Challenge of the Overlord

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

It was the distinctive smell of Cobalt Dragons. As they appeared, it invaded the mountains and wilds in an instant, making the hatchlings locked in a brawl stop at once.

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

He no longer looked at Leijieduolei. He merely shook the dust from himself and stood vigilantly at Xiron Solax's side.

Without a sound, In Tas also slipped to the other side. His nostrils flared as he stared in the direction of the scent, watching the uninvited guests that emerged one after another.

"These guys don't look like they've come with good intentions."

Moqi warned in a low voice.

Xiron Solax also felt the atmosphere steadily growing oppressive. He tossed the last snakeberry into his mouth, then flicked out a foreclaw. His talons struck together with a ringing clang.

The Cobalt Dragons drew closer and closer.

Every one of them was exceptionally brawny. Dark-blue scales spread from their horns all the way to their snouts, covering their entire faces like thick armor and reflecting a hard metallic gleam.

They all surrounded the Cobalt-Blue Overlord in the center. That Cobalt Dragon was fully three meters long, larger than any hatchling in Ochre Valley. His shadow sprawled wide, and he resembled a small mountain forged of steel.

Leijieduolei watched the scene and hesitated.

He knew these lumps of flesh were not easy to provoke. A few days ago, they had fought a mass brawl with the Tungsten Dragons. Even without the Cobalt-Blue Overlord joining the battle, they had still defeated every last one of the valley's most numerous Tungsten Dragons.

When that brawl ended, nine Tungsten Dragons had been pinned down in Ironwood Forest, all hanging their heads in dejection and forced to submit to the Cobalt Dragons.

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

Leijieduolei's expression shifted between light and shadow. After hesitating for a long while, he finally started walking.

Moqi had left several bloody scratches on his head, and In Tas's full-force tail strike had caught him in the eye, leaving his face in a sorry state. Still, he slowly made his way to Xiron Solax's side, declaring where he stood.

Among the scattered rocks, little stone spirits quietly poked their heads out from cracks in the stone. Tense and nervous, they hid behind the others and watched.

"That's far enough."

Imitating the tone of an Iron Dragon, Moqi raised his head and said, "Cobalt Dragons, this is not your territory. What do you have to say for coming before us?"

Moqi's words carried a trace of hostility, and the Cobalt Dragons gradually stopped. But the largest one refused to halt. He kept walking, pressing straight up before them.

"Kelailli Beiliwei. That is my name."

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

Xiron Solax raised his head and confronted Kelailli.

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

But without the suppression of the young dragons, Kelailli's distinctive presence now showed through. Combined with his already enormous body, he truly carried the oppressive weight of a mountain.

"That's me."

Xiron Solax nodded lightly, his tone calm.

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

Kelailli's pupils were black as night. Looking down at Xiron Solax, he spoke fiercely. "I want to compete with you. I've already beaten Hidorivi. After beating you, I can challenge Jelierion. We came from Marsh Abyss. I want to prove the strength of the Cobalt Dragons."

"Fine."

Xiron Solax agreed as if it were nothing. He had always been willing to fight other dragons, but after thinking for a moment, he felt that was too casual and added:

"However, you're the challenger as far as I'm concerned. I accept your challenge, but what do I gain from it?"

Kेलaili fell silent and began considering lines worthy of his status.

"Then let's wager."

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

Where would I still have a gold coin?

Xiron Solax grumbled inwardly, but his face remained unreadable. Only after carefully sizing Kelailli up several times did he nod seriously. "Fine."

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

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

"No need. Tell your companions to move back and clear the ground."

As Xiron Solax spoke, he walked back.

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

"Wonderful, Overlord! All those lines we prepared weren't for nothing. You really had the bearing of a great Evil Dragon and scared every one of them stiff."

The smallest Cobalt Dragon immediately crowded over. "Now comes the true clash of strength. Will the Overlord win?"

Kेलaili glanced at him 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 retreated a step, shaking his head again and again. "We can die for the Overlord, but a dragon's property is sacred and inviolable. Not even the Supremes may covet it. I cannot give it to the Overlord."

"Hmph."

Kelailli snorted, but he was not angry. He only shook his head. "That is my only gold coin. For this fight, I have wagered everything I possess. So no matter what, I cannot lose."

"I already ate my gold coin."

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

"Huh?"

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

He looked at Xiron Solax, then sized up the mountain-like Cobalt Dragon opposite them. He muttered in his throat for a long while, 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 hatchling's gold coin had been bestowed by the feeders; there was only one, unique and irreplaceable.

Among dragons, discussing property was the greatest taboo.

But Xiron Solax had already asked. After struggling with himself for a long time, Moqi finally hardened his heart and gritted his teeth. "O-okay..."

The moment the words left his mouth, he himself grimaced in pain as though flesh had been cut from him.

Rustling sounds rose 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 hatchlings had already been bored out of their wits. When they saw the Cobalt Dragons moving together, they had been watching them closely. Once they discovered that the Cobalt-Blue Overlord was challenging the strongest Chrome Dragon, they could no longer restrain themselves and poked their heads out, gathering closer to watch.

Amid the crisscrossing dragons, Xiron Solax spotted an unexpected figure.

Hidorivi Ember Scar strode over. He first looked at Leijieduolei twice, his expression unchanged, then turned to Xiron Solax, nodded, and said, "Watch out for his scales."

Xiron Solax was slightly taken aback. After thinking for a while, he also nodded to Hidorivi. "All right."

"Will you win?" In Tas asked.

Xiron Solax rolled his neck, the muscles beneath his scales rippling like water. "Not only do I have nothing left, I've even wagered Moqi. So I have to win."