novelraw Chapter 12: Red-Scaled Python
Chapter 12: Red-Scaled Python
“The power of my wing slash at full speed is very strong; even with my own defense, I probably can’t withstand it.”
Garoth thought silently.
The armor on the Earth Rampage Bear’s body, though rock-like in texture, was even harder than ordinary metal steel. The armor on its arms was the thickest. Its skin, fur, flesh, and bones were not fragile either.
But despite all that, it was still cut through by Garoth’s dragon wings in one strike.
During the entire brief process, he barely felt any resistance or slowdown.
His body traced a low arc, Garoth’s sharp claws left long cracks on the ground, and he stabilized his stance at the other end. Then, in the next second, his limbs bent slightly, the muscle fibers beneath his dragon scales twisted like steel wires, bursting out with powerful force.
The dragon wings swung and accelerated.
Garoth dashed on the ground, step by step crushing the surface. The wing blade slashed through trees along the way, creating a grand momentum unlike that of a young dragon, charging once more to attack the Earth Rampage Bear.
This battle was mainly to test the current strength of his dragon wings.
As for the Great Desolate Dragonfall, the self-sacrificing charging skill, Garoth had already mastered it with ease. Pain shot from the severed arm, and facing the overwhelming dragon might that seemed unstoppable, the fierce nature deep in the Earth Rampage Bear’s bones vanished. It didn’t roar or growl but whimpered instead.
Then.
Garoth, who was charging at full speed trying to split the Earth Rampage Bear in half with his wing blades, was stunned to see the Earth Rampage Bear whimpering before suddenly prostrating itself fully on the ground, cowering and showing no intention to resist anymore. Its rear was raised, head lowered, almost entirely tucked into the dirt.
Whoosh!
Just as he was about to collide with the Earth Rampage Bear, the young dragon suddenly lifted upward.
Garoth ascended sharply, changed direction in midair, and landed steadily without choosing to kill the Earth Rampage Bear.
Feeling the stop of the gust and the dissipation of dragon might, the Earth Rampage Bear quietly raised its head and looked at the young dragon approaching step by step.
“Woo ah woo la!”
It made a whimpering sound, with eyes showing a human-like expression of pleading and fear.
Monsters are highly intelligent. The Earth Rampage Bear was a monster with intelligence no less than that of humans, a wise creature that naturally spoke some Giant tongue.
Giants are enemies of dragons.
As the saying goes, your enemy knows you best.
The dragon heritage contained Giant language, and Garoth could understand it.
“Noble dragon, please spare me”—this was probably what the Earth Rampage Bear was saying just now.
“The heritage says the Earth Rampage Bear is fearless in battle and dares to attack dragons fiercely. I don’t know about other things, but this Earth Rampage Bear isn’t quite like the description in the records. The Dragon Heritage doesn’t seem fully reliable.”
Garoth looked at the Earth Rampage Bear thoughtfully.
“But the battle was too brief. I haven’t fully confirmed the strength of my dragon wings yet.”
With his eyes slightly narrowed, a dangerous glint appeared in Garoth’s dragon pupils.
The Earth Rampage Bear keenly sensed this and immediately buried itself back into the dirt, looking like an ostrich, trembling all over as if saying, “Kill me if you want, I won’t look or resist.”
Seeing such behavior, Garoth lost his killing intent.
He didn’t have any followers serving him yet; maybe this Earth Rampage Bear could be tamed.
He stepped forward.
Garoth extended his claw and lightly patted the Earth Rampage Bear’s head.
The other party trembled in fear, then raised its head and saw Garoth’s calm and steady gaze.
“Choose to submit, and I can give you a chance to live.”
Garoth spoke in somewhat awkward Giant language.
“It is my honor.”
The Earth Rampage Bear nodded decisively like a chick pecking rice, agreeing immediately.
Garoth’s strength shocked it.
An Earth Rampage Bear that could live alone in the wilderness was not ignorant. Although it couldn’t determine what kind of dragon Garoth was, judging by his size, it knew he was just a young dragon. So at first, the Earth Rampage Bear was very brave, showing no fear at all. But after the first contact, one of its arms was broken off. After a few more hits, it felt it was doomed.
After a brief exchange, Garoth learned the Earth Rampage Bear’s name—Mobel, a male Earth Rampage Bear.
The Earth Rampage Bear picked up its severed arm and pressed it against the wound.
A sandy yellow energy swirled around it, temporarily bonding and connecting it.
The Earth Rampage Bear’s regeneration was strong. After some rest, the arm could still be used.
“Are there any monsters around your level or slightly stronger? I’m not satisfied yet.”
Garoth asked the Earth Rampage Bear.
Mobel nodded and pointed its bear claw southward.
“In that direction, a red-scaled python dwells. I’ve fought it many times; we are evenly matched.”
As it spoke, a glint of malice flashed in Mobel’s eyes, looking quite pleased.
The red-scaled python was its mortal enemy. They had fought many times over territory and resources. Many old scars on Mobel’s body were left by the red-scaled python.
“Lead the way.”
Garoth took off directly.
Mobel strode on the ground, running swiftly southward. Under its guidance, Garoth soon found the red-scaled python’s lair.
It was coiled on a giant cedar tree, its body almost as thick as the cedar itself, its scales fiery red.
Its creature level was also 8, the same as Mobel’s.
The difference was, the red-scaled python was a ferocious beast with little intelligence.
Locking onto the target, the young dragon tensely flexed his muscles at a hundred meters altitude, spreading his wing blades like sharp knives, roaring as he dove to kill the red-scaled python.
In less than a minute.
As the dragon wings swept past, the huge red-scaled python’s head shot skyward, blood spraying down and splattering onto Garoth, giving him an added fierce aura.
“An 8-level ferocious beast monster can’t hold out long before me.”
Garoth shook his wings to fling off the blood.
Although fighting above his level was still easy, he didn’t feel complacent. Dragons were top-tier monsters, so such achievements were natural.
Life level was only a reference and couldn’t truly measure combat power.
Garoth kept in mind that arrogance and pride were the greatest sins that could kill a dragon. He couldn’t lose himself because of temporary strength.
Besides, he wasn’t really strong. In this wilderness, at most, he had some means of self-protection. To be able to do whatever he wanted without restriction was still far away.
Not to mention, Iron Dragon Mother could kill him with a few slaps.
And even Iron Dragon Mother, an adult dragon, was not considered a ruler in the Ser Wilderness.
Not long after, Garoth left Mobel to stay in the area and returned alone to the sky pit territory.
The reason was simple.
With Iron Dragon Mother’s personality, she would never allow an uncontrollable Earth Rampage Bear in her territory. She would forcibly enslave it, especially since Garoth hadn’t used dragon vein transformation on it.
Dragon Vein Transformation—dragons bestow their essence blood upon other beings, transforming them into dragon-vein creatures genuinely loyal from the heart.
Compared to followers, Garoth prioritized himself. He was still a young dragon, growing rapidly. Distributing essence blood would slow down his growth, so he wouldn’t let a follower drag him down.
The Earth Rampage Bear without dragon vein transformation.
Its verbal submission was unreliable. It could disobey Garoth and escape directly.
However.
Surviving in the wilderness was harsh and full of dangers. Even he had to be cautious. Monsters like the Earth Rampage Bear wouldn’t leave their familiar areas unless forced.
If it really escaped, it didn’t matter.
Taming followers was a casual matter for Garoth. Deep down, he didn’t care much about them. At most, if he met it again, he would kill it, and if not, he wouldn’t mind.
Moreover.
On one side was the dangerous, crisis-filled wilderness and a life of wandering and fleeing. On the other was a powerful, extraordinarily potential dragon protector.
With Mobel’s intelligence, it knew what choice to make.
When returning to the sky pit territory, the sky was still bright, and the sun continued radiating high heat as usual.
“Garoth, mother wants us to go with her to her Dragon Nest.”
Just after landing at the cliff edge, two young dragons approached Garoth and said this. More accurately, they were no longer hatchlings but young dragons.
After a year passed, Red Dragon Sister and Iron Dragon Brother had both grown a size bigger and reached the young dragon stage.
“Gathering the three of us together like this hasn’t happened in a long time. I wonder what mother wants to tell us.”
Red Dragon Sister blinked, curious.
“Hehe, maybe mother prepared delicious blood food for us to share.”
Iron Dragon Brother tilted his head, happily guessing.
Two fools, have they already forgotten what happened to me a year ago?
Garoth shook his head slightly.
He remained silent and flew toward Iron Dragon Mother’s Dragon Nest, with the two young dragons eagerly following along.