Beneath the Red Dragon

”Roar, get down here! Among the True Dragons, Red Dragons should be supreme. Even Golden Dragons must bow before them, let alone you weaklings among the Five-Color Dragons!”

”Rubbish, you think you’re the Dragon Emperor of the Empire? How dare you call yourself the leader of all dragons here!”

”Beat him up, everyone, go!”

The sky was filled with the immature roars of dragons. Several Juvenile Dragon hatchlings with varying scale colors spread their wings and grappled fiercely, unable to stop.

A Red Dragon hatchling with an unusually large head let out a childish roar, spewing a few sparks from its still pink nostrils. Its claws, already as hard as iron weapons, swept through mid-air, knocking a White Dragon hatchling down.

The White Dragon hatchling screamed repeatedly as it descended to low altitude.

Dragon tails adorned with bright red scales clashed with the claw of a Blue Dragon hatchling. The small, budding horns on its large head protruded like bean sprouts, colliding with the snout of a Green Dragon hatchling.

”Ouch,” the Green Dragon hatchling was knocked down, rolled twice on the ground, and flapped its wings repeatedly to stabilize. A bubble gurgled at its nose tip, tears flickered in its green eyes.

Only the fierce Blue Dragon hatchling unabashedly used its horned head to push aside the tail of the Red Dragon hatchling, tangling with it.

Suddenly, another large-headed Black Dragon hatchling lunged from the ground, knocking the Red Dragon hatchling in the sky askew. It was then grabbed around the wings by the ferocious Blue Dragon hatchling, both tumbling to the ground.

The immature roaring was accompanied by the sound of scuffling, stirring the dust on the ground into a frenzy.

A few other Five-Color Dragon hatchlings, with distinctively large heads, were sitting on the ground and hills around, watching the scuffle intently.

These Five-Color Dragon hatchlings also bore apparent juvenile Giant Dragon traits.

Two massive Red Dragons were observing from the hilltop.

A young Female Red Dragon lay calmly on the hilltop, her sixteen-meter-long frame sprawling over the dense thorns and plants.

Two graceful, sharp horns and a coat of bright red scales adorned the dragon’s elegant yet fierce head, evidently a standout in beauty and strength among Red Dragons.

The young dragon’s red vertical pupils watched the young dragons’ brawl, undisturbed even when the arrogant Red Dragon hatchling was beaten black and blue by other hatchlings.

Although the hatchling was her child, in the minds of both Red Dragons and True Dragons, squabbles among hatchlings are essential in establishing group hierarchy. To be a leader, one must rely on strength, not mere shouting.

Young Male Red Dragon Kedelos shuffled closer to the Female Red Dragon obsequiously, feigning interest in observing the hatchling fight.

Female Red Dragon Delos furrowed the scales on her brow, her clear voice echoed, ”Kedelos, I’ve told you I have no intention to lay eggs now. Don’t get so close to me, or I’ll beat you up.”

The Male Red Dragon chuckled and muttered, ”Not wanting to lay eggs is better. I don’t want to raise little hatchlings now either, but that doesn’t prevent us from being mates and partners.”

The shameless Red Dragon puffed out his chest, proudly declaring, ”Right now, beneath the Red Dragon throne in the Empire, I’m the first dragon, the Empire’s Patrol Commander, with wealth and power aplenty. You won’t lose if you join me.”

Female Dragon Delos raised the fine scales on her brow high, grumbling, ”But your reputation among the dragons is not good. I heard from the dragons of the Empire, they say you’re rotten through and through, wanting to sleep with dragons of any species.”

Kedelos’s expression froze on his cheeks. He hesitated for a moment, then responded again, ”Among the Five-Color Dragons, since when did reputation matter? The worse the name, the more powerful!”

Delos quietly shuffled her forelimbs, distancing herself from the infamous lecherous Male Dragon of the Giant Dragon Realm, before she said, ”The past was the past, now is now. Reputation wasn’t needed in the past, but now it is. Prestige is more than just a bad name,”

”Take a look at the other dragons in the Golden Empire. Which one isn’t mighty but none have a reputation that’s as vulgar as yours overshadowing your might.”

Kedelos paused again, speechless.

When the Golden Empire was founded, Karon set the Giant Dragon Code, which over time achieved unexpected effects.

Under good credit, the promises of the Ancestral Red Dragon never failed.

Some Wild Dragons, despite unwilling to join the Golden Empire and being constrained, did not prevent them from enjoying certain protections of the Golden Empire.

Especially those Giant Dragons entering adolescence and becoming restless, often only caring about their own pleasures, indifferent to their offspring.

Thus these Wild Dragons flocked to the surrounding regions of the Golden Empire to nest and lay eggs after becoming pregnant.

This led to Silver Dragon Chris and two Bronze Dragons almost every time circling the Empire’s domain, returning with one or two hatchlings or a clutch of dragon eggs.

Dragons with a bit of responsibility would leave swiftly after hatching their young, while those without would abandon the eggs.

Even more excessive dragons, after laying offspring they’d neglect incubation, brazenly strolling into the Golden Empire, pasting notices at the Empire’s institutional doors.

The message indicated the nest’s location, urging the Golden Empire to send personnel quickly to retrieve the precious dragon eggs before beasts devour them.

Some Wild Dragons would even swagger back to extort the Empire afterward, accusing the Empire of forcibly kidnapping their young.

These issues amused the Bronze Dragon Alina furiously.

Thus, controlling Thunderbolt, Bronze Dragon Alina exploded in wrath.

Originally responsible for Silver Dragon Chris and the two Bronze Dragons were penalized with an additional year’s sentence for inadequate performance.

Young Red Dragon Kedelos was also recruited for this task.

The intent was to use force, teaching those ungrateful Wild Dragons that the Empire’s protection stemmed from the Ancestral Red Dragon’s consideration for the Giant Dragon Race, not from Holy Mother syndrome.

Of course, this was the view of the Young Red Dragon.

But the astute Bronze Dragon Alina had long realized what everyone believed was the Ancestral Red Dragon’s Code of power assertion was indeed an open conspiracy.

Though dragons are born knowledgeable, the heritage in their minds takes time to mature and gradually unlock.

The best time to nurture a Giant Dragon is during its juvenile stage before reaching youth, akin to the human period before youth.

With these dragons born, grown, and nurtured in the Empire, receiving Imperial ideological infusion, they will inevitably lean towards the Empire’s stance under its influence.

With time, the Empire’s Dragon Group will become unimaginably powerful and grow stronger day by day.

Yet the Young Red Dragon, whose brain was filled with magma and lust, happily accepted the task, for no female dragon within the Empire considered him worthy, allowing him to openly bring back those wandering female dragons as mates.

But even the most brutal dragons meet their destined nemesis. After encountering the beautiful Female Red Dragon Delos, Kedelos’s mind driven by lust and magma became occupied by love.

Currently, the Young Red Dragon can be summed up in two words: humbled.