[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence":3,"chapter-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-204":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2338667,4572,"Chapter 204: Golden Dragon Hatchling!","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-204",204,"\u003Cp>\"I hope you little one stays in Stormhold—why haven’t you hatched yet? Are you waiting for me to leave the storage room before you break free? That would be a shame!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas had already reached the storage room door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had intended to watch the dragon hatch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this was a sight no human would ever see—perhaps not even a Earth Knight would have the chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the hatchling seemed unwilling to oblige, showing no interest in fulfilling his wish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Gervas could only sigh and lift his foot, preparing to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wondered if lingering here too long might make the hatchling grow resentful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Gervas stepped out of the storage room, a faint cracking sound came from behind him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas shuddered and whirled around in sudden delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, a fine crack had appeared on the dragon egg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack! Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That initial snap seemed to trigger a melody—more crisp cracks followed one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once-small fissure now spread rapidly across the eggshell, gradually covering more than half its surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the cracks reached their limit, a palm-sized piece of the eggshell suddenly swelled and shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A golden dragon wing pierced through the egg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Golden dragon! It really is a golden dragon hatchling!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas felt his heart nearly skip a beat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many dragons in this world—red, black, blue... even silver dragons, each with enormous populations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only the Golden Dragon, if not entirely unique, was unquestionably the undisputed sovereign of the dragon race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: Golden Dragons could cast spells and breathe fire of every element.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, once a Golden Dragon matured, it would inevitably become the strongest among dragons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Gervas’s thoughts drifted, a second piece of shell was blasted away, and the hatchling’s other wing pierced through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With both wings now free, the little one finally found purchase—the central, largest section of the shell began to pulse up and down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pop! Pop! Pop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, the shell cracked open, until finally a golden head burst forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Gervas’s surprise and delight, the hatchling, the moment it emerged, immediately turned its gaze toward him—and let out a tiny, squeaky roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that a greeting for me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas wasn’t certain, but one thing was clear: that squeaky growl carried no hostility whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With its head now free, the hatchling could easily stand up inside the shell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It crawled out, spread its wings, shook its head, and fluffed its body—finally allowing Gervas to roughly gauge its size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wingspan barely one meter, body length from snout to tail only about one point one meters, standing height at most forty centimeters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to its adult form—wingspan of twenty-seven to twenty-eight meters, body length over thirty meters—this was undeniably a miniature state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, though tiny in size, the golden scales shimmering with dense magic, coupled with the natural aura of draconic pressure, already foretold that soon it would rise to become one of the strongest sovereigns of this sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch! Crunch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the storage room’s inner chamber, chewing sounds echoed—the hatchling, after stretching, began devouring its own eggshell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shell contained essential nutrients for dragons, as well as some information the mother dragon could not pass down through bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, given the urgency of the situation, Gervas suspected the mother dragon likely had no time to leave any message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment this thought faded, the golden hatchling suddenly let out a panicked wail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas gasped, \"No way—could the mother dragon have harmed her own child? Or was the egg already discovered by that black dragon?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet quickly, Gervas realized he’d guessed wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden hatchling suffered no mishap—it had merely... changed its appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good heavens! Gervas exclaimed inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him, the creature had lost its scales and fangs—it had become a... young swifthawk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where’s my majestic little dragon?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas hurried forward, gently cradling the now-shrunken swifthawk—only twenty centimeters tall, the size of two palms—in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hatchling’s panic had vanished, replaced by a pitiful, pleading gaze fixed on Gervas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if begging: \"Help me—I don’t want to look like this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Little dragon, I can’t help you—I can’t even sense a trace of draconic aura on you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I hadn’t seen your true form, I’d think I’d picked up the wrong bird’s egg!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the golden mother dragon had indeed left something on the eggshell—a transformation spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the hatchling finished eating the shell, the spell activated, turning it into a swifthawk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mother dragon’s motive was easy to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the egg hadn’t been retrieved by Gervas, and lost its mother’s protection,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>not only would the black dragon likely patrol nearby,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but even other powerful beasts, sensing a newborn dragon, would see it as a prize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, the transformation spell was meant to help the hatchling survive its weakest phase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hatchling seemed to understand Gervas’s words, and let out a pitiful chirp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There, there, little one! Don’t be sad—this form is the safest for you now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Otherwise, if your true dragon form were revealed, it would draw the greed of others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even that black dragon, who holds a grudge against your mother, would come sniffing around—I’m far too weak to protect you then!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your mother cast this spell to protect you. When you grow strong enough, the transformation will vanish on its own!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chirp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hatchling, hearing this, finally stopped resisting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Gervas felt deeply pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the hatchling didn’t seem to reject him—meaning he was one step closer to becoming a dragon knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he couldn’t force a bond with it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But time was on his side—he had all the patience he needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, the mother dragon’s transformation spell suited him perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, dragons—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless he kept it hidden in some remote, uninhabited place, absolute secrecy was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man without merit should not keep a treasure—if others learned Stormhold housed a dragon, especially a Golden Dragon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>their fate was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, even a mage-architect would be fooled by the mother dragon’s spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Gervas could safely keep it by his side and raise it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, little one! You don’t have a name yet—how about I give you one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chirp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hatchling was delighted, nodding eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then from now on, your name is Goldy!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas studied the hatchling closely—it looked identical to an ordinary swifthawk chick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a small patch of golden feathers adorned its lower jaw and neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need to say more—this was its reverse scale, the most vital mark of a dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hatchling seemed thrilled by the name \"Goldy\"—it sensed the meaning of nobility, uniqueness, wealth, and... earthiness...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cough! Cough! Of course, it didn’t catch the \"earthiness\" part!\u003C\u002Fp>",1128,"2026-06-20T22:44:02.338Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5ccc2da6ffa005522a7c9545cadd234bf6646c2cf1ec08d9d3b9a1cfdce4fa10","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-205","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-203",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]