Seeing the Golden Dragon crush and slaughter a drow matron on the spot, all the clan leaders chose to remain silent, even though none of them knew of Noah’s noble bloodline as an ancestor—because they had never seen a Golden Dragon, their understanding of the Golden Dragon was limited to rumors, and of course, they couldn’t recognize an ancestor.
The overwhelming power displayed by the Golden Dragon now also matched their perceptions of the Golden Dragon, except for the cruelty of the slaughter, which was somewhat more brutal than the rumors suggested.
However, given the target, it’s understandable, because the legendary Golden Dragons are known to detest evil and show no mercy.
In other words, when this Golden Dragon declared that it intended to kill them all, it was not a threat; it truly intended to do so.
They were already on the opponent’s territory, and looking at the drow matron who watched death approach helplessly, with all her lifesaving measures failed, it was clear that opposing the Golden Dragon in the Mage City would only make them targets to be slaughtered, one after another.
Who could withstand such a Giant Dragon?
The Minotaur chieftain looked at the dragon tail swaying not far in front of him, quietly compared it in his mind. The Golden Dragon, which had seemed slender and long from the platform, upon getting closer, even its seemingly thinnest tail was several times larger than his torso. If that tail were to whip over, he felt his fate might not be good.
He wasn’t unfamiliar with dragons; as an elder Minotaur, he once encountered a Yellow Jade Dragon in the Dark Territory, but that Yellow Jade Dragon’s size was less than half of the one before him.
Yet even then, he hadn’t dared to challenge the Yellow Jade Dragon. Now, he had even less courage, even though he was more powerful than before. The Golden Dragon in front of him was far stronger than the Yellow Jade Dragon he had encountered.
Moreover, it wasn’t just the dragon; with the corner of his eye, the Minotaur secretly glimpsed the flanks where Steel Magic Statues with secret patterns shining and luster flowing stood along the walls. Not to mention the Cloud Giants, more imposing both in size and presence than the statues, guarding the sides.
These Cloud Giants, over twelve meters tall, wore magic armor and wielded weapons taller than themselves. A single one was difficult to deal with, but here they appeared in legion scale, in clutches.
This wasn’t a place where they could express opposition; all they could do was express submission in the most humble posture.
"Why is no one speaking? Or do you all wish to submit to my rule?"
Noah looked around the hall, moving among the dozens of clan leaders from the Dark Territory, his massive body causing all leaders to avoid eye contact. None dared to meet the gaze of the Golden Dragon, all chose the posture of bowing and submission.
"The Black Corner Tribe is willing to submit to your rule!"
When the Golden Dragon looked over, the old Minotaur loudly responded.
The tribe’s situation was already dire, with young members dying tragically every year to fulfill the resource quotas demanded by the Legendary Mage. The tribe could barely maintain its current size, with no power to expand, let alone grow stronger and more prosperous.
Now, with the ruler and manager changed from a human mage to a Golden Dragon, how much worse could things get? Surely, he wouldn’t really kill them all? What meaning would that serve? After all, they would be supplying resources annually.
"Her tribe is now yours; you have the right to mobilize the surrounding tribes to besiege her tribe. All booty will be handed over, with thirty percent going to your tribe, and the remaining war spoils divided among the other participating tribes according to their involvement!"
For the first tribe to clearly express submission to his rule, Noah showed his "generosity," offering a sweet incentive, pointing to the drow’s crushed bones and ashes he had slain.
Although Noah’s distribution of war spoils seemed like oppression, taking half without participating, the Black Corner Tribe still rejoiced.
Because Selena’s previous exploitation and extortion were harsher, even when dealing with disobedient tribes, participating clan tribes received no benefits, only break-even outcomes.
This Legendary Mage equally exploited all the Dark Clans subject to the Augustus family, without exception. All tribes could only barely maintain existence on the Dark Territory lands controllable by Augustus, ensuring survival through submission, yet unable to expand and grow strong.
Now it seems that the Golden Dragon’s rule might differ from that of the Legendary Mage. For some tribes, it could be an opportunity for clan rise.
The Black Corner Tribe took the lead in submitting and obtained actual benefits. Other tribes, though regretful, quickly followed, but no longer had a share.
However, Noah planned to select one or two pleasing tribes for support and use them to manage and exploit the remaining tribes.
When the adoptive mother was in charge before, the Dark Race wasn’t considered human, even though they weren’t human. Yet they were treated so harshly, that they could only maintain basic survival standards, leaving these tribes struggling to achieve anything.
Now that Noah was in charge, things would naturally be different. Because the underground was always a hard-to-reach area for the surface, making management too difficult, and the costs of governance too high, direct interference was uneconomical.