Plan

Xilong leapt down from the mountainside. After only a few steps, he spotted another Chrome Dragon by the lakeshore.

Moqi was lying on a rock, basking in the sun with his belly turned up, completely motionless. He looked just like a dead crocodile, save for his tail gently swaying.

Xilong walked over and glanced at him twice. "What are you doing here?"

Still groggy, Moqi hurriedly climbed up when he heard the movement. "What happened?"

"What?"

"I'd just come back from fishing at Bay Lake when I saw you following a Feather Dragon into the Lesser Dragon habitat. These days, Heavy-Metal Dragons are ashamed to keep company with Lesser Dragons. I know you don't care about that, but I was worried that if you got into a conflict with the Lesser Dragons and were surrounded, you wouldn't be able to find anyone to help you. So I waited here."

After saying that, Moqi asked again, "What happened?"

"So that was it."

Xilong nodded slowly. "Nothing in particular. The Feather Dragon just came to talk to me. She said she admired me and wanted to build a nest with me."

Moqi was utterly baffled. "What?"

"Let's go back first."

After eating his fill, Xilong was clearly in a much better mood. He made neither a large nor small joke, offered no explanation, and headed back with his tail swaying.

"I know that Feather Dragon is quite pretty, but Xilong, you can't trust her. The Dragon Legacy warns that the prettier a female dragon is, the more dangerous she is. Look at those Purple Dragons and Green Dragons—not a single one is any good."

Moqi followed behind him, warning, "Mortals say Chrome Dragons are the most evil of the Heavy-Metal Dragons, but from hatching to death, all the intelligent beings Chrome Dragons kill combined might not equal the number Purple Dragons kill in a single year."

"What about Silver Dragons?" Xilong asked casually.

"Silver Dragons? Silver Dragons are pretty good."

Moqi answered instinctively, then shook his head. "In any case, you absolutely must not fall for her. I heard In Tas mention that Feather Dragon before. She's the strongest among the Lesser Dragons. She may look quiet and peaceful, but she's a bird of prey. Once she truly reaches adulthood, she'll definitely be vicious. She might even eat people."

"So dangerous."

Xilong thought for a moment. "Then I need her even more."

"What exactly are you talking about?"

Moqi pulled a long face. "If you go off with a female dragon, there won't be a playmate to take me along to have fun anymore."

"Nonsense."

Xilong lifted his head toward the front. "Isn't that your playmate?"

As usual, In Tas stood waiting at their agreed gathering place. He had no idea what had happened between the two brothers. All he saw was a large and a small Chrome Dragon approaching from afar, the smaller one hopping around the larger one and chattering without pause.

"How did things go today?"

Xilong put away his teasing expression and looked at In Tas. "Is there still prey to catch around the outskirts of the valley?"

"I circled the entire valley twice today, but now it's no longer a matter of hunting skill or hunting difficulty. There are almost no living creatures left in Ochre Valley."

In Tas lowered his voice. "Over the entire day, I saw only one wild boar, and other Lesser Dragons got there before me. I didn't go up to fight over it, but they started quarreling among themselves and fought at the outskirts. Later, Tungsten Dragons joined in too. All of them were fighting over a single wild boar. That has never happened before."

"The situation in Bay Lake and the streams is the same."

Moqi also turned serious as he reported, "Our favorite Tropical Giant Crucian Carp are nowhere to be seen. Only little fish and shrimp are left. Once the Nurturer changed the rules, never mind what will happen to the Dragon Hatchlings—first, the living creatures in Ochre Valley will go extinct. By then, even if we return to the Food-Sharing Period, there won't be anything fun left in the valley."

As he said this, Moqi could not help feeling dejected. There were not many things to do in the valley. Catching fish, hunting crabs, and chasing Rust Rabbits had originally been among his few pleasures.

"There are still half a month left in the Feeding-Seizure Period. It is already impossible to keep ourselves going by relying on hunting wild beasts. Besides, we train heavily every day, and Xilong bears the logging task assigned by the Nurturer. We cannot remain silent like the Cobalt Dragons."

In Tas said, "When all is said and done, if we want food, we still have to start with the gathering grounds."

"The gathering grounds... Nickel Dragons fear Xilong, and Tungsten Dragons and Lesser Dragons respect him as well. If we join the struggle after sunset, the other dragons will surely yield. But thinking of scrambling like hyenas for scraps and eating what Ladon leaves behind... it's hard to accept."

Moqi licked the scales on his foreclaw. "The pride of a Higher Species won't allow it."

"We won't eat scraps. We'll seize food directly from Ladon's claws, just as Xilong did that time."

In Tas said.

"Seize food directly from Ladon's claws?"

Moqi froze. "Even the Iron Dragons couldn't pull that off. Isn't that a little crazy?"

"The Iron Dragons did not seize food from Ladon. They merely tried to challenge Ladon, and then they failed."

Xilong said, "But we're different. All we want is food. Ladon is strong, so we'll treat him as a Great Dragon—coordinate and cooperate, then snatch the food from his claws. When the Nurturer established this rule, perhaps she had already guessed how things would develop and intended for us to do exactly this."

"That's right."

After Xilong made his stance clear, In Tas's words flowed more smoothly. "The Kodo Beast meat the Kobolds slaughter every day is not just one or two pieces. With such a large target, Ladon cannot possibly attend to all of it. When the time comes, we'll split up. If one companion can draw his attention away, the other dragons can rush in and fight for it. As long as we can drag the bloody meat away, the operation counts as a success."

"Then I'll do it."

Xilong nodded lightly. "I'll draw Ladon away."

He was the leader of their little group. At a time like this, of course he would not shirk responsibility. He ought to take on the most dangerous task.

"No. Let me."

In Tas shook his head. "We cannot predict Ladon's movements. He might be drawn away, or he might not. He might turn back halfway. Our goal is not to toy with him. It is only to take enough food."

"Therefore, the role of seizing the food is the most important. If we cannot get the food out, everything done beforehand will be wasted. Xilong is the fastest, and his strength is sufficient as well. If you seize the food, the chance of success will be greatest."

In Tas looked into Xilong's eyes. "Leave the task of drawing Ladon away to me."

"You're going to do it?"

Moqi was shocked. "Aren't you afraid of that guy? Though I always say I'll punch Ladon in the face, he's an Archaic Species after all. His bloodline suppresses every Dragon Hatchling in Ochre Valley."

"Of course I'm afraid."

In Tas answered, then lowered his gaze. "But I'm more afraid of being useless."

"Good."

Xilong did not question the decision. Instead, he nodded gravely. "Jelierion may be arrogant, but he still gathered the Iron Dragons to challenge Ladon. If we just wait bitterly and do nothing, that would be far too weak. Whether the food seizure succeeds or not, we should give it a try."

"As for just how powerful an Archaic Species truly is, in the end, we can only find out by experiencing it ourselves."