How to Raise an Evil Dragon

The morning breeze brushed softly by, and red maple leaves rustled in the air. A man and a woman stood before a weeping Copper Dragon.

The man was flawlessly handsome, tall and slender, with long arms and a narrow waist.

His long silver-white hair was fastened with an ice-crystal clasp. A diamond-shaped frost crystal hung from his left earlobe, and his skin was as pale and nearly translucent as fresh snow. Whenever he smiled, his breath condensed into tiny frost flowers in the air.

The woman beside him was lovely, her freckled cheeks always carrying a mischievous smile.

Her honey-colored skin and copper-red curls were entwined with hairbands like metal wires.

They were the parents of Deborah, the Copper Dragon. Though they appeared human, they were both Mature Dragons over two hundred years old—Metal Dragons favored human forms aesthetically and often lived in human guise.

The man was the Copper Dragon's father, a Silver Dragon.

[Frostmark] Aldri.

The woman was the Copper Dragon's mother, a Copper Dragon.

[Copperflame] Selina.

The hands they held tightly did not loosen because of their sobbing child, as though they were each other's true love and Deborah was merely an accident.

"The dignity of a Metal Dragon is as important as its treasure."

"As a descendant of Metal Dragons, you should be brave and strong-willed."

"Since you returned safely, it isn't a serious problem. Stop crying. Crying won't solve anything."

The Silver Dragon father spoke.

The Copper Dragon mother rolled her eyes at her mate and said unhappily, "Don't be so rigid. Deborah was bullied by an Evil Dragon on her first adventure outside. It's normal for her to cry."

When it came to choosing mates.

Copper Dragons placed tremendous importance on a partner's intelligence and sense of humor, believing these to be key to a lasting relationship.

Creatures that could catch their puns, riddles, or pranks, even turn the tables on them, appreciate the art of language, or excel at improvisation were more likely to earn a Copper Dragon's admiration.

And Aldri, the Silver Dragon, was good at none of those things.

He was a rather stern and dull Silver Dragon.

Yet even so, Selina had found it difficult to reject his pursuit. More accurately, she had actually been the one pursuing him.

—The Silver Dragon was simply too handsome.

Among all dragonkind, Silver Dragons ranked foremost in appearance. Both males and females were highly sought after.

Back to the matter at hand, Selina smiled at her child and said, "My dear Deborah, what happened to you? Tell me everything in detail. Let me have a little fun."

Her father was stern.

Her mother was even making entertainment out of her.

Deborah cried even harder, sobbing so much that she could barely speak.

Selina kicked a pebble at her feet, sending it bouncing off her daughter's head, then said with a grin, "Now it's riddle time—what causes you pain and sadness, yet makes you stronger and stronger?"

Copper Dragons loved riddles by nature.

Deborah stopped crying and answered hesitantly, "Failure?"

Selina snapped her fingers and blew her a kiss through the air. "Correct! Your reward is a flying kiss from your mother."

Having solved the riddle and understood her mother's meaning, Deborah gradually calmed down. Then she recounted everything in full detail.

"A Red-Iron Hybrid Dragon?"

Selina blinked and looked toward her mate.

The Silver Dragon nodded slightly. "Most likely the offspring of Steel Queen and Mountain-Burning Wing."

Cases of Red Dragons and Iron Dragons mating were rare. As far as the Silver Dragon knew, there was only one such pair in the Ser Wilderness. What he had not expected was that they had produced a Hybrid Dragon—and judging from Deborah's description, an exceptional hybrid that had inherited the powerful traits of both parents.

"A dragon living alone outside was likely driven away and forced to survive on its own."

The Silver Dragon shook his head slightly as he spoke.

"How pitiful. Evil Dragons are truly outrageous."

"To defeat Deborah while she was covered in alchemical items, with such a mature mind... it must have endured many hardships."

Selina sighed as well.

Across from them.

Deborah, the Copper Dragon, widened her eyes.

That wasn't right.

This wasn't right at all.

Shouldn't you be furious? Why were you sympathizing with that hateful Red-Iron Evil Dragon instead?

Seeing through his daughter's thoughts.

The Silver Dragon said unhurriedly, "Deborah, Evil Dragons are evil partly because of their inherited traits and temperaments, but also because of what they experience throughout their lives."

"Your mother and I both believe that if an Evil Dragon could grow up in a world surrounded by kindness, it might also have the chance to become a kind and righteous individual."

"Unfortunately, nearly all Evil Dragons abandon their offspring. Hatchling Dragons struggling alone to survive endure countless hardships, and the evil in their hearts only grows without limit. Their natures become twisted, and once they reach adulthood, they become the evil beings we know them as."

Hearing this, Deborah fell silent. She even began to sympathize with the pitiful dragon that had stolen her belongings.

"Why is it like this? Shouldn't familial love and blood ties bring dragons closer together?"

She asked.

Selina thought for a moment before saying, "Abandonment is actually one way Evil Dragons raise their offspring."

"In fights between dragons of the same rank, we Metal Dragons are often no match for Evil Dragons, because from childhood, they struggle against cruel fate with their lives on the line. Though their early mortality rate is high, every Evil Dragon that manages to grow up is a powerhouse, while we Metal Dragons vary greatly in quality."

Deborah paced in place, her tail swishing back and forth.

A few seconds later, she stopped and asked hesitantly, "Then what should I do? Should I just swallow this grievance and let it take my things?"

The Silver Dragon and Copper Dragon exchanged a glance before saying, "Of course not."

"What you should do is defeat it, capture it, train it, and gradually turn it into a righteous dragon."

"Turning an Evil Dragon into a good dragon is an achievement ten or even a hundred times greater than simply defeating one."

Deborah's eyes lit up. She knew what she had to do.

"My dear father, give me some stronger alchemical items! I'll find it and make it turn from evil to good!"

The young Copper Dragon rubbed her head against her father in human form, pleading sweetly.

"Relying blindly on alchemical items is not the right path."

The Silver Dragon said sternly, "You lack real combat experience far too much. I will harden my heart and personally train you for a while. Then I'll give you an alchemical item and let you go handle your own affairs."

This defeat had also made Deborah realize just how lacking her combat experience was.

She nodded without arguing.

Iron Fir Hills.

Under the scorching noon sun, Garos, who had trained for a long time, lay resting on a slab of rock. He felt pleasantly languid, and the training effects of the alchemical items were excellent, putting him in a good mood.

"It'd be great if I ran into another wealthy Metal Dragon. Robbing that Copper Dragon again would work too."

Garos thought to himself, then closed his eyes and rested beneath the sun.

Several days later.

Garos was having Samantha spray him with Dragon Breath, further improving his resistance to fire.

With treasure dangling before Samantha, she worked much harder than before. Her Dragon Breath left Garos in both pain and pleasure, suffering happily as the flames from her Flame Dragon Breath battered and burned his Buffer Scales, making them glow like heated iron.

After a while.

Samantha had nearly burned herself dry. Her tongue lolled out as she collapsed on the ground, panting heavily.

Garos pulled a Buffer Scale from his body. Its heated-iron coloration was slowly fading, yet a faint trace remained at its very edge. This layer of Buffer Scales seemed to be evolving in some uncertain direction.

Crack.

The dirt and stones ahead suddenly split apart.

Garos shifted his gaze and looked closely. An Earth Spider hurriedly crawled out of the crack.