Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 201: Garoth's Ambition

"The gnolls and kobolds I first brought to the Molten Iron Tribe have all died out."

Witnessing Hodge's death, the iron dragon Sorog also felt somewhat sentimental.

"These creatures are truly insignificant and fragile... In our long lives, our minions will undergo repeated iterations, with the new replacing the old, a cycle of life and death. Only the same sun rises and sets, eternal and unchanging."

Garoth gazed at the sun radiating light and heat.

He shook his head and slowly spoke: "Even stars will one day extinguish, exhaust their energy, and turn to cosmic dust. Nothing is truly eternal."

After a pause.

The red iron dragon's pupils narrowed slightly as he said in a low voice: "Only those deities worshipped and revered by countless believers, or beings whose individual might rivals the gods, can achieve true eternity, unaffected by the passage of time, existing forever without decay."

Garoth searched his heart.

Struggling against himself, against others, against heaven and earth... growing step by step.

With difficulty and caution, as if treading on thin ice.Was it all just to turn to dust and ashes at life's end?

No!

He wanted more.

Ambition and desire surged within him, yet the red iron dragon unusually made no attempt to suppress them, letting them ferment, boil, and take root in his heart like a seed gradually sprouting.

Not long after, when noon arrived.

Sorog left Dragon Valley to prepare for dealing with the Gold Fang Tribe. Since the Gold Fang Tribe wanted to wage trade wars rather than bloody conflicts, the iron dragon was happy to play along.

Garoth took a deep breath and slowly turned his neck to the right.

Crack crack crack... His vertebrae emitted sounds of strain, sending waves of sharp pain. Garoth stopped, then turned his head to the left instead.

Thanks to years of training, his neck was thick and covered with spikes and thick scales.

But this also created a drawback.

His neck wasn't flexible enough to rotate 180 degrees like other long-necked dragons to bite behind himself.

Therefore, besides daily neck exercises to strengthen muscles, Garoth added new neck rotation training - high-frequency head shaking and similar movements to improve neck agility.

Now with daylight at its brightest, it was perfect time for training.

Having slept for a long time, Garoth trained enthusiastically without resting.

Gradually, night fell.

Now with thick darkness and cool breezes, it was still perfect time for training.

The red iron dragon still didn't stop until the horizon showed the first light of dawn, golden morning light spilling over Dragon Valley.

After nearly a full day and night of training, he should have started resting.

But.

Now with the fresh dawn and crisp air, it remained perfect time for training.

After eating, the red iron dragon drank a barrel of black oil and continued training, summoning the Flying Dragon Group and Rampage Bears as sparring partners, exercising his underlying black-red scales before the Frostburst Scales could regrow.

He seemed impervious to fatigue and pain.

No, more accurately, he enjoyed this feeling.

Other dragons might occasionally consider training but would give up for various reasons. Garoth instead found every possible reason to train his body, unwilling to relax.

From initial pain and torment.

To gradual adaptation and habituation.

Until reaching his current state of enjoyment and immersion.

Whether forced by circumstances or self-adaptation... Garoth's mindset had undergone tremendous transformation.

After two continuous days and nights of various exercises, the red iron dragon's chest heaved violently as he submerged himself in a lake, his nearly burning scales rubbing against the cold water, producing boiling bubbles.

Moments later, he leaped from the water.

"Drink another barrel of black oil to energize myself and continue a while longer?"

Feeling his exhausted, aching body, Garoth slowly exhaled and dismissed the thought.

Too much would be counterproductive.

It was time to rest.

After consuming large amounts of food brought by his minions and devouring three magic gems in one go, the red iron dragon closed his eyes and lay on a protruding rock slab, basking in sunlight for a nap.

Three days and nights later, the red iron dragon awoke under night skies.

Vigorous and full of vitality, with Frostburst Scales fully regrown, his deep black scales blending with the night while their silver edges flowed like moonlight, gleaming brightly.

"Time to deal with those wild monster lords rooted in the southwest."

The red iron dragon spread his massive, powerful wings - a single flap stirred fierce winds as his majestic form tore through the air skyward. Even without using flame bursts for acceleration, just normal wingbeats carried him at tremendous speed.

In the blink of an eye, the red iron dragon vanished into the night.

Convergence Lands southwest, Sword Cliff.

The Convergence Lands' terrain consisted mostly of plains, making the sheer cliff pointing skyward like a sword blade appear particularly abrupt and conspicuous. Yet the fertile soil, abundant vegetation and streams naturally attracted animal herds.

A cave lion crouched low to drink, tail rigidly straight.

About five meters long with sharp teeth and claws, muscular - a predator indeed - yet it remained cautious, ears twitching intermittently, drinking while remaining alert to every rustle around it.

In these harsh lands, predators stronger than itself were everywhere.

It needed caution, it must be cautious.

Suddenly, the water surface rippled slightly, forming glittering scales under moonlight.

The cave lion caught the scent of danger - its limb muscles tensed instantly as it leaped backward lightning-fast.

Splash—as water droplets sprayed everywhere, an iron-cast giant crocodile burst from the water, its jaws clashing together with a heavy snap, sparks flying.

After giving the cave lion a cold glance, the iron crocodile retreated underwater without pursuit.

Having avoided the underwater ambush, the cave lion turned with silent, graceful steps when suddenly the moonlight above dimmed, as if blocked by some massive entity.

It grew alert again, preparing to flee.

But as it leaped, it felt sudden pain - blade-like claws piercing its flesh, gripping its bones.

Simultaneously, a draconic head extended to bite its neck while leonine and goat-like heads clamped onto its spine.

Crack!

With that crisp sound of breaking bones, the cave lion instantly went limp, losing all resistance.

The enormous, twisted monster flapped its wings, carrying the heavy cave lion to an open nest atop Sword Cliff.

Roar!

Roar!

Roar!

Three distinct roars blended together, sweeping across the cliff surroundings, making all creatures who heard them tremble in terror.

Under the moon's clear glow, the monster revealed its true form.

This creature had a goat's hindquarters and lion's forequarters, with dragon wings and three heads: a horned goat head, a frenzied lion head, and a fierce dragon head.

Wild Monster Lord - the Chimera.

The goat head gave it demonic chaos and evil, the dragon head made it extremely greedy and warlike, the lion head granted extraordinary bloodlust.

Moreover, being a drake, it possessed some dragon bloodline.

The chimera's dragon head could resemble any of the Five-colored Dragons - red, blue, green, black, white... with corresponding breath weapons.

This Chimera ruling Sword Cliff.

Its dragon head was nearly identical to a red dragon's - the most powerful red-headed chimera variant.

That it could occupy such a conspicuous location as Sword Cliff and nest at its summit spoke volumes about its power. Its massive size exceeded normal chimera parameters - an extraordinary specimen.

All three heads fed on the cave lion's flesh.

Moving methodically without conflict.

This meant despite multiple heads, unlike two-headed ogres with separate minds, this chimera's heads shared one consciousness.

"That deformed, disgusting appearance certainly isn't any dragon's natural offspring."

The red iron dragon looked down from above at the wild monster lord, instinctively showing disdain.

According to ancestral records, chimeras had two possible origins.

One: created by some demon lord imitating dragons.

Two: dragon-blooded offspring from draconic promiscuity.

Seeing this chimera's appearance, Garoth leaned toward the first theory.