The Overlord Journey of Tima, the Creator God

That was right—the forest was a treasure trove. It provided timber, medicinal herbs, animal pelts, and meat. Humans and beastmen alike had long benefited from its bounty. Yet the forest was also dangerous; hunters forever lurked within its depths, along with their deadly claws, fangs, and venom.

The most dangerous regions of Moonshade Forest were none other than the four forbidden lands: Densewood Grove, where the [Thousand-Year Tree Spirit] resided; Lava Cave, occupied by the [Death Spider Emperor]; Moon Orchid Highlands, home to the [Holy White Fox Demon].

And Central Lake, claimed by Nonnos, the [Ten-Thousand-Slay Giant Serpent].

The magical beasts that ruled these forbidden zones were respectfully known as the Forest Four Sages. Whether human or demi-human, all did their utmost to avoid provoking them.

The giant serpent's form flashed beneath the water as he precisely swallowed a plump salmon whole. He was quite pleased with his swift movements.

Unlike the other kings of the forest, Nonnos possessed neither the exceptionally superior bloodline of the white fox nor the spider emperor's status as a colony leader from childhood. Nor did he have the tree spirit's immensely long lifespan.

Nonnos had risen step by step from an ordinary water snake to where he was now. What he relied on were training, battle, plunder, and slaughter.

His enormous body emerged from the lake and basked in the sunlight, revealing the countless wounds across Nonnos's body. He had fought bitter battles against humans coveting Central Lake's resources and faced off against powerful adventurers.

The deep scar over his left eye was a medal earned when, during a year of drought, he defeated the previous leader of the werewolf clan—the strongest demi-human warrior of that time, [Mad Wolf].

That battle had established his position as a king of the forest. From then on, he formed a contract with the demi-humans: during drought years, their tribes were permitted to draw water from Central Lake, as well as fish there in limited quantities during ordinary times. In exchange, they were required to offer Nonnos the meat of land animals as tribute throughout the year.

Thanks to this contract, he had saved himself a great deal of hunting time and devoted it to honing his combat abilities. Several decades had now passed, and he believed that if he fought the demi-humans again, he would achieve a complete victory!

Rather than barely winning while grievously wounded as he had last time, retreating into the water to remain locked in a standoff before ultimately settling matters through negotiation.

It's about time they increased the number of offerings. Nonnos had been considering this lately.

Constant battle, constant training, constant growth—this was Nonnos's way. One day, he would become the overlord of every body of water in the forest. And then, one day—he would evolve from a snake into a dragon!

Suddenly, Nonnos flew up, rising straight out of Central Lake.

Dragons could probably fly, but Nonnos had yet to evolve into one—or rather, he was still very far from it. So at that moment, he had no idea what was happening.

Confusion came first, followed by terror brought on by the helpless reality of the situation, then furious fighting spirit. Nonnos struggled and let out a hissing threat.

Then, before his eyes, appeared a vertical pupil.

The pure golden eye was many times larger than his own. An overwhelming pressure burst forth from it, as though an entire mountain had descended upon Nonnos.

Only after rolling his eyes did he finally see everything before him clearly.

Enormous wings spread across the sky. Emerald scales lay layer upon layer like armor carved from jade. Its powerful body radiated boundless strength, while its sharp claws glinted with chilling light.

This was a dragon [Dragon]!

Not an earth dragon or a drake, but a genuine, pure-blooded dragon. And that pressure—it belonged to a being at the level of a Dragon King!

"My mistress has taken a liking to this place of yours." The dragon's claw hovered before Nonnos's body as it spoke calmly.

"Be honored, insect—[Annihilation]."

He vanished. In a single instant, the giant serpent disappeared from the sky. Filled with endless confusion, he was erased completely, reduced to ashes and scattered as dust upon the wind, as though he had never existed at all.

As for the giant serpent's questions—why a dragon had appeared here, why it had set its sights on him, and who the mistress it spoke of was—he would never have the chance to receive an answer.

[Teleportation] The giant dragon cast magic once more, then returned to another part of the forest. He lowered his body into a kneeling posture.

"My Lady Mistress, I have found a suitable place for you to build your residence. Though it is still rather crude, it should be the best location in this forest."

"You've worked hard." Aya reached out and stroked the dragon's head. Its tail immediately began wagging excitedly, and Aya could not help but laugh.