Translator: AnubisTL
"Garos, you look even more ferocious than before," Fairy Dragon Vera's voice echoed in his mind.
Garos had no retort.
The fairy dragon spoke the truth. He was indeed growing more like an evil dragon, a transformation contrary to his true nature.
While he found his current appearance both cool and intimidating, it was also far too conspicuous, clashing with his inherently cautious and discreet nature.
Unfortunately, both his dual lineage—the blood of chromatic and submetallic dragons—and the traits he had evolved himself were imbued with an intense, overtly aggressive, and predatory nature.
These were traits typically associated with evil dragons.
In contrast, benevolent or neutral dragonkind, such as metallic dragons and gem dragons, possessed fewer sharp spines and lacked wings or tails that resembled weapons at first glance. Their overall demeanor leaned toward "majestic" rather than "menacing."
With my current appearance, Garos mused, shaking his head, any organization aligned with justice or order would immediately declare me an enemy and launch an all-out assault.
Though he still didn't see himself as the evil dragon of legend, Garos no longer felt troubled by this discrepancy.
He had finally come to terms with it.
Whether he was considered an evil dragon, a benevolent dragon, or some other kind of monster didn't matter. In this world, strength and power were the only languages that mattered.
As long as he wasn't disturbed and his life wasn't threatened, he wouldn't bother with them.
Conversely, if Garos sensed any threat to his life, he would stop at nothing to eliminate it. He couldn't rest easy otherwise.
"Why couldn't I have been a hybrid dragon?"
Samantha's gaze lingered on Garos, sweeping over his formidable, menacing spines, dragon wings, and tail. Her eyes were filled with longing and envy.
In the eyes of a red dragon, "menacing" was the highest compliment.
According to dragonkind's aesthetics, metallic dragons were debatable, but chromatic dragons and other evil dragons undoubtedly saw Garos as possessing the "Primordial Apex of Malice." Once he reached adulthood and his sexual maturity peaked, a single mating signal from him would leave no female dragon able to resist his allure.
"Samantha, it seems you've managed the territory well in my absence."
Garos's tail gently struck the ground, sending sparks flying.
As he spiraled down to land, he noticed the changes in Needleleaf Valley.
The perimeter had been reinforced with defensive structures: deep trenches slowly flowing with lava, ironwood fortifications studded with metal spikes, and sentries patrolling key locations.
Samantha tilted her chin and hummed with satisfaction.
Two plumes of sulfurous smoke billowed from her nostrils as she declared, "You think I'm just a lazy dragon who sleeps all day? No, I'm now as diligent as you, having subdued two monster retinues of my own."
"The fire lizards can spew molten lava, and those trenches were carved by the giant fire ants." She gestured with a claw toward the alchemy workshop.
"In alchemy, I've learned to create flame orbs. Their explosive power can instantly blast apart a giant rhinoceros."
Glancing at Garos, Samantha added, "I don't have many flame orbs, and my material supplies are limited. I can't waste them, especially... by throwing them at myself."
As she spoke, her eyes darted warily, as if guarding against Garos.
It was clear: Samantha didn't want Garos using her flame orbs to satisfy his peculiar interests.
She had previously speculated that Garos might have grown stronger through such training, but now, observing his demeanor, she dismissed the idea. If mere exercise or self-inflicted harm could grant Garos's power, dragonkind would have long ago conquered all planes and worlds.
They attributed Garos's immense power to a positive mutation resulting from his hybrid bloodline, rather than to years of accumulated training.
Garos paid no attention to this misunderstanding.
Flame orbs that can blast apart giant rhinoceroses? He couldn't care less, unless they could blast apart dragons.
Garos gazed thoughtfully at Samantha.
"In the past six years, has Needleleaf Valley faced any dangers? Encounters with powerful ferocious beasts or demonic creatures? Discovery by intelligent tribes? Or attacks from adventurers?" he asked.
If not for a perceived threat, why would a red dragon, known for its indolent nature, focus so intently on territorial defense?
Garos's sharp mind detected an anomaly.
Fairy Dragon Vera circled Garos once before landing in front of him, puffing out her chest proudly. "A group of big ogres is expanding! Vera was the first to discover them while playing outside!" she declared.
It was Fairy Dragon Vera who first spotted the ogre's presence.
After Vera informed Samantha, Samantha soared high into the sky to investigate. To her dismay, she discovered that the ogre tribe was expanding at an alarming rate. From her aerial vantage point, she could clearly see the ogres' territory growing almost daily.
"Ogres."
Garos was initially puzzled, but his thoughts quickly shifted. "Are you talking about the Bonechewer Clan?" he asked.
Before his slumber, the Bonechewer Clan had been acting strangely. All the ogres had gathered in their territory, as if planning something. Garos had intended to investigate, but the sudden onset of his dragon slumber forced him to abandon the plan.
Now, hearing the fairy dragon's words, it wasn't hard to connect the ogres to the Bonechewer Clan.
The red dragon nodded solemnly.
"In just six years, this clan has expanded at least threefold."
"They've already seized the Thunderhorn Ram pastures in the east, not far from Needleleaf Valley."
Ogres possessed remarkable strength, stamina, and defenses, though their movement speed was slow. Even so, it would only take them three days of marching to reach Needleleaf Valley from their eastern strongholds.
Garos fell silent for a moment, then suddenly grinned, baring his fangs.
"This is getting interesting."
The Thunderhorn Ram herds, steelbristle thornbeast packs, and armored giant rhinoceros herds—all the ferocious beasts and demonic creatures surrounding Needleleaf Valley were, in Garos's eyes, his own pastures, part of his territory.
They were neither dragons nor giants, nor even a properly organized army.
A band of ogres had come to seize his territory. Did they really think Garos was some pushover dragon?
Garos's first instinct was to fly over and slaughter the entire ogre band.
This dragon slumber had made Garos even more formidable, while also intensifying the primal emotions surging through his red-iron dragon blood.
Huff!
After taking several deep breaths, Garos's gaze gradually calmed. He skillfully suppressed his arrogance and restlessness, allowing him to think more rationally and calmly.
"The Bonechewer Clan's sudden, savage expansion must be backed by something."
"I'll scout the situation first before making any plans."
As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle.
Garos never engaged in battles he wasn't confident of winning.
Through six years of growth and evolution, he had become far stronger than before, with a greater sense of security. But this didn't mean he could roam the wilderness with impunity. He still needed to be cautious, lest his surging power cloud his judgment.
"Samantha, you've done well," Garos said, nodding slightly to the red dragon. "Continue reinforcing the defenses of Needleleaf Valley. Arm our chosen with alchemy items to guard against ogre ambushes."
"What about me? What about me?" the fairy dragon asked excitedly, circling around.
"You'll assist Samantha," Garos said with a grin. "You two love games, don't you? This one's called war, and survival. It'll be a thousand times more thrilling and fun than playing with ants."
After learning the information Samantha had gathered, Garos flapped his dragon wings and soared into the night sky, his silhouette vanishing swiftly into the darkness.
The red dragon's descriptions, though helpful, lacked the immediacy and detail of firsthand observation. Garos trusted only his own eyes and investigations.
But there was no need to rush.
First, Garos hunted in nearby pastures, devouring prey to replenish his strength and restore his body to peak condition after his awakening. Then, he soared toward the Bonechewer Clan's territory, guided by his memories.
(End of the Chapter)
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