Chapter 91: Survival Game

"Garos, you look even more ferocious than before."

The words of the Fairy Dragon Long Long Weila reached his ears.

Garos had no reply.

The Fairy Dragon spoke the truth; he indeed looked increasingly like an evil dragon, though this was not Garos's own wish.

Although he felt his current appearance was cool and fierce, it was also somewhat too showy, inconsistent with Garos's own cautious and careful style.

Unfortunately.

Whether it was the dual bloodlines of the head of the Five-Colored Dragons and the head of the Iron Dragons, or the characteristics he had evolved himself, they all possessed a strong, sharp-edged offensiveness and aggression.

This is often what evil dragons possess.

Like Metal Dragons, Gem Dragons, and other good or neutral dragon types, they have fewer sharp spines, nor do they have dragon wings or tails that look like deadly weapons at a glance; their overall style leans towards 'majestic'.

"With my current form and posture."

"Once an organization of Justice or Order discovers my existence, they will surely shout for my destruction and launch an immediate expedition against me."

Garos shook his head, thinking.

Although he still did not consider himself an evil dragon in the world's impression, Garos no longer felt troubled by it.

He had figured it out in his heart.

Whether evil dragon, good dragon, or even mistaken for some other monster, it didn't matter; this world ultimately speaks with fists, with power.

As long as they do not disturb him or pose a threat to his life, it is not worth caring about.

Conversely.

Once Garos feels his life is threatened.

Then he will do whatever it takes, by any means necessary, to eliminate them; otherwise, he cannot rest easy.

"Why am I not a hybrid dragon?"

Samantha's gaze fell upon Garos, sweeping over his rugged, ferocious spines, wings, and tail, her eyes filled entirely with longing and envy.

In the eyes of Red Dragons.

Ferocity is an absolute term of praise.

According to dragon aesthetics, it is hard to say about Metal Dragons, but for Five-Colored Dragons or other evil dragons, in their eyes, Garos undoubtedly possesses an 'Ancient Supreme Evil Form'; once he reaches adulthood and sexual maturity, as long as he emits a mating signal, no female dragon can resist his charm.

"Samantha, it seems that during the time I was away, you managed the territory quite well."

Garos's tail lightly tapped the ground, splashing up a few sparks.

As he descended in a spiral, he noticed changes in the Conifer Valley.

Defensive works had been added to the perimeter: deep channels with slowly flowing lava, ironwood pine defenses cast with metal spikes, and sentries patrolling key points.

Samantha lifted her chin and hummed pleasantly.

She snorted two plumes of sulfur-smelling smoke from her nostrils and said, "Do you think I am that kind of lazy bug who only sleeps? No, I am now a diligent great dragon just like you, having subdued two monster clans belonging to me."

"Fire Lizards can spit lava, and those trenches were excavated by Giant Fire Ants."

She pointed with her claw toward the direction of the Alchemy Workshop.

"In terms of alchemy, I have learned to create Flame Pearls; their instantaneous explosive power can blow away a Giant Rhino."

Glancing at Garos, Samantha added, "The number of Flame Pearls is small, and the materials I collected are limited; they cannot be used recklessly, such as... throwing them randomly at oneself."

While speaking, her eyes were somewhat wary, as if guarding against Garos.

Clearly.

Samantha did not want Garos to use her Flame Pearls to satisfy his own hobbies and quirks.

She had previously guessed that Garos might have become strong through those exercises, but now looking at Garos's appearance, Samantha actually rejected that idea; if strength like Garos's could be gained merely through various exercises or self-harming behaviors, then dragons would have long ago ruled all planes and worlds.

She attributed Garos's power to the positive mutation formed by his hybrid blood, rather than accumulated daily training.

Garos paid no mind to this misunderstanding.

Flame Pearls capable of blowing away a Giant Rhino? He was not interested, unless they could blow away dragons.

Garos pondered, looking at Samantha.

"In these six years, has the Conifer Valley encountered danger? Did it face powerful fierce beasts or monsters, was it discovered by a wise clan, or was there an expedition from adventurers?"

He asked.

If not for sensing danger, given the Red Dragon's lazy nature, how would she have focused her mind on territory defense?

Garos, with his keen mind, noticed the anomaly.

The Fairy Dragon Long Long Weila flew a circle around Garos, stopped before him, straightened her chest, and proudly said, "A group of big Ogres is expanding; it was Long Long Weila who discovered them first while playing outside once."

The first to discover the Ogre tracks was the Fairy Dragon Long Long Weila.

After she told Samantha, Samantha flew high into the sky to investigate, and only then did she discover with a start that the Ogre tribe was expanding at an astonishing speed; when viewing the wilderness from high above, one could clearly see that the Ogres' area of activity increased almost every day.

"Ogres."

Garos was first somewhat puzzled, but after a moment of thought, he asked, "Is it the Bone-Chewing Clan?"

Before he fell asleep, the Bone-Chewing Clan had been acting strangely; all the Ogres were gathering in their territory as if up to something. Originally, Garos intended to investigate, but the sudden arrival of his Dragon Sleep period made him change his mind.

Now hearing the Fairy Dragon's words, it was not difficult to connect the Ogres with the Bone-Chewing Clan.

The Red Dragon nodded seriously.

"In just six years, this clan has expanded by at least three times."

"Now they have occupied the Thunder-Horned Sheep Pasture in the east, which is not far from the Conifer Valley."

Ogres excel in strength, physical fitness, and defense; their movement speed is not fast, but even so, it would only take three days of marching for the Ogres stationed in the east to arrive at the Conifer Valley.

Garos fell silent for a moment, then suddenly bared his fangs with a grin.

"Interesting."

Thunder-Horned Sheep herds, Steel-Mane Thorn-Beast herds, Armored Giant Rhino herds... these fierce beast and monster herds around the Conifer Valley were, in Garos's eyes, all his own pastures, part of his territory.

Not a dragon, not a giant, nor an organized army.

A horde of orcs dares to seize his territory? Do they truly think Garos is some easy-going benevolent dragon?

Instantly, Garos conceived the idea of flying over immediately and slaughtering the entire orc horde.

This slumber of the Dragon Sleep had made Garos far more formidable and also intensified the fierce emotions inherent in his Red Iron Dragon bloodline.

Hah!

Taking several deep breaths, Garos's gaze gradually calmed; he skillfully suppressed his arrogance and restlessness, beginning to think more calmly and rationally.

"The Bone-Chewing Clan's sudden barbaric expansion must have some backing."

"First, scout the specific situation, then decide on a course of action."

As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.

Garos never fights a battle without certainty of victory.

Having grown and evolved over six years, he was far stronger than before and possessed greater confidence in his survival, but this did not mean he could run rampant in the wilderness; he still needed to be cautious and not let his surging power cloud his judgment.

"Samantha, you have done very well."

Garos nodded slightly to the Red Dragon and said, "Continue reinforcing the defensive works of the Conifer Valley. Arm your kin with alchemical items to prevent orcs from approaching and launching surprise attacks."

"What about me? What about me?"

The Fairy Dragon spun around, asking excitedly.

"You will assist Samantha."

Garos grinned and said, "Don't you love playing games? This game, named War, named Survival, will be thousands of times more thrilling and interesting than playing with ants."

After learning the information she possessed from Samantha's mouth,

Garos flapped his dragon wings, soared into the air, shot straight toward the clouds, and his figure quickly vanished into the night.

Relying on the Red Dragon's description was ultimately not real or specific enough; seeing with one's own eyes and investigating personally was better. Garos trusted only himself above all.

But there was no need to rush just yet.

Garos first hunted at several nearby pastures, eating quickly to gradually fill his body, adjusting his post-awakening state to its peak, and then flew soaring toward the Bone-Chewing Clan's territory as he remembered it.

(End of this chapter)