Ladon

Autumn in Ochre Valley had a unique palette: the sky stretched high and vast, wheat ears gleamed gold, tobacco leaves rustled, and the sun passed overhead, spilling light as poetic as an oil painting.

"This is outrageous."

It was midday by Bay Lake. Moqi's eyes flashed viciously. "I really want to punch Ladon in the face."

Beside him, Ferrum and In Tas both nodded, deeply agreeing.

Not long ago, during lunch, the Nurturer had announced entirely new rules: food would no longer be distributed equally.

Upon hearing the news, the Dragon Hatchlings reacted differently. The Iron Dragons, who held the advantageous positions, immediately turned and ringed the bloody food.

As the Royal Strain among the Heavy-Metal Dragons, they naturally regarded the food as their property. They took control of it at once and watched the Dragon Hatchlings on the outskirts with great vigilance, guarding against a riotous scramble.

Then Ladon stepped forward and planted his feet atop all the bloody food, looking coldly down upon the dragons as he claimed every scrap.

Because the Iron Dragons had their backs to Ladon, at that moment nearly every Dragon Hatchling believed that the Iron Dragons had reached an unspoken understanding and jointly seized absolute control of the food.

Since the dragons had been born, Ochre Valley had never seen such a confrontation. The Iron Dragons were imposing their might on every other kind of dragon.

After some time, Kेलaili turned and left.

Under his lead, the Cobalt Dragons withdrew from the gathering place one after another. The Iron Dragon group contained not only Ladon, but also powerful figures such as Jelierion and Hidorivi. The Cobalt Dragons could easily suppress the Tungsten Dragons, yet they had no confidence in challenging the Iron Dragons.

Then the Nickel Dragons and Lesser Dragons all lowered their heads in submission. They were the weakest in Ochre Valley. Even the powerful, united Cobalt Dragons had abandoned the challenge, so they had no choice but to obey the Iron Dragons' arrangements.

The Tungsten Dragons were the most numerous in the valley, yet none among them was strong enough to step forward. They could only wait and watch for the time being.

Under such circumstances, Ladon was like the alpha wolf in a wolf pack. He finished eating alone, while the other Dragon Hatchlings could only wait in silence amid the sound of his chewing.

The Nurturer had abolished the original equal distribution, but a dragon pack had its own order. Once the old rules vanished, the law of the jungle would naturally arise.

They tacitly accepted that the strongest, Ladon, would eat first, followed by the other powerful dragons. The remaining Dragon Hatchlings would then pick through the scraps they left behind.

Though this rule was cruel, it was one the dragons could accept.

But Ladon said it was not like that.

He had already finished eating, yet he did not leave. He continued guarding that pile of fresh meat like a savage beast protecting its treasure, using his body to draw a clear boundary that forbade any other dragon from crossing.

"I think I get it now."

Moqi gritted his teeth. "That bastard Ladon is always trying to put on some huge act."

"Even the Iron Dragons have backed down. They should know perfectly well that in a one-on-one fight, none of them can defeat Ladon."

In Tas said quietly, "It looks like if we want to change this situation, we can only abandon a dragon's pride and choose to swarm him together."

"What do you think the Nurturer is trying to do?"

Moqi asked, "Could she really be trying to starve us all to death?"

"We won't starve to death."

Ferrum shook his head. "In a dormant state, Cobalt Dragons can go two or three months without eating and have no problems at all. That was why they gave up so easily back then, without trying to fight the Iron Dragons."

"Cobalt Dragons are that hard to kill?" In Tas asked curiously.

"Every Cobalt Dragon is a turtle."

Moqi said, "Those guys move at a snail's pace. If you threw them into the wilderness, they couldn't hunt on their own at all. If they weren't so hard to kill, they would have gone extinct long ago."

"One month."

In Tas pondered for a moment. "If Lesser Dragons switched to eating plants, then hunted some prey in the valley as well, we should be able to survive."

"That is the Nurturer's goal. She will not truly force the Dragon Hatchlings into a dead end, making us devour the flesh of our own kind or slaughter Gray Dwarves."

Ferrum said, "But if we do not want to go hungry, we must challenge those stronger than us."

"What does Ferrum think?"

In Tas looked into Ferrum's eyes and asked, "If you want to attack Ladon, we will all follow you. If you need help, I can also gather some Lesser Dragons."

"I can invite the other Chrome Dragons," Moqi offered as well.

"What use is gathering Lesser Dragons?"

A low scoff came from behind them. Leijieduolei strode closer and said, "There is no need to rack your brains over getting food. The Iron Dragons have already made a decision. We will not let Ladon continue being so overbearing. At dusk, the Iron Dragons will join forces to defeat him and establish new rules."

"Good!"

Moqi cheered, then came to his senses and looked at Leijieduolei with some suspicion.

"Since you are joining forces to swarm him, why did you not invite Ferrum? Is it because you do not value Ferrum, because you do not take the second strongest of the dragon pack seriously?"

Leijieduolei was stunned by such flippant bluntness. He looked down on In Tas and Moqi, but he still respected Ferrum in the end.

After hesitating for a while, Leijieduolei explained, "We believe this is an internal matter for the Iron Dragons. If we invite other dragons to interfere, then it would become an entirely different matter."

"This concerns the bloody food of every Dragon Hatchling, yet it has become an internal matter for the Iron Dragons?"

Moqi was somewhat angered. There was food meant for him among that bloody food as well. "Are you people not being a little too arrogant?"

Leijieduolei fell silent. In his view, all the bloody food clearly came from the Lineage's bestowal, while the Iron Dragons were the future masters of the Lineage. It was originally an internal matter for the Iron Dragons. Did other dragon breeds also want a hand in controlling the Lineage's distribution?

"Fine."

Ferrum stopped Moqi from continuing the argument and nodded at Leijieduolei. "Since the Iron Dragons have made their decision, then I wish you success."

At dusk, mountain-like heaps of food were piled up once more.

Several Nickel Dragons were eager to try, wanting to seize the food directly from the Kobolds before the gathering began, but Valyria merely glanced at them. They immediately shrank back in fear and had no choice but to give up.

"Ladon, you cannot eat all that meat."

Jelierion stepped out from the crowd, staring at Ladon, who had once again claimed the bloody food. "We respect your strength and are willing to maintain order at the gathering place for you, but in exchange, we should receive the food that belongs to us."

"Whether I can finish all the meat and whether you are qualified to eat meat are two different matters."

Ladon answered calmly.

"Even we are not qualified?"

Jelierion's face twitched, while several Iron Dragons gathered behind him.

"You think you are qualified."

Ladon looked down at him. "Prove it to me."

"Roar!"

With Jelierion's furious roar, the Iron Dragons launched their attack on Ladon at once, spewing crackling electric flame.

Ladon alone collided against the breath attacks of five Iron Dragons. Faced with those powerful foes rushing at him in torrents, he did not retreat. His eyes merely gleamed with savage light as he gave a deep, sonorous growl.

"Blood Frenzy."

Surging currents of air erupted from between Ladon's scales, repeatedly strengthening his body under heavy strain. One against five, he roared and bellowed, unstoppable as a landslide.

Amid the chaos, Ferrum entered the battle several times, yet he did not favor either side. He merely took his own food. But the battle between the Iron Dragons burned fiercely as fire; even with his extreme speed, he could not avoid receiving two wounds.

One came from Jelierion Ember Scar. In his roaring frenzy, he had long ceased distinguishing friend from foe. Ferrum deliberately tested his strength, brushing past Jelierion and receiving a bloody gash across his chest.

Ferrum watched the wound and nodded slightly.

The other wound was on his shoulder blade, from Ladon. Even though Ferrum had deliberately tried to evade it, Ladon's tail still struck him. Flesh split open over his shoulder blade, and the bone was nearly shattered.

By then, the battle had already been decided. Ladon breathed heavily, his body covered in streaming wounds. He had paid no small price.

His opponents, however, had been utterly destroyed. They lay sprawled in all directions across the ground, and not one could rise.

The scene was a complete mess.

Before this, Ladon had never taken part in the Dragon Hatchlings' battles, nor had he ever boasted of his talent or strength. He had merely stood atop the mountain, proud and aloof, looking down equally upon every Dragon Hatchling.

Only at this moment did the dragons realize just how unmatched Ladon's strength was and feel that terrifying oppression flowing from his bloodline.

"Archaic Species."

Ferrum murmured to himself.

"Looks like I can only go catch fish and crabs."

Moqi looked at the miserable state of the Iron Dragons and muttered, "That punch can wait until later."