Translator: AnubisTL
"A juvenile Red Copper Dragon with a life grade of 7."
Garos fixed his gaze on the Red Copper Dragon, which resembled a crimson sandstorm as it flew directly toward him. Using the Life Level Detection Technique, he confirmed its life grade, identical to his own.
A juvenile dragon.
Dragons between the ages of 16 and 25.
Garos couldn't determine its exact age, but judging by its approximately nine-meter-long body, it fell within the juvenile dragon category. Alternatively, it might be a precociously developed young dragon, though that was less likely.
As for why a juvenile dragon shared the same life grade as a young dragon like himself, the reason was simple:
The physical constitutions of dragons varied greatly.
Within the dragonkind hierarchy, both red dragons and iron dragons stood as apex species.
In contrast, Red Copper Dragons ranked near the bottom among metallic dragons. At the same age, their life grade paled in comparison to red dragons or iron dragons, and they couldn't match the exceptional hybrid vigor of Garos. A juvenile gold dragon, for instance, would typically have a life grade of at least 9.
The Red Copper Dragon didn't immediately dive to attack Garos.
Instead, it circled briefly before landing on a scorched rocky plateau.
About a hundred meters away from Garos, the Red Copper Dragon's spiraled horns reflected the fierce midday sun.
It tilted its head, scrutinizing Garos's cracked scales.
The tip of its coppery tail rhythmically tapped the ground as it paced back and forth, weighing its options.
This red iron hybrid dragon is nearly seven meters long and has a life grade of 7. It's smaller than me but incredibly strong. Good heavens, those dragon wings look like deadly weapons! It must be utterly evil.
It's probably best not to provoke it.
But I have three alchemy items gifted by my parents. That should be more than enough to deal with a foolish evil dragon of the same level.
After a few moments of deliberation, a mischievous grin spread across the Red Copper Dragon's face. It halted its pacing, fixed its gaze on Garos, and declared, "Ah, you naturally wicked red iron hybrid dragon! It's question time."
"Tell me, what needs both fire suppression and rust removal to survive?"
Among the five types of metallic dragons, the copper dragons and red copper dragons are the most disliked by other dragonkind.
Copper dragons are excessively talkative and verbose, delighting in tormenting their opponents with words. When they have the upper hand, they often restrain their foes—burying them up to their necks, for example—and force them to listen to their endless chatter.
Red Copper Dragons aren't as loquacious as Copper Dragons, but they delight in teasing and taunting their enemies with what they consider humorous jokes and riddles, rather than immediately resorting to combat.
If you encounter a Red Copper Dragon in the wild and accidentally offend it, offering an amusing joke, story, or riddle greatly increases your chances of being forgiven—or even earning its admiration and favor.
Meanwhile, the Red Copper Dragon chuckled.
"The answer is—you! The red dragon's fiery temper combined with the iron dragon's rigidity? A recipe for utter failure!"
Its voice, clear and crisp like wind chimes in the desert, resonated among dragonkind. Its slender, balanced physique revealed it to be a female Red Copper Dragon.
As it spoke, the Red Copper Dragon lowered its body slightly, its limbs tensing in anticipation. The alchemy item hidden beneath its tongue was primed to activate, ready to deliver a crushing blow to the enraged Red Iron Hybrid Dragon charging toward it.
But to the Red Copper Dragon's surprise, the evil dragon defied expectations. Despite such blatant provocation, it remained unmoved. Instead, it spread its dragon wings and soared skyward, vanishing into the distance.
Garos ignored the Red Copper Dragon, uninterested in engaging with it.
Metallic dragons valued familial bonds.
When young dragons ventured out on adventures, they often received equipment from their elders or life-saving spells inscribed on the inner layers of their scales—and usually more than one.
With a quick glance, Garos noticed the thick gold chain around the Red Copper Dragon's neck and the red rings hanging from the tips of its dragon wings, both gleaming faintly in the sunlight and revealing densely engraved runes upon closer inspection.
These were only the visible defenses.
Who knew what other alchemy items or life-saving scales the creature might be hiding?
Unlike gold dragons, who preferred direct, overwhelming displays of power, Red Copper Dragons were cunning and treacherous, resembling green dragons among the chromatic dragons.
Unless the stakes were exceptionally high or his life was at risk, Garos never engaged in battles he couldn't win.
"Hey! Are you some rare cowardly evil dragon? Don't run away!"
The Red Copper Dragon paused in surprise before flapping its wings and soaring into the sky, relentlessly pursuing Garos.
To its surprise, the Red Copper Dragon found itself far outpaced by Garos. Despite his seemingly bulky and heavy frame, Garos's massive, exaggerated wings effortlessly supported his weight and propelled him with astonishing speed.
The distance between them rapidly widened.
"Such speed!"
Fueled by competitive spirit, the Red Copper Dragon pressed on relentlessly, determined to bring the wicked Red Iron Hybrid Dragon to justice.
The crimson ring hanging from the tip of its dragon wing began to glow, its runes lighting up one by one.
The color intensified, and the surrounding air shimmered with heat.
The fiery ring transformed into a searing-hot branding iron.
Whoosh!
A burst of flames erupted, radiating outward at blinding speed and engulfing the Red Copper Dragon's wings in a layer of flowing fire.
With each flap of its wings, flames billowed and surged.
The Red Copper Dragon's speed surged dramatically.
Garos glanced back, noticing the Red Copper Dragon's flaming wings.
"An alchemy item that can imbue flames... somewhat similar to my lightning tail ring," he mused.
"I should test its capabilities first."
A dangerous glint flashed in Garos's eyes.
Suddenly, the Red Iron Young Dragon whipped around and opened its maw.
A cone-shaped blast of electric fire erupted from his mouth, leaving a trail of dazzling sparks that bloomed like countless flowers in its wake. The projectile shot through the air with lightning speed and unerring accuracy, hurtling toward the Red Copper Dragon.
The Red Copper Dragon was caught completely off guard.
By the time it reacted, the electric fire dragon breath—inherited from its iron dragon lineage—was already upon it.
In terms of raw destructive power, electric fire dragon breath couldn't match the red dragon's flaming dragon breath. However, its superior speed and paralyzing effect made it arguably more effective in practice.
At the critical moment, the golden chain around the Red Copper Dragon's neck suddenly glowed.
A golden shield materialized around its body, clinging to the surface of its scales.
Zzzt!
The electric fire dragon breath struck the golden shield, its lightning and flame damage completely blocked. The shield rapidly dimmed.
The Red Copper Dragon swerved sideways, narrowly avoiding the remaining electric fire dragon breath with lingering fear.
Yet it showed no real fear, continuing its pursuit of Garos.
The fact that Garos's breath couldn't breach its defenses only reinforced its belief in its inevitable victory.
Sneaky, wicked creature, the Red Copper Dragon scoffed inwardly. Against absolute power, even a surprise attack is useless.
Arrogance and overconfidence were universal traits among dragonkind, shared by metallic dragons as much as chromatic or submetallic ones.
(End of the Chapter)
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𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝟖.𝟒𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝟏𝟒.𝟐𝐌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]