Under the deep sea, there is no sky.
Claude walked through the sea water, his huge body cutting through the icy water, and the edges of his scales glowed with a dull silver light. He was surrounded by vast darkness. Occasionally, a few biological fluorescent lights flickered past him, and then he was left behind.
He has been wandering in this sea area for a long time.
There is no direction or purpose, just swimming aimlessly.
Don't know where I'm going to swim.
I don't know what I want to do either.
This state has been going on for some time, and he has been like this since he escaped from the imprisonment of Red Emperor.
Soon after, Claude discovered a sea monster.
That thing was entrenched on the edge of a trench. Its tentacles were as thick as a thousand-year-old tree, and each tentacle was covered with lumpy carapace.
It noticed the approach of Claude, and immediately opened its huge mouth, revealing layers of ring-shaped sharp teeth, which were still squirming.
For other predators, this appearance alone would be enough to make them shy away.
But Claude is not another predator.
The battle ended quickly.
The sea monster's tentacles wrapped around his body, and its sharp teeth scraped white marks on Chromium Dragon's scales. Then, before the tentacles had time to tighten, they were bitten or torn to pieces by him.
Hunt ended in a very short time.
Claude bit into the sea monster's head and swallowed the brain and cartilage inside.
Then there are tentacles and pieces of tender meat under the carapace.
The sea monster's blood is Blue Dragon deep and almost invisible in the dark. The strong fishy smell fills the entire trench and spreads with the ocean currents.
Claude ate very carefully, leaving almost no residue.
After eating it whole, the hunger slowly subsided and the feeling of fullness gradually increased.
Since escaping from the captivity of Red Emperor, Claude has found that the hunger that has tortured him for a long time has become easier to subside.
Every time after eating something, the feeling of fullness will stay for a while.
Unlike before, hunger would come back soon after eating.
But, it's just that I'm full.
The satisfaction he longed for never came.
On the contrary, something stronger emerged from the bottom of my heart.
Emptiness.
This feeling is very strange.
It's not as sharp, urgent, and burning as hunger, but more like an endless void, like a shell that has been hollowed out, leaving only a hard shell with nothing inside.
Hunger tortured him though.
But as long as he keeps eating, he will always feel satisfied for a moment when he swallows the food.
Temporary, but at least it exists.
But now, this emptiness is following me like a shadow, and it is difficult to get rid of it no matter what.
Claude flicked its tail irritably, creating an undercurrent and stirring up the surrounding seawater.
He couldn't understand this feeling.
In the past, hunger was everything to him. He lived just to eat. After eating, he was satisfied. When he was satisfied, he continued to wander. When he was hungry, he continued to eat.
But it's different now.
I'm full, but still not satisfied.
Even more uncomfortable than before.
"What's going on----"
Claude muttered in a low voice.
He shook his head and turned his attention to Hunt.
Look around, sense open, and look for the next prey.
There is no shortage of huge but stupid creatures in the deep sea. Several deep-sea evil sharks are attracted by the smell of Bloodshed and are wandering in the distance, swimming around, waiting for a piece of the pie.
If it were in the past, Claude would rush forward without hesitation, tear them into pieces and swallow them together.
But now, he just looked at them without any disturbance in his heart.
"Damn."
He roared low in the water, and bubbles burst out from between his teeth and floated upward.
Chromium Dragon turned around and left, continuing to wander aimlessly.
I don't know how long it took.
The feeling of hunger reappeared, and the feeling of emptiness followed him, unable to shake off like a shadow. He tried to speed up, tried to dive deeper into the trench, and tried to find more powerful prey, but this feeling always existed.
"What on earth is it?"
He stopped, suspended in the dark water.
The water pressure around him was insignificant to him, but the emptiness pouring from the bottom of his heart made him breathless.
"I've had enough, I want to kill and be satisfied in blood and death!"
Claude had a look of madness in his eyes.
He was fed up with this inexplicable feeling.
Immediately, the dark silver body shot upwards like an arrow from a string, and the water flow screamed beside him. The water pressure gradually decreased as the altitude climbed, and the light gradually changed from pitch black, where one could not see his fingers, to hazy blue, and then to clear sea water.
Wow!
He rushed out of the water, causing a huge splash of water, and spread his wings. The wet wing membranes quickly dried in the wind, and the water droplets on the dark silver scales rolled down and fell back to the sea with a crackle.
Soaring straight into the sky, its huge body broke through the clouds.
Chromium Dragon Need to find something else to do.
Killing, destroying, using more intense stimulation to cover up the emptiness that made him irritated to the point of madness.
High in the sky, the moonlight covered the clouds.
Claude's gaze swept across the sea, his vertical pupils filled with bloodshot eyes, searching for anything that could be a target.
Suddenly, he caught something.
Elf's fleet.
The ship has a slender hull, tall masts, and a silver laurel coat of arms painted on the sails, which swelled in the night wind.
More than a dozen ships, large and small, lined up in neat formations, cutting through the waves on the sea. Their bows cut through the water, stirring up white waves. There were Elf walking around on the deck, and their silver light armor shone in the moonlight.
Claude's pupils shrank slightly.
The corners of his mouth opened unconsciously, revealing his fangs.
Very good.
Since Hunt cannot fill the void, let's try destruction.
He needs to hear the screams, see the blood, and feel the way those lives are trembling in fear. Maybe that kind of strong stimulation can cover the emptiness in his heart.
Chromium Dragon folded his wings and took advantage of the cover of the clouds to get closer.
Nausir Since Immortal Realm exists, it is necessary to attack their fleet quickly and violently. We cannot give them a chance for support to arrive, otherwise it may lead to catastrophe.
He knows this clearly.
Being able to be wanted by Nausir for many years and still survive, and even survive to Destiny Rank, Claude, is not just luck.
At this moment, the sea breeze brought some sounds.
"----Have you heard about Red Emperor?"
Claude paused for a moment, his vertical pupils contracted slightly, catching the few words floating from the fleet, and the speed of waving his wings slowed down.
Elf people don't know that there is a giant dragon hanging above their heads.
They stood on the deck, chatting in twos and threes, in a relaxed tone, talking about the latest happenings.
"Of course, the whole Atlant went viral, and the news came to us."
Another voice sounded and said, "That Red Emperor Pale Star apostle who personally defeated the Dragon Queen is now a well-deserved Lord of Atlant. Hey, who would have thought that under the Holden Empire's Floating City, such an overlord could rise?"
"That's not true."
Another Elf spoke up, sighing, "When Red Emperor first founded the country, who could have imagined that he would reach this point? At that time, many people thought that he was just a flash in the pan and would be swallowed up sooner or later."
Garos When the country was first founded.
Because it had been a long time since the dragon had established a country, news had reached Orotara, but not much attention had been paid to it. But now, his path has been completely uncovered, and all empires are paying great attention to him.
At this time, Elf asked, "I heard that the battle was very fierce?"
"No, the version I heard is that after Red Emperor Pale Star defeated Storm Dragon, he then fought with the Dragon Queen who came to Material Plane. In the end, he not only won, but also beat the Dragon Queen to the point where she knelt down and begged for mercy."
"Kneel down and beg for mercy? You are exaggerating, that is Deity."
"What an exaggeration? My cousin, a Wood Elf, heard it with his own ears at Atlant. It is absolutely true."
"Evil Dragon God is here too? Is it true?"
"Of course it's true. How can I lie to you? So now people outside call him Blasphemer. What do you think Red Emperor Pale Star is? He's obviously not even Immortal Realm, so why do you dare to challenge Deity?"
"Who knows, but he has a good relationship with our Nausir."
"He's become stronger, which is a good thing for us, at least now."
One Elf gloated and said, "That's right. Moreover, even if this Red Emperor becomes trouble in the future, Holden will be the one who has the biggest headache."
The conversation continues.
Claude stopped approaching and listened quietly.
His body was hovering in the clouds, his wings slowly flapped to maintain altitude, and his scales glowed coldly in the moonlight. The crazy murderous intention before had faded away bit by bit when he heard these conversations.
Blasphemer?
Beat the Dragon Queen until she begs for mercy?
"As expected of Red Emperor Pale Star who can capture and imprison me."
Claude subconsciously puffed up his chest and raised his tail unconsciously.
The feeling of emptiness disappeared at this moment.
Instead, there was almost instinctive pride, as if he himself had been praised.
Immediately afterwards, when Claude came back to his senses and realized what he was thinking, the entire dragon froze, its vertical pupils widened, and their pupils shrank violently.
What is he doing?
Is he proud of other people's achievements?
That's not his own ability at all, it's the ability of the dragon who imprisoned him.
Red Emperor Pale Star is his powerful enemy, his prisoner, his--what exactly? He can't explain clearly. But how can he be proud of the achievements of his powerful enemy?
This is not right.
This is totally wrong!
Claude's mind was in a mess.
He hovered in mid-air in silence, the sea breeze passing under his wings.
The Elf fleet sailed slowly under his feet. The conversation on the deck had turned to other topics, but he didn't listen to a word.
The Elfs on the deck are still chatting.
In the sky, Chromium Dragon took a deep breath and realized why he was empty.
Hungry and madness were never his original wishes.
It was okay before, because he had never felt recognition and satisfaction, so he could let himself Damnation and numb himself by Hunt and eating day after day.
Just like having never seen the light, you can better endure the darkness.
As for now----
Having already experienced the shining light, he could no longer bear his own state.
That feeling of recognition, of being respected, or even of being commanded?
Chromium Dragon I don't know how to describe it.
Immediately, he lowered his eyes and glanced at the Elf fleet, and saw the silver sails filled with wind, and the figures of the Elfs coming and going on the deck.
Chromium Dragon suddenly had no interest in the target he originally planned to tear into pieces.
Those screams and blood probably couldn't make up for his emptiness.
Immediately afterwards, Chromium Dragon folded its wings and silently fell to the sea surface again, then dived into the deep sea and swam away in the direction of Atlant.
Small World.
Red Iron Dragon was hanging low in the sky with one claw raised high, and between his sharp claws was a huge upside-down mountain. Thick shadows covered a large area of land, and gravels continued to fall, making a dull sound when they fell to the ground.
His muscles were tight and bulging, and his textured scales were looming.
The dragon slowly lifted it up and lowered it again and again, and the shadow of the mountain peak moved accordingly.
The power of Spell-Annihilating Claw wraps it up completely, preventing it from falling apart and maintaining a huge whole.
While exercising.
Red Iron Dragon's eyes showed a thoughtful look, and he was thinking thoughtfully while holding up the mountain peak.
"Deborah describes my current mutated form as being like the Dragonkin overlord from ancient times."
"Unruly, powerful, arrogant----"
"Although I think I am quite normal and not arrogant or arrogant, the description of Deborah is close to a certain extent."
It has been some time since the mutation occurred to this state of Second Shining.
However, Garos has not given it a name yet.
After thinking of the previous description of Deborah, he thought for a while, and then gradually came up with a suitable idea.
"Hyperflash Overlord Form."
He pronounced the name.
"It can also be simply called Super Flash Form, or Overlord Form."
Just like Garos himself has many names, he is willing to give this quite powerful form multiple names.
After all, it is not on the same level as Sky-Rending Form and Ashen Annihilation Form. Although Sky-Rending Form and Ashen Annihilation Form are also very strong, there is still a clear gap compared with this form.
Even he himself felt that the power of this form was a bit exaggerated.
Especially the mechanism that can Second Shining is almost a qualitative change.
Garos Lift the mountain and lower it, feeling the stretching and contraction of the muscles.
After a while.
He grasped the peak of the mountain with both claws at the same time and lifted it upside down, as if he was deadlifting a huge barbell. All the muscles on his back were tightened, forming bulging lines.
That's it.
After exercising the back muscles for a while in a manner similar to deadlifts, Garos gradually released the grip of its claws and dropped it back to the earth.
There was a roar.
The huge mountain peak returned to its original position, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Red Iron Dragon did not show a satisfied expression after the exercise as usual. Instead, he shook his arms and paws and wrinkled the scales on his forehead slightly.
His training results were not ideal.
On the one hand, Super Flash Overlord Form's physical attributes are too high.
The difficulty of taking the next step forward is much higher than going from low to high.
On the other hand, as Garos itself Life Level continued to improve, getting closer and closer to the limit of Material Plane, he gradually could not find a suitable way to exercise.
At the very beginning.
With a stone and a big tree, Garos can happily exercise all day long.
Lifting weights, running, hitting mountains and ground.
Everything makes him feel the joy of growing up.
Now----
If he hadn't controlled himself a little, the entire giant mountain would have shattered in a short time. After lifting it for a while, many cracks had already appeared on the mountain. If it weren't for the power of Spell-Annihilating Claw to maintain it, it would have collapsed long ago.
If he hits the ground without any scruples, Small World will be completely penetrated by him.
And don't talk about this Small World.
Looking at the entire Bernardo, there are not many suitable venues for Garos to exercise. His body would fall apart when he moved casually, and the mountains and rivers could not bear his strength.
Fey Wilds?
If you cause too much damage in this close-to-nature plane, you will easily get Deity's iron fist.
"Most of the dragons in Immortal-tier do not stay in Material Plane."
"In addition to being suppressed and weakened by Material Plane, it is probably also related to the fact that Material Plane is too fragile."
Garos thought to himself.
Fortunately for the Immortal Realm from races like humans, their strength does not rely mainly on their bodies, as they can better contain their strength.
Dragonkin of Immortal-tier stays in Material Plane, just like Giant lives in a narrow bottle. He has to be careful and curl up in everything he does.
If you are not careful.
If you turn over casually while sleeping, your nest may collapse.
"It's okay now. I can make do with it, but it's less efficient. But when I get to Destiny Rank, this will become a more troublesome problem."
Garos's thoughts were like lightning, and he suddenly raised his head and looked at the sky.
The sky of Small World is dark, with no stars visible, like an endless curtain.
But that's not what he was thinking about.
Planets capable of the birth of life are very rare and rare, and only one in a billion. They are often relatively fragile.
But in the cosmic Material Plane, not only Living Planet exists, but also those cosmic wonders or special celestial bodies that make Legendary Realm and even Immortal Realm feel dangerous, which are forbidden areas for life.
For example.
Mentioned in Dragon Inheritance.
One of the ways the gods sealed Wild God was to severely injure it and then throw it into a Black Hole in Material Plane.
And it's not just Wild God.
Relying on the rules and restrictions of Material Plane itself and the celestial bodies in the universe, there are many gods and demons that are difficult to kill, and they will be sealed in a similar way, which is simple and efficient.
"After waiting for me Destiny Rank, you can go to Cosmic Starfield to exercise."
"The sun, Neutron Star, Electromagnetic Nebula----they are all excellent training grounds for me. Sooner or later, I have to travel and experience those stars and the sea."
Garos made a decision, then looked back.
The universe itself is dangerous.
Among the entire Bernardo, only Nausir Empire chose to explore the universe, and as a result, Rage Calamity was attracted.
However, after Garos becomes Destiny Rank, although it is still not possible to roam freely among Cosmic Starfield, it can at least avoid most risks and not walk on thin ice.
Immediately afterwards.
Garos took out Space Crystal and stared at the meteorite sealed inside.
"There is still one meteorite left, do you want to use it?"
Garos thought for a moment, rejected the idea, and took the meteorite back.
The exercise effect of Super Flash Overlord Form is not ideal.
If it is mutated again, it may bring about a more flexible structure and a form that is easier to polish, but this is only one of the possibilities. The mutation may also fail and push him into a bad situation.
After all, he had just drawn SSR, so he didn't think he was lucky enough to have top-notch mutated forms in a row.
What's more, there are powerful enemies watching.
Super Flash Overlord Form also has many shortcomings. The fighting method is lack of singleness. He relies on strength to fly in everything and lacks variety. However, he has to admit that this form can bring him a strong sense of security.
Especially at this stage.
Storm Dragon Although he is dead, there are still countless pairs of eyes around him still staring at him, waiting for him to reveal his flaws and make mistakes.
After thinking about it for a while, Garos is not prepared to make any new mutations.
He has another plan.
Garos is going to use a gentler method, by slowly absorbing the Frenzied Flame in the last meteorite, against its own adaptation and correction, so as to maintain Super Flash Overlord Form for a longer period of time.
If you can enter deep sleep with Super Flash Overlord Form, and at the same time, absorb the Tear of Immortality left by Archdemon.
When he breaks through Destiny Rank, he may be able to adapt to and retain some of the power of this form. Even just a part of it will be enough to take his basic state to a higher level.
"The Divine Power prototype of Slaughter Archdemon is related to form transformation. I hope it can bring me a little surprise in the end."
Thinking of this, Red Iron Dragon gradually converged his thoughts.
There are no shortcuts on the road to becoming powerful, he understood this a long time ago.
If it's not efficient, then keep repeating it.
If it's boring, use your willpower and patience to endure it.
Garos focuses on training and strengthening. Just like Adolescent Dragon, he has no distractions and silently polishes his scales and claws day and night.
A few days later.
Garos completed the last round of exercise and came to the high altitude of the kingdom, hovering among the flowing wind and floating clouds, overlooking the land of Atlant.
The distant skyline is vaguely visible in the fog.
The cities, fields, rivers, Aura, Mountain Range, spread out into a huge picture in his field of vision, and now it has expanded beyond the end of his sight.
The midday sun illuminates the plateau golden.
On the plain extending to the west, the river meanders like a ribbon, reflecting the sun and nourishing the towns dotted on both sides.
Those Western States that were originally under the tyranny of Storm Dragon, now also rise Red Dragon Banner of Aura, hunting and fluttering in the wind.
At this time, the sound of wing membranes cutting through the airflow came from behind.
Iron Dragon Sorog climbed up from below.
After he arrived at Red Iron Dragon's side, he folded some of his wingspan, maintained his position, and adjusted the frequency of flapping his wings to be consistent with Garos's, so that his voice could be heard more clearly.
"Things in the West are basically over."
Sorog looked to the west and said, "After the war, our legions arrived quickly and are taking over the entire western territory. It is much smoother than I expected."
"Western States signed Dominion Treaty one after another, scrambling to be the first to recognize Aura as the suzerain. Some people even sent envoys with credentials to intercept our legion commander halfway for fear of being a step too late."
Garos tilted his head. "Squabbling?"
"That's right."
Iron Dragon raised the corners of his mouth and said with a smile, "As soon as Storm Dragon died, Western States immediately submitted his petition to us, each one faster than the other, for fear of falling behind."
"Obviously, they know who Atlant's Overlord is."
"When Storm Dragon was alive, they were afraid of Storm Dragon and did not dare to resist. Now that Storm Dragon is dead, they are afraid of us, or in other words, you."
Garos nodded slightly, and then asked, "Where is Helmode Dragon Brood? How is the placement going?"
Sorog's expression became more serious.
"Those below Legendary Realm have been dispersed and relocated to various base areas of Aura."
"Northern Frontier, Southern Domain, east and west, each place is divided into groups. The number is carefully controlled to prevent them from forming a group in any place. So far, the integration is going smoothly."
"Some dragons even behave quite actively, probably wanting to prove their position through actions."
"There were also a few people who had some emotions and were not satisfied with the dispersed arrangements, but they didn't cause any waves."
He thought about it carefully and made sure there was nothing missing.
Garos asked, "What about those above Legendary Realm?"
Sorog thought for a while and said, "Legendary Realm The dragon cannot be placed casually, and at this level, thoughts and beliefs have been fixed, and it is difficult to change through education. At present, we can only focus on observation first."
He paused and continued.
"However, after the death of Lord of Thunder, his two remaining blood relatives have the highest status among Helmode Dragon Brood."
"Their attitude will directly affect other Legendary Realm."
"Alvia was very cooperative and helped comfort other Legendary Realm; Terragon, although not as active as her, did not show any hostility."
"Anyway, it's not a big problem overall, as long as you're here."
That last sentence is the key.
Garos was not modest and said, "As long as I am here, there is no need to worry about their loyalty."
"Of course."
Sorog looked down at the earth and continued, "After the destruction of Brackton, Aura has become the most powerful kingdom on the surface of Atlant. No matter in terms of the size of the army, the number of the Legendary Realm, or the territory actually controlled, no other kingdom can compare."
Having said this, Iron Dragon paused and raised his gaze to a higher place.
"But that's only on the surface."
"The sky still belongs to Holden."
Garos also raised his head, looked above the clouds, and said, "Sooner or later, the sky will be ours."
Iron Dragon nodded heavily, but then he seemed to remember something and his jaw tightened.
He stared at Garos and said, "I am actually a little worried about the future, and not only because of Holden."
Garos asked, "What's that for?"
"Because of you."
Iron Dragon said in a deep voice, "Garos, my dear brother, you are shining so brightly now."
He took a deep breath and said seriously, "Who can allow two suns in the sky? The light you emit will illuminate the path forward for your followers, but it will inevitably attract countless malicious looks."
Garos smiled lowly.
He raised his head slightly and said in a calm voice, "This is inevitable, but just like the blazing sun will not shrink from the attention of insects and ants, I will not shrink from the bugs hiding in the shadows."
Sorog knows very well that Garos is very talkative at this time.
Therefore, he did not argue anything and just said, "When you are awake, you are naturally fearless to crush any enemy who dares to appear in front of you."
"But sooner or later you have to fall asleep."
"At that time, all the beings who fear you, hate you, and covet you will appear from all over the place and swarm you like sharks that smell Bloodshed."
"They won't pass up this opportunity."
It might be dangerous if you fall asleep next time.
This is what Sorog is really worried about. When Garos is around, Aura is invulnerable, but as soon as he closes his eyes, things hidden in the dark will come out.
Red Iron Dragon listened quietly, his expression not changing much.
"I know, I have been preparing in advance for this."
Sorog was about to ask, when Garos's eyes suddenly focused, turning from calm to sharp, like two sharp blades pulled out of their sheaths, thrown in a certain direction, and landed at a location that Sorog could not see directly.
Iron Dragon followed his gaze and saw nothing.
Clouds, mountains, rivers, woods, everything is as usual.
Sorog asked, "What's wrong? Is there an enemy approaching?"
The corners of Red Iron Dragon's mouth slowly raised, revealing a row of sharp teeth. "No, it's one of the insurances I prepared, here it comes."
After years of treatment, he almost cured Claude's Infinite Gluttony Psychosis.
In addition to the traditional treatment plans recorded in the inheritance, Garos also used other methods.
For example, fight fire with fire.
Create a new mental problem through implantation to cover the original mental problem.
Sorog followed Garos's gaze and looked again, but still couldn't see anything.
But he didn't ask, he just folded his wings and stepped back some distance to leave room for Garos.
At the same time.
Red Iron Dragon flapped its wings, and its huge body swooped down from the sky.
The airflow exploded beside him, the mountains, rivers and rivers zoomed into his field of vision, and the originally fuzzy details became clear.
The other side.
A figure just emerged from the dense bushes.
That's a jackal.
The gray-brown fur is stained with broken leaves and mud. The pointed ears are erect and rotate from time to time to capture the surrounding sounds. The tail is drooped and the tip of the tail is slightly swinging. The body is larger than the ordinary jackal. The steps are steady and the muscles are undulating under the fur.
He stopped, poked his head out from the shadow of the beech tree, and raised his neck.
Red Emperor Royal City stands majestically in the sunshine. On the city wall, Red Dragon Banner of Aura buzzes in the strong wind at noon. Dragon Court further away towers into the clouds, glowing with a dull luster under the sunlight.
Viewed from the jackal's small field of vision, this city exudes a terrible sense of oppression.
But he knew very well that this was the power given by Red Emperor entrenched within it, rather than masonry and steel.
After Claude came to Atlant, through the disguise of Shapeshifting Spell, he passed many Aura cities along the way, and finally came to the area around Red Emperor Royal City.
Along the way, he saw and heard a lot, which became more and more incredible.
"How can a Evil Dragon rule such a magnificent country? At the same time, he is respected and loved by countless intelligent creatures?"
Jackal thought in his heart.
He has seen many powerful Evil Dragon.
They rule the territory and enslave the weak, but none of them can do this to this extent.
Evil Dragon's territory is either deserted, chaotic, or both, but this is different. The city here is in order, everything is in order, and the whole country is prosperous.
Claude I don't understand at all how this is done.
How can a Chromatic Dragon and Ferrous Dragon hybrid do what Metal Dragons dream of but cannot do?
At this time, the sky suddenly darkened, like the shadow of a giant beast covering the place.
Boom!
Red Iron Dragon fell in front of the jackal and got down on all fours. The air flow was pushed away, kicking up a circle of dust visible to the naked eye, blowing the surrounding shrubs outwards and falling over. Some small branches were broken by the air flow, making a snapping sound.
He folded his wings, lowered his head, and stared at the jackal in front of him.
The jackal raised his head.
Red Iron Dragon stood in front of him, his semi-erect body blocking the sun at noon, casting a thick, ink-like shadow on the jackal's body. The red scales showed an almost black color in the backlight, and there were some exquisite patterns on them.
The appearance has changed greatly.
Compared with the last time we met, Garos's body shape, scale color, and detailed features have all changed significantly, and even the texture of his temperament is different.
But Claude is already very familiar with Red Emperor.
The moment their eyes met, he could conclude that the person in front of him was the person he wanted to see.
There can be no mistake.
Only Red Emperor Pale Star can give him that contradictory feeling that makes him want to escape and get closer at the same time.
"Claude, I have forgiven you."
"Why did you appear in my territory?"
Red Iron Dragon looked down at him and asked.
"I want to ask you, what did you do to me?"
Claude's voice was squeezed out of his throat, somewhere between a dog's bark and a dragon's roar. Shapeshifting Spell affected his voice, making his voice sound a little strange.
"I return to the sea and the sky without any seals or cages."
"But I feel no pleasure, only emptiness, an emptiness that is more torturous than hunger!"
The jackal leaned forward, bared its fangs, and let out a low growl from its throat.
"Did you perform some spiritual trick on me? Some kind of curse? Some kind of subconscious imprint?"
"Why else would I feel proud when I hear your name? Why, after gaining freedom, can I not help but throw myself into a trap?!"
While roaring, light emerged from the jackal's body.
Claude wants to regain his true form, and looks at Red Iron Dragon as equals as Destiny Dragon.
"Stop."
Garos raised one front paw and said.
The tone was not serious, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.
Claude's movements froze.
His body instinctively obeyed this order, the light faded, and the swollen body collapsed again. He didn't even have time to think about why he wanted to stop, his body had already reacted first.
Just like at Small World.
Whenever Garos raised his claws, he would subconsciously shrink his neck and retract his bared fangs.
"That's good."
Garos retracted his claws and said, "Claude, I have given you freedom. You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want, but if you don't know how to cherish this freedom, I won't mind sending you to death."
"The choice is entirely yours, always."
The jackal's breathing became rapid, and his chest heaved violently.
Its claws dug into the ground, leaving traces on the ground, as if it was struggling.
Finally, as if it had figured out something, it raised its head. There was no madness in its eyes, and it was as awake as a normal dragon.
"You gave me freedom, I won't deny it."
"But, it's not enough!"
Garos tilted his head slightly and asked, "Not enough?"
"Yes, it's not enough." Jackal repeated, "It's not enough to just give me freedom."
The open forest fell into a brief silence. Sunlight leaked through the gaps in the tree crowns, casting mottled light and shadow on the open space between them. The light and shadow swayed gently with the breeze.
Red Iron Dragon lowered his eyes and asked, "Tell me, what else do you want?"
The jackal is silent.
Half a minute later, he slowly opened his mouth and said very clearly, "Recognition, praise, enrichment and satisfaction of mind and body."
When saying these words, Claude felt relieved.
He knew how weak those words sounded, like a complete coward, but he didn't care.
Opposite me, Garos's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I can give you these, the recognition, praise, enrichment, and satisfaction you want, I can give you. But, Claude, you should know very well that everything has a price."
He paused and asked, "What can you give?"
The jackal's body tensed.
He has been prepared.
But when it comes time to speak, it's still a little difficult. My throat feels tight and my tongue feels like it's tied up.
So, he slowly closed his eyes.
After taking a few deep breaths, when I opened my eyes again, all the hesitations had disappeared and I finally made up my mind.
The jackal lowered his head, and his gray-brown head drooped little by little. His pointed ears were pressed against the side of his head, his tail was pressed against the ground, his limbs were slightly bent, and his whole body lay low until it was close to the soil, and the tip of his nose almost touched the fallen leaves and gravel on the ground.
"I have no wealth or territory, and I am always wandering alone in this world."
"So, I can only give myself, the loyalty and strength of a Destiny Dragon."
The voice came from under the drooped head and continued, "I, Claude, am willing to be loyal to you, the red emperor of Aura, Garos·Ignas, and become your vicious dog and your minions, tearing apart all obstacles for you and devouring all enemies."
"Don't ask about the reason, don't ask about right or wrong, just ask about your will."
"This is all I have, and it's all the price I can give."
After the sound fell, the forest became quiet.
Garos looked at the low-lying jackal in front of him, with a satisfied smile on his lips.
He slowly retracted his semi-upright posture, bent his forelimbs, and sank his body. He raised one front paw, and the tip of the giant paw lightly touched the jackal's head.
"Raise your head."
The jackal raised his head as he was told, and the figure of Red Iron Dragon was reflected in his field of vision. In the backlight, the outline of Red Iron Dragon seemed to be wrapped in flames.
"I will be above all things."
He said, "My glory will envelop you, Claude, as your shelter and home, and you will become part of a whole greater than yourself."
The jackal's body trembled slightly.
At the same time, Red Iron Dragon removed his paw from the jackal's forehead, slowly raised it, and pointed to the sky. The sun's disk burned behind him at noon, coating his silhouette with a golden halo, so bright that the jackal could hardly open his eyes.
"I am like the blazing sun, and my followers, including you, will be the stars surrounding me."
"Loyalty will be rewarded and glory will be shared."
"You are no longer a lonely soul in the deep sea, the hungry Beast. From this moment on, you are my vicious dog, the minion of the Aura Kingdom.""
"Claude, you won't feel empty anymore, I promise."
The sound was majestic and solemn. It was clearly close at hand, but it seemed to come from a distant place in the sky.
The jackal raised his head, and felt as if a thousand-foot-high light was shining, more dazzling than the Material Plane sun. It swept over him, and the accompanying sense of emptiness was driven away, and even the feeling of hunger no longer emerged.
He closed his eyes and allowed the light to engulf him.