Small World's gray sky pressed even lower, as if a layer had collapsed due to the dragon's roar.
Garos stopped breathing.
The blazing flames gathered the last embers between the fangs, and he released Chromium Dragon from his claws, letting the body that had stopped struggling hit the black lava table heavily.
Bang.
The gravel exploded and the dust rose up and slowly fell down.
Claude lay on his side among the rocks, his limbs stretched stiffly for a moment, then curled up and collapsed like a puddle of mud.
Pain, anger, humiliation.
These emotions flashed alternately across his face.
But apart from that, there was still some unfinished feeling remaining in his consciousness.
After waking up a little, Chromium Dragon's chest was heaving violently, and hot smoke was seeping out from the gaps in his scales. His pupils refocused, and a trace of nostalgia flashed inside.
Garos crouched down.
"You think you are powerful and unyielding, Claude."
"You regard yourself as a tough guy who would rather die than surrender; you would rather die than bow to another dragon. You think you are strong enough, noble, majestic, and inviolable Dragon of Destiny.
He paused, raised his front paws, and gently tapped Chromium Dragon's snout with one finger.
"But actually, you're already on your knees."
"You are not kneeling before me, but you are kneeling before hunger. You have bowed down to it a long time ago."
Garos looked down at Chromium Dragon and continued, "You kneel in front of it, wagging its tail and begging for mercy. You bite whatever it tells you to bite, and you swallow whatever it tells you to swallow. It manipulates you like a puppet and completely controls everything about you."
"You think you are making the choice, but in fact it is choosing for you."
"You are not Dragon of Destiny, you are just a wild dog driven by hunger."
The sharp knife called truth pierces the defense.
"Shut up!"
Chromium Dragon had an angry look on his face, and a hoarse growl came out of his throat. His fangs came out and he scratched with his front paws.
Garos tilted his head slightly and looked at him calmly.
"You have been groveling for hunger for thousands of years, thousands of years, Claude, think about this number, and it only takes me a short time to pull you out of this Abyss."
"You've already tasted it twice."
"Just now, there was another time before, and I can see that you are completely addicted to the feeling of fullness. That is not an illusion. Your body has truly calmed down for the first time."
When Chromium Dragon mentioned the feeling of fullness, his breath caught in his breath.
There was still a sense of fullness in his body that had not subsided completely, and the warm and satisfying feeling made his stomach feel slightly hot. So, although he wanted to refute and say something to maintain his dignity, the words were stuck in his throat and he couldn't speak out.
Because his body doesn't lie.
The feeling of fullness was real, a peace he had never experienced before.
"Since you must surrender to something, hunger, or me, then surrender to me and get a new Overlord. What's wrong?"
"At least I won't leave you hungry forever."
Garos's whisper continued, ringing in Chromium Dragon's ears.
Chromium Dragon has no answer.
His lower jaw opened slightly, then closed again, and his fangs clashed together, making a crisp sound.
Red-Iron Dragon stood up and looked at him condescendingly.
"At the very least, I won't monopolize the glory."
Garos continued, "Follow me and I will share it with you. You can share the glory, merit, spoils, and everything that belongs to the winner."
"You are not my puppet, you can be my colleague."
"And Damnation is hungry----"
He tilted his head and glanced at Chromium Dragon's curled up body.
"It will only make you die slowly, becoming crazier day by day, until one day, you can't even remember your own name, salivating like Beast, crawling in the mud, and then die completely, leaving behind an empty shell and a story that has been ridiculed by countless intelligent races."
"Your name will not be remembered, only your ugliness will be remembered."
There was a moment of silence.
The wind blew across the platform, picked up fine dust, swirled between the two giant dragons, and then dispersed.
"Haha----you put it lightly."
Claude slowly propped up his upper body and supported his forelimbs on the gravel.
"What am I? The existence of Destiny Rank that stands almost at the top of Material Plane, Ancient Chromium Dragon, the great Deep Frost Tyrant."
"What are you? Just Crown Rank, not even Destiny Rank."
He raised his head, and the crazy look in his eyes faded a little, replaced by stubborn arrogance.
"You want me to surrender and grovel to a Crown Rank who is lower than me? Let me follow you and share your leftover prey like a follower?"
He bared his teeth.
"I, Claude, cannot do such a shameful thing. My pride is the only thing I have left."
Garos looked at him without getting angry.
"You look down on Crown Rank?"
"That's right!"
Claude said categorically, baring his fangs again.
"That's your problem."
Garos was very calm and said, "Crown Rank, who is one level below you, captured you alive. This is already a fact. You know it in your heart."
Claude retracted its fangs a little, but still stared at Red Iron Dragon.
Garos continued, "There is another matter. Not long ago, it involved two empires and two Saint Realm,
In the war between two Immortal One and one Divine Avatar."
"Crown Rank, whom you despised, personally ended the incarnation of the god that descended on Material Plane.
,, Claude was stunned.
His jaw opened slightly and closed again, and his tail swept back and forth among the gravel.
"----Lie, you lie!"
Then, Chromium Dragon's voice rose several degrees, and he yelled angrily, his breath coming out from between his teeth. "You expect me to believe such ridiculous remarks? Crown Rank kill Divine Avatar?"
"Not even the lowest Beast would believe this."
"You underestimate me too much."
"I'm just a little crazy, but not stupid!" He slapped the ground with his front paws, causing gravel to scatter. "Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think you can make me kneel down by just making up an epic poem?!"
Garos said without changing his expression, "I don't need to explain to you."
His eyes were dull, without emotion or anger.
Chromium Dragon stared at Garos, trying to find traces of lying on the face covered with dark scales.
But he found nothing.
There was no evasion or guilt in those eyes, or even any eagerness to convince him.
Is what he said true?
Claude is a little confused.
His reason told him that it was ridiculous for a Crown Rank to kill the incarnation of a god.
But on the other hand, he felt vaguely that he really couldn't treat the Red Iron Dragon in front of him with conventional levels.
He has personally experienced the opponent's strength.
If he could save himself from hunger and kill Divine Avatar as Crown Rank----
It doesn't seem impossible to surrender to him?
Claude was thinking rationally about this possibility when suddenly, the damn hunger came back.
Unknowingly, the satisfaction just now has completely faded.
The warm feeling of satisfaction withdrew from his body like an ebbing tide, replaced by the familiar emptiness and anxiety. The feeling of hunger surged up again, spreading along the blood vessels to the ends of his limbs, as if every muscle fiber was screaming for food.
His stomach contracted violently.
The lower jaw opened involuntarily, and the saliva pulled out silver threads from between the teeth, dripping onto the gravel and forming ice crystals.
Sanity is fading.
Madness surged into his eyes again, and bloodshot threads spread quickly, covering his eyeballs like spider webs.
He saw Red Iron Dragon's throat.
Very close.
Right in front of him.
Underneath the scales was warm flesh and blood, and he could almost smell the smell, the temptation exuded by life itself.
The next second, Claude's pupils shrank into two vertical slits.
He didn't think about it and instinctively jumped forward.
Then, a dragon claw struck from the side, holding a small Dragon Aura Bomb, and landed firmly on his forehead.
Boom!
Claude's vision went white for a moment, then darkened.
The last thing he felt was the rough texture of his face armor hitting the ground, and the bright light shooting out from between Red Iron Dragon's claws.
Shining, scorching, and destructive.
Then I don't know anything anymore.
Garos retracted his claws and looked down at Chromium Dragon lying among the gravel.
The posture of this Ancient Chromium Dragon is extremely disgraceful.
The limbs are spread out, the wings are half-expanded under the body, and the tail is crookedly resting on a raised rock, like a fish left to dry on the shore.
The fangs are still exposed outside the muzzle, but they no longer have any deterrent effect, and instead look a bit funny.
"My mental state is indeed unstable."
Garos said to himself.
He thought about what just happened.
"Chromium Dragon's eyes were obviously shaken when he heard that I killed the incarnation of the god."
"Reason told him that this was possible, and his pride also gave in. But then, hunger took over again, washing away the little bit of rationality he had just established. He was driven by instinct again and pounced on it desperately."
Garos looked at the unconscious Chromium Dragon thoughtfully.
Judging from his rich experience in controlling dragons, Claude has the possibility of being tamed.
He was sure of this.
But at the same time, he also knew that it was impossible to make him succumb with just a few words. This Ancient Chromium Dragon's pride and madness coexisted.
Ultimately, this is because of his abnormal mental state.
For example, a normal dragon would think that the gold content of his Crown Rank is higher than that of the normal Destiny Rank.
This is obvious logic. How can Crown Rank, which can capture Destiny Rank alive, be measured by ordinary Crown Rank?
But Claude stubbornly believed that bowing to Crown Rank would be a shame.
This way of thinking is abnormal.
"Once is not enough, then repeat it several times."
Garos was thinking in his mind, "According to the practices mentioned in the inheritance, the best way to treat bulimia is to make them feel full. After multiple courses of treatment, Gluttonous Dragon's mental state will gradually stabilize."
As he thought, he carefully flipped through the inheritance content.
Among them, I didn't find what I wanted to know.
Garos actually discovered that he also had some problems with his own mental state.
The uneasiness that always lingers in my heart, the tension that something is about to happen, and the inability to completely relax even in a safe environment.
However, Garos didn't pay much attention to this.
Just like the joke he made with Silver Dragon King.
In this chaotic and dangerous era, who lives in a high-pressure environment all year round, who doesn't have some mental problems? It's completely normal to be abnormal.
He stretched out his paws, grabbed the back of Chromium Dragon's neck, and picked him up.
Another claw tears open the space.
He carried Chromium Dragon and stepped into the rift.
Cold Sacred Spring.
Sunlight leaked in through the cracks, as bright as when Garos left.
Not much time passed.
Nereus was still sitting on the rock, staring at the lake in a daze, her posture barely changing. When she heard the sound of space tearing apart, the tips of her ears turned slightly, and then she turned her head.
She saw Garos carrying Ancient Chromium Dragon stepping out of the crack.
Chromium Dragon's head was drooping, his limbs were hanging in the air, and his tail was dragging on the ground. He was dragged all the way to the shore by Red Iron Dragon. He was in a coma. The injuries on his body were better than last time, but they were not light.
"How's the situation?"
Nereus asked, with a hint of curiosity in his tone, "Can you really tame a Destiny Dragon?"
Garos dropped Chromium Dragon on the ground with a muffled sound.
He glanced down at the unconscious Chromium Dragon, and then said, "Just now I let him taste the feeling of fullness again. He had a reaction, and it was very strong. His heart was obviously shaken, but his words were tough, and his spirit occasionally lost control."
"So?"
Nereus asked.
"So the possibility of success is not small. It just takes a little more time to let him experience the feeling of fullness repeatedly, so that the body can remember this feeling, so that reason can have more chips to fight against madness."
he said.
Nereus nodded gently.
"A Destiny Rank is worth your time." Her eyes fell on Claude and looked at her carefully, "And judging from his age, he has the possibility of breaking through the Immortal Realm."
At the level of Dragon Race Destiny Rank, Claude actually belongs to a very young group.
Garos Tap your chin lightly.
"It was mentioned in the intelligence assessment of this guy that he most likely has certain growth-related characteristics."
It is a growth-type characteristic, not an evolutionary type.
The basis for this judgment is that Claude has not had any significant changes in appearance or characteristics. His form has always been relatively stable, and there has been no sudden jump or mutation. The main reason is that his numerical values and levels have grown rapidly.
Nereus's eyes moved to Red Iron Dragon.
"Since the goal cannot be achieved in a short time----"
She asked, "What are you going to do next?"
"Stay here first."
Garos said very naturally, "Continue to seal him, I will come every once in a while."
Silver Dragon King was silent for a moment.
She looked at Garos faintly, and after a few seconds she said, "You mean, you knocked him out and threw him to me, and then let me continue to look at him?"
"Exactly."
Garos didn't change his expression, as if this was a natural arrangement.
Nereus looked at him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
"Do I still need to thank you for carefully providing me with the means to fight against death?"
Garos grinned, revealing the sharp tips of his teeth.
"That's not necessary. Dragon King and I don't need to be polite."
"Your health and sobriety are the well-being of the entire Dragon Realm. I am just doing my best."
Nereus looked at him and said, "Your visor is as thick as the city wall."
Garos was unmoved, "I just take this as a compliment."
Silver Dragon King shook his head slightly and sighed softly.
She stopped talking to Garos, stood up, walked to Chromium Dragon, stretched out a paw, grabbed the back of Chromium Dragon's neck, and dragged him toward the lake, dragging Chromium Dragon with him and sank together.
The lake surface returned to calm, with only a few ripples slowly spreading out.
"It's time for me to go back to Aura."
Red Iron Dragon raised his head and looked in the direction of his kingdom, thinking to himself.
But then, he narrowed his eyes slightly and looked in a certain direction of the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm.
"Before that,"
"I should fulfill my responsibilities as a father first and give more guidance to future generations."
he thought to himself.
So, Red Iron Dragon spread its wings and flew across the sky.
He accurately found the location of Gabriel through Blood Kin Link, and then, in a very enthusiastic way, taught Gabriel some combat skills through actual combat.
As for whether Gabriel enjoys this guidance, that is another question.
After being satisfied, Garos tore apart the space and left Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm.
Lain Plateau, Red Emperor Royal City.
Tear it apart!
The figures of Shatter and Red Iron Dragon jumped out of the space and appeared directly in Summit of the Dragon Court.
Wild wind hunting.
Garos folded its wings and landed steadily on the high platform with four claws.
At the highest point of the entire kingdom, he turned around and faced the vast territory, his tail slowly coiled around his side, and he crouched down.
Wherever you look, mountains and rivers spread out like a picture scroll.
Red Emperor Royal City fell in layers under his feet.
Further away, the fields on the plain were blown by the wind, setting off layers of green waves. The smoke from the towns was vaguely visible, and the wide business roads snaked through the wilderness, connecting prosperous settlements one after another.
There was no smoke, no burning villages, no broken legions running across the wilderness.
This continent is now a land of peace.
"It's more peaceful to return to your own territory."
Garos thought.
It didn't take long for him to go to Orotara.
From arriving at Southern Foothills Plain, participating in the war, to finally killing the god and retreating after its incarnation, to the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm sleeping and recovering,
Talking to Seroel in the dream, dealing with Claude, etc., all added up, it didn't take too long.
However, the tension in my heart is really relaxed here.
The raging war between Orotara, Elf and Orc is still going on, but in the Atlant Continent, at least within the territory of the Aura Kingdom, all races have achieved peaceful coexistence.
Countries occasionally have frictions and disputes.
But under the governance of Aura, it will not turn into a war, and the air here is filled with peace and tranquility.
And Garos actually likes peace and quiet.
But----his gaze shifted to the west.
West.
It's a different matter here.
Lord of Thunder's tyranny still envelopes the western land.
The oppressed kingdom is suffering under brutal rule, and the people live in fear and deprivation. Although the resistance organizations continue to launch struggles with the secret support of the Aura Kingdom, they cannot change the overall miserable status quo.
Expropriate, enslave, and kill.
This is a western theme.
However, Garos knows that this problem will be solved sooner or later.
It's just a matter of time, it's just a matter of how.
He temporarily suppressed his thoughts about the west and looked at his own territory again, with the shadows of clouds and the outlines of mountains and rivers reflected in his pupils.
At this time, the sound of wings breaking through the air came from behind.
Garos didn't look back, the smell reached his nasal cavity first, it was his blood relative.
Gordon landed on the edge of the high platform and folded its wings.
Iron Dragon's scales showed a deep black color after being quenched by fine steel in the sunlight, and the thorns on the back undulated slightly with breathing.
"Satellite detected a high-energy reaction suddenly appearing in Summit of the Dragon Court. I guess you are back."
"You guessed it right."
Garos said, still looking into the distance.
Gordon blinked and his eyes swept over Dark Red Iron Dragon's body.
His eyes lit up and he said in surprise, "The color of your dragon scales is now more like Iron Dragon. The overall color has changed a lot compared to before."
Very early on, the scale color of Garos was closer to Iron Dragon.
It has black as the base, with some frosted silver surrounding it, but there are some lava-like textures on the surface.
Later, as he grew and evolved, the color of his scales turned into a brighter red over a long period of time, closer to that of a red dragon.
And now, the color scheme of his scales is close to what it was at the beginning.
The main color is dark black, with deep red lines, like lava flowing between black rocks. This color makes him look calm and dangerous in the sun.
Saying that, Gordon took a few steps closer.
He glanced at the territory along Garos's gaze, and then turned back, his gaze becoming much more intense.
"You went to Orotara and killed a True God."
"This news has reached Aura."
"Is it true? It sounds exaggerated, but it's not groundless."
he asked, looking intently at Garos.
Garos nodded slightly.
"Really," he said, "But it was not True God that was killed, just Divine Avatar."
Hearing this, Gordon's pupils dilated slightly, and his nostrils flared to spit out hot air.
"Huh? It's really related to Deity?!"
"My dear brother, you are like the scorching sun in the darkness wherever you are, always able to create miracles."
He originally thought that the so-called killing of gods could only be an exaggeration.
Perhaps there was a powerful being disguised as Deity, who died under his brother's claws.
I didn't expect it to be really related to Deity. Although it is just an incarnation, the incarnation is also a part of the god.
Iron Dragon is very excited now.
Almost all the thorns on his body stood up, and his eyes were as bright as two stars.
"We, Aura Kingdom, now control three-quarters of Atlant, have Destiny Rank under our command, have many Crown Rank, and have an emperor who can kill Divine Avatar."
"Brother, it's time for us to take a step further."
He paused and looked at Garos with burning eyes.
"Aura is too big and has long surpassed the conventional kingdom. We should change our name to a more resounding name so that the entire Bernardo can recognize us again."
"For example, Sacred Aura Empire, Molten Iron Empire----"
His voice was full of longing, and he said, "I think these names sound more domineering and more in line with us, what do you think?"
Garos looked at his blood relatives and shook his head slightly.
"Now is not the time."
"A temporary victory is not worth announcing with great fanfare."
"The name of the empire is never self-proclaimed. When we reach this point, we will naturally obtain the corresponding title. There is no need to rush."
The giant dragon raised its head slightly, looking across the plains and mountains to a higher place.
"Besides, many things have not yet been resolved."
Gordon followed his gaze and looked over.
In the very high area of the sky, above the clouds, the outlines of huge cities can be vaguely seen floating there, like nails driven into the sky. "These Floating City have not had any problems for a long time."
19
Garos's voice was deep, and he said, "Demon, who invaded Atlant before, has died down and disappeared like the ebbing tide, but things will not end so easily."
After hearing these words, Gordon also calmed down.
The thorns slowly lowered, and breathing became calmer.
If Demon Calamity is not over yet, even if Holden is here, Aura Kingdom cannot take it lightly. He needs to remain vigilant at all times and be ready to deal with new threats at any time.
But if Demon Calamity is really over----
There is no room for two tigers in one mountain.
If the common threat disappears, the conflicts that were temporarily put aside due to the threat will resurface, and the relationship between the Aura Kingdom and Holden may become more complicated.
An empire entrenched in Material Plane.
In fact, more dangerous than Demon.
"Garos, my dear brother."
Gordon came back to his senses and looked at Red Iron Dragon seriously.
"No matter what the future holds, no matter when those Demon come, or when Holden becomes our enemy, I always believe in one thing."
Garos tilted his head, waiting for his next words.
"Under your leadership, we Dragons of Aura will surely be able to ride the wind and waves."
Iron Dragon's voice was steady and powerful as he said, "We will go further step by step, passing Abyss, crossing the mountains, and reaching a height that is beyond the reach of the enemy, so that they can only look up."
Garos smiled slightly.
He turned around, raised one front paw, and gently placed it on Iron Dragon's shoulder.
"If one day we achieve the goal you mentioned, it will not only be because of my leadership."
"You also have some credit for this."
"Sorog, Samantha, you, me——this will be our common glory."
Garos said.
Iron Dragon's body trembled and he lowered his head slightly.
Then, he raised his head again, grinned and said, "Counting the time, Sorog and Samantha should be waking up from their deep sleep soon."
"Tsk, they certainly didn't expect that so many big things would happen while they were sleeping."
Gordon is looking forward to the awakening of the two blood relatives.
On the one hand, he managed the kingdom on his behalf and was very busy with various things.
The originally strong body has almost lost weight due to this. Although the circle is not obvious considering the size of the dragon, it is definitely there.
He doesn't want to work so hard anymore and wants to return the responsibility to Sorog.
On the other hand, he felt he was doing pretty well.
When Sorog and Samantha fell asleep one after another, it was mainly out of helplessness that they entrusted the kingdom to him.
They probably don't have high expectations, they just think it's better than no dragon tube. When they wake up and see what Aura Kingdom looks like now, they will definitely be impressed by themselves.
At this time, he seemed to have thought of something, and he stopped smiling, "Brother, there is another important thing that I need to report to you."
Iron Dragon's voice was solemn and solemn as he said, "Lamorien, the apostle of the Dragon Queen, Destiny Storm Dragon, has suddenly become active in the west recently."
Garos narrowed his eyes slightly. "How often?"
Iron Dragon said, "In the past, things like suppressing and cleaning up disobedient people were left to his minions."
"Lamorien himself rarely leaves Temple. Sometimes he may not show up once in a whole year."
"But now, he is flying across the western sky almost every day, destroying all resisters with storms and thunder. The resistance organizations that could still be supported in the past are now being uprooted by him one after another."
"The speed is very fast, and the methods are much more ruthless than his minions."
Garos's eyes were full of thought.
"Since when?"
he asked.
Gordon thought for a while and said, "It should be when the news that you killed Divine Avatar was sent back to Atlant."
"It didn't take long."
"However, during the period after he began to take action personally, the fire of resistance in the West was gradually extinguished.
He paused and his voice became lower.
"Even with the secret support of our Aura, it can only delay time."
Garos's gaze shifted westward, over the mountains and rivers, and landed at the end of the western skyline.
He could see from his Eye of True Sight that the clouds in the western sky were lower than elsewhere, glowing with abnormal gray Blue Dragon, and there were thunderstorms flickering in and out, which was not a natural weather phenomenon.
"Gordon, why do you think Lord of Thunder chose to take action now?"
Garos looked to the west and said to Iron Dragon.
Gordon thought for a while, and the thorns opened and closed gently on the back.
"Maybe it's out of fear of you."
Iron Dragon said, "He may be using iron fist to harvest Blood Tax, sacrifice them, and then exchange them for more gifts from Chromatic Dragon Queen to gain stronger power, and then——"
He paused, his eyes sharpening.
"Compete with us for the dominance of the Atlant Continent."
In the eyes of Gordon, an existence of Lord of Thunder's level would definitely not be willing to remain entrenched in the west.
He has enough strength and the support of the Dragon Queen behind him, so he must also yearn for a wider land, and Aura Kingdom occupies three-quarters of the Atlant Continent's territory. In Lord of Thunder's view, this is probably the first target to capture.
Garos is noncommittal.
"Is this the Dragon Queen's will or his?"
After thinking for a few seconds, he calmed down and said to Iron Dragon, "Now that Lord of Thunder is standing in front of the stage, we are not far from the real war."
"But there's no need to be nervous."
"Even the fiercest storm, as long as it is my enemy, is destined to be ended by my claws."
So arrogant?
I like it!
Gordon discovered that Garos's personality had changed again.
But Gordon doesn't think there's anything wrong with it.
He thinks this is exactly what Aura Emperor should be.
The dragon's body is domineering as soon as it shakes, making enemies frightened and making the subjects more confident.
In comparison, the previous Garos was still too stable.
"Then let us prepare for the storm." Iron Dragon grinned, "No, let the storm prepare for us."
ps: It's the last day of double.
Please give me your monthly vote to defeat Qidian!