Translator: AnubisTL
After a long drought, the Sierre Wilderness finally received its first rain in ages. The sky darkened with heavy, thunderous clouds, and lightning danced like silver serpents within them.
A deafening peal of thunder suddenly erupted, followed by a torrential downpour and howling winds that submerged the wilderness in a thick curtain of rain.
The Red Iron Young Dragon stood atop the highest hill, the rain cascading down his scales.
Swish!
A bolt of lightning suddenly streaked across the night sky, illuminating the dark, rain-soaked atmosphere for a fleeting moment. With uncanny precision, it aimed directly at the young dragon standing on the hill.
Natural lightning moves at blinding speed.
The young dragon, with his current reflexes, had no chance of predicting or evading it.
However, Garos had no intention of dodging.
In fact, he had summoned this lightning himself.
The silver serpent of lightning descended from the sky, narrowly missing Garos as it struck the ground before him—or more precisely, the Darkgold Tail Ring placed there.
The lightning vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
When it dissipated, the night sky returned to its oppressive darkness.
But the surface of the Darkgold Tail Ring now crackled with countless tiny, serpent-like arcs of electricity, and the runes etched on its interior and exterior lit up one by one.
Feeling the electric tension in the air, Garos was tempted to try wearing the Darkgold Tail Ring and letting lightning strike him.
It would probably hurt like hell, but feel amazing, he thought.
"Still, better not push my luck."
Shaking his head, Garos suppressed the urge.
Natural lightning already rivaled the power of a high-tier spell. Though his dragonkind body would likely survive a direct strike without dying, he'd be severely injured.
He stepped back, letting the wind and rain wash over him as he quietly gazed at the Darkgold Tail Ring.
Time passed slowly. Lightning struck the ring repeatedly, each bolt landing with precision.
After seven consecutive strikes, all the tiny runes on the ring lit up. The entire ring levitated, humming and vibrating, and erupted with blinding electric light amidst the downpour.
This tail ring, a gift from the iron dragon maid, was more than just an ornament. It was an alchemy item.
Alchemy was highly developed on Bernardo Planet, producing a vast array of high-quality alchemy items.
Unlike conventional magical items, alchemy items often didn't require magic to function. However, they needed specific energy sources for replenishment.
Whether they were spellcasters, warriors, knights, priests, or druids, any extraordinary being, as long as they were intelligent and possessed sufficient funds and connections, would inevitably arm themselves with alchemy items to enhance their capabilities.
As the apex demonic beasts, dragonkind initially disdained using such items.
However, as times evolved, the alchemy items on this planet grew increasingly sophisticated and powerful. Even armies lacking top-tier existences could threaten giant dragons through sheer numbers, bolstered by alchemy items.
With no other choice,
Dragonkind reluctantly adapted to the trend, using alchemy items with deep reluctance.
Yet, as the apex demonic beasts, their mental fortitude and abundant magical energy allowed them to wield these items with exceptional ease, simultaneously using vast quantities.
Before long, dragons began to exclaim, "This is truly amazing!" Their initial resistance transformed into acceptance.
Dragonkind, now heavily armed with alchemy items, became overwhelmingly formidable.
The nations even issued explicit bans on trading alchemy items with dragons.
However, dragons would resort to coercion and plunder. As intelligent demonic beasts, some among them were alchemists themselves. Moreover, when the profits were substantial enough, there were always intelligent beings willing to take the risk and trade with dragons.
Thus, alchemy items gradually became popular among dragonkind.
The Darkgold Tail Ring, gifted by the iron dragon maid, was originally taken from another dragon. It could absorb and store natural lightning, which Garos could then channel into spells with minimal magical energy and mental effort—the lightning enchantment.
Activate lightning enchantment!
Silver-white arcs of lightning harmlessly clung to Garos's limbs, stimulating his muscles to enhance strength and speed. His strikes now carried the paralyzing and scorching effects of lightning.
"It's fully charged. Try it on."
Garos hooked his tail and slipped the Darkgold Tail Ring onto his tail.
Lightning enchantment!
Zzzt! A torrent of silver-white arcs erupted from the ring, instantly weaving a dense network of lightning across Garos's tail, crackling and sparking.
Unlike other dragons, Garos didn't intend to use the alchemy item for self-enhancement.
Instead, he planned to use it to train himself.
Taking a deep breath, Garos braced himself, his tail raised high before he whipped it down with ferocious force.
Crack!
The lightning-charged dragon tail whipped across Garos' own back, sending dragon scale fragments and arcs of electricity flying in all directions. The current seeped into every crevice, drilling down through the gaps between the scales.
A needle-like sting and a paralyzing cramp erupted from within, stimulating his muscles until his spine convulsed and rippled.
"That's the stuff! This is exactly what I wanted."
Garos didn't flinch; instead, he rejoiced.
He grew even more excited, repeatedly striking himself with the lightning-enchanted tail.
By enduring attacks from various alchemy items, he could enhance his resistance, giving him greater confidence if he ever faced a coordinated assault in the future.
Deep within the fir forest at the foot of the hills:
"Could the Dragon Lord have gone mad?" Mobel stared wide-eyed at Garos' self-inflicted 'mutilation'.
Meanwhile, as Garos immersed himself in training:
Red Dragon Girl Samantha, her right wing half-crippled, trudged through the muddy Sierre Wilderness, her face a mask of dazed misery and grievance.
Grr... The sudden growl in her stomach echoed louder than thunder in her ears.
"I'm so hungry."
The young dragon clutched its stomach and plopped down in the mud.
The torrential rain already made it uncomfortable, and now the gnawing hunger was unbearable. Samantha thought of all the setbacks and hardships she had endured recently and felt an overwhelming urge to burst into tears.
When she had first left her territory,
Samantha had been full of pride, eager to announce her arrival to the world.
Soon, she discovered a goblin tribe.
Goblins, like kobolds and hyena-men, were creatures that often attached themselves to dragonkind, following them. They were also one of the most common familiars for young evil dragons.
Samantha landed ostentatiously in front of the goblin tribe, demanding they surrender everything and submit to her wings.
She expected that a mere shake of its dragon body would force the goblins to obey, licking her toes and groveling before her.
But the result was...
The goblins feigned submission, and once they realized Samantha was a lone dragon banished by the dragon mother, they suddenly attacked.
Faced with a swarm of goblins who were not afraid of her, Samantha flew into a rage, ready to crush these weak creatures.
Then...
One of the weak creatures in her eyes, the chief of the goblin tribe, charged forward in a hulking, iron-clad behemoth of a machine.
Samantha was startled, spat a curse, and turned to flee.
Thanks to years of being oppressed by Garos, she knew when to yield. she decisively surrendered, narrowly escaping with its life.
Goblins do indeed follow dragonkind, but Samantha failed to understand that this loyalty came with a condition: they only followed powerful dragons.
A lone young dragon expelled by the dragon mother?
Don't be ridiculous—that was practically a top-tier alchemical ingredient delivered straight to your doorstep.
Not long after being beaten up by the goblins, Samantha was passing over a mine. Her curiosity led it to circle overhead for a moment, but she was spotted by the garrison stationed around the mine, which immediately attacked.
Samantha reacted swiftly and fled.
But a rune-etched crossbow bolt still pierced the thousand-meter sky and struck her dragon wing.
In the days that followed, the severe injury to its wing made hunting increasingly difficult. When starvation became unbearable, Samantha was forced to resort to gnawing on dirt and bark to survive.
(End of the Chapter)
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