Translator: AnubisTL
Until I have completely surpassed—the Red Iron Dragon Garos Ignis.
I shall reject all forms of entertainment and leisure, allowing myself no meaningless rest or idleness. Day and night, without cease, I will strive to sharpen my claws and fangs, temper my scales, and forge my will and strength.
Until I become more powerful than Garos, undeniably and beyond dispute.
Alberto's voice was heavy with melancholy. "The oath I swore was too severe. Aside from defeating you, I have cut off nearly all my paths of retreat."
The Red Iron Dragon did not respond immediately.
His massive head bowed slightly as he pondered.
In his eyes, the oath that seemed to have backed Alberto into a dead end was actually riddled with loopholes, far from being the airtight vow Alberto imagined it to be.
First of all, the core punishment for breaking the oath—to be reincarnated as a white dragon? That was an absolute joke.
Given Bahamut the Platinum Dragon God's immense favor and expectations for the Gold Dragon Clan, how could He ever stand by and watch His most cherished champion—the very symbol of justice and order—fall into the ranks of the evil, and the lowest, most ignorant of all, the white dragons, all because of an impulsive oath?
In Garos's eyes, such a punishment clause had a binding force approaching zero. It was merely a product of Alberto's own twistedly intense self-esteem and untarnished pride, scaring himself into submission.
As for what Alberto considered harsh, Garos saw it as riddled with loopholes.
Refuse all forms of entertainment; no meaningless rest or idleness allowed.
- What constitutes entertainment?
If an activity objectively and significantly improves combat skills, tactical acumen, and battlefield reflexes, while also subjectively allowing one's taut nerves to relax and find pleasure, can it still be defined simply as entertainment?
- What is meaningless?
Planned rest can greatly restore physical strength, heal hidden injuries, and enhance the efficiency and quality of subsequent training, building strength for even more intense refinement. How could this be crudely categorized as meaningless?
And then there was the requirement for complete transcendence.
Did this refer only to physical strength and combat skill?
Wisdom, strategy, depth of understanding of the world, and even charisma—shouldn't these also be included? The oath's true intent must have been a comprehensive transcendence.
Therefore, reading ancient tomes (to gain wisdom), socializing with powerful beings (to understand the world and enhance one's influence), appreciating art (to cultivate the mind and boost charisma), and even basking in the sun to maintain his dragon scales (to enhance his charm)—none of these actions were meaningless. They all aligned perfectly with the oath's overarching premise.
The oath, after all, is a power born from the heart, arising from the soul and bound by will.
Garos's gaze fell upon the gold dragon as he calmly pondered.
Strictly speaking, the ultimate authority to define the boundary between entertainment and meaning lies firmly within the heart of the oath-taker, Alberto himself.
As long as Alberto could truly convince himself that a certain level of rest, or specific types of purposeful entertainment, were indispensable parts of his training regimen, he could cleverly circumvent the oath's restrictions.
Of course, pure, aimless activities—like sleeping in just to kill time or staring blankly into space—would never work. That would be self-deception, something even the oath-taker himself couldn't justify.
The key was for Alberto to find a logically consistent set of justifications and behavioral patterns—ones his inner self could truly accept without a shred of self-doubt.
"So, here's the real question," Garos thought, stroking his sharp-lined jaw with a claw covered in hard scales. "Should I enlighten this gold dragon, who has clearly backed himself into a corner? Should I help him find the loopholes in his oath and guide him out of this dire predicament?"
Just then, the gold dragon let out another heavy pant. His massive body finally gave way, collapsing to the ground with a thud, too exhausted to even twitch the tip of his tail.
"Alberto," Garos said, calmly stating the facts as he looked down at him. "Trying to resolve the predicament caused by your oath by defeating me in a direct confrontation is a nearly impossible task. Its difficulty is likely a hundred times greater than you imagine."
Yet, the exhausted gold dragon clearly disagreed.
He forced his heavy head up, gasping for breath. "No... I still have a chance. Once I complete my deep slumber of the young stage and undergo that leap in my very essence... I will have a very high probability of defeating you head-on!"
Alberto staked his hopes on the most critical juncture of his upcoming transformation—the deep slumber of the young stage.
He was convinced that if he could enter and complete this slumber before Garos, he would achieve a leap in life grade. With this absolute advantage, he could turn the tide of battle and defeat Garos in a single stroke.
Garos, however, remained unimpressed.
Alberto was currently around sixty years old. According to the normal growth patterns of dragonkind, the deep slumber of the young stage typically did not begin until around eighty. Even if Alberto's rigorous training could accelerate the onset of this period, it would be nearly impossible for him to begin it before seventy.
Garos himself, on the other hand, would soon enter the deep slumber of the juvenile stage and advance to the young stage. By the time Alberto awoke from his own slumber, Garos's life grade would likely have already ascended. Instead of closing the gap as Alberto fantasized, the disparity between them would only grow more insurmountable, fueled by Garos's ever-active innate talent.
"Since you are so certain," the red-iron dragon said, a faint smile touching his lips as he made his decision. "Then I shall wait and see."
He suppressed the urge to guide Alberto on how to exploit the loopholes in his oath.
Since Alberto had his own ideas, Garos decided to respect his choice and let him run headfirst into the wall he was so determined to hit.
Though the Gold Dragon's training regimen was indeed absurdly intense, his formidable physique could withstand it. At worst, he'd just be deprived of any normal leisure time, making his days exceptionally grueling.
Besides... Garos calculated.
If they ever encountered a troublesome enemy in the perilous wilderness, he could use this honest and powerful Gold Dragon as a reliable shield. The stronger Alberto became now, the more useful he would be later.
He seems to handle hardship well. Let's give him more of it.
"By the way," Alberto said, catching his breath during a rare moment of rest. "On the way to the Frontierlands, I noticed your familiars preparing for war. Are you planning to venture deep into the wilderness?"
Garos nodded slowly, his dark eyes fixed on the distant, rolling mountains.
"Yes," he replied in a low voice. "I plan to establish a foothold on the outskirts of the wilderness first."
"Then you must be careful," the Gold Dragon warned solemnly.
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------
📖 You are reading [318] Chapters behind with [78] Free Chapters available on site.
🔥 Read up to Chapter [648] now, only on ᴄɪɴᴅᴇʀᴛʟ.ᴄᴏᴍ.
📚 Read upto [13,000+] Chapters on Site with [10,400+] Free Chapters!
🚫 Also get FREE lifetime ad-free and join the giveaway by joining our Discord!
---------------------------