Translator: AnubisTL
Stripped of all its alchemy items, the Red Copper Dragon Head felt its head swim and its neck throb with pain. Finally snapping out of its hypnotic trance, it raised its clawed hand and struck Garos's right shoulder with a series of heavy, muffled blows.
Sparks flew as the dragon's claws scraped against Garos's scales, producing a grating, metallic screech that set teeth on edge.
The Red Copper Dragon felt as if it had struck a blacksmith's anvil forged from a thousand layers of steel. Its claw stung from the impact, yet it could only leave superficial marks on Garos's scales, failing to pierce them and draw blood.
Having shed its cushion scales through previous training, Garos now possessed no such protective layer.
Dark crimson patterns pulsed across his body like flowing lava, while his matte silver-black scales gleamed like steel, their hardness far surpassing that of ordinary dragonkind.
"Such tough dragon scales!" the Red Copper Dragon roared, opening its jaws to unleash a glob of acidic liquid dragon breath. But Garos had already retreated, evading the corrosive stream.
Only then, catching its breath, did the Red Copper Dragon realize something was missing.
The Red Copper Dragon twisted its head to find the Flowing Fire Wing Ring missing from its dragon wings. Glancing down, it discovered the Guardian's Necklace had vanished from its neck as well. A quick flick of its tongue inside its mouth confirmed the absence of the Silverfrost Ring.
The scales on its neck felt strangely empty.
The Red Copper Dragon reached out with a clawed hand and felt around, realizing with horror that nearly all the gems and gold coins it had hidden beneath its scales were gone.
At that moment, it noticed something glittering between the feather-like scales on dragon Garos's wings. A closer look revealed its own gems and gold coins.
The Flowing Fire Wing Ring, Silverfrost Ring, and Guardian's Necklace were all clutched in one of Garos's claws.
"Ah, you damned evil dragon! Give back my gems! Give back my gold coins! Give back my alchemical equipment!" the Red Copper Dragon shrieked.
Having its treasures and equipment stolen right before its eyes, no normal dragon could maintain composure.
The Red Copper Dragon flapped its wings and charged toward Garos, its claws extended and teeth bared in fury.
But rage didn't enhance its strength; instead, it made its movements sloppy and full of openings.
Garos leaned sideways, narrowly avoiding the Red Copper Dragon's furious charge. With both dragon claws, he seized the dragon's tail, gripping it as tightly as iron pincers.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The dragon scales on Garos's arm locked together, the powerful muscles beneath bulging as he unleashed tremendous force.
"You—"
Before the Red Copper Dragon could finish its roar, its voice stretched into a drawn-out wail as Garos swung it in a dizzying arc through the air, finally hurling it violently to the ground.
Boom!
The deafening impact sent shockwaves through the earth.
Dust and debris erupted in a cloud, leaving a massive crater riddled with radiating cracks.
Pah!
The Red Copper Dragon spat out a mouthful of gravel, its scales cracked and bleeding. It staggered to its feet, every inch of its body throbbing with pain.
Yet even in this battered state, the dragon felt no fear.
Instead, it flapped its wings to clear the dust, rising once more into the sky, ready to fight to the death. It charged at Garos again, bellowing:
"You naturally evil red-iron dragon! Return what you stole, or you'll pay for this!"
Dragons possess formidable physiques and extraordinary vitality. The Red Copper Dragon's earlier injuries were far from critical. Unless there was an overwhelming disparity in power or a dragon fought to the death in a berserk rage, killing one was exceedingly difficult.
Yet even so, the dragon's recklessness seemed excessive.
It must have some kind of trump card, Garos thought, his eyes flickering with suspicion. Instead of pressing his advantage, he began to retreat.
I've already plundered enough gems, gold coins, and alchemical equipment. But metallic dragons are notoriously wealthy, and they might have life-saving measures hidden away, he reasoned.
As if on cue, a silver rune materialized on a dragon scale near the Red Copper Dragon's heart. This wasn't an alchemical rune; rather, it resembled a magical scroll, directly inscribed onto the dragon scale to create a magic scale.
This was the most potent life-saving gift metallic dragon parents bestowed upon their offspring.
If the parents were sufficiently powerful, even a young dragon's magic scale could unleash terrifying, legendary-level power in times of crisis.
No one could predict the counterattack a young metallic dragon might unleash when cornered.
Garos instinctively sensed a hint of danger.
Why couldn't I have been a metallic dragon?
He sighed inwardly.
To say he wasn't envious would be a lie.
For metallic dragons, adventure was just that—adventure. They traveled the world with life-saving measures in hand, treating it all like a game. Their journeys weren't about survival, but about entertaining themselves and relieving the monotony of their dragon lives.
Evil dragons, on the other hand, risked their lives daily for a chance at tomorrow.
The crux of the matter was that Garos didn't consider himself an evil dragon. His goal was simply to live a longer life, a simple and straightforward desire.
But this world was too dangerous and utterly hostile to him.
Take this, for example.
Garos had been happily training, minding his own business, when the Red Copper Dragon spotted him. The dragon immediately began shouting about a "naturally evil Red Iron Hybrid" and charged at him, looking for a fight.
Even if he wasn't an evil dragon, he was being forced to become one.
Garos slowly exhaled, gathering his thoughts.
He had already secured the treasure and alchemical equipment. There was no need to take further risks.
He had no idea what level of power was contained within the dragon's life-saving scale. Attempting to kill a metallic dragon carried far greater risks than any potential rewards.
Garos swiftly made his decision, preparing to disengage and retreat.
With a powerful flap of his dragon wings, he shot backward, instantly widening the distance between himself and the Red Copper Dragon. He vanished almost as quickly as he'd appeared.
The Red Copper Dragon pursued for a few seconds but couldn't close the gap. Gritting its teeth, it finally came to a halt.
"You vile red iron hybrid dragon! If I ever catch you, I'll make you lick my claws every day to atone for your wickedness!" it roared in fury.
Just before Garos's figure completely disappeared, his voice carried on the wind from afar:
"Time for a riddle."
"What's flying through the sky right now, about to cry for its mommy?"
The Red Copper Dragon froze for a moment, then realized what was happening. The scales on its body visibly brightened, turning a fiery crimson.
It was overheating.
Enraged but helpless, the Red Copper Dragon turned its gaze toward the worm king, who was coiled at the bottom of the abandoned mine pit, observing the dragon fight.
"Damn you, you stinking insect! What are you staring at?!" the Red Copper Dragon snarled, folding its wings and diving toward the worm king.
The Red Copper Dragon paid the price for its lack of understanding of dragonkind.
The worm king opened its massive jaws and lunged at the Red Copper Dragon.
Simultaneously, the silver runes on the Red Copper Dragon's chest blazed to life.
These life-saving scales activated only when the dragon's life was threatened.
The air temperature plummeted, as if a sweltering summer had instantly transformed into the dead of winter.
Countless ice blades materialized around the Red Copper Dragon, swirling endlessly before hurtling toward the worm king like a torrential downpour. The worm king couldn't react in time.
Pfft! Pfft!
Ice blades pierced its mouth, effortlessly tearing through its carapace and erupting from its body, leaving the worm king riddled with wounds and instantly crippled.
Gurgle... gurgle... gurgle... Strange sounds escaped its mouth.
Seized by pain and panic, the worm king turned tail and fled, burrowing into the mine tunnel and dragging its severely injured body deeper underground.
Failing to kill the worm king with a single strike only fueled the Red Copper Dragon's fury. It circled above the abandoned mine, its wings unleashing a torrential rain of ice blades that scoured the entire area below, leaving the mine in ruins.
(End of the Chapter)
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𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝟖.𝟓𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝟏𝟒.𝟑𝐌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]