Chapter 23: Unexpected Joy

“Alchemy?”

Samantha spat a wisp of disdainful flame from her nostrils.

“Isn’t this just weakling nonsense with bottles and jars? True red dragons conquer the world with claws and fire.”

It said.

Among all dragon kinds, red dragons were among the most power-worshipping, proudest of their bloodline and status, and most favored defeating foes with their innate weapons—claws, fangs, and breath.

Upon hearing Luo Si suggest she learn alchemy.

Samantha’s sneer was a normal reaction.

Because learning such things required genuine interest; coercion would never work. Luo Si smiled slightly and coaxed gently: “Do you know how many gold coins a metallurgist from the Lothien Federation earns in a year?”

As he spoke, he poked the alchemical engine with his claw.

The metallic clinks sounded like coins colliding.

Samantha’s pupils widened slightly, her interest piqued. “How much?”

Luo Si replied solemnly: “Even the worst alchemist can earn enough to pile up into a mountain of gold.”

Hearing this, Samantha’s tail twitched unconsciously—she was clearly swayed.

“Really? You’re not lying to me, are you?”

It said.

Luo Si nodded, his tone grave.

“Alchemists can even forge their own coins. If you study diligently and master alchemy deeply enough, you’ll grow so wealthy you could buy an empire. You could hire a thousand or more Iron Dragon Mothers like her to serve you day and night, singing praises of your greatness.”

“Beyond wealth, alchemy can also make you stronger. Don’t forget those giant mining beasts that forced you to flee in disgrace. Once you master alchemy and use it to refine and strengthen your claws and scales, I believe—with your talent—you’ll one day tear apart a Holy Flame Arbiter, and countless evil dragons will cheer and bow in awe at your feet.”

The scene described in these words.

Struck Samantha’s sweet spot.

Merely imagining it sent her heart racing, an electric thrill coursing from head to tail tip.

Her chest rose and fell, breath quickening, eyes filled with longing.

Yet she still hesitated, wavering, and complained: “But learning magic sounds so troublesome.”

Red dragons weren’t unintelligent; as top-tier monsters, their magical aptitude and insight surpassed most spellcasters. They simply were lazy and disliked mental exertion.

As a standard pure-blooded red dragon.

Samantha also disliked thinking and studying.

Luo Si asked slowly: “Do you find learning knowledge troublesome, or being hunted by inferior creatures wielding alchemical devices more troublesome?”

His question cut straight to the core, leaving Samantha silent.

To be chased by goblins—weak, inferior creatures—was, in Samantha’s eyes, a great humiliation.

“Only through relentless hammering can unbreakable scales be forged.”

“Samantha, if you lack the resolve to face hardship—or even torment—then stop dreaming of ruling the world from its peak. Such dreams are destined to fail.”

Luo Si ended with the red dragon’s most effective taunt.

As expected, upon hearing Luo Si’s words, Samantha’s hesitation and doubts vanished instantly, replaced by determination and ambition.

“Luo Si, my beloved brother.”

“I’ll prove to you that I, Samantha, have my own awakening!”

She declared firmly, voice ringing: “I’m starting to study alchemy right now!”

After speaking, Samantha curled up in the shadow beneath a towering Iron Fir.

Her eyes half-closed but not sleeping, she focused intently, delving deep into the Long Zhi heritage for alchemical knowledge, beginning to learn on her own.

It was a dull and tedious process.

Few dragons ever dug into the Long Zhi heritage for knowledge during their juvenile stage.

In truth, with the Long Zhi heritage as a treasure trove, even the weakest white dragon, if it could shed arrogance and laziness and devote itself to studying its magical knowledge, could achieve great things.

If Samantha could persist.

Though she could never match Luo Si, her growth rate would far surpass that of an ordinary red dragon—no doubt.

Meanwhile.

Luo Si placed the alchemical engine into a hollow in a rock, preparing to begin his daily training. As he lifted his claw, he noticed black viscous fluid clinging to it.

“What is this?”

At first he didn’t know.

But the moment curiosity stirred in his mind, the Long Zhi heritage activated naturally, flooding his mind with corresponding knowledge.

Undeniably, though the Long Zhi heritage had instilled in dragons generations of arrogance and conceit, its existence was also one of the key reasons dragons remained top-tier beings.

Its contents were boundless, like a library accumulating knowledge over millennia.

Whenever needed, it always responded promptly.

“Black oil seeping from the alchemical engine.”

Luo Si sniffed lightly, detecting a pungent odor—like engine oil, yet with a sharp, spicy edge.

“Black oil: a substance formed over long ages from monster bodies. A foundational energy source abundant on the planet Bernardo. Hmm, somewhat like an upgraded version of petroleum.”

Luo Si pondered.

“It must contain considerable energy.”

“The heritage says it’s not food, but it feels strangely appealing.”

After brief thought.

Luo Si lifted his oil-stained claw to his mouth and flicked his tongue over it.

Like licking mustard.

The spiciness shot straight into his sinuses.

As he swallowed, a small flame ignited in his belly; his entire body snapped alert, head raised, mouth open, involuntarily spewing a column of fire.

“Strong—really strong!”

Staring at the black oil on his claw, Luo Si’s face lit up with delight.

The energy within it rivaled that of the high-tier monster flesh he’d consumed before.

His adaptation and evolution didn’t occur out of nothing—it required massive energy replenishment.

Luo Si remembered his first adaptation.

Because he hadn’t consumed enough energy, the evolution happened—but he drained his own body’s reserves, leaving him emaciated for months afterward, skin stretched over bone, as if drained by a succubus.

Only after gorging himself like a starving ghost did he gradually recover.

Originally, Luo Si had worried about the future.

As he grew stronger and evolution demanded vast energy, hunting monsters would require devouring countless beasts at once—immensely inconvenient.

This unexpected discovery revealed his ideal energy source.

(End of Chapter)