"Garoth, you look even more ferocious than before."
The words of the faerie dragon Vira reached his ears.
Garoth had no response.
The faerie dragon spoke the truth—he did indeed appear increasingly like an evil dragon, though this wasn't Garoth's original intention.
While he found his current appearance cool and intimidating, it was also sowhat too ostentatious, clashing with his naturally cautious and careful deanor.
Unfortunately.
Whether it was the dual bloodlines from the leader of the Five-colored Dragons and the leader of the Iron Hybrid Dragons, or the traits he had evolved himself, all carried an intense, sharp aggressiveness and belligerence.
These were typically characteristics of evil dragons.
Good or neutral dragons like tallic or gem dragons had fewer sharp spines, nor did they possess wings or tails that resembled deadly weapons at first glance—their overall style leaned more toward 'majestic.'
"With my current appearance and bearing."
"Any organization aligned with justice or order would surely want to hunt down and slay on sight."
Garoth shook his head, thinking to himself.
Though he still didn't consider himself the evil dragon of popular perception, Garoth no longer felt troubled by it.
He had co to terms with it.
Evil dragon, good dragon, or even being seen as so other monster—none of it mattered. In the end, this world spoke through fists and strength.
As long as they didn't disturb him or threaten his life, it wasn't worth his concern.
Conversely.
If Garoth sensed his life was under threat.
He would spare no effort to eliminate the threat by any ans necessary—only then could he feel at ease.
"Why wasn't I born a hybrid dragon?"
Samantha's gaze lingered on Garoth, sweeping over his fierce, nacing spines, wings, and tail... her eyes filled with longing and envy.
To the red dragon.
Ferocity was an absolute complint.
By draconic aesthetics, tallic dragons might disagree, but among Five-colored Dragons and other evil dragons, Garoth undoubtedly possessed the 'Archaic Extre Malevolence Form.' Once he reached adolescence and sexual maturity, simply emitting mating signals would make him irresistible to any female dragon.
"Samantha, it seems you've managed the territory well during my absence."
Garoth's tail lightly tapped the ground, scattering sparks.
While circling to land, he had noticed changes in Needleleaf Valley.
Outer defenses had been added—deep trenches with slowly flowing magma, ironwood pine barricades studded with tal spikes, and sentries patrolling key locations.
Samantha lifted her chin and snorted with satisfaction.
Twin plus of sulfurous smoke billowed from her nostrils as she declared, "Did you think I was so lazy sloth who only sleeps? No, I'm now as diligent as you are. I've even subjugated two groups of magical beasts as my minions."
"The fire lizards can spit magma, and those trenches were dug by giant fire ants."
She pointed a claw toward the alchemy workshop.
"In alchemy, I've learned to create Fla Orbs. Their explosive power can blast apart a giant rhino in an instant."
Glancing at Garoth, Samantha added, "There aren't many Fla Orbs, and materials are limited—they can't be wasted, like... throwing them at yourself for fun."
Her tone carried caution, as if guarding against Garoth.
Clearly.
Samantha didn't want Garoth using her Fla Orbs to satisfy his peculiar interests.
She had previously speculated that Garoth might have gained strength through such training, but seeing him now made her dismiss the idea. If re training or self-destructive behavior could achieve Garoth's power, dragons would have ruled all planes and worlds long ago.
She attributed Garoth's strength to positive mutations from his hybrid bloodline, not accumulated training.
Garoth paid no mind to this misunderstanding.
Fla Orbs that could blast apart a giant rhino? He wasn't interested—unless they could blast apart a dragon.
Garoth studied Samantha thoughtfully.
"During these six years, has Needleleaf Valley faced any dangers? Powerful magical beasts, discovery by intelligent clans, or adventurer raids?"
He asked.
Given red dragons' lazy nature, Samantha wouldn't have focused on territorial defenses without sensing a threat.
Garoth's sharp mind detected sothing amiss.
The faerie dragon Vira circled Garoth before stopping before him, puffing her chest proudly. "It was a group of big ogres expanding their territory! Vira spotted them first while playing outside!"
The faerie dragon had been the first to notice the ogres.
After informing Samantha, the red dragon flew high to investigate and was shocked to find the ogre tribe expanding at an alarming rate. From the sky, their growing territory was visibly spreading almost daily.
"Ogres."
Garoth initially seed puzzled, then realization dawned. "The Bonegnaw Clan?"
Before his slumber, the Bonegnaw Clan had shown unusual activity—all ogres gathering in their territory as if planning sothing. Garoth had intended to investigate, but the sudden onset of his dragon sleep changed his mind.
Hearing the faerie dragon's words now, connecting the ogres to the Bonegnaw Clan was natural.
The red dragon nodded gravely.
"In just six years, the clan has expanded at least threefold."
"They've already seized the Thunderhorn Ram pastures to the east, not far from Needleleaf Valley."
Ogres excelled in strength, stamina, and defense, though they weren't fast. Even so, the ogres camped in the east could reach Needleleaf Valley in just three days' march.
Garoth fell silent briefly before suddenly baring his fangs in a grin.
"How interesting."
The Thunderhorn Ram herds, steel-quill beast packs, armored giant rhino groups... all the dangerous magical beasts around Needleleaf Valley were, in Garoth's eyes, part of his personal pastures—his domain.
Not dragons, not giants, nor organized armies.
A bunch of ogres dared encroach on his territory? Did they think Garoth was so easygoing, benevolent dragon?
Instantly, Garoth considered flying over and slaughtering every last ogre.
This dragon sleep had made Garoth stronger and intensified the volatile emotions from his red iron dragon bloodline.
Hah!
After several deep breaths, Garoth's gaze gradually cald. He expertly suppressed his arrogance and restlessness, shifting to more rational thought.
"The Bonegnaw Clan's sudden expansion must have backing."
"First, we scout the situation thoroughly before deciding."
As the saying went: know yourself and your enemy to win every battle.
Garoth didn't fight battles he wasn't confident in winning.
Six years of growth and evolution had made him far stronger, giving him greater survival confidence—but that didn't an he could recklessly dominate the wilderness. Caution remained essential; he couldn't let newfound power cloud his judgnt.
"Samantha, you've done well."
Garoth nodded slightly to the red dragon. "Continue strengthening Needleleaf Valley's defenses. Arm your minions with alchemical tools in case ogres attempt a sneak attack."
"What about ? What about ?"
The faerie dragon spun excitedly.
"Assist Samantha."
Garoth grinned. "Don't you love gas? This one—called war, called survival—will be thousands of tis more thrilling than playing with ants."
After gathering all available information from Samantha.
Garoth beat his wings and soared skyward, vanishing rapidly into the night.
Secondhand accounts from the red dragon lacked concrete detail—Garoth trusted only what he saw himself.
But there was no imdiate rush.
First, Garoth hunted in nearby pastures, feeding quickly to restore his body to peak condition after awakening. Only then did he set off toward the Bonegnaw Clan's territory from his mory.
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