Translator: AnubisTL
After hunting in the abandoned mine and discovering the Rock-Crushing Worm colony, Garos didn't immediately return to the Heavenly Pit Territory under the iron dragon maid's protection. Instead, he continued to circle above the clouds, gazing down at the endless wilderness. He sought out demonic beasts and ferocious beasts to hone his combat skills while also scouting for territory suitable for his future domain.
It's worth noting that "demonic beast" is an abbreviation for magical creature. As a dragon, Garos himself could be considered the ultimate demonic beast. Ferocious beasts, on the other hand, are mutated and evolved wild animals, relying on sheer physical prowess while lacking intelligence.
Over the course of the day, excluding the initial Rock-Crushing Worm, Garos hunted five more targets:
Petrifying Lizard, Fire-Breathing Crocodile, Red-Eyed Giant Rhinoceros, Terrorclaw Owl Bear and Giant Pincer Rock Crab.
This included two demonic beasts and three ferocious beasts. Given the Sierre Wilderness's environment, which was dominated by earth and fire-type creatures, these six combat encounters provided Garos with a clearer understanding of his capabilities.
He was now a Level 7 lifeform.
When facing the Level 6 Terrorclaw Owl Bear, Garos relied on the dragonkind's inherent strength and his own physically enhanced physique, honed through relentless training. A single charge was enough to kill the beast.
When fighting the level 7 Fire-Breathing Crocodile, Garos's fire resistance, inherited from his red and iron dragon bloodlines, was directly hit by the creature's scorching flames. Yet, only a few scorch marks appeared on his scales. His own Flaming Dragon Breath, in contrast, reduced the crocodile to a charred husk.
Other demonic beasts and ferocious beasts of his level proved no match for Garos.
Even the thick-skinned Red-Eyed Giant Rhinoceros was left nearly dead after a single, high-speed dive-bomb collision with Garos.
Currently, the Great Wilderness Dragonfall was Garos's most formidable attack method besides his dragon breath.
For other young dragons, such a reckless, self-sacrificing maneuver would be dangerous, potentially causing severe injury if misjudged. But Garos, having spent countless days crashing against mountains and the earth, and having evolved a set of cushion scales, had long mastered this technique.
Lower-level and same-level creatures were no threat to him.
Only the level 8 Petrifying Lizard, a creature superior to Garos in level, inflicted minor damage. Its petrifying ray turned a small area of the dragon scales on his arm, and the flesh beneath, into stone. Yet, this was the extent of the lizard's damage.
Garos estimated that even though he was only level 7, he could probably face level 9 ferocious beasts without fear.
While ordinary dragons can fight creatures of higher levels, Garos's Adaptive Evolution had forged a physique that stood out even among dragonkind.
However, unlike most dragons, Garos lacked excessive arrogance and self-importance.
Unless there was a compelling reason or sufficient benefit to be gained, he wouldn't rashly confront creatures far stronger than himself.
With the inherent talents and adaptive evolution of dragonkind, he could steadily grow stronger through careful development.
There was no need to risk falling into danger due to fleeting pride.
The arrogance and self-importance inherited from the ancient era when giant dragons ruled everything had, no doubt, led to the premature demise of countless dragons before they could mature.
To get back to the matter at hand.
Aside from hunting ferocious beasts and demonic beasts, Garos had also discovered several suitable habitats.
The good news was that these habitats were either fertile and lush, had clear lakes teeming with life, or were strategically defensible due to their rugged terrain.
The bad news was that all of them resembled abandoned mines occupied by Rock-Crushing Worm swarms—they were already claimed.
In this wilderness, while life was abundant, suitable habitats were scarce and fiercely contested, with most already occupied by powerful creatures.
The territory Garos coveted most was a picturesque location nestled between mountains and water, blessed with abundant food resources.
Unfortunately, it was occupied by a pride of Spiketail Lions.
Adult Spiketail Lions average level 5.
In a one-on-one duel, Garos would have let them use both claws.
But the pride of Spiketail Lions was substantial, numbering around thirty from his aerial survey. Not only did they have both a male and female leader, but their massive bodies and slightly mutated appearances set them apart from normal Spiketail Lions.
He mentally noted several promising territories.
Perhaps by the time I leave the iron dragon maid's protection, I'll be strong enough to replace the current lord, Garos thought.
As the sun dipped below the distant mountains, painting the sky in fiery hues of sunset.
The young dragon concluded his exploration, soaring through the twilight and returning to the Heavenly Pit Territory.
Having reached the age where he was expected to be driven out, Garos no longer shared a dragon nest with the iron dragon maid, despite still residing in the Heavenly Pit Territory.
He settled instead on the cliffside where he regularly trained.
Upon his return, he found the red dragon sister and iron dragon brother lazily basking in the lingering sunlight outside the mine entrance. They lay sprawled on their backs, bellies exposed, eyes half-closed, tails swaying lazily behind them in the warm glow—the picture of contentment.
Their dragon nature made them indolent and undisciplined, lacking the self-discipline Garos possessed.
At first, they thought they had discovered the secret to Garos's immense strength. In their free time, they eagerly imitated Garos, crashing into mountains and slamming against the earth with enthusiasm and determination.
For the first few days, this was indeed the case.
The two dragons were full of energy, and as soon as they had time, they would crash into mountains and slam against the earth, unlike before, when they would wander aimlessly or lie around sleeping.
But as time passed, their true nature couldn't be changed, and their enthusiasm began to wane.
Not long ago,
When the red dragon sister, in her free time, was about to crash into mountains to train as she had before, she hesitated. I should balance work and rest, she thought. I'll take a nap to recharge and then start again. So she went to sleep.
When she woke up, it was already late, and the cool night breeze made her feel a little uncomfortable.
My training won't be effective if I'm not in the right state, she reasoned. I'll wait until daytime to start.
When morning arrived, during the freshest air at dawn, the red dragon sister felt that with such wonderful air, she should be soaring through the sky, enjoying the thrill of high-altitude flight and looking down upon the earth. And so, she cast training aside once more.
After a few attempts, it completely gave up on exercising.
As for the iron dragon brother, it differed from the red dragon sister in that it hadn't experienced her mental journey.
Once, it flew too high and misjudged the angle during its dive, resulting in its dragon face making a violent collision with the earth. The impact was so severe that its mouth remained crooked to this day, giving it a dazed, possessed look.
After this incident, the iron dragon brother also abandoned its efforts.
In truth, although their progress wasn't as visually striking as Garos's rapid Adaptive Evolution, by persistently grinding their bodies against rocks and earth, their scales and bodies would gradually become harder and more resilient.
Even while being forced to mine under Garos's pressure, after a month, their claws and teeth had sharpened considerably, and their muscle strength had increased slightly.
Ordinary dragonkind actually possessed far superior evolutionary capabilities compared to other creatures, they just weren't as efficient as Garos.
(End of the Chapter)
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