Chapter 26: The Hatching of Three
Three days later.
Livia lay in a newly and barely excavated cave, her entire dragon form sunk into deep exhaustion, feeling it taxing even to lift a wing slightly.
The sulfurous gas explosion from before had completely blasted her nest of over twenty years into ruins, the once spacious main hall and Treasure Room all reduced to nothing. With no other choice, she had to search within the massive volcano for a suitable cavity to dwell in. Relying on her claws to dig, her tail to sweep, and her Dragon Breath to reinforce, she had doggedly dug for three days straight, finally managing to carve out a small cave that could barely shelter her from wind and rain.
The cave was only ten meters in diameter and five meters in height, downright crude compared to the former grand and spacious main hall. But in her current predicament, having a safe, hidden, and warm place to rest was enough to put her at ease.
Before her now lay a thick layer of sun-dried hay, upon which rested three dragon eggs laid not long ago.
Two were a vivid, pure red all over, bright in color like embers freshly fished from molten lava; the other was a mixed-blood egg with distinct blue patterns, its base a deep, dark blue covered with winding red streaks, strikingly similar to the traces left by lightning tearing through the night sky.
All three dragon eggs were vibrating faintly.
A faint halo flowed slowly across the eggshells. The red eggs emitted a warm red glow, while the blue-patterned egg flashed with alternating red and blue light. The radiance grew brighter and stronger, the life force within becoming clearer and clearer, as if about to break free from the shell at any moment.
Livia lay quietly to the side, motionless as she watched the three eggs.
The scene from three days ago remained vivid.
She had just finished soaking in the Lava Lake for three hours, her wounds healed, and climbed out of the magma when a sudden, intense, and unmistakable dragging pain struck her abdomen. It wasn't the pain of her injuries, but a clear, unmistakable signal of labor from deep within her body—the eggs were coming.
Not daring to delay for a moment, she endured her discomfort and desperately searched for a safe location. Her original nest had been blown into a massive crater, completely unusable. She could only muster her remaining strength to urgently dig out this temporary cave within a mere three hours.
After the final clawful of digging, she was utterly spent, collapsing to the ground and beginning to give birth.
The entire birthing process lasted a full three hours.
Three eggs, one after another. With each one laid, she had to lie there panting for a long time. By the time the third egg landed, she was so exhausted she couldn't even muster the strength to lift her tail.
Now, three days later, the moment of hatching had finally arrived.
The light on the eggshells grew increasingly dazzling.
Suddenly—
The first Red Dragon egg cracked open with a large fissure.
A thick pillar of fire erupted violently from the crack, shooting straight toward the cave ceiling. The flames were a vivid, pure red, edged with a faint golden glow, astonishingly hot. They slammed into the rock ceiling, instantly igniting the entire wall.
Livia reacted swiftly, immediately opening her maw to release a breath of cold, quickly extinguishing the leaping flames.
But the little one inside the shell was clearly in high spirits, as the pillar of fire continued to erupt outward.
Pieces of eggshell flaked off and shattered, revealing the little dragon inside in its entirety.
Scarlet scales, small golden dragon horns, vertical pupils that seemed to hold flickering flames within... its neck, body, wings, and tail unfurled in turn as it stood steadily amidst the broken eggshells, raised its head, and let out a youthful yet imposing roar, announcing its name:
"Kalendir Valeri Ansos!"
No sooner had the words fallen than it opened its mouth again, spewing another burst of flame toward the ceiling, once more setting the rock wall ablaze.
Livia had no choice but to exhale another cold breath to put out the fire.
Kalendir turned its head, its dragon eyes shining brightly as it looked at Livia, its little tail swaying gently. The anticipation in its gaze was unmistakable, clearly waiting for praise.
Livia was silent for a second, then gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. "Not bad. The fire reaches quite far."
Kalendir immediately puffed up with pride, its tail held high as it turned and began happily spitting fire into the air, playing with great enthusiasm.
Next, the second Red Dragon egg also began to crack.
There was no spectacular pillar of fire, no dazzling light, no grand spectacle of any kind.
The eggshell simply cracked open with a quiet fissure, then slowly flaked off piece by piece.
When the last piece of shell fell away, revealing the little dragon inside, Livia was momentarily at a loss for words.
Round.
Truly, round.
Its head was round, its body was round, its wings were short, and its tail was thick. The entire dragon looked like an egg with limbs and wings. Its scales were a dull, dark red with little luster, as if covered by a faint layer of dust. The horns on its head were just tiny, barely protruding nubs.
It lowered its head, saw a half-piece of broken eggshell by its feet, picked it up directly, and crunched it down with a crackle, swallowing it.
After eating, it lifted its head and attempted to recite its name:
"Valerion... Etheriel..."
Its tongue was scratched by the hard eggshell, causing its speech to be a bit slurred. It tried several times but couldn't manage the full name. Finally, it simply gave up, lowered its head to pick up another piece of eggshell, and continued munching away leisurely.
Livia stared at this exceptionally laid-back little dragon for a long time before the system prompt quietly sounded in her mind:
[Evaluating offspring...]
[Evaluation Result: Sub-Dragon (Valerion Aetheri Eldir), Bloodline Purity B-, Talent leans toward defense, lower aggression. Recommend strengthening nutrition to promote development.]
After reading the information, Livia silently closed the panel.
It's fine. A Sub-Dragon is still a dragon. At most, I'll just need to feed it more to make it stronger.
The third blue-patterned egg had been the quietest from start to finish.
From the moment it began to crack, it made no sound. Only the light on its surface grew increasingly intense, red and blue radiance intertwining and flashing, brightening the entire cave as if it were daytime.
A fine crack appeared on the eggshell.
A flash of lightning shot out from within first.
It wasn't ordinary lightning, but solidified blue-white electrical light that exploded with a boom at the cave ceiling. The entire small cave was instantly illuminated starkly bright, even the tiny insects in the rock crevices clearly visible.
The electrical light lasted for three seconds before slowly dissipating.
Pieces of eggshell flaked off, finally revealing the little dragon inside.
Its scales, a deep blue base with red patterns, were particularly distinctive. The two horns on its head, one curved forward and the other backward, grew asymmetrically. Its left eye flickered with tiny sparks, its right eye flashed with blue electric arcs—one eye fire, one eye lightning—giving it a remarkably striking presence.
It stood steadily amidst the eggshell fragments, opened its mouth, and clearly, loudly, flawlessly proclaimed its name:
"Etheriel Terry Ansos!"
After the proclamation, it slowly turned its head to look at Livia.
Its gaze was clear and pure, its expression well-behaved and quiet, like a child who had just finished a performance, quietly awaiting praise.
Livia froze instantly on the spot.
That look, that expression of expecting praise, stirred a faint, inexplicable sense of familiarity within her.
"No," she instinctively took half a step back. "Don't look at me with that expression."
Etheriel tilted its little head, its eyes becoming even more clear and innocent. It crawled forward a small step, coming before Livia, lifted its small head, its left eye's sparks giving a tiny jump, its right eye's arcs a faint flash. It reached out a small claw, grasped Livia's claw, and gave it a gentle shake.
Then it called out in a soft, sweet voice:
"Mom."
Livia went completely rigid.
Beside her, Kalendir stopped spitting fire and sharply turned its head to look over.
On the other side, Valerion also stopped chewing eggshell and slowly lifted its round head.
Three small dragon heads, six round eyes, all turned to look at Livia in unison, their gazes all conveying the same meaning:
Mom.
Livia opened her mouth, unable to speak for a long moment. After a prolonged silence, she finally managed to squeeze out a single word:
"...Mm."
Etheriel immediately broke into a smile, its short little tail swaying gently.
It released Livia's claw, turned, and began crawling toward Valerion. It would crawl a couple of steps, then look back to make sure Livia was still there before continuing forward.
It crawled up to Valerion, stopped, stared at the round head for three seconds, then lifted a small claw and gently poked Valerion's belly.
Valerion looked down at it, still holding half an uneaten eggshell in its mouth.
Etheriel gave another gentle poke.
Valerion slowly swallowed the eggshell and uttered a single, simple, straightforward word:
"Hungry."
Etheriel nodded understandingly, immediately turned to look at Livia, and reported in a serious tone:
"Mom, he's hungry."
Livia was silent for a second.
Then she slowly got up and headed toward the cave entrance, leaving behind only one sentence:
"Wait."
My sincere apologies, I accidentally deleted Chapter 27. Adding it back here.
Chapter 27: Bloodline Evolution and System Fireworks
AI Model: gemini-2.5-flash-lite
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The new lair was kept warm by the lava. Livia lay contentedly on the central rock platform, leisurely watching the three newly hatched hatchlings tumble and frolic inside the cave, causing quite a ruckus.
Kalendil was the most energetic, randomly spitting fire at the cave wall. As his small mouth opened and closed, he expelled scattered little sparks that exploded into faint red embers on the rock face; he was clearly having a blast.
Aetheriel squatted to one side, conducting his own research. His left eye crackled with sparks, while his right eye snapped with arcs of electricity. These two distinctly different elemental powers darted back and forth within his small body, occasionally resulting in a soft "pop" that startled the two smaller dragons nearby.
The most simple-minded was Valerion, who was completely focused on wrestling with his own tail. He trotted in circles on his short legs, chasing round and round, desperately unable to catch the tip of his tail. He huffed in frustration. Finally, losing his balance, he tumbled over with a soft 'thud,' landing flat on his back. He scrambled up, shook his head, and then tenaciously resumed his chase.
Watching the three hatchlings, each with a completely different style, Livia felt a touch of warmth, when suddenly a 'ding' sounded before her eyes—
A system notification box appeared, popping up without warning and thrust directly in her face.
[All offspring hatching complete!]
[Individual assessment results are as follows:]
[1. Kalendir Valeri Ansos: True Dragon (Red Dragon), Bloodline Purity A, Talent 'Blazing Fire Control,' Extremely High Potential]
[2. Valerion Aetheri Eldir: Lesser Dragon (Degenerate Red Dragon), Bloodline Purity B-, Talent'Stone Skin,' Medium Potential]
[3. Aetheriel Terry Ansos: Mutated Dragon (Red/Blue Hybrid), Bloodline Purity A+, Talent 'Thunderfire Dual Core,' Unknown Potential]
[First Offspring Reward: Bloodline Evolution Points + 20000]
[Current Total Evolution Points: 37260]
Livia stared at the number 37260, stunned for a full three seconds.
Thirty-seven thousand...
This amount was enough to exchange for quite a few good things.
Just as she was calculating what enhancements she could redeem, a 'boom' suddenly erupted before her eyes—
A dazzling golden light exploded in front of her without any warning.
It was virtual fireworks.
It wasn't just a couple of token bursts; it was a true spectacle, exploding from top to bottom—red, yellow, blue, gold—multicolored lights flashed wildly, and crackling special effects sounds filled her entire field of vision. After the fireworks faded, ribbons slowly drifted down. Once the ribbons were gone, a row of small cannons went off with 'bang bang' noises. Finally, a group of palm-sized Fire Elementals even popped out, lining up to perform a tap dance right in front of her.
It was noisy and gaudy, ten times more annoying than the elemental sprite that performed a solo tap dance when she received the beginner's gift pack.
Livia lay motionless on the spot, quietly waiting for the performance to end.
She waited for a full three minutes.
When the last little elemental hopped away and vanished, the system notification finally became serious.
[Congratulations on achieving the milestone: 'First Time as a Mother']
[Milestone Reward: Bloodline Evolution - Refined Red Dragon]
[Bloodline Evolution commencing...]
A scorching and violent heat suddenly surged up from deep within her abdomen, like a burning great river, rushing madly through her veins to every limb and bone.
Where the heat flowed, an intense itching sensation arose beneath her scales, as if countless tiny claws were scratching her. Just as the itching subsided, a throbbing soreness and stinging pain followed, a tingling feeling rushing up her spine. These sensations alternated, making her extremely uncomfortable.
Livia lay rigidly still, gritting her teeth and enduring it.
The three little dragons, who had been playing boisterously, instantly stopped all movement. Six eyes stared at her in unison, their small heads tilted in a row.
Kalendil cautiously approached and sprayed a small, gentle stream of flame toward her. "Mom? Are you feeling unwell?"
Aetheriel also scampered over, sparks flickering in his left eye. "Mom, you're glowing..."
Valerion slowly crawled over last, still clutching half a chewed eggshell in his mouth, mumbling indistinctly, "Hungry..."
Livia didn't have time to attend to these three worrying and unreliable hatchlings.
The heat inside her grew increasingly violent, finally converging at her head, spine, wing roots, and tail tip.
The next second—
"Bang—"
It was as if an invisible barrier had been completely shattered.
Livia suddenly opened her eyes.
She looked down at her body.
Her scales had completely changed. They were no longer just ordinary scarlet; they had transformed into a dazzling molten gold, interwoven with red and gold, like flowing, melted aurum. The edge of every scale was bordered with a fine golden trim, shimmering under the cave's dim light. They felt smooth as glass to the touch, capable of reflecting her dragon shadow directly.
Her size was even more exaggerated. Her original length of twenty meters had violently surged to thirty-five meters. The cave, which had been relatively spacious and comfortable, was instantly packed full. Her head touched the cave ceiling, and the tip of her tail pressed directly against the opposite rock wall; even turning around was difficult.
The three little dragon hatchlings were squeezed into a corner, their eyes wide open, looking up at their suddenly enormous mother, completely stunned.
Kalendil's mouth gaped wide enough to fit an egg. After a long pause, he managed to utter, "Mom... got bigger... so big, so big..."
Aetheriel nodded seriously. "Super big."
Valerion blinked his eyes, still persistent. "Hungry."
Livia slowly pushed herself up with her claws, stretching her body.
Her bones let out a series of crisp 'ka-ka' sounds. Her muscles tightened and then relaxed. She spread and then folded her wings. Power surged into every inch of her scales; her condition was better than ever before.
She took a deep breath and slightly opened her mouth.
"Hoo—!"
A beam of platinum-white Dragon Breath erupted, shooting straight toward the opposite cave wall.
Previously, her Dragon Breath would, at most, scorch a patch on the rock wall. But this time—
The flame paused for no reason and pierced directly through the rock wall. The first layer of rock melted through, creating a large hole, but the flame's momentum didn't lessen. It continued burning through the second layer, then the third, penetrating deep into the mountain body before gradually dissipating.
Livia closed her mouth, staring at the large, round hole that went straight through the wall, silent for three seconds.
The temperature of her Dragon Breath had increased by a full three hundred degrees.
Never mind anything else, roasting meat in the future would take at least one-third less time. Practical.
At that moment, another system prompt popped up.
[Bloodline Evolution Complete: Refined Red Dragon (Mid-Stage Young Dragon)]
[Length: 35 Meters (Now meets the minimum standard for a mature dragon)]
[Dragon Breath Temperature: +300℃]
[New Ability Unlocked: Dragon Might Suppression (Passive)]
[Effect: Creatures with Intelligence below 5 within a 100-meter radius will automatically have their legs weaken and become unable to move]
Livia stared at the description 'automatically have their legs weaken if Intelligence is below five' for a very long time.
She slowly turned her head to look at Valerion in the corner.
The little dragon had just gotten up and started chasing his tail again, spinning round and round, huffing in annoyance when he couldn't catch it.
Livia fell silent.
...This ability probably won't work on him. Because he can't sense Dragon Might at all.
She sighed quietly and closed the system panel.
Forget it. If her son is a bit simple, he's at least safe.
She pushed up her massive body and walked toward the cave entrance.
Kalendil immediately chased after her on his short legs. "Mom! Mom, where are you going?"
"To find food," Livia replied without looking back. "You three stay put in the cave. No running around, no fighting, and no destroying the lair."
Aetheriel also ran over, his small tail swinging. "I'll go too! I can help with the electricity!"
"No," Livia refused outright.
"Why?" Aetheriel tilted his head.
"Too small, it's dangerous outside."
Aetheriel seemed to nod obediently, and the fire in his left eye flickered lightly.
When Livia turned to continue walking, he immediately turned around, lifted a small claw, and slapped Valerion's rear with a'snap.'
Valerion, who was concentrating on chasing his tail, was knocked forward, crashing into Kalendil.
The three little dragons instantly rolled into a ball, squeaking loudly.
Livia paused her steps and glanced back.
Aetheriel stood obediently in place, his expression innocent, his eyes clear, wearing the guise of someone who 'did nothing.'
Livia stared at him and was silent for three seconds.
She finally understood. Kalendil was jumpy, Valerion was simple, but this kid, Aetheriel, was truly cunning.
She turned and continued walking out.
Aetheriel's crisp voice immediately came from behind her. "Mom, come back soon—and remember to bring yummy food!"
Livia's steps paused almost imperceptibly.
She didn't turn around.
But in her heart, an incredibly clear thought quietly emerged:
This son must be kept under close watch in the future.