novelraw Chapter 385: Female Dragon, You're Playing with Fire!
Chapter 385: Female Dragon, You're Playing with Fire!
Chapter 385: Female Dragon, You're Playing With Fire! 7
"Stop your pointless struggling."
Garoth's low voice reverberated across the ground.
He sensed on the other's body a bloodline aura extremely similar to Alberto's, and he roughly guessed her origin and identity. So he didn't strike hard, only kept her suppressed.
"Born evil red iron dragon! Let me go!"
Nasha twisted her body violently, her cultivated golden tail coated in scales smashing the frozen earth beneath her, producing heavy, drum-like crashes, yet she could not budge the enormous red iron dragon pressing her at all. He seemed heavier than a mountain.
This was partly because of the gold dragon's sudden attack and her current frantic resistance.
A few more bloodshot veins faintly appeared in Garoth's eyes, and the frenzied flame stirred slightly.
He slowly thrust out a huge, ferocious head, bringing it close to the gold dragon pinned on the ground.
His voice was low and dangerous as he said, "Female dragon, behaving like this is playing with fire, are you trying to arouse my interest? Heh, you're almost there."A scorching, aggressive breath swept across at close range.
Nasha's mind blanked in an instant, her muscles involuntarily stiffened, and for a moment she forgot to continue struggling and resisting.
Elsewhere.
Alberto crawled out from the smoke and dust he had smashed up inside the Dragon Formation, shaking his still a bit dazed head.
He flapped his wings and rose into the sky, instantly spotting his dragon sister clad in golden armor, looking heroic, and the red iron dragon aggressively pinning her to the ground.
He did not show a trace of panic or anger.
Alberto first shook off the dust and broken scales, tidied himself a little, and only then leisurely beat his wings and flew over.
His movements were unhurried, giving no sign of rushing to intervene.
Back when Alberto had not yet matured and was at his most defiant and rebellious, he had often been disciplined for snubbing his parents and other relatives.
Come to think of it, the beatings he took from Nasha were even more frequent than those from their parents combined.
And his sister usually hit harder than their parents.
So now, seeing his usually domineering sister suffer such a humiliation while he was sure she wasn't in mortal danger, Alberto couldn't help but feel a malicious delight bubbling up inside.
Revenge will come in due time.
Serves you right.
Alberto sailed over nonchalantly, landed beside the two dragons wrestling, and calmly looked at Nasha pinned to the ground, his eyes full of mockery and teasing.
"Isn't this my dear sister Nasha? What, wearing that old man's discarded shabby armor, charging in all fierce, and yet ended up pinned to the ground, rubbing along? "
"Hey, the ground's cold, lying down all the time is bad for you."
He deliberately paused, then continued, "Oh, sorry, I forgot; it's not that you don't want to get up, it's that you simply can't."
Being pressed down so tightly, having her dignity trampled, and then hearing her younger brother's taunts—humiliation and fury erupted in Nasha like a volcano.
She snapped back to her senses and struggled even more fiercely.
The gold dragon roared at Alberto, "Alberto! Have you been mind-controlled by some evil spell from this foul dragon?! Hurry up and help me, let's deal with this evil dragon together."
Alberto shook his head.
"I'm perfectly clear-headed, Nasha, my foolish and reckless sister."
"You should be the one to wake up and face reality."
He tilted his head and explained, "Alright, stop puffing up like a cat stepped on its tail. This is completely a misunderstanding. Garoth is not the sort of vicious evil dragon you imagine. We were just training and sparring in the air earlier."
"He's my ally, a partner I vouch for."
At that moment, Blue Dragon Zoraya and brass-silver dragon Deborah also flapped their wings and flew over, landing not far away.
Deborah folded her wings elegantly, her silver-white and honey-colored scales gleaming beautifully against the snow.
"Lady Gold Dragon, I think there is indeed a significant misunderstanding here. Garoth may look… intimidating, even somewhat ferocious, but he is not the evil creature you think."
She spoke, her voice pleasant, carrying a soothing tone.
"Judging a dragon's alignment by appearance alone is unwise, isn't it?"
Blue Dragon Zoraya's voice was colder and more direct. Her sharp gaze swept over the subdued Nasha as she bluntly said, "If the leader truly intended to kill you, you would already be a corpse. You wouldn't have the chance to question and struggle here."
Listening to their back-and-forth words, and feeling the powerful suppression on her body that, though inescapable, hadn't escalated into further harm, Nasha's boiling anger and humiliation slowly eased.
Reason began to regain the upper hand.
She forced herself to calm down and looked carefully at Alberto nearby.
Though her brother looked disheveled, covered in intersecting wounds with numerous damaged scales and bleeding profusely, his eyes were as foolish as always. The injuries, despite their gruesome appearance, had not damaged muscles or bones or hit vital spots. It did not appear to be the state of someone mind-controlled or abused.
Could it really be, as they said, that I misjudged?
Garoth felt the gold dragon's struggles weaken, and the boiling hostility in him abate, so he slowly released the claws and Dragon Qi arm that had been pressing her neck and wings. He rose and stepped back a few paces.
He quietly stared at the gold dragon, his gaze lingering over her armor.
With his sharp perception, he judged that this female gold dragon had only recently entered adulthood. Her life level was around 17—one level below him, but one level above Alberto.
Usually, facing an opponent of the same level, even a powerful great dragon, Garoth often held an overwhelming advantage and could win fairly easily.
Yet this level-17 gold dragon required his Bloodburst State to be completely subdued.
Moreover, she still seemed to have reserves; she hadn't gone all-out or reached a desperate, exhausted state.
If that strength came entirely from her own body, Garoth might feel some excitement at encountering a rival in martial skill who could match him.
But it was clear her performance in their fight had relied heavily on that splendid and powerful armor.
If she were stripped of that equipment, Garoth was confident he could subdue her far more easily.
"An armor set that allows a level-17 gold dragon to directly contend with my Bloodburst State without instantly falling."
"Even ordinary level-20 great dragons would probably find it difficult to defeat her in a short time. If it were another species facing her fully armored, their odds wouldn't be high either. This armor is truly an extraordinary treasure."
Garoth thought to himself.
Metal dragons, especially higher-ranked species like Gold Dragons, generally enjoy abundant gifts and careful protection from elders—practically common knowledge among dragons.
Garoth felt little envy about that.
After all, his own red dragon father was equally generous and wholehearted.
Has he ever bragged about it to others? No!
At that moment, Nasha panted, her chest heaving violently, and climbed up from the cold ground.
Her gaze swept across the massive red iron dragon, the cool and aloof Zoraya, the graceful Deborah, and finally fixed like a nail on her own brother—Gold Dragon Alberto.
"Alberto, now tell me, what on earth is going on? Why are you associating with a group of dragons like this?"
she demanded in a low voice.
"Well… it's a long story."
Alberto scratched his head with a claw to gather his words, then summarized, cutting out the trivial parts, the main events after he sneaked out of the Vophal Dragon Domain.
He told of meeting the red iron dragon in the convergence lands.
Their first fight was evenly matched. When he discovered the red iron dragon was not a brutal, merciless kind, he grew a grudging admiration for him. They became allies and later fought side by side many times, and so on.
There was a little embellishment in his tale.
But that was not the point. Neither Gold Dragon Nasha nor Garoth cared.
"The convergence lands, and the northwest wilderness now under Garoth's control," Alberto looked around and said, "under his governance these places are thriving and well-ordered."
"The foul dragons under him have also reined in their claws and no longer dare to act wantonly. They operate within rules."
"You can verify this just by asking around and observing. To be honest, maintaining such order is something many self-righteous metal dragons would struggle to accomplish."
"Nasha, if you knew Garoth, you'd understand he's worth befriending."
Alberto concluded, unusually earnest in tone.
After hearing her brother's long-winded explanation, the tension and wariness on Nasha's face visibly softened.
Her anger faded and was replaced by contemplation.
"That fool Alberto has always been arrogant and conceited. If he uses words like 'evenly matched' and 'grudging admiration,' and speaks so trustingly with such praise… this red iron dragon must truly be exceptional, not an ordinary evil dragon."
Nasha reassessed inside her mind.
She carefully, as impartially as she could, scrutinized the towering red iron dragon before her, and once again was deeply shaken by his nearly unbelievable physical strength.
A sense of caution and apprehension rose within her.
At the same time, an irresistible curiosity, like a vine quietly sprouting, began to coil and spread in her heart, growing stronger.
What kind of foul dragon could make a metal dragon willingly vouch for him and follow behind him, even reluctant to return to their dragon domain?
Moments later, pieces of her armor detached from her body and were put away one by one, indicating she had quelled her hostility.
"I apologize for my earlier rash attack, Lord of Molten Iron."
Nasha calmed her anger and hostility, bowed slightly, showing the dignity and grace proper to the Gold Dragon clan. "I acted rashly without understanding the situation, creating a misunderstanding."
Garoth slightly inclined his head and said, "I accept your apology."
Justice, a bit impulsive but not stubbornly rigid and willing to admit fault… he quickly sketched out her general personality profile in his mind.
"Nasha Aurelius, from the Vophal Dragon Domain, a blood relative of Alberto."
The gold dragon fixed her gaze on Garoth and formally introduced herself.
"Standing before you is the great Lord of Molten Iron, Lord of the Convergence Lands, ruler of the northwest wilderness, the great dragon who bears such fearsome titles as Death's Harbinger and Wings of the Skyrend—Garoth Ignas!"
A melodic, punctuated voice chimed in at the right moment.
More precisely, it flowed from the mouth of the faerie dragon Vira.
She had somehow slipped close and was performing this ceremonious introduction on Garoth's behalf.
"A planar dragon is here as well?"
Nasha noticed the small faerie dragon, surprise and curiosity deepening in her heart.
A planar dragon—who knew if there was another one on planet Bernardo.
What kind of allure did this creature possess?
She couldn't help but scrutinize the red iron dragon again, her gaze sweeping over his powerful, elegant muscle lines, those rugged and dangerous structural features, feeling that paradoxical aura of both latent danger and composed calm on him.
From a purely visual standpoint, he was flawless.
At first glance one could sense his overwhelming power and an unignorable majestic presence.
"Garoth…"
The gold dragon quietly repeated the name, as if savoring the meaning behind it.
Then she lifted her head, flexed the limbs that still tingled from being restrained, felt the lingering soreness, and said, "As a fellow Battle Dragon, I have seriously considered the Star Path."
"But I abandoned it because the Dragon Qi consumption is simply too great, and the combat style is too extreme. I ultimately chose the more balanced and comprehensive Four Elements Path."
"What I never expected was to meet here a Battle Dragon so powerful in the Star Path."
Star Path Formations, Star Path Arms… those skills not only demand extremely high Dragon Qi quality, they also consume staggering amounts. Ordinary dragons can hardly maintain them long-term.
However, after the earlier fierce battle, Garoth showed no sign of fatigue.
The Dragon Qi he had expended earlier seemed negligible to him.
In fact, it truly was.
At the initial stages, the four-armed form had indeed posed some burden for Garoth.
But as he continued to grow and his physique became increasingly formidable, his total Dragon Qi far exceeded that of same-level dragons, now enough to freely employ such techniques.
As for the Four Elements Path, it was by no means weak.
It was balanced and comprehensive, with no glaring weak points. When facing different types and situations, its diverse elemental combinations could be effectively targeted.
Unfortunately for her, she had encountered Garoth.
Garoth's resistance system lacked any real fatal flaws. Perhaps certain aspects were not exceptionally outstanding, but that was only compared to his own already extremely high overall resistance; in truth every attribute remained at a very high level.
Those ornate, complex elemental attacks were unlikely to have significant effect on him in most cases.
If a Four Elements dragon faced him, unless its power level was an entire tier above his, it would be difficult to suppress Garoth effectively.
"This is also the first time I have truly witnessed the battle style of a Four Elements Battle Dragon."
Garoth did not spare his praise and spoke frankly, "Your offense is swift and fierce, your skill set varied and adaptable. My gaining the upper hand owes me some fortune."
One should use dominance and strength against foul dragons; but against a higher-tier dragon like a Gold Dragon, after proving one's ability, it is wiser to display a magnanimous temperament.
Garoth quietly applied the core principles from his Dragon Taming Technique · Gold Dragon Volume.
On the other side, Nasha understood fully that this red iron dragon was leaving her face-saving room. Having personally experienced Garoth's strength, she knew better than anyone how fearsome he was.
Powerful yet modest and courteous, not bullying others by force—unlike other foul dragons' rude behavior…
Nasha's favor toward the red iron dragon increased a few degrees; she felt his marked difference from ordinary foul dragons.
"Alberto wasn't wrong. This red iron dragon cannot be judged by ordinary standards."
Nasha thought to herself.
However, losing is losing; she would not make any excuses for herself.
"Your strength, speed, and defense are far beyond mine. This cannot be explained away by mere luck."
Nasha's voice held admiration. "To possess such power already in adulthood… no wonder some conceited fellow would willingly follow behind you and be reluctant to return to the dragon domain."
She sensed the red iron dragon was probably still young, guessing he was in the adult phase.
No sooner had she finished speaking than two voices rose almost simultaneously in rebuttal.
Deborah said, "Garoth is only a young dragon, he's just developed faster than others."
Alberto, as if having his tail stepped on, protested, "Who said I was following behind?! Garoth and I are equal allies. We fight side by side, advance and retreat together, not superior and subordinate!"
Nasha directly ignored her brother's feeble protest.
But when Deborah said—young dragon?
A wave of shock surged in Nasha's heart and she stared at the red iron dragon in astonishment.
She had never expected the red iron dragon to be younger than she thought.
Among the younger generation of the Vophal Dragon Domain, the most outstanding was a brass dragon with exceptional talent and unusually verbose speech.
He had passed through the youth-phase slumber and was nearing adulthood, with life level reaching 18. He was highly anticipated, practiced multiple magical paths, cast spells at great speed, never lost in same-level fights, won many out-of-level combats, and was even thought to have the makings of a Dragon King.
But the red iron dragon before her was also level 18, and younger.
Moreover, Nasha felt that if that brass dragon were to engage in mortal combat with the red iron dragon before her, the outcome would likely be grim for the brass dragon.
Their earlier contact had been brief, but Nasha could determine that the red iron dragon must possess extremely rich combat experience—something that the metal dragons who grew up in peaceful dragon domains, where battles were mostly controlled sparring and competitions, could not compare to.
If he had been born in a metal dragon domain, he might also have been considered to have Dragon King potential.
"If Garoth were to tour the major dragon domains, those proud young elites might have their arrogance thoroughly scattered."
The thought involuntarily surfaced in Nasha's mind.