Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 76: The Bonegnaw Clan, Reencounter with the Copper Dragon

The seasonal changes of the Ser Wilderness were unusual and unpredictable. After enduring three consecutive years of scorching heat, the land finally welcomed a rare rainy season. At first, distant thunder rumbled across the horizon, then dark clouds visibly devoured the sky at an alarming rate. When the first raindrop struck the parched earth, few creatures of the wilderness paid it any mind. But soon, countless silver threads pierced through the clouds, pouring down in torrents that shredded the dry air into moist fragments. A thick curtain of rain enveloped both sky and land.

"Damn this wretched weather," Samantha cursed as she glared at the relentless downpour before retreating deeper into the cave. Red dragons preferred dry, hot climates, and this humid weather filled with water vapor made her irritable and gloomy.

Garoth perched on an outward-jutting rock slab, completely exposed to the elements. He raised his head, his increasingly prominent horns pointing diagonally toward the sky as he half-closed his eyes, allowing raindrops to shatter against his steel-forged body. The sensation of water soaking into his scales instinctively filled him with disgust and displeasure.

Yet to enhance his affinity and resistance to water magic—and because the crude dragon nest in the cave leaked through cracks, dripping muddy water that turned the floor into a muddy mess—he chose to remain outside in the rain. "When will I have my own watertight palace?" Garoth wondered.

Different creatures required different living standards due to their varied sizes. For dragons, creating comfortable dwellings—whether hollowing out mountains or constructing palaces—demanded vast resources, considerable time, and loyal minions. Only mighty dragon lords who dominated entire regions or well-connected metallic dragons could afford such luxurious abodes.

The cave Garoth currently inhabited was merely a natural formation, far from comfortable and even somewhat unpleasant. When he first conquered Needleleaf Valley, he'd attempted to have the Rampage Bears carve out a proper dwelling, but these cave-dwelling bears knew nothing of architecture. Despite their earth-manipulating talents, their constructions were... indescribable, utterly failing to meet a dragon's standards. Garoth had no choice but to abandon the project.

"If I can unite all the clans along the Serpentine Earth Rift and utilize this route to gather resources, perhaps then my minions could build me a proper residence," Garoth mused, recalling information about several local clans.

After about a week of reconnaissance, Garoth had identified three intelligent clans besides the Graymane Werewolves in the area surrounding the Serpentine Earth Rift (excluding magical beasts like the Earth Rampage Bears):

The Redeye Clan - Gnolls

The Rending Claw Clan - LizardfolkThe Bonegnaw Clan - Ogres

Among them, the Redeye Clan's strength matched the Howling Moon Clan's, while the Rending Claw Clan was slightly stronger. But the Bonegnaw Clan's ogres stood unrivaled in the region.

The Howling Moon Clan had once clashed with the Bonegnaw Clan over a skirmish along the Serpentine Earth Rift. Without flight capability, traversing the wilderness was perilous—requiring passage through territories teeming with deadly beasts and monsters. Unless exceptionally tough, launching attacks against other clans was nearly impossible.

The Bonegnaw Clan was that tough.

They'd dispatched ogre warriors on a long march through the wilderness to assault the Howling Moon Clan, inflicting heavy losses. Only by deploying the werewolves' trained Cliff Serpent Dragons did the Howling Moon Clan manage to repel the ogres at relatively low cost.

Another reason the Graymane Werewolves submitted to Garoth was that without their serpent dragons, they'd be defenseless against another Bonegnaw attack—forced to either abandon their territory or attempt a dangerous wilderness migration.

Recently though, the Bonegnaw Clan had mysteriously stopped harassing the Howling Moon Clan. In fact, these typically savage and aggressive ogres had become practically reclusive, with no members venturing beyond their territory. Werewolf scouts returned with little useful intelligence.

Garoth had planned to investigate personally when the storm hit. The heavy rain would obscure his vision and senses, so he decided to wait for lighter precipitation before departing.

"Garoth, Garoth, why aren't you sheltering in the cave?" The faerie dragon Vira wobbled through the storm before nestling between Garoth's wing and body.

"Because I enjoy the rain—I love bathing beneath the open sky," Garoth answered.

"Really? Then you should stay out longer. Rainy seasons seem rare here," Vira giggled.

Nonsense. Of course it's false. I hate the rain. I want to lounge comfortably in a spacious palace... Garoth side-eyed the faerie dragon before subtly adjusting his wing to gather rainwater into a miniature cascade that poured directly onto Vira. For her tiny size, it might as well have been Niagara Falls.

Caught off guard, she was washed clean off before fluttering back up several seconds later. "Hey! That's mean! I'm going to play with Samantha instead!" The drenched faerie dragon shook herself dry and hastily flew toward Samantha's cave, fearing further pranks.

The downpour continued, raindrops drumming against stone and foliage in a staccato rhythm. After resting for half an hour, Garoth stretched his wings and took flight, ascending into the storm clouds where he used the arcing lightning to recharge his tail ring.

The charging completed quickly, bringing the Lightning Tail Ring to peak capacity. Garoth descended through the gloom to a barren hillside, then—still in the pouring rain—began using the energized ring to electrify his tail before striking himself repeatedly.

Rainwater enhanced conductivity. Every tail strike sent jolts not just through impact points but across his entire body. The electric sensation in his muscles intensified. Thanks to persistent training, these currents were gradually spreading throughout his form. Garoth suspected full-body conductivity would trigger an evolution, though he couldn't predict the exact effects.

He didn't dwell on possibilities. Garoth's true ambition was developing jet propulsion in his wings, and he'd devoted most efforts toward that goal. These lightning resistance exercises were just supplementary training during breaks from wing conditioning.

Beneath the storm, the red iron dragon crackled with electricity, his tail blazing like a lightning rod. Suddenly, Garoth felt an instinctive warning—just as a searing white flash filled his vision.

CRACK!

A silver bolt split the night rain, striking Garoth's horns before racing down his metallic body in a luminous web. His entire frame convulsed from intense, instantaneous pain and paralysis. Steam hissed from his scales as rainwater vaporized between them, his tail curling involuntarily.

But that was all.

Garoth exhaled a plume of heated air, flexing his wings and stretching. Lingering numbness remained, but no real damage. "My lightning resistance may not match a blue dragon's, but it far surpasses typical red or iron dragons," he concluded, the accidental strike having served as an impromptu test.

Overhead, countless electric serpents danced between thunderheads, occasionally lancing downward to illuminate the sky. "This tingling sensation is actually rather pleasant. Let's try more." Garoth raised his tail like a lightning rod, deliberately attracting additional strikes.

One after another, bolts hammered into him, blending pain and exhilaration into a unique form of "lightning tempering."

Until a familiar coppery silhouette emerged from the storm clouds.