Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 50: The New King of Rampage Bear Ridge

As dusk fell, Garoth hid high among the clouds, gazing down at the two rampaging bears chasing each other below.

Among the Earth Rampage Bear species, challenges for leadership between clan members were legitimate, conducted through honorable one-on-one duels like knights.

But when facing attacks from dragonkind like Garoth, all bears would unite against the common enemy, fighting together until morale collapsed or their leader was slain. Under such circumstances, luring the alpha bear away alone could avoid much unnecessary trouble.

On the ground below, Mobel ran desperately with every muscle tensed, not daring to relax for even a moment.

Runes flickered beneath his fur, granting him greater strength than usual, yet even so he couldn't outpace Leader Gore. The distance between them gradually narrowed.

Though inferior in straight-line speed, the younger bear was more agile. Mobel deliberately chose the most rugged escape routes - jagged basalt pillars, fallen rotten logs, hidden ground fissures... These obstacles slightly hindered Old Gore, repeatedly slowing him down and preventing him from catching Mobel quickly.

As time passed, the old bear's pursuit grew increasingly furious.

He smashed through giant trees that would take several men to encircle, crushed obstructing stone pillars, his brown eyes burning with killing intent.

Before long, the two bears arrived at the eastern cliff of Needleleaf Valley in their chase.

With his path cut off, Mobel came to a stop."You can't escape," the old bear growled, charging toward Mobel on all fours.

"Wait!" Mobel retreated to the cliff's edge and shouted.

This gave the old bear pause, but the murderous glint in his eyes didn't fade.

"Begging for mercy now? Too late!"

"Any fool who can't recognize the gap in strength yet dares challenge me deserves death."

He was growing old and weak. Young upstarts like Mobel who dared challenge him must be eliminated to prevent future threats - otherwise he would be the one dying someday.

"It wasn't me who challenged you," Mobel snorted. "Old fool, you're the one who doesn't understand the situation."

At the same time, Gore faintly sensed something amiss.

An intensely predatory gaze locked onto him from above, carrying a sense of danger far surpassing that of the rebellious whelp before him.

Looking up, Gore's bear-like face twisted in shock at the sight reflected in his vision - a seven-meter-long red iron young dragon of unimaginable strength.

This red iron young dragon looked somewhat familiar; they'd met before.

But back then, the dragon hadn't possessed such overwhelming pressure, hadn't made him feel threatened. Now it was completely different.

"Damn you! You actually groveled before dragonkind! Led a dragon here!" Gore roared at his rebellious offspring.

"Serving the great Garoth is my honor!"

Far from ashamed, Mobel puffed out his chest proudly, infuriating Gore who wanted to tear him apart. But the greatest threat now came from the sky.

Under Gore's gaze, the last rays of sunset pierced the clouds, bathing the dragon's scales in bloody light.

The circling dragon suddenly spread its wings fully - though only seven meters long, its wingspan reached a terrifying twenty meters. As the wings unfurled, the densely packed crimson scales between the wing membranes rubbed together, sparking embers that glowed starkly against the darkening sky.

The red iron young dragon began its dive.

Its movements weren't particularly swift, but carried suffocating pressure. Its wings sliced through air like terrifying blades as its body plummeted straight as a spear. The shriek of torn air grew increasingly piercing, while its scales gradually reddened as if containing explosive energy.

Under Garoth's dragon might, Gore's first instinct was to retreat.

But years of leading the bear pack hardened his resolve. Instead, the alpha bear straightened, spread his arms, and roared at the rapidly descending dragon.

"Come then, dragon!"

Flames erupted across his body as layers of earth and stone surged to coat his form, especially his arms, forming magma-like armor under the intense heat that distorted the surrounding air.

Midair, Garoth trailed dense sparks like a crimson meteor falling from heaven toward the alpha bear.

At the last moment before impact, his claws extended with a cold metallic sheen.

The alpha bear roared simultaneously, raising magma-coated arms to meet the attack with massive paws.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rang out.

Countless stone fragments sprayed like bullets as shockwaves of wind, dust and flames swept past Mobel, flattening his fur and nearly blinding him. Then the cliff beneath him collapsed, sending Mobel tumbling down with boulders.

Through the swirling dust, Garoth stood upright, the sparks on his wing membranes strikingly visible in the twilight.

The alpha bear's forearms bent at unnatural angles - shattered in the collision - while his body was scorched black from the explosion.

"Submit to me, and I'll spare your life," Garoth intoned.

The old bear answered with a roar and a massive magma-coated paw that struck Garoth's shoulder with thunderous impact.

BOOM! Dragon scales shattered, releasing thick shockwaves and flames.

The bear's arm was thrown back as he staggered several steps. Before he could steady himself, Garoth's wings transformed into crimson blades slashing toward his chest. The bear barely raised his most heavily armored arm in time.

Magma splattered everywhere in the next instant.

Garoth felt like he'd struck viscous tar - his bladed wings cut through the magma armor, leaving a wound on the old bear's arm, but failed to bisect him. Without diving acceleration, his wing-blades were far less powerful.

WHOOSH! Before the alpha bear could counterattack, Garoth suddenly shot skyward, then swooped down again.

Unlike other young dragons who forgot their aerial advantage in the heat of battle, Garoth utilized his strengths wisely.

The red iron young dragon circled briefly to adjust his angle, then dove again toward the alpha bear with sparks flying between his wings.

The alpha bear stomped the ground.

Magma orbs erupted upward, hurtling toward Garoth, who either dodged with agile grace or smashed through them into stone-and-fire rain, never slowing as he closed in on the alpha bear.

His wings flashed past, slashing at the bear who blocked again with his arms.

RIP!

A severed arm flew skyward, blood and magma raining down.

Gore's eyes widened in disbelief.

Of the Earth Rampage Bear's two mightiest arms, one now hung limp with shattered bones while the other was completely severed.

THUD!

Garoth's tail whipped across the alpha bear's chest, sending him tumbling across the ground to carve a long trench, only stopping nearly a hundred meters away.

"Last chance - submit or die," Garoth growled.

"Death in battle is the Earth Rampage Bear's glory!"

Gore pushed off with his hind legs, magma armor coating his entire body as his eyes turned blood-red, charging toward Garoth with earth-shaking steps.

In this deadly struggle, he felt almost youthful again - his heart pounding powerfully, blood coursing like raging rivers through his veins.

Garoth beat his wings to gain altitude, avoiding the charge.

A stream of Electric Fire Breath engulfed the alpha bear, dazzling flames and lightning swallowing him whole until he could no longer stand. His roars and struggles weakened rapidly as his fur and flesh charred to cinders.

Before long, Mobel spat out mouthfuls of gravel and climbed back onto the cliff.

"Ah, great Dragon Lord, your majesty outshines the sun and moon!"

"I always knew this old fool would be as fragile as dead leaves before you."

He approached, prostrating himself to gingerly nuzzle Garoth's claws with his nose, continuing to fawn: "Your descent from the heavens was like a legendary meteor of divine fire! Those foolish bears will surely piss themselves in terror and bow before you as King of Rampage Bear Ridge! I, Mobel, swear to remain your most loyal claws and fangs - command me east and I'll never go west!"

Garoth glanced at him.

"You seem to have inherited none of your father's courage and defiance," he remarked.

Mobel chuckled proudly. "Which is why I still breathe this wonderful air while he's become a lifeless corpse. Brutes who rely solely on strength all end up as wilderness fertilizer."

In these wilds, courage commanded respect - but only living wisdom could savor victory's fruits.