Chapter 77: Bone-Chewer Clan, Reencounter with the Copper Dragon

The seasons in the Ser Wilderness shift strangely and unpredictably; after three years of relentless scorching sun, the land finally welcomed a rare rainy season.

At first, only a few muffled rumbles rolled along the horizon, then dark clouds swallowed the sky at a visible pace.

When the first raindrop struck the scorched earth, few wild creatures paid attention—but soon, millions of silver threads pierced through the clouds, drenching the dry air into damp fragments, a thick curtain of rain covering the wilderness’s sky and land.

“This damn weather.”

Samantha stared at the dense rain curtain, muttered a curse, then turned and slipped deeper into the cave.

Red dragons favor dry, hot, high-temperature weather; this damp, moisture-laden climate made Samantha feel irritable and gloomy.

Garos rested on an overhanging rock slab, exposed above with no shelter.

He lifted his head, his increasingly prominent dragon horns slanting toward the sky, eyes half-closed, letting raindrops strike his steel-and-iron body, shattering into spray.

Rain soaking his skin created a slick, wet sensation.

Garos instinctively felt disgust and dislike.

But to improve his affinity and resistance to water, and since his cave lair was too crude—with leaks dripping murky droplets onto his body and turning the floor into mud—it was better to simply endure the rain outdoors.

“When will I have my own palace that doesn’t leak?”

Garos thought.

Different creatures’ dwellings vary in scale due to their size.

For dragons, constructing a comfortable residence—whether by hollowing out a mountain or building a palace on flat ground—requires vast resources, immense time, and a large retinue.

Only a dominant evil dragon lord or a metal dragon with wide connections can afford a dwelling that truly suits them.

Garos’s usual cave lair was merely a natural cavern.

It was hardly comfortable, even somewhat unpleasant to live in.

When he first seized the Conifer Valley, he tried ordering the Furious Bears to clear mountains and chop wood to build him a home—but the Furious Bears, being burrow-dwellers themselves, knew nothing of construction. Though they possessed innate control over earth and stone, what they built was beyond description, utterly failing to meet a dragon’s needs—or Garos’s. He gave up.

“If I could unite and rule all the clans around the Scale-Terrace Rift, using this route to secure resources, perhaps my retinue could build me a refined, comfortable dwelling.”

Thinking this, Garos’s mind surfaced information on several clans.

After about a week of reconnaissance, Garos confirmed the number and approximate scale of the clans around the Scale-Terrace Rift: besides the Graymane Wolfmen, and excluding monstrous groups like the Furious Bears, three intelligent species clans existed.

After about a week of reconnaissance, Luo Si confirmed the number and approximate size of the clans around the Scale Soil Rift: besides the Graymane Wolfmen, and excluding monstrous groups like the Earthquake Bear, three intelligent species clans existed in the vicinity.

Crack-Claw Clan—War Lizards.

Bone-Chewer Clan—Ogres.

Among them, the Red-Eye Clan’s overall size was comparable to the Howling Moon Clan; the Crack-Claw Clan was stronger still; but the Bone-Chewer Clan’s ogres reigned supreme in this region.

The Howling Moon Clan had previously clashed with the Bone-Chewer Clan over a raid conflict on the Scale-Terrace Rift.

When neither side could fly, marching across the wilderness was extremely dangerous—numerous ferocious beasts and monsters would attack en route; without sufficient strength, attacking another clan was nearly impossible.

When neither side can fly, marching through the wilderness is extremely dangerous—midway, they will face countless ferocious beasts and monsters attacking; if one is not tough enough, attacking another clan is nearly impossible.

They dispatched ogre warriors on long treks across the wilderness to launch raids against the Howling Moon Clan, inflicting heavy losses.

Only the cliff-dwelling dragon bred by the wolfmen allowed them to repel the ogre assault at relatively low cost.

The Graymane Wolfmen’s willingness to submit to Garos stemmed from another reason: without the cliff-dwelling dragon, if the Bone-Chewer ogres attacked again, they could only abandon their territory and flee into the perilous wilderness—or face annihilation.

Another reason the Graymane Wolfmen were willing to submit to Luo Si was that without the Cliff Serpent Dragon, should they face another attack from the Bone-Chewing Ghouls, they could not resist unless they abandoned their territory and migrated through the perilous wilderness.

the Bone-Chewer Clan had not attacked the Howling Moon Clan—for reasons unknown.

Moreover, not just the Howling Moon Clan, but this once wildly brutal and domineering ogre clan had nearly retreated into its territory, with no members venturing out.

The wolfmen of the Howling Moon Clan sent scouts, but found little useful information.

Garos was preparing to investigate personally when the heavy rain arrived; the rain curtain would obscure his vision and impair perception, so he decided to wait until the rain lessened before moving.

“Garos, Garos, why don’t you return to the cave to avoid the rain?”

The fairy dragon Long Weila fluttered through the wind and rain, hiding between Garos’s wing and body, asking.

“Because I like the rain—I enjoy the feeling of bathing in it under open sky.”

“Because I like rain—I like the feeling of bathing in it under the open sky.”

“Really? Then stay out longer—this rainy season seems rare.”

Long Weila grinned.

Of course it was a lie—he hated rain and wanted to live peacefully in a spacious, comfortable palace. Garos glanced at the fairy dragon, then, while she wasn’t looking, shifted his wing slightly, letting surface water gather into a trickle, winding like a small stream down the membrane and drenching the fairy dragon precisely.

Nonsense, of course it’s fake—I hate rain. I want to enjoy a peaceful life in a spacious, comfortable palace. Luo Si glanced at the Fairy Dragon, then, while it wasn’t looking, shifted his wings slightly, letting the water on the surface gather into a winding stream that dripped down the membrane and landed precisely on the Fairy Dragon.

Caught off guard, she was swept down, flapping her wings frantically before rising again seconds later.

Caught off guard, it was swept down immediately, and only after several seconds did it flap its wings and fly back up.

“I’m going to find Samantha!”

Soaked and shivering, Long Weila shook off water, fearing Garos would tease her again, and hurried off toward Samantha’s cave.

The drenched Fairy Dragon shook off the water, fearing Luo Si would continue teasing it, and quickly flew toward Samantha’s cave.

Raindrops hammered against rocks and vegetation, crackling sharply.

After resting half an hour, Garos lifted his wings, stood up, and took flight, soaring into the dense, dark clouds, using the lightning surging within them to charge his Lightning Tail Ring.

Charging completed quickly; the Lightning Tail Ring reached peak energy.

Garos descended from the dim sky to a barren hill, then used his fully charged Lightning Tail Ring to reinforce his tail, standing in the wind and rain, striking his own body repeatedly with his tail.

Luo Si descended from the dim sky to a barren mountain, then used his fully charged Lightning Tail Ring to strengthen his tail, bathing in the wind and rain as he repeatedly whipped his own body with it.

Due to water’s conductivity, each time his tail lifted and came down, not only the direct contact points but all other parts of his body sent waves of tingling numbness.

The sensation of electric current coursing through his muscles grew stronger.

Thanks to Garos’s years of accumulated training, this electric sensation was spreading from his tail toward his entire body—he sensed that when it reached full coverage, he would undergo an evolution, though he did not yet know what effect it would bring.

Thanks to Luo Si’s accumulated daily training, the electric sensation is spreading from his tail toward his entire body; he has a feeling that when it covers his whole body, he will undergo an evolution—but he doesn’t yet know what effect it will bring.

Garos’s greatest desire was to evolve a jet structure on his wings, for which he had made many efforts and attempts; now, in his spare time after wing training, he was enhancing his lightning resistance.

Luo Si most hoped to evolve a jet-like structure on his wings, and had made many efforts and attempts toward this goal; now, during his spare time after wing training, he was improving his lightning resistance.

the Red Iron Dragon was thick with electric charge, his tail blazing with blinding lightning.

Around the Red Iron Dragon, electric charges were thick, and his tail glowed with blinding lightning.

Garos felt a sudden heart-stopping jolt—and instinctively looked up.

A brilliant white glow reflected in his vision, impossibly close.

A streak of blazing white reflected in his vision—right before his eyes.

A silver lightning bolt tore through the night rain, striking Garos’s horn first, then racing across his metallic scales at light speed, engulfing his entire body.

Silver lightning tore through the night rain, striking first Luo Si’s dragon horns, then racing along his metallic horns at light speed, engulfing his entire body.

He felt a moment of intense paralysis, spasms, and pain; smoke curled from his body, rain between his scales nearly vaporized, his tail curling slightly.

He felt an instant of intense paralysis, spasms, and pain; wisps of smoke rose from his body, the rain between his scales nearly vaporized, and his tail curled slightly.

Huh. Garos exhaled a puff of hot air, flapped his wings, stretched his body; though residual numbness lingered, he felt no other discomfort.

“My lightning resistance may not match a Blue Dragon’s, but it’s far beyond that of a normal Red Dragon or Iron Dragon.”

This accident confirmed the true strength of Garos’s lightning resistance.

Garos gazed upward, where countless silver serpents danced within the dense clouds, lightning occasionally striking and illuminating the sky.

“The tingling electric sensation is kind of satisfying—let’s try again.”

He arched his tail high, using the ring on it to draw down lightning, striking himself.

Again and again, lightning struck Garos—tingling and pain merging together, forging his body in electric fire.

Until, a familiar copper-red dragon silhouette emerged from the horizon.

(End of Chapter)

(End of Chapter)