Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 193: Evolution! Blade Tail, Spear Wings, and Powerful New Scales!

"My tail has completed its evolution," the red iron dragon flexed his tail muscles. In an instant, the scales on both sides of his tail clinked together and slightly protruded outward, forming terrifying blade-like structures. Concentrating further, he tensed the muscles at the tip of his tail, causing surrounding scales to layer upward into sharp spear-like points with a gleaming cold light at the tips - appearing extremely penetrative. When he relaxed, these special scales returned to their original positions. The deadly weapon combining spear and blade transformed back into a normal thick tail, its edge concealed.

Garoth turned his gaze to his dragon wings. The feather-like scales on his wings had extended outward, evolving into spear-like protrusions suitable for stabbing - though unlike his tail tip, these couldn't be retracted. Examining his entire body, Garoth realized every part of his form had become a weapon. The red iron dragon's current physique seemed born purely for battle. Both wings and tail had simultaneously evolved blade and spear structures, while spikes covered his body like a forest of swords. His deadly horns needed no further mention of their destructive power. When entering combat, his entire being would radiate lethal sharpness enough to chill one's blood.

But these changes were secondary. Inspecting his explosive scale layer, Garoth found it completely transformed from before. The most noticeable change was the shift from black-gray to deep night-like black with silver edges that shimmered under moonlight. "Silver... Could absorbing too many silver and white dragon breaths have given me frost-resistant traits?" Among supernatural creatures, coloration typically reflected inherent attributes unless deliberately disguised, making Garoth's speculation reasonable. However, the actual effects remained to be tested.

Garoth circled the sky several times before landing in a clearing within Dragon Valley. His followers, noticing his awakening, brought abundant meat - some roasting over bonfires, others being cooked. But the red iron dragon currently lacked patience for leisurely dining. His empty stomach demanded real food beyond what black oil could suppress. He ate savagely, devouring fresh bloody meat. Occasionally served cooked dishes, he swallowed them in three bites. Hours of rapid consumption passed until Garoth had eaten more than his own body weight, finally satisfying his ravenous form.

"Deborah," Garoth called after resting, beckoning the brass-silver dragon who'd been watching him intently. "Attack me." She had grown accustomed to such requests, understanding they related to Garoth's talents rather than mere eccentricity - though his occasional expressions during attacks suggested he might enjoy the process, or perhaps found pleasure amidst pain.

"Here I come," Deborah warned before spreading her wings and accelerating toward Garoth's side. Her claws sheathed in piercing cold struck heavily against his back. The dull impact delivered both physical and ice-elemental damage, only creating minor cracks far from shattering his scales. Meanwhile, directly struck scales turned completely silver from the edges outward. The frost invasion was absorbed by these scales - Garoth merely felt slight chill seeping through cracks, nothing like the previous needle-like pain. "After enduring so many white and silver dragon breaths and spells," he mused, "this evolution granted powerful ice resistance. It's no longer my weakness."

Deborah continued assaulting the red iron dragon with ice spells and physical attacks until his scales became almost entirely silver while radiating intense cold. This frost barely affected her but covered the surroundings in rime - enough to numb any fire-aligned creature attacking Garoth. "Deborah, stop using spells. Attack me purely physically now," he ordered. "Good!" she agreed enthusiastically - dragons always relish unleashing power. Her claws, tail, and wings struck repeatedly as scales continued emitting cold. When several scales finally shattered, they released even denser frost. Strangely, while externally icy, Garoth felt increasing internal heat rapidly accumulating as if simultaneously experiencing fire and ice.

"Now use your frost breath," Garoth commanded. Without hesitation, Deborah retreated slightly, inhaled deeply, and unleashed her silver dragon lineage's freezing breath. The substantial silver-white torrent carried ultimate ice energy - dragons' most potent attack combining elemental damage with earth-rending force. Garoth's scales turned completely silver almost instantly, making him resemble a silver dragon hybrid. Yet he advanced step by step against the breath, scales crumbling while his inner heat intensified unbearably.

The breath inflicted severe damage. Eventually, when Garoth's last "silver scale" shattered, his inner heat peaked, chest swelling. "Can't hold back! Move!" he roared, fire erupting from nostrils as his exposed black-red inner scales turned forge-red like heated steel. Scorching waves distorted surrounding air, igniting dry grass beneath. Deborah's pupils contracted sharply sensing extreme danger. She immediately closed her mouth and retreated. Her timely escape spared her as Garoth suddenly raised his head, neck resembling a red-hot cannon barrel.

BOOM!A dazzling fire column several meters thick blasted skyward, its range, power and scale dwarfing normal dragon breath by multiples, nearly igniting the sky and turning night into crimson daylight. Deborah stared dumbfounded at the burning heavens, body trembling unconsciously. Had that inferno struck her directly, she suspected instant severe injury - possibly death if caught unprepared. The might surpassed even an adult gold dragon's breath. Only after a full dozen seconds did the flames gradually fade as his forge-red coloration reverted to normal black-red.

Garoth exhaled slowly, scales slightly parting as magma-like red patterns flowed across them, residual heat still distorting the air.