and transportation would be improved with the help of the druids to create easier-to-grow and raise varieties.

For example, wheat and black beans that could be planted after drying out the moisture were varieties that Atilan had spent three months selecting, making them more suitable for planting in humid soil environments.

Of course, with only three months, the varieties cultivated would definitely still have limitations. Druids were not omnipotent, but top-tier druids could still quickly cultivate a new variety of grain.

However, top-tier druids would not casually do something that would disrupt the balance of nature.

The varieties that Atilan had selected could at most produce a little more than those planted in the desert. To truly increase yields by utilizing the wetland environment well,

it would still be necessary to cultivate and select truly high-quality, improved varieties suitable for this land through generations of planting.

The fish here were larger than those at the edge of the lake, but they lacked the unique water elemental nourishment of the lake, so the flavor of the fish was still slightly inferior.

At this moment, a Centaur walked in.

“Dragon Lord, there are two Fishmen outside requesting an audience.”

Atilan raised his eyes curiously.

“What do they want?”

“According to them, their tribe has witnessed the Dragon Lord's divine power and intends to pledge allegiance.”

Atilan's claws tore through the fish.

“Interesting. Let them in.”

The two Fishmen knelt on the ground upon seeing Atilan.

“Greetings, Dragon Lord!”

“Why do you want to pledge allegiance to me?”

Before the steady black Fishman could speak, the red Fishman spoke first.

“Because we can eat our fill!”

The black Fishman quickly interjected.

“It is out of admiration for the Dragon Lord's power, hoping to receive the Dragon Lord's protection.”

A black Fishman with high emotional intelligence and a red Fishman with low emotional intelligence, but Atilan preferred the red Fishman.

“I certainly have an endless supply of food, but whether you can eat it depends on your performance. I can protect you, but you must be valuable.”

The red Fishman's eyes were filled with fervor.

“Whoever the Dragon Lord needs us to fight, we will fight!”

The black Fishman followed closely, pounding his chest with his right hand.

“It is our honor to serve the Dragon Lord.”

Atilan pointed at the black Fishman and said to Lista with a smile:

“This black Fishman is good. I think he can be your deputy.”

Lista also nodded.

“He is indeed a bit like Fisher, but I still prefer the red Fishman more.”

Atilan waved his hand with a smile.

“That won't do. Such a driven guy should be given to Fisher to polish him up properly. Jackals are still more suitable for him to perform against.”

“How many people are in your tribe? How many warriors, women, and children are there? What do you usually eat, and what are your relationships with the surrounding tribes?”

The black Fishman steadily answered all of Atilan's questions, and Atilan nodded in satisfaction.

“This grilled fish is a reward for you. I am very satisfied with your answers.”

The red Fishman stood up excitedly.

“Just for answering some questions, the Dragon Lord rewards him with a big fish. I am clumsy and not good at talking, but I can fight. I believe I can also receive the Dragon Lord's reward.”

“Since you are so good at fighting, then let me see how good you really are. There are many warriors here. You can choose any one of them as your opponent.”

The red Fishman pointed directly at Lista.

“I choose him! He looks like the best fighter among these people.”

Atilan smiled playfully, ready to watch a good show.

The black Fishman quickly said:

“Dragon Lord, he has been staying in the swamp and hasn't seen much of the world. Please forgive his arrogance.”

Atilan smiled and looked at Lista.

“Even the person involved isn't angry, why should I be angry? Lista, he wants to challenge you, what do you think?”

Lista stood up directly.

“Let me teach this kid what respect for the strong is.”

“I also want to see how powerful the barbarian who can conquer all the Minotaur tribes really is!”

Lista's fists cracked, looking contemptuously at the red Fishman.

“You will see soon enough.”

The red Fishman took out his short knife, while Lista only clenched his fists.

“You don't use weapons?”

Lista said contemptuously:

“I don't need weapons to deal with you.”

With that, Lista rushed up and punched the red Fishman, sending him flying. The black Fishman could only sit behind the newly moved table, watching the battle with some anxiety.

“Eat the fish with peace of mind, Lista won't kill him.”

Since the Dragon Lord said so, the black Fishman could only pick up a knife and fork and enjoy the fish that Atilan had only taken one bite of.

He originally thought that spiced dried fish was a rare delicacy in this world, but this bite of fish made him realize what true deliciousness was.

The Dragon Lord's fish was bigger than other people's fish, but the black Fishman could tell that the cooking method was about the same. This meant that following the Dragon Lord, as long as you had strength, you could indeed live a good life.

The black Fishman clenched his fists. He wanted to eat this kind of delicious food in the future, and sit next to the Dragon Lord like these generals!

Lista only needed three punches to make the red Fishman spit blood and fall to the ground, unable to get up.

The little Fishman Sal walked out from beside Atilan and waved a stream of water at the red Fishman, enveloping his body and slowly healing his injuries.

The black Fishman looked at Sal in shock. Could even such a young Fishman use such powerful magic?

Their tribe's old shaman had been a shaman for decades, and the most powerful magic he could use was to summon a water elemental whose combat power wasn't even stronger than his.

The old shaman had also tried hard to learn healing magic, which was very difficult to master, but he had failed shamefully time and time again, and had finally resigned himself to fate and chosen to give up some time ago.

But the attendant beside the Dragon Lord was such a powerful shaman?

Just then, the Centaur walked in again.

“Dragon Lord, several more Fishmen have come. They seem to be at odds with each other, but they all came to pledge allegiance to the Dragon Lord.”

Atilan smiled slightly.

“I didn't expect that I had just arrived and hadn't done anything, and the Fishmen were already planning to pledge allegiance to me.”

Because I thought about it for too long and didn't have enough time, so there are only five thousand words today.