Translator: AnubisTL
"This place brings back memories, yet it feels so different from what I recall."
Inside the massive dragon nest, its rock walls covered in polished metal plates that glinted with a cold, hard luster, Garos coiled himself on the ground in a relatively relaxed posture.
When he was a hatchling, this nest had always seemed vast and empty, as if it stretched on forever.
But returning now, he found it cramped. Though it could still barely accommodate his now-colossal frame, the sense of spaciousness had utterly vanished.
"Garos, what exactly did you encounter after leaving my territory that allowed you to achieve such astonishing growth?"
Opposite him, the Iron Dragon Mother Leticia did not immediately ask which specific areas Garos wished to cooperate in. Instead, she shifted the conversation to his own experiences.
She clearly wanted to delve deeper into the story hidden behind her offspring's unbelievable growth.
She waved her massive clawed hand.
The trembling familiars standing at a distance immediately sprang into action, moving like water as they continuously presented an array of meticulously prepared delicacies, plump and juicy fruits, and fragrant wines served in massive stone vats... all to entertain the powerful Red-Iron Dragon.
"It was merely a matter of weathering a few storms," Garos replied calmly.
He then composedly selected a few trivial past experiences, none of which deliberately concealed their value, and recounted them briefly to the Iron Dragon Mother. These included some inconsequential adventures, frictions with certain factions, and the acquisition of some resources.
Time flowed quietly in the low-pitched conversation of the dragon language.
After listening intently for a moment, Leticia's massive dragon eyes flashed with a thoughtful light. She said, "Your experiences sound even richer and more convoluted than I imagined."
She paused, then changed the subject, her gaze sharpening.
"But you seem to have omitted the most crucial part."
"What exactly did you rely on to grow into this... utterly inconceivable form? The experiences you just described aren't enough to shape you into what you are today, with the power you now possess."
The unique traits Garos exhibited, along with his unparalleled attributes, couldn't have been forged by a few twists and turns in his past alone.
"Mainly my own sweat and relentless effort, day after day," Garos replied, as if stating a simple fact.
He paused slightly before adding, "Of course, it also helped that I have a certain innate talent from being a red and iron dragon hybrid. I possess a physique that allows me to grow rapidly—I'm not like other dragons."
He had briefly summarized the source of his immense power.
"Samantha and Gordon... I remember they left the territory with you back then. Do you know how they're doing now?" the iron dragon maiden suddenly asked, changing the subject.
Seeing the earth-shattering transformation Garos had undergone, she couldn't help but feel a strong curiosity about the current state of the other two siblings who had left at the same time.
"At first, we did indeed go our separate ways," Garos explained candidly. "But later, through a series of fortuitous encounters and shared interests, we reunited and formed the Ignis Dragon Clan, with me at its core, standing and falling together."
Leticia, the iron dragon maiden, was stunned once more.
Unlike metallic dragons, who were naturally inclined toward unity and cooperation, chromatic evil dragons were fiercely territorial. Each was arrogant and ambitious, preferring to rule alone rather than submit to another dragon or any other creature.
A stable clan of evil dragons was a concept entirely different from a metallic dragon pack.
This meant that within this clan, there had to be an absolute leader—one whose strength, wisdom, and prestige were so overwhelming that other evil dragons would genuinely admire, and even willingly submit to them.
And that leader, clearly, was Garos standing before her.
Leticia's estimation of Garos soared to a whole new level.
If she had known that the clan even included metallic dragons and the extremely rare planar dragons, she would have been beyond shocked.
"Though they're far from my level, their current strength already surpasses that of most dragons their age," Garos remarked simply, without going into detail about Samantha and Gordon's specific conditions.
After a brief exchange of information, their conversation turned to the main topic.
"The Lothurn Federation is currently engulfed in civil war, and its control over the Sierre Wilderness has weakened significantly. As a result, the region is in a state of constant flux, with factions rising and falling."
"This is the perfect opportunity for dragonkind to seize power and expand our influence."
Garos's voice grew solemn. "But opportunity always comes with risk. To truly rise in this chaotic wilderness, we will inevitably face countless challenges and lethal dangers."
"In such a situation, having a reliable and powerful ally becomes paramount."
His eyes met the iron dragon maiden's gaze as he said deeply, "And you, my Mother, I hope that when we face powerful enemies we cannot defeat alone in the future, we can become each other's most steadfast support, assisting one another and fighting side by side."
A powerful and trustworthy ally—especially one with Garos's limitless potential and astonishing strength—was precisely what Leticia had long desired.
By nature, she loathed being subordinate to any other dragon. Yet, as a Lawful iron dragon, she had no objection to cooperation based on equality and mutual aid.
Leticia sank into deep thought, her massive dragon head bowing slightly as her eyes flickered.
After a moment, she slowly raised her head and spoke. "Garos, I have personally witnessed your formidable strength, and I am more than willing to form an alliance with you."
"However, there is a practical problem. Partnering with me will likely bring a tremendous burden upon you as well."
"I will explain the situation in detail. Whether you ultimately choose to ally with me is a decision you must make yourself."
Her voice trailed off, then returned with a far graver tone.
"Mountain-Burning Wings, Frenzied Flame Blood-Blaze—Gorsas, the adult red dragon. He is a calamity incarnate, the source of all chaos and destruction, and currently my greatest tormentor."
As she spoke, her gaze swept over Garos's prominent red dragon features.
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then continued, addressing the red-iron dragon whose expression remained calm. "And he... has another identity—"
"—He is my biological father."
Garos finished her sentence calmly, his tone devoid of any emotion.
Leticia's voice cut off abruptly, a flicker of clear astonishment crossing her massive dragon eyes.
"How do you know? I'm certain I never mentioned anything about Gorsas to you, or to Samantha and the others. Have you already met him?"
Garos shook his head slightly.
"I have never had any contact with him," he replied. "I simply heard fragments of rumors from other channels. Combining that with my own circumstances, it wasn't hard to deduce our blood relation."
Leticia nodded slowly, accepting the explanation.
"In that case, you should know better than anyone how dangerous and unpredictable he truly is."
Her voice was laced with deep apprehension. "He is the very paragon of the Chaotic Evil Alignment—the red dragon of red dragons, the evil dragon of evil dragons. He is ferocious and bloodthirsty. Moreover, he has awakened a remarkably potent Ancestral Bloodline, rendering him virtually invincible among those of his own life grade. Below the Legendary level, there are only a handful of beings who can confront him head-on."
Invincible among his peers?
Garos remained noncommittal.
While he preferred and excelled at fighting opponents of a lower level, the truth was that he had yet to encounter anyone who could defeat him—or even fight him to a draw—at the same life grade.
He had also won battles against those of a higher level.
Of course, this didn't mean he would underestimate the Red Dragon Gorsas. On the contrary, his own experiences made him take the threat even more seriously.
"Before you arrived, I was also seeking allies who could join forces to deal with Gorsas," Leticia said, her voice tinged with helplessness. "But the results were disappointing. The potential collaborators were either terrified of his power or saw no profit in it."
She looked at Garos, her gaze complicated. "Allying with me means you will eventually face Gorsas head-on."
"Though you are unimaginably powerful, you are no match for him at this stage. Moreover, given his mad nature, he will feel no kinship with you—if anything, your uniqueness and potential will only excite him more."
After a few seconds of silence, she seemed to have made a decision. "After knowing all this..."
"Garos, do you still insist on your original idea of allying with me?"
She had already anticipated his hesitation, perhaps even a direct refusal. After all, few dragons would willingly provoke such a terrifying madman.
However, to her utter surprise...
The red-iron dragon's eyes narrowed slightly. Far from flinching, a cold, sharp glint flashed through them.
"When facing a powerful enemy that cannot be dealt with alone, all the more reason to seek trustworthy allies, gather our strength, and overcome the few with the many."
"My decision to ally will not change."
Among dragons of similar bloodlines, it was easier to sense and find one another.
In truth, Garos had faced a dilemma similar to the Iron Dragon Maiden's ever since he first learned from Gold Dragon Alberto that Gorsas was also active in the Sierre Wilderness.
As long as he sought to build his power in this wilderness, he would eventually have to confront Gorsas.
Given Gorsas's infamous reputation for chaos and madness, any encounter between them would likely end disastrously. If possible, Garos preferred to strike first and eliminate this massive potential threat before Gorsas could come knocking at his door.
He had always favored taking the initiative over playing defense.
He hadn't expected to obtain more detailed information about Gorsas during this meeting with the Iron Dragon Maiden. Even more surprising was the discovery that her goals aligned perfectly with his own: they both wanted to preemptively deal with their common enemy.
For him, this was an unexpected boon.
Garos promptly explained his wariness of Gorsas and his deep-seated desire to strike first.
"Do you know Gorsas's current movements? Or... do you have a way to lure him to a specific location?"
Garos asked.
If they could set an ambush in advance and gather their forces to besiege him, it would undoubtedly greatly increase their chances of defeating that Mad Red Dragon.
"I don't know."
Leticia shook her head, her tone tinged with helplessness. "No one knows what's going on in that lunatic's head."
"His mind is utterly chaotic, with no logic or pattern to follow."
"Although he occupies a territory, he rarely stays there quietly. He's always wandering around, wreaking destruction based on his whims or sudden impulses."
She paused for a moment before adding, "However, he once came to my territory and killed many of my familiars. Perhaps he will return."
Hearing this, Garos nodded thoughtfully.
Since there was a possibility that Gorsas would return, if he did show up again, the Iron Dragon Maiden might be able to find a way to stall him for a while, allowing them to quickly assemble their forces.
This would undoubtedly be a perfect opportunity to surround and annihilate him!
Immediately after, he and Leticia began a more serious and in-depth conversation.
The two discussed the specifics of their cooperation in detail: how to share resources, how to exchange intelligence, and most importantly, how to jointly confront Gorsas—a potentially massive threat.
Meanwhile.
Deep within a hidden, damp, and dark underground cavern somewhere in the Sierre Wilderness.
A figure completely shrouded in a voluminous black robe, its face obscured, held its breath in concentration, gazing at a crystal-clear ball floating before it.
The smooth surface of the crystal ball clearly reflected a scene of a thriving town.
Human merchants and all sorts of grotesquely shaped alien creatures jostled and bustled, the streets teeming with life and vitality.
This was the real-time view of Creekwood Fief.
"So many, so vibrant souls... Even a dragon is mixed among them."
Beneath the black robe, two eerie green Will-o'-the-Wisps flickered in the sockets where eyes should have been, betraying an undisguised greed.
Years ago, he had enslaved a powerful ferocious beast to test Creekwood Fief. Though the beast had been torn to shreds by the dragon pack, he had still gleaned a glimpse of their power.
A bloodless, skeletal hand emerged from the robe's sleeve, cupping the crystal ball.
"If I can harvest and devour all these souls, I might just have a chance to return to the Legendary Domain."
"Descendants of the Holy King of the Kingdom of Lothurn... When the time comes, I will make you wish you were dead."
Beneath the black robe stood a Lich—a high-level undead transformed from a legendary necromancer. He had lurked in the Sierre Wilderness for centuries, and now, as the situation grew volatile, he was ready to emerge from the shadows.
(End of the Chapter)
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