Translator: AnubisTL
A heavy night sky, like black velvet, draped over the Sierre Wilderness. Sparse stars, scattered like carelessly strewn diamonds, cast a faint, cold light above the Heavenly Pit Territory, barely outlining the colossal silhouettes of the two dragons locked in a standoff.
Opposite the red-iron dragon, whose sheer size was almost incomprehensibly massive, Iron Dragon Leticia's face had lost all the composure and majesty that should have belonged to an Iron Maiden.
The expression—a mix of utter shock, bewilderment, and disbelief—was palpable, even through the thick, cold metal of her faceplate.
Gradually, as she repeatedly confirmed the familiar aura that resonated deep within her bloodline and the irrefutable details in his words, the exaggerated shock on her face began to recede like a tide. Yet, a profound sense of confusion and incomprehension still lingered in her massive dragon eyes.
For a moment, she was completely speechless.
It felt as if an invisible force were strangling her throat, leaving her unable to find the right words to begin.
Garos was considerate enough not to say any more. He simply stood there, his eyes calmly fixed on her, patiently waiting for the Iron Dragon Mother to calm her churning emotions and recover from the immense shock.
"You... Garos?"
After a long silence, Leticia's voice finally broke through, heavy with hesitation, as if she had to weigh every word.
She spoke in an uncertain tone, almost a question: "The hybrid offspring... of the Red Dragon and Iron Dragon bloodlines... my... mixed-blood child?"
Hearing the Iron Dragon Mother's uncertain question, Garos slightly turned his massive head, his majestic, winding dragon horns carving a powerful arc in the air.
"Indeed."
His reply was short and certain, his voice deep and resonant, echoing with extraordinary clarity in the silent night sky.
After a brief pause, he carefully examined the Iron Dragon Mother before him, who was much more slender than himself. While she might have had a slight advantage in overall length, she could no longer rival him in pure power and presence.
"It seems my growth and changes over the years have left an even deeper impression on you than I anticipated, Mother."
He spoke.
Even after fully calming down, Leticia did not lower her guard. Her body remained tense, as if facing a strange and dangerous dragon. She stared intently at the red-iron dragon, her sharp gaze sweeping over his thick scales and the muscles rippling with explosive power.
"If my memory serves me correctly, you left my territory when you were nine."
"Leaving the protection of your mother dragon to hone your scales and fangs in the wider, more cruel world can indeed make a young scion mature faster."
"But regardless."
"It has only been about fifty years since you left."
Leticia's voice was filled with doubt. "What did you eat? How could you possibly grow to this extent in such a short time?!"
Even among dragons of the same species, individual temperaments could differ wildly, sometimes creating a chasm between them.
Leticia was a standard iron dragon—Lawful Evil and a pragmatist.
But compared to most other iron dragons, her nature was far more cautious and suspicious.
She did not let down her guard just because of Garos's words.
Deep down, she even began to wonder if this powerful red-iron dragon before her was a master of transmutation or illusion magic in disguise.
His goal, she thought, might be to lower my guard and seize the opportunity to claim my territory, my treasure, and even my life.
"Mother, you should know better than any dragon," Garos said unhurriedly, "that the word 'impossible' doesn't seem to apply to me."
"Do you remember when I was about four years old, and I asked you to whip me with your tail for training? I recovered from those flayed wounds much faster than usual, and my scales became harder than ever before."
"At the time, you also found that level of recovery and adaptation—far beyond that of an ordinary hatchling—to be impossible."
After citing this childhood memory as evidence, the red-iron dragon continued calmly, correcting her: "Besides, you seem to have misremembered one thing about when I left."
"I didn't leave at nine."
"To be precise, I left the Heavenly Pit Territory when I was seven, before I had even turned eight, along with Samantha and Gordon."
From the iron dragon maiden's words and demeanor, Garos keenly sensed the deep-seated suspicion and probing she was hiding.
Then, he raised a massive claw covered in dark, dull scales.
Nestled in the center of his palm was an object—a metal ring, now broken and covered in cracks, its magical luster completely extinguished.
Garos held the shattered ring up to Leticia's eyes, allowing her to examine every detail.
"This item gave me immeasurable help during those early, difficult years."
"Unfortunately, it was ultimately too fragile. I accidentally broke it during a period of high-intensity use."
This was the very gift Leticia, the Iron Dragon Maiden, had given Garos upon their parting years ago—the Lightning Tail Ring.
It was precisely because of this ring that Garos had first realized he could use external alchemy items to stimulate himself and achieve targeted evolution in specific directions.
It had been the key that unlocked his path to Frenzy State evolution, playing a crucial role in his growth.
Opposite him, Leticia listened intently to the Red-Iron Dragon's clear and detailed account. Her gaze fell upon the damaged Lightning Tail Ring, an item that no outsider dragon could ever hope to forge.
The extreme wariness in her posture finally began to visibly relax.
Yet, the dragon scales on her body remained slightly bristled, and her muscles stayed half-tensed, refusing to fully relax.
Years of solitary living and the perils of the wilderness had ingrained in her the habit of never letting her guard down.
"Garos, your growth rate and the form you've ultimately taken... they truly astonish me."
She bared her glistening fangs, her pupils narrowing into two dangerous slits as she asked bluntly, "So, tell me. Have you returned today merely to display your newfound power? Or do you harbor other intentions for this territory I have cultivated for so long?"
The Iron Dragon Mother's volatile reaction was no surprise to Garos.
This wasn't a matter of her being overly sensitive or malicious.
It was simply that in the social laws of evil dragons, familial bonds were inherently faint and fragile.
Perhaps some affection could be preserved between peers who grew up together.
But between blood kin of different generations, there existed a deeper chasm and a more latent sense of competition.
The Dragon Heritage recorded no small number of elder dragons who were successfully challenged, and even slain, by their own offspring.
Cases of blood kin turning on one another were far from rare, driven by the fight for territory, treasure, or simply to prove one's superiority.
"Relax, Mother," Garos said, his gaze sweeping casually over the iron dragon retainers who still stood on guard, trembling with fear yet unable to advance. "If I truly harbored hostile intent, you wouldn't be here questioning me. You'd be busy collecting the corpses of your retainers."
His voice was calm, as if he were merely stating a simple fact.
Yet, when these words reached the ears of the surrounding manticores, dragon blood creatures, and other monsters, a wave of bone-chilling terror and dread swept through them.
It was true. If this terrifying red-iron dragon had truly harbored malice, he could have struck first while the Dragon Lord was away from the territory, wiping out all the retainers with thunderous force. Even if he had intended to take over these retainers, he would have first eliminated the dragon blood retainer bosses who were absolutely loyal to Leticia, leaving only those who were easy to tame or control.
Not like this.
He waited with composed patience for the Dragon Lord's return, facing her and her entire legion of servants alone.
After a period of careful deliberation, Iron Dragon Mother Leticia finally uncoiled her four limbs, which had been held in a low, ready-to-spring crouch. The powerful muscles of her body gradually relaxed.
Like a large cat that had confirmed no immediate danger, she settled into a relatively relaxed squat, her four limbs tucked slightly inward, while her long, steel-scaled tail swayed unconsciously from side to side behind her.
She once again took in Garos's imposing physique before finally asking the core question: "So, Garos, what is your true purpose in spending the time to wait for my return?"
Garos thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully, then said, "I came here primarily to tell you two things."
"First, my time in the Heavenly Pit Territory was an indispensable part of my growth. The alchemy item you gave me at the end also provided immense help at a critical moment."
"Second, given the shared bloodline flowing through our veins, I believe we have a far better foundation for cooperation than any stranger ever could. I hope we can forge some form of alliance or partnership."
Having first extended a gesture of goodwill and recognition, Garos then stated his clear intention to cooperate. After speaking concisely, he fell silent, his calm gaze fixed on the iron dragon maiden as he awaited her response and decision.
Leticia stared back at Garos, her eyes sweeping over his massive frame. He was slightly shorter than her, yet his sheer bulk and muscular build far exceeded her own.
Cooperation?
The proposal wasn't entirely out of the question.
For Leticia, the mad and powerful Red Dragon Gorsas had always been a sword hanging over her head—a massive and unpredictable threat. She was unwilling to leave the Sierre Wilderness, her home for so many years. But as long as she remained here, a confrontation with Gorsas was inevitable. And in their current state, she was completely outmatched.
To counter Gorsas's threat, Leticia had already been actively seeking potential allies.
However, suitable candidates were few and far between.
She had previously attempted to forge an alliance with the Dominic Blue Dragon Family. Although she had yet to receive a final response, the outcome would likely be a refusal. Those blue dragons were far too shrewd and pragmatic to intervene for a vague, potential risk.
Furthermore, any cooperation usually rested on two pillars: trust and a clear understanding of each other's strength.
In terms of trust, while familial bonds among evil dragons were weak, they still shared a bloodline and a history that gave them an edge over completely unfamiliar dragons.
Besides, in her memory, Garos's temperament was quite different from that of the typical chaotic and frenzied evil dragon; he seemed more composed and reliable.
Her gift of that alchemy item all those years ago had been a forward-looking investment in itself.
As long as Garos wasn't as utterly mad and chaotic as his red dragon father, a cooperation remained possible.
As for his actual strength, size was often only a partial indicator, not the whole picture.
Throughout her long life, Leticia had hunted many ferocious demonic beasts far larger than herself.
The red-iron dragon before her looked formidable, but there was a chance he was all show and no substance. After all, he was still far too young. Perhaps some fortuitous encounter had caused his body to develop prematurely, and his true combat power might not match his terrifyingly massive frame.
After carefully weighing the risks and benefits, Leticia's enormous dragon eyes refocused on Garos.
"My dear Garos," she said, "our reunion after several decades should be a joyous occasion worth celebrating."
"But before we formally discuss any specific cooperation..."
"I want to get a more direct sense of exactly how much you've grown."
"Your size surprises me, but as a fellow dragon, you should know all too well that size doesn't mean everything."
She gazed at the Red-Iron Dragon and spoke.
"How do I prove it?" Garos asked.
He had already guessed her intentions, yet he chose to ask. It was a gesture of formal respect, setting the tone for the exchange to follow.
Leticia tilted her head slightly, her voice steady and resonant beneath her heavy visor.
"Simple," she declared. "A friendly spar."
"Only when scale scrapes scale, when claw meets claw, and when strength and skill clash in their purest form, can we truly gauge each other's power."
"I believe that after this, whether we choose to cooperate or take another path, we will be able to make a far better judgment."
Her proposal was exactly what Garos had hoped for.
He needed a battle of sufficient weight to establish his rightful place in this Mother's heart.
In the world of dragons, verbal promises were as light as dust. Only strength, tempered by claw, fang, and flame, could forge a truly unbreakable contract or alliance.
(End of the Chapter)
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