novelHire Chapter 577: Old Grudges, the Wanfa White Dragon's Sudden Visit
Chapter 577: Old Grudges, the Wanfa White Dragon's Sudden Visit
Within the Emerald Royal City, the dragon queen's lair.
The Dream Oak's vines lay layered upon layered, interweaving into an impenetrable wall so dense that even a legendary lifeform's perception could barely pierce it. These vines were no ordinary plants; they grew in symbiosis with the Dream Oak, each strand imbued with the power of dreams, capable of cutting off prying eyes, blocking perception, and even confounding the concepts of time and space. Peering at what lay inside without causing damage was virtually impossible.
And now, close to two months had passed since the vines had last closed up and sealed shut.
Because the time was so long, the surrounding Green Wild dragons had even started placing bets on when the queen and the Red Emperor would emerge from the lair. Some said it would be soon, others said they'd need to wait another month, and a few bet they'd simply stay inside and never come out. The wagers ranged from precious magical materials to rare ores, piling higher and higher, but no one was confident of winning.
Just then.
The layered vines suddenly began to tremble slightly.
As if pushed aside by an invisible, giant hand, they retracted to both sides like doors, rustling as they moved, with tangled branches parting layer by layer.
Then, two great dragons leaped out from within.
One was imposing and majestic, formidable and colossal.
His red-iron scales gleamed with a dark luster under the sun, every single one like finely-tempered steel, the edges bearing a faint dark red as if still retaining the heat of the forge. Muscles rippled beneath the scales, outlining lines brimming with power.The other had scales like emerald, slender and graceful.
Her body was larger than the Red Emperor's by a full circle, but her lines were fluid, her proportions well-balanced, without an ounce of excess fat. The dragon scales displayed a gradient of green in the sunlight, from dark green to emerald green to tender green, as if she had draped all the colors of spring over herself.
They were, naturally, the Emperor of Aola and the Queen of the Green Wild.
The moment the two emerged, every Green Wild dragon who had been paying attention immediately averted their gaze in unison, each busying themselves with their own affairs, looking straight ahead as if they had seen nothing at all. No one wanted to attract the queen's attention at a time like this.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The great dragons spread their wings and descended through the Dream Oak's branches.
The lower canopy consisted of thick branches and dense, impenetrable vines, intertwined to the point where barely a gap could be seen.
The middle layer was a crisscross of horizontal branches and stacked leaves, sunlight only filtering through in scattered patches. The further down they went, the more open the space became, and the dimmer the light grew.
They passed through the last curtain of foliage and burst out from beneath the canopy.
The view before them opened up.
They were high above the clouds.
Beneath their feet stretched an endless white sea of clouds, like a thick layer of cotton, surging slowly in the wind, sometimes gathering, sometimes parting, revealing glimpses of the earth below. Above the clouds, there was no obstruction, the sky showing a deep blue.
Sunlight poured down from directly overhead, striking their scales purely and directly, making both great dragons' bodies glow.
Garoth swept his wings lightly, hovering above the canopy.
Gazing into the distance, he could see a wide expanse of natural scenery.
Then, he turned his head to look at Cerora.
Her flight posture was graceful and relaxed, her breathing steady, showing no signs of fatigue. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on her scales.
But Garoth knew what that time in the lair had meant for her.
With his physical strength, very few females could endure it, even if they were also at the Crown level.
"Cerora, don't you need to rest?" Garoth asked.
Cerora flapped her wings and said, "Don't underestimate me."
"My dream self can share the burden of fatigue from reality, and it works the other way too. Everything you felt in the lair... half of it was borne by my dream clone."
She thought for a moment, then continued:
"Actually, the intensity I experienced was less than half of what you imagined. Your strength is certainly formidable, but I am, after all, a Crown-level being and the queen of the Green Wild. I won't be broken down by you so easily."
Saying this, the green dragoness's lips curled up slightly.
She teased, "So, thinking you can make me unable to take it? Garoth, it seems you're not quite up to the task yet."
Garoth glanced at her.
"In that case, we can go back to indulge in pleasure for a while longer."
His eyes held a predatory look, and his tone was completely serious, without any hint of jest. Noticing the red iron dragon's gaze, the green dragoness's tail tip gave a slight twitch, and she subconsciously took a few steps back.
"Wait, don't forget who we are. We have plenty of real work to do; we can't just drown in desire."
"Another time, another time."
She said, shifting her gaze away from the red iron dragon towards the distant sea of clouds, pretending to have suddenly developed a keen interest in the scenery.
The red iron dragon grinned, not continuing the topic.
His gaze moved away from Cerora, also turning towards the distant horizon. The sea of clouds spread out before him, but his attention was clearly not on the immediate scenery.
"Cerora, I want to know, what is the current specific situation on Arotala?" he asked.
"I've heard some things and gathered quite a bit of information before, but it was all passed down through layers of relay. Some parts have become blurred and inaccurate."
"I want to hear it directly from you, to get the most truthful account from your mouth."
Beside him, Cerora's expression turned serious as well.
She too gazed at the horizon, the reflection of the clouds and sky mirrored in her pupils.
"The orcs of the Kantum Empire landed along the southern coastline. Now, they occupy nearly half of the southern continent."
"They probably started their large-scale invasion about a hundred years ago, crossing the ocean to launch their assault on Arotala. The first wave of orcs that landed weren't that numerous, but the following fleets kept arriving endlessly. Almost every month, new orc legions would arrive by sea."
"The elves of Nausil were prepared for this."
"They began setting up defenses as soon as the orcs landed, building fortifications along the coast and deploying troops at key positions. However, the falling meteors and the Frenzied Curse from deep space disrupted their rhythm. Those meteorites fell from the sky, carrying the flames of the Frenzied Curse, creating massive gaps in the elven defenses."
"The orcs' arrival only added fuel to the fire."
"Before the elves could even recover from the meteor disaster, the orc hordes poured in through those gaps, attacking from both sides, leaving the elves unable to cope on all fronts."
"Because of this, Nausil suffered repeated defeats in the early stages of the war, losing a vast amount of territory to the orcs."
Her voice dropped slightly:
"The former southern kingdoms were either destroyed by the orcs or forced into mass migration."
"Those once prosperous cities are now mostly ruins. Hundreds or even thousands of years of accumulated civilization vanished in an instant."
Orcs and the Frenzied Flame...
Garoth pondered this.
Their upper limit of danger wasn't as high as the Abyss, but right now, working together, they were causing even greater calamity on Arotala than the demons.
In fact, one could even say.
If the orcs weren't stirring up trouble, Nausil and Halden, two empires that both competed and cooperated with each other, could have supported one another. They could have extinguished the Frenzied Curse and the Abyssal threat in their infancy, before they had a chance to grow.
Unfortunately, the orcs had almost nothing but fighting on their minds, completely disregarding everything else.
They didn't care how far the Frenzied Curse would spread, didn't care if the Abyss would use the opportunity to grow stronger, didn't care if this continent would be utterly destroyed.
They only cared about finding worthy opponents to cut down, about proving their valor in battle.
As a result, order on the planet Bernardo had been crumbling day by day, deteriorating to the current situation.
Cerora continued: "Some small kingdoms were wiped out within the first year of the orc landing. Their cities were burned, their people either killed or enslaved."
"Now, most of the refugees from those southern kingdoms are scattered across the central and eastern regions."
"Most of them have sought refuge under Nausil's protection, establishing new settlements. Others have simply merged into Nausil's cities, becoming vassals of the Nausil Empire. Although life is much harder than before, at least they can survive."
Garoth thought for a moment, then asked, "I've heard that the orcs not only don't avoid the Frenzied Curse but actively seek infection. Is that true?"
Cerora: "Yes. They even keep Rage Beasts in captivity to better infect themselves with the Frenzied Curse."
There was a hint of disgust in her voice.
"I've seen it with my own eyes. Orcs capture Rage Beasts and lock them in cages, deliberately letting them bite themselves or drinking the Rage Beasts' blood. They treat this as a ritual, believing that being infected by the Frenzied Curse is a trial set by their deities, and only those who pass the trial are true warriors."
Garoth was a bit puzzled.
"After being infected by the Frenzied Curse, one's reason is gradually eroded, eventually turning them into creatures that only know how to kill. Orcs are warlike, but they aren't completely mindless beasts. Do they really not care about the effects of the Frenzied Curse?"
"They must have some way to deal with it, otherwise, they'd be walking to their deaths."
The green dragoness nodded slightly.
"Yes. Just like the elves of Nausil have researched methods to suppress the Frenzied Curse."
"The orcs of Kantum have also found a way to control the Frenzied Curse's influence to a certain extent, preventing them from completely losing their minds. It just makes them more irritable and aggressive. What the specific method is, I'm not entirely sure. The orcs keep this matter very secret."
"Besides, most orcs naturally draw power from rage and are very adept at managing their anger."
"To them, anger isn't an emotion to be suppressed, but a weapon to be used. The Frenzied Curse's effect on them is much smaller than on other races."
"Now, because of this practice of active infection, the Frenzied Curse in the southern part of the continent is also more rampant than in other regions."
"Many of the meteorites carrying the curse are also under orc control."
Hearing this, Garoth narrowed his eyes.
The Frenzied Flame was stronger in orc territory... did that mean that if he wanted to devour more of the Frenzied Flame, he would likely have to make enemies of the orcs?
He weighed the pros and cons in his mind.
The situation on Arotala was different from Atlan.
Here, the power of the Kantum Empire was undeniable. However, their main enemy was the Nausil elves. With their front lines pinned down by the elves, he probably didn't need to be overly cautious of them.
If he only entered orc territory on a small scale to hunt, it might not draw their full-scale encirclement.
Still, the risk wasn't insignificant.
"Your Green Wild Kingdom is in the eastern part of the continent. Is it an ally of Nausil?" Garoth asked.
Cerora nodded.
"The orcs basically offer no opportunity for cooperation or communication."
"To them, non-orcs are either enemies or slaves. There's no third option. I tried to make contact with the orcs before, to see if there was any possibility of negotiation, but they weren't willing to talk at all."
"The Green Wild Kingdom, along with some other surviving kingdoms, are now mainly located in the central or eastern parts of the continent, standing on the same front as the Nausil Empire to resist the orcs and Rage Beasts."
When speaking of her kingdom's situation, Cerora's demeanor once again took on the queenly aura.
Her dragon spine straightened, her chin lifted slightly, and her eyes gained a steady, authoritative look, a completely different dragon from the one who had been teasing Garoth moments before.
"The Green Wild Kingdom is in the northeastern region, near the border between the mountains and the forest."
Her gaze was calm, her words clear and organized: "The geographical position is quite good. To the north are the mountains, to the east is the sea, giving us access to marine resources. The west and south are our defensive lines, used to hold back the orc advance. We've built fortifications there, deployed troops, set up watch posts, and we monitor orc movements every day."
"The Nausil Empire acts as the Green Wild's backing."
"Their territory stretches from the eastern coast to the central plains. They have extensive combat experience, and when it comes to fighting in forests and mountainous terrain, they are almost without equal."
"On the other hand, the orcs aren't keen on direct confrontation in forests and mountains."
"The orcs' strength lies in large-scale legion warfare on open plains. They usually choose open terrain to launch their offensives, forcing the elves to leave their favored battlefields."
"Since the death of the orc demigod, the front line has basically been maintained in a relatively stable state."
"Nausil holds the eastern and central regions, the orcs occupy the southern lands. The two sides confront each other along the border of the central plains. There might be large-scale skirmishes and probing attacks, but a full-scale war hasn't erupted yet for the time being."
Garoth listened carefully, nodding slightly from time to time.
Based on publicly known information, both Nausil and Thalassia had only two immortals each, while the Kantum Empire, at its peak, had three orc demigods.
Three demigods was a force capable of reshaping the power balance on any continent.
However, the orcs' level of industry was too poor.
Their metallurgy was backward, their weapons and armor were mostly crude and simple, their war machines were pitifully few, and their logistics were practically nonexistent. The army would just plunder wherever they went, without any supply lines.
Furthermore, Nausil had the Elves' Moon, and Halden also possessed Imperial heavyweights comparable to immortals.
When combined, they were all a full tier stronger than Kantum.
"As it stands, the orcs can only cause trouble on Arotala mainly because of the Frenzied Curse."
"And even then, Nausil managed to kill one of their demigods..."
"If the elves truly wanted to fight, with their industrial capacity and tactical advantages, plus the coordination of other kingdoms, driving the orcs back into the sea shouldn't be impossible. The fact that they're holding their forces back means they must have their own considerations."
The red iron dragon swished his tail, lost in thought.
A few seconds later, he considered and asked, "Besides Nausil, which other kingdoms have performed the most outstandingly?"
This was a very practical question.
Not all forces could play a significant role in the war against the orcs. The number of forces that could truly make a difference on the battlefield and stand up to the orc legions was very limited.
The armies of most small kingdoms were simply no match for the orcs and could only cower under Nausil's protection.
Cerora thought for a moment, then said, "The first tier would be the Green Wild Kingdom and the Giant Kingdom."
"As you know, green dragons are naturally fond of natural environments, similar to the elves in this respect."
"The orcs don't engage in production at all. They live almost entirely by plunder."
"They don't know how to farm, mine, smelt, or build... they know practically nothing. They only know how to steal. They steal, then they burn, then they leave, leaving behind a field of ruins. They have no understanding of construction, only destruction."
Garoth nodded and said slowly, "The orcs invade other continents. It seems like they're fulfilling their faith in their deities, destroying for the sake of destruction, killing for the sake of killing. But at its core, it's because the Thalassian Continent has become barren under their unrestrained plundering."
"The land is ruined, the water sources are depleted, even the edible beasts have been killed off."
"Thalassia can no longer sustain them. If they don't expand outward, they'll starve to death themselves. That's why they paid such a high price to come to Arotala and fight the elves for land and resources."
"If the elves were to be defeated, sooner or later, the orcs would set their sights on Atlan again."
In the final analysis, this so-called empire of Kantum was structured more like a nomadic tribe. Although powerful, it was primitive and barbaric, and did not value sustainable development. It couldn't be self-sufficient and could only sustain its existence through plunder.
Its strength was built upon the plundering of other civilizations.
Once there was nothing left to plunder, they would collapse on their own.
Cerora glanced sideways at him. "I hadn't thought of it in terms of resources."
"Now that I think about it carefully, what you said makes a lot of sense. Pure faith can't fill their stomachs. Outward invasion and expansion are, at their core, still about survival..."
Her voice paused for a moment before she continued: "The Green Wild chose to ally with the elves out of disgust for the orcs."
"The giants need even less explanation. They are irreconcilable with the orcs. The giants once lived on Thalassia, their homeland destroyed by the orcs. Their hatred for the orcs is deeper than anyone else's."
Garoth nodded.
His gaze withdrew from the distant horizon and fell upon the green dragoness's faceplate.
"Speaking of giants."
"I've collected some information about Arotala, so I know there's a giant king named Haldurn."
Cerora looked at the red iron dragon, listening quietly.
"In many versions of the tales, he is called the Savior of the Giants."
Garoth's tone was steady as he continued: "He rose from the ashes of Thalassia's fall, carved a bloody path through the orcs' encirclement, and gathered the scattered remnants of the giants by himself..."
"Many intelligent beings say he has the makings of an immortal."
"Defeating a legendary while at a lower rank, a Crown-level against a Mandate of Heaven - these are things not just anyone can accomplish. Those who can are, without exception, beings standing at the pinnacle of their era."
Hearing this, Cerora gave a slight nod.
"It sounds like you're indirectly complimenting yourself."
"But Haldurn is indeed remarkable."
She said: "Although I dislike giants, I won't deny his strength. To carve a path out of a hopeless situation, to reunite the fractured giants, and to establish a foothold on Arotala - none of this is achievable by luck alone."
Upon hearing this, Garoth suddenly changed the subject.
"I've also heard that this Giant King has been ardently pursuing the Green Wild's Dragon Queen."
Cerora did not avoid his gaze.
"Your information network is quite efficient," she said, the corner of her mouth curling up slightly.
"This kind of thing isn't a secret. A little inquiry will get you the information," Garoth said.
The green dragoness flicked her tail. "The Giant King has dragon blood in his veins, you know that? His mother was a red dragon. So he's naturally developed a unique aesthetic for dragons."
"But I, on the other hand, have no giant blood."
"I only feel disgust when I see a giant. The old grudges between dragons and giants can't be explained in a few words. It's something carved into the bone. When I see a giant, my first reaction is wariness and hostility."
Saying this, the green dragoness suddenly turned her head and looked at Garoth with a playful glint in her eyes.
"What?"
She teased: "Could it be that the esteemed Red Emperor is jealous, like some overly sentimental human? Not too happy because he's heard that another male has pursued me?"
Garoth shook his head.
"I encountered giants during my path of ascension," he said.
"I've never liked being controlled by instinctive impulses, and I don't hold much prejudice against giants. But they don't see it that way. They still stand in opposition to me. Their first reaction upon seeing me is hostility, just as I instinctively feel displeasure when I see them."
"You know how giants feel about dragons."
"So, every time we were in conflict, I would annihilate them all, only sparing the most submissive individuals as slaves. I tried many times to see if I could find a breakthrough from them."
"I once tried to tame giants, to train them into a usable force, but in the end, I failed."
"Even the most cowardly among the giants possesses a soul that despises dragons. They cannot be truly tamed, just as a dragon would never submit to a giant."
He paused, then spoke again.
"So, my attitude towards giants is simple. Either we don't come into conflict, or... I wipe them all out."
Cerora listened and nodded.
"The enmity between dragons and giants runs deep. The mutual disgust is etched into the very soul."
"It's not some acquired prejudice. It's the accumulation of blood feuds over countless years. The hatred has been passed down from generation to generation, each adding new blood to the pile. By now, there's no possibility of reconciliation."
"On Arotala, it's only because the orcs are in the way."
"Otherwise, the Green Wild and the Giant Kingdom would certainly have no chance of coexistence. At best, we wouldn't attack each other on the battlefield, but talk of cooperation is out of the question."
She continued: "Even now, the two sides mainly operate independently. They might meet at most during large-scale campaigns organized by Nausil, and then each fights its own battles."
"They're not exactly hostile, but they are by no means allies."
Garoth thought for a moment, then spoke unhurriedly.
"In the future, if the Green Wild and the giants come into conflict, don't forget to bring me along."
"I'd quite like to cross swords with this Giant King."
"In a way, Haldurn's reputation on Arotala is somewhat similar to mine on Atlan."
"His feats of defeating a legendary at a lower rank or a Crown-level facing a Mandate of Heaven all sound on par with my own. Of course, our circumstances are different, and the enemies we face are not the same. But there are indeed similarities in status and influence."
Cerora looked at him and nodded.
"Don't worry," she said with a grin.
"I schemed and racked my brains for a long time to finally win you, the Scarlet Emperor Cangxing. I definitely won't forget your existence. That would be such a waste."
As she spoke, her smile faded, and her tone turned serious.
"But you should also understand that I prefer to solve problems on my own. This is a habit I've developed over the years. It's not that I don't trust you; I'm just used to handling my own troubles in my own way."
"But..."
The green dragoness swished her tail and smiled again. "When I really need it, I will certainly ask for your support. Otherwise, wouldn't I have wasted all that time on you for nothing?"
As she spoke, the tip of her tail gently touched the red iron dragon's tail.
Just then, a rustling sound came.
The green dragon Amilia flew over from the other side of the canopy.
Her body was several sizes smaller than Cerora's, and her scales were lighter in color, bordering between emerald green and tender yellow. When she wove through the branches, she looked like a tender leaf stirred by the wind.
Amilia stopped before the two great dragons, her wings lightly flapping as she hovered in mid-air.
Her gaze fell upon the red iron dragon, sizing him up.
"The Red Emperor of Aola, the legendary Scarlet Emperor Cangxing... I've heard a lot about you."
"I am Amilia, the queen's sister and her trusted confidante. Many matters of the Green Wild Kingdom pass through my hands, and when my sister is away, I manage things in her stead."
"Although we have never met, your name has long spread throughout the Green Wild Kingdom."
"The dragons are curious about you. They want to know what kind of being could make Her Majesty personally travel across the ocean to find you."
She folded her wings and bowed her head slightly, performing a common greeting among dragons.
"Now that I see you with my own eyes, I understand why."
"Your size and presence are truly worthy of the title Scarlet Emperor Cangxing. It amazes this dragon. It is no wonder your fame has swept across all of Atlan and even spread to distant Arotala."
"Moreover, you and my sister look very well-matched together."
Garoth nodded in acknowledgement.
The green dragon turned her head to look at Cerora, lowering her voice slightly, her tone becoming more formal.
"Sister, there are some important matters that need your decision."
She didn't go into detail, but her expression was serious, clearly indicating it wasn't trivial.
Cerora nodded.
She looked at Garoth and smiled lightly. "I've indulged myself for too long. It's time to get down to business."
The red iron dragon gave a slight nod. "Yes, I have things to do too."
"I didn't come to Arotala for a sightseeing trip. I have my own goals to achieve. A moment of relaxation is enough. Now it's time to get to work."
Amilia listened beside them, waiting until the exchange between the two dragons had finished before speaking again.
"Esteemed Red Emperor, I have prepared a lair for you in the Green Wild Royal City."
"The location is quite quiet; no one will disturb you. You can go there to rest. If you need anything else, you can also come to me."
As she spoke, she produced a leaf-shaped communication device of emerald green.
"This is a communication device from the Green Wild Kingdom, made from the leaves of the Dream Oak."
Amilia handed the leaf to Garoth.
"If you need anything, you can contact me through it, and I will come as quickly as possible."
Garoth took the device, glanced down at it, and then tucked it away.
"Sister, let's go."
The green dragon looked at her queen and said.
Cerora glanced at Garoth and gave him a slight nod.
Then, she spread her wings and flew into the depths of the canopy together with Amilia.
The figures of the two green dragons wove through the branches, now visible, now hidden, until they soon disappeared into the layers of green.
Above the canopy, only the red iron dragon hovered alone.
"I haven't had a chance to carefully examine the meteorite Cerora gave me. Let's go take a look."
He thought to himself, then raised his right foreclaw and, with practiced ease, sliced through the air.
Space shattered like broken glass, and a pitch-black rift appeared before him.
Without hesitation, he folded his wings and dove into it. The rift closed up rapidly behind him.
Peace returned above the canopy.
The sunlight shone on the empty sky, as if nothing had ever happened.
Inside a desolate, lifeless pocket world.
The red iron dragon landed on the peak of a mountain. The rock beneath his feet cracked and splintered under his weight, sending debris rolling down the summit.
He lowered his head slightly, his gaze falling upon a valley below the mountain.
There, a meteorite lay silently on the ground.
The meteorite was about the size of his head, with a rough, black surface pockmarked with craters and irregular cracks. Deep within those cracks, a faint, dark red light glimmered, as if something was burning inside.
Garoth leaped down from the mountain peak, spread his wings, and landed beside the meteorite.
He could feel the Frenzied Flame churning within the meteorite, like a trapped beast constantly battering against its cage.
Then, he leaned in closer for a careful look.
As the red iron dragon drew near, thin threads of blood began to appear in his eyes, but in an instant, he suppressed them all.
"So these are the meteorites that carried the Frenzied Flame to Arotala, triggering the spread of the Frenzied Curse," he muttered to himself.
Boom!
An invisible flame surged forward, attempting to invade his mind.
The red iron dragon remained expressionless, blocking it out.
His will was like a city wall forged of steel, impenetrable. The Frenzied Flame crashed against it like waves against a reef, shattering into countless fragments, none of which could seep through.
Then, the fragments were swept up by his own Frenzied Flame and completely absorbed.
"Interesting," the red iron dragon murmured.
He could vaguely sense that the Frenzied Flame within this meteorite was of a higher quality than the Frenzied Flame that had spread through living creatures.
The Frenzied Flame that propagated within living bodies, passed down generation after generation, seemed like a diluted liquid. But the Frenzied Flame within the meteorite was the source, more pure.
The red iron dragon extended a claw tip, preparing to touch the meteorite directly to feel it more carefully.
Just then, a telepathic message suddenly appeared in his consciousness.
"Garoth!"
The iron dragon's psychic whisper rang out, heavy with gravity. "The White Scourge. She has appeared from the Cold Water Ocean and crossed the coastline of the Permafrost Tundra."
Garoth's movements stopped.
"Hitherfell the End of Winter, the Wanfa White Dragon?" he said, using the White Scourge's other titles.
"Yes," Gordon said in a deep voice.
"She isn't hiding her tracks, not even concealing her aura. Our sentries on the coastline spotted her from a long way off."
"Now, she has already crossed the coastline and is flying in a straight line towards the interior."
"Her speed isn't particularly fast, but it's very steady. There's no hesitation or any sign of detouring."
"Judging by her current path, her destination is likely the Red Emperor Capital."
Upon hearing this, the red iron dragon slightly furrowed the scales between his brows.
Hitherfell, the White Scourge, the Wanfa White Dragon...
She was one of the few existing dragons at the Mandate of Heaven level, having long made her lair in the Cold Water Ocean. She had frequently provoked the Metal Dragon domains and always come out alive.
Now, she was suddenly heading south, making a beeline for the Red Emperor Capital...
This was clearly no coincidence.
The White Scourge was not the type of dragon to wander around aimlessly for no reason. She rarely left her territory, so this sudden departure had to be for a reason.
"No need to panic," the red iron dragon said after a moment's thought.
"This Mandate of Heaven dragon is a master of spellcraft. Since she's coming in the open, not sneaking around in the shadows, she might not bear much ill will."
"If she wanted to start a fight, she wouldn't be making such a show of it."
"Besides, I'll keep an eye on this. You continue monitoring and keep a close watch on her position."
"Yes."
Gordon ended the communication.
Garoth withdrew his awareness, his gaze falling back on the Frenzied meteorite before him, but now he had little mind to study it further.
The Wanfa White Dragon's arrival... what could it be about?
There were no direct grievances or conflicts of interest between him and the Wanfa White Dragon.
Their territories didn't overlap, their spheres of influence didn't border each other, and they had never had any contact before. Now, the White Scourge was suddenly coming south. If it wasn't for a provocation, then there had to be some specific purpose.
What could it be for?
It couldn't be that she had run out of legendary lifeforms to hunt in the Cold Water Ocean and had set her sights on him.
Garoth thought for a while, then shook his head.
Thinking about it now was pointless. When she arrived at the Red Emperor Capital, everything would become clear.
He flew over to a barren mountain and landed on a flat area at its peak. Then, he closed his eyes, and his breathing became slow and deep.
At the same time, in the Red Emperor Capital on the Atlan continent.
The Star-Self Dragon, which had been coiled like a statue on the dragon court platform, motionless for a very long time, slowly opened its eyes. Then, it rose to its feet, as if coming to life.