Orotara, Emerald Royal City.
The two giant dragons were entrenched among the lush canopy of luxuriant branches and leaves. The sunlight filtered through the gaps between the layers of leaves, leaving a few light spots on the scales.
Green Dragon stared at Garos in front of him, his eyes full of surprise.
Her eyes swept over the mutated dragon scales and thorns on Garos's body, and finally, her eyes settled on Garos's face.
She knew that face, but it seemed strange at the moment.
What is familiar are the basic outlines, but what is unfamiliar are the veins and lines emerging on the scales, as well as the expression on the entire face. It seems that he is about to get angry at any time, but he is not really angry.
Green Dragon couldn't help but ask, "We haven't seen each other for just over a month, how did you become like this?"
Garos lowered his head slightly, looked at the mutated scales on his chest, then raised his head and said, "This is all thanks to the gift you gave me."
Green Dragon was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly realized.
"Oh, you ate the Fury Curse inside the meteorite fragments."
She tilted her head and continued, "You do look a bit similar to some Rage Beast that have initially mutated. Those Rage Beast also started to change from scales and thorns, and their facial expressions became vicious."
"But their eyes will become crazy, and your eyes..."
"Still the same as before, quite calm."
She knows that Garos is not afraid of Fury Curse.
However, seeing such an obvious change with his own eyes, Seroel was still a little surprised.
She came closer, carefully examined the veins and patterns on his face, and asked, "Can you still control yourself? You look very fierce now."
The number of mutations to dragon scales and thorns is not large, so in fact it has little impact.
The key is that the changes in Red Iron Dragon's face directly affect his overall look and feel.
Especially at the position of a pair of eyes, there are prominent blood vessel lines extending on the scales, covering a lot of the facial armor area. Those blood vessel lines are dark red and slightly raised, starting from the eye sockets, extending upward to the forehead, and downward to the cheekbones, making Red Iron Dragon's already majestic face look extremely ferocious.
At first glance, Red Iron Dragon's expression seems to be in some kind of Rage state, which is extremely dangerous.
It's like he's about to pounce and tear something apart at any moment.
However, his eyes were calm and calm.
This is a completely contradictory state.
The expression is Rage, and the eyes are calm.
The overall look is very contrasting, making people feel very inconsistent, and at the same time, they can't help but take a second look.
Seroel stared at him for a while and said, "If someone who doesn't know you sees you like this, they will definitely think that you are crazy and will pounce on and bite anyone at any time, but you are so calm."
Red Iron Dragon shook his huge head. "This is only temporary."
"It won't be long before I can return to my original state, or make some other changes."
For Mutation Power, he has been exploring it for some time.
Although it is still far from being fully understood, some preliminary conclusions have been drawn.
With his current Frenzied Flame strength, he can only achieve slight changes like this.
The overall impact is not big, it will not make any qualitative leap in his strength, nor will it cause much damage to his body. Moreover, when Frenzied Flame is burning and swaying, it will accumulate something that he temporarily calls Mutation Value.
The angrier he is, the faster it accumulates.
After Mutation Value is enough, you can mutate again.
Because his overall Mutation Power is limited, slight mutations will not bring about essential changes to him, but will only slightly enhance him in one aspect while correspondingly weakening him in another.
There are gains and losses, there are not only advantages and no disadvantages.
He can also control Frenzied Flame without mutating.
This is not a difficult matter.
The mutation reaction is a bit like an allergy, it is short-lived and severe. As long as he limits himself and does not allow himself to remain in a state of anger, those mutations will not be able to compete with his own Adaptive Evolution, and then as time goes by, the uncoordinated mutation parts will gradually return to normal. In short, Garos's mutations are not completely uncontrollable, and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
If there is a bad mutation, he can adapt to it, or directly choose to mutate it again.
As for the good mutation, he can keep it, or he can bet that the next mutation will be better. This is like a gamble, the bet is his body, but fortunately he can afford to lose.
On the other side, Green Dragon blinked.
After listening to Garos's explanation, she said, "That's good. In addition to being fierce, to be honest, you are a little uglier than before." "Ugly, ugly, ugly."
Garos:..."
Seroel Seeing that he didn't speak, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
She swung her tail slightly and came closer, stretched out one front paw, and gently picked Red Iron Dragon's lower jaw with the back of the paw tip.
"But, it doesn't look very interesting. Let me take a closer look.
Red Iron Dragon twisted his head, avoided the claws, and did not cooperate.
"Hey, are you shy?"
Seroel joked, his tail wagging even more happily.
Garos shook his head slightly and did not answer the question.
He made his tone more formal and changed the subject.
"Speaking of business."
"I want more meteorites carrying Fury Curse, not just fragments, but preferably complete meteorites. I have a strong feeling that it will make me stronger."
He said seriously.
An incomplete fragment can cause him to mutate slightly, allowing him to see the possibility of mutation, but that's all.
The Frenzied Flame content in the fragment is still not enough. Now it is only enough to cause some superficial changes and cannot touch deeper things. What if it is a complete meteorite? What if there are multiple pieces?
He could not determine the specific results, but he was certain that it would be a qualitative leap.
Seroel retracts its claws from Red Iron Dragon's lower jaw.
Her expression changed from teasing to thinking. Her eyes fell on Garos's mutated scales and stayed for a while, as if to judge whether he was serious.
Finally, she shook her head slightly and said, "The complete meteorite...Garos, you have a big appetite."
Garos looked at her. "Is it difficult?"
"It's not difficult, it's very difficult."
Seroel's tone became serious.
She turned around and looked through the gaps between the branches and leaves, looking at the sky dyed golden by the sun. "The fragments are okay, there are a lot of meteorite fragments scattered all over the years. I can help you collect some more. You can always find them if you spend some time and resources."
"But the complete meteorite... basically every one has its own owner."
Garos did not interrupt and listened quietly.
He knew things wouldn't be that simple.
If the complete meteorite was so easy to get, Seroel wouldn't have given him just broken pieces before.
Seroel raised one front paw and raised its sharp claw tip.
"The complete meteorite is mainly in the hands of three parties."
She said, "Elf, Orc, and a few extremely powerful Rage Beast Lord."
"Elf, these things are both research materials and strategic resources for them. They started collecting them when the meteorites fell, earlier than any other race."
"They believe that it would be unwise to use or destroy these meteorites rashly."
"Orc's side has a smaller number of meteorites, but they have no scruples and use them as weapons."
"Rage Beast Lord has the smallest number. The Rage Beast Lord that can occupy a complete meteorite are all top Rage Beast at the Destiny Rank level. They instinctively surround the meteorite."
Having said this, Seroel retracted its claws and faced Garos.
"Of these three parties, which one do you plan to start with?"
Garos looked thoughtful and weighed in his mind.
"Elf, do you think it's possible for me to get the meteorite through trading or negotiation?"
Seroel thought for a while, then shook his head.
"Not very likely."
"Even if you are willing to pay the price, the negotiation process will be very long. Elf likes to take things slowly. A simple trade agreement can last for several years. Do you have the patience to wait?"
Seroel thought about it carefully and said, "You'd better start here Rage Beast Lord."
"You are not afraid of Fury Curse. This is your greatest advantage."
"When others fight Rage Beast Lord, beware of infection. This is the biggest problem. Fury Curse is no joke. Even if you are just close to those Rage Beast Lord, you will be affected by the curse. It's okay for a short time. But for a long time, even Destiny Rank strong people can't handle it."
"So when others go to fight Rage Beast Lord, they must fight quickly and end the battle before they are infected by the curse."
"Under normal circumstances, if you want to seize the meteorite, almost only Immortal One can take action personally to resolve the battle before the curse takes effect. Otherwise, it will be difficult to seize the meteorite."
"And you don't have to worry about that."
Red Iron Dragon suddenly asked, "Does Orotara have Immortal-tier Rage Beast?"
Seroel shook his head. "No, if there is Immortal-tier another Rage Beast...Orotara may have fallen." Red Iron Dragon nodded and said, "Well, compared with Elf and Orc, Rage Beast Lord, who does not have much wisdom, is indeed a better target. Moreover, I just want to see what kind of changes there are in the top Rage Beast Lord."
Normal intelligent creatures avoid Rage Beast.
However, for Garos, they are indeed valuable. Not only can they absorb Frenzied Flame and strengthen their own Mutation Power, but they can also be used as appropriate references to see what kind of effects Fury Curse will have on other life forms.
Seroel said, "The risk of Hunt Rage Beast Lord is only relatively low, in fact it is not small."
"Nausir strangled Rage Beast very hard. Most of Rage Beast Lord's territories are in the south of Orotara, which is Orc's territory. As an outsider, if you go to Orc's territory to attack Rage Beast Lord, it will be difficult not to attract attention."
"When you call Rage Beast Lord, if the noise is too big, Orc won't sit idly by."
"They may think that you are here to grab territory, or they may think that you are here to help Elf, or they may not think about anything and just fight first. Those guys are not very smart and they are not very reasonable."
Orc is a famous intelligent race, and its presence can be found in many planes and worlds.
In other places, Orc is also civilized, rational, good at business and negotiation, and has a developed culture.
But the Orcs on Bernardo Planet are a little different.
Almost the whole country believes in Deity, which is a theocratic race. They practice Deity's teachings and ideas, and are warlike to the point of fanaticism. Garos's eyes flashed slightly.
"So, I, Hunt Rage Beast Lord, may still have to face Orc."
"Correct."
Seroel said, "Unless you can kill a Rage Beast Lord without anyone noticing, get the meteorite and leave. But the Rage Beast Lord that occupy the meteorite are all Destiny Rank, which have the characteristics of Superspeed Regeneration, so they are very difficult to deal with."
Garos nodded his head slowly.
"Everything has risks."
"The key lies in the balance between risk and return. If the return is large enough, the risk is acceptable. If the return is average, then you should consider it carefully."
"The main purpose of my visit to Orotara is these meteorites."
"Fury Curse can make my Frenzied Flame stronger, master the mutation, and see another path of evolution. Huge benefits are in front of me. In comparison, this risk can be taken."
Garos is cautious in doing things. This has always been his style. He never makes decisions based on impulse, nor takes risks because of temporary anger or desire.
But caution does not mean timidity.
He also doesn't lack adventurous spirit.
After all, in his opinion, weakness is the greatest danger.
A weak creature, even if it does nothing, will fall into danger for various reasons, while a powerful creature, even if it takes the initiative to take risks, can often come out alive.
Sometimes, it is necessary to take some risks in pursuit of strength.
Seroel looked at Red Iron Dragon with admiration in his eyes.
"Now that you've decided, I won't stop you."
"I will help you sort out the known meteorite information, Elf, Orc, Rage Beast Lord. I will sort out the information from these three parties for you, including where the meteorite is, who is guarding it, what you need to pay attention to, etc."
"The information may not be complete, and I don't know some parts myself, but at least it can give you an idea."
"Where you want to seize the meteorite from, you make your own decision. I won't make the choice for you. This is your business and it's up to you."
The voice paused slightly, the corners of Green Dragon's mouth raised slightly, and he smiled.
"Of course, if you need support, then ask me and do your best to please me."
"I will decide whether to help based on my mood at the time. If I am in a good mood, I will agree to it. If I am in a bad mood, I will think of a way on my own."
Garos glanced at her and ignored her.
At this moment, Seroel suddenly narrowed his eyes, as if he had received some news.
Her eyes became sharp at that moment, her pupils shrank into thin lines, and then quickly returned to normal. Then, she stretched her wings, opened and closed them, and moved the joints of her shoulder blades.
"The sun has dried my dragon scales."
"Just wait here for a while. I'm going to sort out the meteorite information for you. Moreover, an envoy from Nausir is coming to visit. I'm going to have a meeting. Elf likes to speak slowly, talks a lot, and is very annoying, but in Orotara, we have to deal with them."
Garos nodded. "Go ahead and do what you should do."
Seroel stopped staying and stepped into the depths of the dense canopy.
As if they knew her, those branches and vines automatically moved out of the way and closed up behind her. As a result, Green Dragon was obscured by layers of branches and leaves, leaving only the tip of its tail swaying twice in the field of vision, and then gradually disappeared.
Garos watched her leave, then withdrew his gaze, lingered among the tree crowns, and closed his eyes.
The sunlight fell on his scales through the gaps between the branches and leaves. The mutated dragon scales expanded slightly in the sunlight, making a tiny sound, like the gentle collision of metal.
"Waiting for the message from Seroel first."
He whispered to himself, "Then, decide where to start."
the other side.
Orotara North, Giant Royal Court.
The strong wind swept over the gray-black ridges, picked up gravel and dust, and roared among the rugged peaks.
On the highest point, a rough and magnificent palace stands.
It was carved from the top of the peak. The entire palace is a part of the mountain. Every rock has been cast by flames. The history of the Giant campaign is carved on the huge stone pillars. The reliefs are rough and full of power, as if they will walk out of the stone wall at any time.
Inside the hall, flames burned in a huge copper basin, illuminating the entire hall.
A huge figure sat on the throne at the end of the hall.
His body was huge and strong, with shoulders as broad as a mountain ridge. Sitting there, he looked like a huge rock. His dark red skin was covered with dragon scales, irregularly distributed on his neck, shoulder blades and outside of his arms, glowing with a metallic sheen.
His hair was dark red, as thick as steel wire, and hung loosely on his broad shoulders.
His head is huge and rough, with a low forehead and protruding lower jaw. A pair of short and thick dragon horns protrude diagonally from above the brow bone, with the tips of the horns slightly upward. His eyes are blazing orange-red, with vertical pupils, like a snake, more like a dragon. There is also a pair of giant folded wings behind him. The wings are folded behind him, and the wingtips almost hang to the ground.
Some people call him a half-blood king.
Some people also call him the savior of the Giant clan.
It is Giant King, Halduen.
At this moment, he was sitting on the stone throne, his right arm resting on the armrest, his head slightly propped up, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he was thinking about something. Except for the crackling sound of the burning flame, there was no other movement in the entire hall.
Until a burst of heavy footsteps came from the entrance of the palace.
Halduen didn't open his eyes, but he already knew who it was.
The visitor's body shape is much smaller than that of Halduen, and the overall posture is slender, not as thick and stocky as Fire Giant.
His skin is celestial Blue Dragon, like lightning in the clouds, or like the sky before a storm. His eyes are deep electric Blue Dragon, with tiny arcs of electricity jumping in his pupils from time to time.
Storm Giant.
Under normal circumstances, Storm Giant's status in the Giant family is equivalent to the red dragon in Chromatic Dragon, and Gold Dragon in Metal Dragon. His name is Solarton, and he is Halduen's most trusted lieutenant.
As early as when Theresia Continent fled, he followed Halduen.
At that time, the Giant clan was beaten to pieces in the Theresia Continent and fled in all directions with numerous casualties. Solarton fought with Halduen in a battle with Orc We met. At that time, he was seriously injured and was besieged by a group of Orc. It was Halduen who rushed into the enemy formation to rescue him and led him to break out of the encirclement. Since then, he has been following around and never left.
Solarton's expression at this moment is a bit complicated.
He stood there with his hands folded in front of his chest, his eyes glancing at Halduen from time to time, and then away, as if he was debating whether to speak. "Since you are here, if you have anything to say, just say it directly."
Halduen glanced at Storm Giant and said.
Solarton was silent for a few seconds, then took two steps forward and stood beside the throne.
He looked up at Giant King and said, "Many witnesses saw Atlant Continent, Red Emperor of the Aura Kingdom, and that Red Emperor Pale Star came to Orotara."
Halduen's expression did not change, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
Solarton's voice was lowered and he said, "This Red Emperor went to the Greenwild Kingdom and has been staying at the Greenwild Kingdom for a while. His relationship with Dragon Queen Seroel... seems to be a good friendship."
This is said very euphemistically, but the meaning is obvious enough.
Halduen didn't get angry or roar, he just spoke quietly.
"You mean, the Dragon Queen is interested in Aura Emperor?"
Solarton hesitated for a few seconds.
He knows Halduen and knows that the calmer this Giant King is, the more turbulent his heart may be.
He quickly organized the words in his mind, and then nodded slowly.
"According to the news that came back, that's it."
"A dragon emperor cannot stay in another king's territory for long under normal circumstances."
"The dragon has a strong sense of territory and will not cross the border casually. What's more, it is an emperor. It is impossible for him to come to Orotara for no reason and stay for so long."
Halduen remained silent, tapping the armrest with his thick fingers.
Storm Giant took a step forward, straightened his chest, made a fist with his right hand and hammered it on the left breastplate, making a dull impact.
"Your Majesty, if you feel angry, whether it is attacking Greenwild Kingdom or that Red Emperor, I, Solarton, will rush to the front and crush the enemy for you."
He said in a loud voice.
"My war hammer has not drank the blood of Dragonkin for a long time."
His eyes were hot and full of fighting spirit.
Halduen glanced at him without emotion, as if he was looking at a child who was not very sensible.
"Why do you think I'd be angry?"
he asked.
Solarton was stunned for a moment.
This reaction was not what he expected.
He thought Halduen would at least frown or snort.
Storm Giant frowned, confusion appeared on his rough face, and then spoke.
"Because His Majesty likes the Dragon Queen, it is well known."
"Over the years, Your Majesty has made many betrothal gifts to the Greenwild Kingdom, and every time he has been sincere, but now, the Dragon Queen has come together with another male."
"This is something that males cannot tolerate."
Storm Giant concluded. "I feel angry for a moment. If my spouse is taken away by someone else, I will twist off the other person's head. No matter who the other person is or how strong he is, I will make him pay the price."
He said it very seriously, without any exaggeration.
In Giant's culture, this is how things like this are handled.
Halduen let out a low chuckle and did not respond immediately.
Immediately, he stood up from the throne, his huge body casting a thick shadow on the ground.
He asked, "Solarton, my siblings, do you know why I pursue Greenwild Queen?"
Solarton said, "Because His Majesty likes her?"
"Like it?"
Halduen's mouth twitched slightly.
"Many stupid intelligent beings thought I was blinded by desire."
"They thought that I pursued the Dragon Queen for courtship, mating, and to satisfy those vulgar tastes. They used their narrow minds to measure my behavior."
Giant King said calmly, with no anger in his tone, only a touch of disdain.
Solarton scratched his head and did not answer.
He thought so too.
But from what Halduen said, it seems that things are not that simple.
After a few seconds, he asked quietly, "What's that for?"
Halduen stretched out a hand, revealing the tiny scales embedded in the skin on the palm and fingers.
"You know, I am half Dragonkin."
He said, his eyes falling on his palm.
"This blood is flowing in my body, and it has never stopped flowing since the day I was born. It has given me humiliation, but it has also given me power that other Giants do not have."
His tone was calm, but Solarton knew that these words were not spoken casually.
The origin of Halduen is not a secret among the Giant family.
His father is a Fire Giant, and his mother is a red dragon. However, there are rarely friendly interactions between Giant and Dragon Race. The relationship between the two races is more of hostility and conflict.
His birth was the result of violence and coercion.
"At the same time, in addition to strength, it also gave me a talent... belonging to the dragon."
Halduen lowered his eyes slightly, fell on his palm, and then slowly clenched his fist.
"Dragon's Slumber."
He said, "Now, I need a deep sleep to break through the threshold of Destiny Rank."
Solarton's eyes widened slightly.
"Your Majesty is going to break through Destiny Rank?!"
he asked in surprise.
"Hmm."
Halduen retracted his hand and put his arm on the armrest again.
"My current Life Level is level 34, Crown Rank is at its peak, and I'm only one step away from Destiny Rank."
"This step is about whether it is close or far."
"If you only rely on yourself, the time of sleeping will be very long, maybe one hundred years, maybe two hundred years."
"During this period of time, Giant Royal Court will lose its king, and the gathered tribesmen may disperse again. Orc will take advantage of the situation, and Elf will find other allies. Those enemies who covet Giant Royal Court in the dark will show their fangs."
"I can't sleep for that long, there are too many uncertainties."
"It took me so many years to reunite the Giant clan and establish Royal Court. With my own territory, I can't let it all collapse while I'm sleeping."
Storm Giant is thoughtful.
"That's why you need the talent of Green Dragon Queen."
The ruler of Green Dragon Queen Seroel, Greenwild Kingdom.
She has a special talent that can shorten Dragonkin's sleep, which is no secret among Orotara's upper circles.
"Yes."
Halduen nodded, "Seroel can shorten Dragon's Slumber's time, and it can also shorten mine."
"As long as she is willing to help me, I can break through Destiny Rank in the shortest possible time. Her talent is useful for any Dragonkin, and it should also be useful for me who is half Dragonkin."
"But she is the ruler of a kingdom and has her own interests to consider. She will not help anyone for no reason."
"I need to make her let down her guard, trust me, and make her feel that helping me is worth doing. Pursuing her is the most direct way to achieve what I want at the minimum cost."
"This is not a noble reason, I know."
He said with a calm tone, without any intention of hiding anything.
"But in this world, when it comes to becoming a king or defeating a bandit, the process is not important, what is important is the result."
"If I can get her power and break through Destiny Rank, then it doesn't matter what I have done before or what price I paid. History is written by the victors. No one will care how you win, they only care that you win."
Solarton is silent.
He looked at Halduen's rough and cold face, trying to find some other emotions in it.
Angry, unwilling, or at least disappointed.
But he found nothing.
That face was like a rock cast by magma, hard and cold without any cracks.
"So what are you going to do now?"
he asked.
"Now?" Halduen asked.
Storm Giant said, "That Red Emperor, I have heard some rumors about him."
"If he is really with Green Dragon Queen, no matter how he pursues her, it will be useless."
Halduen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I know, so I'm going to change my approach."
He said calmly, "Remember my father? I told you about him."
Solarton nodded.
"Remember, you said that he is the leader of a small clan, with a bad temper and cruel methods."
Halduen rarely talks about his father, but occasionally talks about it.
"Facing a female who was disobedient to him, his actions seemed cruel and tyrannical at the time, and were despised by rational and intelligent creatures." "But what was the result?"
He stood up, opened his arms, and showed off his body.
"The result is me."
"An existence with the blood of Giant and Dragonkin, an existence that can compete with Destiny Rank at the Crown Rank level, an existence that will save the fate of Giant."
"Without my father's atrocities, none of this would exist."
"And I can only do better than him."
Hearing these words, Storm Giant whispered, "Your Majesty, if we want to take action against Green Dragon Queen, we must be careful about that Red Emperor. He will most likely not sit idly by. No matter what his relationship is with Seroel, he is now at the Greenwild Kingdom."
Halduen evoked a cold smile.
"Red Emperor, I've heard of his reputation."
"Red Emperor Pale Star The red emperor of Immortal Dragon, Atlant... His achievements are indeed brilliant, and they are almost the same as mine." "However, I crawled out of Theresia's corpse and narrowly escaped death. I have come to Orotara all my life, gathered the remnant people, fought with Orc, talked with Elf, and fought with Rage Beast. I have done so much, not to make way for anyone."
After a pause, he lowered his head and looked at Solarton.
"Throughout my journey, everything that stood in front of me has been reduced to ashes and dust."
"No one will be exempted."