"I... I lost?"
An almost absurd sense of unreality, like a frigid tide, surged over the young Golden Dragon's proud heart once again.
Could Alberto Aurelius, this Metallic Dragon who aspired to shroud all nations with the Wings of Conquest and establish an eternal Golden Order, really be defeated here in The Borderlands—a place deemed a wasteland—by a group... a Hybrid Dragon flight led by an Evil Dragon?
Defeated by an opponent younger than him, smaller than him, and whose Life Level should have been lower than his?
Even worse, he had been forcibly knocked down from the glorious sky and smashed into the dust in such a pathetic state.
Yet, reality was as cold as iron, indisputable.
The light of the rising dawn, carrying an almost ironic clarity, fell silently upon the chaotic, post-battle earth, clearly reflecting his humiliation at this moment.
Shattered scales, congealed bloodstains, and a massive body deeply embedded in the mud.
It also mercilessly illuminated the figure of that Red-Iron Dragon.
He stood like a mountain, his dragon foot pressing heavily upon Alberto's chest, his slit pupils looking down from above, like a monarch surveying yet another overconfident challenger.
"This battle! It is not over!"
Deep within Alberto's brilliant golden dragon eyes, anger and unwillingness burned fiercely like an inextinguishable flame.
He let out a heaven-shaking roar; the Oath of Conquest condensed into a new, flaming golden halberd in his claw, while the phantom of the recently shattered Oath of the Crown attempted to reform.
It must be admitted that the racial talent of the Golden Dragon, standing at the pinnacle of Dragonkin, granted him unparalleled vital resilience.
Although he was covered in scars, with many scales upturned and wounds deep enough to reveal bone, these seemingly horrific injuries were not yet enough to critically wound him; power still surged endlessly within his body, where dragon blood flowed.
Holy Strike!
Alberto's dragon claw gripped the conquest halberd tightly and thrust it upward violently.
The target was the massive Red-Iron Dragon foot that was trampling his dignity.
However.
Hum—!
The halberd, carrying golden radiance, suddenly halted in mid-air just inches from its target, as if gripped tightly by a pair of invisible, strong, giant hands, unable to advance even an inch further.
Alberto's pupils contracted sharply.
Through his extraordinary energy-sensing vision, he clearly saw two violent, ferocious, and substantial streaks of black-red Dragon Qi rising into the sky from behind the Red-Iron Dragon's imposing figure.
They twisted and condensed, forming a pair of immensely thick, muscular, and hideous giant energy arms, which were firmly clamping down on his shining conquest halberd.
The domineering, savage nature of the Dragon Qi collided and ground violently against the pure sharpness of the Sacred Oath energy on the halberd shaft.
Sparks and light fragments scattered, both sides deadlocked, neither willing to yield.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
Dense golden lightning crackled across the Red-Iron Dragon's body, and his already strong physique expanded once again; some of the cracked Frostburn Scales were stretched apart by bulging muscles, revealing even more crisscrossing battle-scarred patterns. At a glance, the Red-Iron Dragon seemed filled with an unrivaled, oppressive Aura.
"Do you want to continue? Golden Dragon."
The Red-Iron Dragon gradually increased the pressure of his foot, causing Alberto's chest to slowly cave in, his bones cracking.
"Cough—"
Spitting out broken teeth and blood, the Golden Dragon's gaze grew somewhat unfocused. His Battle Intent had completely dissipated, and the Oath of Conquest and Oath of the Crown gradually retracted, their sharpness gone.
He still had some strength left.
And wasn't the Red-Iron Dragon before him the same?
He could hardly imagine what kind of intense and perilous battles the opponent had experienced to have so many battle-scarred patterns on his body before even reaching the young adult stage. Thinking back to how he had just been smug about the few battle-scarred patterns on his own body, his mood became very complex.
However.
The reality of being trampled underfoot still made Alberto feel extreme anger and shame. He let out a low growl, and an inconspicuous scale on his neck lit up slightly, immediately emitting an unusual pressure.
The intensity was somewhat similar to the Dragon Aura Frosttrace emitted when he first saw the Red-Iron Dragon 'bullying' his offspring and became enraged.
Without a doubt, it was some kind of life-saving Spell left behind by a Mature Adult Dragon.
Garros's eyes flashed, and he had already retreated.
His dragon snout opened slightly, heat surging within his body; Destruction Dragon Breath was ready to be unleashed. Sorog the Iron Dragon, Samantha the Red Dragon, and Tereshi the White Dragon were also simultaneously brewing their strongest attacks, standing by in case the Golden Dragon chose to make a desperate final stand.
"A Dual-Oath Holy Dragon, in the young adult stage."
Just then, a whisper with a hint of slyness, a touch of playfulness, and a metallic texture drifted over, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Huh? Wait, you are Alberto Aurelius, right?"
The Red-Silver Dragon Deborah hovered in mid-air, her dragon claws gently rubbing her chin, as if confirming something.
Finally, she smacked her lips. The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every dragon: "I remember you very well. You once made a resounding declaration at a gathering of the younger generation in the Endless Sea Dragon Domain."
"True powerhouses do not need to rely on the protection and charity of their elders. The world and order that belong to oneself should—and only should—be created and pioneered by one's own hands."
"That's what you said, right?"
The young Golden Dragon's expression stiffened, and the scale on his neck slowly dimmed again.
After the Red-Iron Dragon's suppression was lifted, he climbed up, his chest heaving violently, his breathing heavy, while he turned his head to look at the Metallic Dragon kin who had just backstabbed him.
"You wretch who associates with Evil Dragons. Who are you? How do you know about me!"
He questioned.
The Red-Silver Dragon Deborah blinked, speaking in a flat tone as if stating established facts: "Alberto Aurelius. Among the younger generation of Golden Dragons in the Endless Sea Dragon Domain, you are the most controversial, the most rebellious, and the most stubborn existence. You are gifted and have outstanding potential, but your personality... tsk tsk, eccentric, extreme, and arrogant to the extreme."
"My parents..."
She tilted her massive dragon head slightly, as if recalling.
"Have mentioned you more than once and used your example as a cautionary tale, earnestly instructing me to take heed and never follow in your footsteps."
She paused for a moment, enjoying the look on Alberto's face, which had become even uglier due to her words, and then slowly continued to add.
"In fact, as far as I know."
"Many other older Metallic Dragon kin habitually treat you as a vivid cautionary example to warn their descendants about what constitutes a wrong path."
"Could it be that you have truly never realized that you have long since become famous?"
"It is just a pity that this fame is likely not the kind of glory you seek."
Alberto was a Golden Dragon of the Lawful Good alignment.
However, one could tell from the fact that he had sworn the Oath of Conquest that he was not a traditional Golden Dragon. There were many Golden Dragons who followed the Holy Dragon Path, but those who chose the Oath of Conquest were few and far between.
Alberto's personality was relatively extreme; a little more deviation and he would be Lawful Evil.
The only remaining dividing line between him and pure Lawful Evil was this: deep down, Alberto still considered the value of life and the humble feelings of the weak.
His intention in desiring to establish that eternal Golden Order was rooted in a grand goal.
—To completely eradicate all sources of evil and suffering in the world, allowing all living beings to stand under the perfect order he created with his own hands and obtain a better life.
As for pure Lawful Evil.
They also valued the supreme authority of discipline and rules, but they would never care about the value of the lives of those ant-like beings crushed under the rules, nor would they care about the wails and thoughts of the weak.
The true purpose of their establishing rules and order.
Was to implement rule more efficiently and stably, and to more smoothly seize everything they wanted.
"I, Alberto Aurelius—"
Facing the Red-Silver Dragon's ruthless exposure and subtle mockery, the Golden Dragon slowly raised his head, extended his dragon tongue, and licked away the residual dragon blood on his claws.
"—never care about those mediocre people who cannot understand my path."
He was in poor condition, but his voice remained deep and resonant, like rolling thunder brewing in his chest: "Other dragons think I am difficult to get along with, wantonly criticize my dreams, and accuse me of being too extreme."
"But."
Alberto's gaze pierced through the Red-Silver Dragon before him and looked toward the vast, boundless sky.
"From the long-term scale of this vast Universe and infinite time, unless one is a truly immortal and eternal deity, the thoughts of any intelligent life and any seemingly great actions are essentially meaningless."
"Since that is the case, why should I avoid the truest thoughts in my heart?"
The Golden Dragon clan generally possessed deep foresight far exceeding other Dragonkin, capable of perceiving the awe-inspiring vastness and distance of the river of time.
Alberto possessed this trait as well.
However, his foresight led him onto a distinct path.
He believed:
Life is, after all, a great inward journey of seeking one's own essence.
Rather than living a so-called correct but mediocre life by being overly cautious, concealing one's nature, and following the rules, it is better to face that beating heart, face the most primitive and burning cry from the depths of the Soul, do what one truly desires in one's heart, chase one's dreams, and realize the ultimate value of one's own existence.
Only in this way.
When that final, inevitable curtain of death falls, he will be able to walk into eternal silence with his head held high, without regret in his heart, and worthy of this life that belongs to him, Alberto Aurelius.