Translator: AnubisTL
To reach the pinnacle of the magical path, she was willing to stop at nothing, casting aside all moral shackles and worldly constraints. Naturally cunning and a master of weaving lies and illusions, she also possessed the patience of an apex predator.
With these traits, Heatherfell transformed from an unremarkable white dragon into the End of Winter she is today.
"But why would a dragon so far-sighted attack the Metallic Dragon Domain?"
"Could the Sky-Veiling Wings possess the magical knowledge she covets?"
This seemed the most plausible explanation.
But what was the true reason? Garos could only guess.
As Iron Dragon Solgorn continued his tale, the major events that had unfolded on Bernardo Planet over the last decade gradually formed a grand yet turbulent picture in Garos's mind.
Above, the Elven Empire sailed the stars, seeking contact with alien civilizations.
In the heartlands, the Orc Empire sounded its war horns, intent on conquering the continent.
Below, the Human Empire frantically exploited the planes, desperate to harness the power of the Abyss.
Each pursues its own ambition, each wields its own unique strength.
A faint sense of dread took root and spread within Garos's heart.
Any one of these three paths, if it goes horribly wrong, could trigger a catastrophe of immense proportions.
Especially the Holden Empire's Abyss Development Project.
If it spirals out of control, the entire Atlantis Continent could be plunged into peril.
The Dragon Heritage explicitly recorded such events.
In other distant Material Planes, the evil schemes of certain demon lords or the foolishly arrogant actions of some factions had led to entire Material Planes being dragged into the Abyss and utterly consumed. Such incidents were not without precedent.
As for examples of an entire continent being swallowed by the Abyss, they were all too common.
Unfortunately, even as he sensed this colossal latent crisis, Garos knew he was powerless to stop it. When the sky falls, the tall will hold it up; matters of such magnitude were not for him to worry about.
"Worrying about these distant threats is pointless right now."
"For me, the most important thing at this moment is to grow stronger and advance quickly."
"As long as I possess enough power, I can stand firm and weather any earth-shattering upheaval the future may hold."
"If I remain weak, even fleeing to the ends of the world will not save me from the doom of destruction."
Garos swiftly withdrew his thoughts, his gaze returning to a state of calm resolve.
Among all the major events unfolding, the movements of the empires were still too far removed from the Ironforged Tribe.
Analyzing the situation carefully, the most practically significant events for him and the tribe were the federation's all-out civil war and the mutual destruction of the two legendary kings in the Permafrost Tundra. Both of these events presented rare opportunities for the Ironforged Tribe's next stage of development.
Just then.
The figure practicing swordplay in the field came to a sudden halt.
Alberto turned his head, his eyes burning with intensity as he looked at the red-iron dragon.
He swept his gaze up and down Garos's imposing dragon body, his face showing undisguised curiosity as he asked, "Garos, now that you've entered the young stage, you must have mastered transformation magic, right?"
Garos nodded.
Alberto's interest was instantly piqued. "With a dragon body so unimaginably powerful, I'm genuinely curious—what would you look like when you use transformation magic to take human form?"
"Could you satisfy my little curiosity?"
Garos had no interest in such a display and was about to refuse.
But just as the thought crossed his mind, before he could even speak, he felt a gentle poke at his side.
Turning his head, he saw the Red-Silver Dragon Deborah tapping him with the tip of her tail. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and anticipation as she gazed up at him.
"Change for us, Garos," she pleaded, blinking her eyes.
The transformation magic mastered by young dragons was not yet advanced enough to allow them to freely alter their facial features. The spell's effect was based on the dragon's own form, temperament, and physical attributes, projecting a corresponding humanoid appearance rather than one shaped entirely by their will.
As a metallic dragon, Deborah was naturally filled with a desire to explore what Garos's human form would look like.
In contrast, Iron Dragon Solgorn, Red Dragon Samantha, and the other chromatic dragons seemed utterly uninterested and completely indifferent.
Evil dragons generally preferred their own majestic and powerful native dragon forms. They believed their massive, resilient bodies—covered in scales and possessing wings and claws—were the most perfect symbols of strength and majesty!
Even when they had to take human form, they preferred to retain some draconic features, such as imposing horns, scales covering parts of their skin, a powerful dragon tail, or vertical pupils that gleamed with a non-human light. This was to showcase the nobility and extraordinariness of their bloodline, rather than completely transforming into the weak appearance of another race.
Under the expectant gazes of Alberto and Deborah, the red-iron dragon paused for several seconds before finally making his decision. His massive, crouched body slowly stood up.
At the same time, a powerful yet not blinding magical light erupted from within him, quickly enveloping his entire body.
Under the shroud of this light, the red-iron dragon, who was in the process of standing, underwent a startling transformation.
His massive frame shrank with blinding speed. The jagged, winding dragon horns receded, transforming into a thick mane of black-red hair that cascaded over his shoulders. His formidable talons, once clad in heavy scales, were reshaped into long, powerful limbs and hands. The thick dragon scales ebbed away like a tide, giving way to skin as tough as forged steel...
In the blink of an eye, the mighty red-iron dragon had vanished.
Standing in its place was a young man, towering over two meters tall, his physique a testament to raw power and majesty.
He stood over two meters tall, his body a map of bulging, knotted muscles, as if cast from iron and steel.
His form was wild yet possessed a certain aesthetic grace, his lines and contours as if chiseled from stone.
His features were deep-set, his nose high and straight, his jawline as resolute as a Greek god's sculpture brought to life.
Just by standing there, he naturally exuded a suffocating aura of overwhelming pressure and visual impact.
This was starkly different from Alberto's refined, handsome, yet rather slender appearance. Garos's human form gave off a direct, terrifyingly powerful impression—it was far more than just being good-looking.
"Ga... Garos... You, you forgot to conjure clothes!"
The Red-Silver Dragon Deborah's voice shattered the brief silence.
She instinctively raised a massive silver dragon claw, slamming it over her face. Yet, between her thick talons, several narrow gaps remained. Through these slits, a pair of dragon eyes, brimming with curiosity and awe, peered down at the male body below—a physique as flawless as a masterpiece.
At the same time, Garos immediately realized the problem.
Due to his unfamiliarity with transformation magic, combined with the sudden rush, he had completely forgotten to weave a set of clothes from magical energy during the transformation process.
As a result, he stood there, completely naked and utterly exposed.
Every curve of his body, every ripple of muscle, and his potent masculine symbol... all lay bare for everyone to see under the flickering light of the campfire.
"A man of great ambition does not dwell on trivialities," Garos declared, his expression unchanged.
Garos spoke, his expression unchanged.
As long as I'm not embarrassed, the embarrassment is on them, he thought.
In truth, aside from the gold dragon, who was utterly mortified, and the red-silver dragon, who was both shy and curious, none of the other chromatic dragons or their familiars showed any obvious reaction.
Still, Garos, a dragon who prided himself on not sweating the small stuff, eventually used his scales to form a suit of armor.
He tested his movements, finding that his human form could only unleash about fifty percent of his true strength. Moreover, he had to control his actions carefully, or he felt he might revert to his true form.
If I master this, I should be able to exert more power, but it'll never compare to my original body, Garos thought. I should avoid using this form unless necessary. If I'm ambushed, I might not react in time, which could lead to dire consequences.
He disliked placing himself in danger.
Just then, Alberto's gaze flickered as he stared at the strong, towering human figure. "Garos," he said suddenly, "I challenge you to a duel in your human form!"
After a pause, he continued, "If I win, the rest of my debt will be wiped clean."
"If I lose, the debt doubles!"
Metallic dragons, who frequently use transformation magic, possess a vast and detailed body of knowledge and experience regarding its inheritance.
A metallic dragon in human form can unleash about seventy percent of its power, whereas an evil dragon can only muster forty to fifty percent.
While Garos was asleep, Alberto had been managing the Ironforged Tribe on his behalf. His debt, principal and interest included, was nearly paid off. Now, Alberto wanted to make a final push to clear it completely and regain his 'freedom.'
He felt he could do it again.
(End of the Chapter)
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