Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 64: Fear and Killing Intent

A strong gust of wind hit the Faerie Dragon, sending it tumbling several times in mid-air and cutting off its unfinished words, which got stuck in its throat.

"Vira, if I recall correctly, you initially claimed you saw nothing, didn't you?"

Garoth flicked his left wing, casting a threatening glance at the Faerie Dragon.

"Y-yes! Vira saw nothing and knows nothing!"

The Faerie Dragon shuddered and loudly declared its position.

This reaction aroused Samantha's suspicion. Her gaze shifted between the Faerie Dragon and Garoth, sensing some secret between them.

Approaching the Faerie Dragon Vira,

Samantha wanted to extract the truth from its mouth.

But before she could speak, Garoth's command interrupted her.

"Samantha, bring an iron bucket and fill it with water,"he ordered.

"Oh."

The red dragonet gave the Faerie Dragon another glance, mentally noting to interrogate it thoroughly later through threats and bribes to reveal its secret, then flapped her wings to fly low toward the alchemy workshop.

Items like iron buckets

were among her creations.

"Vira, there's a saying that disaster comes from the mouth. Careless words can get you killed."

After Samantha left, Garoth gave the Faerie Dragon a gentle smile, revealing rows of gleaming fangs.

The Faerie Dragon clamped its mouth shut, covering it with its tiny claws, nodding rapidly like a pecking chick.

Within two minutes,

Samantha returned from the alchemy workshop with an iron bucket, filled it with water from the river flowing through Needleleaf Valley, and brought it before Garoth.

At this moment,

Garoth's wing blades were already coated with Cliff Serpent Dragon's venomous blood, and its severed tail had shriveled up.

He shredded the dried tail into minced meat with his claws, mixed it into the water, instantly turning the clear liquid into a green solution emitting a pungent odor.

Splash!

Garoth poured it over himself. Green smoke rose from his body with sizzling sounds as he slightly closed his eyes and settled down to rest.

Due to extensive contact with the poisonous liquid,

numerous green spots appeared on his scales, though much lighter than those caused by undiluted venom - just faint green patches with tolerable pain.

The diluted poison was far less potent than pure venomous blood.

Otherwise Garoth wouldn't have done this.

Seeing Garoth transformed into a 'green dragon', though he claimed to be fine, both Samantha and the Faerie Dragon grew concerned, pacing around before standing guard.

One week later, at dusk.

Flame-like sunset light cascaded from the sky, draping over Garoth's scales like a veil of fire.

Soaring through the skies, his sharp eyes locked onto a magical beast below before diving down for the kill.

Within minutes, Garoth finished his hunt, devouring the giant rhino on the spot to replenish his energy before returning to Needleleaf Valley.

Landing on a protruding rock slab on the valley slope,

Garoth could survey the entire valley scenery from this vantage point.

Bathing in the evening breeze, he turned to examine his wings.

The areas directly exposed to venomous blood had now returned to normal. The wing blade edges coated with poison showed no difference from before, and his previously green-tinged scales had fully recovered.

Though the Cliff Serpent Dragon's blood was toxic,

the quantity had been too limited.

"My poison resistance should have improved somewhat, right?"

Garoth pondered.

In this world, numerous creatures specialized in toxins or wielded deadly poisons, making venom-based attacks a major threat category.

For instance, when considering relocating due to dwarf threats, Garoth had contemplated Greyrock Ridge - home to colonies of giant-tailed steel scorpions bearing lethal venom.

Before developing sufficient poison resistance, being stung by their massive tails would be extremely unpleasant.

Among dragonkind, aside from poison-specialized green dragons, most dragons possessed only moderate poison resistance at best.

"I'll visit Crescent Valley again later."

"The Cliff Serpent Dragon's venomous blood and toxic claws are excellent materials for boosting my poison resistance."

"With enough venomous blood for tempering, I might even be able to imbue my wing slashes with toxic damage."

Garoth flexed his massive wings, their bladed edges glinting coldly.

Then he recalled the Cliff Serpent Dragon's explosive speed burst.

Back then, intense heat had erupted from beneath the serpent dragon's scales, almost like jet propulsion, granting instantaneous acceleration.

"My current abilities are well-rounded, but I lack explosive power."

"Charges, slashes... these all require distance and diving momentum to maximize impact. In close-quarters combat, they become less effective."

"How can I develop similar traits for instant acceleration?"

Garoth fell into deep thought.

After several minutes, he shook his head - no immediate solutions came to mind.

Yet he believed the key lay in his wings.

If he could evolve jet-like structures using either his innate magical energy or heat converted from Explosive Scales as propulsion, his burst speed would improve dramatically.

This would significantly enhance survival odds against powerful foes - he could simply flee when outmatched.

Like during the previous encounter where the frustrated Cliff Serpent Dragon couldn't catch him, leaving Garoth in complete control of engagements.

Speed, defense, stamina, offense -

these were all areas Garoth strived to strengthen.

Meanwhile, the Faerie Dragon was teasing Mobel.

While the Rampage Bear slept, the mischievous dragon braided comical little pigtails into its forehead fur, applied pink eyeshadow, and sprinkled itch-inducing pollen on hard-to-reach spots along its back.

"Hehehe."

The Faerie Dragon giggled in anticipation of Mobel's reaction upon waking.

Noticing Garoth on the valley slope,

it flew over and circled him, sniffing curiously.

"Why do you still smell like a Serpent Dragon?"

it asked.

Garoth: "I don't detect anything."

The Faerie Dragon insisted seriously: "Serpent Dragons are my natural enemies. I'm far more sensitive to their scent than you. There's a faint but concentrated odor lingering on you."

As realization struck,

the Faerie Dragon suddenly flew faster around Garoth, sprinkling magical dust that settled on his scales.

The particles eventually revealed a serpentine mark on one of his back plates.

"Just as I thought - a Cliff Serpent Dragon's scent-tracking mark."

The Faerie Dragon said nervously: "Garoth, the Cliff Serpent Dragon has locked onto you. Through this mark, it can pinpoint your location within a thousand-mile radius."

A scent-tracking mark?

Garoth's inherited memories contained no such information.

Since ancestral knowledge varied between dragon lineages, the Faerie Dragon possessed superior understanding regarding Cliff Serpent Dragons.

Garoth frowned.

Tracking me?

This meant the enemy lurked unseen while he remained exposed - hardly favorable circumstances.

Pacing the stone slab, Garoth felt his life threatened.

Though weak in direct combat, the Cliff Serpent Dragon employed numerous insidious methods. Being ambushed by it posed mortal danger.

The recent peaceful days

likely meant the serpent dragon was recuperating before launching its tracking assault.

This hidden adversary represented tremendous risk.

Whether to kill or attempt capturing it, action must be taken immediately!

Unease, danger, fear -

all these emotions coalesced into icy killing intent within Garoth.

A glint of ferocity surfaced in his pitch-black draconic pupils.

The Cliff Serpent Dragon couldn't have recovered faster than me. It's probably still lurking in Crescent Valley, plotting its sneak attack... I can't leave this unchecked.

The fire curse?

So what if resistance drops? My talents can rebuild it, and the curse might even help train fire resistance.

Strike first!

Whoosh!

Under the blood-red sunset, the red iron dragon decisively beat his wings and soared into the clouds.