As the golden-red sun on the horizon gradually sank beneath the mountains of the Nest of Dragons, hanging over the distant sea, the ascending Mage Tower, operating on its predetermined orbit above the Azure Universe, slowly descended from the sky, bathed in the sun's afterglow, and stopped amidst the floating clouds below the mountain peak, which were entirely dyed crimson.
This was the central point of the Empire's aerial defense system, centered on the Golden Empire's Dragon Court, and in the future, it would serve as the foundation to radiate across the entire Empire's sky and land.
In the distance, True Dragon s swept across the sky, their shadows appearing; they were the Empire's Lord True Dragons: Dos, Blue True Dragon Akez, and White True Dragon Germott flew straight to the high peak, disappearing into the depths of the clouds, concealed without a trace.
Ellie and Carlit followed from afar, behind the other Lord True Dragon s.
One of Carlit's wings was torn and severed, but this did not affect the True Dragon's flying ability; a True Dragon could still soar in the blue sky by manipulating strong winds and magic.
However, without the aid of a complete wing, Carlit's massive body found it difficult to change direction in the air or control her speed. Therefore, Ellie, who had formed a bond with her on the battlefield, pressed her body against Carlit, helping Carlit adjust her direction and speed, and the two female True Dragons flew into the clouds side by side.
Only after the True Dragon had flown across did the tall tower, suspended in its predetermined orbit in the sky, slowly lift its magical veil, revealing its presence.
A slender, ferocious adult Hydra was thrown into mid-air, crashing heavily onto the wide steps in the mountains.
Following closely behind were tall Storm Giants, descending from within the tall tower.
Finally, there were the Emperor's personal guards, each wearing achilles heavy armor and carrying the severed heads of dead Giants.
When the tower's projection gate closed, the figure of Gabriel, the leader of the Imperial Guards, also landed on the ground.
Gabriel, who had retracted his psychic light wings, seemed to have also retracted his gentle demeanor; his body, enveloped in the golden True Dragon mask, exuded a strong aura of dragon blood descent, no longer as sacred as before, but rather somewhat violent.
This caused even the Storm Giants, who were visiting the True Dragons -ruled kingdom for the first time, to stand still, quietly standing to the side, looking up at the mountain peaks that protruded from the clouds.
Although the highest fire peak among the mountains was only four thousand meters high, far less towering than the Godforsaken Mountains, the Dragon Nest, long inhabited by True Dragons, carried the same imposing aura and field as the True Dragons themselves.
A Legendary True Dragon could influence the field of an entire area around his Nest; while the True Dragons in the True Dragon were not as strong as a Legendary, their distinct and prominent aura made the towering peaks seem like True Dragons extending their claws and fangs from the clouds, looking down upon all living creatures.
Under the King of the Dragons's unification, the entire mountain range was being permeated by the True Dragon, becoming the unique home ground for these True Dragons.
The Storm Giant Garcia even felt that the True Dragons in this mountain range could possess a combat power two levels higher than their actual strength.
"Don't play dead, get up."
Garcia, the leader who had dismissed many of his personal guards, kicked the utterly miserable Hydra. This creature, the first in the world to possess the blood of an Ancestral Red Dragon, also enjoyed piercing enemies' jaws and skulls with chains, and he had chained the Hydra to a adamantine chain.
The untamed Hydra now dared not defy the enemy's command; he could only drag his heavily injured body, follow behind Gabriel, and ascend the steps.
Garcia also led his kin slowly upwards.
In fact, these Storm Giants were currently unable to reach the Dragon Court by their own size.
According to the Empire's regulations, these wild tribal races had dedicated Imperial departments for contact; even Lizardman leader Reili, who had been granted a'Spellbreaker' treasure blade by an Ancestral Red Dragon, was unable to ascend the mountain peak as he wished.
This was due to the Storm Giant tribe's brief but friendly interactions with the True Dragon in earlier years, which allowed these Storm Giants to ascend the peaks as guests.
The quietness along the way did not surprise these Storm Giants; although there were no guards, the massive War Treants on both sides of the road openly spied on these rarely seen outsiders.
Some Storm Giants, despite still feeling indignant about their tribe's current decline, gradually became serious in the unusually quiet atmosphere.
However, the figure revealed by the swirling clouds in the sky made Storm Giant Garciainvoluntarily look up.
A small Young Dragon, babbling as the clouds rolled by, poked out his head and openly stared at the Storm Giant, looking left and right.
The small Young Dragon continued to fly around above the Giants' heads, occasionally dropping two clumps of clouds beside the Storm Giants. But these clouds did not dissipate; instead, they solidified into tangible forms, like soft rice balls.
Even Garcia, who was lost about the future and forcefully suppressing his sadness and anger, had much of his gloom relieved by the actions of this small Young Dragon.
Because this Young Dragon was not playing tricks on them, but rather feeding these Giants. The small Young Dragon babbled in a strange Dragon Language that the Storm Giants couldn't understand, but his body language made Garcia understand.
This Young Dragon believed that by eating these sweets, the Giants would become happy.
The Giants did not refuse the Dragons's kindness; they all picked up the cloud clumps and held them in their hands.
The happy Young Dragon then wagged his head and tail and drilled into the clouds. As the mists dissipated, one could still see a Dragon Nest, forged from white clouds and rosy light, floating and sinking in the high-altitude winds between the mountain peaks.
But even the Storm Giants could not recognize this Dragons species, whose appearance was somewhat similar to a Gold Dragons; clearly, it was not one of the Chromatic Dragon or Metal Dragon.
Noticing the Giants' puzzled gazes, Gabriel, who was leading the way, smiled and explained, "This is not a Dragons born in our world; he must have accidentally drifted here through a rift where worlds converge. Because he is gentle and harmless, he is under the Emperor's protection and allowed to build his Nest and live above the clouds in the mountains."
"However, after our Scholars reviewed the material, we learned that this type of Dragons is called a Cloud Dragon. You do not need to concern yourselves with his existence; he is just a little mischievous and lively."
"These Dragonss live on rainwater, hail, and small amounts of silver and meat. The cloud clumps are their snacks and desserts; they are merely a gesture of welcome to you."
Storm Giant Garcia silently nodded, forcing a smile.
It was only when they reached the summit that the Giants discovered that there were indeed guards here, but these guards were like lifeless pillars, standing in various positions on the mountaintop, silent as ancient rocks in the mountains.
These powerful warriors, also clad in blood-red armor, did not make any movement even when they saw the adult Dragons who had become a captive; even the passing of Imperial Guard leader Gabriel did not cause any ripple in these powerful guards.
The Storm Giants knew well the might of these warriors; the Giants led by the Cyclops who pursued them were slaughtered like pigs and dogs by these warriors, yet it seemed that warriors of this caliber were not uncommon in the True Dragon's kingdom.
And when the Storm Giants saw the majestic Dragon Court, they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe towards the Red Dragon they had previously met.
Especially beside the Hydra, which Gabriel had chained to a rock pillar, lay two even more formidable-looking True Dragon s and serpent monsters.
This situation achieved a partial effect of the True Dragon's intention to display their military might, but the deepest impact was felt by these Storm Giants, who had a friendly relationship with the True Dragons.
Garcia felt it more profoundly than his ordinary kin. In the Giant's perception, the Young Dragon he had met not long ago, a weak True Dragon who once needed the Storm Giants to extend a hand of friendship and provide a temporary refuge for the traveling True Dragon s, had achieved such brilliant results in a short time.
Young Garcia had also served as a loyal listener during his grandfather's conversations with the Red Dragon, but he never expected that the Storm Giants, who were once more powerful, now needed the True Dragons protection.
This made Garcia somewhat grateful for his grandfather's choice back then, and he also gained a deeper understanding of the wisdom his grandfather had acquired in his old age.
Standing quietly before the majestic Dragon Court, Garcia, who had begun to calm down, recalled his grandfather's teachings. His confused mind suddenly seemed to part the clouds, and he saw the path he needed to take.
"The path is walked out, not thought out."
After enduring hardships, Storm Giant Garcia's tender face had shed its immaturity, appearing much more mature. In his purple eyes, an unprecedented firm will emerged.
"The path is beneath my feet, Grandfather. This is my decision, and perhaps, it is the choice I should make, for the entire tribe!"
...
Inside the main hall of the Dragon Court, the True Dragon had gathered once again.
Except for Kadilos, who was sulking in a corner, turning his depression into appetite by devouring delicious snacks, the other True Dragon s finalized the Empire's policies during their discussion.
The two True Dragons mocked for their inability to shapeshift, Camid, calmly shook his heads, his two heads vying for food; he had long grown accustomed to the unique ecology within the True Dragon.
And Young Red Dragon Kadilos's depression was not due to simple mockery, but because his reputation among the female True Dragons in the True Dragon had been severely damaged; the already unpopular Young Red Dragon was even less able to win the favor of any female True Dragon.
Even the weakest White True Dragon Loni dared to give Kadilos a cold shoulder.
The newly arrived Steel True Dragon Midir was even protected by all the True Dragons in the Dragon clan; this True Dragon, who could earn wealth for the True Dragon, held a status far higher than that of the Young Red Dragon.
The discussions of the many True Dragon s sounded grating in Young Red Dragon Kadilos's ears.
Kalon sat on his throne, silent. He possessed the True Dragon's legacy and thousands of years of accumulated knowledge from his previous life; in fact, he could easily devise solutions for most problems.
But he hoped to use these matters to train these True Dragon s, allowing them to stand on their own.
Although he wished to become the sun in the sky, he also hoped that his companions beside him would become shining stars and moons, not overshadowed by the sun. A sky full of stars would be more interesting and less lonely.
Only when the True Dragons had reached a conclusion in their discussions did Kalon tap the armrest of his throne, instantly silencing the hall, which had been filled with the echoes of True Dragon voices.
"In that case, do as you have discussed."
"Entice those pirates with profit; pirates with sufficient wealth can purchase indulgences from the Empire to atone for their past sins. The Empire can then protect these pirates, allowing them to live and work peacefully in the Empire, to grow old with support, and to avoid being hanged at the docks and execution grounds."
"And some capable pirates can train the Empire's first navy, gaining official Imperial status."
"Pirates without sufficient wealth will need to prove their value to the Empire through their actions. I believe that from now on, the number of pirates harassing the Empire's maritime trade routes will be significantly reduced. As for the remaining pirates, they are either the dark agents of other nobles or stubborn elements; once the situation is clear, they will be much easier to deal with."
The Red Dragon's words were conclusive, causing the murmuring True Dragon to nod in agreement. Steel True Dragon Midir had originally intended to propose her new plan to the King of the Dragons.
Steel True Dragon Midir, who had been familiar with the Empire's economic situation for several months, believed that with the Golden Empire's True Dragon s' accumulated good reputation in the early stages and the momentum of the Empire's rising economy, it was already sufficient to establish an Imperial Central Bank specifically for economic regulation, guidance, and profit harvesting.
This idea was not surprising; the Goblin Consortium on the Southern Continent had established the Goblin Bank by relying on countless years of accumulated customer base and reputation, thereby earning vast wealth.
As a True Dragon with relevant expertise, Midir naturally paid special attention to economic projects that could generate wealth and benefit the Empire. Therefore, she reviewed the Goblin Consortium's data, intending to emulate those Goblins in establishing an Imperial Central Bank.
But when she saw the Red Dragon's actions, the words on her lips were swallowed back by this slender True Dragon. The Ancestral Red Dragon rose from his throne and descended the steps, which meant that the Ancestral Red Dragon was not communicating with the True Dragon as the Emperor at this moment.
Kalon walked among the True Dragon. The Ancestral Red Dragon's physique was unique among the True Dragon, making Carlit's body appear exceptionally small in comparison; their roles as adoptive mother and adopted son seemed to be reversed.
The Red Dragon gently pressed his horn against the single horn of the drowsy Carlit. Among True Dragons who were stingy in expressing their already scarce emotions, Kalon's action was already quite prominent, instantly waking Carlit, who was tired from her injury but forcefully enduring to attend the council.
The Ancestral Red Dragon looked at Carlit's suddenly widened vertical pupils and slightly revealed his fangs, turning his head towards Dos and the other True Dragon s, he said softly, "You have already done well enough, but in these turbulent years, it is not yet the best you can do!"
"I don't need to say more; you will find some clues from the Empire's intelligence and from some events that have occurred, if you are not too careless."
The Ancestral Red Dragon circled the True Dragons, his dark golden vertical pupils carrying fragmented flames that sparked with his words, "In this era destined to be turbulent, the time left for us is actually not much. We can restrain our claws and grow, but time will not wait for us."
"Rosani has offered his strength for the True Dragon's future, and his actions have also allowed my experiment to succeed. Therefore, I have gathered the True Dragon here today, not only because we are bringing Rosani home, but also because, at this moment, we must embark on our destined journey."
"If we succeed, we will naturally stand high in the heavens, soaring through the Azure Universe; if we fail, we will merely embark on our destined journey a little earlier."
Clusters of spiritual light suddenly shimmered on the Ancestral Red Dragon's claw tips, radiating brilliance and dazzling light, carrying a powerful attraction and temptation for the True Dragon.
This was a replica of a trace of spiritual authority, condensed by Kalon's own integration of the authority of gluttony, and then analyzed, replicated, and utilized the power of the spiritual domain.
This was also a spiritual seed; in the hands of a True Dragon who had developed psychic energy, it could quickly take root and sprout.
And this was also the most suitable ability for the current True Dragons; although not as powerful as the Ancestral Red Dragon's bloodline talent, if carefully nurtured and grown, it could also have two-tenths of the Ancestral Red Dragon's talent's effect.
"Come, stand with me! The world is our hunting ground, and the Kogmora Dragon Clan are the apex predators!" The Ancestral Red Dragon revealed his bone-white fangs, spread his wings and claws, and smiled.