Balthazar's pupils shrank in surprise.
He had not expected the young dragon to attack him so recklessly. Given that they were in the royal palace, in a banquet hosted by the Emperor himself, he had not anticipated such a turn of events.
But what was even more shocking was how quickly Valerian overcame his terror. Balthazar saw the exact moment the young dragon shifted from paralyzing fear to pure bloodlust.
It was an instinct as old as the wild itself.
An extreme animalistic response!
It was as if Valerian's pride refused to allow him to cower before an enemy. Instead of retreating from the source of his fear, the young dragon chose to confront it head-on.
To destroy it. To crush it. To strangle the fear within his own heart through violence.
In that instant, Valerian did not behave like a frightened creature.
He behaved like a predator!
His sharp claw, augmented by mana, came sweeping down toward Balthazar's face with relentless fury.
