The thick night sky like black velvet covered the sky of Ser Wilderness, and the sparse stars were like randomly scattered diamonds, casting a weak and cold light in the sky of Sinkhole Territory, barely outlining the majestic outline of the two giant dragons confronting each other.
Opposite the incredibly majestic and burly Red Iron Dragon.
The calmness and majesty on Iron Dragon Laetitia's face that should have belonged to Steel Queen have long since disappeared without a trace.
That expression of extreme shock, confusion, and disbelief could be clearly felt even through her thick, cold metal mask.
Gradually.
After she repeatedly confirmed the familiar aura that penetrated her blood and the irrefutable details in the other party's words, the overly exaggerated look of shock on her face gradually subsided and calmed down like an ebbing tide, but there was still strong confusion and incomprehension left in the huge dragon eyes.
For a moment, she was speechless.
My throat seemed to be strangled by an invisible force, and I couldn't find any suitable opening remarks.
Garos was quite considerate and did not say any more. He just stood quietly, staring at the other person calmly, waiting patiently for Iron Dragon Mother to calm down his turbulent mind and recover from the huge shock.
"You...Garos?"
After a long moment of silence, Laetitia's voice finally sounded again, with obvious hesitation, as if every word needed to be considered.
She said in an uncertain, almost questioning tone:
"The result of the fusion of red dragon and Iron Dragon Bloodline... my... half-blooded heir?"
Hearing Iron Dragon Mother's uncertain question, Garos turned his huge head slightly to the side, and the majestic and sinuous dragon horns drew a majestic arc.
"Exactly."
He gave a short but affirmative answer, his voice was low and magnetic, which seemed particularly clear in the silent night sky.
After a brief pause, he carefully looked at the Iron Dragon Mother in front of him, who was much slender than his own - she might have a slight advantage in body length, but in terms of sheer strength and heaviness, she could no longer compete with him.
"It seems that my growth and changes over the years have impressed you more than I expected, mother."
he said.
After completely calming down, Laetitia did not relax her vigilance. Her body was still tense, as if facing a strange and dangerous dragon. She stared at Red Iron Dragon closely, her sharp eyes sweeping over the thick scales on his body and the muscle lines that contained explosive power.
"If my memory is correct, you left my territory when you were nine years old."
"Being freed from the protection of the female dragon and sharpening their scales and claws in a wider and cruel world will indeed allow young descendants to grow and mature faster."
"But whatever."
"It's only been about fifty years since you left."
Laetitia's voice was full of doubts. "What did you eat? How could you grow to this extent in such a short period of time?!"
Even within the same type of dragon, there will be differences in personality between different individuals, and the differences may be as big as a chasm in nature.
Laetitia is the standard Iron Dragon, lawful evil alignment, pragmatist.
But compared to most other Iron Dragons, her nature is more cautious and suspicious.
She did not let down her guard because of Garos's words.
Deep down in her heart, she even began to wonder whether the powerful Red Iron Dragon in front of her was disguised as a powerful being who was proficient in transformation or illusion.
The purpose may be to lower her defense and wait for an opportunity to plot her territory, her treasure, and even her life.
"Mother, you should know better than any dragon--"
Garos said unhurriedly, "--The word impossible doesn't seem to be that applicable to me."
"Remember when I was about four years old, I proactively asked you to whip me with a dragon's tail for exercise? I quickly recovered from those bruises, and my scales became harder than before."
"At that time, the recovery and adaptability that far exceeded that of ordinary Dragonling also made you think it was impossible."
After mentioning some past events from his childhood as evidence, Red Iron Dragon continued to correct him calmly, "Also, you seem to have remembered one thing wrong about the time when I left."
"I didn't leave when I was nine."
"To be precise, I left Sinkhole Territory with Samantha, Gordon, and the three of us when I was more than seven years old and not yet fully eight years old."
From Iron Dragon Mother's words and demeanor, Garos keenly captured the deep-seated doubts and temptations.
Immediately, he raised a huge claw covered with dark scales.
In the heart of the claw, there is an object lying quietly. It is a metal ring that is already somewhat Shatter, full of cracks, and has completely lost all its magical luster.
Garos raised the Shatter ring to Laetitia's eyes, allowing her to see every detail clearly.
"This prop gave me immeasurable help in those first difficult years."
"Unfortunately, it was too fragile after all, and I accidentally broke it during heavy use."
This is the gift that Iron Dragon Mother Laetitia gave to Garos - Lightning Tail Ring,
It was precisely because of the existence of this Tail Ring that Garos realized for the first time that he could use external alchemy tools to stimulate himself and complete directed evolution in certain specific directions.
It is the key for Garos to unlock the evolution of Exhilarated State, and plays a very important role in his growth process.
Opposite, Laetitia listened carefully to Red Iron Dragon's clear and detailed narrative, and his eyes fell on the long-damaged Lightning Tail Ring that could never be easily counterfeited by Wailong.
The extremely alert posture around her finally softened visibly to the naked eye.
However, the dragon scales on her body still exploded slightly, and the muscles all over her body were still in a semi-tense state, not completely relaxed.
Living alone and in the dangerous wilderness for a long time made her develop the habit of never letting down her guard easily.
"Garos, your growth rate and final form really surprised me."
She bared her sharp teeth that shone with cold light, her pupils shrank into two dangerous thin lines, and asked directly, "So, tell me, you returned here today just to show me how powerful you are now? Or do you have other ideas about this territory that I have been running for a long time?"
Iron Dragon Mother's overreaction at this moment did not surprise Garos.
It's not that she's overly sensitive or mean
It is actually because, in the social laws of Evil Dragon, family relationships are extremely indifferent and thin.
There may still be some camaraderie between peers who grew up together.
However, there are often deeper gaps and potential competitive relationships between blood relatives of different generations.
As recorded in Dragon Inheritance, there are quite a few elderly dragons that have been successfully challenged or even killed by their descendants.
In order to compete for territory, treasure or simply to prove that one is stronger, blood relatives are not alone in fighting each other.
"Relax, mother."
Garos's eyes casually glanced at the Iron Dragon family members who were still trembling and afraid to step forward, and said, "If I am really hostile, the most important thing you should do now is not to question me here, but to be busy collecting the corpses of these family members of yours."
His voice was calm, as if he was just stating a simple fact.
However, when these words fell into the ears of the surrounding Scorpion-Tailed Lion, Dragon-Vein Creature and other monsters, they all felt a sense of horror and fear.
Indeed, if this terrifying Red Iron Dragon is really malicious, he can take the first step when Dragon Lord leaves the territory and eliminate all his followers with thunderous means.
Even if he has the idea of taking over these dependents, he will definitely eliminate those Dragon Vein Kin Leader who are absolutely loyal to Laetitia first, leaving only those who are easy to tame or control.
Rather than like now.
I have a good time waiting for Dragon Lord to return and face her and the entire Thrall Legion under her command alone.
After some careful weighing.
Iron Dragon Mother Laetitia finally slowly stretched his limbs, which had been slightly bent and ready to explode at any time, and the strong muscles of his body gradually relaxed.
Like a big cat that has confirmed that there is no danger for the time being, it has its limbs slightly together and squats on the ground in a relatively relaxed posture, with its long tail covered with steel scales unconsciously swaying left and right behind it.
She carefully looked at Garos's extremely impressive physique again, and finally asked the core question, "So, Garos, what is your real purpose of spending time waiting for my return?"
Garos thought for a moment, considered the language, and then said, "I came here mainly to tell you two things."
"First, my life at Sinkhole Territory was an indispensable growth experience for me. The alchemy tool you gave me in the end also gave me great help at a critical moment."
"Second, based on the fact that we have some similar blood flowing in our bodies, I think we have a better basis for cooperation than strangers. I hope that we can try to reach some degree of alliance or cooperation."
First express goodwill and recognition, and then propose a clear intention to cooperate.
After Garos finished speaking concisely and concisely, he said no more and just looked at Iron Dragon Mother calmly, waiting for her response and decision.
Laetitia was also staring at Garos, his eyes scanning inch by inch at his astonishing torso, which was slightly shorter than himself, but whose huge size and strength were many times greater than his own.
Cooperation?
This proposal is not beyond consideration.
For Laetitia, the crazy and powerful red dragon Gorsas is always a sharp sword hanging above her head, a huge and unpredictable potential danger.
She didn't want to leave Ser Wilderness, which she had been familiar with for many years.
But as long as you stay here, you are bound to have to deal with Gorsas sooner or later.
And under the current comparison of strength, she is completely at a disadvantage.
In order to deal with the threat of Gorsas, Laetitia has been actively seeking possible allies.
However, there are not many suitable candidates.
She had previously tried to unite with the Dominic Blue Dragon Family, but although she had not yet received a final answer, there was a high probability that she would be rejected. Those Blue Dragon were too shrewd and realistic to take action easily for the sake of illusory potential risks.
On the other hand, the foundation of any cooperation often lies in two things: trust and a clear understanding of each other's strength level.
In terms of trust, although the family relationship between Evil Dragon is weak, it still has a layer of blood connection and past understanding compared to the dragons who are complete strangers.
Moreover, in her impression, Garos's temperament is quite different from that of the ordinary chaotic and crazy Evil Dragon, appearing to be more calm and reliable.
The alchemy tool she gave away back then was itself a forward-looking investment.
As long as Garos is not extremely crazy and chaotic like his friend Red Dragon Father, then there is a certain possibility of cooperation.
As for the specific level of strength, in this regard, body shape can often only represent part of the strength, not all.
In Laetitia's long life, Hunt had encountered many ferocious Magic Creature who were much larger than himself.
Although the Red Iron Dragon in front of you looks very intimidating, there may be a possibility that it is useless. After all, he is too young. Perhaps some adventures have led to the advanced development of his body, and his actual combat power may not match this terrifying body.
After carefully weighing the pros and cons and risks, Laetitia's huge dragon eyes focused on Garos again, and said, "My dear Garos, today is our reunion after decades. It should be a happy event worthy of celebration."
"But before we officially start talking in detail about any specific cooperation."
"I want to know more directly how far you have grown now."
"I'm surprised by your size, but as a dragon, you should also know that size doesn't mean everything."
She stared at Red Iron Dragon and said.
Garos asked, "How to know?"
He had actually vaguely guessed what Iron Dragon Mother was thinking. Despite this, he still chose to ask. This was not only a form of respect, but also set the tone for the following exchanges.
Laetitia raised his head slightly, and a steady voice came from under his thick mask.
She said straightforwardly, "It's very simple, a peaceful discussion."
"Only the friction between scales and scales, the collision of claws and claws, and the truest confrontation of strength and skill can give us the clearest understanding of each other's true level."
"I believe that after this, whether we want to cooperate or something else, we can make better judgments."
Her proposal was exactly what Garos wanted.
He needs a battle of sufficient weight to establish his due position in this mother's heart.
In the world of dragons, verbal promises are often as light as dust. Only strength that has been tested by minions and flames can forge a truly solid contract or alliance.