Deep within the Serel Wilderness, in the Sinkhole Territory.
Moonlight flowed silently, coating the northern wall of the massive Sinkhole Territory in a layer of silver radiance.
An adult Chromium Dragon was currently moving with a stealthy gait, carefully retracting its sharp claws and landing softly on the hard ground; its cautious demeanor was just like a Wyrmling attempting its first hunt, terrified of startling its prey.
In his mouth, he carried a carefully prepared courtship gift.
An entire Iron Flower Tree, perfectly preserved in ice.
This was a type of magically transformed plant that was extremely rare even in the wilderness.
It possessed incredible abilities, capable of absorbing the massive earth elemental energy from deep within the ground and converting this energy into substance, growing branches as hard as steel; this characteristic made it one of the most beloved natural creations of the Iron Dragon clan, who were born with a special affinity and fondness for metal.
"Leticia!"
The Chromium Dragon placed the ice-encased Iron Flower Tree solemnly in front of the Iron Dragon's cave.
He raised his long neck, calling out the Iron Dragon's name, expressing his adoration.
"Accept my burning admiration! As long as you are willing, I promise you that I will make the entire vast Serel Wilderness bloom with dazzling steel flowers for you."
At this moment.
A lazy yet massive shadow, accompanied by the faint sound of heavy scales rubbing against the ground, slowly extended from the thick darkness deep within the cave.
The Iron Dragon Leticia finally revealed her true form.
Her dragon scales were not pure black but shimmered with a cold, hard metallic luster, as if pieced together from countless blades polished to razor-sharpness.
The Aura radiating from her body was significantly more powerful than that of the Chromium Dragon Eric standing before her.
Her slit pupils held a scrutinizing gaze as she carefully examined the Chromium Dragon outside the cave—from his physique and the luster of his scales to the attitude and sincerity he displayed at this moment.
Chromium Dragons, like Iron Dragons, belong to the Ferrous Dragon lineage and are naturally inclined toward Lawful Evil.
Long, smooth fins lined his back from snout to tail-tip, and he possessed shiny horns and broad, sleek wings; his dragon scales looked like liquid metal, vividly reflecting the surrounding terrain. At first glance, he resembled a Silver Dragon, impeccable in terms of the Dragon Clan's aesthetic standards for appearance.
In terms of attitude, the Chromium Dragon was also beyond reproach.
Every time he came to visit, he would unfailingly prepare a carefully chosen gift.
And every time, it was something he had determined would please the Iron Dragon Leticia after careful observation and consideration.
Unfortunately, the Iron Dragon Leticia's inner standards for a mate leaned more toward those Lawful Dragonkin who could surpass her in power and Life Level, causing her to look up to them.
For a suitor whose age and Life Level were clearly lower than her own, she really could not muster much interest.
After only a few seconds of scrutiny.
She swept her tail, precisely coiling around the precious ice-encased Iron Flower Tree in front of the cave, and tossed it back without a hint of reluctance, landing it steadily at the Chromium Dragon's feet.
"I have told you more than once."
Her words were decisive, leaving no room for fantasy: "Do not bother bringing these... cheap trinkets here again. I have absolutely no interest in you. Leave my territory immediately."
Her posture was cold and distant, radiating an Aura that rejected other Dragonkin from a thousand miles away.
However.
The Chromium Dragon was precisely infatuated with these strong, cold, and decisive traits in Leticia.
He lowered his head slightly, his voice carrying a hint of intentionally lowered humility and earnestness.
"I know you admire those Dragonkin who are more powerful than yourself."
"But Leticia, please think about it, are the hearts of those Evil Dragons who possess power superior to yours truly trustworthy?"
"They will only constantly think about how to dominate you, rule over you, and completely incorporate your will into their control, making you their vassal."
He lifted his head slightly, looking directly at the Iron Dragon.
"Since that is the case, why not try a completely different form of relationship?"
The Chromium Dragon whispered: "I admit my own weakness."
"At least in terms of strength, I currently cannot compare to you."
"But doesn't this also mean that I will be more understanding of accommodating you, following your wishes, and will never go against your thoughts?"
"I am even willing to accept your humiliation, allowing you to fully experience the pleasure of controlling everything that comes with being the stronger party."
The personality of the Chromium Dragon, to a certain extent, had similarities with the cunning Green Dragon—they were naturally adept at disguise, skilled in conversation, and well-versed in the art of deception.
For example, they would sometimes completely mimic their scales to be silver, using an elegant physique similar to a Silver Dragon to approach intelligent creatures.
When the other party relaxed their vigilance and mistook them for a noble Silver Dragon, they would suddenly launch a fatal attack.
And at this moment, the Chromium Dragon was clearly applying the "skilled in conversation" and "adept at inducement" aspects of his racial talent to the matter of courtship.
The Iron Dragon Leticia fell into a brief silence.
During the few seconds of silence, although her massive body maintained a rejecting posture, from the slight movement of her tough tail tip—swaying slightly and becoming less rigid in its curve—a keen observer could capture a clue: a certain point in the Chromium Dragon's words had indeed stirred her deep-seated desire for control, piquing a bit of her interest.
The Chromium Dragon captured this and struck while the iron was hot.
"Leticia, do you feel it? The atmosphere of the wilderness is becoming more tense with each passing day. Invisible smoke of war permeates the air, as if a raging fire that will sweep through everything is about to ignite."
"But danger is often accompanied by huge opportunities. These turbulent waves are precisely the perfect timing for us to rise with the momentum and seize greater authority!"
"I know your dream! I know you would never be willing to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I know even more that to realize the grand blueprint in your heart, relying solely on your own Dragon power, you will inevitably feel constrained; you need a reliable and powerful ally!"
Eric puffed out his chest, his tone filled with sincerity and commitment: "I promise you, Leticia! As long as you are willing to accept me, I will firmly stand behind you, exhausting all my wisdom and strength to add bricks and tiles to your magnificent map, becoming your most trusted support!"
The Iron Dragon Leticia fell silent once again.
This silence lasted longer, as if she were repeatedly weighing the pros and cons and possibilities in her heart.
A few seconds later, she finally slowly shook her massive head.
"Every word you just said is indeed the sweet talk I most want to hear right now."
Her gaze was sharp as a knife: "But precisely because of that, I can conclude with absolute clarity—you are employing the Chromium Dragon's most adept deception tactics on me!"
Leticia's voice was decisive.
"Any sweet talk divorced from reality and beautiful promises that are like castles in the air are ultimately destined to make a hopeful Dragon fall into an abyss of disappointment."
A Dragon had once promised her that he could restrain his chaotic nature for her, but the result was completely the opposite.
The Chromium Dragon opened his mouth.
He wanted to say something more, but the Iron Dragon had already stepped forward, spreading her dragon wings, raising her right claw slightly, and staring at him with cold eyes: "I do not want to say it a second time. Get out of my territory."
Feeling the opponent's overwhelming Dragon Aura.
The Chromium Dragon struggled internally for a while, slowly backed away a distance, and then flapped his wings, flying toward the sky, gradually moving away from the Sinkhole Territory.
The Iron Dragon Leticia only slowly folded her dragon wings after confirming that the Chromium Dragon had completely disappeared at the end of her vision, then turned and returned to her cave, where she lay quietly on her throne made of steel, eyes slightly closed.
The Chromium Dragon was indeed right about one thing.
Her keen sense of smell had long since captured the increasingly pervasive tense atmosphere in the wilderness, like sulfur kindling about to ignite.
She would also never give up this huge opportunity that could change her destiny.
Therefore, she needed time, needed absolute calmness, to carefully consider and repeatedly plan every key step toward the future.
On the other side.
The Chromium Dragon flapped his broad wings vigorously, soaring alone in the vast and silent sky.
Suddenly!
A smell of sulfur, so thick it was almost suffocating, carrying a strong irritation like the eruption of a volcano's core, rushed toward him without warning.
Eric's scales instantly bristled all over his body, a strong sense of crisis hitting him like a dousing of ice water.
He jerked his long neck, locking his gaze in the direction of the source of the smell.
What entered the Chromium Dragon's field of vision was a massive Red Dragon whose size made his heart palpitate.
His dragon scales displayed a deep crimson color like congealed blood, crisscrossed with battle-scarred patterns that symbolized countless fierce life-or-death struggles—the marks left behind after dragon scales were shattered and healed repeatedly, like medals!
This Red Dragon had a ferocious and violent demeanor.
Just looking at him, the Chromium Dragon, being a cold-element Dragonkin, felt a suffocating sense of oppression.
"Vile reptile, run! Run with all your might."
The Red Dragon's low, hoarse roar, filled with cruel, mocking intent, rumbled between the whistling winds and rolling clouds like a decree from the Grim Reaper.
"Because the moment you are finally caught by me, you will discover that all the so-called 'pain' you have ever experienced before was actually as sweet as candied fruit!"
A chill ran through the Chromium Dragon's heart, and its dragon scales stood on end with a metallic clatter.
He felt a deathly crisis, so in the next second, he beat his wings violently to flee. However, following bursts of wild laughter and roaring, that pungent smell of sulfur drew ever closer.
Not long after, deep within the Sinkhole Territory.
Iron Dragon Leticia suddenly opened her eyes.
A scent that was extremely familiar, yet made all the scales on her body suddenly tighten... a mixture of blood and sulfur, was drifting into her cave on the night wind, wisp by wisp.
"Gorthax?!"
She whispered in shock and uncertainty, then immediately flapped her dragon wings and streaked out of the cave at high speed.
Beneath the thick, ink-like night sky, two Dragons were currently hovering above the Sinkhole Territory.
The moment Iron Dragon Leticia's figure rushed out of the cave, she happened to witness a heart-stopping scene.
One of the Dragons, relatively smaller in size, was falling rapidly from the high sky, powerless, like a kite with a broken string.
No! More accurately, it was being thrown down toward the hard ground cruelly, as if discarding trash, by an irresistible Great Strength.
Bang! A dull, massive sound exploded.
The Chromium Dragon's body, like a broken ragdoll, smashed heavily onto the cold, hard ground, and then... there was deathly silence.
Leticia's sharp gaze pierced through the dust, instantly locking onto that broken, wretched dragon corpse.
That pair of broad, massive wings had been snapped and twisted at an extremely cruel angle; the slender neck was twisted into a hair-raising corkscrew shape; the entire body was covered in charred, pungent-smelling flame-burn marks... its life force had been completely extinguished.
Boom! Accompanied by a terrifying sound like a meteorite striking the earth, that deep Red Dragon landed beside the Chromium Dragon's broken corpse.
"Gorthax!" Iron Dragon Leticia's roar rang out like a thunderclap.
Facing the Iron Dragon's angry gaze, which seemed ready to spew lava, the Red Dragon Gorthax grinned, opening his fang-filled maw, and laughed: "My dear Leticia, my treasure, my priceless wealth."
"Decades have passed, yet you remain as elegant and beautiful as ever."
Iron Dragon Leticia crouched low on all fours, her tough tail tensing and twitching behind her like a steel whip, and she snarled: "Get out! Gorthax! Leave my territory immediately!"
The Red Dragon turned a deaf ear to the Iron Dragon's kill-filled roar, instead letting out a low and pleasant laugh.
He extended a massive claw covered in crimson scales, with Chromium Dragon blood still dripping from the tips, and toyed casually with the Chromium Dragon's twisted, deformed head as if it were a broken toy.
"Your little toy couldn't even withstand a few casual claw strikes from me; it's truly pitifully fragile, little Leti. It seems your judgment has regressed quite a bit compared to back then."
He suddenly seemed to discover something interesting, his thick tail curling nimbly to easily pick up the Chromium Dragon's broken horn.
Then, he placed the broken horn onto his own massive head—which bore towering dragon horns and was covered in ferocious spines—crookedly, like a crown.
"Hahaha!" Gorthax let out a deafening, wild laugh and said: "Look! Behold! Don't I look even more majestic and overbearing like this?! This is the kingly posture worthy of you, Leticia!"
No longer able to restrain herself! The Iron Dragon's claws crushed the rock, her wings flapped to whip up a gale, and her twenty-plus-meter-long, sturdy body rushed violently toward the Red Dragon Gorthax.
The mocking smile on Red Dragon Gorthax's face also vanished instantly the moment the Iron Dragon launched her charge, as if he had changed his face.
His crimson claw, burning with flames, swiped mercilessly toward the charging Iron Dragon.
The battle between Dragon and Dragon broke out in an instant.
The powerful subordinate leaders in the Iron Dragon's territory who had been alarmed, upon sensing that their master was facing a formidable enemy, roared one after another as they rushed out from their respective lairs, attempting to support their lord.
However, the Red Dragon's Aura was as solid as substance; those who were slightly weaker in strength were instantly pressed down until they collapsed to the ground, shivering, losing even the courage to stand.
Only a few of the most valiant leaders, absolutely loyal to Leticia, were able to barely withstand the Soul-trembling pressure and, roaring, join this Peak battle belonging to Dragons.
But their fate could only be described as moths flying into a flame.
The Red Dragon did not even look at them directly; he merely swung his massive claws violently or flicked his spine-covered tail.
Those few fearless leaders who charged up, including the Dragonkin subordinates Leticia had spent great effort to cultivate, were all killed on the spot by the Red Dragon in the most cruel manner within a fleeting moment. Severed limbs and broken arms, mixed with blood, fell onto the earth like raindrops.
This battle, with such a disparity in strength, lasted only a dozen minutes.
Bang! Accompanied by an extremely dull, massive sound, Red Dragon Gorthax's claw, covered in hard scales, stomped fiercely onto Iron Dragon Leticia's chest, trampling her into a deep pit in the broken, cracked ground.
The Red Dragon looked down from above, overlooking the Iron Dragon being stepped under his foot.
"Listen, you bitch!"
"You, Leticia, will forever belong only to me, Gorthax! You are my most precious wealth! My possession! I will not allow—absolutely will not allow—you to have any form of contact with any other male Dragon! Even just a glance! Otherwise—"
The force on his claw increased violently; Leticia's scale armor cracked continuously, and the rock beneath her emitted an unbearable cracking sound.
"—he is your example!"
The Red Dragon's gaze swept over the Chromium Dragon's broken corpse nearby.
The Iron Dragon did not roar or yell pointlessly again; she simply swung her tail, lashing it toward the Red Dragon's head.
Gorthax let out an impatient snort, blocked the tail with one claw, and suddenly exerted force with the foot trampling the Iron Dragon, kicking Leticia's massive body violently, sending her flying into the air to crash heavily against the steep cliff wall of the Sinkhole Territory.
The ground shook violently, and countless rocks rolled down with a rustling sound.
Leticia's body was deeply embedded into the rock wall; her hard dragon scales rubbed against the mountain rock, emitting a teeth-achingly harsh sound!
Immediately after. Under the gaze of Iron Dragon Leticia, who was furious to the extreme due to excruciating pain and humiliation. The terrifying, ferocious expression on Gorthax's face suddenly vanished without a trace, as if the bloody and cruel battle just now had never happened.
"Leticia." Gorthax's voice became much gentler, even carrying a tone of apology.
"Look at my short temper; I'm really very sorry. I seem to have been a bit too heavy-handed just now."
He spread his massive claws, making a helpless gesture: "I know you have many grievances against me, and you must still be holding onto the resentment from decades ago."
"But rest assured! My dear!" Gorthax's voice suddenly rose, filled with fanatical ambition and confidence: "My return to the Serel Wilderness this time is by no means accidental."
"Fate has long been ordained—I, Gorthax, will surely rule this vast, boundless land! All creatures living on this land, whether humble insects or proud Dragonkin, will eventually crawl beneath my massive dragon wings! Submitting to my supreme authority!"
He stood upright, spreading his forelimbs as if embracing the future of the entire wilderness.
"I will be here! To establish an unprecedented, powerful kingdom that belongs to me! An Empire worthy of your status and ambition!"
"When that time comes, my dear Leticia, I will open my arms to you once again! Bestow upon you supreme glory and power! Giving you the chance... to become the only, true Queen in my Empire!"
Speaking up to this point, his face suddenly became vicious and ferocious again, and his tone shifted.
"But before that, Leticia, you are my wealth and my possession. If you dare to flee the wilderness, dare to defy my will, I guarantee you will pay a painful price for it."
After proclaiming his lofty ambitions and his sovereignty over the Iron Dragon. The Red Dragon ignited with flames, flew into the sky, and vanished into the deep night sky in the blink of an eye.
"Gorthax. Damn bastard." Leticia's gaze was cold as she struggled to stand up.
Ever since Gorthax followed his instincts and underwent his Ancestral Blood Awakening, his temperament had become increasingly chaotic and ferocious; now, he had become unreasonable and difficult to communicate with.
But she had known this for a long time. She was not frightened by the Red Dragon's capricious, chaotic, and unpredictable temper; instead, she forced herself to calm down as much as possible, thinking about how to respond.
"Gorthax's temper is destined to put him in opposition to all living things."
"Even his fellow Evil Dragon kin will view him as a source of danger, not to mention the Metallic Dragons. I can try to unite with other Dragons in the Dragon Wilderness to deal with Gorthax together."
Iron Dragon Leticia thought quietly to herself.