Ser Wilderness, Sky Pit Territory.
A massive shadow tore across the sky, its scales flashing a chilling sheen like blood-colored armor.
“My dear Leticia, my treasure, are you not willing to co out and greet ?”
Gorthax circled in the heavens, each beat of his wings whipping up fierce gusts.
He lifted his head and released a thunderous roar, a deep, oppressive dragon song that echoed in layers through the air. Then he suddenly folded his wings and dove from great height.
With an ear-splitting thunder, he crashed into the ground, creating a deep pit.
The red dragon shook his head, dangerous light flickering in his eyes.
Almost at the sa instant, a dragon silhouette shot out from the largest lair.
Leticia stopped before the red dragon, every muscle taut with high alert, dragon pupils brimming with wariness.
She demanded, “Gorthax, what business do you have here, coming into another’s territory instead of staying in your own?”
Gorthax flicked his tail nonchalantly and surveyed the surroundings as if rely taking a stroll.
“Relax, Leticia.”
“I just wanted to catch up, why so tense? Would I harm you? Impossible.”
His tone sounded easy, but those burning dragon pupils never stopped searching for sothing.
Suddenly his gaze swept the area and his tone shifted.
“I rember when this Sky Pit Territory was barren, scorched earth everywhere, still slling of teor heat, not even the hardiest spikes could survive.”
His eyes passed over the now lush vegetation and he continued, “Now it’s so full of life and green, it seems you really poured countless efforts into this, Leticia.”
“Gotta say, this soft green isn’t really my taste, but it does have its own charm.”
Gorthax wagged his thick tail with amusent. “How about showing around? Co to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever properly admired this territory’s sights.”
At those words, Leticia’s gaze flickered and she privately guessed his motive.
Her claws tightened and dug into the rock beneath her.
Sorog’s earlier suggestion — using news of the frenzied fla to lure Gorthax — had clearly taken hold and drawn him here.
Even if it were re rumor, given Gorthax’s obsession and fixation on frenzied fla, whether true or not he would investigate personally.
Besides, the frenzied fla had first appeared here with teor landings.
Even if it had not been fully gathered back then, so residual embers might remain.
That was reason enough.
“Gorthax, don’t hem and haw.”
Leticia sneered and cut to the chase, “You ca for the frenzied fla, didn’t you?”
Gorthax registered that, then burst into a loud laugh that rustled the leaves: “You really know ! The one who understands best will always be you, Leticia.”
He stopped laughing and pressed the question: “So, my dear Leticia.”
“Have you seen any trace of the frenzied fla? Even the slightest hint?”
At the mont, Gorthax’s mood seed relatively stable, showing no clear malice.
He even kept a friendly air, which only made Leticia more wary.
Leticia knew well his temperant was rcurial and his anger unpredictable; this calm could easily be the calm before a storm.
If she failed to satisfy him, the mad dragon could erupt at any mont.
The imdiate priority was to keep him steady while hiding any irregularities.
Leticia’s mind spun as she subtly called to her descendants and kin, her face a mask of undisguised disgust as she scolded, “Look at you now, Gorthax! The frenzied fla has burned you nearly senseless, turned you into a beast that acts only on instinct, with not an ounce of wisdom left!”
“What else is in those eyes besides burning madness?”
She stepped forward, her voice threaded with restrained fury: “And yet you still seek more of that fla? Hopeless, utterly foolish! Do you have to let that fire consu you completely before you’re satisfied?”
That reaction risked provoking the red dragon, but it was Leticia’s natural character.
Being overly gentle or submissive might instead arouse suspicion.
Faced with her blunt, contemptuous rebuke, Gorthax’s expression darkened instantly.
Danger flashed across his pupils and the air grew scorching with his wrath.
Yet he seed to notice sothing, his feral look slowly fading as he resud his boisterous grin, unconcerned.
“You’re wrong, Leticia.”
“The frenzied fla is fully under my control now. I am stronger and keener than ever.”
“Now I simply refuse all constraints, no more pretense.”
He spread his wings, displaying his robust body: “Do as I please, without restraint, without taboo…that’s the life I’ve always craved. That unbridled freedom is sothing an order-bound, rule-following iron dragon like you will never understand.”
Gorthax paused and regarded Leticia.
“But from what you just said, I do hear so concern.”
“Leticia, you still care about ? Want to rekindle old tis? Hard to bla you — just look at now, so magnificent and powerful.”
A teasing edge crept into his tone. “Say the word and I’ll grant you anything you wish.”
Disgust almost seeped through Leticia’s faceplate.
She forced down the urge to retaliate, her tail slapping the ground in impatience.
She had no desire to parley further, but needing to steady the situation, she answered, “Recently, while I was away from the territory, so reckless adventurers sneaked in.”
“They were driven out by my followers, but they seed to find sothing.”
“After that, rumors about the frenzied fla began to spread.”
Leticia paused and watched Gorthax’s reaction. “I don’t know if they actually found anything or just spread lies, but if you want to pursue the frenzied fla, that’s all I know.”
She gestured across her domain. “Search carefully here yourself.”
“But I warn you, Gorthax, don’t harm a single plant or stone of mine. Once you’re done, leave my territory at once.”
Allowing the red dragon to search the Sky Pit Territory on his own was an effective stalling tactic.
The territory wasn’t vast, but thoroughly scouring every corner would still take ti.
Hearing this, Gorthax spread his enormous blood-colored wings and chuckled, “Fine, but you must accompany , Leticia.”
“Searching alone is dull, and you might help identify the traces those adventurers left.”
Leticia’s face remained cold as she refused decisively: “I have no interest in joining your madness.”
The smile vanished from Gorthax’s face in an instant; his gaze snapped to lethal intensity and dragon might pressed down like a mountain, seeming to freeze the air around them.
“You may refuse.”
His voice was eerily calm, like a sea before a storm, “But I promise, this place will be scorched to barren ground in monts, returned to the desolation I prefer.”
“You should know I always follow through.”
With that he beat his wings, ascended, then in midair turned to stare at Leticia, waiting for her decision.
Leticia fell silent for a few seconds.
Finally, under Gorthax’s stare, she spread her wings and rose slowly to follow.
“Good, that’s the Leticia I admire.”
Gorthax smiled in satisfaction.
Accompanied by Leticia, he began circling above the Sky Pit Territory.
Two clusters of fire seed to ignite within his chest as he carefully sensed and scanned every inch below, searching for any trace of the frenzied fla, leaving no suspicious sign unexamined.
While circling and probing,
he casually asked, “By the way, Leticia, have you heard the na Lord of Molten Iron recently?”
Leticia’s pupils tightened.
Her heart skipped, but many years of experience returned her calm quickly.
For a mont she feared their alliance plan had been exposed, but in watching Gorthax’s reaction it seed it might have been a casual question or a probe; she needed to handle it carefully.
She kept her face composed and answered frankly, “You an the newly risen ruler in the northwest region? A fellow dragon who has been gaining much attention lately.”
“It’s said he conquered several Map Kings and now rules the northwest.”
Gorthax snorted in displeasure.
“A cocky, ignorant crawler, a clown that popped up from who knows where.”
He sneered, “Soon enough I’ll personally twist off his head and let every dragon know who truly rules this wilderness.”
At that Leticia’s gaze flickered again and she tentatively said, “The wilderness is chaotic and dangerous; conquests are constant.”
“The Lord of Molten Iron is still of dragon blood, perhaps coexistence is possible without an all-out war.”
“Another ally is better than another enemy.”
She paused and added, “Besides, I’ve heard he carries red dragon blood; in so sense his lineage is close to yours.”
Gorthax laughed and blew two scorching flas from his nostrils, thick with contempt.
“Close lineage? aningless.”
A twisted, cruel smile crawled across the red dragon’s face. “Oh, if that lineage serves any purpose, it’s that ending him would be twice as exhilarating.”
“Imagine.”
“When my claws pierce his chest, when I crush his heart in my grasp, wrench his neck…feeling a similar bloodline stop beating—that’s pure delight!”
Leticia fell silent, saying nothing more.
At the sa ti,
in the northwest of the wilderness, on an open plain,
the massive form of the red iron dragon stood on the ground.
Before him stood Athyst Dragon Lion, Holy Spirit Deer, and Phoenix — three enfeoffed lords, solemnly arranged.
They had been summoned for a single task — to be sparring partners for the Lord of Molten Iron.
On one hand,
the Athyst Dragon Lion’s psychic strikes that attacked the mind, the Holy Spirit Deer’s attacks imbued with divine harm, and the Phoenix’s shockingly sharp beak strikes… every attack capable of affecting Garoth was used in precise drills, repeatedly stimulating and strengthening his defenses and resistances, making his body gradually more unbreakable through adaptation.
On the other hand,
the more they participated in this training, the deeper their reverence for Garoth beca.
They could hardly find any obvious weakness on the red iron dragon.
What frightened them further was that the effectiveness of their attacks seed to visibly diminish; this Lord of Molten Iron continued to grow stronger without pause.
Suddenly,
the red iron dragon, who had been enduring the three lords’ attacks, trembled sharply.
“Stop!”
The three lords imdiately halted and looked at Garoth in confusion.
The training ground fell silent.
By usual custom this session had just begun; they hadn’t even finished warm-ups. Garoth normally trained until the stars filled the sky, until every lord was exhausted.
Beneath their puzzled stares,
a succession of complex emotions — excitent, hesitation, solemnity — flashed through Garoth’s eyes. His claws tightened instinctively, scales rasping softly as his body tensed, inner waves surging.
Garoth had received a ntal ssage from Sorog.
He already knew that Gorthax the red dragon was currently in the Sky Pit Territory.
Leticia would try to stall him, and now was the best mont to deal with this dangerous and powerful Mad King.
After a brief, rapid deliberation, Garoth’s turbulent emotions settled into a fathomless calm and, beneath that calm, a resolute determination.
Father, I’m here to kill you!
“Everyone, follow !”
“Surround and annihilate the Mad King Gorthax!”
Garoth’s gaze swept over the three lords as he spoke in a low voice.
At the sa ti, Gold Dragon Alberto and Lord Flower Shire also received the ssage.
While Gorthax was still circling the Sky Pit Territory, lost in his pursuit of the frenzied fla, powerful figures were already streaking like arrows from all directions of the wilderness, converging swiftly to encircle the Sky Pit Territory.
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