The morning light first appeared, coating the mountains with a layer of pale gold.
Thin mist flowed like gauze around the mountain waist, dyed a faint rose and orange by the morning glow.
On a wide platform east of the Dragon Court, the rubble and dust had long been cleared away, the ground was level, and the view was open.
Right now, the place was already bustling with activity.
The red dragon Samantha stretched out her burning bright red wings, the wing mbranes nearly transparent in the sunlight, allowing a view of the fine bloodline network like dark red threads interwoven within.
She flicked her tail contentedly, her gaze falling upon the four hatchlings who had arrived at the agreed-upon ti before her.
Garcro, Laria, Isanora, and Ophelia.
The four hatchlings stood in a row, their average body length already reaching ten ters. To ordinary humans, they were already massive ferocious beasts, but in reality, they were not even eight years old, their scale luster carrying the softness unique to hatchlings.
Their postures at this mont were varied.
Garcro held his head high and chest out, Laria stood steadily, Isanora lazily half-squinted her eyes, and Ophelia kept turning her head to observe her surroundings.
"Very good, none of you are late."
Samantha said with a smile.
She took two steps forward and said, "This is your reward. If your performance next satisfies , there will be more."
As she spoke, she flipped her front claw, and four Gold Aola coins appeared in her palm.
These were the standard gold coins minted by the Aola Kingdom. The front bore the emblem of a mountain and dragon wings, with dense anti-slip patterns on the edges.
The gold coins looked very small in the red dragon's claw, yet they shimred with a tempting luster.
She gave a light toss, and the coins traced four arcs, landing precisely before each hatchling.
The coins forged from gold shimred with a brilliant and warm luster under the morning sun, as if condensing the sunlight into solid form.
The coins made crisp, tinkling sounds as they landed, a sound that was incomparably pleasant to the hatchlings' ears.
The hatchlings' eyes lit up one by one, revealing undisguised expressions of happiness.
Laria carefully picked up the gold coin with her claw, brought it to her nose, and sniffed the cold, tallic scent unique to tal. Isanora, anwhile, used her agile claw tip to fiddle with it, letting the coin roll over her scales, her silver pupils following the coin's trajectory. Garcro directly opened his mouth and held it, repeatedly running his tongue over the coin's surface, feeling the smooth, hard texture. Ophelia quickly stuffed the coin under a loose scale on the side of her neck, then warily looked left and right, ensuring no one had noticed her treasure hiding spot.
Regardless of their personalities, their behavior in front of gold coins was similar.
It was a pure joy.
Back in the Vophal Dragon Domain, the hatchlings' mother had been very strict about wealth, their allowances pitifully small.
The tal Dragons believed that early exposure to large amounts of wealth would corrupt the hatchlings' nature, so they only allowed them to possess very little personal property.
The personal collections of the few hatchlings consisted of only so worn copper coins, a few worthless variegated pebbles, and shells.
The edges of those copper coins were already worn smooth, the patterns on their surfaces blurred, but even so, they would carefully hide them in the corners of their nests.
The brand new Gold Aola was already a considerable fortune to them.
It was heavy, its edges sharp, its emblem clear.
Seeing their completely genuine, delighted expressions, the red dragon Samantha grinned, revealing a nostalgic smile.
When she was young, her love for wealth was exactly the sa as theirs, even far surpassing them.
Back then, she was a miser who wouldn't even let another dragon see a single copper coin, absolutely unwilling to take her own treasures out. Every ti she got sothing, she would imdiately hide it in the most concealed corner, getting up several tis at night to check on it.
But ever since following her elder brother Garoth, establishing tribes, participating in founding a kingdom, expanding territories...
Her wealth accumulated at an astonishing speed.
Gold coins in piles, gems in chests, pearls like sand... so much that later, she herself couldn't rember the exact numbers, only knowing that several side caves deep in her lair were stuffed full.
Sotis, when she woke up and turned over, the sound of gold coins sliding would co from beneath her.
When wealth beca a vague concept rather than specific treasures, her obsession with wealth naturally faded.
Gold coins were just gold coins, gems were just gems.
They piled up there, not decreasing, but increasing day and night.
Moreover, her elder brother had always taught her that wealth was a tool, an extension of power, not a cage. True strength lay not in how much one possessed, but in whether one could use it to achieve goals.
Now, she liked to bestow so treasures upon the younger generation, watching their joyful reactions, making them more willing to follow her arrangents because of it.
This process itself also brought a fresh kind of pleasure.
It was a joy that combined control and giving.
Watching the hatchlings' eyes light up over a single gold coin, she seed to see her forr self, yet she was detached from that simple possessiveness.
"Alright, little treasure maniacs, put your money away, ti to get down to business."
Samantha clapped her claws together, making a crisp sound that drew the hatchlings' attention back. Her tail tapped lightly on the ground.
"Laria, Isanora; Garcro, Ophelia."
She called the nas of the four hatchlings one by one, her vertical pupils flashing with playful light, her gaze lingering on each hatchling for a mont.
"Pair up two on two, then go to opposite ends of the platform."
The hatchlings looked at each other, sowhat confused.
Isanora and Laria exchanged a glance, then unhurriedly moved together.
The silver dragon's movents were elegant and lazy, while the red dragon appeared more cautious.
Garcro looked at the little iron dragon Ophelia beside him. She was lowering her head, using her claw to confirm if the gold coin was securely hidden. Sensing his gaze, she looked up and hopped over to stand next to Garcro.
"Aunt Samantha, what are we going to do?"
Ophelia asked, her voice crisp.
"Do? What?" Samantha's tail tip swung happily. "Play a ga, of course. Or, you could understand it as fighting."
"Fighting?"
The four hatchlings spoke in unison, their expressions varied.
Garcro imdiately got excited, the scales on his neck slightly spreading, hot breath puffing from his nostrils. Ophelia retreated behind her big brother, her body lowering slightly. Laria showed a thoughtful expression, her gaze moving between the opponents and her own teammate. Isanora looked completely uninterested, yawning.
"That's right. The ga is called 'The Red Dragon Queen's Gift.'"
Samantha cleared her throat and began narrating in a modulated tone.
"The great and wealthy Red Dragon Queen, to encourage the young dragons, bestowed upon them an opportunity to please the Queen. The young dragons who perform excellently will also receive generous rewards from the Red Dragon Queen."
"The Red Dragon Queen is , and you are those young dragons."
Samantha leisurely finished the ga's background, then began explaining the actual rules. She slowed her speech, ensuring each hatchling could hear clearly.
"You will fight, two against two."
"Laria and Isanora are one team. Garcro and Ophelia are one team."
"No complicated rules. Use all the ans you currently know to attack your opponents, protect your teammates, until one side is completely down, or I call a stop."
"The winning team will receive a gem reward."
Samantha had been obsessed with similar gas since childhood, never tiring of them.
Back then, she would demarcate areas on the ground, using stones and branches as markers. Starting with insects and ants, then later followers and alchemical creations, she would treat them as her own legions, simulating various combat scenarios.
Now she was an adult, her personality had beco much steadier, but at her core, not much had changed. She still liked to play such gas, only now she had changed the controlled subjects to her elder brother's offspring.
Watching these little ones strive for rewards gave her a strange sense of satisfaction.
Samantha said, "Now, go to opposite ends of the platform. You have one minute to prepare and coordinate."
To obtain the 'Red Dragon Queen's' gift, the four hatchlings hurriedly separated, each running to opposite ends of the platform. Even the little silver dragon Isanora didn't slack off.
Their claws made dense tapping sounds on the ground, their wings half-spread to maintain balance.
The platform was wide, with enough distance left in the middle as a buffer and combat zone.
On the western side, Laria and Isanora huddled together.
The little silver dragon stretched her slender double wings, the wing mbranes shimring with a pearl-like luster in the sunlight.
She looked at the fourth sibling and said, "Thinking is tiring, Laria. You decide what to do. I'll listen to you completely."
Laria looked toward the opposing pair.
Garcro was shaking his head, moving his limbs, while Ophelia was whispering sothing into his ear.
He thought deeply. "You handle Ophelia. She's cunning, probably won't fight you head-on. Start by feigning an attack against her, don't consu too much stamina."
"Garcro was just disciplined by Father recently. His ntality might be unstable, perhaps eager to prove himself, prone to rashness."
"When he gets impatient, take my dragon roar as the signal. You break off from fighting Ophelia, rely on your speed to support , and we'll gang up on Garcro first."
"When Ophelia cos to support, we'll deal with her together then."
Although Laria was a red dragon, his way of thinking was not simple.
He also possessed the strategic thinking belonging to iron dragons, liking to formulate plans before acting. His gaze was calm as he analyzed the opponents' weaknesses and his own side's strengths and weaknesses.
The little silver dragon nodded. "Alright, let's do that."
She moved her body, her silver scales rippling accordingly. "I hate sweating. Hope this ends quickly."
On the eastern side, Garcro was excitedly pawing the ground, hot breath puffing from his nostrils, forming two wisps of white smoke in the morning air.
"Ophelia, hide behind later. I don't need your help. Watch knock both of them down."
Just as Laria had predicted.
He was eager to wash away his previous failure and prove his strength.
The mory of having his neck easily snapped by his father still lingered in his mind. He needed a victory to rebuild his confidence.
Ophelia ignored his bold words. "Garcro, my dear elder brother, have you forgotten Father's words? Or do you not want Aunt Samantha's treasures? Don't be impulsive. We need to cooperate."
Her voice was thin, sounding rather weak.
However, the words 'Father' and 'treasures' were spot-on, making it hard for the red hatchling to ignore.
"Cooperate? How?"
Garcro took a deep breath, suppressing his impatience.
He forced himself to calm down, his gaze turning toward his two blood relatives opposite.
"Isanora. Her speed is fast, but her build is relatively slender, can't withstand collisions. Rember, Laria is your opponent, but your primary target is her. As long as you crash into her once, we basically win."
"Don't get entangled with Laria. Don't let him provoke you. Seize the right mont and attack Isanora."
Ophelia spoke quickly, her speech fast but clear.
"Ti's up! Ga begin!"
"The Red Dragon Queen awaits your performance."
Samantha's leisurely voice rang out. She retreated a few steps, found a comfortable viewing spot for herself, coiled her tail beside her, and slightly folded her wings.
The four hatchlings moved at the sound.
At the start of the fight, Garcro was the first to erupt.
He spread his two wings, charged out two steps. Laria similarly assud a stance, coming to et him.
The scale armor of the two red dragons shimred with vivid luster in the morning light, like two moving flas.
The little silver dragon lightly rose into the air to circle away, her double wings beating to create air currents, diving down toward the little iron dragon trying to cut in from the flank. Her movents were fluid and elegant, like a silver streak of light.
In the center of the platform, the two red hatchlings confronted each other.
Garcro's eyes burned with combative fire, while Laria was much calr, his gaze focused, body slightly lowered, center of gravity shifted back.
"Roar!"
Garcro took the initiative first, directly relying on his more robust body to charge fiercely, intending to overwhelm with strength. His steps were heavy, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.
Laria didn't et him head-on, sidestepped to evade, simultaneously swiping a claw toward the side of Garcro's charge path.
He imitated his father's previous move, trying to deflect Garcro's direction, but because his experience wasn't rich enough and his timing wasn't well grasped, it didn't work.
The claw grazed the scales on Garcro's shoulder, drawing out a shower of sparks.
The two red dragon hatchlings instantly beca entangled in combat.
Claw strikes, tests of strength, bites.
The dull sounds of impact and scale friction were incessant. Hot breath puffed from their mouths and noses, slightly distorting the surrounding air.
Their tails whipped like whips, trying to disrupt each other's balance.
Garcro's pursuit of power had suppressed the laziness inherent to dragon nature.
Back in the Vophal Dragon Domain, he had strictly disciplined himself, often exercising. Physically, he was the strongest, clearly suppressing Laria, who was also a red dragon, but there was no overwhelming gap between them.
Laria's technique and calmness compensated for his lack of strength.
On the other side, the fight between Isanora and Ophelia was much quieter.
Ophelia never engaged in frontal confrontation. She would sotis feint a pounce, sotis instantly create distance. It was hard to figure out what she actually wanted to do. Her movent trajectory was erratic, like a leaf drifting with the wind.
Isanora also handled it with ease, her silver pupils tracking Ophelia's trajectory, lightly and quickly circling around her to launch attacks. The assaults weren't fierce, but each one blocked Ophelia's movent routes.
The silver dragon's claws and double wings were wrapped in a layer of cold air, leaving traces of white frost in the air wherever they passed.
It continued like this for a while.
Garcro, unable to gain the upper hand after prolonged attacks, grew impatient.
He prided himself on having more strength than Laria, but the other's steady blocks and force dissipation made him feel like he was striking a tough, resilient swamp, unable to exert his strength effectively.
Every heavy blow was cleverly defused, instead consuming his own stamina.
After another fierce pounce was dodged by Laria twisting his body, his claws plowing deep furrows in the ground, Garcro's patience ran out.
However, he didn't launch a more furious assault.
"Roar!"
Garcro roared, actually decisively abandoning the entanglent with Laria.
He suddenly turned, his four limbs exerting force violently. His massive body, carrying a scorching wind pressure, turned ferociously, charging toward Isanora, who was maneuvering with Ophelia.
This turn was powerful and heavy, even leaving a semicircular skid mark on the ground.
"Elder brother, you dare not face in a frontal fight?"
Laria growled low, trying to provoke Garcro, but the other paid no heed. Garcro's gaze was locked on the silver dragon, as if he had already locked onto his prey.
Garcro wasn't as easily provoked as usual. This change exceeded Laria's expectations.
But Laria didn't panic. Instead, a flash appeared in his eyes.
The mont Garcro turned, the faintly visible red lotus patterns on Laria's body surface suddenly erupted with a brilliant glow, as if burning. Those patterns spread from his spine, rapidly covering his entire body, emitting a dark red light.
He took a deep breath, his chest swelling high.
"Groooaaan—!"
Laria let out a dragon roar carrying a tallic tremor.
At the sa ti as the dragon roar sounded, a layer of cold, hard, iron-gray luster visibly covered the surface of Laria's originally deep red scales, as if his flesh-and-blood body had instantly transford into a cast iron statue.
The edges of his scales glead with the cold light of tal. His entire body looked heavy and solid.
Seeing this, Samantha raised her brow ridge, revealing an interested expression.
"Hardened Body?"
This was a spell-like ability belonging to iron dragons. Usually, only iron dragons and their mixed-blood descendants could master it, greatly increasing the body's hardness and weight for a short ti.
Laria's appearance looked completely like a red dragon, yet he had awakened an iron dragon's spell-like ability.
This ant that he might be the offspring most similar to Garoth in terms of bloodline, a red-iron dragon whose characteristics weren't very apparent.
Simultaneously, the red hatchling, starting later but arriving first, fiercely slamd into Garcro's side and back.
Garcro felt a vicious wind coming from behind, but he didn't care, already prepared to withstand the impact, even planning to use it as a boost.
He tensed the muscles on his back, his scales tightly closed.
Boom!!!!
This collision was solid and heavy, the dull sound like a giant log striking a drum.
"Huh... Ah??"
Garcro widened his eyes.
He felt as if he had been struck by an iron mountain. His forward montum was forcibly stopped, his entire body knocked off the ground and tilted to one side, his four limbs losing balance. He was actually knocked flying by the sheer force.
The impact force far exceeded his expectations. His internal organs churned from the shock.
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