Chapter 3: Overwhelm

Another ten days passed.

In the dark, damp dragon's nest, a pair of amber vertical pupils emitted a faint glow.

This is the dragon's innate night-vision ability.

Draconic incantations poured from Lai Ang's mouth.

"Zero Ring Spell: Small Water Ball Technique!"

Moments later, a delicate, tiny water ball condensed, then under Lai Ang's control it shot several meters and struck the cavern wall at high speed.

With a boom, a moderate impact sound rang out, mixed with a few thumb-sized stone fragments flying.

At the point where the stone wall was struck, several fine cracks and notches appeared.

Lai Ang looked at the destruction caused by the Small Water Ball Technique and nodded in satisfaction.

This destructive power already slightly surpassed the force of its full-strength claw strike.

If it struck an ordinary person, broken bones and torn tendons would be certain.

Lai Ang diverted a thread of consciousness to 'look toward' the idle slot in his mental space.

An azure rune was embedded within the idle slot.

With a thought from Lai Ang, a piece of information fed back into his mind.

【Zero Ring Trick: Small Water Ball Technique】

【Level: 1 (0/10)】

This is a small function Lai Ang developed from the idle slot during this period, which can record progress in a panel format familiar to him.

"Gaining one point of experience per day of idling, can one level up in ten days?"

Lai Ang gazed at the information about the Small Water Ball Technique on the panel, lost in thought.

Ten days ago, when the idle slot was just activated, the Small Water Ball Technique was still level 0.

【Level: 0 (0/10)】

Ten days later, after the idle slot's boost, the Small Water Ball Technique rose from level 0 to level 1; with the same mental power consumption, its power increased slightly and its casting speed became a bit faster.

Most importantly, the experience points required for an upgrade remained unchanged at ten.

"In other words, after another ten days of idling in the idle slot, could the Small Water Ball Technique level up again?" Lai Ang mused.

He also didn't know whether this improvement had a limit—Small Water Ball Technique +999 levels? Lai Ang naturally hoped this improvement had no limit.

"It's a pity that Dragon Breath and Dragon Might aren't usable yet; otherwise, idling those two would be far better than idling the Small Water Ball Technique." Lai Ang secretly thought.

The use of Dragon Breath involves an organ inside the dragon's body, and during the hatchling stage this organ is generally still developing.

Forcibly exhaling Dragon Breath either yields nothing or inflicts severe damage on the breath organ.

As for Dragon Might, though it bears no relation to any organ within the dragon's body, it is tied to the dragon's mental power.

The older the dragon, the more terrifying its Dragon Might, precisely because its mental power has been honed over ages to become strong.

"From hatchling to juvenile stage takes three years, so Dragon Breath cannot be used in a short time." Lai Ang sighed.

However, Dragon Might could form a rune in a short time.

After all, one can hone mental power by observing the idle slot.

Just as Lai Ang was making plans for the future, a disturbance came from nearby.

Lai Ang turned his head to look.

It was his second brother Ai Di and third brother Sai Jia.

From the latter's undisguised hostility, it was clear that a battle today was unavoidable.

"If there were no idle slot, the outcome would truly be uncertain." Lai Ang looked at Sai Jia's draconic body, which had grown somewhat stronger after ten days of development, and thought involuntarily.

Too bad there are no 'ifs'.

"Lai Ang, today I will make you know that being born first is useless; only strength is supreme!"

Sai Jia growled.

Merely, the hatchling's vocal cords were still too tender, plus its big head and short wings, making this so‑called pre‑battle proclamation sound lacking any dignity and rather cute.

Lai Ang couldn't help but think of a chubby puppy baring its teeth at you and going 'woof woof woof'; these thoughts flashed through his mind, and by the time Sai Jia uttered those words, he had already begun the Dragon Language Incantation.

Seeing this, Sai Jia stared, then burst out laughing and jeered, "Lai Ang, you're not going to tell me you want to cast a spell, are you? Don't be ridiculous—you've barely been born, that's for juvenile dragons only."

Sai Jia fell silent, because a floating mass of water appeared before Lai Ang.

Ai Di, who had been gloating on the side, was also dumbfounded by this sight.

What's going on? Could the dragon clan's inherited information be false? Ai Di suddenly thought of a certain special existence among dragons—the Aberrant Dragon.

An Aberrant Dragon refers to an existence deviating from ordinary dragons, including eccentric temperament, powerful talent, special physique, and so on.

Being able to release a spell within a few dozen days after birth, even if it's just a trick, is enough to prove that Lai Ang's mental power already deviates from that of ordinary hatchlings.

The thoughtful and clever Ai Di thought of many things, but the hot‑tempered Sai Jia could not think of this.

Sai Jia used his hot‑tempered low growl to dispel his own inner tension and fear, then charged at Lai Ang, intending to knock him straight to the ground and dispel the spell.

Unfortunately, Lai Ang had anticipated this, nimbly sidestepped to the left, then directed the Zero Ring Trick: Small Water Ball Technique to blast toward Sai Jia.

The Magic Water Ball collided with the hatchling's tender scales, causing the scales at the impact site to crack and draconic blood to seep out.

The sting did not make Sai Jia feel fear or retreat; instead it aroused its ferocity, and its short, thick tail lashed out, whipping toward Lai Ang's back.

Lai Ang barely avoided most of it, but the oncoming dragon tail still grazed him, splitting several scales and causing draconic blood to ooze out.

If the dragon's greatest ability is debatable, there is no doubt that the part of its body with the greatest strength, speed, and agility is uncontroversial.

Without a doubt, it is the dragon's tail.

The force a dragon's tail can unleash is a multiple of that of its claws.

Don't look at Sai Jia having only been born a few dozen days ago; even tigers and lions from his past life would not be his match.

Just that fierce tail swipe just now, if taken head‑on, could probably beat a tiger to death.

A sharp crack.

Lai Ang's dragon tail lashed hard against Sai Jia's back; unlike the yielding Lai Ang, Sai Jia, like a greenhorn, didn't dodge and took the blow head-on.

A fine cracking sound like shattering porcelain rang out, a large patch of Sai Jia's dragon scales shattered, and blood flowed out.

Before Sai Jia could react to the pain, Lai Ang shoved him to the ground with his dragon claw, then mounted him, raining blows left and right, a fierce barrage that stunned him.

Lai Ang already understood that his headstrong dragon brother wasn't the type to obey just a few kind words.

To deal with such an irritable, strength-respecting hatchling, the only way is to subdue it by sheer force!

After a few minutes, Lai Ang panted, stopped moving, lowered his head, and looked at the whimpering Sai Jia beneath him, his tone tinged with a hint of cruelty.

Still not convinced you've lost?

Sai Jia grunted, his stubborn reddish dragon eyes meeting the pale yellow, aloof gaze of the hatchling atop him, and finally he slowly lowered his head.

'. This time you won, Lai Ang.'

I admit defeat.

This proud, stubborn yet extraordinarily gifted hatchling lowered its head, showing submission.

Although from his tone it might only be a temporary submission.

If Lai Ang's strength isn't enough, perhaps this hatchling will challenge him again.

As for that, Lai Ang is quite confident.

Even with extraordinary talent, can it compare to his cheat?

This victory perhaps involved a little trickery, but before long, relying purely on strength, Lai Ang is confident he can subdue Sai Jia.

But Lai Ang's goal has never been to play house with his brothers to become the boss.

"Not enough; I want to grow stronger faster." Lai Ang gazed into the distant, dark depths of the dragon's den, where a massive creature could be vaguely seen slumbering.

A heavy dragon aura enveloped its surroundings, attesting to the terrifying power contained within that dreadful beast's body.

Yet the fearsome beast's hide bore several extremely vicious scars.

(End of chapter)