The Road Ferrum Walked

Jelierion Ember Scar could be called the leader of the Iron Dragons.

He was descended from Taigo and Veloya, with the blood of the Lineage's master running through him and the mission of reviving his kind on his shoulders. Unlike the indolent Leijieduolei or the overly cautious Hidorivi, the only thing he had ever pursued was strength.

On the night the Nurturer first had the dragon hatchlings chew ore, Jelierion awakened his talent. His talent was Accelerated Growth, allowing him to gain greater reinforcement during every stage of a dragon's growth.

Because of this powerful talent, Jelierion, though merely a dragon hatchling, attained a Disaster Level as high as four. He had always regarded himself as the pride of the dragon flock, treating Ladon, the naturally gifted Archaic Species, as the sole opponent worthy of his serious regard.

Yet at this very moment, another dragon stood before him.

Jelierion dodged and retreated violently, his powerful body trembling as it twisted sharply, his breaths heavy and rough.

To the Iron Dragons watching, this scene was nearly unbelievable. Yet Jelierion had no choice but to admit that he truly did not dare take that razor-sharp claw strike head-on.

Ferrum slowly withdrew his claws. Where they had fallen, they had torn a savage trench into the ground. He looked at Jelierion's heaving chest and reset his stance.

"If you were an ordinary Chrome Dragon, you could never have defeated Hidorivi, much less challenged me."

Jelierion stared at Ferrum's claws. "It seems the rumors were right. You truly are a Variant Species among Chrome Dragons. Those ordinary, plain methods of training yield little effect for other dragons, yet they bring you tremendous gains."

"I also believe I am the most perfect among Chrome Dragons, so I cannot refute you if you put it that way."

Ferrum nodded. "But the injuries I suffered, the blood I shed, and the time I spent were just as real."

"That is rather too belittling toward other dragons."

Jelierion gave a cold laugh. "Do you think every dragon is like that fool of a brother of yours, wasting his days sprawled beneath the sun?"

"Moqi is not a fool."

Ferrum shook his head. "There is no point in saying such things. What I want to compare with you is not talent, but strength. Next comes the moment that decides victory and defeat. Whatever moves you have left, use them all."

"Fine."

Jelierion drew a deep breath, suddenly lowered himself onto all four limbs, then sprang upward like a launched projectile. His body stretched out and hung in midair like a warhammer laid sideways.

"Axe Form."

Jelierion drew upon the strength of his entire body. His long tail carved a full arc through the air, then, accompanied by a deep and mighty roar, suddenly spun downward in a slashing sweep.

Jelierion had forged his entire body into a weapon, like a flying axe hurled by a giant god. In ancient times, Iron Dragons had used this strike to split off the heads of Titans, and his father, Taigo Ashmark, had likewise used it to tear open the body of an adult Purple Dragon.

There had never been any wasting of time. As a dragon hatchling, Jelierion had already perfectly mastered the second killing art of the Ember Scar Inheritance.

As he descended through the air, murderous intent lurked everywhere.

Ferrum's heartbeat accelerated, forcing out an enormous volume of blood. Blood surged through his body as if a dam had burst, burning so fiercely it nearly made him tremble. The Chrome Dragon's pupils brightened, reflecting a golden gleam.

In that instant, every muscle in Ferrum's body collapsed downward, as though he had suddenly shrunk. He gathered all his strength, swept forth as a pale afterimage, and burst forward, his claws blazing hot.

The two sides crossed and collided.

Ferrum was sent flying by the immense force. He plowed and scraped across the ground, dragging out four vicious claw marks, but still could not regain control. He had to roll twice before finally steadying himself, his posture exceedingly bedraggled.

Jelierion remained where he was, then collapsed like a mountain falling apart. A huge wound had opened in his abdomen, as though it had been pierced through by a bolt from a Dragon-Hunting Crossbow, blood gushing forth in torrents.

"Jelierion."

Leijieduolei, who had been watching, let out a low roar and hurried forward.

The Iron Dragons stepped forward in unspoken accord, clustering around Jelierion. They could fear Ladon and respect Ferrum, but the one the Iron Dragons truly believed in was Jelierion. Even if Jelierion had been defeated, he was still the leader of the Iron Dragons.

"I'm fine."

Jelierion stopped his companions. Pressing down on his wound, he sat and looked at Ferrum. "That was not Wedge Form. You changed how it was used."

"Wedge Form is good, but it is ultimately a grappling technique for Iron Dragons and does not suit Chrome Dragons. I studied how it generated force and tried turning it into a thrust."

Ferrum said, "Your killing arts are excellent, beyond the reach of other techniques. I only hope my little tricks can be of use to you."

"Hidorivi once described your battle with the Cobalt-Blue Overlord to me, but you are stronger now than you were then."

Jelierion looked into Ferrum's eyes. "And the scent on you is wrong. You do not smell like an ordinary dragon."

Ferrum fell silent for a while before saying, "I can now meditate completely."

Jelierion's pupils abruptly dilated, then rapidly contracted. After that, he too fell into a long silence.

"So it turns out I was the one who underestimated you. There are so many gifted dragons in the valley; the Lineage should be pleased."

Only after a long time did he speak again. "Another Feeding-Seizure Period is approaching. I know you challenged me at this time because you wish to borrow the Iron Dragons' strength. But even if we agree, I fear we still cannot do it. There is still a great distance between you and Ladon."

"The Iron Dragons failed last time because you were too proud and never considered the strength of the other dragon flocks."

Ferrum shook his head. "But I am different."

"You do not understand. The strength of the Iron Dragons comes precisely from the pride of the Iron Dragons."

Jelierion said, "However, Ladon truly cannot be allowed to run wild and act like a tyrant forever. Even during the Feeding-Seizure Period, there should be order in the valley, not chaos."

He pondered for a moment, then continued, "I am injured, so I will not go. Let them help you instead."

"Good."

Ferrum withdrew his gaze, ending the conversation.

The winter sky was somewhat gloomy. Heavy black clouds piled up, gathered, and churned above the valley. With a clap of thunder, rain began to fall in an instant, adding several more degrees of chill to the already harsh air.

The Kobolds pushed carts through the mud with difficulty, piling mountain-like heaps of Kodo Beast meat once again in the gathering grounds.

Ladon stood atop an exceedingly high cliff, looking coldly down upon the scene as torrential rain poured before his face.

At the same time, Ferrum emerged from his nest.

"What terrible weather."

Beneath the curtain of pouring rain, Ferrum spoke softly, as if muttering to himself.

He moved his body and walked slowly through Ochre Valley in the storm, as if seeking to measure the land with his steps. He had hatched, lived, and grown up in this valley; every blade of grass and every tree was intimately familiar to him.

He came to the abandoned mine. Ferrum had defeated Leijieduolei and Hidorivi here, then completed his challenge against Jelierion. By the time he arrived, the Iron Dragons were already waiting in the torrential rain, like reefs standing firm against the waves.

Hidorivi stepped forward and nodded to Ferrum, yet said nothing, merely following slowly behind him.

He came to Eaglebeak Cliff. Ferrum had hung from its sheer walls, clawing his way along them, and raced madly with the dragon hatchlings on the mountain paths. Moqi eagerly crowded over, while several other Chrome Dragons, sharp and lean as blades, stood nearby.

For the first time, the solitary Chrome Dragons had gathered together and met the gaze of the strongest Chrome Dragon.

One of them said, "We will help you, but only this once."

Ferrum nodded, then headed downward into Sunken Hollow, the habitat of the Cobalt Dragons.

Kelailli led the Cobalt Dragons out of Sunken Hollow. He looked at the Iron Dragons and Chrome Dragons behind Ferrum, then drew a deep breath. "Then, with this, we can strike back."

Ferrum went to Ironwood Forest, where he had snapped the zipline and where the Tungsten Dragons lived. The Tungsten Dragons beat the ground and sang, as though pounding war drums.

Bido also brought the Nickel Dragons over. Trampling through the mud, he spoke with both reverence and ingratiation. "Boss Ferrum!"

Bay Lake churned beneath the downpour. This was where Ferrum and his companions had frolicked in the water, caught fish, and hunted crabs. In Tas came to Ferrum's side with the Lesser Dragons. Between them, there was no longer any need for words.

Afterglow also gave a slight nod. "This is how it should have been from the first day."

At last, Ferrum entered the gathering grounds and raised his head to gaze into the distance. Through layer upon layer of rain, he could see the Nurturer's enormous molten cave nest.

Ladon felt the faint tremor. He narrowed his eyes at the dragon shapes slowly appearing at the other end, then rose to his feet.

It was a gaze of one against forty-five. The dragons did not evade his eyes, and the bloodline suppression of the Archaic Species completely lost its effect at that very moment.

But Ladon did not retreat. He stepped down from the mountain of meat, slowly baring his fangs.

"Blood Frenzy."

The Archaic Species raised both claws and drove them heavily into the ground, throwing up enormous sprays of water. Scalding currents of air burst from his body, followed by a violent afterimage.

Ladon roared at the top of his lungs and leapt toward the encirclement of dragons.

"Roar!"

The dragons also hissed and roared. One after another, they charged out from Ferrum's side, pouncing toward the majestic body of the Archaic Species.

After the rainstorm, the dragon hatchlings established new rules. During the Feeding-Seizure Period, food would be distributed according to dragon flock rankings. Competition was still encouraged, but it would no longer bring chaos.

From then on, Ochre Valley truly entered a stable period of transition.