Translator: AnubisTL
Under the velvet-black night sky, studded with countless stars, the Red Iron Young Dragon stood atop the rugged cliff. He looked back, his gaze sweeping inch by inch across the entire Heavenly Pit Territory.
Below him lay the cratered surface, pockmarked with pits of varying depths—a landscape that held nearly all of Garos's memories from his hatchling days.
"From now on, there's no turning back. I'll have to rely entirely on myself."
Garos glanced at the two moons in the sky and the magical satellites, indistinguishable from the real stars, and felt a slight weight in his heart.
The level of magic on Bernardo Planet was extraordinary, especially the alchemical mastery of creating magical constructs.
The demonic and ferocious beasts of the wilderness were one thing, but the kingdoms formed by intelligent beings posed the true danger.
"Arrogance, self-importance, greed."
"These are the dragon traits most likely to cause a young dragon's demise. I must remain constantly vigilant, never letting my guard down."
A hatchling that leaves the nest faces only two fates: becoming a new natural disaster or becoming fodder for the wilderness.
Garos naturally had no desire to become fodder, nor did he wish to become a disaster. His goal was simple.
Live, and live as long as possible.
Only after dying once could one truly appreciate the preciousness of life. Garos cherished his dragon life deeply, which is why, upon realizing the dangers of this world, he relentlessly trained and strengthened himself.
"Hahaha! I will establish my own dynasty! I will make countless creatures bow beneath my wings and grovel before me!"
Samantha's boisterous shouts, carried on the night wind, shattered Garos's train of thought.
This six-year-old young dragon's fiery red scales blazed like flames in the darkness, vibrant and pulsing with vitality.
Yet such scales were ill-suited for survival—too conspicuous.
Garos, cloaked in black-gray cushion scales that blended seamlessly with the night, could easily lurk and hide.
As for his iron dragon brother, Gordon.
His black scales were better, but their faint silver sheen still made him stand out.
Moreover, Gordon's ambition dwarfed that of the red dragon sister.
"I will forge a kingdom ruled by dragonkind, and then I will rule over all dragonkind."
He planted his claws on a rocky outcrop, tilted his head back, and issued his declaration to the world.
Garos, with his calm and steady nature, remained silent, avoiding such theatrics.
Looking at the two young dragons, the Red Iron Young Dragon pondered for a moment before saying, "Samantha, Gordon, you two will follow me and survive together."
Having two young dragons to command and huddle together for warmth would greatly increase their chances of survival.
Moreover, Garos harbored a deep respect for the perilous wilderness. After a year of exploration, he had gained a thorough understanding of his surroundings. With him leading the way, the two young dragons' chances of survival would be much greater.
Following Garos would be a win-win situation for them.
Unfortunately, the two young dragons didn't see it that way.
"No!" The red dragon sister snorted, sparks flying from her nostrils. "I am destined to stand at the pinnacle of the world, the leader of the five-colored evil dragons. I will become the ruler of this wilderness myself, without needing to follow you."
The iron dragon brother shook his head. "I'm going to the prosperous South. I've heard that human teeth there are inlaid with gems."
He spoke of gem-studded teeth with undisguised greed.
Hearing this, Garos said no more. He simply shook his head gently.
Just as he had when the two young dragons first hatched, he had once again given them a choice, and they had once again responded in their own way.
Destiny and a dragon's life are forged from countless such choices.
Garos didn't insist that the two young dragons follow him. If they were unwilling, forcing them would only cause trouble given their stubborn natures.
Still, he gave them another chance.
Looking at the two young dragons, Garos said calmly, "If you change your foolish minds and seek my protection, go to the Hemlock Hills in the northwest, about ninety kilometers from here."
"They're easily identifiable by their dense hemlock forests."
"If I'm still in the Hemlock Hills, I might take you in—provided you're prepared to serve me as slaves, obeying my every command without question."
With that, Garos turned away, his gaze leaving the Heavenly Pit Territory as he flew toward the hills where he had once subdued the Earthstorm Bear.
"Damn Garos! You're so arrogant, looking down on us completely!"
"Just you wait! We'll make you respect us one day!"
"Even if we die and get eaten by ferocious beasts or demonic creatures, we'll never beg you!"
Under the moonlight, the dark gold ring around Garos's tail shimmered with a radiant glow. The shouts of the dragon siblings behind him faded into the wilderness wind.
Two weeks later, Hemlock Hills.
The area was small, with limited resources, making it an unsuitable habitat. However, Garos had no better options and settled there for the time being.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Earthstorm Bear's thick, rock-encased paws slammed repeatedly against Garos's body.
Garos endured the bear's heavy blows, his body trembling slightly as cushion scales flew off, revealing his black and red patterned scales beneath. These gradually cracked and dented.
But just as the cracks began to spread across the scales and they started to collapse slightly...
The Earthstorm Bear stopped.
"Get up and continue," Garos said, lifting an eyelid in annoyance.
The bear had just knocked off a layer of cushion scales; now came the real test of his physique.
"Awooo! Your scales are harder than steel! I can't hit them anymore!" The bear roared, collapsing onto the ground with heavy panting.
Its thick arms could barely lift, and the rocks on its paws had been shattered by the cushion scales, revealing cracked, bleeding pads.
Garos was still eager for more.
Though fundamentally similar to crashing into mountains and the ground, Garos had come to appreciate this method of taking hits. He found it more refined, and the tempering effect was proving excellent.
Besides having the Earthstorm Bear strike him with its paws, Garos also had it use its quasi-spell skills against him to temper his resistances.
This process was naturally unpleasant, and pain was unavoidable.
As an 8th-level demonic beast, the Earthstorm Bear's attacks were too powerful for Garos to withstand without injury.
Yet, perhaps due to the sheer volume of similar training methods he had endured, Garos had developed an extraordinary tolerance for pain. Moreover, as he felt the pain, knowing it meant he was gradually adapting and evolving, he even felt a thrill of excitement.
"Quickly absorb the earth's power and rest. We'll continue in a bit."
Garos allowed the Earthstorm Bear a brief respite.
The Earthstorm Bear wore a miserable expression.
When it had first submitted to Garos, it had imagined the man might be temperamental, prone to beating his familiars to vent his anger. But with its thick hide, it figured it could endure the punishment as long as Garos didn't kill it.
What it hadn't anticipated was the exact opposite:
Garos had a peculiar hobby—he wanted the bear to beat him.
Initially, the Earthstorm Bear had been enthusiastic.
But it soon discovered this was no easy task.
Every time it was exhausted to the point of collapse, Garos still hadn't had his fill. Fortunately, the bear's exceptional recovery ability allowed it to barely endure.
No, if this continues, I'll be so worn out my life grade will drop.
While resting, the Earthstorm Bear pondered deeply.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck the Earthstorm Bear. It called out to Garos, who was on the other side, grinding his dragon tail against the hemlock.
"Dragon Lord!"
Dragon Lord—a common honorific used by familiars for dragonkind, similar to how one might address a master.
Even in the process of grinding, the sharp dragon scales on Garos's tail had already carved countless deep marks into the hard hemlock, as if it had been chopped and axed.
Garos released the poor hemlock and turned to face the Earthstorm Bear.
The Earthstorm Bear scratched its head, a hint of cunning glinting in its otherwise simple expression.
"Heh heh, you must want more Earthstorm Bears as familiars."
Under Garos's gaze, it began to explain.
It turned out that the Earthstorm Bear Mobel had once belonged to a small clan.
His father was the clan leader, supported by several female bears and a few cubs.
Earthstorm Bears shared some habits with lion prides:
The male was dominant and stronger than the females, and could not tolerate another adult male in his territory, driving away his own sons as they approached maturity.
"You mean you want me to help you conquer your clan?" Garos asked.
"Exactly! If you kill my father, I guarantee all the other female bears and cubs will submit to you."
Mobel nodded vigorously, patting his chest as he made the promise.
What a classic father-son conflict, Garos thought.
(End of the Chapter)
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