Heavy-Metal Dragon

The two Chrome Dragons left Eaglebeak Cliff and followed the winding mountain stream toward the valley floor.

Seeing Ferrum lose interest, Moqi pondered for a moment before changing the subject. "So... I heard Ladon is having a tug-of-war over by the mines, one against two. Should we go watch?"

Compared with the Racing Competition, tug-of-war was far less popular. Some bored Dragon Hatchlings would head to the mines, borrow the long hauling ropes from the Gray Dwarves, then have two dragons bite the knots at either end and pull with all their strength, trying to drag the other to their side.

Whoever pulled the other over won.

"No."

Ferrum gently shook his head. In a contest of pure strength like that, no dragon could surpass an Iron Dragon. The Fringe Dragons were not very interested, and only the Iron Dragons amused themselves with it.

"By the way, while I was waiting for you to come out of the gathering grounds, I saw that there were a lot more Kobolds around the shacks. They seemed really busy."

Moqi looked around and casually said, "Maybe there'll be a big meat feast tonight."

The Kobolds he spoke of were all servants of the Nurturer, while the shacks were the "kitchens" they used to prepare food for the Dragon Hatchlings.

"I'd really like to eat some sweet fruit."

Moqi spoke casually, and Ferrum answered just as casually.

Having just seen the Iron Dragons, he recalled his crushing defeat from a few days ago. He was somewhat distracted, replaying everything that had happened lately in his mind, and could barely keep up with Moqi's conversation.

These days, the Dragon Hatchlings' lives consisted of eating, playing, and fighting. Driven by their competitive, overbearing natures, they would always come to blows over all sorts of trivial things.

For instance, someone blocking someone else's path, or looking at someone one too many times...

In the world of dragons, patience and restraint were not considered virtues. Anyone who showed weakness or ran from a challenge would inevitably be scorned and mocked by the other Dragon Hatchlings.

Only dragons brave enough to compete and keep winning could earn the respect of their kind.

Living in such an environment, Ferrum had fought quite a few battles himself.

He was a Chrome Dragon, and his bloodline talent ranked second among Heavy-Metal Dragons. Against Tungsten Dragons and Nickel Dragons, he could usually gain the upper hand with ease. Combined with his understanding of combat, he had a high chance of winning against others of his kind.

But whenever he faced an Iron Dragon, Ferrum would quickly be defeated, with almost no ability to fight back. Until now, he had only won once through sheer luck.

"Moqi."

After a moment of silence, Ferrum spoke as if talking to himself. "Tell me, what do I have to do to beat Hidorivi?"

The moment Moqi heard that, he knew Ferrum was still hung up on his defeat from a few days ago. But he could not think of a better solution either. He could only scratch the scales beneath his jaw and comfort him.

"Though we Chrome Dragons are noble, elegant, and exceptionally charming, how could we possibly beat Iron Dragons? They're the kings among Heavy-Metal Dragons, ranked a level above us. Back then, it was already astonishing that you managed to beat Leijieduolei. Those little female dragons are still talking about your name."

Though he was trying to comfort him, Moqi was still bothered by the female dragons' discussions.

Heavy-Metal Dragons, also known as heavy-metal dragons, were often mistaken for a subspecies or branch of Metallic Dragons because their scales shared the same metallic texture.

To Heavy-Metal Dragons, this misunderstanding was practically an insult. They considered themselves older than Metallic Dragons. Metallic Dragons were renowned for their exceptional spellcasting, while Heavy-Metal Dragons were the exact opposite, concentrating all their gifts into their physical bodies.

Their magical abilities awakened slowly. During their hatchling and juvenile stages, they generally displayed only faint magical reactions and were temporarily unable to breathe elemental power or fly. Yet they possessed the unique Heavy-Metal Body structure found nowhere else among dragons.

The so-called Heavy-Metal Body was the living manifestation of various heavy-metal elements within a dragon's body. It appeared as high-density bones, unusual scale structures, resilient tendons, layered internal organs, and an extremely damage-resistant claw-and-horn system.

Different kinds of Heavy-Metal Dragons developed in different directions based on the Heavy-Metal Body. Chrome Dragons displayed sharpness and agility, Cobalt Dragons focused on endurance and pollution, Tungsten Dragons generated extreme heat and pressure, while Nickel Dragons excelled at deformation and reconstruction.

Iron Dragons, as the royal strain and crowned kings of Heavy-Metal Dragons, were born uniquely blessed, possessing bodies that inspired dread and strength no force could resist.

Whether by coincidence or deliberate design by the Dragon God, the agility and sharpness that made Chrome Dragons exceptionally dangerous to other dragons were completely suppressed by Iron Dragons.

Even scholars who specialized in Heavy-Metal Dragons jokingly said, "Chrome Dragons are blades without equal; only the Dragon King can grasp them in an iron hand."

Although his current life was carefree, thinking of those memories from the Dragon Legacy still made Ferrum feel stifled.

Moqi could not understand Ferrum's troubles at all. If it had been him, winning against an Iron Dragon even once would have made him so happy that he would have flapped his wings into the air and bragged about it to every dragon in Ochre Valley.

But Ferrum was completely different. Even with such ability, he still endured tedious training every day. He would often sit alone in silence, watching the sunrise and sunset over Ochre Valley and the wild goats nibbling grass. Just now, he had even said he did not want to attend the Racing Competition.

"That's so strange."

Moqi's thoughts ran wild. Where did this inexplicable feeling of loneliness come from?

Could it be because their parents had abandoned them?

Their parent, Solaxus, had once fought for the Ashmark Lineage. Before heading to the Great Glacier, Solaxus made a deal with Taigo and left behind these two dragon eggs.

But dragons had never cared much for blood relatives. After learning that their parent had run off, Moqi instead felt freed of a burden. Every day, he ate, drank, played, and fooled around in the valley, enjoying everything the lineage provided without a trace of guilt.

Ferrum was so popular with the little female dragons. There was no way he was troubled over something like that, was there?

After quite a while, Moqi finally could not hold it in any longer. "When all's said and done, why do you insist on beating Hidorivi?"

He was genuinely puzzled. Fights between Dragon Hatchlings were common. Unless someone had been beaten especially badly, they generally did not hold grudges. Chrome Dragons were destined to be defeated by Iron Dragons, so logically, there was nothing to feel so unwilling about.

The Hidorivi Ferrum spoke of was merely a relatively domineering Iron Dragon. He was not the strongest among the dragons, nor was he anything special. Moqi did not know why Ferrum could not let it go.

"There's no particular reason."

Ferrum smiled and spoke calmly and openly. "It's just that after beating an Iron Dragon once, my mindset changed a little. I started imagining more things. I always want to see if I can win more, maybe even keep winning forever."

He lowered himself to the ground, his expression faintly thoughtful. "I know perfectly well that with my current abilities, challenging the strongest Dragon Hatchling is impossible. I can only start with a familiar target and see whether I can remind myself to keep striving upward."

"I understand."

After hearing him out, Moqi nodded with a deliberately profound air. "Really, whether it's Heavy-Metal Dragons, Metallic Dragons, or Chromatic Dragons, what Dragon Hatchling hasn't dreamed of one day reaching for the stars and moon? But only after seeing true Archaic Species, Ancestor Dragons, do you realize..."

He had barely reached the middle of his sentence when his eyes suddenly flicked to the side. He immediately tossed everything else from his mind and shot into the stream like lightning.

By the time Ferrum stood and looked over, Moqi had already leaped out of the water with two large Stone Crabs in his claws.

Moqi looked delighted. He handed one to Ferrum, then crunched noisily into the other one between his teeth.

"Eating something puts you in a better mood."

Moqi spoke while chewing. "There are fewer and fewer living creatures in the valley. If we don't eat more now, that bunch will gnaw them all clean."

Ferrum accepted it, but did not immediately shove it into his mouth. Instead, he placed the Stone Crab on the ground, turning it over and over and teasing it around in circles.

Moqi knew that was just his personality. Ferrum looked valiant and mature, but sometimes he was not much different from Moqi himself, especially when it came to the various animals in the valley.

Once, Moqi had gone looking for Ferrum and found him crouched low, like a great cat ready to pounce, staring downward with total concentration.

At first, Moqi thought Ferrum was carrying out some mysterious training and did not dare approach to interrupt him.

Only after carefully creeping closer did he realize that Ferrum was lying on the ground, watching red ants move house with rapt attention.

And he had been watching for quite a while.

He might have been a Dragon Hatchling, but that was far too childish.

The stream ran clear, and the sun was warm. The two Chrome Dragons sat with their tails swaying, neither speaking for a while.

After a considerable amount of time passed, Ferrum noticed that Moqi's eyes had drifted over. He was repeatedly licking his claws, looking thoroughly unsatisfied.

Ferrum knew he could not wait any longer. He quickly bit down on the Stone Crab. Its shell burst beneath his powerful jaws, filling his mouth with fresh juices.

Moqi withdrew his gaze and carefully scanned the stream again. Finding nothing new, he sighed, then looked elsewhere to distract himself.

Ferrum followed his gaze and saw several small terraced fields halfway up the mountain. The wind swept through the wheat, and the awns rolled along the furrows with a rustling whisper.

Ochre Valley had never been some desolate wilderness. It was an important resource-producing region for the lineage, surrounded by a rich vein of red iron ore. Long before the Dragon Hatchlings and Nurturer arrived, two Gray Dwarf clans had already lived and worked here.

The dwarves had built scattered stone houses at the foot of the mountain, planted barley and tobacco in the fields, and established small logging yards in the woods. Huge Ironleaf Wood logs were piled in the yard while laborers shouted to one another and worked together to lift them onto carts.

Some drove Kodo Beasts as large as small hills, slowly hauling the carts away. The sounds of axes from the logging grounds were heavy and slow, and the Kodo Beasts' backs gradually disappeared at the far end of the road.

"I always wanted to see this so-called pastoral scene..."

Ferrum murmured softly, seemingly to himself.

A Dragon Hatchling's shriek tore through the stillness. A faint tremor came from above, and Ferrum and Moqi both raised their heads to see water splashing from a mountain stream not far away.

A Thunderclap Dragon bounded forward at full speed, howling as he raced past them. Close behind came the pursuers, lunging after him.

An Iron Dragon, a Tungsten Dragon, and two Nickel Dragons. The four Heavy-Metal Dragons closed in from all sides, blocking every escape route of the Lesser Dragon. They steadily ate away at his room to move, tightening the encirclement until they finally drove him into a cramped corner with nowhere left to run.

"You lowborn bastard without a legacy! So you dared act arrogant in front of us!"

The Dragon Hatchlings' voices were still somewhat childish, but their attacks were fierce and powerful. The leading Iron Dragon lashed his tail. It tore through the air with a howling sound and struck the Thunderclap Dragon across the face like a whip, making him bare his teeth in pain.

"So what if I was better than you? You resorted to dirty tricks outside the competition. Does this race only allow you to win and forbid us from winning?"

The black-and-yellow Thunderclap Dragon growled.

"Who used dirty tricks? We were racing to see who could get down the mountain fastest. Up ahead, you deliberately blocked the way and kept trying to ram other dragons. Damn lowborn bastard, since you like playing so much, we'll play with you until you've had enough!"

"No one said ramming and blocking weren't allowed. Everyone has always raced like that. You're only upset because I took first place."

The Thunderclap Dragon glared at the Heavy-Metal Dragons. "I'm not afraid of you. If you want to fight, then fight. You can beat me now, but sooner or later, I'll beat you back."

"You still dare mouth off? Tear his mouth apart!"

The Heavy-Metal Dragons swarmed forward. The Thunderclap Dragon tried to fight back, but the gap between a True Dragon and a Lesser Dragon had already begun to show. The two Nickel Dragons clamped down on his limbs and pinned his back beneath their feet. The Thunderclap Dragon panted violently, crushed under such weight that he could not even speak, much less struggle to his feet.

The Iron Dragon began tearing at his mouth with his claws. The other Heavy-Metal Dragons attacked viciously as well, pressing their teeth into the Thunderclap Dragon's scales and wrenching their heads violently. They bit him until his flesh split open and blood flowed without end.

Watching from a distance, Moqi's expression changed slightly.

Dragon Hatchlings fighting was common in Ochre Valley. Generally speaking, even the Nurturer would not interfere. Whenever Moqi encountered other dragons fighting in the past, he would happily watch the spectacle from the side.

But for some reason, this time he felt uncomfortable, though he could not explain exactly why.

Meanwhile, Ferrum had already walked closer. "Hey, Leijieduolei, what are you doing?"

Leijieduolei was the name of the leading Iron Dragon. At his words, he turned around. Seeing Ferrum, whose body was only slightly smaller than his own, the fierce expression on his face shifted a little.

"Ferrum, we're not here to cause trouble for you. If you don't want a fight, don't meddle in other people's business."

Though he said that, Leijieduolei was actually somewhat angry at Ferrum. Enemies had a way of meeting on narrow roads. They had fought just two weeks ago, and the result had been utterly unexpected.

Leijieduolei had actually lost. He had been knocked to the ground, becoming the only Iron Dragon ever defeated by a Lower Species.

Because of that loss, Leijieduolei had been mocked by the other Iron Dragons for a long time. Later, his brother defeated Ferrum for him, but Leijieduolei was still too ashamed to associate with them. As a result, he could now only play with Tungsten Dragons and Nickel Dragons.

Ferrum continued forward until he was close to them. "I asked what you're doing."

With that stance, the other three Heavy-Metal Dragons hesitated for a moment before finally having no choice but to stop and step back.

They followed Leijieduolei partly because they wanted to curry favor with him. But in the end, Tungsten Dragons and Nickel Dragons both belonged to the fringe groups and could not integrate into the core circle of Iron Dragons. So they identified more with Ferrum's status.

"You're a Chrome Dragon born bad. Since when did you suddenly develop the heart to save the weak and meddle in this kind of business? In the end, you only came over because you saw it was me. You're showing off and deliberately targeting me."

Leijieduolei ground his teeth. "Ferrum, don't get so smug just because you won once. Want me to call Hidorivi over?"

"I'm not targeting you, and I don't want to meddle."

Ferrum shook his head. "It's just that, Leijieduolei, you're fighting a Lesser Dragon, yet you called in helpers and ganged up on him like hyenas. Don't you feel ashamed?"

"That's right."

Moqi chimed in as well. "And your two brothers, Hidorivi and Jelierion, are having a tug-of-war over by the mines. Even two against one, they still can't beat the other side. What are you so proud of?"

Leijieduolei immediately glared furiously at Moqi.

Moqi shifted behind Ferrum, but his mouth remained relentless. "Bullying Lesser Dragons is one thing. We've all beaten up Lesser Dragons plenty of times. But no one's like you, calling so many Heavy-Metal Dragons over to gang up on one. You've disgraced yourself all the way to Red Fort. Forget your two brothers—even we feel ashamed just looking at you."

Leijieduolei burned with rage, but he suddenly froze as well, feeling that Moqi's words made some sense.

As a Higher Species among Heavy-Metal Dragons, the pride of an Iron Dragon was stopping him from acting this way.

Leijieduolei fell silent. His eyes shifted as he coldly faced off against the two Chrome Dragons.

"This really is pointless."

At last, the Iron Dragon snorted. "But Ferrum, you won't be smug for long. Once I grow a little bigger, I'll trample all you inferior breeds beneath my feet."

With that, he immediately left without looking back.

The other Heavy-Metal Dragons did not immediately follow him. First, Moqi's words had made them feel somewhat ashamed. Second, Leijieduolei had called Chrome Dragons inferior breeds, which made Tungsten Dragons and Nickel Dragons, who were inferior even to Chrome Dragons, the lowest of inferior breeds. The Heavy-Metal Dragons all looked extremely displeased.

Ferrum shook his head. Seeing the sun setting behind the western mountains and knowing mealtime was about to begin, he prepared to leave with Moqi. Moqi had mentioned earlier that there might be a big meat feast that night, and Ferrum was eager to claim a spot.

The remaining Heavy-Metal Dragons looked at one another. The Thunderclap Dragon on the ground stared at Ferrum's back and remained silent.

After walking some distance, Moqi glanced back, looking somewhat unhappy. He said quietly, "That Thunderclap Dragon... you backed him up, and he doesn't even know to come after us and offer thanks. No sense at all. These Lesser Dragons are so stupid. Their intelligence is really low."

Ferrum regarded it as nothing more than a minor incident during play and did not care.