Chapter 26 - Basic Protection Rune

Translator: AnubisTL

"So, what can you do?"

Faced with Garos's final soul-searching question, Samantha puffed out her chest and lifted her head like a proud swan. "I can carve alchemical runes now! Basic Protection Runes!"

Mentioning the runes she had mastered, Samantha grew excited and turned to Garos. "Want me to carve one for you? I've been practicing on myself, and my technique is quite refined now. I promise I won't mess it up."

Samantha's tail curled around to her front, swaying before Garos's eyes.

On the fiery red, gem-like scales of her tail, numerous crooked, worm-like markings crawled haphazardly across the surface. Yet amidst the chaotic scribbles, some gradually straightened into rough but passable patterns.

The visible progress in her technique was undeniable.

"Alright, let's try it," Garos said after a moment's thought, nodding slowly.

He stood before Samantha, puffed out his chest, and flexed his muscles, causing the gray cushion scales to rise and reveal the black-and-crimson armor-like scales beneath, forged as if from steel and iron.

"Carve a test rune here first."

Samantha took a deep breath.

Her dragon eyes narrowed in intense concentration as she slowly etched a dragon scale on Garos's chest with her claws.

Magical energy converged at the tips of her claws, making them glow like red-hot branding irons. Sparks flew as the claws scraped against Garos's scales, emitting a grating, metallic screech that set teeth on edge.

As time passed, the scratches gradually formed a shield-like pattern. With Samantha's final stroke, the complete runic circuit was formed.

Though not particularly elegant, the crude design was functional, a rough but complete product.

Garos narrowed his eyes.

As the alchemical runes were completed, he could distinctly sense something new on the dragon scale.

The magical energy flowing through his dragonkind blood converged toward the runes.

The runes immediately lit up, bathing the entire scale in a radiant glow.

Garos gently stroked the scale.

The texture felt strange, as if he weren't directly touching his own scale but rather a layer of invisible, resilient film coated its surface.

"Test its durability," he said.

Garos extended a sharp claw and pressed it against the dragon scale, gradually increasing the pressure.

The runes flickered erratically at first, then gradually dimmed, cracked, and finally, with a snap, the light extinguished completely, and the coating-like texture vanished.

So far, Garos hadn't exerted much force.

The defensive effect is mediocre, nothing remarkable, he assessed mentally.

However, it was important to remember that Samantha had only mastered the most basic alchemical runes, and her inscription was imperfect, somewhat crude.

Yet it still provided some defensive effect.

Once Samantha's alchemy skills improved further, enhancing the scales, claws, and fangs of dragonkind through alchemy would become a worthwhile endeavor.

"Not bad. Keep practicing," Garos casually praised, dismissing Samantha to her own tasks.

"Don't you want me to inscribe more?" she asked, still eager.

Inscribing runes on her own body felt different from inscribing them on other objects. Samantha hoped that by inscribing Basic Protection Runes on Garos, she could improve her proficiency.

Garos saw through her intentions and had no interest in being a test subject.

He glanced at Mobel, the Earthstorm Bear, who was leaning against an iron fir, scratching his back. "Have Mobel practice with you," Garos said. "You can enhance him with alchemical runes and have him hunt food for you in exchange."

Samantha didn't refuse and strode toward the Earthstorm Bear.

When Mobel learned of Samantha's proposal, his eyes widened. He thumped his chest and eagerly agreed.

Alchemical rune enhancement was something even his damned old father had never experienced, and to have it performed by a true dragon himself? Mobel had no reason to refuse and was inwardly ecstatic.

Hiss!

As the red dragon's claws tore through his skin, Mobel let out a low growl, gritting his teeth to endure the pain.

Without dragon scales, the Basic Protection Rune had to be directly inscribed onto his skin, a process that was far from pleasant but bearable.

Garos withdrew his gaze from the pair.

After a moment's thought, he flew to his usual perch on a massive rock slab, closed his eyes slightly, and coiled up to rest.

He wasn't sleeping; instead, he was delving into the magic dormant within his bloodline.

Dragonkind are natural sorcerers. Upon reaching a certain age, they awaken latent quasi-spell skills. However, through independent exploration, these abilities can be mastered prematurely.

Typically, young dragons lack quasi-spell skills, relying primarily on their claws, fangs, and physical prowess in combat. Dragon breath remains their ultimate trump card.

Small Fireball.

Life Level Detection Technique.

Garos had mastered these skills ahead of schedule through his own exploration.

When his mind stilled and focused inward, Garos could clearly sense the surging, dense magical energy flowing like a tide through his veins, coursing with his blood to every limb and extremity.

As a born Top-Tier Magical Creature, dragons possess innate magical energy from birth. With each breath, they draw magical energy from the air, storing it within their veins and gradually converting it into usable magical energy.

Feeling the rhythmic ebb and flow of magical energy and blood within his body, Garos gradually emptied his mind, relying on instinct to sense the hidden quasi-spell skills dormant within his bloodline.

His Adaptive Evolution Talent offered some assistance in this regard, but its effects were less direct and noticeable compared to its enhancement of his physical body.

Still, Garos remained patient.

Time passed slowly as he calmed his mind and meticulously explored.

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

The scene: a desolate, rocky mine pit.

A young red dragon lay sprawled on the ground near the pit, seemingly dozing. Its tail occasionally tapped the earth, but its eyes remained half-open, blinking nervously.

Moments later, a subterranean predator sensed faint tremors and silently approached.

When the distance closed, the ground began to tremble. The young red dragon, sensing the disturbance, spread its wings and took flight.

Boom!

The earth erupted, shattering as soil and rock fragments scattered.

The massive body of a Rock-Crushing Worm reared up vertically, its meat-grinder-like maw snapping at the young red dragon. But the dragon had already soared out of reach, leaving the worm to bite only air before its body began to fall back to earth.

Just then, a black shadow, even faster than the worm, swooped down.

Thwack!

Razor-sharp claws pierced the worm's carapace, sinking deep into its flesh.

Garos flapped his wings, his muscles beneath his armored scales surging with raw power as he yanked the Level 7 Rock-Crushing Worm from the ground.

The worm thrashed wildly, but its struggles were futile.

"Got you! Let's hope this works and I can control it as planned."

Lugging the Rock-Crushing Worm, Garos mentally braced himself and turned back toward Hemlock Hills, the young red dragon Samantha following close behind.

(End of the Chapter)

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