Translator: AnubisTL
Grumble!
Samantha's stomach protested again.
Hunger twisted her insides into painful spasms.
She whimpered, lowered her head, and gnawed on the foul-tasting, damp earth. She longed for the days under the dragon mother's protection, even though Garos had bullied and oppressed her daily. It was still better than this precarious existence, forced to eat dirt to survive.
Should I go beg Garos to take me back?
Samantha suddenly remembered Garos's parting words.
Though she hated to admit it, she knew Garos was smarter and stronger than her, destined for a better life.
Even if I have to obey Garos's every command, it would be worth it. I never liked thinking for myself anyway.
Samantha was tired of wandering aimlessly.
Yet she couldn't abandon her pride and arrogance.
No, I can't! I'm a red dragon, destined to rule the world. How can I let the wilderness defeat me so easily? I won't let Garos look down on me!
Samantha gritted her teeth, rose from the muddy ground, and banished the thought of following Garos.
I'm starving. I need real food, not dirt or tree bark.
She took a deep breath and trudged through the rain, her steps heavy and weary.
Hemlock Hills.
The rain had cleared, and the air was once again thick with scorching heat. Moist vapor rose from the needle-leaved forest, condensing into shallow, iridescent pools in the low-lying areas. Broken iron fir branches lay scattered across the muddy ground, amber-colored resin seeping from their fractured ends.
Garos sprawled atop a massive boulder on the hillside.
Golden sunlight bathed his body, gilding his scales with a radiant sheen.
He spread his wings wide, basking in the sun's warmth, his eyes lazily half-closed as he lay motionless.
Given Garos's diligence and self-discipline, such moments of rest were rare. Yet he understood the importance of balance, knowing that excess could be detrimental. While relentlessly pursuing evolution and strength, he also allowed himself moments of relaxation when time permitted.
The torrential rain had persisted for a week.
During that time,
because the wilderness was perpetually arid, rain was a rare and precious occurrence. Garos cherished these fleeting rainy days, repeatedly using the Darkgold Tail Ring to train himself in the wind and rain. When his energy depleted, he immediately recharged with electricity before resuming his training, repeating the cycle endlessly. However, mindful of the wilderness's dangers, he interspersed his training with rest periods to conserve his stamina, ensuring he never pushed himself to exhaustion.
After days of relentless rain and lightning, Garos had whipped away all his cushion scales. New ones hadn't grown in yet, leaving his skin exposed—a layer riddled with cracks, dents, and pockmarks, mottled and chaotic, resembling black-and-red armor weathered by fierce battles.
As for the results:
Beyond an immeasurable increase in lightning resistance, Garos felt a faint, tingling sensation beneath his dragon scales and skin, as if electricity were coursing through his muscles. This was a clear sign of his body gradually adapting and evolving.
Basking in the sun, Garos let his tail dangle off the rock slab, swaying gently. He shifted his body to expose his belly to the warmth.
Even when the midday sun blazed at its most intense, Garos didn't stir to hunt. He decided to take a day off, sending Mobel to hunt for food instead.
"Just a little more rest," Garos yawned, closing his eyes and continuing to bask in the sun, drifting into a drowsy state.
Suddenly, his nostrils twitched, as if catching a scent. He snapped open his black dragon eyes.
A familiar scent wafted through the air, one Garos recognized instantly.
The Red Iron Young Dragon straightened up, lifting his head to gaze into the distance.
At the same moment,
Samantha stumbled through the wilderness, her steps sinking into the muddy ground. Her already damaged right dragon wing was now riddled with fresh wounds, several poisoned feather arrows still embedded in the flesh.
As she ran, she flapped her wings, desperate to take flight.
But after several attempts, her tattered wings and weakened body failed to lift her into the sky. She could only continue her desperate flight across the ground.
Behind her, dozens of Goblin Wolf Riders relentlessly pursued.
The gray giant wolves' claws splashed through the mud, their strides swift and steady, gradually closing the distance between pursuer and prey.
Samantha gritted her dragon teeth, her gaze fixed on the densely iron fir-covered hills ahead, a flicker of hope in her eyes.
"Almost there... almost there."
"I hope Garos is still here... I hope he can forgive my past ignorance and savagery."
Even if it meant becoming Garos's follower, bowing her proud head, and obeying her elder brother's every command, Samantha was ready to accept it.
Having endured so much hardship, she had finally realized the truth.
Pride couldn't sustain her in the wilderness; she had been too naive.
In truth, both the iron dragon maid and the dragon heritage had warned that a young dragon's solitary survival was precarious, demanding utmost caution. Yet arrogance and self-assurance were born alongside dragon blood, and young dragons, untested by hardship, often believed they could effortlessly conquer the world.
However.
What dragon mothers and ancient lore couldn't teach, harsh reality could.
On the first day of the torrential rain, Samantha had considered following Garos, but her pride still burned, unwilling to surrender to the wilderness.
Soaking in the storm, she tried to hunt, hoping to replenish her strength and heal her wounds.
But fate had other plans.
Every creature that survived in the wilderness, whether sentient or beast, followed its own survival rules. With Samantha's clumsy hunting skills and weakened body, every attempt ended in failure.
If not for the legendary resilience of dragonkind, any other creature enduring such trials would have long since perished.
After gnawing on tree bark and dirt for several more meals, Samantha finally acknowledged her limitations and resolved to follow her powerful and wise elder brother.
Unfortunately.
The goblin tribe Samantha had initially encountered remained relentless in their pursuit, eager to transform the Red Iron Young Dragon into alchemical materials. After days of tracking, a band of Goblin Wolf Riders discovered her trail and gradually closed in, their eyes finally catching sight of the young dragon's silhouette.
"Distance is sufficient! Archers, prepare!"
Among the Goblin Wolf Riders mounted on massive gray wolves, several goblins drew their iron fir longbows to their full, crescent-moon-like extent. They nocked arrows etched with tiny runes and tipped with poison.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three feathered arrows tore through the air with piercing whistles, hurtling toward Samantha.
Her ears twitched, sensing the danger behind her. Samantha rolled clumsily to evade.
Two arrows missed, burying themselves deep into the damp ground, their entire shafts vanishing. The third pierced Samantha's hind leg, the armor-piercing arrowhead piercing through her dragon scale. The metal shaft trembled slightly, emitting a faint metallic hum.
The pain from the wound was secondary.
Worse was the poison spreading through her system.
Samantha was already critically weakened.
In her prime, such a small dose of poison would have been negligible.
She felt her remaining strength draining away, her steps growing sluggish, her body heavy as a mountain. The Hemlock Hills, so close, now seemed impossibly distant.
If I had another chance...
Samantha would cling to her brother's leg and never let go, instead of foolishly trying to survive alone.
(End of the Chapter)
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