Beneath the Red Dragon

So at this moment, the Ancestral Red Dragon was like those young Blue Dragons, enjoying the taste of the sea breeze and its gentle caress.

Tiny lightning flickered beneath Karon’s gold and red scales, tinting the Ancestral Red Dragon’s scales with a barely noticeable shade of blue.

Karon carefully nurtured this rare source of bloodline, letting it curl up deep within his veins, enveloped by copious light of heart energy, cautiously making contact with his own origin, gradually harmonizing and merging.

He turned back, musing, ”Hmm, maybe we could recruit some innovative technical talents. In shipbuilding, I’m not blaming these people; the Imperial focus was not initially on this area.”

Though the Imperial talent pool already surpasses many human kingdoms, the shipbuilding industry has never been a field those top-level scholars and mages are willing to venture into.

No scholars or mages are willing to switch fields to research these things, so these projects, currently filled with low-level personnel, find it hard to rapidly expand and develop from scratch within the Imperial.

Ocean Dragon Naxson wagged his tail, relaxing. After the Ancestral Red Dragon no longer pursued blame, the once naturally gathered momentum and majesty seemed to vanish, allowing the Ocean Dragon to become less cautious.

”But now, the establishment and rapid development of the Imperial have alarmed and antagonized those human nations, making it much harder for us to openly recruit the talents we desire on their territory. This undoubtedly increases the difficulty of our work,”

Ocean Dragon Naxson said angrily, ”The Golden Empire threat theory is starting to spread at the hands of some human nobles, and some already hostile nobles even reject the stay of Imperial diplomats, while the Empire’s products and related trades are taxed heavier by those nobles.”

”Those nobles fear the Empire’s power growing because the policy of Dragon governance in the Empire also stirs unrest among their subjects; even some rebellious slaves claim the Empire’s name, making external affairs more challenging for the Empire.”

Karon clicked his tongue; situations like this were indeed within his expectations, but he couldn’t change the policies he used to govern the Empire. Meanwhile, the civilized nations outside have become increasingly important markets for products as the Imperial’s fundamental industry progresses.

This channel surely can’t be abandoned, as isolationist development can never lead to prosperity.

”It’s a pity. Initially, I planned to contact the Storm Giants I once briefly met, utilizing their tribes to open a land artery from the Empire to the Northern Continent,”

Karon lamented, ”But developments never match plans. The once-mighty Storm Giants are now dwindling, leaving my ideas in vain.”

The battle situation in Bay Stream City had long been reported to Karon by the Dragon Lord Carlette. For others, communication through magic may seem extravagant, but it’s trivial for giant dragons, and so all the Lords maintaining order in the Empire were already aware of this event.

Yet when he thought about Blue Dragon Doss traveling afar to Bay Stream City to brawl just to escape heavy duties, and two indescribable giant dragons stuck at the teleportation passage of the Dragon Lord due to lacking Transformation Skill, Karon couldn’t help but smile.

White Dragon Camid never learned it, and Red Dragon Kedelos refused to learn it.

”It seems Kedelos still needs more prodding,” Karon thought to himself.

However, Karon’s previous ideas falling through also made maintaining a maritime channel more essential than relying on leased or purchased merchant ships.

Relying on leased merchant ships, the Imperial can hardly extend its reach to other continents or form stable relations with other forces and countries, establishing stable channels.

Moreover, in the Imperial’s military system, maritime platforms and military strength are significant components that must be developed and enhanced.

”It is indeed regrettable, so I have recently paid much attention to the work in the dock workshops,”

Ocean Dragon Naxson lightly fluttered his tentacles. He seemed particularly interested in this topic, just as governing cities captivates Bronze Dragon Alina.

In the distant horizon, a silver-flashing giant dragon streaked across the sky, its graceful figure catching an extra glance from Ocean Dragon Naxson and also drawing the Ancestral Red Dragon’s attention.

This was not due to lust but simply a typical male instinct.

During this period, Karon felt the presence of Silver Dragon Chris appearing more frequently around him. Even a dragon practicing restraint cannot help but pride itself on its allure.

Although the Ancestral Red Dragon never flaunted his appearance, he wasn’t oblivious to his own remarkable looks.

Luckily, the Ancestral Red Dragon was not driven by desire. If Silver Dragon Chris could see him, it meant the Ancestral Red Dragon could see her too, and the Red Dragon’s mischievous tendencies began lurking behind the Silver Dragon.

”Let’s go, since we’re here, it’s better to see it firsthand,”

After the silhouette of Silver Dragon Chris disappeared in the distance, Ocean Dragon Naxson and the Red Dragon simultaneously withdrew their gaze and spoke.

Next to the newly established harbor, Karon descended with the sound of wind and flickering tiny lightning but slightly furrowed his brows.

The Source of Storm and Thunder, which had been carefully enveloped by his heart energy within his veins, was disrupted by his overly active powers, like a tender seed eroded by wind and rain, a flickering candle blown by a gale.

Karon’s body, containing the Ancestral Dragon Blood, constantly controlled and swallowed the subtle traits of this Source of Storm and Thunder, which were maintained by heart energy, a power born of spirituality, and nourished with a large amount of spirituality.

But it was still insufficient to counter the overwhelming flame, solid earth, and cold steel within the Ancestral Red Dragon’s body.

Every use of power would provoke the innate, gifted power within the Ancestral Red Dragon’s body to challenge this new power of rebirth.

The origins of these natural talents sought to devour this fragile power trait, like three bullies occupying a nest, unable to tolerate a new offspring in their room.

Especially the ever-present flame element within the Ancestral Red Dragon’s body, which was particularly insidious, its expanding force infused with the Ancestral Red Dragon’s will, barring any extraneous power from encroaching on its domain.

As soon as Karon slightly relaxed his grip on power, the subtle power trait would be overwhelmed, a reaction naturally emanating from his body.

Karon’s control, in fact, seemed like it suppressed his body’s natural reactions.

Karon understood that his body could no longer keep pace with his leapfrogging growth in power, unable to autonomously balance and accommodate more, solely relying on his control to harmonize the forces within.

Compared to his mastered skills, now the dragon’s true form turned out to be the weakest link, which even surprised the Ancestral Red Dragon before.

The growth of the Dragon Race in the Material Plane needs to follow basic age rules dictated by age groups.

Even though the bloodline talent of the Ancestral Red Dragon allowed him to extend his body’s growth limit to its current maximum, it touched the dragon’s ceiling.

For the Ancestral Red Dragon, in the end, is merely a young dragon, and the power it can endure has its limit.

If the Ancestral Red Dragon continues like this, it may not be long before its true dragon form cannot entirely bear its fire, thus hindering its ability to fully wield its power.

In short, the natural growth speed of the Ancestral Red Dragon’s body can no longer keep up with the powers he comprehends and his advancing skills.

”It seems, not only is the end of years approaching, but Rosani should reunite with the Dragon Group; even without them, I’m determined,”

Karon glanced at the massive ship swaying slightly with the waves on the sea and clenched his claws, sighing inwardly.