Free Web NovelThe sky of the small world remained as gloomy as ever.
The Red Iron Dragon stood amidst the silent mountain ranges, having already deactivated the three-headed, six-armed form from earlier and reverted to its normal state. The intact deep-space meteorite was placed before it, quietly shimmering with a red glow.
“I concentrated a full-power Dragon Qi Bomb to hunt the Rage Beast Lord.”
“While efficient, the resulting commotion was enormous. Could it attract the attention of an Immortal or a demigod?”
He pondered this in his mind.
It was highly likely, especially the orc demigod from Kantum.
Although he hadn't seen it directly, Garoth estimated that an orc demigod would surely investigate the area soon after. And with the cover of countless spatial rifts, he had already retreated in advance.
After all, provoking a demigod was a real possibility.
A strategic retreat to avoid the sharpest edge.
Garoth never considered retreating from a stronger opponent a disgrace. If pushed into a corner, he would even dare to bare his fangs at a deity, but under normal circumstances, he would try to avoid contact with beings he couldn't handle.
This was his way of survival.
In a sense, he was also putting White Dragon Trixie's theory of ecological niches into practice.
“When time is absent, space reigns supreme.”
“I don't have much natural talent in space myself, but with my Spell-Extinguishing Claws, I can forcibly influence it. Along with the Dragon Pearl, these are essentially my two most important traits.”
The Red Iron Dragon shook its claws, growing more satisfied with the Spell-Extinguishing Claws.
If they continued to evolve, one day they might truly be able to tear time itself apart.
Talent required?
Such vague and intangible things. First, taste my straightforward, unadorned claw!
Garoth gathered his thoughts, his gaze falling on the meteorite before him.
Unlike the previous meteorite fragments, the concentration of frenzied flame in this one was so high it had already overflowed, emitting a radiating influence to the surroundings.
Garoth had no doubt.
If left completely alone, just abandoned here, his small world would gradually transform into an environment similar to the Redridge Mountains.
This thing could infect more than just flesh and blood. If the frenzied flame infected deeply enough, even stones would stand up in anger and mutate into elemental lifeforms on the spot.
“By absorbing the frenzied flame from this meteorite, my current mutation power will gain a massive increase.”
“There might be some risks involved. Should I attempt it?”
The Red Iron Dragon pondered deeply.
The risks were mainly two.
First, the frenzied flame's effect on sanity could potentially make him lose control.
However, that point was secondary.
Even when Garoth wasn't a Legend, he was infected by the frenzied flame. Over years of accumulation, he had gradually adapted and developed almost absolute resistance. Later, through the plane isolation in the Serene Spirit Wilderness, he had completely mastered it.
What he needed to do now was to devour the greater with the lesser, transforming the frenzied flame in the meteorite into his own.
If he felt saturation, this process could be stopped.
The risk of losing control wasn't high.
The key was still mutation.
It was the essence of frenzied flame. Garoth even suspected that the Fury Curse was merely a powerful effect born from its mutation.
“Mutation... This won't be like the minor tinkering last time.”
“This mutation might drastically alter my body. And unlike my adaptive evolution, mutation could produce erroneous changes, making me weaker instead.”
The Red Iron Dragon's thoughts flashed like lightning.
Minutes later, he took a deep breath, his gaze calming, and made his decision.
Even if the mutation went wrong, he could gradually correct it through adaptive evolution. After all, adaptive evolution was his fundamental power; mutation was subordinate to it.
Since he had chosen to seek the power of mutation to strengthen and expand his evolutionary talent...
And had already obtained such a complete meteorite...
“No need to be overly cautious.”
“There's nothing in this world without risk or cost.”
In the silence surrounded by mountains, the Red Iron Dragon's expression remained calm as it extended its claw.
On the surface of the intact meteorite, the dark red light pulsed like a heartbeat. Each flicker radiated heatwave-like ripples to the surroundings.
The moment the dragon claw touched the meteorite's surface—
The world disappeared.
Garoth's sight, hearing, smell, touch—all his senses were stripped away in that instant.
Replacing them was an indescribable torrent.
It had no temperature, yet it burned hotter than magma; it had no substance, yet it was heavier than mountains; it had no sound, yet it let out a deafening roar deep in his consciousness.
“Kraaaaaaaah!”
The great dragon lifted its head, letting out a broken roar. Its eyes instantly turned blood-red.
The fierce, dangerous aura surged violently. But after the initial roar, the Red Iron Dragon gritted its fangs, keeping its body pressed low to the ground without showing signs of losing control.
At the same time.
His body began to change.
The frenzied flame surged across him, continuously devoured and transformed. His body underwent violent mutation.
It started with his dragon wings.
The Red Iron Dragon's two wings began to expand wildly.
The already broad and elongated wing membranes extended outward at a visible speed. The outer wing bones elongated one by one, becoming thinner and harder.
The edges of the wing membranes were no longer smooth curves.
When the wings were fully spread, their span had almost doubled, reaching over five times the Red Iron Dragon's body length.
But the wing membranes became thinner, the bones lighter. The overall texture shifted from “heavy, solid force” to “sharp, blade-like force.”
Then, the most dramatic changes occurred between the chest and abdomen.
The existing dragon scales began to lift one by one. But they didn't flip outward; they tilted backward, like wheat fields blown by a fierce wind. The edges of each scale grew fine serrations, and the scales themselves became longer and sharper.
From the gaps between scales, new ones squeezed out from beneath the skin.
They were long and willow-leaf-shaped, not the normal hexagons or diamonds. One overlapping another, they covered the originally exposed gaps. The entire set of scales became tight, sharp, and aggressive.
Then came the muscles.
Garoth could clearly feel his muscle fibers snapping one by one, then reweaving themselves in new ways.
This process was painful enough to knock any creature unconscious.
But some indescribable pleasure kept him awake, allowing him to fully experience the entire process of each fiber breaking and reforming.
“This mutation is disrupting my balanced development of all attributes, instead strengthening and highlighting one aspect?”
The Red Iron Dragon gritted its fangs, its sharp claws tearing the ground, a thought flashing through its mind.
His muscles were compressing.
Like forging steel of the same mass from thick plate armor into a sharp blade.
Muscle fibers became extremely dense. The volume of each bundle of muscles decreased. His originally massive, imposing physique was being stretched and tightened bit by bit. His limbs became more elongated.
His claws and fangs simultaneously grew longer, more curved, and sharper.
Their curvature approached the perfect hunting arc, tapering at the tips to needle-like sharpness.
The dragon's neck also lengthened.
The cervical vertebrae stretched one by one. The surrounding muscles and scales adjusted accordingly. The neck's diameter shrank slightly while its length increased.
Its head itself also changed.
The existing horns extended forward from both sides of the cheekbones, forming two sharp bone blades on either side of the snout. The mandible's horn growth thickened further, shaped into a sharp wedge.
From the side, the entire lower jaw looked like a sheathed dagger.
The horn crown on the top of the skull extended backward, sharpening, forming a continuous streamline with the newly grown spikes on the neck.
The tail's changes were equally dramatic.
The originally thick, long dragon tail elongated, becoming more slender.
Garoth could feel the number of vertebrae in his tail increasing. New bone segments grew from the tip one by one, each thinner and sharper than the last. The tail tip finally tapered like a sharp spear, its point seeming capable of cutting through space.
No one knew how much time had passed.
Maybe an hour, maybe a day.
When the mutation finally stopped, Garoth let out a long breath.
Then, a feeling of lightness and agility filled his entire body.
He carefully examined himself.
Still the same Red Iron Dragon form, but its outline had changed.
The originally massive, imposing physique now seemed polished into an unsheathed blade. Muscles compressed, spikes stood at attention, wings spread like knives.
If his original body was compared to a heavy siege hammer, then his current self was an elongated, sharpened lance.
From head to tail, every curve pointed toward speed.
From shoulder to claw, every joint was optimized for agility.
“My strength seems to have decreased.”
Garoth thought, then raised his claw, feeling the change in power.
Pure brute force had indeed weakened somewhat. After muscle compression, the explosive distance shortened, and defense thinned. The scales sacrificed some thickness for streamlined design.
But in its place...
He suddenly spread his wings.
The wing membranes swelled. With just one downward press, the dragon's body instantly left the ground, ascending at a vertical angle.
Speed.
Pure speed.
Garoth could feel the wind flowing over his scales. Some willow-leaf-shaped scales were arranged at specific angles, minimizing air resistance.
He flipped in the air.
Unrestrained, lightning-fast.
His body's reaction speed was at least thirty percent faster than before.
Every command traveled from brain to muscle, then from muscle to wing membranes and tail. The entire process had almost no delay. This body's response to commands was like a tightly strung zither string.
A gentle pluck, and it would ring out crisp and clear.
Extreme speed also brought him intense aggression. His wings, sharp claws, and dragon tail had all become more deadly weapons than before.
Especially the pair of wings and the tail tip.
On the outer edges of the wing bones and the tail tip, a layer of horn-like keratin, sharp as a blade, had mutated. Its texture was like dark red crystal, somewhat similar to his claws' texture, and it possessed supernatural slashing and tearing effects.
Wherever it passed, the space along the way was torn open.
Moments later, Garoth landed back on the ground.
He landed on all fours, making no sound, not even raising dust.
“Enhanced speed and attack... sacrificed strength and defense...”
He muttered to himself, thoughtful. “This isn't the direction adaptive evolution would choose.”
His adaptive evolution was always balanced. It would gradually optimize each part without disrupting the overall equilibrium, like a patient craftsman carving bit by bit until the whole piece approached perfection.
But this mutation brought by frenzied flame was like a mad artist.
It didn't care about balance. It pursued extremes, pushing one directional trait to its limit, even at the cost of sacrificing all other directions—a risky, unconventional path.
“At least, it has pushed me in one direction to a height I've never reached.”
“Given the time I invested and the risks I bore... it was worth it.”
The Red Iron Dragon's spirit lifted.
The extreme changes from mutation would also make enemies who thought they understood him pay a heavy price. And through continuous mutation, combined with his adaptive evolution, he could embark on a more efficient and broader evolutionary path.
Then, Garoth checked his traits.
“The traits haven't changed, only the body form and corresponding base attributes.”
“Can mutation only affect these? If I keep getting stronger, could it even mutate traits, or even an Immortal's Potency...”
“And can this current mutated form be memorized and preserved?”
“Like the Great Demon I killed back then, switching between different focuses to face different situations and powerful enemies.”
Garoth's eyes showed contemplation.
By controlling and restraining his own frenzied flame, he could gradually revert to his original state, then mutate again. But what the next mutation would look like, he wasn't sure.
“That's a problem.”
“If the mutated form can't be preserved, after obtaining a good mutation, I'd have to think carefully before choosing to return to normal or mutate again.”
“It would be best to have a way to memorize mutated forms and switch between them in battle at will.”
For now, Garoth tentatively named this mutated form, which sacrificed strength and defense while maximizing speed, agility, and sharpness, the “Sky-Rending Form.”
But unlike the Starlight State and Radiant State.
He couldn't freely control or change the mutated form right now.
Garoth gathered his thoughts and began to explore the Sky-Rending Form's body more carefully.
Accumulating mutation value and returning to normal both took time. Whether he could memorize and preserve it or not, he at least needed to familiarize himself with and master the Sky-Rending Form during this period.
Otherwise, encountering a strong enemy might reveal many weaknesses, increasing danger.
Swoosh!
A dragon shadow tore through the sky, shooting straight up. It performed various difficult maneuvers, its speed so fast that to ordinary eyes, it looked like a streak of red lightning.
Time flowed calmly.
Garoth familiarized himself with the Sky-Rending Form in the small world.
Meanwhile, due to the orc demigod's intervention, the war between Nausil and Kantum grew increasingly fierce. But demigods and Immortals stood at the top of the Material Plane. Their battles were intense but never decisive.
At the same time, compared to the dangerous main battle zone.
The pressure on the allied flank forces was actually decreasing day by day.
Because with top-tier strongmen involved, the effectiveness of tactical strategies was minimized. The orcs' attack intensity on the flank had dropped significantly, with their main focus shifting to the front lines.
Dawn.
The first rays of light pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the earth.
The allied flank forces had just repelled an orc attack. Due to its moderate scale and intensity, the orc Mandate of Heaven, the Green Dragon Queen, the Giant King, and other hero units hadn't appeared. Neither side suffered many casualties.
Then, under the coordination of the Nausil elves.
The Greenwild Dragons, Giants, and other races set up a temporary liaison camp at the junction of the flank defense lines.
With the battle momentarily paused, the commanders from various sides exchanged information and coordinated defenses here.
“It's time.”
Haldurn looked up at the sky and stood up from the tent.
The other giants around him rose simultaneously, their movements synchronized, like a group of hunters who had been waiting for this signal for a long time.
Haldurn wasn't wearing armor.
For him, ordinary armor's decorative value outweighed its practicality.
He only wore a dark red coarse cloth battle robe, a wide leather belt at his waist. Barefoot, his red hair scattered over his shoulders and back, gently swaying in the morning breeze like unextinguished embers.
“Let's go.”
He said just one word, then stepped out of the tent.
All the giants who had reached Legendary level followed behind him, stepping on gravel and dried bloodstains, producing dull sounds.
They walked out of their defense zone without stopping.
Then, they crossed the natural boundary separating the dragons and giants, passing through the elves' quarantine zone.
An elven overseer stood in their path.
The elf wore golden light armor, his helmet tucked under his arm, revealing a handsome face.
His gaze swept over the giants, his lips pressed into a straight line, and he asked, “Honored Giant King, you're leading a full squad of Legendary giants across the boundary. Where are you going?”
Haldurn looked down at him: “To the Greenwild camp.”
He didn't stop walking. His massive body continued forward, directly bypassing the elf's obstruction.
The golden-armored elf's pupils contracted.
He signaled to the soldiers behind him. Several elves quickly disappeared among the camps, running in different directions. He himself led the other elven soldiers, unhurriedly flanking the giant procession.
News spread through the camp like wildfire.
Haldurn was leading Legendary giants, unhurriedly heading to the Greenwild camp.
What was he going to do? Attack the Greenwild Dragons?
Impossible. The timing was wrong. The orcs had only weakened their attacks; they were still watching hungrily.
Regardless, they couldn't let them fight...
The humans were the first to stir.
Their camp was located in the middle section of the flank defense line, a buffer between the elven defense line and the giant's zone. When they saw the giant procession passing the edge of their camp, some followed along.
Then, the dwarves did the same.
All of this happened under the elves' watch.
Or rather, under the elves' guidance.
The first elven soldiers to arrive had the task of spreading the news, gathering enough witnesses, and trying to prevent the dragons and giants from turning on each other at the defense line.
When Haldurn reached the edge of the Greenwild camp, there were no longer just twelve giants behind him.
Humans, elves, dwarves.
A crowd of onlookers from various races formed a loose encirclement at the boundary of the Greenwild camp.
The Greenwild camp had no walls.
Dragons didn't need walls.
Their camp consisted of dragon lairs and tents for their followers and minions, spread across an open high ground with excellent visibility. An approaching enemy could be seen from any direction.
The camp was already in an uproar.
Follower warriors rushed out of their tents, weapons in hand, watching the approaching giant procession warily. Dragons circled in the sky, their slit pupils contracted, their wings half-spread, emitting low warning growls.
But no dragon attacked immediately.
Because Haldurn had stopped.
He stood at the edge of the Greenwild camp, his bare feet on the morning dew-dampened grass, his red hair gently rising and falling in the morning breeze.
His gaze swept over the heads of all the minions, past the other dragons, and finally landed on the most striking emerald figure.
“Queen of the Greenwild, Cerora.”
He called out.
“Haldurn.”
The Green Dragon's gaze was cold and sharp, locking onto the Giant King from afar. “You approach my camp's border with your clansmen. Do you want to say what you couldn't say yesterday with your battle axe?”
Haldurn shook his head: “No.”
“I came here to follow an ancient tradition.”
His gaze moved away from Cerora, sweeping over the surrounding elves, humans, and dwarves, as if announcing to them, as if asking them to witness. Then, his gaze returned to the Green Dragon Queen.
“In our giant clan, there is an ancient tradition called the Blood Pact Duel.”
“When two males compete for the same female, they can decide ownership through a duel. The victor claims the female; the loser withdraws or submits.”
“This tradition is recorded in the tomes of the Pillar of Cloud Peaks. It has been followed for thousands of years.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
The elves' expressions became subtle. Some of the older ones indeed knew of this tradition. In the Nausil libraries, documents about giant customs were not uncommon. Giants had existed on the Thalassian Continent long enough.
“I don't understand what you mean by that.”
The Green Dragon said coldly.
Haldurn met her gaze without beating around the bush, saying word by word:
“I, Haldurn, Lord of the Giant King's Court, son of the Fire Giant Lord, heir of the Red Dragon bloodline.”
“Hereby, according to the most ancient law of giants, the ritual of the Blood Pact Duel, I challenge the Red Emperor of Atlan, the Master of Aola, the Scarlet Emperor Cangxing.”
The camp fell silent for a moment, then the low murmurs resumed.
Haldurn's voice continued.
“The victor obtains the Queen of the Greenwild; the loser withdraws or submits.”
“If the Red Emperor does not answer the challenge within the stipulated time, according to Blood Pact rules, you should not refuse a male who has won a Blood Pact.”
His voice paused, and he said, “Please convey this to the Red Emperor. Ask him to come quickly.”
The Green Dragon Queen's pupils contracted into slits.
She slowly straightened her body, raised her neck, her chin lifting slightly, and said, “Haldurn, you bring up an ancient giant tradition to decide the ownership of a dragon?”
“Have you gotten something wrong?”
She stepped forward, her emerald scales gleaming with cold light.
“I am not a female of your giant clan. I don't need to follow your giant rules. Do you want to use the name of giant tradition to turn me into a prize for a duel?”
Having said that, her eyes narrowed, her face showing no anger.
Looking at the expressionless Giant King, she even let out a small laugh, saying, “This is just an excuse, isn't it, Haldurn? You're really half-hearted. You can't even be bothered to come up with a proper excuse. How laughable.”
Cerora laughed lightly, but some anger was rising inside her.
She realized that although the Giant King Haldurn wanted her power, he didn't truly regard her as an equal. That's why he used such a half-hearted excuse to make the Red Emperor fight him directly.
Perhaps in his view.
After defeating the Red Emperor, he could dispose of her, the Dragon Queen, as he pleased.
“Do you mean you are unwilling to summon the Master of Aola?”
Haldurn's brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed.
“When a female publicly humiliates a male who holds a legitimate position in a Blood Pact, the male has the right to correct her arrogance through force.”
He said.
With so many people watching, including her own followers and subordinates, the Green Dragon Queen naturally couldn't show weakness.
Her entire body lit up with a dreamlike glow, and she growled, “Do you think you're stronger than me? Stupid, filthy thing. Come on. I'll make you taste the flavor of defeat.”
The Giant King clenched his fist.
He had half a dragon bloodline but hadn't inherited dragon lineage knowledge, which required a complete bloodline. Since he was born and raised in giant society, he had accepted giant culture, and his self-identity was also a giant.
In giant society, males were revered, their status superior to females.
Dealing with a female who went against him—beating her into submission through open combat... Haldurn had already learned this from his father.
“Queen Cerora, King Haldurn, the flames of war are still burning. Internal conflict is not appropriate right now.”
“Whatever disputes you have can be resolved after the war ends. I believe there will surely be a good way to handle this.” ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
The golden-armored elf said.
However, he wasn't a Mandate of Heaven, not even crown-level, just a high-level Legend responsible for coordinating the flank forces here. Although backed by Nausil, his words didn't carry much weight.
The Giant King and the Green Dragon Queen turned a deaf ear to the elf's suggestion.
Cerora made the first move.
Her wings swept, and the Dream Domain instantly bloomed.
With her at the center, the colors of reality peeled away layer by layer, like watercolors washed by rain, revealing a different texture beneath.
The figures of elves, humans, dwarves, giants... all the spectators were wiped away in that instant, along with the mountains, tents, morning light, and clouds.
Everything disappeared.
Only an endless river of stars flowed. Gorgeous nebulae spread out layer by layer like gauze curtains.
Magnificent. Radiant.
And at the center of it all, the Green Dragon Queen's body had transformed into something indescribably majestic.
Her outline extended infinitely in the boundless space. Her scales reflected the star river. Her wings spanned the nebulae. Her eyes were two quietly burning stars. She lowered her head, looking down at the being floating in the void, tiny as a speck of dust.
“Haldurn.”
Her voice came from all directions: “In my world, you are like dust. The power you pride yourself on will be utterly meaningless.”
The giant raised his head.
“So this is your Domain? Truly incredible.”
“For beings like us, we often possess many powerful traits. Domains are not particularly noteworthy. Only beings like humans focus on Domains. But you, this Domain of yours seems very special.”
“Transforming reality into dreams, turning the battlefield into your world... Very interesting.”
Haldurn praised: “I take back my earlier words. You are not an arrogant female needing correction. You are worthy of my serious effort.”
With that, he stepped forward step by step.
Boom!
The Giant King's powerful spiritual influence interfered with the dream. His body rapidly expanded.
Stars flowed past his shoulders. Clouds surged beneath his knees. His eyes were no longer as before, turning into two burning stars.
His size was in no way inferior to the master of the Dream Domain.
“Now, we can begin.”
Haldurn clenched his fist and said.
In the real world.
At the edge of the Greenwild camp, the onlookers' expressions changed slightly.
Under everyone's watch, the figures of the Giant King and the Green Dragon Queen, along with the suddenly erupted dreamlike light, vanished from everyone's sight.
Almost without warning.
One moment, the two massive beings were confronting each other; the next, only the dew-wet grass and gravel remained in their places, as if they had never existed.
The giants were full of confidence in their king and remained unmoved.
The Greenwild Dragons also didn't believe their queen would lose. They watched the giants coldly, restraining the murderous intent surging in their hearts.
At the same time.
The Green Dragon Amilia looked at the spot where her queen had disappeared, her expression serious.
“Although my sister is powerful, in a direct fight like this, she might not be a match for the Giant King. And with her pride, she definitely won't call for help immediately.”
She thought to herself.
Although Amilia was sure that Cerora wouldn't stubbornly persist in an emergency, by the time she did call for help, she might already be severely wounded.
“Heh. Times like these call for me. My sister has been on the throne too long; she can't set aside a queen's dignity. But I don't have that burden.”
“I'm cunning. I'm treacherous. I'm proud.”
The Green Dragon muttered, taking out a leaf.
This was a communication device created from a Dream Oak leaf, with extremely strong transmission capabilities, capable of contacting across space and planes. She had given one to the Red Emperor when he was at the Emerald Royal City.
“Stupid Giant King, prepare to face the evil double-team.”
Amilia lit the leaf: “Lord Garoth, the Queen needs you!”
She spoke rapidly, conveying what had happened here in full detail.
At the same time.
Inside the small world, the streak of red lightning flashing across the sky suddenly stopped, revealing a sharp, agile dragon form.
“A duel?”
The Sky-Rending Red Iron Dragon stretched its claws and wings, eager to try.
This new body form—he had almost finished adapting and familiarizing himself with it. Having a good practical fight to test its performance would be perfect for Garoth.
Rip!
With a wave of his Spell-Extinguishing Claws, he tore through space in an instant, slipping through smoothly, his movements noticeably faster than before.
On the other side, the Greenwild camp.
Space split open with a long, narrow crack, like silk cut by an invisible blade.
The Red Iron Dragon stepped out of it, landing directly on the grass of the Greenwild camp without making a sound. His outline traced a cold arc in the sunlight. Every inch of his scales refracted a dark, faint light, like congealed blood.
The camp's atmosphere changed instantly.
The first to react were the elves.
The golden-armored overseer's hand was already on his sword hilt, his pupils contracted to the limit. His gaze swept quickly over the Red Iron Dragon, from the elongated neck to the blade-like wing bones, from the willow-leaf scales to the spear-point tail blade.
Who was this?
A Rage Beast Lord?
No, why did this shape look somewhat familiar?
Amilia stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide.
She looked at the dark red figure that had landed, her mind in chaos.
Huh? Is this the Scarlet Emperor Cangxing?
It hadn't been that long since their last meeting. How could such a drastic change have occurred?
Elongated. Sharp. Dangerous.
From head to tail, every curve spoke of speed and edge. He stood there motionless, yet gave the illusion that he could disappear at any moment, like a blade suspended in mid-air, ready to fall at any second.
“You...”
The Green Dragon's voice was a bit dry. She paused before asking, “Are you... Lord Garoth?”
The Red Iron Dragon was indifferent to the surrounding vigilance.
He tilted his head, his slit pupils reflecting the figure of the Green Dragon Amilia.
“It's me.”
His tone was calm. Without any polite chit-chat, he asked directly, “Where is Cerora?”
Amilia swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing the swirling doubts in her heart.
Now was not the time for questions.
She raised her claw, pointing to the empty ground where her queen had disappeared: “My sister pulled the Giant King into the Dream Domain, right there. But I... I don't know how to get in. My sister's Domain is very special. From the outside, it's completely unreachable.”
The Red Iron Dragon nodded thoughtfully.
He started walking, heading toward that empty patch of grass. As his four limbs alternated, his muscles slid beneath his scales, smooth and precise, without a single unnecessary movement.
The surrounding onlookers involuntarily stepped back, clearing a path for him.
Then, he stopped at the spot where Cerora had vanished.
“The Dream Domain... It's not a true dream, just a Domain. My True Eye should be able to see it.”
The True Eye fully activated. The dragon's eyes lit up with a brilliant glow.
The world peeled away layer by layer in his vision.
Matter, energy, space—each was broken down, penetrated, and analyzed.
Then, he saw two blurry outlines, like figures embedded in the gap between reality and the dream, dimly visible through frosted glass.
He felt the power of the dream, a texture both familiar and foreign.
He had spent enough time in Cerora's dream world that his body had adapted and evolved the ability to capture dream wavelengths.
And this Dream Domain was easier to perceive than a true dream.
“Found it.”
Garoth murmured.
His dragon claws raised.
Meanwhile, inside the Dream Domain.
The river of stars reversed.
Cerora's dragon claw, carrying an entire nebula, smashed down. Countless stars gathered, compressed, and exploded at the tip of her claw.
The light pierced the void, engulfing Haldurn's figure.
Haldurn caught it.
His hands directly grabbed the stellar claw, flinging the dragon, claw and all, away.
The Green Dragon Queen's body tumbled through the starry sky, smashing through a nebula, crushing countless stars, before finally stabilizing herself.
Her chest heaved violently. Several fine cracks appeared on her scales. Emerald light seeped from the cracks like flowing jade.
“Is this all you've got?”
Haldurn's tone held no mockery, just a statement of fact.
He stepped forward. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
With each step on the void, stars shattered beneath his feet, nebulae scattered at his side.
“Your Domain is indeed exquisite.”
The Giant King said calmly. “Transforming reality into a dream, distorting and weakening the enemy's perception of power while strengthening your own existence. In this world, you are the master of everything, the sole truth.”
He clenched his fist, the joints letting out a dull sound.
“But there's one problem.”
“You yourself are too weak. You cannot understand what true power looks like, so you cannot reproduce it in the dream, nor can you weaken it.”
Cerora's expression was unreadable.
Her wings suddenly spread. The entire Dream Domain trembled violently. Countless stars emerged from the void, turning into a dense meteor shower, carrying destructive light, pouring down on the Giant King.
Haldurn didn't dodge.
He took a deep breath, his chest expanding, then threw a punch.
Wherever the fist wind passed, the meteor shower was extinguished one by one, like candle flames blown out by a gale. The shockwave spread through the dream, creating visible ripples, tearing the surrounding nebulae to shreds.
“Damn it.”
The Green Dragon gritted her fangs.
The Giant King had been able to contend with a Mandate of Heaven orc decades ago, and his previous battle with the Mandate of Heaven orc was handled with ease.
This monster was also a being beyond the scope of the tier system.
Cerora's Domain could weaken the enemy's perception and distort their will. But faced with an absolute power gap, this weakening was like using a thin veil to block a torrent.
Time to expend some of my origin...
A look of determination flashed in Cerora's eyes.
She was the Queen of the Greenwild, the master of dreams. Her pride wouldn't allow her to be beaten around like a punching bag in her own Domain. Even if it cost her something, she would make this arrogant giant pay a fitting price.
Deep in her chest, a ball of emerald light began to coalesce, emitting a soft but dangerous glow.
Just then, space split open.
A long, narrow gash crossed the starry sky, like an invisible knife cutting through a canvas, slicing the complete picture in half. From the other end of the gash, morning light and mountain outlines could be seen, along with countless stunned faces.
A dark red dragon shadow stepped out of the gash.
His movements were crisp and clean. The gash closed behind him.
Cerora was momentarily stunned, then her gaze turned toward him.
Her eyes first landed on those willow-leaf scales and the blade-like wing and tail tips.
This... was Garoth?
Such a drastic change.
With this level of mutation, he must have already obtained the complete meteorite.
Cerora quickly made a judgment in her mind.
The Giant King also turned around, his gaze falling on the newcomer. His brow slightly raised, then a hint of a smile appeared, as if he had been waiting for this.
Garoth glanced at the surrounding starry sky, then looked at Cerora.
“Thank you for fighting for me for a while, Cerora.”
“But this fight should be mine. He issued the challenge to me.”
He turned his head back, his gaze locking onto the Giant King, his voice steady.
“Leave the rest to me.”
Cerora stared coldly at the Giant King, not backing off immediately.
She asked, “Need me to join?”
Garoth shook his head slightly, his gaze never leaving Haldurn: “I'm in need of a whetstone right now. Leave him to me.”
Cerora let out a breath.
She was silent for a moment, then retracted the dreamlike light coalescing in her chest.
“If that's the case... I'll leave him to you, Garoth.”
Her voice paused, then she added, “Kill him outright.”
The exchange between the two sounded like they were discussing an item they could dispose of as they pleased.
Haldurn didn't get angry about it.
He simply appraised the Red Iron Dragon, from head to tail, from wing tip to tail tip, his gaze serious and focused.
“You don't look like the person in the rumors.”
The Giant King spoke. “Master of Aola, Scarlet Emperor Cangxing... I remember you should be heavier and stronger, not this sharp appearance.”
Garoth answered succinctly: “Nothing stays the same forever.”
Haldurn nodded, not pressing further.
To him, what form his opponent took didn't matter. What mattered was that his opponent was standing here.
The Red Iron Dragon could feel the fighting spirit erupting from the Giant King.
It wasn't hatred or anger, not even hostility. It was more like pure anticipation, like a hunter finally finding prey worth hunting.
