Beneath the Red Dragon

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Young Dragon Group

The sleeping juvenile dragon’s eyelids remained tightly shut, but at a certain moment began to slightly flicker, as a faint aura rose from the giant dragon’s body.

It spread like flowing water over most of the cave; this was the dragon’s powerful weapon for intimidating the weak and deterring the strong—Dragon Power.

In the domain covered by Dragon Power, weaker-willed enemies found their spirits constrained and intimidated, unable to act autonomously, while even strong-willed enemies felt constant pressure on their spirits.

Evidently, Karon, who was awakening from slumber, couldn’t yet fully control the Dragon Power, startling the juvenile dragons biting, fighting, and playing on the sunny other half of the cave floor.

Karon’s first slumber lasted slightly longer than he anticipated, likely due to temporarily restricting his physical growth and using stored nutrients and energy for internal regulation and development. Thus, twenty days had passed since he entered slumber.

During this time, several juvenile dragons were successively born under Blue Dragon Mother’s magical incubation: two White Dragons, a Green Dragon with scales like the Jade Dragon, a Blue Dragon, and a Black Dragon.

This was the hatching result of the dragon eggs Blue Dragon Mother painstakingly picked from the wilderness. (Many Five-Color Dragons abandon eggs in the wilderness before reaching adulthood due to the lack of a fixed nest or sheer laziness. A significant portion ends up nurturing juveniles born after reaching adulthood also due to the demands of Evil Dragon God Tiamat.)

These juvenile dragons were merely a dozen days old, with little difference in size.

The weakest Black Dragon was still half a size bigger than a horse of three to five months. At this moment, the juvenile dragon group looked in surprise toward the source of the emanating Dragon Power, then began to gingerly gather beside the most powerful Red Dragon, Kleyna, present on the field.

The juvenile dragons were of the True Dragon Race, and Dragon Power didn’t suppress them as rigorously as other races. What startled the young dragon group was not the Dragon Power, but the peerlessly distinct Red Dragon stepping out of the shadowy cave.

Though still a juvenile himself, his body was nowhere near the Blue Dragon Mother’s deep within the cave, but his limbs and thorax back were packed with prominent, bulging muscles, indicative of the formidable strength the Red Dragon prototype far exceeding other evil dragon species.

Even if compared solely on strength within the same age, the greatest Golden Dragon among the Metal Dragons in the Good Dragon Faction would not overpower the Red Dragon at this moment.

The three-dimensional face, adorned with dark red dragon horns transforming from jawline to cheeks, with a faint metallic sheen, added a degree of ferociousness to the Red Dragon.

The light red vertical pupils were not filled with the indifference of beasts but rather a spark of wisdom, creating an added sense of pressure when gazing at enemies.

On the wide, solid wings, red markings started appearing, with a tendency to spread across the entire body of dragon scales, indicating that this Red Dragon had awakened its own flame magic.

These markings, born of Fire Attribute Magic Power, allowed for faster flow of magic power within the giant dragon, enhancing control and magnifying spell power.

But not every Red Dragon develops these markings, just as not every gorilla is born with wisdom.

The scales, gradually turning deeper crimson, were becoming thicker and adorned with a metallic luster, with occasional gray-yellow light streaming through.

The inheritance of the juvenile dragons informed them this symbolized the Red Dragon awakening other special talents.

And of course, the Red Dragon, born as the monarch of fire and magma, bore the potential to become an Elemental Master controlling earth and metal.

So it was roughly predictable what kind of special talents the Red Dragon had awakened.

”What kind of monster is this,” such a thought naturally arose in the hearts of the juvenile dragons, regarded as monsters by most creatures in Aikania.

The Green Jade Dragon, Antajena, looked at the small-headed and even ”weaker” female Red Dragon, Kleyna, next to her, whose body length surpassed Karon’s somewhat, contrastingly seeming like a knight in full heavy armor against a plain soldier.

Unable to resist nudging the little female dragon’s shoulder with her wing tip, she glanced at Karon, spreading wings and moving his body, and whispered, ”Are you going to challenge that talented monster? I think you should reconsider.”

Influenced by the Red Dragon heritage and aspiring to become the Red Dragon Queen, Kleyna saw the retreating expressions on the physically persuaded juvenile dragons’ faces over this period, even her compatriot dragon Antajena looked concerned.

A flicker of anger stirred within her, humming defiantly, ”Are you all dragons, yet afraid of another dragon? I wouldn’t be afraid of Karon, hmph! I’ll find a chance to challenge him, and then defeat him, bringing him under my rule.”

Growth after the slumber period had inflated the little female dragon somewhat.

”Then I suggest you challenge him now while he’s still in the weakened period after awakening from slumber, so after defeating him, we can help hold him down, then make him acknowledge your leadership among the juvenile dragons.” The Green Dragon’s eyes twinkled, Antajena, naturally fond of schemes and conspiracies as a member of the Green Dragon Species, enticed her.

”Isn’t it taking advantage of Karon, he won’t yield,” the slightly martial yet not overwhelmingly principled Kleyna hesitated, although the proposal did tempt her dragon heart.

”We’ll assist you, and we outnumber him, he won’t be able to contend with us.” The half-blood White Dragon, naturally more muddled-minded than other Five-Color Dragons, chipped in. This White Dragon was evidently smarter than its absent-minded kindred.

Only the Black Dragon and Blue Dragon exchanged a silent glance, not speaking up.

Kleyna hesitated for a second, accepted the suggestion, squeezed out of the Dragon Group, and growled lowly.

It was like an engine continually changing pitch. ”Roar...” This was a provocation to Karon.

”Karon, I challenge you. As the victor, I will become the leader of the Juvenile Dragons. If you dare not accept the challenge, bow your head and acknowledge me as your queen.”

The young female dragon Kleyna growled lowly, declaring war on Karon, and was learning from Karon’s previous approach, with her back legs pressing heavily on the ground, her front legs ready to spring.

She felt quite clever, intending to use Karon’s method to defeat him and then break all his limbs too. There was no doubt that the pettiness and vengefulness of a Giant Dragon were common knowledge among all creatures on Aikania.

Karon did not answer. He just growled deeply, using his strong and powerful hind legs to stand upright, lightly flapping his wide and robust wings as he soared into the sky.

He knew that no matter what kind of opponent he faced, he should not allow them to easily comprehend his offensive intentions and tactics. Although he was now unafraid of a direct power confrontation with the young female dragon, he hovered in mid-air for a moment and then swooped down.

Kleyna calmly awaited Karon’s pounce, and as Karon’s oversized and sharp Dragon Claw neared, her back legs powered her to leap upright.

As her upper body retracted to evade Karon’s attack, her front claws and a mouth full of small tusks were poised to bite the passing Karon and pull him down.

But when Kleyna rose upright with a low growl, what she met wasn’t Karon’s attacking claws but instead a sudden halt by Karon just beyond her attack range.

A conical flame mixed with explosive and destructive Magic Power gushed out from Karon’s open mouth.

Kleyna instinctively closed her eyes to avoid the scorching damage from the Dragon Breath.

Even though the Red Dragon’s innate flame resistance was extraordinarily excellent, almost immune to physical flame damage, her relatively weak eyes could not withstand the spray of Dragon Breath.

In that instant, Kleyna heard her neck bone’s wail and then crashed heavily to the ground.

Karon’s massive front claw pinned down Kleyna’s neck, while another claw held the young female dragon’s mouth shut, completely ignoring Kleyna’s struggling flaps and twisting body.

Amidst the dust raised by its tail, the ferocious head approached the young female dragon’s wide-open eyes, the four eyes meeting. The vertical pupils gazing down showed no anger or desire for destruction from the previous battle, only calmness and indifference.

”This is the last time you offend me,” Karon’s head, growing stronger and fiercer in the glory of a victor, began to exude authority.

The claw on her mouth tapped her cheek again and again with powerful words cloaked in calm and gentle tones, ”I am in a good mood today, so I choose to forgive your foolish offense. If there is a next time, the cost will be your fragile life.”

The accumulated anger from the pride and humiliation of being easily defeated twice finally shattered Kleyna’s arrogance, with her inflated will returning to rationality.

The shadow in her heart revealed weakness and submission through her eyes. Her still-flapping wings drooped in weakness, and her twisting body quieted down, with only the sound of acquiescent Dragon Language softly echoing, ”Forgive my reckless offense, I will abide by your will.”

”Good, you’ve finally pulled your brain out of your ass and used it,” Karon said, satisfied as he released his claws.

Turning around, Dragon Sight scanned the surrounding Juvenile Dragons and spoke, ”Now, what about you? Do you wish to challenge me? I can give you a chance.”

Even the most powerful Kleyna among the Juvenile Dragons was toyed with like a plaything. Possessing wisdom even greater than humans, the Giant Dragons would assess the situation, especially since that damned Red Dragon’s fists, as large as sandbags, clearly hadn’t had enough.

Now stepping forward would only mean getting beaten. Proud Giant Dragons wouldn’t engage in such unprofitable business.

The Green Dragon was the first to straightforwardly lower its proud Giant Dragon head, ”You are the leader of the Juvenile Dragons; I will obey you.”

The clever White Dragon used its hind leg to kick its dazed fellow standing beside it, joining in the lowering of heads to echo the Green Dragon’s words. The silent Black Dragon and Blue Dragon also lowered their heads, acknowledging Karon’s leadership among the Juvenile Dragons.

Full of self-satisfaction, Karon roared toward the sky, declaring his status and authority as the leader of the Juvenile Dragons.

A louder roar suppressed Karon’s voice; the awakened Blue Dragon Carlette clearly had some bad mood for being disturbed from sleep.

Its massive dragon head emerged from behind the thick stone pillar supporting the cave’s broad dome, angrily roaring, ”Get out, you noisy troublesome little whelps, get out of my nest.”

The Blue Dragon’s gigantic pupils flickered with anger as it shouted, ”Akhzi, you damn lazy dragon, where have you run off to? Get these little whelps out, it’s time they have their own place.”

Thus, the great Juvenile Dragon leader Karon Gogomola, on his first day in office, was expelled, driven out of this warm, comfortable, and secure nest with his weak and helpless Dragon Group.