Chapter 28: The Rival

Am I really that powerful?

Huang Ze was somewhat bewildered. After a long pause, he finally said, “…Alright, even if I really am a level-seven lifeform, there are still huge differences in strength among them. The spectrum ranges from 100 to 10,000 tons of TNT equivalent. If someone like me, at the one to two hundred ton level, is sent to challenge a flame demon… Are you sure this is really okay?”

“Please rest assured, Mr. Huang,” Ding Xuewen replied with a smile. “Choosing this flame demon as your opponent was a decision we made after careful consideration.”

“First, in terms of attributes, black dragons have a natural advantage over flame demons.”

“The flame demon is renowned for its powerful fire-based magical attacks, but black dragons possess extremely high magic resistance, allowing them to largely negate magical damage. Their bodies are also exceptionally tolerant to high temperatures. This means, when it comes to magic, the black dragon holds a decisive edge.”

“Although the flame demon’s limbs are also very strong, because it’s a semi-energy being, its body is rather crudely constructed and bulky. Its physical defenses aren’t particularly impressive, and its mobility is negligible. If a melee powerhouse like a black dragon targets it, it can do little but take the beating.”

“Second…”

“We’ve observed this particular flame demon fighting dragons several times and have determined it poses little threat to them.”

“Volcanic environments with extreme heat are favored habitats for dragons, so it’s not uncommon for them to intrude on the flame demon’s territory for a hot bath, and fights often break out as a result.”

“From our observations, the dragons almost always emerge victorious in these conflicts—sometimes the flame demon is beaten so badly it doesn’t even dare to show its face.”

“And finally…” Ding Xuewen paused, then smiled and continued, “Even if something unforeseen happens during your fight with the flame demon, we have contingency measures.”

Me brawling with a flame demon inside a volcano—while maybe not quite on the scale of Godzilla versus Kong, surely it won’t be much less spectacular than Ultraman battling monsters. Can you really intervene in that?

Curious, Huang Ze quickly asked, “What measures?”

“We’d launch ballistic missiles to forcibly separate you two.”

“…”

Huang Ze was speechless for a long moment before finally blurting out, “…That’s your solution? Isn’t that a bit too hardcore!”

“You call that breaking up a fight? More like wiping us both out!”

“Not at all, Mr. Huang,” Ding Xuewen explained with a smile. “Our ballistic missiles have their power greatly reduced beyond our borders. For example, a warhead with a supposed yield of 20 kilotons would actually only deliver about two or three hundred tons—roughly equivalent to an ordinary seventh-circle area spell. With your physical resilience, you’d easily withstand it.”

“But the flame demon is a different story. Its body is cobbled together from lava and isn’t structurally stable. One hit and it might fall apart and lapse into dormancy… So using a ballistic missile to break up your fight is actually a perfect solution!”

“…Alright then.” Huang Ze mulled it over and finally accepted Ding Xuewen’s training plan. But he couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity,

“Academician Ding, I noticed on the map just now that most of the extraordinary creatures abroad seem to stay more than a hundred kilometers away from our border. Why is that?”

“Oh, that’s actually by design on our part,” Ding Xuewen explained. “The hundred kilometers beyond the border is a declared security zone—no lifeform of level five or above is allowed to linger there. If they do, they bear the consequences.”

“That’s pretty overbearing, isn’t it?” Huang Ze exclaimed. “Can those extraordinary creatures really accept such a demand?”

“They have no choice,” Ding Xuewen said with a smile. “That hundred-kilometer strip beyond our border is precisely where our heavy artillery and rocket fire can provide concentrated coverage. If they dare to defy us, they’ll be bombarded day and night.”

“Granted, our shells lose much of their power due to foreign magical laws, making it hard to cause substantial harm to extraordinary beings. But sheer volume and unpredictability make up for it. Imagine being woken up in the middle of the night by an unexpected barrage—no one could stand it…”

“And it’s not as if we have no means to threaten their lives. For those stubborn and recalcitrant cases, we’d use low-yield nuclear missiles to teach them a lesson… Though the cost is high, and we generally refrain from doing so.”

“…After several months of friendly negotiations, the vast majority of extraordinary creatures chose to cooperate and moved out of the security zone.”

Even so…

For a moment, Huang Ze didn’t know how to respond. He couldn’t believe that, even in another world, the Xia Nation was still so enthusiastic about forced relocations. He couldn’t help but voice his concerns, “Doing all this… aren’t you afraid of inciting widespread resentment and uniting the extraordinary creatures against you?”

“Of course that’s a concern,” Ding Xuewen admitted. “But from a national defense strategy standpoint, we really need a secure buffer zone. Otherwise, surrounded by powerful magical creatures, we wouldn’t even be able to leave our own borders.”

“But we’re not always hardline. For those who are friendly and willing to communicate, we actively consider their needs and offer relocation compensation…”

“So most extraordinary lifeforms are actually quite cooperative with our arrangements.”

“…”

The dragon was at a loss for words. He had a strong premonition that, upon returning home, his main job might well be demolition, urban management, and public security.

“If our country really can threaten extraordinary creatures beyond our borders…” Huang Ze mused, then asked in puzzlement, “Why didn’t you just use missiles to take down that red dragon before, instead of asking for my help?”

“Well, Mr. Huang, it’s not that we hadn’t considered it,” Ding Xuewen patiently explained. “But most extraordinary creatures possess a talent known as danger sense. When faced with mortal threats, they instinctively become alert, giving them a strong chance to evade and escape.”

“Moreover, this red dragon can transform into human form, making it a small and elusive target. We lack satellites abroad, and our drones have severely limited flight times—so tracking it down is far from easy.”

“Most importantly, we actually have something to gain from the red dragon—it’s willing to sell us dragon’s blood.”

“Before you returned home, this was our only way to learn about dragons. Without absolute certainty, we were hardly in a position to take action against it.”