Free Web NovelRaging Tides Dragon Domain.
The deepest place where light could not reach.
Over ten thousand meters of seawater pressed down from above, devouring all traces of light. Here, there was only darkness, silent currents swirling in the depths, and the occasional whiff of sulfur seeping through fissures in the earth's crust.
A massive body covered in dull, dark dragon scales, as if cast from bronze, lay silently coiled in this place.
The Bronze Dragon King, Sheffield.
He crouched motionless at the bottom of the abyss, his enormous dragon wings folded against his sides, his thick tail wrapped around his torso, his entire posture like a mountain range sunk into the sea, or as if he had become part of the deep water itself.
No one knew how long had passed before the silent dragon's body suddenly trembled slightly.
He slowly raised his massive head, his eyelids opening to reveal a pair of pale blue dragon pupils.
The majesty within them could not be concealed even by the deep water.
He stared silently at the darkness before him for a moment.
Then, he closed his eyes again and lowered his head back down, but his mind stirred to life, maintaining a connection with another Dragon King.
"Nereus."
"What do you need?"
He asked directly, without any pleasantries.
Sheffield understood the Silver Dragon King just as she understood him. They had known each other for so long that even their memories had blurred, leaving only a mutual understanding.
Nereus's response came quickly.
"There is indeed something."
She spoke, her tone calm. "But before that, I want to ask about your condition, Sheffield. How long have you been in the abyssal trench?"
"One thousand three hundred and forty-seven years."
The Bronze Dragon King replied. "Ever since the seal of the Sarlo Abyssal Trench developed cracks, I have been here, preventing what lies inside from getting out."
The Silver Dragon King sighed.
"You have held out longer than I imagined."
"This is my duty."
"Purifying evil, protecting the dragon race—this is the meaning of my existence. From the day I chose this path, I knew what it entailed."
A moment of silence.
Then, the Bronze Dragon King asked, "Nereus, you are the oldest among us. How long have you been in twilight?"
The Silver Dragon King did not answer.
Time flowed in the darkness. No one knew how long passed before her voice sounded again.
"I don't know. Time becomes blurred in this state. Each day feels like a year, and each year feels like a day. Sometimes I forget how long I've lived, and other times I remember every detail clearly."
"How much longer can he hold on?"
"...I still don't know."
Nereus's voice was weary, carrying exhaustion that seeped into her very bones.
The Bronze Dragon King stretched his body, his enormous wings spreading slightly before folding back, causing the deep currents to shift direction.
"Offer your faith to the Platinum Dragon God, Nereus. He will accept you, grant you new strength, and free you from the torment of twilight."
He said.
"Is that your advice?"
"No, it is your only way out."
Sheffield replied calmly.
The Silver Dragon King fell silent again for a long time.
The deep-sea currents continued to swirl soundlessly. In the distance, a stream of tiny bubbles seeped from a fissure in the earth's crust, floating slowly upward before disappearing into the endless darkness.
Finally, the Silver Dragon King's response came.
"I would rather perish in twilight."
She said.
Her voice was soft but firm.
Frankly speaking, Nereus genuinely revered the Platinum Dragon God.
She revered his selflessness, his steadfast commitment to justice and glory, his protection and benevolence toward the Metal Dragons.
In her youth, she had prayed countless times to the Platinum Dragon God, charged into battle countless times in the dragon god's name.
But this Platinum Dragon's realm was too lofty.
His eyes did not rest solely on the dragons.
For a broader level of justice and order, he was sometimes willing to sacrifice the overall interests of the dragon race.
In the Silver Dragon King's long life, she had come into contact with deities more than once, and each time, she grew more disappointed. She understood the Platinum Dragon God's choices, but she could not accept them.
The Bronze Dragon King said, "How stubborn."
Nereus replied, "Among old relics like us, who isn't stubborn? You, me, and Audothos—no exceptions."
Sheffield did not continue this topic.
"Then."
He said, his tone turning formal again. "What do you need from me? You wouldn't come just for small talk, nor just to reject my advice."
"Of course not."
The Silver Dragon King's tone also became formal, her weary gentleness replaced by seriousness.
"Sheffield, in the name of maintaining the stability of the entire dragon race, I hope you will restrain yourself. Stop targeting the Five-Colored Dragons, the Iron Hybrid Dragons, and other dragon lineages so harshly."
The deep-sea currents suddenly froze for a moment.
The Bronze Dragon King's pale blue dragon pupils opened in the darkness, narrowing slightly.
"Nereus, what are you trying to say?"
"They are our kin."
Nereus said, her tone earnest.
"No matter their color, no matter their bloodline, they are part of the dragon race. Metal Dragons, Chromatic Dragons, Iron Hybrid Dragons... we share the same blood. In ancient times, Iron Hybrid Dragons were completely part of the Metal Dragons. It was only later that they were expelled and disowned by the Platinum Dragon God, becoming independent as Iron Hybrid Dragons."
"This division has lasted long enough. We should not deepen it further."
She paused, then continued.
"Excessive purging and persecution will only weaken the entire dragon race. You should be well aware that after the Dragonfall War, the number of dragons has drastically decreased. If we continue this internal strife, the only ones to benefit will be our enemies."
"Kin?"
Sheffield said. "Nereus, you have lived so long. Don't you understand yet? Those dragons who are born evil do not deserve to be called dragons."
"In my eyes, they do not belong to the dragon race."
"Born evil?"
Nereus's voice rose slightly.
"Yes, born evil."
Sheffield's voice did not waver.
"From the moment they are born, they are destined for the path of evil."
"They cannot be taught, cannot be saved, only purified."
"This is their essence, a curse in their bloodline that cannot be changed. You can try to change them, try to save them, but in the end, you will find that all efforts are futile."
Hearing this, Nereus could not agree.
"Sheffield, you should have heard of the existence of the Aola Kingdom."
"What do you think of this kingdom established by a red iron dragon? What do you think of the Master of Aola standing on the front lines against the Abyss, defending the peace of Atlantis?"
She asked.
The Bronze Dragon King did not hesitate. He replied calmly, "This is just a temporary disguise."
"Evil dragons are adept at disguise when they are weak. They pretend to be docile, pretend to be loyal, pretend to be teachable. But when they grow strong, they will inevitably reveal their evil claws and fangs. Only by purging and eradicating them can we avoid greater calamity."
"I have seen this too many times, Nereus."
"Every time, it is the same pattern, the same process, the same outcome."
"The ideology of the Purification Faction."
Nereus said. "I understand it, but I do not agree with it. Not all darkness cannot be illuminated."
"You do not need to agree."
Sheffield said in a deep voice. "You only need not to obstruct. The Raging Tides Dragon Domain has gathered dragons who share my philosophy. This is our choice, our path."
"Other dragon domains can disagree, but they must not interfere."
"What if your path destroys the entire dragon race?"
Nereus's question became sharp.
"It has never been purification that destroys the dragon race, but the spread of evil."
The Bronze Dragon King retorted. "If evil dragons are allowed to continue existing, the dragon race will truly face destruction."
"In all worlds, they spread fear and hatred, making the entire world see dragons as enemies."
"Those cities burned by evil dragons, those beings enslaved by evil dragons... all this hatred will eventually fall back upon all dragons. Only by clearing out these cancers can the dragon race regain respect."
The Silver Dragon King was speechless.
She knew that what Sheffield said was true, but she also knew that things were not that simple.
Among evil dragons, some were truly evil, but others could be cooperated with. Among Metal Dragons, some were just, but others were extreme. The world was never simply black and white.
After a moment, she said, "Sheffield, have you ever considered that you yourself carry the blood of evil dragons within you?"
"Your bloodline is not pure. According to your own theory and logic, long before you became a Dragon King, Audothos and I should have joined forces to eliminate you."
The temperature in the deep sea seemed to drop sharply.
The Bronze Dragon King's dragon body stiffened slightly, and the deep currents formed a whirlpool around him.
Nereus continued calmly, "In other words, you yourself are a shame that needs to be purified. So, shouldn't you also eliminate yourself?"
A long silence.
The seawater surged in the darkness, and in the distance, the earth's crust fissures emitted a low rumble.
Then, the Bronze Dragon King spoke.
"You are right."
"I do indeed carry the blood of evil dragons."
"Many years ago, when I was still young, I discovered this fact. That strand of evil dragon bloodline lay dormant within me, influencing my mind, making me irritable, cruel, filled with destructive urges, making me feel the temptation of evil."
The Silver Dragon King said, "In that case, you should empathize with your former self."
"Understand those young dragons struggling under the curse of their bloodline. What they need is not purification, but help."
"No, I killed that version of myself."
The Bronze Dragon King said, his voice calm and cold. "I tore apart my own soul and completely stripped away the inheritance of the evil dragon."
"That was a spiritual death, and also a rebirth."
"From then on, I dedicated my life to the cause of purifying evil."
"I cleansed my own evil. Now, I want to cleanse all the evil in this world, including any existence that threatens the purity of the dragon race."
"Therefore, I alone guard the Sarlo Abyssal Trench."
The Sarlo Abyssal Trench had existed for a long time.
It was an Abyssal Rift originating from the Plains of the Abyss, unrelated to the disaster the Halden Empire had caused. The Plains of the Abyss... was the first layer of the Abyss, and one of the main battle zones of the endless blood war between demons and devils.
Since ancient times, the war between the two great planes of the Bottomless Abyss and the Nine Hells of Hell had never ceased.
Among them, the Plains of the Abyss were the topmost layer of the Abyss, while Avernus Hell was the first layer of Hell, both main battle zones of the blood war.
Overall, the Bottomless Abyss was far stronger than Hell, but the demon lords fought independently, often even slaughtering each other, while the opposing devil Grand Dukes strictly followed the will of the Lord of the Nine Hells.
Therefore, the two sides stood in opposition.
Countless demons and devils threw themselves into this endless meat-grinder. Sometimes, the demons gained the upper hand, attacking Avernus Hell, but the devils quickly counterattacked, pushing back toward the Plains of the Abyss.
The two sides were locked in a tug-of-war, both paying countless costs.
It was worth mentioning that the divine realm of Tiamat, the Chromatic Queen, was located in Avernus Hell.
"You can rest assured in facing twilight or seeking breakthroughs because I sit in this position for you. I have no complaints about this."
The Bronze Dragon King continued.
"This is my atonement, and also my mission. Until death, I will not stop."
Nereus was silent.
She had wanted to use the Bronze Dragon King's bloodline to refute his extremism, but she never expected that he had already 'solved' the problem in an even more extreme way.
"You killed a part of yourself."
She said, her voice complex. "But are you sure it was truly evil? Or was it just... a different choice?"
"Evil is evil. It needs to be purified."
Sheffield said without hesitation.
"What if this purification leads to the split of the dragon race?"
The Silver Dragon King asked. "What if war breaks out among the Metal Dragons due to differing philosophies? Can you imagine such a scene? Metal Dragons killing Metal Dragons, dragon blood staining the earth red, while our enemies mock us from the sidelines."
"Then let war decide who is right."
The Bronze Dragon King said coldly.
The Silver Dragon King said, "The Dragonfall War, the beginning of the dragon race's decline, was caused precisely by the existence of such thinking. If not for internal division and conflict of ideals, we would not have lost so much in that war."
"Do you want to repeat the same mistakes?"
The Bronze Dragon King remained unmoved. "No, it was because of the existence of evil."
"If we had been able to thoroughly purify evil back then, instead of compromising with them, the dragon race would never have split, nor would it have declined."
The two Dragon Kings, beings who had lived through endless years, could not agree with each other at all.
One saw the danger of the dragon race splitting and tried to maintain peace.
The other firmly believed that only thorough purification could bring true salvation.
"You can never reach a consensus. You never have."
The Silver Dragon King sighed, knowing that this debate would have no result.
"Well, take care of yourself, Sheffield. I hope that while you purify what you call evil, you can still remain intact yourself."
She said.
The Bronze Dragon King replied, "I also hope you can find peace in your twilight, Nereus."
The deep water fell silent.
Only a few currents continued to flow, carrying the slow rhythm of the deep sea. The Bronze Dragon King was silent, his dragon body coiled like a silent mountain range. His breathing became slow, as if he had returned to his previous dormant state.
However, shortly after the Silver Dragon King's mind disconnected, another voice rang in his mind.
"What a splendid debate."
The voice said faintly, carrying a snake-like slipperiness.
"But, Sheffield, my dear child, your purification of yourself does not seem to be thorough."
The Bronze Dragon King did not even open his eyes. "Get out, Tiamat. I will not accept any of your temptations."
The voice was not angered, as if it had grown accustomed to being treated this way.
In fact, the Dragon Queen had attempted countless similar things, many of which were met with refusal, but she never tired of it. The more rebellious and unruly a dragon was, the more pleasure she derived from taming it.
"Your heart is full of resistance toward me. That is natural, after all, our positions are different."
"But no mother hates her child. I have still brought you good news."
The voice gently stroked the Bronze Dragon King's cold heart, saying, "In the Plains of the Abyss, another child of mine is attacking a piece of land for me."
"That child is crazy but not irrational. The cruelty of his battle is enough to make even demons shudder."
"He has brought me many surprises and satisfied me greatly. And interestingly, he comes from the same world as you. In this world of yours, there are quite a few children worthy of my attention."
"Of course, these are not the main point."
"The main point is that the rift you are guarding is now located on the land that will soon belong to me."
The surrounding deep currents froze.
The Bronze Dragon King finally opened his eyes. His pale blue dragon pupils shimmered with a cold light in the darkness.
He sneered, "Oh? You want to extend your claws and fangs into the Material Plane? Go ahead."
"I swear by my life and soul that I will chop them all into pieces. Whether demons, devils, or your so-called children, if they dare to step out of this rift even one step, I will make them regret being born into this world."
"My claws have been stained with countless blood. I don't mind adding more."
"You are always like this, full of malice toward your own mother."
The voice paused briefly, then continued unhurriedly, its tone even carrying a hint of pity. "Sheffield, my poor child, although you are bent on opposing me, I still cannot bear to see you bind yourself here."
"Look at yourself. How long have you been in this dark seabed?"
"Your scales have lost their luster. Your wings have forgotten the feeling of flying. You do not even dare to open your eyes and face the sun... I truly cannot bear to see you like this."
"So, when the sacred banner is planted, you will close that rift."
"Then, you will gain freedom. You can leave this sunless place, fly again under the sky, and fully carry out your ideals, purifying everything you despise."
With that, the voice faded away.
Just as suddenly as it had arrived, as untraceable as it had come.
The Bronze Dragon King kept his eyes open, his expression blank. He simply lifted his head slightly, looking upward, his gaze piercing through the countless layers of seawater, toward the vast, boundless sky.
What did the Dragon Queen want?
He did not know.
But he knew that Tiamat never did anything meaningless. Every word she spoke, every promise she made, might harbor a conspiracy.
But...
"The Abyss, evil dragons, orcs, the Fury Curse... there is too much evil to purify."
If the Sarlo Abyssal Trench disappeared, he would no longer need to waste time here.
The Metal Dragons of the Raging Tides Dragon Domain should also fight for justice, punishing evil, instead of staying in their dragon domain, waiting for protection like other indecisive Metal Dragons.
They could take the initiative and bring purification to every place that needed it.
Not long after, another message reached the Bronze Dragon King.
"Your Majesty, the Lord of Thunder has broken through to the Mandate of Heaven and has also become a Storm Dragon. He claims to be an apostle of the Dragon Queen and is openly spreading evil faith."
"Please give your orders. What should we do?"
An apostle of the Dragon Queen? A Heavenly Mandate Storm Dragon?
Sheffield's gaze sharpened.
Without a doubt, it seemed like the Dragon Queen was orchestrating some grand scheme, or perhaps there was a target she valued highly, and she was weaving a conspiracy around it.
"What does Tiamat want?"
"No matter what, I will not submit to her will."
The Bronze Dragon King pondered.
He believed that the Dragon Queen's conspiracy was most likely aimed at him, and this Heavenly Mandate Storm Dragon might be just the beginning.
After a long contemplation, he said, "Aside from me, you are no match for a Heavenly Mandate Storm Dragon. For now, cease the attacks on the Helmod Dragonflight. Let evil dragons bare their claws and fangs at evil dragons."
The Bronze Dragon King was not stupid.
He knew very well that evil beings were also filled with malice and hostility toward each other.
Sometimes, it was best to let evil creatures wear each other out, then strike at the right moment and eliminate them all at once.
Take this situation, for example.
The Helmod Dragonflight was now located in Atlantis. Spreading faith required a continental vessel, and there were too few intelligent beings in the sea.
However, Atlantis already had a master. The Red Iron Dragon Emperor of Aola was now at his peak, even being called the Master of Atlantis. He was still maintaining a facade of order and would surely be unable to tolerate the spread of the evil god's faith.
The conflict between these two parties was deep, like fire and water.
Time flowed peacefully by. The Bronze Dragon King coiled himself quietly again. The deep currents swirled, and the deep sea was dark, as if nothing had ever happened.
In the blink of an eye, time arrived a year later.
Inside the small world.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Accompanied by a series of tremendous sounds, countless clouds of dust flew in all directions.
A massive mountain was being uprooted from the ground, hovering slightly in the air. At the bottom of the mountain was a red iron dragon covered in sharp, jagged scales.
He raised his arms high, supporting the bottom of the mountain.
The Spell-Extinguishing Claws burst forth with a strange power, completely enveloping the base of the entire mountain. The force was evenly distributed across the contact surface, preventing cracks or splits from forming where his claws touched.
Garoth was training his strength.
He was full of energy at this moment. Hoisting a mountain countless times larger than his own body, all his muscles bulged high. Every time he exerted force, the clear lines of his muscles could be seen beneath his scales.
He lifted it again and again, then slowly lowered it, his movements steady.
Another hour passed before he paused his arm strength training.
During the break before the next set of exercises, the red iron dragon looked down at his arms. He found that their contours were beginning to thicken. The dragon arms that had become slender due to mutation were now regaining a sense of muscular bulge. Although they had not yet returned to their original state, the progress was obvious.
"Hmm, the approach is correct."
"The mutation can also serve as a form of training for me."
He nodded in satisfaction.
After mutating into his current Rift Form, Garoth's body contours had changed from a heavy, imposing bulk to a sleek, sharp build. For example, his arm span had lengthened, giving him a larger attack range, but the thickness of his dragon arms had shrunk, with a noticeable decrease in muscle mass.
Overall, his strength and defense had decreased significantly.
This was an obvious drawback.
But if someone were to ask Garoth whether he could accept this drawback...
"A drawback? No."
"This is a good thing."
He would answer.
Garoth was now focusing on training his strength and defense. Since his foundation was already solid, when one attribute was significantly lower than the others, targeted training was far more efficient than under normal conditions.
In other words, the strength deficiency of the Rift Form had actually become an opportunity for rapid improvement.
If he were still in his original balanced form, breaking through in strength would require much more effort and time. But now, because strength was clearly lower than the other attributes, every strength training session yielded more significant results.
Garoth was even using the frenzied flame to slow down the adaptation and correction.
He planned to maintain the Rift Form for as long as possible, relying purely on his own training to restore a perfectly balanced state. In the process, he would gain attribute growth, and then undergo the next mutation, breaking the balance again, and training the weakened attributes back up once more.
Repeating this cycle would allow his physique attributes to grow continuously and efficiently.
Each mutation created a new weakness, and each targeted training session filled that gap, making him stronger and stronger.
A cycle, spiraling upward.
"The only problem is that maintaining the Rift Form consumes mutation value."
"Unless I get a new meteorite, or I give up this training method, I won't be able to undergo major mutations for a long time."
Garoth thought to himself.
However, this problem was entirely acceptable.
To some extent, this was also a safety line Garoth had drawn for the power of mutation. Otherwise, he might gradually become addicted to constant mutation, gambling on the next form being better, rather than steadily consolidating his foundation.
Controlled power was more important.
Garoth understood this very well.
Just then, a voice came through his mind.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
It was Reinhardt's voice.
Garoth could hear the suppressed anger in it. Reinhardt was trying hard to control himself, but he could not quite contain it.
"Is it about the Helmod Dragonflight?"
He asked.
"Yes."
Reinhardt replied.
"The Metal Dragons of the Raging Tides Dragon Domain have not come since Lamorein reached the Mandate of Heaven."
"Before, they would patrol regularly and monitor the dragonflight's movements. Now... they have completely disappeared, as if they have completely abandoned this place."
Garoth fell into thought.
Was the Raging Tides Dragon Domain abandoning the Lord of Thunder?
That was a possibility.
After all, the dragons of the Purification Faction were extreme in ideology, but they were not fools.
The Lord of Thunder was now the chosen one of the Dragon Queen, backed by Tiamat. It was not a wise choice to rashly confront him.
Although those Metal Dragons aimed to purify evil, when faced with a truly powerful enemy, they would weigh their own strength and not throw their lives away meaninglessly.
However, another possibility could not be ruled out.
Perhaps the Bronze Dragon King had issued a new order, preparing for a larger-scale operation.
But there was too little information to determine.
"Is there anything else?"
The red iron dragon asked.
He could tell that Reinhardt's voice still held something more.
Reinhardt was silent for a moment.
Then, his voice sounded again, lower than before, carrying a suppressed fury.
"The Lord of Thunder... has crushed all resistance in the western kingdoms. He has hanged a number of kings, hanging their bodies on the city walls for public display. Now, the entire west is under his iron fist, ruled by tyranny."
The red iron dragon's expression did not change.
"Tell me in detail."
Reinhardt continued, "He is forcing people to believe in the Dragon Queen, Tiamat. Every town must build an altar for the Dragon Queen, and every day, people must pray to her. Moreover... he is collecting a blood tax from the people."
"In what form?"
"Treasure and living people."
Reinhardt said, his anger becoming harder to hide. "Every month, every village must hand over a certain amount of wealth and living people as sacrifices to the Dragon Queen."
The blood tax was mentioned in Garoth's inherited memories.
According to the Dragon Queen's doctrine, from the moment every Chromatic Dragon was born, they were her property. All Chromatic Dragons had to pay her a blood tax to redeem themselves.
The Chromatic Dragons, of course, were unwilling to pay the blood tax.
For this reason, a powerful apostle was necessary.
The current blood tax was likely the Helmod Dragonflight's offering to the Dragon Queen.
"Those who refuse are treated very cruelly."
Reinhardt tried to stay calm as he spoke. "Several cities have been razed to the ground because they did not pay enough blood tax. Everyone was burned to charcoal."
"The Lord of Thunder is spreading fear through this method to force people into submission."
Garoth remained silent.
Racists like the Lord of Thunder felt no psychological burden in slaughtering other races.
In his eyes, humans, dwarves, elves, and other races were no different from livestock. Killing one was the same as killing ten thousand.
In the past, he had restrained himself mainly because doing so would invite encirclement and suppression.
But now, he seemed to have no such qualms.
"Your Majesty."
Reinhardt's voice sounded again.
"I know what my mission is, but right now, I truly cannot resist drawing my sword against the Lord of Thunder."
He said, his voice filled with anger.
Compared to the suffering of the western kingdoms under the Lord of Thunder's tyranny, the so-called 'dark period' when Theo was defeated and submitted to Aola back then was like heaven itself.
The red iron dragon was thoughtful.
Under the current Aola Kingdom, Reinhardt, the Heavenly Mandate Swordsman, was the strongest besides him.
Although he now served him, he had his own thoughts and personality. He was not an emotionless puppet. He had his own judgment, his own bottom line, and his own anger.
This was both a good thing and a bad thing.
The good thing was that a subordinate with his own judgment could make the right decisions at critical moments without needing to ask for instructions on everything.
The bad thing was that such an independent personality could sometimes cause trouble.
After a few seconds of weighing, Garoth said, "Reinhardt, since you can no longer bear it, then follow your heart."
"Draw your sword against the Lord of Thunder and test his depth."
In battles at the Heavenly Mandate level, if one could learn an opponent's traits and Domain in advance, they could gain some advantage. When one's power was not enough to crush the opponent, the importance of such intelligence advantages began to stand out.
Whoever held more information held the balance of victory.
Garoth had already regarded the Lord of Thunder as a hypothetical enemy.
Interestingly, he had thought of him a long time ago. But as he grew stronger, he gradually stopped paying attention to the Lord of Thunder, focusing more on other aspects.
But now, the Lord of Thunder had once again entered his field of vision.
In a way that could not be ignored.
Truly, the world was unpredictable. No one could say how the future would unfold.
Reinhardt was slightly taken aback. He asked, "You agree to let me attack the Lord of Thunder?"
"I agree to let you test him, not to throw your life away."
Garoth said. "The Lord of Thunder is a Heavenly Mandate Storm Dragon, and also the chosen one of the Dragon Queen. You cannot kill him. You cannot even seriously injure him."
"Understood. My mission is to test him."
Reinhardt replied, the anger in his voice calming slightly.
"Mm. If you encounter danger you cannot withstand, ask for my help."
Garoth added.
"Yes. Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty."
Reinhardt replied.
Then, the mental link was severed.
"Abyss lords, Primordial Wastes, the restless Three Great Empires, and now the Dragon Queen interfering, collecting a blood tax. This world is utterly rotten."
The red iron dragon flicked his tail in irritation.
He immediately took a few deep breaths to calm his mind.
Should he simply relocate to another Material Plane and pay a price for stability?
No. The tide of the times was such. The situation of dragons in other worlds was probably not much better. At the very least, the chaos here was, to some extent, beneficial to his development.
Time was tight. The storm was approaching.
But the more urgent the time, the more he needed to calm down.
Garoth continued his training, preparing for the decisive moment in the future.
He needed to become stronger, strong enough to face the coming storm, strong enough to carve a bloody path through this rotten world.
