novelraw Chapter 127: Dragon Heart Evolution, Spines Evolution
Chapter 127: Dragon Heart Evolution, Spines Evolution
The seven-day-long torrential rain gradually subsided, thinning into delicate silver threads. The coniferous forest soaked in misty vapor, every dark green pine needle dripping with diamond-like raindrops.
Samantha lay in her cave, atop a bed piled high with crystal coins.
They came in five distinct colors: white, black, green, blue, and red.
"Oh, I don't hate the rainy season as much now."
She rolled over, savoring the delightful friction between her scales and the coins while listening to the gentle patter of rain, feeling thoroughly content.
In the past, whenever the rainy season arrived,
Samantha would huddle in her barren nest, cursing the damp, gloomy weather.
Now, things were different.
The coins beneath her were her wealth.
Following the hierarchy of the Five-Colored Dragons,White coins were the lowest grade, followed by black, green, and blue.
The red coins, matching Samantha's own hue, were the most valuable.
As the only true dragon alchemist in the Clan of Molten Iron—and one entrusted with the crucial duty of minting coins—Samantha received substantial compensation and had grown wealthy.
She was beginning to relish the sensation of lounging atop her treasure, watching and listening to the rain before drifting off to sleep.
After lying there a while longer, Samantha grew drowsy and was about to fall asleep when—
BOOM!
An engine-like roar jolted her awake.
"That annoying Garoth," she grumbled.
The sound hadn't come from an alchemical golem's engine but from Garoth's heartbeat—more precisely, the pulsating rhythm of his heart after activating the Bloodburst spell.
As time passed, the thunderous noise gradually faded.
Samantha blinked sleepily, yawned, and wriggled deeper into her treasure pile, finding a comfortable position to resume her nap.
CRACKLE!
A sound like countless lightning strikes simultaneously erupting shocked her awake again, banishing all drowsiness.
"Argh! Damn you, Garoth!"
She crawled out of her cave and flew to where Garoth was, intending to voice her irritation at being disturbed.
Yet the moment she saw his figure—wreathed in golden lightning, wild and vigorous, powerfully ferocious—all her grievances instantly evaporated.
That appearance was simply too unfair. Even a metallic dragon would struggle to resist it.
Without disturbing Garoth, Samantha flew back to her cave and fell peacefully asleep to the sounds of wind, rain, and lightning.
Some time later,
Garoth concluded his training and removed the heavy armor he wore.
Yes, he possessed a suit of armor.
Crudely crafted and primitive in style, its sole merit was its immense weight.
This was equipment specially forged by the red dragon sorcerer after considering Garoth's physique, using high-density, heavy metal ore. The armor's weight could nearly crush a white dragon of Garoth's size.
He didn't wear it for defense but to enhance his training through sheer mass.
Lately, Garoth had frequently employed the Bloodburst spell and Frenzied State. By combining these extreme conditions with the heavy armor's burden, he suppressed his body to strengthen his physical capabilities.
The evolution of his Frenzied State had been a prolonged, natural process.
During training, he hadn't experienced any extraordinary sensations.
Now, however, with his repeated use of the Bloodburst spell, Garoth felt his heartbeat growing increasingly powerful. His heart seemed to be undergoing some form of evolution, one that had only just begun.
His claws pressed against his chest.
Even through thick scales and muscle, Garoth could faintly sense the vigorous pulsations within.
"I wonder if the evolution will complete before I turn twenty-five," he mused.
If he could develop a 'Bloodburst State' compatible with his body, its effects would undoubtedly surpass those of the alchemical Bloodburst spell, granting him a third stage beyond the Frenzied State.
The Frenzied State was 'anaerobic,' while the Bloodburst State would essentially be gambling with his life—but the gains would be monumental.
Still, Garoth wasn't desperately eager for this evolution. He simply trained naturally toward it.
Undoubtedly, its energy demands would be staggering.
Without first awakening his Dragon Qi, developing the Bloodburst State might render it unusable except as a last resort in direst extremity.
On another note,
Garoth's dorsal spines, after enduring constant battles and daily training, cycling through repeated breakage and regeneration, were also undergoing an adaptive evolution.
He'd noticed their regrowth accelerating recently.
After his fight with the frost behemoth, many of his spines had shattered, yet they fully regrew within a single day.
Moreover, it wasn't just the original sites.
Areas previously devoid of spines—his neck, back, chest, elbows, shoulders, and tail—now sprouted sharp protrusions, while existing spines grew denser, sharper, and harder, with regeneration surpassing that of typical red dragons.
Testing them on wild beasts, Garoth found mere grazes would rend flesh horribly.
With these increasingly dense, razor-sharp spines, his appearance grew more distinctive and fearsome, carrying him further down the path of a true monster.
"These spines will likely complete their evolution before my heart does."
"I hope they demonstrate formidable effectiveness when finished."
Garoth felt pleased and expectant.
He no longer cared about appearing more intimidating.
His years in the wilderness had shifted his perspective.
As long as it made him stronger, resembling a monstrous dragon meant little. If substantial benefits arose, Garoth wouldn't hesitate to play the part.
Collecting his thoughts,
Garoth began honing his dragon wings.
SCREECH! He pressed a wing down, dragging it across an anvil-like whetstone of massive metal, sending red-hot sparks flying.
Fine blades require regular sharpening.
So too did Garoth's wings—their blade-like bones grew keener and more gleaming with each grind.
Several minutes later,
Garoth suddenly paused.
From beneath his scales, he retrieved a message stone transmitting a report from the werewolf sorceress Frostfang.
Nick's caravan had arrived at the Serpentine Earth Rift, braving the drizzling rain with a shipment of goods.
These days, even torrential downpours couldn't halt merchants' footsteps entirely.
The Clan of Molten Iron periodically cleared the trade route of wild beasts and magical creatures, rendering the Serpentine Earth Rift exceptionally secure.
Though the Lothrian Federation's trade route garrisons performed similar duties, the routes' vastness and numerous branches made complete coverage impossible.
Typically,
only after a major incident—a severe attack or disruption—would the garrison swiftly intervene for cleanup.
Additionally, the Clan's intelligent creatures no longer engaged in pillaging or slaughter.
Caravans traveling the Serpentine Earth Rift faced no safety concerns and could trade with the Clan for quality ores and biological materials.
Some merchants speculated a lord had likely unified the area's monsters, imposing order to create this current state.
This lord remained behind the scenes, never appearing personally.
Most merchants, however, didn't probe deeply.
Profit sufficed—they cared little about the underlying circumstances.
As for the few who attempted investigations, they vanished quietly into the wilderness's expanse.
Overall, traffic along the Serpentine Earth Rift had multiplied.
Fully controlled caravans were few; most operated independently, conducting normal trade with the Clan.
Among those deeply tied to the Clan, Nick's caravan had expanded the fastest and now ranked as the largest.
Each visit brought items Garoth desired or required.
"Have the caravan inquire about the Permafrost Tundra."
"Nick might lack direct knowledge, but with merchants' ears, he can gather information swiftly."
"Beyond that, I've no shortage of black oil now. Samantha's armor is cumbersome yet still insufficiently heavy. I need an alchemical tool to augment my own gravity."
Like the gravity spell the stone giant had once used.
Adapted differently, it could assist Garoth's daily training.