"What can you do, then?"
Faced with Garos's final soul-searching question, Samantha puffed out her chest and raised her head like a proud swan. "I can inscribe Alchemy Runes now! Primary Defense Runes!"
When it came to the runes she had mastered,
Samantha grew excited and said to Garos, "Want me to inscribe runes on you? I've already practiced on myself, and my technique is quite skilled now. I guarantee I won't mess up."
Samantha curled her tail around in front of herself and waved it before Garos's eyes.
On the gemlike, fiery-red dragon scales along her tail were many crooked marks, like crawling earthworms. They crisscrossed in a complete mess, though mixed among them were some increasingly proper patterns—still rough, but not without merit.
Her progress was obvious to the naked eye.
"Go ahead."
Garos considered it, then slowly nodded.
He stood before Samantha, thrust out his chest, and flexed his muscles to raise the gray Buffer Scales, exposing the black-red scales beneath, as hard as forged steel.
"Try inscribing one here first."
Samantha took a deep breath.
Her vertical dragon pupils narrowed as she focused intently, slowly carving onto one of the dragon scales on Garos's chest with her claws.
Magic Energy gathered at her claw tips. They were like red-hot branding irons, scattering sparks when they touched Garos's scales and producing a tooth-grinding screech like metal scraping against metal.
As time passed,
the scratches gradually outlined a shield-like pattern. When Samantha completed the final stroke, it formed a complete rune circuit.
It was passable, though not particularly attractive. Still, it had barely taken shape and could be considered a crude finished product.
Garos narrowed his eyes.
When the Alchemy Rune was completed, he could distinctly sense that something had been added to that dragon scale.
The Magic Energy flowing through dragonkin blood gathered there.
The rune immediately lit up, covering the entire dragon scale.
Garos lightly rubbed the scale.
The sensation was strange. It did not feel like he was directly touching his own scale; rather, it felt as if an invisible yet tough film had been plated over it.
"Let's test its strength."
Garos extended a sharp claw, pressed it against the dragon scale, and gradually applied force.
The rune first flickered, then slowly dimmed and cracked. Finally, with a crack, its light went out completely, and the film-like sensation vanished as well.
So far, Garos had not used much force.
The defensive effect is average. Nothing special.
He made his assessment.
However, Samantha had only mastered the most basic and lowest-level Alchemy Runes, and this inscription was not perfect either. It was somewhat rough.
Even so, it had still provided a certain degree of defense.
Once Samantha's skill in Alchemy improved further,
it would be worth looking forward to using Alchemy to strengthen and enhance dragonkin scales, claws, fangs, and other parts.
"Not bad. Keep it up."
Garos casually praised her, then told Samantha to go do her own thing.
"Don't you need me to inscribe a few more?"
She asked, still wanting more.
Inscribing runes on herself felt different from inscribing them on other objects. Samantha wanted to increase her proficiency by inscribing Primary Defense Runes on Garos.
Garos saw through her thoughts.
And he had no interest in being a test subject.
Glancing at Mobel, the Earth Violent Bear, who was rubbing his back against an Iron Fir tree, Garos said, "Have Mobel practice with you. You can exchange Alchemy Rune enhancements for him hunting food for you."
Samantha did not refuse and walked toward the Earth Violent Bear.
Once he learned Samantha's intentions, the Earth Violent Bear's eyes widened. He patted his chest and readily agreed.
Alchemy Rune enhancement was something his damned old father had never gotten to enjoy, and it would even be personally performed by a True Dragon. Mobel had no reason to refuse, and he was delighted inside.
Hiss!
When the red dragon's claws tore open his skin, Mobel let out a low growl and gritted his teeth against the pain.
He did not have dragon scales, so the Primary Defense Runes could only be inscribed directly onto his skin. The process was unpleasant, but bearable.
Garos withdrew his gaze from the two of them.
After a brief moment of thought, he flew to the massive slab of rock where he often stayed, half-closed his eyes, and curled up upon it.
He was not sleeping. He was excavating the spells hidden within his bloodline.
Dragonkin were born sorcerers. Upon reaching a certain age, they could awaken a few Spell-like Abilities.
But through independent exploration, they could also master them ahead of time.
Generally speaking, Hatchling Dragons did not possess Spell-like Abilities. They mainly fought with their claws, fangs, and bodies, while Dragon Breath was their ultimate trump card.
Lesser Fireball.
Life Level Detection Technique.
Garos had mastered both of these skills ahead of time through his own exploration.
When he immersed his mind and focused inward,
Garos could clearly sense the surging, dense Magic Energy flowing through his blood vessels like a tide, traveling with his blood to his limbs, bones, and every corner of his body.
As naturally top-tier magical creatures,
dragonkin possessed Magic Energy from the moment they were born—that was, magical energy.
When they inhaled and exhaled, they could draw Magic Energy from the air and store it in their blood vessels, gradually converting it into Magic Energy they could use themselves.
Feeling the rhythmic rise and fall of Magic Energy and blood circulating through his body,
Garos gradually emptied his mind, relying on instinct to sense the Spell-like Abilities hidden in his bloodline.
The Adaptive Evolution talent also had some effect in this regard, though it was neither as direct nor as obvious as its enhancement of his body and physique.
But Garos was in no hurry.
Time slowly passed as he calmed his mind and explored bit by bit.
In the blink of an eye,
a month had passed.
At an abandoned mine filled with jagged rocks,
a red Hatchling Dragon lay on the ground not far from the mine, seemingly dozing. Her tail lightly tapped the ground now and then, but her eyes were not closed. They blinked occasionally, revealing her nervousness.
Before long,
a predator lurking underground sensed the faint vibrations and silently approached.
When it drew close enough, the ground began to shake. The red Hatchling Dragon seemed to sense something unusual and flapped her wings, taking flight.
Boom!
Earth and stone bulged and split apart, sending mud and shattered rocks flying.
The enormous body of a Rock-Crushing Worm shot vertically from the ground. Its meat-grinder-like maw opened as it bit toward the red Hatchling Dragon, but because she had risen into the air first, it bit only empty air before beginning to fall back down.
Just then,
a black shadow, even faster than it was, suddenly dove from above.
Rip!
Sharp claws tore through its armored shell and clamped tightly into the Rock-Crushing Worm's flesh.
Garos beat his wings, the muscles beneath his scales erupting with tremendous power as he directly ripped the level-seven Rock-Crushing Worm out of the ground.
The Rock-Crushing Worm struggled wildly, but it was useless.
"Got it! I hope it can be controlled as I wish."
Holding the Rock-Crushing Worm, Garos's mind stirred slightly as he returned toward the Iron Fir Hills, with Samantha, the red Hatchling Dragon, following close behind.
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