"Slacking off and sleeping again? Get up and start mining!"
Garros landed in front of the two wyrmlings, lightly swatting their heads with his tail to wake them up.
A yawn escaped them.
The two wyrmlings felt as though they hadn't slept nearly enough.
"My dear brother Garros, could you let me rest for just a little longer?"
They asked in weak, fragile voices.
When violence proved useless, even an Evil Dragon would remember to play the family card.
"No."
Garros refused coldly and ruthlessly. He had given them a chance before, willing to be a good dragon brother, but these two had been ungrateful and turned against him in defiance.
They had chosen their own path.
If they wanted a cold-hearted dragon brother, fine; Garros would grant them their wish.
Hmph!
Red Dragon Sister gave a cold snort and reluctantly turned to walk toward the mine shaft.
As for Iron Dragon Brother...
Upon hearing Garros's refusal, the corner of his mouth remained slightly crooked, his expression arrogant and disdainful.
He looked like he was asking for a beating.
If Garros hadn't known that the crooked mouth wasn't intentional—but rather because the injury from being crashed into hadn't healed yet—he would have already made a move.
Under Garros's gaze, Iron Dragon Brother shrank his head. Maintaining his 'crooked-mouth dragon' posture with saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth, he followed Red Dragon Sister into the mine shaft with uneven steps.
Lifting his head, Garros glanced at the sunset clouds that looked like a burning fire.
Retracting his gaze, Garros looked down at his right arm.
On the bracer of his small forearm, there was a small, rock-like patch of grayish-white. This was the injury left by the Petrification Ray; both dragon scales and flesh had been petrified.
Crack, crack!
Garros picked off the petrified scales and flesh, leaving a small pit on his forearm.
Though the sensation was slight, Garros could still feel that the flesh here was unusual, undergoing a peculiar change.
Once the new flesh and scales grew back...
If he were hit by a Petrification Ray again, the impact would inevitably be weakened.
As for complete immunity, that would require a vast amount of repeated adaptation, which Garros currently lacked the conditions for.
The wound was small and inconsequential, not affecting Garros's movements. Under the glow of the fiery setting sun, he began to experiment with a new training method.
Whew!
He slowly exhaled a breath.
The young dragon flapped his wings, his body flipping in mid-air. Eventually, he supported his heavy body entirely with a single front claw, maintaining a one-armed handstand as he rose and fell.
After a short while...
The young dragon curved his tail to prop himself against the ground, supporting his body purely with the strength of his powerful tail to train the tail muscles.
Or he would lean his head back to press it against the ground, moving his body in a circle with his neck as the pivot.
Specialized training movements, none of which existed even within the dragon heritage, were being performed by Garros.
He was conducting strength training.
In addition to strength training, there was speed.
Some time later, Garros took to the sky, soaring straight into the clouds. He flew into the night sky where stars twinkled and twin moons hung. Taking a deep breath, he extended his pair of dragon wings to their limit and began to flap them violently.
However...
Despite the young dragon's fierce wing-flapping, his body did not rise; instead, it eerily and slowly began to descend.
—Dragonkin flight is actually a magical effect.
Given a dragon's weight and body proportions, it is very difficult to support their body for flight and soaring like a bird using only their wings.
In reality, when a dragon flies, the Demonic Energy in their blood flows to their wings, creating an effect similar to a Levitation Spell. Combined with Spell-like abilities and the strength of their wings, they are able to soar through the heavens.
When other intelligent races deal with the Dragon Clan, Sky-Locking Spells are a necessity.
The principle is to dispel effects similar to the Levitation Spell.
Garros didn't want to find himself forced to the ground and ganged up on if an opponent used a Sky-Locking Spell during a future crusade against him.
He hoped to be able to fly and soar through the sky relying solely on Physical Body strength.
In this way, he would have one fewer weakness, making his goal of living for a thousand years more attainable.
Because he had suppressed his Demonic Energy, he lost the levitation effect.
The heavy dragon body continued to fall.
Garros's wings were taut, each flap kicking up gusts of wind, but he still couldn't make his body rise. He could only slow his descent, barely managing to glide.
This method placed an immense burden on Garros's dragon wings.
Under the overwhelming strain, a tearing pain constantly radiated from his wings.
Especially at the base where the wing membranes connected to the torso; every flap felt like being stabbed by steel needles.
There were no spectators or encouragement for his arduous wing-flapping under the night sky. The young dragon gritted his teeth and endured the pain in silence, raising and flapping his wings again and again, seeking adaptation and evolution within the tearing agony.
Time slowly passed.
It wasn't until the twin moons sank below the horizon and the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds...
...that Garros finally completed his series of training plans. He was exhausted to the point where even a dragon's resilient body had reached its limit.
Aches and pains pulsed throughout his body, particularly in his wings, which he could barely feel, as if they had been torn off.
The young dragon's breathing was heavy, like a bellows.
Yet despite his exhaustion and pain, his gaze was incredibly bright.
Because alongside the soreness, there were waves of faint tingling numbness.
This was a sign of Adaptive Evolution. Every instance of reaching total exhaustion allowed Garros's body to become tougher and stronger, enabling him to persevere longer and fly faster next time.
One day, he would truly be able to soar through the sky using only his wings, and even a Magic-Less Domain would not be able to trap him.
Just as Garros was preparing to rest...
...Red Dragon Sister and Iron Dragon Brother, covered in dust, emerged from the mine shaft and saw Garros in his weakened state.
Exchanging a glance, the two wyrmlings approached Garros step by step with ill intent.
"My dear brother Garros, you seem very tired right now."
Red Dragon Sister asked.
Her words sounded concerned, but they were filled with malice.
"Hehe, we can definitely win against you this time."
Iron Dragon Brother let out two hissed chuckles through his crooked mouth, laughing like a villain as he slowly stepped closer.
"Is your skin itching for another beating?"
Garros remained expressionless. His body, much taller and sturdier than theirs, stood firm on the ground as his calm gaze swept over them.
With just one look, the two wyrmlings were simultaneously struck with uncertainty and stopped in their tracks.
Garros's long-standing authority was profound; even though he looked to be in poor condition, they still didn't dare to act rashly.
"Now that I think about it, it seems it's been a while since I last taught you a lesson."
Taking a step forward, a fierce light flared in Garros's eyes.
As he took this step, the two wyrmlings instinctively backed away, their previous arrogance instantly wilting away.
"Just a joke, just a joke!"
"Dear brother, don't misunderstand."
The two wyrmlings immediately backed down, constantly retreating away from Garros.
Garros gave a light snort, showing magnanimity by not pursuing the matter this time.
In truth, he wouldn't have been able to pursue it even if he wanted to.
The explorations outside the Sinkhole Domain had made Garros realize the many dangers of the wilderness. In his restless state of mind, he had over-trained, squeezing out almost every last drop of physical energy. His body was currently very weak; if they actually started fighting, he might have been the one getting beaten up.
But his lack of any sign of cowardice, combined with his past intimidation, had successfully cowed the two wyrmlings.
They had lost their only chance to take revenge and beat up Garros.
"I need to be more careful with my training next time and reserve some energy just in case,"
he thought. Then, he found a large pit he had smashed out himself. Not being picky, he lay down inside it in the open air, using his own tail as a pillow. He tucked his wings in to cover his body and curled up to rest.
In the days that followed, Garros's life was disciplined and rich.
Between his daily training and urging the wyrmlings to mine, he would occasionally leave the Sinkhole Domain to fight Vicious Beasts and magical creatures to hone his combat skills. At the same time, he searched for a suitable habitat to prepare for his future independent survival.
And so...
...a year passed in the blink of an eye.