Translator: AnubisTL
A fierce wind, carrying torrential rain, howled and swept across the land beneath heavy, leaden clouds.
The entire world was gray.
Garos circled through the thick cloud cover, his gaze fixed on the rain-drenched earth below. He could clearly see a frost-white trail of ice stretching across the gloomy, waterlogged ground, leading to a colossal beast at its end.
The creature was humanoid in shape, with fangs bared and snow-white fur covering its entire body.
But its most terrifying feature was its sheer size. Standing upright on the earth, it towered at least twenty meters tall, resembling a white mountain.
Compared to this behemoth, even Garos seemed small.
Even some adult dragons couldn't match the creature's massive bulk.
"A behemoth," Garos rumbled, shaking his thick neck. "Just as the inheritance records described—larger than dragons or giants. Truly a living weapon of war."
The Iron Dragon Solgorn, also watching the behemoth, snorted disdainfully. "Size is their only advantage," he scoffed. "For us dragons, it's merely one of many strengths. Any dragon of equal tonnage could easily defeat it."
Garos shook his head slightly. "You're right, but the problem is our tonnage is far inferior to its." He paused, gazing at the iron dragon, then continued, "There's no shame in acknowledging an enemy's strength, Solgorn. Don't let arrogance cloud your judgment."
The iron dragon started inwardly, realizing he had unconsciously fallen back into his old habits.
He nodded. "I'll be more mindful."
Since joining Garos, the iron dragon had come to realize that his self-proclaimed mastery over suppressing his primal instincts was insignificant compared to Garos's.
Whenever the iron dragon unconsciously displayed arrogance or other negative emotions, Garos would gently remind him. Over the years, his emotional stability had improved significantly.
"I wonder which frost giant tribe it belongs to," the iron dragon mused calmly after careful consideration. "For such a biological weapon to roam the land alone, something must have gone wrong with its original tribe."
Garos narrowed his eyes, calculating the situation in his mind.
The frost behemoth was a ferocious beast, not an intelligent creature. As it roamed the land, its direction remained somewhat erratic, yet it seemed to be gradually converging toward the Quenching Highlands.
In truth, engaging such a ferocious beast in combat carried far greater risks than potential rewards.
Behemoths are inherently hostile to dragonkind, untamable and destined only to be slain.
Unlike the diamond giant he had faced before, whose body was composed of high-quality ore and whose crystalline core continuously produced diamonds, this behemoth offered no lasting benefits beyond its meat, hide, claws, fangs, and bones.
Yet ignoring it was not an option.
Garos surmised that the lingering qi of the stone giants from the Crushed Stone Camp had likely drawn the behemoth, triggering its instinct to converge on the camp. This explained its current trajectory.
If left unchecked, the behemoth would likely reach the Crushed Stone Camp and wreak havoc on the symbiotic pool—a scenario Garos could not tolerate.
In the past, he might have prioritized luring the behemoth away to avoid conflict. But now, Garos possessed newfound confidence and the strength to contend with ferocious beasts in the wilderness. His caution was now rooted in survival, not mere prudence.
The frost behemoth couldn't fly and lacked any potent skills to restrict dragonkind's aerial mobility. Nor did it have a frost giant legion or giant sorcerers to interfere.
This meant Garos stood on unassailable ground.
Under these circumstances, the frost behemoth would serve as a colossal punching bag. Engaging it carried no risk of death while allowing Garos to test his own power.
"Solgorn, stay back," Garos said. "I'll stop the frost behemoth here."
The iron dragon, still uneasy, replied, "It's still some distance from the Quenching Highlands. Why don't I call Samantha? We can fight it together."
Garos shook his head. "I can handle this myself. Let's avoid you and Samantha getting seriously injured and delaying the territory's development."
That was what he said, but deep down, he actually felt that the past three years had been too peaceful. He craved the thrill of battle and wanted to keep Solgorn and Samantha out of this fight.
Garos found his own nature somewhat contradictory. He genuinely cherished a peaceful life, but when things grew too quiet for too long, he would start to feel restless and crave excitement. Yet when risks, accidents, and turmoil came in quick succession, he would yearn for tranquility once more.
Upon reflection, this seemed perfectly natural. The thoughts and personalities of intelligent creatures are always in flux, evolving through different stages and circumstances. Nothing remains static.
Perhaps one day, Garos would completely shed his cautious facade and fully unleash the formidable power of dragonkind. Or perhaps he would become even more composed, purging all negative emotions from his nature and achieving absolute rationality.
These possibilities remained uncertain, requiring the test of time to verify.
For now, Garos desired a battle.
The Iron Dragon Solgorn flapped his massive wings, retreating to a distance that allowed him to provide support at any moment while observing the situation.
Under Solgorn's watchful gaze, Garos didn't immediately attack the frost behemoth.
Whoosh! The red-iron dragon shot straight into the thick, dark clouds, drawing the sky's lightning to converge upon himself.
He rolled through the thunderstorm, countless silver serpents of lightning dancing around him, intertwining with the golden lightning erupting from his body. The resulting fusion formed a spherical bolt of gold and silver lightning, resembling a miniature sun suspended in the clouds. Its radiant glow illuminated the gloomy rain-soaked landscape below.
The world flashed white.
The frost behemoth sensed the celestial anomaly.
It halted its advance, tilted its head back, and gazed skyward. Through the rain, clouds, and lightning, it glimpsed the shimmering dragon shadow.
After a moment of stunned silence, the frost behemoth spread its arms wide and unleashed a deafening roar into the heavens.
The hatred for dragonkind was etched deep within its bloodline.
The instant it spotted Garos, the frost behemoth's killing intent surged like boiling water. Yet, powerless against the dragon soaring high above, it could only vent its fury with a defiant roar.
The red-iron dragon fully extended his wings, his chest puffed out in proud defiance.
The final gap in his body had been filled. The electrical sensation coursing through his muscles intensified to an unprecedented degree, as if a tightly woven network had fully formed within him.
Evolution was now complete.
(End of the Chapter)
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