After the hunt in the abandoned mine and the discovery of the Rock-Breaking Worms.
Galos did not return directly to the Celestial Pit Territory under the protection of the Iron Dragon Lady but instead continued to circle above the clouds, looking down at the vast wilderness, searching for magic creatures and ferocious beasts to hone his real-world combat skills, while also scouting for a territory suitable for his future habitation.
It's worth mentioning here.
Magic creatures are abbreviated as magic creatures, and Galos, as part of the Dragon Race, is actually considered a top-tier magic creature, whereas ferocious beasts are brutal wild beasts that have undergone evolutionary mutations.
Magic creatures mostly possess innate skills akin to magic, with generally high intelligence, while ferocious beasts rely on their formidable physical attributes to assert dominance, with lower intelligence.
In half a day.
Apart from the initial Rock-Breaking Worms, Galos hunted a total of five targets.
Petrifying Lizard, Fire-Breathing Crocodile, Red-Eyed Giant Rhinoceros, Terror Claw Owl Bear, Giant Rock Crab.
Two magic creatures, three ferocious beasts.
Due to the environment of the Sel Wilderness, most of the creatures are of the earth and fire element.
Counting the Rock-Breaking Worms, the total of six hunting battles gave Galos a clearer understanding of his level.
He is now a level 7 life form.
When dealing with the level 6 Terror Claw Owl Bear, Galos, relying on his inherently powerful dragon physique strengthened through day and night training, struck it dead with a single charge.
When fighting the level 7 magic creature Fire-Breathing Crocodile, Galos, using the fire element resistance inherited from the Red Dragon and Iron Dragon Bloodlines, was directly hit by the high-temperature flames spewed by the opponent, but it only left some scorch marks on his scale armor, while the Flaming Dragon Breath he spewed turned the Fire-Breathing Crocodile to charcoal.
Other magic creatures or ferocious beasts of the same level were no match for Galos either.
Even the thick-skinned Red-Eyed Giant Rhinoceros was nearly half-dead from Galos's accelerated high-altitude plunge.
At present, 'Primeval Dragon Descent' is Galos's most powerful attack method besides Dragon Breath.
For other young dragons, such a self-sacrificing attack method is dangerous, as one could severely injure oneself if not executed well, but Galos, having practiced day after day against mountains and earth, had evolved a set of cushioning scales and was already proficient.
Low-level and same-level opponents are quite weak.
Only the level 8 magic creature Petrifying Lizard, higher than Galos in level, caused him some harm.
Its petrifying ray hit Galos, turning a small area of Dragon Scales on his arm armor and the flesh beneath into stone, but that was the entirety of the damage the Petrifying Lizard inflicted on Galos.
He surmised.
Although he is only level 7, even facing level 9 ferocious beasts or magic creatures, he should remain undaunted.
Ordinary members of the Dragon Race can also fight beyond their level, and Galos's adapted physique was among the best in the Dragon Race.
However, Galos does not possess the overly arrogant and conceited nature of other dragons.
Unless necessary or driven by sufficient benefits, he wouldn't rashly deal with creatures far above his level.
With the innate talents and adaptive evolution of the Dragon Race, he could grow increasingly powerful through steady development.
There's no need to put himself in danger due to momentary arrogance or conceit.
From ancient times, the arrogance and conceit left by the era when giant dragons ruled everything have led to the early deaths of countless dragons before they fully matured.
Back to the point.
Aside from the hunted ferocious beasts and magic creatures.
Galos also discovered several suitable habitats.
The good news is, these habitats either have fertile soil with lush vegetation, clear lake water teeming with birds and beasts, or steep terrains that are easy to defend and hard to attack.
The bad news is, like the abandoned mine occupied by Rock-Breaking Worms, all of them seemed to be claimed.
With numerous creatures surviving and settling in this wilderness, suitable habitats are rare and highly sought after, mostly already occupied by powerful creatures.
The territory Galos desired most was picturesque, by the mountain and water, with abundant food resources.
Unfortunately, it was occupied by a group of Thorny-tailed Lions.
The average life level of adult Thorny-tailed Lions is level 5.
If it were a one-on-one, knight-like duel, Galos could allow the opponent to have both claws free.
But the group of Thorny-tailed Lions numbers about thirty, not only with both a male and female leader but also distinguished by an unusually large size and appearance, suggesting some mutation.
Having noted the positions of his desired territories.
Galos thought maybe by the time he left the protection of the Iron Dragon Lady, he would be able to replace the original lords.
As the sun was about to nestle into the embrace of the distant mountains, the sky was layered and dyed like flaming clouds at dusk.
The young dragon ended this adventure, winging its way across the sky under the glow of the setting sun, returning to the Celestial Pit Territory.
Though he technically should have been expelled by now, Galos stayed at the Celestial Pit Territory but no longer shared a Dragon's Nest with the Iron Dragon Lady.
Instead, he settled on the cliff edge where he usually trained.
Upon returning.
He saw the Red Dragon Sister and Tie Longdi lazily basking in the sunset's afterglow, lying on their backs outside the mine with their bellies exposed, eyes half-closed, and tails swaying idly, appearing utterly at ease.
The two dragons are inherently lazy and lack the self-discipline of Galos.
Initially, they thought they had discovered the secret to Galos's strength, so during their free time, they started imitating Galos by crashing into mountains and earth, adopting a posture of high spirits and enthusiasm.
For the first few days, this was indeed the case.
The two dragons, filled with zeal, would engage in relentless crashing whenever possible, rather than idly roaming or sleeping like before.
But over time, their innate nature was hard to change, and their enthusiasm began to wane.
Not long ago.
When Red Dragon Sister was meant to be crashing into mountains during her free time, she hesitated, pondering the balance of work and rest, thinking she should take a nap to replenish her energy before starting again, and so she went to sleep.
After waking, it was quite late; the cool night breeze made Red Dragon Sister a bit uncomfortable.
She mused that her current condition wasn't right, and the training wouldn't be effective, so she decided to start again during the day.
Come daytime, during the fresh air of early dawn, Red Dragon Sister felt she should enjoy the euphoria of flying in the air and looking down on the earth, thus once again postponing the training.
After several such instances.
She completely stopped thinking about training.
As for Tie Longdi, it was different from Red Dragon Sister, not experiencing her inner journey.
— He once flew too high, misjudging his angle while trying to dive, resulting in a harsh impact with the ground that left him with a crooked mouth and slanted eyes, looking bewildered.
Since then, Tie Longdi abandoned the training as well.
In truth, although they were less successful than Galos, whose evolutionary adaptations were visible to the naked eye, if they continued to use mountain rocks and the earth to grind and hone their bodies, their scale armor could become a little harder, and their bodies more resilient.
Even under Galos's pressure while mining.
A month of effort made their claws and teeth sharper and their muscle strength slightly stronger than before.
Ordinary members of the Dragon Race actually possess evolutionary abilities far surpassing other creatures, just not as distinctly and efficiently as Galos.