Challenge of the Overlord

The ground trembled faintly, and a damp scent of sand and gravel rushed over them.

It was the unique scent of Cobalt Dragons. With their arrival, it invaded the hills in an instant, making the Dragon Hatchlings tangled in a brawl immediately stop fighting.

Moqi had been baring his teeth and roaring, fighting Leijieduolei until both were battered and bruised. But the moment he sensed something amiss, he was the first to withdraw from the fray and run out.

He did not spare Leijieduolei another glance. He merely shook the dust from his body and stood warily beside Ferrum.

Without a sound, In Tas also quietly took up position on the other side. His nostrils flared as he stared toward the source of the scent, watching the uninvited guests appearing one after another.

"Those guys look like they mean no good."

Moqi warned in a low voice.

Ferrum, too, felt the atmosphere growing oppressive. He tossed the last snakeberry into his mouth, then flicked out a claw, his talons clanging together with a metallic ring.

The Cobalt Dragons drew ever closer.

Every one of them was exceptionally brawny. Deep-blue scales extended from their horns all the way to their snouts, covering their entire faces as though they wore thick armor, reflecting a hard metallic gleam.

They all surrounded the Cobalt-Blue Overlord in the center. That Cobalt Dragon was a full three meters long, larger than any Dragon Hatchling in Ochre Valley. He cast down a vast shadow, like a small mountain forged from steel.

Watching this scene, Leijieduolei fell into hesitation.

He knew these lumps of flesh were not easy to provoke. Only days ago, they had fought a large brawl with the Tungsten Dragons. Even without the Cobalt-Blue Overlord joining the battle, they had still defeated every last Tungsten Dragon—the most numerous dragons in the valley.

When that brawl ended, nine Tungsten Dragons had been pinned down in Ironwood Forest. All of them hung their heads in dejection, forced to submit to the Cobalt Dragons.

Later, the Cobalt-Blue Overlord had defeated Hidorivi as well, cutting an imposing figure. Now that he pressed forward with such overwhelming force, his momentum was truly not to be underestimated.

Leijieduolei's expression shifted between light and shadow. After hesitating for a long while, he finally began to move.

Moqi had left several bloody claw marks on his head, and In Tas's full-force tail sweep had struck him in the eye. His face did not look too good, yet he still slowly made his way to Ferrum's side, making his position clear.

Amid the scattered rocks, Little Stone Spirits quietly poked their heads out from the crevices one after another. Looking tense and uneasy, they hid behind the rocks and watched.

"Stay right there."

Imitating an Iron Dragon's manner of speaking, Moqi raised his head and said, "Cobalt Dragons, this is not your territory. What do you have to say, coming before us like this?"

There was a trace of hostility in Moqi's voice. The moment he spoke, the Cobalt Dragons gradually stopped, but the largest one refused to halt. He kept walking, pressing directly up close.

"Kеlaili Belivy. That is my name."

His footsteps were heavy, and the bass in his voice made his words sound even deeper. "I came looking for the strongest among the Chrome Dragons, Ferrum Solax. Is he here?"

Ferrum raised his head and faced Kеlaili.

He had seen this guy once on Dragonbirth Day, but they had been far apart then, and he had not found anything particularly remarkable about him.

But now, without the suppression of the Young Dragons, Kеlaili's unique bearing revealed itself. Combined with his already enormous body, he truly carried a mountain-like pressure.

"That's me."

Ferrum nodded lightly, his tone calm.

"Good. Now every dragon says your claws and fangs are the sharpest in Ochre Valley, but I am not afraid of you."

Kеlaili's pupils were pitch-black as he looked down at Ferrum, his tone fierce. "I want to test myself against you. I have already beaten Hidorivi. Once I beat you, I can challenge Jelierion. We came from Marsh Abyss, and I will prove the strength of the Cobalt Dragons."

"All right."

Ferrum agreed as lightly as though it were nothing. He had always been willing to fight other dragons, but after thinking for a moment, he felt this was too casual and added:

"However, from my perspective, you are the challenger. If I accept your challenge, what do I gain from it?"

Kеlaili fell silent and began considering words befitting his status.

"Then let us wager."

After a long while, the Cobalt-Blue Overlord spoke again in a muffled voice. "On Dragonbirth Day, the Nurturer gave every Dragon Hatchling a gold coin. We will use that as the stake. The dragon who loses must hand over his gold coin. What do you think?"

Where would I even get a gold coin?

Ferrum muttered inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged. Only after carefully studying Kеlaili a few times did he nod seriously. "Fine."

"We Higher Species must make our words like inscriptions carved into iron. We must fulfill our promises."

Kеlaili raised his head. "Have you eaten your fill? Do you need time to prepare?"

"No need. Have your companions step back and clear the field."

As Ferrum spoke, he began walking back.

With the agreement reached, both sides spread out. Kеlaili also returned to the Cobalt Dragons and exchanged a few words with them.

"Wonderful, Overlord! All those lines we prepared were not in vain. You had the bearing of a great Evil Dragon and scared every one of them stiff."

The smallest Cobalt Dragon immediately sidled up. "Next comes a true clash of strength. Will the Overlord win?"

Kеlaili cast him a glance and asked in a muffled voice, "If I lose, do you have a gold coin you can give me?"

"Absolutely not."

The Little Cobalt Dragon nervously took a step back and shook his head again and again. "We can die for the Overlord, but a dragon's property is sacred and inviolable. Even the Supreme cannot covet it. I cannot give it to the Overlord."

"Hmph."

Kеlaili snorted coldly, yet he was not angry. He merely shook his head. "That is my only gold coin. For this battle, I have wagered everything I own. So no matter what, I cannot lose."

"The gold coin has already been eaten by me."

On the other side, Ferrum came to Moqi and asked, "If I lose, can you lend me your gold coin?"

"Ah?"

Moqi froze, never expecting the fire to burn its way onto his own head.

He looked at Ferrum, then sized up the mountain-like Cobalt Dragon across from them. His throat rumbled for a long while as he found himself caught between a rock and a hard place.

Metal was exceedingly scarce in Ochre Valley. Let alone gold, even copper and iron were difficult to come by in ordinary times. Every Dragon Hatchling's gold coin had been bestowed by the Nurturer. There was only one, and no second could ever be found.

Among dragons, nothing was more taboo than discussing property.

But Ferrum had already asked. After struggling fiercely with his thoughts for a long time, Moqi finally hardened his heart and gritted his teeth. "O-okay... fine."

The instant the words left his mouth, he bared his teeth in pain before anyone else could.

Rustling sounds arose all around as many little dragons who had come to watch the excitement appeared one after another.

There was nothing entertaining in the valley, and the Dragon Hatchlings had long been bored out of their minds. The moment they saw the Cobalt Dragons moving as a group, they had kept their eyes on them. When they discovered that the Cobalt-Blue Overlord was challenging the strongest Chrome Dragon, they could no longer hold themselves back and emerged to crowd closer for a look.

Through the crisscrossing dragons, Ferrum spotted an unexpected figure.

Hidorivi Ember Scar strode closer. He first looked at Leijieduolei twice, his expression unchanged, then turned to Ferrum and nodded. "Be careful of his scales."

Ferrum was slightly startled. After pondering for a while, he nodded back to Hidorivi. "All right."

"Will you win?" In Tas asked.

Ferrum rolled his neck, the muscles beneath his scales flowing like rippling water. "Not only do I have nothing, I have even wagered Moqi. So I will definitely win."