Translator: AnubisTL
Faced with Gold Dragon Alberto's once-again resounding challenge, the towering humanoid figure, his muscles bulging and rippling, merely lifted his gaze slightly. A glimmer of contemplation flashed through his eyes, but he did not immediately agree.
At that moment, a faint light flickered.
His humanoid form vanished instantly, and his true dragon body—vast, imposing, and far more oppressive—reappeared, its black scales shimmering with a metallic luster.
Garos understood why Alberto had suddenly shifted from a friendly sparring match to a formal challenge. He could guess the source of Alberto's confidence.
When a typical chromatic evil dragon transformed into a frail human form, the unfamiliarity of the drastically different body structure usually limited them to only about fifty percent of their true strength—and that was only after they had become proficient in transformation magic.
For a young evil dragon like Garos, who had only just mastered the spell for the first time, the situation was even worse. Due to his extreme unfamiliarity with the humanoid structure, his limb coordination was severely lacking, making even basic movements difficult. His usable strength plummeted to a pitiful twenty to thirty percent.
In contrast, Alberto, a gold dragon much older than Garos, had mastered transformation magic decades ago.
Alberto had long since mastered his human form, allowing him to wield nearly seventy percent of his true strength.
Seventy percent versus thirty!
The gap in their human-form power output was a staggering forty percent.
To Alberto, such a vast disparity was a godsend. His chances of winning weren't just high—they were overwhelming. The advantage was his alone!
Yet, Alberto remained ignorant.
All the dragons present, including their familiars, were completely in the dark.
While Garos detested the feeling of weakness in human form, he possessed an extraordinary understanding of human anatomy and biomechanics.
In combat, he would never commit the amateur mistake of awkward movements or inefficient force application.
In fact, the moment he transformed, the power he could draw upon already rivaled that of evil dragons who had mastered the art. He stood firmly above the fifty-percent threshold.
In short, Alberto's hopeful visions were destined to crumble into dust.
His current debt is down to about thirty percent of the principal...
If he loses to me again, even with this challenge's stakes added, the principal will only rise back to around sixty percent. That's not a high amount.
As long as the kid behaves and doesn't make things harder for me, he should be able to pay it all back before long.
Garos's gaze swept over Alberto's confident face.
Once the debt is cleared, if I want to ask him to do something for me again, it'll probably take more effort and a lot more persuasion.
In a flash, Garos had already weighed the pros and cons.
Finally, a solemn expression settled on his majestic dragon face. He merely lifted his formidable chin slightly, revealing a hint of calm yet arrogant pride.
"Alberto."
Garos's deep, resonant voice rolled through the valley like muffled thunder, silencing the surrounding clamor.
"Alberto, you seem completely confident in your victory."
He lowered his eyes, looking down at the gold dragon in human form. "But I, too, do not believe I will lose."
"Admittedly, this is my first time wielding a human form, but the enhancements I gained from my long slumber far exceed your imagination."
"I am certain that even in this heavily restricted form, the outcome of this challenge will be just like every encounter before it: it will end with your defeat."
From the depths of the red-iron dragon's calm gaze, Alberto clearly caught a faint, almost imperceptible trace of contempt.
He admitted that before his next deep slumber, even if his years of diligent training had significantly improved his strength, he would be no match for this newly evolved young red-iron dragon in their dragon forms.
He was a proud gold dragon, but not one who failed to assess a situation.
But!
When it came to strength and combat experience in human form?
A flame of absolute confidence surged in Alberto's chest. Decades of immersion and countless experiences walking as a human had granted him unparalleled proficiency!
In a contest of human forms, he would definitely win.
"No, Garos."
Alberto straightened his chest, his golden hair fluttering in the firelight, his tone utterly certain: "The one who wins will definitely be me!"
"Oh? So certain?"
Garos drawled, his voice trailing off slightly. "Since you're so confident, and I'm convinced I can win, why don't we raise the stakes?"
Alberto thought for a moment and asked, "What bet do you want to add?"
"It's simple."
"If you lose, all the debt reductions I granted you during my slumber will be nullified. Your debt will be restored to its original amount."
Alberto's heart sank.
This meant all his previous efforts to pay it back would go down the drain.
But Garos's next words made his heart leap again.
"On the other hand, if you defeat me in this humanoid contest..."
"Not only will the debt reduction stand, but I will also pay you a generous, doubled bonus."
"How about it?"
"Deal! You have my word!"
Alberto agreed with absolute certainty, his voice ringing with resolve. His eyes gleamed with the desire for wealth and victory.
If he won against Garos, he would not only completely escape the mire of debt but also secure a massive windfall.
As for losing? How was that possible? He had mastered his humanoid form decades ago and possessed extensive combat experience. How could he possibly lose to a novice who had just learned transformation magic and couldn't even conjure clothes?
That foolish gold dragon, Iron Dragon Solgorn thought as he discreetly sipped some sweet honey syrup. It seems he's destined to keep working for us.
Nearby, Red Dragon Samantha tore a large chunk of charred beast meat from a bone. She shared the same thought.
Though they didn't fully understand the source of Garos's confidence, they knew their brother all too well.
Garos would never do anything meaningless, nor would he ever fight a battle he wasn't sure to win.
This poor gold dragon was clearly being played like a fiddle again, completely unaware.
"The challenge will begin after the banquet."
Hearing Alberto eagerly accept, the red-iron dragon nodded in satisfaction.
Alberto's mood grew even more buoyant. He threw himself back into the singing and dancing, his enthusiasm so infectious that the atmosphere on the grounds seemed exceptionally harmonious, as if victory were already assured.
Outside the valley, wind and snow continued to howl and dance wildly in the pitch-black night sky.
Yet within Dragon Valley, the roaring bonfires and magical radiance lit the land as bright as day, interweaving laughter and the low growls of dragons.
As time passed, Garos drank a mouthful of rich black oil and ate several pieces of magical beast essence imbued with abundant mana. He felt the power within his body surge and swell, his condition steadily returning to its peak, and his spirit growing increasingly vigorous.
His own strength had reached a new height, and with the existence of his 'hidden reserve energy source,' a fierce confidence—Who can kill me! Who can defeat me!—threatened to burst from his chest.
Garos even felt a powerful impulse to immediately spread his wings and fly to the Sierre Wilderness, declaring his dominion over that vast land. He would make all living beings submit to his dragon wings, and any who dared to defy him would be reduced to ashes.
Hah.
With a slow, deep breath, the sudden surge of heated thoughts and impulses was instantly extinguished, as if doused with ice water.
Though each awakening from deep slumber saw the primal desires and instincts of his evil dragon bloodline swell, their growth was ultimately far outstripped by the growth of Garos's own will and character.
His mastery over his emotions had long since reached a state of absolute perfection, allowing him to control them with effortless ease.
It wasn't just the impulse for battle and conquest; even the near-instinctual greed and obsession with wealth common to dragonkind could no longer shake his resolve. When he had been utterly weakened earlier, he had devoured over twenty priceless magic gems in one go, yet he felt no inner turmoil—he hadn't even reached his limit.
"What is the situation at the Lothurn Royal Court?"
Garos turned his thoughts to more pressing matters. His massive head turned toward the Iron Dragon Solgorn, but he did not speak. Instead, through their bloodline link, his voice resonated directly within the other's mind.
"Shortly after I woke a few years ago, Gordon also ended his slumber. We re-established contact immediately," the Iron Dragon replied, transmitting organized information through their mental link.
"According to the intelligence Gordon gathered... After the current King's palace coup—the one where he murdered his brother to seize the throne—the Lothurn Royal Court has appeared calm on the surface. But beneath the waters, the undercurrents are still raging, and the people's hearts are restless."
"Many nobles, and even some of the Royal Family's collateral branches, are still whispering in private, their criticism of the King's illegitimate ascension never-ending."
(End of the Chapter)
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