The night deepened, soaking the canopy of Dragon Valley.
A short while later, in a spacious and comfortable bedroom deep within Burning Steel Fortress, the Red-Silver Dragon Deborah, who had been resting for quite some time, slowly woke up.
"Damnable Garros, he's simply a monster that knows no fatigue!"
Feeling the lingering soreness in her muscles, the Red-Silver Dragon couldn't help but grimace and complain in a low voice.
She carefully moved her stiff limbs, then tiptoed out as quietly as possible, intending to sneak out for some fresh air.
"Deborah, you're awake~"
Just then, a crisp and cheerful voice rang out.
Faerie Dragon Vera flapped her small, translucent wings and flew in through an open window.
By this time, the epic game between the Red Dragon Queen and the King of Molten Iron had already concluded earlier.
Having played to her heart's content, Red Dragon Samantha, after bidding farewell to the Faerie Dragon, had set off back to the Serel Wilderness to manage the alchemy industry.
The Faerie Dragon, forever energetic and playful, felt a bit bored after Samantha left, so she naturally thought of looking for Deborah, just in time to see the Red-Silver Dragon waking up.
"Vera, you've come at just the right time."
The Red-Silver Dragon lowered her voice and asked, "Garros... is he still outside exercising? Hmph, that evil Red-Iron Dragon—if he sees I'm awake, he might force me to train again."
Faerie Dragon Vera blinked her eyes.
She pondered for a second or two, then said with a giggle, "No, no! Garros finished his workout long ago and is resting now. He's sleeping very soundly. You'll be absolutely fine going out now, don't worry!"
A glimmer of suspicion flashed in Red-Silver Dragon Deborah's eyes; she didn't immediately relax her guard just because of Vera's words.
After all, she knew very well how much this little companion loved playing pranks.
However, the moment Deborah hesitated, the smile on Faerie Dragon Vera's face suddenly vanished, replaced by an extremely serious and righteous expression as she said, "Deborah! We must face reality! The current Red-Iron Dragon is simply too evil! Today he forces you to exercise; tomorrow, who knows if this tyrannical rule will fall upon my head!"
"Don't worry, I, Vera, will firmly stand by your side and be your most reliable ally."
"Together, we shall resist his tyranny!"
Hearing Vera's impassioned declaration of alliance and seeing her incredibly sincere little eyes, the last trace of wariness in the Red-Silver Dragon's heart vanished, and she nodded, touched.
"Good! Vera, from this day forward, you are my most steadfast ally in resisting Garros's tyranny!"
She summoned her courage once more, walked out of the grand gates of Burning Steel Fortress, and then peered over the edge of the high platform, revealing only half her head and eyes to quietly observe the situation in the valley below.
However, what was reflected in the Red-Silver Dragon's vision was not at all the scene Vera had described.
That dark red figure, with muscles bulging to a heart-stopping degree, was accompanied by dull, thunderous booms as he engaged in an intense, frighteningly high-strength workout at the bottom of the valley.
The rising heatwaves even distorted the surrounding air!
"Ve—ra—?!"
The Red-Silver Dragon's heart lurched, and she practically squeezed those two syllables out of her throat.
She whipped her head around to where the Faerie Dragon had just been, only to find the place empty. All that remained was a faint illusion of Vera rolling on the ground and making faces at her, while the little rascal's triumphant, clear voice echoed in the air.
"You fell for it, you fell for it!"
"Blehh~ This time, it's a victory for the clever Lady Vera!"
It was obvious that the Faerie Dragon had played a prank, and she was the target.
"Ah! I actually got tricked by Vera!"
The Red-Silver Dragon lashed her tail in anger and annoyance, frustrated that her physical exhaustion and lack of focus had prevented her from seeing through Vera's not-so-clever ruse.
She and the Faerie Dragon often played various games and competitions.
Pranking each other was also a part of their daily entertainment.
Since the Red-Silver Dragon was usually more meticulous and perceptive, in most past encounters, it was the simple-minded Faerie Dragon who ended up at a disadvantage.
However, this time.
Because of her lack of focus, Vera had successfully turned the tables.
Quickly snapping back to her senses, Deborah immediately held her breath and turned, preparing to slip back into the depths of the fortress at top speed, pretending she had never woken up and never come out.
But her claws had only taken a few steps.
Whoosh—!
A sudden gust of wild wind blew past.
Immediately after, the Red-Silver Dragon's field of vision was completely filled by a massive, thick, searing-red iron wall.
Looking closely, that iron wall was covered in layers upon layers of dragon scales that looked like metal plates forged through a thousand refinements.
They were Garros's scales.
Deborah didn't have time to make an effective dodge and, with a loud 'clang,' slammed headfirst into Garros's broad, hard chest.
The result was obvious.
Garros's massive body didn't budge an inch, as if she hadn't hit a dragon, but a mountain.
The Red-Silver Dragon cried out, seeing stars from the impact as she stumbled back several steps, nearly losing her balance and falling onto her backside.
She shook her dizzy head and looked up at the Red-Iron Dragon blocking her path, a guilty smile forced onto her face.
"Garros, what a coincidence."
"I... I actually haven't fully rested yet. I just woke up and decided to take a walk to move around a bit."
"You go on, just keep exercising, you don't need to mind me at all—"
Before she could finish her sentence, her voice abruptly turned into an infinitely drawn-out scream.
The burly Red-Iron Dragon reached out with a giant claw, grabbed his target, and hoisted the exceptionally petite Red-Silver Dragon onto his shoulder.
Then, his massive wings unfurled with a roar, and carrying the Red-Silver Dragon on his shoulder, he descended toward the training grounds at the bottom of the valley!
"Deborah, you shouldn't be so slothful. Since you're awake, let's continue."
"I shall spur you on properly!"
The Red-Iron Dragon transformed into a demonic coach, his demeanor and movements full of aggression and assertiveness, once again forcing the Red-Silver Dragon to exercise with him.
He was slightly rough, allowing no laziness or retreat.
Strangely, however, after her initial helplessness, Red-Silver Dragon Deborah found that she didn't dislike Garros in this state. His unquestionable dominance actually carried a different kind of charm.
As the exercise continued, the feeling of physical fatigue surged back like a tide.
But Deborah's mindset was slowly changing, and she began to gradually adapt to and accept this forced growth.
Her main focus was the path of a mage, specializing in the study and application of magic.
But in any case, for any dragon, a stronger body certainly had no downsides.
Moreover, while Garros was demanding, he wasn't without sense. He didn't force her to over-exercise to the point of damaging her body's Foundation; he was more challenging her laziness and limits.
Meanwhile, far beyond the snow and wind of Dragon Valley.
The Adult Blue Dragon Zolaya flapped her wings, like a bolt of blue lightning tearing through the sky, swiftly crossing the turbulent Estonia Great River and soon arriving above The Borderlands, which were shrouded in wind and snow.
"The King of Molten Iron—according to the intelligence, he should be a fire-type or fire-related dragon."
"Why would he be willing, or rather, choose to live in such a cold environment? This doesn't match his own power attributes."
Zolaya tore through the thick curtain of wind and snow ahead, her mind involuntarily recalling the various pieces of intelligence she had gathered earlier.
"There are rumors that he conquered the Phoenix, who values beauty above all else, solely through his appearance and aura."
"There are rumors that he is the offspring of that Mad King Gorthax, with a cruel and cold personality, and that he committed patricide without any psychological burden."
"There are rumors that with just a shake of his dragon body, he made the map kings of the northwest region choose to submit and offer their loyalty."
"And even more ridiculous rumors say that he is very, very young, currently only a Young Adult Dragon."
"..."
Rumors of this sort were widely circulated in the Serel Wilderness circles.
"Most are far too exaggerated, especially the rumor saying he's only a Young Adult Dragon... it's laughably fake."
Zolaya scoffed in her heart.
"Only those Short-lived races who have never truly understood dragons would take such things for granted."
"A dragon lord capable of killing Gorthax and ruling a region, no matter how gifted, must have at least been in Adulthood for a long time or just stepped into the prime of his life. It's impossible for him to be a Young Adult Dragon."
"However, then again, those rumors probably aren't entirely baseless."
She thought calmly, "This King of Molten Iron must have many unique qualities sufficient to shock and leave a deep impression on other creatures; otherwise, so many Legendary rumors wouldn't have been spawned."
Thinking of this, Blue Dragon Zolaya couldn't help but feel an increasingly strong curiosity toward this Red-Iron Dragon she had never met.
She had grown up in the Dominic Dragon Flight since childhood and was a direct descendant of the flight's leader.
Benefiting from an excellent Bloodline and her own rare mutated talent, the strength she could unleash in battle was always superior to other Blue Dragons of the same Rank, and the speed of her Life Level increase also surpassed ordinary Blue Dragons.
Her father, Heart of Thunder Perest, had once personally asserted.
As long as she was given a few hundred more years of growth and tempering, her future achievements would certainly surpass his own.
By then, Zolaya would become the new, more powerful leader of the Dominic Dragon Flight.
Precisely because of this, Zolaya, who had always been arrogant and looked down upon other dragons of the same age or Rank, felt a shock and curiosity that could be imagined after hearing about that series of deeds concerning the Red-Iron Dragon.
"Whether those rumors are true or false, I will soon be able to verify for myself."
The Blue Dragon reined in her somewhat scattered thoughts, and following the coordinates previously provided by the Iron Dragon Sorog, accelerated toward the location of Dragon Valley.
After some time.
Above a vast and boundless snowfield, the outline of a valley standing on the earth gradually appeared in the Blue Dragon Zolaya's field of vision.
Even from a considerable distance, she could vaguely sense the interlaced and pervasive scent of Dragonkin in that area.
The howling gale could not completely disperse it, which meant that a significant number of Dragonkin lived in that area at the same time.
"I've arrived, this is it, Dragon Valley, the territory of the King of Molten Iron."
"There were quite a few strongholds seen along the way. His Foundation in The Borderlands is not shallow."
The Blue Dragon's spirits lifted, and she quickly flapped her wings, approaching the direction of the valley.
However, before she could fully reach the airspace above Dragon Valley.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!
The curtain of snow and wind to her side was suddenly torn apart by powerful currents of air! Several massive figures with fierce postures appeared and quickly closed in on the Blue Dragon.
They possessed massive leathery wings similar to those of a dragon and a pair of strong, powerful, thick claws; their bodies were covered in thick, dark scales, and needle-like, highly toxic spikes grew at the ends of their tails.
They were the aerial guards of Dragon Valley. The Wyvern Swarm.
"Stranger Dragon! Stop immediately! State your identity and your purpose!"
The leading Wyvern commander let out a low roar, its eyes baring ferocious light, showing not a shred of fear despite the opponent being an adult dragon.
Zolaya spread her wings and hovered steadily in mid-air.
Her gaze swept across the Wyvern formation, and she said: "My name is Zolaya, daughter of the leader of the Dominic Dragon Flight, here to visit the powerful King of Molten Iron; I have important matters to discuss."
The Wyvern commander turned its head and exchanged glances with another slightly smaller Wyvern beside it.
Whoosh! The Wyvern that was looked at immediately understood, its body tilting nimbly in the air, its wings flapping rapidly like an arrow released from a bowstring, as it quickly descended toward the Dragon Valley area, clearly to report the news.
"Stay here and wait quietly; before permission is granted, do not make any rash moves."
The Wyvern commander withdrew its gaze and continued to stare intently at the adult Blue Dragon, speaking in a stiff tone.
Zolaya was noncommittal about this.
She couldn't be bothered to waste words with these Sub-dragon kin, simply hovering quietly in place, showing her harmlessness and patience, waiting for the other side's response.
Not long after, the Wyvern that had just left returned, flying to the commander's side and hissing a few times in a low voice.
Subsequently, this guarded Wyvern Swarm slowly dispersed, clearing the aerial passage to Dragon Valley, signaling that this adult Blue Dragon was allowed to continue approaching.
Zolaya felt a slight sense of relief, and she officially flew toward the magnificent valley that was looming in the wind and snow.
As the distance continued to close, her vision pierced through the swirling snowflakes, and she first clearly saw the Burning Steel Fortress standing at the peak of the valley like a crown.
"To be able to have a magnificent fortress built in such a perilous place, it seems the other party is very wealthy and knows how to utilize resources."
Zolaya judged quickly in her heart.
She came to visit the King of Molten Iron partly to facilitate negotiations, and partly to personally confirm the level of the other party's Dragon Flight, so that whether it would be war or peace next, she would have some idea in her heart.
In the blink of an eye, Zolaya had flown directly above Dragon Valley.
She subconsciously lowered her head, her gaze piercing through the slightly thinner wind and snow, looking toward the bottom of the valley.
And her vision was completely occupied by that imposing figure at the very first instant.
Hiss—!
With the Blue Dragon's calmness, she couldn't help but gasp at this moment, her eyes instantly widening, her heart beating violently and uncontrollably.
What had she seen?!
It was a terrifying dragon so unimaginably strong that it could even make Red Dragons, who were known for their strength, pale in comparison, highlighting a sense of weakness.
Just by standing there, he was like a mountain range cast from muscle and steel.
The layered dragon scales, the uniquely structured blade-wings and dragon tail, the powerful body, and the mixed-blood Metallic Dragon that seemed to have suffered much torture lying beside him. All of these left an indelible impression on Zolaya.
The crisscrossing lines of fire on his body were gradually fading, and his aura was also slowly weakening.
But even so, the sense of power naturally exuding from him still made Zolaya, who was hovering in the air, feel deeply uneasy, as if she had completely exposed herself before an existence that could kill her at any moment, with life and death beyond her own control.
What surprised and puzzled Zolaya the most was the two completely different temperaments he possessed simultaneously.
One was the violent and majestic nature of fire in aggression; the other was the calm, abyssal rationality and profundity.
These two temperaments, which should have been contradictory and incompatible like water and fire, now coexisted in him, forming a unique sense.
"Perhaps... this King of Molten Iron is even more powerful than my father."
Personally feeling the lingering Dragon Might of the King of Molten Iron, this thought uncontrollably popped into Zolaya's mind, her gaze flickering.
Just at this moment, a calm yet oppressive, indisputable voice sounded.
"Come down."
The Red-Iron Dragon raised his head and said.
Although from a physical position, he was the one located lower on the ground.
But in a trance, the Blue Dragon Zolaya had an illusion, as if it were she herself, hovering in the air, who was being looked down upon from above.
Meeting the Red-Iron Dragon's calm yet dangerous eyes, which carried a hint of abnormal bloodshot veins.
The Blue Dragon Zolaya's heart suddenly shuddered, and all distracting thoughts were instantly cleared away.
She dared not delay, immediately lowering her flight altitude and landing not far opposite the Red-Iron Dragon.
She tucked in her wings and slightly lowered her beautiful head, which possessed unique antler-like forks.
"Zolaya Dominic, here by the order of [Heart of Thunder], leader of the Dominic Dragon Flight, Perest."
The Blue Dragon said: "Noble and powerful King of Molten Iron, Your Excellency Garros, I offer you my greetings; it is an honor to be able to see your majesty with my own eyes."
These actions and words of hers represented weakness and respect in the social customs of Dragonkin, indicating that she had placed herself in a lower position and had no intention of provocation.
The Red-Iron Dragon examined the Blue Dragon envoy before him.
His gaze lingered for a moment longer on her beautiful sky-blue scales and that pair of highly distinctive dragon horns with their many elegant forks.
"The Molten Iron Tribe under my command once took in a few young Dragonkin from the Dominic Dragon Flight."
Garros did not engage in any pleasantries or small talk, getting straight to the point and asking bluntly: "Are you here for them?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Zolaya admitted frankly, her tone remaining respectful: "I represent the Dominic Dragon Flight, and I sincerely hope to communicate with you to facilitate a friendly negotiation regarding this matter."
Speaking to this point, the Blue Dragon's voice paused slightly, and the conversation quietly shifted.
"However, besides conveying the wishes of the Dragon Flight, I have another matter that I would like to privately implore you for."
"This matter represents only me, Zolaya, and has nothing to do with the Dragon Flight."
Zolaya slowly raised her head, her clear eyes reflecting the figure of the Red-Iron Dragon.
Garros was expressionless.
"Speak."
He only spat out a simple word.
The Blue Dragon was silent for a few seconds, as if organizing her language.
Subsequently, under the gaze of the Red-Iron Dragon, she made up her mind and whispered: "I hope you can help me kill the leader of the Dominic Dragon Flight, who is also my father."
"For this, I am willing to pay the corresponding price."
Hmm? You also want to commit patricide? Could this already be some kind of Evil Dragon tradition?
Upon hearing this completely unexpected request, a subtle ripple appeared in Garros's expression.
Family affection among Evil Dragons is thin, but even so, the act of patricide is actually very rare; if he were not sure that the Blue Dragon before him was not joking, he might have thought that the other party was mocking him.