Three Years
Every year, the wind and snow of Anzeta come howling in, covering the earth with a layer of white. The resilient people living in this "Land Without Spring" have long been accustomed to the cold winter, even though they migrated from the warm south, simply for survival.
Similarly, in order to survive, they will gradually get used to the rule of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom and adapt to this new order.
Ice and snow cover the earth time and time again, only to melt away again and again.
In the blink of an eye, three years have passed.
For a dragon, this is not a long time; it can only be considered a normal deep sleep. After all, there are many dragons that can sleep for decades or even centuries.
But this hibernation was of great significance to Keosius, as he would usher in the greatest leap in his history. With a soft snore, the Red Dragon's body rose and fell, greedily absorbing the energy overflowing from his body, while the Progenitor Dragon Bloodline within him was releasing an even more surging, primal power through his Base Blood Vessels —the original dragon power bestowed upon him by the ancient Nine-Faced Dragon God Io.
During these three years, while enveloped by the giant egg, the Red Dragon's form was being transformed by this power at a visible speed. When it fully awakens, it will be closer to the Progenitor Dragon of ancient times, which only exists in myths and epics, rather than the ordinary Five-Colored Dragon of this era that has been weakened and bound several times.
The Red Dragon's power grew stronger day by day; even its occasional murmurs and low roars could cause birds and beasts several miles away to flee in panic.
Even seasoned Tiefling Guard were often overwhelmed by the unintentionally leaked pressure, to the point of being unable to breathe, and even developing mental problems, requiring them to take turns on guard duty.
Even the Wyvern perched on the stone pillars often trembled and lay huddled on the stone surface, curled up like pitiful chicks, showing none of the imposing presence they displayed when facing outsiders. After all, these descendants with diluted dragon bloodlines felt the most primal suppression emanating from the depths of their bloodline.
While in a deep slumber, Keosius often has dreams—dreams inherited from his Progenitor Dragon Bloodline. His mind is often filled with spectacular images of the Progenitor Dragon battling those Godspawn and ancient behemoths. Whenever this happens, he rolls, growls, and roars as if he were personally on the battlefield, unconsciously unleashing his power.
The impact of True Dragon on the environment continues to play a role.
Moreover, unlike last time, with the modification of the Progenitor Dragon Bloodline, its influence and destructive power are increasing day by day.
At first, scorching lava would often gush from the palace floor, easily melting the hard steel into molten, red-hot iron. The entire main hall was like a stuffy steamer, and even the heavy iron doors turned red-hot under the intense heat, making the guards stationed at the entrance suffer terribly.
However, this was only the first year of the Red Dragon's slumber.
In the second year, the slumbering Embers of the Burned King' influence on the environment expanded further, and extreme heat gradually enveloped the entire palace. Then, in what should have been a cold and frigid winter, scorching lava suddenly erupted from the ground outside the main hall, like a volcanic eruption. The ground turned into dark black lava, and the sky filled with ash that almost covered the entire palace.
The accident resulted in the deaths of twelve Tiefling, some burned to death and others suffocated in the ashes.
This was merely the result of the power that the Red Dragon unintentionally revealed.
Since that incident, Mezhuolash has abandoned the guard duties around the main temple, assigned the Tiefling to the outermost perimeter of the palace, and regularly sent spellcasters to monitor the Weave around the palace to prevent any further incidents or unnecessary casualties.
Fortunately, such a tragedy did not happen again, because from the third year onwards, the Red Dragon's impact on the environment no longer manifested as a disaster, but rather transformed into a deeper impact on a wider climate system.
Under Keosius's influence, not only the area around the palace, but even North Wind Fortress, several miles away, became warmer, gradually becoming a sanctuary for coping with the harsh winters of Anzeta, and was even called "City of No Winter" by the unsuspecting people of the the North.
—Many desperate poor people would flock to North Wind Fortress in winter, and even if the guards tried to stop them, they would gather in groups outside the city to enjoy the hard-won warmth.
Whether in terms of life or individual strength, the slumbering Keosius has completely surpassed the prime Red Dragon of his youth, and this has only been ten years, which is nothing more than the time it takes for an ordinary dragon to take a nap.
What changes have occurred across the vast territory of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom during these years? It's not immediately apparent.
After all, during the years that the Red Dragon slept, the Embers of the Burned Kingdom changed its aggressive ways. Although there were still unavoidable frictions and conflicts, the kingdom never went to war with its neighbors. It developed steadily for several years, and some Northern Nobles even began to write political articles.
They believe that the Red Dragon is content with the status quo and will remain dormant for decades or even centuries, while the the North will return to a long period of order and peace, so there is no need for any country to worry.
Duke Leo scoffed at these claims, refusing to believe that the greedy dragon would stop there. For the past few years, while he hadn't disturbed the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, he had been secretly contacting the the North kingdoms, hoping to form a closer "Anti-Red Dragon Alliance."
However, even with his considerable caution, his subtle actions were inevitably discovered by the kingdom's intelligence agencies. Mezhuolash quickly dispatched "Nocturne" to counter, sabotage, and disrupt the alliance, which never materialized and remained merely a verbal agreement.
In reality, the Embers of the Burned Kingdom's dormancy had already made many duchies complacent. Until the final crisis, their short-sighted rulers did not want to be tied to Bosque's chariot and provoke this terrifying behemoth.
Within the kingdom, people's lives have undergone tremendous changes.
The promulgation of the Kingdom Law brought laws to every aspect of people's lives, narrowing the gaps in power and leaving no room for those forces that operated in the gray area between right and wrong. People didn't know whether this was better or worse, but they had no choice but to adapt to this constrained life.
The reform of the land system meant the end of the old serfdom system. The former Northern Nobles colluded, wanting to take advantage of the Red Dragon's slumber to rise up in rebellion—this might be their last chance.
However, instead of the kingdom's compromise, they were met with a long-planned and brutal crackdown. Under Dolo's command, the Lead Bullet of the Hobgoblin Soldiers mercilessly tore apart the private soldiers who had been raised for many years. The heads of nobles rolled to the ground, leaving only one voice throughout the kingdom.
The so-called "rebellion" ended quietly, despite being heavily criticized and condemned by the Northern Nobles, sparking a media frenzy, with some scholars even claiming it was a "bloody tragedy" and a "cruel massacre."
In reality, the rebellion had little impact on the kingdom's internal affairs; the so-called resistance was a joke, extinguished as soon as it began to Mars.