"Sleeping on the job again, time to get back to mining!"
Galos landed in front of the two young dragons, his tail tapping their heads to wake them up.
A massive yawn.
The two young dragons still felt they're not done with sleeping.
"My dear brother Galos, can we rest for just a bit longer?"
They asked in frail voices.
When violence doesn't work, even Evil Dragons remember to play the family card.
"No."
Galos rejected them coldly and ruthlessly—he'd given them a chance, willing to be a good brother, but they're the ones who turned nasty and challenged him.
The path was their own choice.
They wanted a cold-hearted brother, fine, Galos would oblige.
Hmph!
Red Dragon Sister snorted, reluctantly turning toward the mine tunnel.
As for Iron Dragon Brother...
After hearing Galos's rejection, he still gave a slight smirk, standing proudly and contemptuously.
Highly punchable.
If Galos didn't know he wasn't smirking on purpose but was still healing from getting smacked—jaw crooked, eyes askew—he'd already make a move.
Under Galos's gaze, Iron Dragon Brother shrunk his head, then kept up his crooked dragon pose, drooling a bit, wobbling behind Red Dragon Sister into the mine tunnel.
Galos glanced up at the evening clouds burning like fire.
He lowered his gaze, staring at his right forearm.
On the small forearm's arm-plate, there was a patch of gray-white stone, a wound left by the petrification beam—Dragon Scale and flesh all turned to stone.
Crack! Crack!
Galos scraped off the petrified Dragon Scale and flesh, exposing a small pit on his forearm.
Though the sensation was mild, Galos could still feel something odd—the flesh there was undergoing some bizarre change.
When new flesh and Dragon Scale grew out...
If struck by petrification again, the effect would surely be lessened.
As for full immunity, that'd require repeated adaptation, which Galos couldn't afford right now.
The wound was small, no big deal, didn't affect Galos—it was activity time, basking in the fiery sunset, trying new training routines.
Hoo!
He let out a slow breath.
The young dragon spread both wings, flipping his body midair, finally supporting his weight with a single forepaw, maintaining an one-arm handstand and bouncing up and down.
Not long after,
The young dragon curved his tail to the ground, using pure tail strength to support his body and train the tail muscles.
Or maybe he'd tilt his head back, pressing it to the ground, rotating his body around his neck as the center.
......One specialized training move after another that even Dragon's Legacy didn't have was showcased by Galos.
He was engaging in power training.
Besides power training, there was speed training, too.
After a while, Galos shot up, climbing straight through the clouds, soaring into the star-studded, twin-moon-hanging night sky, then took a deep breath, stretched his Dragon Wings to the limit, and started beating them fiercely.
However...
The young dragon flapped his wings with all his might, but his body didn't ascend—instead, it weirdly began to sink.
——The Dragon Race's flight was actually a magical effect.
With a giant dragon's bodyweight and proportions, just using wings is tough—they can't fly like birds.
In reality, when dragons fly, magic energy in their blood flows to their wings, creating a Floating Technique-like effect. This, combined with Magic-like Skills and wing power, is how they soar.
Other intelligent species fighting the Dragon Race always prepare Sky Lock magic.
The principle is: cancel the Floating Technique-like effect.
Galos didn't want to be stuck landing and getting mobbed just because someone cast Sky Lock during a hunt for him.
He hoped to fly relying solely on physical power, soaring into the sky.
If he could do that, he'd have one less weakness and a better shot at living long and well.
By suppressing magic energy, he lost the floating effect.
The heavy Dragon Race body kept sinking.
Galos's Dragon Wings strained, creating wind currents with every beat, but he still couldn't lift off—only slowed his fall enough to glide, barely.
This method put enormous strain on Galos's wings.
The unbearable stress sent waves of tearing pain through them.
Especially where the wing membrane roots meet the body—every flap felt like steel rods stabbing into the flesh.
Alone beneath the night sky, enduring with clenched teeth and silence, the young dragon kept flapping his wings, seeking adaptation and evolution through agonizing pain.
Time slowly passed.
Until the twin moons dropped below the horizon and the first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds—
Galos finally finished his training plan—so exhausted that even the tough Dragon Race physique was nearly used up.
All over, a constant ache, especially at the wings, almost numb, as if they'd been torn off.
The young dragon was breathing hard, like a bellows.
Yet despite the fatigue and pain, his gaze was bright and clear.
Because along with the aches, came waves of subtle tingling.
That meant adaptation and evolution—every time he pushed to exhaustion, Galos's body grew tougher and stronger; next time, he'd last longer and fly faster.
Someday, he'd truly be able to soar on wings alone, the Domain of null-magic wouldn't hold him.
Just as Galos was about to rest,
Red Dragon Sister and Iron Dragon Brother came out from the mine, all covered in dust, and saw Galos in poor shape.
The two young dragons exchanged a mischievous glance and crept closer to Galos.
"My dear brother Galos, you look awfully tired right now."
Red Dragon Sister said.
The words seemed caring, but were loaded with malice.
"Heh heh, this time we'll definitely beat you!"
Iron Dragon Brother grinned, sounding just like a comic-book villain, stepping closer.
"Itching for a beating again?"
Galos expressionless, his much larger body standing there, calm eyes sweeping over the pair.
A single glare, and both young dragons hesitated in confusion, stopping in their tracks.
Galos was intimidating—no matter how bad he looked, they didn't dare be reckless.
"Come to think of it, I haven't taught you two a lesson lately."
Galos took a step forward, his eyes now wild and fierce.
At that movement, the two young dragons couldn't help but retreat, their earlier bravado evaporating into nothing.
"Just kidding, just kidding."
"Dear brother, don't misunderstand."
The two young dragons chickened out instantly, backing away from Galos.
Galos grunted coldly, but generously let it go this time.
Truth be told, even if he'd wanted to pursue it, he couldn't really.
Exploring outside the Sky Pit Domain, Galos realized how dangerous the wilderness was; he'd overtrained himself, squeezed out every last bit of energy—now his body was so weak, if he started a fight, he might end up the one getting beat.
Yet he showed no sign of weakness, plus his usual aura—so the two young dragons were still intimidated.
They lost their one shot at payback—beating up Galos.
"Next time, make sure to hold back a bit during training, save some energy just in case."
He thought to himself, then casually picked a giant pit he'd smashed into the ground, not minding, simply lay down in the open, using his tail as a pillow, wings folded around his body, curled up to rest.
In the days that followed, Galos led a life both regular and rich.
Between routine training and whipping young dragons into mining, he would sometimes leave the Sky Pit Domain, battling Fierce Beast Demons nearby for live combat experience, and searching for a proper lair for future solo survival.
And so—
A year slipped by in a flash.