Alternate title: I Showed Off in Front of My Father
"Hey Muria, interested in visiting your father's world?" Just as Muria had begun to stabilize his rule over half of this desolate realm, his mother, the Golden Dragoness, approached him while wandering around the world looking for resource points.
"Why would I go to my father's world?" Muria knew his father, Ansol, had already conquered a mid-sized world and was in the process of securing it.
"Your father has already established himself there and taken over a large territory. If you go and act a little pitiful, he'll definitely allocate a lot of resources to you."
"There's no need for that." Muria scratched his head awkwardly. His father's power was already close to his own. From what his mother described, his father wasn't doing that much better either. Since that was the case, there was no point in taking advantage of his father. He could already stand on his own.
"Are you stupid? You actually pity your dad? Do you even know who your father is? He's the direct son of a newly risen Titan Epic! The resources he's allocated are beyond your wildest imagination. From what I know, he's managed to get nineteen leaves from the World Tree, and he even has a branch of the World Tree."
"A branch of the World Tree? If I remember correctly, if planted properly, it can grow into an Eternal Life Tree," Muria thought for a moment, slightly unsure. "As for the leaves of the World Tree, I recall they can be used to open up demi-planes or expand their size."
"Exactly. Ansol has already planted the branch at the center of a demi-plane he opened up using those nineteen World Tree leaves, and it's already grown into a sapling of the Eternal Life Tree."
"Wow!" Upon hearing this, Muria couldn't help but feel envious. World Tree leaves and branches were divine items even gods coveted, with countless uses. "I'm so jealous of my father. I wish I could get that many leaves someday."
"You should have one World Tree leaf yourself, right?" the Golden Dragoness asked casually.
"No." Muria shook his head. He didn't recall ever getting a World Tree leaf.
"That doesn't make sense. You've already advanced to the legendary rank, and as a Titan, you should have been allocated a World Tree leaf as a matter of tradition. Where is your leaf?"
"I really don't have one!" Muria said with a puzzled look. He had no idea that after advancing to legendary rank, he was entitled to a World Tree leaf.
"That's one of the treasures the Eternal Elves must offer to the Titans as a tribute, ever since they aligned themselves with the Titans. It's standard for every Titan upon reaching adulthood to receive one. It's used specifically to open demi-planes, and the success rate for opening one with a World Tree leaf is one hundred percent. Even if you don't need it, it can still stabilize or expand an existing demi-plane."
"Is that really a thing?" Muria was surprised.
"Hmph, are those elves underestimating you? Don't worry. When I go back, I'll get an explanation from them." Upon hearing that her son had not received the resources he was entitled to, the Golden Dragoness immediately patted her chest and promised to settle the matter.
"Oh!" Muria nodded a little blankly. He felt that something was off. The elves living on the Eternal Island treated him quite well. Even their royal family had sent someone to his side, along with a legion of thirty thousand elves. Of course, Muria had assigned them to tree planting and gardening duties. With such visually pleasing creatures, there was no way he would send them into battle. Given how well the elves treated him, it didn't make sense for them to withhold his rightful resources. There must be something he didn't know.
"Back to the point, Muria. Are you sure you don't want to visit your father's world?" The Golden Dragoness returned to the original topic.
"No, I still have the coordinates of nine worlds. If I want resources, I can conquer those worlds based on those coordinates. There's no need to ask my father."
"Don't play dumb, Muria. The worlds those coordinates lead to are nothing like the one you've been allocated. The difficulty of conquering them will be beyond your imagination. This world treats you like a beloved child, but in those other worlds, you're just an invader."
"I know, that's why I'll just conquer smaller worlds. I'm not overreaching."
"You're telling me you're not overreaching?" The Golden Dragoness glanced at Muria, then knocked on his head. "Look at your current power. You're not even fully grown yet, but you're already catching up to us. Sure, you've consumed a lot of things, but without the desire to get stronger quickly, you couldn't have reached this point."
"I've grown up. Stop knocking on my head, Mom." Muria rubbed his forehead and complained.
"Grown up? You're still just a kid who hasn't even reached adulthood." The Golden Dragoness tapped his head again, clearly displeased. "You've stirred up so much trouble, and you think I don't know how much you've been up to?"
"I might not be an adult yet, but I'm not a kid anymore!" Muria rubbed his forehead in frustration, feeling like his mother was treating him like a child.
"No matter how old you get, even if you reach the Ancient Dragon stage at 1,200 years old, I'll still be your mother. If I want to knock on your head, I will." As she spoke, the Golden Dragoness gave him another hard tap on the forehead.
"If you don't want to ask Ansol for resources, how about helping him expand his influence in that world?" she asked.
"That I can do." Muria agreed without hesitation. Now that he was powerful, it was only right to help his father.
"Take some of the giants you just conquered from this desolate realm with you. Bring at least half of your best warriors."
"Got it!"
…
In a vast, primeval jungle, a towering mountain stood with an ancient complex of buildings at its peak. From time to time, the roars of fierce beasts echoed from within.
At the top of this complex, in the largest stone palace, a gleaming, crystal-scaled dragon was coiled, its eyes half-closed, looking drowsy.
Despite its lazy appearance, the space around the dragon rippled visibly, revealing its terrifying power. Any creature that passed by trembled in fear. But when they looked past the dragon, toward the portal it guarded, their eyes were filled with reverence and fanaticism.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, heavy footsteps resounded, and the stone floor began to shake. The half-asleep dragon slowly opened its eyes, turning its gaze behind it. Soon, under its watchful eye, a figure clad in dark golden armor, with long black hair and golden eyes, emerged from the grand stone hall.
The moment this figure appeared, his aura spread out, and the entire mountain range fell silent. Every creature that sensed his presence bowed in respect, as if worshipping a god descending to the mortal world.
"Let's go hunting." Ansol stepped onto the dragon's back.
With a mighty roar, the crystal-scaled dragon soared into the sky, carrying the Titan toward the horizon.
…
"Damn monster, you're here again?"
In a vast, foul-smelling swamp, a giant serpent with eight heads raised itself and cursed up at Ansol in the sky, its eyes filled with wariness.
But Ansol had no intention of responding. He drew his spear and thrust it toward the serpent. A massive beam of energy shot into the swamp, evaporating large swaths of mud and filthy water, forcing the serpent to dodge frantically.
"Roar! Don't think I'm afraid of you. Keep this up, and I'll show you what I can do!" The eight-headed serpent spewed a stream of acidic liquid at Ansol, only for it to be blown away by a gust of wind, drenching the serpent instead.
Undeterred, the serpent's remaining heads unleashed a barrage of foul winds, dark flames, and corrosive waters. But all its efforts were in vain. Ansol pierced another one of its heads with a single strike.
As the serpent boasted about its regeneration, another head was obliterated by Ansol's attack. Just as he was about to destroy the final head, a golden meteor streaked down from the sky, piercing the last head and pinning it to the swamp floor.
As the light faded, the meteor revealed its true form—a spear crackling with thunder and fire...
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]