No response.
These insignificant Drow, merely a group of recently civilized mammals! Sooner or later, I'll turn you all into the most wretched slaves!
...
Next, David tried to embrace about a dozen thoughts that he considered to be 'Pride,' yet there was still no reaction whatsoever.
He then turned to trying to make himself "angry."
That was something David had quite a bit of experience with.
He recalled his early career days after graduation in his past life. He often encountered various oddballs with their utterly outrageous demands, the kind of people and requests that would make his blood boil. Such encounters were so infuriating that the memories alone could jolt him awake from nightmares.
So, he began to recall the contempt of being treated as slave merchandise by that group of Drow and the humiliation of being trampled and desecrated underfoot!
Ah, I can feel the anger now!
This should count as anger, right!
As David swelled with rage, the Drow who had been running feverishly stopped at the edge of the valley with a hand sign from their leader.
She glanced at the pile of Red Dragon dung below the cliff, resembling molten ash, and took a deep breath.
This meant that after nearly half a month of hardship, and navigating the risk of the Evil Dragon hatching prematurely, they had finally arrived at the edge of the Dragon Mother's territory with their spoils.
"Gather the Crimson Ash, then rest here for three hours," she ordered.
"Yes!"
While this substance might not be as valuable compared to Dragon Eggs, it was still remarkably effective, whether as an alchemical catalyst or for repelling wild beasts while camping.
Though it was the excrement of a Red Dragon, it differed from that of other Evil Dragons. Any food passing through a Red Dragon's furnace-like digestive tract would transform into a substance resembling molten ash, leaving only a faint sulfuric scent. To some extent, it was similar to the ambergris produced in the Sperm Whale's intestine but was far more valuable.
When a High Elf survivor discovered that this substance could make skin whiter and tighter, it instantly became an object of obsession among Elves.
Red Dragon dung, after being processed through pulping, sedimentation, dehydration, and drying, transformed into a skincare treasure that Elves applied to their faces, bodies, and even intimate areas.
Some even went as far as to clean out an entire dung pile surrounding a Red Dragon Territory. They then built a hot spring bathhouse from Red Dragon dung in Devinsel, the High Elf capital, becoming renowned merchants on the Continent virtually overnight.
Subsequently, it was marketed under a more refined name—
Crimson Ash.
This trend rapidly spread to the Drow, the High Elves' troublesome neighbors, as well as to Humans in Central Earth, and even Dwarves, who discovered that adding some to the smelting of ironware could somewhat increase its ductility.
It reached a point where traders speculated on it so heavily that dung became a rare commodity. Consequently, numerous adventuring parties sailed the treacherous seas to the Old Continent, scouring the land for it.
The dung piles around Red Dragon territories, which served as markers and deterrents, were depleted. As a result, the number of lost trespassers increased, greatly annoying the Red Dragons of the Northland.
This eventually woke the legendary Red Dragon—Lelendorna Pafila Lufurdolugan Sed Ponga—from her volcanic slumber, unleashing her fury.
The legendary Red Dragon rose to the skies, killing people on sight and burning ships, her rage turning the entire sky crimson with its flames.
This massacre lasted well over half a month, until no one dared openly cross the North Sea anymore.
It came to be known as the Crimson Calamity.
And it also became yet another moniker for the legendary Red Dragon Pafila.
However, given the calamity's absurd origin, many Bards inclined towards sensational stories preferred to refer to it as—
"The Calamity Caused by a Pile of Dragon Dung."
Since the Dragon Dung Disaster, few dared to venture there. Only some small-time traders, lured by high profits, and these desperados—who gambled their lives stealing Dragon Eggs along the North Sea coast—remained.
When the haul was substantial enough, the leader often tacitly allowed them to keep some Crimson Ash for personal use or resale.
Thus, every time they returned to the New Continent, Granyel, they would fill their remaining carrying capacity with it.
"What's wrong with this Red Dragon Hatchling? Its scales are all bristling."
One of the Drow returning from dung collection noticed David's odd state.
"I heard that Red Dragons have the most volatile tempers. Having its mouth gagged for so long, it must be infuriated, right?"
"Giggle, who would have thought a raging Red Hatchling could look quite adorable," another Drow added caustically.
Adorable? David glared at these fearless Drow.
He took a deep breath, puffing up like an angry pufferfish, and glared at the Drow who were enjoying his predicament:
Ignorant Drow, behold the true wrath of a Red Dragon!
David, who was accumulating his rage, began to struggle violently. His commotion also attracted the attention of other Drow; even the Drow leader cast a glance his way.
Watching the Red Hatchling's belly inflate and its eyes widen with anger, the Drow leader's expression grew serious. She half-expected this little Red Hatchling to offer another surprise.
At this point, David's swelling had finally reached its limit.
So, under the silent gaze of the Drow.
PFFT.
The 'full fury' the Red Hatchling had amassed suddenly leaked out, transforming into a fart on the westerly wind.
The Drow first looked at each other, then burst out laughing.
Even the usually serious Drow leader couldn't help but smile.
"It seems our haul this time is quite good. When we reach port, we can have our little Red Dragon darling put on a few of these comical shows. Of course," she added, "that'll be for an extra fee."
The Drow laughed even louder.
The scene was so joyous, it was as if the bloody internal strife from earlier that day had never happened.
Only David, at the center of this ocean of merriment, remained unmoved. He seemed to have not the slightest concern about his previous 'disgraceful display.'
This wasn't because he had become completely indifferent to such embarrassing incidents or lost all sense of shame.
If this had happened during his student days or early in his career, he would have been so embarrassed he might have tried to dig a three-bedroom apartment out with his toes.
However, it was unclear whether it was the influence of his new body or the Dragon heritage he received after transmigration. When he focused on his practical experiments, his thinking automatically adopted a Dragon's habitual mindset:
After all, in the eyes of a Dragon, this group of Drow is no different from pets in the eyes of humans.
Who would feel embarrassed over merely farting in front of a cat or dog?
Is it still the wrong direction? Or is it a matter of magnitude?
While David completely disregarded the Drow's ridicule and was summarizing his failed experiment...
Arrogance
A piece of information suddenly popped into his mind, making David ecstatic.
Success!
Wait, why are there two words missing from before? Where's my Authority?
As David noticed something was off, the Wanderer on lookout atop the cliff suddenly sent a warning:
"Hide! Quick, hide!"
"Red! It's a Red Dragon!"
"The Dragon Mother is returning to the nest!!!"
In that trembling voice, there was a hint of despair.
Because the direction from which the Dragon Mother was coming was directly ahead on their path home.
This meant they had almost no means of escape.
...Mom?! David, who had been staring blankly at the sky like a dead fish, suddenly snapped to attention.
The chains binding his muzzle almost snapped from his uncontrollably widening grin.
This draconic life truly had its dramatic turns and delightful double surprises!
David began to imagine the Dragon Mother, whom he had never met. He pictured her unleashing a devastating attack, rescuing her troublesome Red Dragon whelp—him. He would then enjoy her patronage, leading a carefree, unambitious life as a pampered mama's boy Dragon. All the while, he'd use his newly unlocked 'Angry Long Aotian' cheat code to reach the pinnacle of draconic existence. Just as he was lost in this fantasy, an image from the Dragon heritage abruptly invaded his mind.
David's body turned ice-cold.
It was the image of a female Red Dragon finding her stolen Dragon Egg...
And swallowing it whole.