Mean Streak

The Essence notification that flashed before Sol's eyes convinced him that the green worm was secretly plotting something malicious against him.

But he paid it no mind. At his current rate of growth, he would only leave these young dragons further and further behind in strength. Their supposed patience and restraint would be nothing but a joke in the end.

After driving the Green Dragon away, he turned his head and fixed his gaze on a Black Dragon nearby.

Still a juvenile, this Black Dragon had yet to grow as gaunt as an adult. His black scales had an oily sheen, and his eyes were deep-set. A pair of curved, segmented horns extended from the sides of his head, sweeping forward and downward to protect both cheeks.

Most unusual of all were the wings on his back. Their membranes were not particularly large, but the wing bones were exceptionally long and slender, jutting outward like fearsome skeletal claws and giving him remarkable maneuverability.

A faint stench of rot drifted over on the breeze. Sol immediately raised the scales on his forehead and roared, "You black stinkbug, how long has it been since you bathed? Get lost! Stay away from me!"

At once, the surrounding Black Dragons flew into a rage, all glaring at Sol with cold hostility.

But after comparing their sizes, they could only back down in silence, picking up their food and turning away without a word.

Among the Chromatic Dragons, Black Dragons were only slightly larger than White Dragons. At this juvenile stage, when they had yet to awaken many magical abilities, there was no way they could defeat a Red Dragon a size bigger than themselves.

With that, Sol had managed to offend every young dragon there. Yet the angry, malicious and hateful looks directed his way only filled him with delight.

Notifications for Essence Fragments flashed across the bottom of his vision like a flood of messages. In just a moment, the count rose by another two points.

But that was far from enough for Sol. He needed more, much more Mental Power Essence.

He glanced around at the young dragons, who had now mostly assembled, and slipped a claw beneath one wing. When he drew it out again, he held a Dragonvein Crystal fragment between his claws.

It was a piece left over from what he had exchanged for and eaten that day, only about the size of an adult's fist. Yet it was exceptionally clear, glittering in the sunlight and giving off a faint, lively blue-green energy.

"Stop eating, you fools! A bunch of beasts who can only bury their heads in food! Let me show you what an evil dragon truly pursues!!"

The sudden shout drew the attention of the young dragons nearby. Every one of them wondered what madness this damned Red Dragon was up to now.

But when they turned and saw the dazzling crystal held between the claws of Sol's raised right foot, they could no longer look away.

"Magic crystal! That's a magic crystal!!"

"It's huge! Damn it, where did you get it?"

"Stupid Red Dragon, that's not something you should have! Hand it over!"

All the young dragons raised in the oasis were themselves considered Kalundak's property. They had no way to acquire treasure of their own.

What was more, they were still young dragons being fed by others. Some might not even have seen a copper coin since hatching. Only after reaching adolescence and earning merit by fighting for the clan might they receive a meager reward.

These young dragons had never owned such a glittering magic crystal. They had probably never even seen one, let alone dared to imagine having one.

The evil dragon blood within them instantly stirred. Their blood raced, their pupils reddened with congestion, and their gazes followed Sol's waving claw up and down.

Notifications of Mental Power Essence Fragments increasing flooded the bottom of Sol's vision like a blue waterfall.

He felt as though he had held up a bag of leaves in front of a group of addicts desperate for a fix. Everywhere he looked, he saw envy, jealousy and greed.

Even the Green Dragon and Black Dragons who had backed down earlier could not resist the temptation and began to stir.

Seeing that he had become the focus of every young dragon's attention, Sol immediately put on an evil grin.

"Look at that dazzling shine! It's packed with energy and would sell for at least a hundred gold coins. You really want it, don't you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he shot out his scarlet tongue and wrapped it around the Dragonvein Crystal like a snake. He raised his head high and opened his mouth wide. Under the desperate gazes of the assembled young dragons, his jaws snapped shut.

"No-!!"

"Damn it! How could you eat it?!"

"Spit it out, now!!"

Shrill cries rang out one after another. The young dragons who witnessed it were more distraught than if their own mothers had died.

The sadder they were, the more excited Sol became. The notifications continually appearing at the bottom of his vision made him burst out laughing.

"You idiots were thinking of coming over and snatching it, weren't you? I'd rather eat it than give you the chance! Aha! Ha! Ha!"

Xisitana and Kalpu, who had blended in nearby, took advantage of the other young dragons' attention being fixed on Sol to sneak around and steal their food.

Listening to the roars and curses all around them, they could not help looking on with disdain, a strange sense of superiority rising in their hearts.

What an ignorant bunch. Sure enough, apart from Red Dragons, the other Chromatic Dragons are all trash! Fools! Fit only to be toyed with!

By swallowing the Dragonvein Crystal in front of every young dragon, Sol had provoked their collective fury. Even the weak White Dragons glared at him with resentment.

Had he not reacted quickly and immediately flown away with a flap of his wings, he would probably have taken a severe beating.

The reward for doing so, however, was plain to see. In less than half a day, he had gained eight points of Essence.

The days that followed passed without incident. To a True Dragon, whose lifespan was measured in millennia, a single day passed in the blink of an eye.

Every morning, when the sun rose, Sol flew out of the cave to hunt for the day.

His wings stretched out toward the sunlight, casting a broad shadow over the ground. From time to time, he let out a loud roar to attract the other young dragons' attention.

And whenever the weekly feeding time came around, he would bring out something of some value, though not too precious, show it off in front of all the young dragons, and then eat it right before their eyes, gaining large amounts of Essence.

His habit of continually producing treasure soon aroused the suspicions of some young dragons.

Some even sneaked into the cave dwelling on the cliff while he was out hunting, hoping to find the treasure he had hidden away.

The result, naturally, was that they found nothing.

In the blink of an eye, nearly a month had passed since Sol arrived at the oasis, and he had finally saved up 100 points of Mental Power Essence.