Braketon Kingdom, Hidden Altar.
The blood cocoon that had been silent for many years began to tremble.
At first it was just a slight vibration, as if something was slowly squirming inside. Then the vibrations became more and more violent. Fine cracks appeared on the surface of the cocoon shell. Five-color light seeped out from the cracks, casting changing light and shadow in the dark belly of the mountain.
A low roar came from within the cocoon.
Immediately afterwards, a dragon claw covered with deep indigo scales stabbed out from the inside of the cocoon shell. The shape of the scales was completely different, as long and narrow as a blade, with fine serrations on the edges.
The dragon claw tore outward, and the blood cocoon made a sound like tearing cloth.
Another dragon claw also stretched out.
The two claws grabbed both sides of the crack and pulled hard to both sides at the same time. The cracks on the cocoon shell spread quickly, covering the entire surface like a spider web.
"Roar!!!"
With a deafening roar, the blood cocoon shattered completely, and the fragments scattered in all directions, just like Dragonling was reborn from the eggshell.
Lamorien came out of it.
His size was several times larger than before, and his already huge body was now even more majestic. Dark indigo Blue Dragon scales covered his whole body. Each scale trembled slightly, making a subtle crackling sound, and arcs of electricity kept jumping on the scales.
The most eye-catching thing is his wings.
The wing membrane became thick and tough, and was covered with branch-like lightning patterns, as if someone had directly imprinted the shape of a thunderstorm on it.
These lines are not decorative.
They are glowing.
Silvery white light flows in the lines, as if it will burst out at any time. Just a trace of escaped energy fills the surrounding air with a sense of anxiety, and from time to time, electric current shoots out of thin air.
His dragon horns also changed.
The iconic single horn originally located at the end of the nose has disappeared, replaced by three pairs of curved dragon horns, extending back from the top of the head, like a crown made of thunder and lightning. The surface of each dragon horn is covered with fine runes.
Language of Storms is the Divine Authority that Storm Dragon was born with in ancient times.
Lamorien lowered his head and looked at his paws.
He could feel the power flowing through his body.
Storms surged through his veins, thunder and lightning lurked under his scales, and he only needed a thought to summon the devastating Calamity.
"Power—unprecedented power."
He whispered to himself, his voice echoing in the heart of the mountain.
"This is Destiny Rank. This is Storm Dragon."
Lamorien knows that he has made a qualitative leap.
From Crown Rank to Destiny Rank, and became the real Storm Dragon.
Blue Dragon ranks second among Chromatic Dragon, but if we look at the major ones Dragonkin, its ranking is much lower.
Gold Dragon, red dragon, Silver Dragon, Iron Dragon, Amethyst Dragon----the average level of these dragons at the same level is generally higher than Blue Dragon, but now, Storm Dragon is ahead of Gold Dragon.
He could feel himself becoming more connected to the world.
The entire sky became an extension of his will.
Clouds, air currents, electric charges, everything becomes within reach.
"Do you feel it, my child?"
The voice sounded again, full of satisfaction and joy, like a mother watching her child finally grow up.
"This is the power you deserve."
"This is the true posture of Storm Dragon, Calamity walking, Overlord in the sky."
Lamorien raised his head and looked at the dome. His eyes penetrated the thick rock formations, as if he could see the sky outside.
"Yes, great mother."
He admitted, his voice low and hoarse.
"I feel it.
"Very good." The Dragon Queen's voice became solemn, "Then, my apostle, accept your mission."
"Walking the earth and spreading my fame."
"Establish my Temple in every city and every village, and let all intelligent creatures know the existence of Chromatic Dragon Queen. Let them pray to me, offer sacrifices to me, pay Blood Tax to me, and sacrifice their blood and souls in exchange for my protection."
"This is your first mission."
Blood Tax is a request made by the Dragon Queen to her followers, especially Dragonkin believers. For a notorious evil god like her, even Chromatic Dragon is not willing to believe in her from the bottom of his heart.
But Deity has many ways to gain faith.
For example, through fear.
Support a powerful apostle, force faith and Blood Tax, give gentleness to the obedient, reveal fangs and claws to the disobedient, and make them disappear into ashes.
This is the most common way for Immortal Dragon Queen to gain faith.
Lamorien was silent.
He could feel that something had changed deep in his soul.
It was not forced control, but a more subtle influence. His thinking was still clear and his will was still independent, but on some levels, he no longer completely belonged to himself.
After his death, he will belong to the Divine Kingdom, the Dragon Queen, and become her Eternal Realm's servant.
While alive, his decisions will also be affected by her will, like a puppet on strings.
But that's the price.
And he knew it before he accepted it.
"Great Mother, I promise you."
He said, his voice calm.
"The kingdom of Helmode Dragon Brood will first establish your Temple and spread your faith."
"My people will sacrifice to you and pay Blood Tax, and your reputation will echo over my territory."
"Very good, very good."
The Dragon Queen's voice was full of satisfaction.
"I knew you were a child worth trusting."
But then, her tone changed and became dangerous.
"There is a second mission, Lamorien."
"Please give me your orders."
"The ruler of the Aura Kingdom, Garos·Ignas, Red Emperor Pale Star, the red emperor, he was one of my most beloved children, just like you."
"However, he rejected my grace."
Hearing this, Lamorien's vertical pupils shrank slightly.
"Not only that, he was disrespectful to me."
The Dragon Queen continued, the temperature in her voice getting lower and lower.
"He rejected my grace and blasphemed my majesty. Such a sin is unforgivable."
"I want you to destroy Aura Kingdom and make him ask for my forgiveness."
"If he won't give in——"
The Dragon Queen paused for a moment, then continued.
"Kill him, skin and bones, let his flesh and blood become offerings on the altar, and let his soul suffer forever in my Divine Kingdom."
"This is the price he deserves."
Silence.
Lamorien stood there, motionless. The lightning patterns on his body were still glowing and making subtle crackling sounds, but his eyes became complicated.
"Mother, you want me to deal with Garos?"
he asked slowly.
"Yes."
The Dragon Queen's voice returned to that gentle tone, but Lamorien could hear the undoubted tone in it.
"He is your enemy, Lamorien."
"He took away the glory that should have belonged to you and Dragon Race's admiration for you. Now, you have the strength to take back everything that belongs to you and prove who is the true king worthy of leading Dragon Race."
Control the wolf and swallow the tiger.
One of the Dragon Queen's favorite methods.
When a child who deserves her most attention is too rebellious, she will support other weaker children and give them strong power to surpass the one she cares about most in a short period of time, thereby subduing them or directly destroying them.
The Dragon Queen's will spreads across many worlds.
At this moment, she was doing countless similar things at the same time.
Lamorien lowered his head and looked at his paws.
The deep indigo Blue Dragon's scale claws glowed with a faint light, and the lightning patterns shone brightly. He could feel the surging power in his body. This was the real Destiny Rank power, which he had dreamed of before.
But the strange thing is that he did not feel the ecstasy he imagined.
Instead, there is still a trace of emptiness.
"I refuse."
These three words came out of Storm Dragon's mouth and echoed in the empty mountain belly.
The dragon queen's voice stopped suddenly.
Then, a low vibration spread in the air, like the depression before a storm, the light flickered on and off, casting distorted shadows.
"What did you say?"
The Dragon Queen's voice was still gentle, at least it sounded like this, "My child, you have just received grace, are you going to disobey my will now?"
"It's not disobedience."
Lamorien raised his head and stared directly at a certain point in the void.
"It's rejection."
"Garos·Ignas, he has a chance to become Dragon Race's hope."
"I know that what he cares about is his own strength, not the strength of Dragon Race, but what is the result?"
"The result is that under his rule, Dragon Race has raised its head again; the result is that the entire Atlant Continent is talking about the majesty of the dragon; the result is that those Metal Dragon, those hypocrites who claim to be noble, have to face his existence."
Lamorien said seriously.
"Great mother, I have lived for thousands of years and endured for thousands of years just to see Dragon Race become great again."
"The existence of Garos is a good thing for Dragon Race. I don't care if he takes away my glory. I only care about the result. And the result is that no matter what his original intention is, he is gradually making Dragon Race the Overlord of this world."
He took a deep breath and his voice returned to calmness, but the determination in it did not diminish at all.
"So, I refuse."
"As long as Red Emperor himself is not my enemy, I would rather die with Bronze Dragon King and get a real Destiny Dragon Soul for you than deal with him."
"If you withdraw your grace for this----"
He closed his eyes.
"Then take it back, but I won't change this decision."
In Lamorien's view, almost all Evil Dragon value themselves too much, are selfish, and don't care about their ethnic group no matter how strong they are.
Metal Dragon people are too hypocritical and consider so-called justice and order in everything.
Garos is just right.
He has great ambitions, wisdom and strength, and indescribable charm. Whether it is Chromatic Dragon, Metal Dragon or other dragons, they will spontaneously gather around him.
This is destined to lead Dragon Race to glory.
This is something other dragons cannot do.
The Dragon Queen was silent.
The divine envoy will be affected by her will, but it does not mean that she has completely lost her thinking. Otherwise, a divine envoy who has completely lost her free will will not be able to do much for her.
She felt Lamorien's stubbornness.
He is a proven "racist fighter" and he firmly believes that the existence of Garos is a good thing for the entire Dragon Race.
His thoughts were so firm that they would not even be changed by the Dragon Queen's will.
The silence lasted for a long time.
The light in the belly of the mountain flickered on and off, and the air became heavy. Lamorien stood there, motionless, waiting for the Dragon Queen's Judgment.
Finally, the voice sounded again, faintly.
"You---- remind me of those Storm Dragon from ancient times."
The Dragon Queen said, "They are also so stubborn and proud that they dare to speak out even in front of their own mothers."
"This is not stubbornness."
Lamorien said, "This is the principle."
"Principles----"
The Dragon Queen laughed softly, without any hint of anger.
"Okay, my apostle, my child, I appreciate your principles and respect your choices, but you must also understand that you must pay a price for disrespecting me, otherwise where is my majesty?"
Lamorien said nothing, waiting for the next message.
"So be it."
The Dragon Queen said.
"You first complete the first mission, establish Temple in your kingdom, spread the faith, and collect Blood Tax. Let your people know that their king has received the favor of Deity, let them pray to me, and let me gain the soil of faith in this world."
"As for Garos----"
She paused.
"You can go talk to him first."
"In the name of Dragon Race's righteousness and in the name of jointly fighting against foreign enemies, let him agree to establish my Temple in the Aura Kingdom territory. If he is willing to compromise and recognize my status, then I can forget the past offenses."
Lamorien was silent for a moment.
"What if he refuses?"
he asked.
The Dragon Queen did not answer directly, but asked a question.
"Lamorien, my child, can you tolerate a disobedient who repeatedly blasphemes the majesty of his mother?"
Lamorien was silent again.
He thought about this question carefully.
Thinking that the Dragon Queen has already made concessions, from demanding the destruction of the Aura Kingdom to only demanding the establishment of Temple, if Garos still does not know how to praise and still refuses mother's kindness----
He was genuinely angry about this.
Countless lightning shot out from under the scales and crackled in the belly of the mountain. A strong impulse emerged in his heart, wanting to destroy the disobedient in order to defend his mother's honor.
This is the price of being an apostle.
His background is changing, and the Dragon Queen's stamp is branded on his mind.
He is gradually becoming a loyal follower of the Dragon Queen.
However, Lamorien still retains enough sense, and he is clear enough to realize that Garos will not allow Temple to appear on his land.
"I----"
Lamorien hesitated for a moment, thinking about his words.
"Great Mother, I will start with my own kingdom to gather faith for you, establish Temple, and collect Blood Tax. When this place stabilizes, I will go to Aura."
"If he refuses your mercy...
Blue Dragon's voice deepened and he spoke word by word.
"As your apostle, I will defend your sacred majesty at all costs."
When he said these words, he felt something resonating deep in his soul. It was the apostle's oath, his commitment to Deity, and the confirmation of his new identity.
"Very good."
The Dragon Queen's voice was neither fast nor slow, with a hint of satisfaction.
"I knew you were wise, Lamorien, you won't let me down."
"Go, my apostle, let all the dragons in the world know that their mother has returned, let the storm cover the land again, and let all creatures tremble in thunder and lightning."
"This will be your time."
Lamorien lowered his head deeply.
The runes on the dragon's horns glowed slightly, as if responding to the dragon queen's blessing.
When he raised his head again, the Dragon Queen's will had receded, the feeling of being watched disappeared, and silence returned to the belly of the mountain. Only the body and strength that had changed drastically were left, reminding him of everything that had happened.
He spread his wings.
The lightning patterns on the wing membrane lit up instantly, and the silver-white light illuminated the entire mountainside.
He could feel that clouds were gathering over the entire Braketon Kingdom, a storm was brewing, the charges in the clouds were responding to his call, and the airflow began to rotate under his will.
"Storm Dragon----"
Lamorien whispered.
"I will fulfill my mother's will, walk on the earth, and spread my mother's glory."
He waved his wings.
In an instant, Deep Indigo Blue Dragon's body crashed through the mountainside. All the way up, the rocks were shattered by thunder and lightning, turning into debris and flying everywhere. Light poured down from the cracked hole and shone on his brand-new scales, giving off a metallic sheen.
Lamorien soars among the clouds.
The wings were spread out, and the wingspan was wider than before. Thick dark clouds had covered the sky. It was the storm he caused and an extension of his will.
Thunder rolls, lightning flashes.
On the ground, countless intelligent creatures raised their heads at the same time and looked at the giant creature in the sky.
Helmode's dragons were the first to react.
They saw the familiar figure, but not completely familiar with it. They saw the wings covered with lightning textures, the crown that looked like it was made of thunder and lightning, and the body that was even larger and more majestic than before.
"It's the great Lord of Thunder."
"Destiny Rank? Our king has broken through Destiny Rank!"
"This feeling is, Storm Dragon?!"
The giant dragons exclaimed, with disbelief and ecstasy in their voices.
The humanoid creatures on the ground were lying on the ground, shivering. They didn't understand what was happening, but they could feel the suffocating pressure.
Lamorien heard these sounds.
He heard the exclamations of his people, the cheers of his subjects, and the fearful prayers of those weak creatures, and then he lowered his head and looked down at his kingdom and people.
From this moment on, everything will be different.
Temple will rise from the ground, faith will spread like wildfire, Blood Tax will become the norm, his will will be intertwined with that of the Dragon Queen, and his kingdom will become the stronghold of Chromatic Dragon Queen in Material Plane.
And Garos----
Lamorien looks south, in the direction of the Aura Kingdom.
"We will meet again, Garos."
He whispered, his voice blending with the thunder.
"By then, I hope you can make a wise choice."
"For Dragon Race, and for yourself."
The storm raged in the sky, and Lord of Thunder's figure disappeared deep into the clouds, leaving only rolling thunder that echoed endlessly over Braketon Kingdom.
The dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the sun began to shine on the earth again.
But everyone knows that this is only a temporary calm, and a new storm has arrived.