Dire Bear Chief

Ironwood trees rose tall and dense. The noon sun filtered through the thick leaves, casting mottled patches of light and shadow across the Red Iron Dragonet's body.

"My lord, subduing the Earth Violent Bear pack will help you establish a foothold in the Wilderness more quickly."

Mobel said in his gruff voice.

Garos studied the flattering Dire Bear before him as it offered its suggestion. His tail lightly tapped the ground, and he fell into thought.

Mobel's proposal appeared loyal on the surface, but it concealed selfish motives.

It wanted to use him to get rid of the old bear, then take its place as the leader of the bear pack.

After all, it had not undergone Dragon Vein Conversion.

For followers like this, their Loyalty was tied to profit as well.

Garos did not particularly mind.

Sometimes, followers with desires and selfish motives were easier to control. Those with no wants or needs were instead more likely to betray him.

Besides.

All intelligent creatures had selfish motives and sought their own interests.

Garos could accept Mobel's little scheme.

It was willing to follow him, and it had not run away while he was gone because it believed that following him promised a brighter future and broader prospects.

However.

A proper warning was still necessary.

This Dire Bear looked honest and simple-minded, with a guileless bear face, but it was actually quick-witted and rather intelligent—at the very least, much smarter than Garos's dragon brother and sister.

"You are my first follower. Once I subdue the bear pack, I will place them all under your command."

Garos spoke with a faintly amused smile, words that filled Mobel's bear face with delight.

"Thank you for your trust, Dragon Lord! I will guarantee their Loyalty and never disappoint you!"

The Dire Bear's eyes shone as it pounded its chest with a thump.

"However."

Garos suddenly changed his tone. His gaze turned icy as he said in a low voice, "You may have the authority if I grant it to you, but you must bear the corresponding responsibility."

"If the bear pack shows even the slightest resistance or betrayal toward me, I will break your bear legs first."

Mobel's ears twitched, and a trace of fear flashed through its eyes.

"Uh... great Dragon Lord, I suddenly do not want to be the bear pack's leader anymore. Once you subdue them, I can live alongside them as an equal."

Mobel scratched its head and said with a sheepish bear face.

"The bear pack still needs a leader. I have already decided it will be you. This is not a discussion."

Garos settled the matter once and for all.

Mobel wore a pained expression, deeply conflicted. On one hand, it feared being punished for making mistakes while managing the pack. On the other, it harbored ambitions of becoming the bear pack's leader.

Back when it had secretly courted a young she-bear and been discovered, its old father had beaten it until it was heavily injured and near death, then thrown it out like trash. At that time, it had sworn that one day, it would reclaim everything it had lost and possess every she-bear.

Ten years east of the ridge, ten years west of the ridge—never mock a poor young bear!

In the end, ambition eclipsed fear.

"Thank you for your trust. It will be my honor."

Mobel lowered its head and spoke softly.

The sun slowly slanted westward and gradually sank into the embrace of the distant mountains. Night replaced the dim sunset, stretching endlessly across the sky.

Amid the thick darkness, the Red Iron Dragonet spread his wings between the clouds high above, soaring through the air. Gale-force winds swept over his enormous, powerful wings, which rustled loudly with every beat.

Not long afterward.

Garos hovered above a mountain ridge and gazed downward.

A ridge covered in dense coniferous forest came into view. Fir trees stood thick and lush, while the ridge itself was somewhat low and hardly imposing.

This was where the bear pack lived.

Garos circled in the sky, his gaze sweeping inch by inch over the ridge and the coniferous forest. Before long, he spotted an unnatural clearing at the foot of the mountain, along with many dark caves—the bear pack's den.

Though it was already late at night, the bear pack was not resting inside the caves.

Bears resembling Mobel gathered in the clearing before the caves.

Some rubbed against rocks to scratch their itches, while others lay on the ground dozing or sharpened their teeth on jagged stones. Four or five cubs scampered about on short legs, chasing and play-fighting.

Among these Dire Bears.

One was exceptionally tall and powerful.

Its shoulders alone stood over ten meters high. Its forelimbs were thick, its body broad and solid, like a small mountain in the shape of a bear. Even sitting on the ground, it radiated danger.

In terms of size, this Dire Bear far surpassed Garos.

Moreover, its fur differed from that of an ordinary Earth Violent Bear. Amid its dark yellow, rock-like coat were streaks of dark red fur that swayed like flames whenever the wind blew.

Besides earth affinity, this Dire Bear seemingly possessed fire affinity as well.

Its identity was obvious—the Dire Bear Chief.

Life Level Detection Technique!

A faint glimmer flashed through Garos's black dragon eyes as he stared at the Dire Bear Chief.

Life Level: 10

At the same time, the Level 10 Dire Bear Chief seemed to sense something. It suddenly raised its head and looked toward the night sky. Its gaze pierced through the clouds and locked precisely onto Garos.

Roar!

The Dire Bear Chief rose to its feet, its fur standing on end and making it appear even larger. It threw back its head and unleashed a deep, thunderous roar.

It had discovered the Red Iron Dragonet.

As the roar rang out, the cubs seemed to receive some kind of signal. One by one, they ran back into the caves under the protection of the mother bears.

The entire bear pack went on alert.

"A Level 10 Dire Bear Chief has sharper senses than any magical beast I encountered before."

Garos circled in the sky, looking down at the bear pack as he weighed his options.

So far, the highest-level ferocious beast or magical creature Garos had hunted was Level 8.

Some had been strong and some weak. The weak ones could not withstand even a single blow from Garos, while the strong ones could contend with him briefly and leave a few minor wounds on him.

As for Level 9 and Level 10 ferocious beasts and magical creatures.

Garos had never encountered them.

Life Level could not fully measure combat power, but it was still highly informative.

On average, every increase in Life Level brought a substantial improvement. Creatures with low Life Levels were not necessarily weak, but creatures with high Life Levels were definitely not easy to provoke. The higher the Life Level, the stronger they were.

Level 10. That was the average level of a twenty-five-year-old Adolescent Red Dragon.

Of course, a Level 10 Red Dragon was certainly far stronger than an Earth Violent Bear. Still, a level comparable to an Adolescent Red Dragon was enough to show that the Dire Bear Chief was a powerful magical creature.

Garos was not completely confident in dealing with the Level 10 Dire Bear Chief.

If they fought to the death, he might win in the end.

But injury would definitely be unavoidable, and he might even be seriously wounded.

In truth, severe injuries could stimulate Garos's Adaptive Evolution more effectively, but the risks were great. He no longer had anyone to shelter him and no way to retreat. If he encountered another powerful enemy while injured, he would fall into an extremely dangerous situation.

The Ser Wilderness contained too many dangers.

Powerful magical creatures and ferocious beasts were everywhere, and there were also armies stationed by the nations of the Lothern Federation.

Even mindless beasts knew to avoid getting injured while hunting whenever possible.

Compared with momentary stimulation and danger, Garos preferred to grow steadily and safely. He sought to live longer. He was still young, only a seven-year-old Hatchling Dragon, and his talent was excellent, with a bright future ahead of him. There was no need to be hasty.

"Now is not the right time. I am not guaranteed to win."

"I will wait a little longer. I am close to breaking through to Level 8."

Garos did not linger any longer.

With a beat of his dragon wings, he quickly vanished into the night.

Watching the dragon fly away, the Dire Bear Chief withdrew its gaze as well.

There was not the slightest trace of tension or gravity on its bear face. Rather than returning to the cave, it lay down directly in the clearing and began to doze, thoroughly relaxed.

Judging by Garos's size, he was merely a tiny Hatchling Dragon.

It was not even afraid of Adolescent Dragons. If a Hatchling Dragon dared to cause trouble here, one swipe of its paw would settle the matter. If the other side wanted to die, it did not mind finding out what dragon meat tasted like.