Chapter 616: The Melancholy and Empty Chrome Dragon
The clash between Mandate great dragons caused considerable tremors across the Atlantis Continent.
However, this conflict did not lead to the fall of any Dragon King.
For that very reason, the impact it caused was ultimately limited to this extent.
The mortal creatures on the ground went about their daily routines as usual. This confrontation only became a story occasionally mentioned by people after meals, embellished and retold several times by the firesides of taverns and in the camps of caravans, before being replaced by new gossip.
Time passed as always, unhurriedly and steadily.
Initially, the Bronze Dragon King's return from the deep seas had indeed placed a significant psychological burden on Garoth.
Although in their previous encounter, he had briefly joined forces with the Wanfa White Dragon and the Storm Dragon to drive the Bronze Dragon King back, what the Bronze Dragon King had said before leaving was not wrong. Their alliance was fragile—so fragile that it could barely be called an alliance.
It could even be said that it was never any kind of alliance at all.
When the Bronze Dragon King witnessed three Mandate great dragons appearing before him at the same time, he naturally assumed they had long formed a mutual defense pact.
But in reality, they had merely happened to gather together.
Before that conflict broke out, none of the three had discussed any cooperation, neither exchanged defensive information nor arranged a method for their next meeting.
Afterward, similarly, no form of alliance was ever established.
After each returned to their respective territories, the so-called alliance simply dissolved.
This fact left Garoth unable to rest easy.
He repeatedly simulated the possibility of the Bronze Dragon King attacking again.
If the other party saw through the truth, or merely came to probe again out of caution, and targeted him specifically, he knew very well what kind of situation he would face.
To prevent the Bronze Dragon King from making a comeback, Garoth devoted almost all his time to tempering himself.
He had to become stronger in the shortest possible time.
Through repeated extreme training, he broke through his own boundaries bit by bit.
And his body recorded all of this.
Every single scale was repeatedly shattered and regrown under high-intensity training. After several molts, their texture became increasingly hard. Muscles, torn and healed time and again, grew denser and more powerful.
And as time passed.
Two years later, that righteous metal dragon indeed appeared again.
The Bronze Dragon King arrived at Atlantis, his aura completely undisguised, as if declaring his arrival to the entire continent.
His aura surged like ocean tides, rolling endlessly.
The range of coverage was so vast that even from a great distance, one could clearly sense its location and intensity.
"Here he comes?"
In the Aola Kingdom, the red iron dragon shot straight into the sky.
His enormous dragon wings fully spread in the air, climbing beneath the clouds at astonishing speed. The mountains and cities of Aola rapidly shrank into blurred patches of color beneath him.
At the same time, his True Eye lit up, layers upon layers of light emerging from the depths of his pupils, piercing through the barriers of atmosphere and distance, gazing toward the direction from which the Bronze Dragon King's aura emanated.
To his surprise.
The Bronze Dragon King's flight trajectory was entirely beyond prediction.
He neither turned westward toward the region where the Storm Dragon was entrenched, nor flew straight in the direction of Aola. His flight path slanted upward, continuously gaining altitude.
Garoth adjusted the focus of his True Eye.
His line of sight extended along the invisible trajectory, eventually landing on a city suspended high in the sky.
A Sky City of the Halden Empire, but not an ordinary one.
It was located on the vertical axis at the very center of the entire Atlantis Continent, suspended high above all kingdoms, all mountain ranges, all ground, as if held aloft in the very center of the sky by an invisible giant pillar.
That was the central hub of the Halden Empire, the Sky City, also known as the City of Clouds.
"The Bronze Dragon King and the Halden Empire? They've come together?"
The scales between Garoth's brows slightly furrowed.
Thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind, eventually settling on what he considered the most reasonable speculation.
"The Halden Empire is likely at a disadvantage in the war at the Root of the Abyss. At best, it's a stalemate."
"They're in desperate need of combat power now."
"The fact that they entrusted me at great cost before proves this point."
And now, the Halden Empire had clearly taken note of that clash between Mandate great dragons.
They must have witnessed the power the Bronze Dragon King displayed in battle, assessed this dragon's value. Extending an olive branch to such a powerful figure was entirely reasonable.
The Bronze Dragon King was also different from other Dragon Kings.
He took it as his duty to punish evil and eradicate wickedness—this was well known to nearly everyone.
Since returning from the deep seas, his range of activity was no longer limited to the dragon domain. The Purification Faction dragons under his command also followed his will, rarely staying long in the dragon domain.
This behavioral pattern determined that the Bronze Dragon King could be swayed.
If the Halden Empire could offer suitable terms, the Bronze Dragon King would be highly likely to accept their commission. He would certainly be very willing to fight against demons. Those creatures from the Abyss were exactly the type of enemy he excelled at and was most eager to deal with.
Just as Garoth was watching from this extreme distance.
The Bronze Dragon King, still in mid-flight, seemed to sense something.
In the midst of high-speed flight, he suddenly turned his head and glanced in Garoth's direction.
Across that vast distance, the gazes of the two great dragons briefly intersected in the void.
With just that one look, the Bronze Dragon King calmly withdrew his gaze, making no extra gesture, not even altering his flight speed. Then he continued flying toward the City of Clouds.
Finally, his enormous form disappeared within the silhouette of the City of Clouds, no longer visible.
Garoth also withdrew his gaze.
"In the eyes of the red iron dragon, the Bronze Dragon King might be your inferior substitute. Before the red iron dragon and the Bronze Dragon King reach a cooperation, they will definitely not fall out with you, but they will inevitably grow distant from you."
He continued pondering in his mind.
Garoth was not surprised by this.
His cooperation with the Halden Empire had always been based on the existence of the common enemy—the Abyss—rather than any shared goals or deep friendship.
Their coming together was rational and utilitarian, and therefore replaceable.
The appearance of the Bronze Dragon King merely accelerated the process of alienation in this already fragile relationship.
The high-altitude wind blew across the dragon's scales, and time continued to flow.
The Bronze Dragon King reached a formal cooperation with the Halden Empire.
Shortly thereafter, the Bronze Dragon King led a group of Raging Tides great dragons directly to the frontlines where they fought against demons, entering the Root of the Abyss.
From then on, the Bronze Dragon King was basically never seen in Atlantis again.
With the external pressure of the Bronze Dragon King removed, the already fragile relationship between Aola and Brakton once again became delicate and tense.
However, since both sides knew that the Bronze Dragon King's departure was only temporary.
They both exercised a degree of restraint, preventing the situation from sliding into an uncontrollable state.
And so, time arrived at New Calendar Year 589.
The Small World.
Boom! Rumble!
With a series of earth-shattering roars, a dark silver figure plummeted from high altitude, smashing through all obstacles in its path. Rubble and dust splashed in all directions, and a massive crater appeared.
Then, rolling dragon breath descended from the sky.
Like a lava waterfall, it poured into the deep pit.
Inside the pit, the chrome dragon lifted his head.
He made no panicked or evasive movements. His upper and lower jaws opened to their limit, his jawbones emitting cracking sounds as he effortlessly unleashed the Devouring World Roar to its maximum.
A visible twisted vortex formed in front of his mouth, facing the influx of dragon breath head-on.
The chrome dragon's belly visibly bulged, his dark silver scales stretched slightly apart, revealing tight skin beneath.
A feeling of satiating fullness, like an electric current, coursed through his entire body.
Every muscle in his body trembled uncontrollably.
Soon, the dragon breath stopped.
The red iron dragon circled twice in the sky, then folded his wings and landed beside the chrome dragon. His broad wing membranes folded against his back, bringing with them a heavy gust of wind pressure.
Claudia lay sprawled in the freshly formed depression.
His scales were covered in dense pits and cracks. Rubble rolled off his back, thudding onto the scorched earth at the bottom of the pit.
But the chrome dragon showed no sign of pain.
Instead, he slightly narrowed his eyes, and from deep in his throat came an extremely faint, satisfied grunt—short and low.
At the same time, the chrome dragon opened his eyes, looking toward the red iron dragon standing at the edge of the pit.
Compared to more than twenty years ago, his eyes had become very clear.
The madness and greed that made every creature who saw him feel uneasy was now almost completely gone. He looked not much different from other dragons.
And this was the result of Garoth's treatment over these years.
Whenever the chrome dragon's condition recovered to a certain point, he would bring him to the Small World, beat him thoroughly as a sandbag, and then, through dragon breath, force him to feel the taste of satiation, whether he was willing or not.
Kindness and severity applied alternately, time after time.
Change slowly but surely took place in Claudia.
His periods of lucidity grew longer, from initially lasting only a few minutes, to later lasting several hours, and then to maintaining mental clarity for several consecutive days.
At the same time, his attitude toward Garoth was also quietly changing.
Pure hostility and mad aggression gradually waned. Awe and respect had imperceptibly mixed into the way he looked at Garoth.
However, Claudia still maintained a tough exterior on the surface.
He stubbornly refused to lower his head, unwilling to utter a single word of submission.
Just like now.
The chrome dragon propped up his upper body with his forelimbs, staring at the red iron dragon before him, opened his mouth, and put on a fierce expression.
"Garoth, how long do you intend to torment me?"
"I told you, I will never bow my head to you."
"No matter how much time you spend or how much effort you waste, you will never get what you want."
The red iron dragon lowered his gaze at him, not immediately responding.
The golden aura surging around him gradually dissipated after landing, finally completely hidden beneath his scales, revealing the powerful, rugged outline of his body.
The red iron dragon's appearance had undergone considerable change.
His scale color remained primarily dark, but his once massively expanded chest had returned to normal proportions. His entire body shape had regained balance. The quality of his scales had become hard and thick, each one like a metal plate tempered through countless trials.
In short.
Based on his detonation form, he had completed a comprehensive return to his normal state, with all attributes returning to a balanced golden ratio.
Facing the chrome dragon's questioning, Garoth remained silent.
The chrome dragon was angered by his silence. He lifted his neck, raising his scarred head higher, glaring fiercely at him. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something even harsher.
Just then, Garoth spoke.
"I know your pride won't allow you to bow your head."
Upon hearing this, Claudia froze, all the harsh words he had prepared stuck in his throat.
"...What did you say?"
"You say you know he would be loyal to you, so you're also unwilling to waste any more time."
The red iron dragon said calmly.
The chrome dragon's jaw closed.
His mind raced, trying to understand the meaning behind these words.
Over the years, he had become completely accustomed to a fixed routine.
Brought to this Small World, beaten up, force-fed, then resealed, waiting for the next repetition.
Garoth never spoke of giving up, never wavered.
No matter how Claudia roared, struggled, cursed, how he stubbornly refused to submit every time, the red iron dragon just expressionlessly continued to the next round of treatment.
Neither killed nor angered.
And now, he said he was unwilling to waste any more time.
The chrome dragon's gaze flickered violently.
He wanted to find a flaw on that dark-scaled face of the red iron dragon, to confirm that this was just a test or the beginning of a new form of torture.
But there was nothing on that face.
"...Then kill me."
Claudia lifted his head, his voice regaining its toughness. "I've had enough of this imprisonment and torment. Let me die. I can't wait."
Garoth shook his head.
Seeing this gesture, the chrome dragon instinctively growled, "You don't want to waste time on me, but you don't want to kill me either? Damn it, what the hell do you want? I, Claudia..."
"I originally wanted to kill you."
Garoth interrupted him. "You made an enemy of me, attacked me. By my standards, you should have died long ago. But now the situation of the dragons is delicate. The number of Mandate great dragons is limited. Every single one is precious."
"So you refuse to kill me for the greater good of the dragon race?"
Claudia sneered. "How noble. I never thought Iron Hybrid Dragon blood would flow through your veins."
"That's not the only reason."
Garoth took a step forward, lowering his head to bring his gaze level with the chrome dragon's.
"I know you're not really crazy."
"You were just too hungry, couldn't distinguish hunger from madness, and couldn't control yourself."
"If there had been a chance—like if you could have eaten your fill and escaped hunger's control—you could have become something else."
His voice paused briefly. Garoth sighed softly and continued, "I just feel pity for you."
"Claudia, you could have been like me, enjoying the praise and awe of the world, rather than being regarded as a ferocious beast as you are now."
The chrome dragon's body stiffened.
His mouth hung open, throat muscles contracting violently. He wanted to roar loudly, to refute these words with the most violent rage, to tell Garoth that he needed no pity at all.
But he found he couldn't utter a single word.
No dragon had ever said such things to Claudia.
Throughout his long path of growth, in the eyes of every creature he had ever encountered, he had always had only one identity.
A monster. A gluttonous beast.
And it wasn't just other intelligent races that saw him this way. Even dragons of his own kind feared him, avoided him, or wanted to kill him.
Now, only Garoth.
This Scarlet Emperor Cangxing, who had fought fiercely with him, given him both pain and the feeling of satiation, was now looking at him with pity in such a calm tone.
A gentle breeze blew, silently swirling through the open space between them.
Claudia's expression froze for several dozen seconds. Too many complex emotions flickered across his face.
Anger, shame, confusion, wavering...
Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice much lower than before.
"...What the hell do you want? Can't do it the hard way, so you're trying the soft way?"
"Let me tell you, that won't work with me."
"No."
The red iron dragon stood up, simultaneously lifting a forepaw.
With a light slash of his sharp claws through the air beside him, a huge spatial rift was torn open. He said, "I've made up my mind. I'm giving you freedom. Step into this rift yourself, and you can escape my imprisonment and torment."
Claudia stared at the rift, then snapped his gaze back to Garoth.
"I don't believe it."
"You think I'd fall for your trick? You've tormented me for so long, and now you're telling me you're letting me go?"
The chrome dragon bared his fangs, growling continuously.
"You must be up to some scheme. Tell me, what's on the other side of that rift? Another cage? Or are you planning to wait until I think I'm free, then suddenly appear and laugh at my stupidity?"
"Believing it or not is your business. Leaving or not is also your business."
"I'll give you three minutes to think it over."
Garoth crouched down, his posture relaxed, speaking unhurriedly.
Claudia snarled and bared his teeth for a while, then fell silent.
He looked around.
Every inch of this Small World's land was intimately familiar to him.
The pits smashed by his body, the ravines torn open by his claws, the peaks he had shattered... He had been beaten countless times here, and here he had tasted the only feeling of fullness in his entire life.
And now, he was going to leave this place.
The chrome dragon slowly stood up.
Then, he took a step and walked past Garoth.
When the distance between them closed, every muscle in the chrome dragon's body was tensed, warily guarding against every subtle movement of Garoth's.
But Garoth did nothing. He just turned his head to look at him, making no move.
Claudia stopped for a step in front of the rift, hesitated for a few seconds, then looked at the red iron dragon one more time. Gritting his teeth, he leaped in.
Immediately, everything turned upside down.
The salty wind filled his nostrils. Sunlight fell on his scales, bringing with it a long-missed warmth.
Beneath him were shimmering waves, stretching to the horizon. The sea was so calm it seemed unreal, as if it had never been disturbed by any storm.
A few seabirds circled in the distance, letting out long, drawn-out calls.
The chrome dragon hovered in mid-air, his gaze filled with suspicion. He looked left and right, extending his perception to its limits, but found nothing unusual.
The rift behind him had already closed. He could no longer sense that aura which both intimidated and excited him.
He was truly free.
A vast, empty freedom settled on the chrome dragon's shoulders.
He had thought he would be overjoyed, but instead, he felt hollow inside, as if he had lost something important.
This feeling of emptiness was similar to hunger, yet completely different.
"What am I melancholy about?"
The chrome dragon shook his head, trying to dispel the image of the red iron dragon from his mind, forcing his spirit to rally.
Then, he opened his mouth, his voice rolling out from deep in his chest: "I, Claudia, the great Deep Freeze Tyrant, am free again! Everything will become my food!"
Splash!
The dragon's body plunged toward the sea, creating a huge spray of water, and in the blink of an eye, disappeared beneath the vast ocean.
Meanwhile.
Vophal Dragon Domain, the Cold Sacred Spring.
"Why did you come back alone? Where is Claudia? Don't you need to seal him anymore?"
Looking at the red iron dragon who had returned alone through the spatial rift, Nereus asked with confusion.
Her tail, which had been gently swaying while immersed in the Sacred Spring, stopped. The tip of her tail hovered above the water, carrying a few fine droplets.
"I set him free."
Garoth said.
Nereus was momentarily stunned, then fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"You set him free?"
"Claudia is a Mandate chrome dragon addicted to gluttony."
"How much effort did we spend over these years to control him? And now you just let him go like that. When he repeats his old mistakes, the cost of capturing him alive next time won't be comparable to last time."
The Silver Dragon King said with rare seriousness.
Garoth walked to the lakeside and crouched down.
"He's free in body, but not yet in spirit," he said. "He'll come back, Your Majesty Nereus. It's only a matter of time."
The Silver Dragon King pondered for a moment, then a flash of realization lit up her eyes.
"Retreat in order to advance? You want him to realize on his own that freedom isn't what he truly wants?"
She asked.
"Yes, retreat to advance. Let him go to catch him."
Garoth said, "Over these past twenty-plus years, every time he was lucid, he was facing me."
"The madness when hungry, the satisfaction when full, the humiliation when defeated, and... the attitude that I never regarded him as a monster."
"These have already been etched into his cognition."
"He's gained physical freedom now, but the spiritual chains will only be heavier."
Nereus blinked, looking at the red iron dragon.
"Are you that confident?" she asked. "What if all of this is just his act? What if he's just been waiting for an opportunity like this?"
The corner of Garoth's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a hint of sharp fangs.
"No, I've already seen through his essence."
"Essence?" Nereus tilted her head. "If Claudia were truly as hopeless as you say, he could easily pretend to still be crazy, put on a show of sudden awakening, then after getting enough from you, betray you without hesitation."
"What if he's not spiritually dependent on you now, but is only misleading and deceiving you?"
"Then that's a different matter."
Garoth's tail coiled slowly behind him. "Throughout these years of treatment, I've witnessed every reaction, every loss of control, and every recovery after loss of control."
"If he can truly fool me under these conditions, then he's impressive."
"Whatever bitter fruit comes from my own misjudgment, I, Garoth Ignas, will swallow it without regret."
Nereus gazed at him, silent for a moment, then said, "Garoth, you seem to have a pair of eyes that can see through the hearts of dragons. So, can you also look at yourself? You should know that you need to relax too."
Garoth remained unmoved.
He said calmly, "Physician, heal thyself. I've heard that saying. It makes a lot of sense."
Faced with Garoth's reply, Nereus let out a soft laugh.
She didn't continue this topic, instead shifting the conversation.
"Sheffield no longer protects the dragon domain, and has sent the Raging Tides dragons out to combat evil. This has caused considerable upheaval in other dragon domains."
"Young dragons have started to question the existing mode of the dragon domains, believing that guarding the barrier without going out to fight is cowardice."
"What they want is to fly out of the dragon domains themselves, like the Raging Tides dragons, to find their own righteous wars."
Her voice paused briefly, then she let out a soft sigh.
"This trend of thought is still spreading."
"From the Raging Tides Dragon Domain to my Vophal Dragon Domain, more than a few young dragons have petitioned the elders, wanting to emulate the Raging Tides and go out to fight for justice."
"The other three dragon domains are now facing the same problem."
Garoth's gaze was clear, his voice steady. "That's because you are still bearing the burden on their behalf."
"The reason the younger generation of dragons can set their sights on the outside world and distant horizons is that the Dragon Kings are shielding them from the wind and rain, bearing all danger and bitter consequences."
"If one day the dragon domains truly cease to exist, and the metal dragons lose their safe haven, their situation won't be much better than that of evil dragons."
He paused, his eyelids lowering slightly.
"However, the existing mode of the dragon domains does have problems."
"The dragon race doesn't have a true Immortal-level being at its core—that's the most fundamental issue."
"Because of this, the Dragon Kings have to bear all responsibility on their own shoulders. The younger generation is overprotected. When the time truly comes for them to stand on their own, they often lack sufficient experience."
Nereus did not refute.
"You're right."
She nodded. "But I am well aware of this too."
"But the current rules are already the best choice left after centuries of repeated exploration."
"Change? How could we change it? Give the younger generation complete freedom, let them face evil head-on before they are strong enough to protect themselves, then after they die, say, 'It's the price of growth'?"
"I can't bring myself to say that."
In these turbulent times, the young metal dragons couldn't restrain themselves, and she was worrying about the future of the dragon race.
"Life will find a way," Garoth said. "Great dragons are not a race born in a greenhouse. Now we've simply entered a season of turmoil. We can overcome this hurdle."
The Silver Dragon lowered her head, remaining silent for a long time.
Just then, as if sensing something, the red iron dragon suddenly raised his head, his gaze flickering slightly.
Nereus noticed this sudden change and looked up at him.
Garoth was silent for a few seconds, then grinned.
"My blood kin have awakened from their slumber," he said.
Garoth hadn't seen Sorog and Samantha for many years.
His days had been full, leaving no time for idle thoughts. He wouldn't say he missed his two blood relatives, but now learning that both had awakened from their slumber, his spirits were inevitably somewhat lifted.