Chapter Summaries

Garos encountered a Cliff Serpent Dragon and tried to avoid a fight, but the creature detected him and pursued him through the sky. Garos fled while testing his attacks and the Serpent Dragon’s burst of speed, leaving the chase unresolved.

• Garos spotted the Cliff Serpent Dragon, weighed the dangers of its poison and curse, and hid rather than attack.
• The Cliff Serpent Dragon sniffed out Garos, who flew from the clouds and headed away from it.
• The Cliff Serpent Dragon chased Garos and attacked him with Lava Dragon Breath, but Garos dodged the blast.
• Garos fired explosive scales at the pursuer, scorching it and piercing its underside with poisonous fragments.
• The Cliff Serpent Dragon surged forward in a burst of speed, and Garos recognized that his own burst techniques were lacking as it closed in.

Garos wounded the Cliff Serpent Dragon but fled before its poison could overwhelm him, leaving it to vent its fury on the Gray-Mane Werewolf Tribe. The old Werewolf Shaman considered seeking help from the Dragonkin as his tribe faced the danger of Rogus.

• Garos severed one of the Cliff Serpent Dragon’s tails, but its poisonous blood numbed his wing, so he retreated before the fight became too dangerous.
• Unable to catch Garos, the wounded Cliff Serpent Dragon returned to the Gray-Mane Werewolf Tribe and demanded living prey.
• Rogus attacked and ate an adult Werewolf, but the old Werewolf Shaman used his authority to make it return to its cave.
• The old Werewolf Shaman regretted hatching and raising Rogus, while the Werewolf chieftain urged him to kill it or abandon Crescent Moon Valley.
• The old Werewolf Shaman remembered the Dragonkin that had wounded Rogus and considered borrowing its power.

Garos returned to Conifer Valley with a severed Cliff Serpent Dragon tail after its poisonous blood wounded his wing. As he began testing the venom on himself, Vera and Samantha watched, and Vera started recalling Garos’s unusual habits.

• Garos found a severed Cliff Serpent Dragon tail whose poisonous blood corroded the ground, then flew back to Conifer Valley.
• Vera woke from a nightmare about Serpent Dragons, smelled the venom on Garos, and worried over his festering wing wound.
• Garos reflected on the danger of Serpent Dragon poison and refused Vera’s suggestion to cut away the damaged flesh.
• Garos coated his wing blade with the severed tail’s poisonous blood, while Vera anxiously circled him.
• Samantha arrived and told Vera that Garos’s dangerous behavior was one of his usual hobbies, prompting Vera to begin sharing what she had seen him do.

Garos recovered from the Cliff Serpent Dragon’s toxic blood and considered ways to improve his poison resistance and explosive speed. When the Fairy Dragon revealed that the Cliff Serpent Dragon had marked him and could track him, Garos flew to Crescent Moon Valley to strike first.

• Garos used diluted toxic blood to treat his wings, and Samantha and the Fairy Dragon watched over him while he recovered.
• A week later, Garos found that the toxic stains had faded and planned to return to Crescent Moon Valley to gather poison and venom for training.
• Garos thought about developing an explosive burst of speed by evolving a jet-like structure in his wings.
• The Fairy Dragon used magical dust to reveal a Cliff Serpent Dragon Scent Tracking Mark on Garos, which let the serpent locate him within a thousand miles.
• Fearing an ambush, Garos decided to attack the recovering Cliff Serpent Dragon first and flew toward Crescent Moon Valley.

Garos flew to Crescent Moon Valley to kill the Cliff Serpent Dragon before it could threaten his home. As the Howling Moon Clan prepared an ambush, Garos arrived first and began a direct attack, prompting the Cliff Serpent Dragon to leap toward him.

• Garos decided to eliminate the Cliff Serpent Dragon rather than abandon Conifer Valley, and flew toward its lair while planning to minimize the risks of battle.
• The Howling Moon Clan prepared to trap the Cliff Serpent Dragon in the Shaman's magic array and attack together, choosing to fight rather than relocate.
• The Cliff Serpent Dragon emerged to feed on prey in the clearing as the Shaman waited for it to enter the array.
• Garos arrived before the Shaman sounded the bone whistle, and the Werewolves saw him dive toward the Cliff Serpent Dragon like a crimson meteor.
• The Cliff Serpent Dragon felt Garos's Dragon Might, then overcame its fear and launched itself into the air.

Garos fought the Cliff Serpent Dragon, then withdrew to avoid accumulating too much poison and continued keeping his distance despite its taunts. When the wounded Cliff Serpent Dragon turned back toward Crescent Moon Valley to attack the Werewolves, Garos stayed nearby.

• The Cliff Serpent Dragon laid a poisonous net, but Garos blasted a gap through it and pursued the serpent.
• Garos wounded the Cliff Serpent Dragon with his wings and claws while its poisonous blood and mist spread over him.
• Garos recognized the danger of prolonged close combat and retreated to avoid taking on more poison.
• The Cliff Serpent Dragon tried to provoke Garos, but he calmly kept widening the distance.
• The Cliff Serpent Dragon turned toward Crescent Moon Valley to vent its anger on the Werewolves, while Garos did not leave.

Garos used Explosive Scales and long-range attacks to overwhelm the wounded Cliff Serpent Dragon, then pursued it to Crescent Moon Valley. The Cliff Serpent Dragon sought help from the Howling Moon Clan, but the old Shaman unexpectedly struck it with the spirit of a Giant Wolf.

• Garos lured the Cliff Serpent Dragon to the ground and bombarded it with Explosive Scales, leaving it badly injured.
• Garos kept his distance as the Cliff Serpent Dragon feigned death, tried to ambush him, and then fled toward Crescent Moon Valley.
• Garos pursued the Cliff Serpent Dragon with Dragon Breath and the Silver Frost Ring until it reached the Howling Moon Clan.
• The Cliff Serpent Dragon ordered the old Shaman to stop Garos, but the old Shaman transformed into a Giant Wolf spirit and stunned it with a blow.

Garos killed the Cliff Serpent Dragon and discovered that its Fire Curse repeatedly lowered his fire resistance, giving his Adaptive Evolution a chance to strengthen it. He demanded the Howling Moon Clan submit within ten days, while secretly planning to destroy them if they refused.

• The Cliff Serpent Dragon rejected Garos's offer to submit, died cursing him, and sent its Fire Curse after him.
• Garos found that the curse lowered his fire resistance, but his resistance quickly recovered and the repeated weakening could further improve it through Adaptive Evolution.
• Garos returned to Crescent Moon Valley and demanded the Howling Moon Clan serve him, giving them ten days to decide.
• Garos left with the Cliff Serpent Dragon's corpse, privately intending to eliminate the clan if it refused to submit.
• The old Shaman and the young chieftain discussed whether Garos could be trusted, then gathered the clan's respected members to decide their future.

Garos recovered from the Cliff Serpent Dragon’s poison after a week of sleep and began considering how to use the corpse to improve his abilities. He left his lair hungry and found Vera waiting outside.

• Garos returned to Conifer Valley with the Cliff Serpent Dragon’s corpse, and Samantha and Vera saw that his wings were badly poisoned.
• Garos ordered Samantha to watch the skies and Mobel to patrol with the Dire Bears, then stored the corpse and went to sleep in his lair.
• Vera followed Garos and fled when he warned that he might kill anything approaching him in his sleep.
• Garos woke a week later with the poison gone from his wings and planned to study the Serpent Dragon’s corpse to improve his poison and fire resistance.
• Garos left his lair ravenous, and Vera greeted him by saying she was glad he was alive.

Garos woke hungry, hunted a Steel-Mane Thorn Beast, and used Fairy Dragon Scale Powder to sharpen his mind and prepare a reserve. Samantha tried the powder too and played an elaborate fantasy with Vera while Garos returned with food.

• Samantha brought Garos a buffalo-like beast, but he remained hungry and missed the benefits of Black Oil.
• Garos asked Vera for Fairy Dragon Scale Powder, inhaled some, and stored extra beneath his scales for later use.
• After Garos left, Samantha secretly licked Scale Powder from Vera's wing and became caught up in a fantasy about battling ants, with Vera joining her game.
• Garos spotted a herd of Steel-Mane Thorn Beasts and killed a level-seven beast with a single dive.
• Garos carried the Thorn Beast back and ate it, while the remaining herd stayed in its territory.

Garos returned to Conifer Valley, where he interrupted Samantha and Vera’s elaborate game before studying the Cliff Serpent Dragon’s corpse and considering how to develop as a Martial Dragon. After using Fairy Scale Powder to sharpen his thoughts, he found a practical way to try steering Adaptive Evolution toward gaining a burst of speed.

• Garos returned to Conifer Valley and watched Samantha and Vera pretend to battle an anthill before interrupting their game.
• Garos left the two dragons to resume their story and went to examine the Cliff Serpent Dragon’s corpse.
• Garos identified the tiny pores beneath the corpse’s scales as vents that had released high-temperature steam for bursts of speed.
• Garos considered combining the Martial Dragon path with sorcery, though he was not yet strong enough to awaken Dragon Qi.
• Garos licked Fairy Scale Powder, thought through ways to guide Adaptive Evolution, and settled on a practical approach to gaining a burst of speed.

Garos endured the Sulfur Pool’s scalding steam to test his resistance, then flew to Crescent Moon Valley and gained the Howling Moon Clan as his first intelligent followers. Meanwhile, the newly trained Copper Dragon set out to find and defeat Garos, intending to turn him into a good dragon.

• Garos exposed his venom-damaged wing to steam intensified with Red Copper Ore, enduring the pain to strengthen his resistance while Vera and Samantha speculated about his unusual behavior.
• After three days, Garos flew to Crescent Moon Valley, where Mobel had positioned Dire Bears around the outskirts in case negotiations failed.
• The Howling Moon Clan settled its internal dispute through a duel, and the defeated werewolves became Giant Wolves under clan tradition.
• The old Shaman and the rest of the Howling Moon Clan pledged loyalty to Garos, who learned that the extra Giant Wolves had once opposed the decision.
• At Red Maple Ridge, the Copper Dragon took to the sky after months of training and vowed to find Garos, defeat him, and turn him into a good dragon.

Nick’s lightly guarded caravan traveled through the Scale-Earth Rift Road while he entertained his companions with tales of his scams. Gray-maned Werewolves ambushed them, and Nick surrendered as the attackers began looting the trucks and assaulting the caravan members.

• Nick bragged to the caravan crew about his past scams and promised them drinks after they sold their bloodstone as Dragonblood Ore.
• Giant Wolves howled, and Nick realized that a monster clan had targeted their weak caravan.
• Gray-maned Werewolves and Dire Wolf Knights emerged from the canyon shadows and surrounded the trucks.
• Nick ordered his companions to stay calm and surrendered the caravan’s goods.
• A Werewolf tackled the scar-faced driver and slashed his throat while another struck Maggie as it searched her backpack.

Garos watched the captured caravan and recognized Maggie as a Tiefling, then saw Nick’s attempts to bargain as a possible way to secure trade with the Southern Kingdoms. Nick earned a chance to live by promising to bring Black Oil and Magic Energy Stones, though the old Shaman warned that human merchants were greedy and untrustworthy.

• The one-eared Werewolf captured Nick and the caravan after finding only worthless bloodstone and hearing Nick promise to bring better goods later.
• Garos observed the prisoners in Crescent Moon Valley and identified Maggie as a Tiefling with an unusual eye color.
• The old Shaman questioned Maggie about her green eyes, and Nick explained that she wore colored contacts before Maggie removed them.
• Garos took an interest in Nick’s efforts to negotiate and told the old Shaman to ask whether he could supply Black Oil and Magic Energy Stones.
• Nick promised to bring both goods, earning a chance to live, while the old Shaman cautioned that human merchants were greedy and untrustworthy.

Nick earned the Gray-maned Werewolves’ trust by telling them his life story and accepting their poison, then agreed to bring them Black Oil and Magic Energy Stones in exchange for valuable dragon materials. Garos planned to control the trade routes around the Scale-Earth Rift Road while keeping his own whereabouts secret.

• Garos tested Nick, who honestly recounted his rise as a merchant, his marriage to Aileen, and his loss of fortune after their divorce.
• The old Shaman gave Nick and his companions poison to swallow, then offered them Cliff Serpent Dragon scales and poisonous herbs as trade goods.
• Nick promised to return in a month with Black Oil and Magic Energy Stones, and the Werewolves sent him and his companions back to their caravan.
• Maggie questioned whether Nick should trade with the Werewolves, while Nick promised to find a peaceful home for them before the caravan departed.
• Garos decided to control intelligent monster clans near the Scale-Earth Rift Road and gathered intelligence while keeping his other territory secret.

During the rare rainy season, Garos trained his water and lightning resistance while considering how to investigate the reclusive Jawbone Clan and secure resources for a proper home. As he repeatedly drew lightning onto himself, a familiar copper-colored dragon appeared on the horizon.

• Garos reviewed the clans around the Scale-Earth Rift Road and considered uniting them to gain resources for a comfortable residence.
• Garos postponed investigating the Jawbone Clan because the heavy rain would obstruct his vision and senses.
• Garos trained in the rain, charging his Lightning Tail Ring and using its electricity to strike his body.
• Lightning struck Garos, and he discovered that his resistance had grown far beyond that of an ordinary Red Dragon or Iron Dragon.
• Garos deliberately drew more lightning onto himself until a familiar copper-colored dragon appeared on the horizon.

Deborah searched for Garos for a month, following failed leads until lightning and a draconic scent led her to him. She revealed that a riddle held the answer to how she had found him, leaving Garos wary and curious.

• Deborah searched the wilderness for Garos but found only the burned Iron Fir Hills and learned that the Black Rock Dwarves had also been attacked by a Red-Iron Hybrid Dragon.
• The Black Rock Dwarves explained that they had mistaken Deborah for an Evil Dragon and attacked her, then gave her trinkets to calm her anger.
• Deborah followed repeated lightning strikes and a faint draconic scent through the storm and found Garos.
• Garos wondered how Deborah had tracked him, regretted keeping her stolen treasure, and noticed a silver Horn Ring on her horn.
• Deborah told Garos that the answer was hidden in a riddle and asked him to guess what had brought them together again.

Garos defeated and robbed Deborah after she challenged him, then used a riddle to make her understand that she had never faced real hardship. Deborah vowed to return stronger and defeat him.

• Garos realized luck had brought Deborah to him and decided to test his ability to resist the lure of treasure.
• Deborah challenged Garos, confident that her training had prepared her to defeat him.
• Garos overwhelmed Deborah, struck her with his wing, took her scattered treasure, and stole her Horn Ring.
• Garos spared Deborah and answered her question about their strength gap with a riddle about hardship and experience.
• Deborah recognized that she had been sheltered, gave Garos her name, and vowed to return in a different form and defeat him.

After testing the Bloodburst Horn Ring, Garos decided to unify the biological clans along the Scale-Earth Rift Road. He learned that the Howling Moon Clan had gained nothing from its ambushes because the rain halted trade and rival clans occupied better sections of the route.

• Garos realized the Bloodburst Horn Ring could stimulate his body and potentially guide it to evolve a natural Bloodburst ability.
• Garos tested his scales against the Howling Moon Clan, whose attacks damaged his outer scales but could not pierce the armor beneath.
• Garos questioned the old Shaman about the Howling Moon Clan's results on the Scale-Earth Rift Road.
• The old Shaman explained that the rain had kept caravans away and that the Red-Eye Clan and Rending Claw Clan reached caravans first from their more favorable road sections.

Garos planned to attack the Red-Eye Clan while the Howling Moon Clan prepared for his campaign. Meanwhile, a weakened Stone Giant clan abandoned its territory near the Boiling Sea and migrated north to escape the Blue Dragons.

• Garos assessed the Red-Eye Clan's Warlord and Priest and decided to target the clan before the stronger Rending Claw and Jawbone Clans.
• Garos told the Werewolf Shaman to keep ambushing the Scale-Earth Rift Road and said the Red-Eye Clan would be destroyed or made their companions.
• The Werewolf Shaman pledged the Howling Moon Clan's loyalty, but Garos said the Werewolves would not be needed for battle and ordered them to rest and grow stronger.
• Garos flew through the rain toward the Red-Eye Clan, leaving the Werewolves behind.
• Near the Boiling Sea, a Stone Giant Elder led the eleven survivors of his clan north after years of fighting the Blue Dragon Clan.