Translator: AnubisTL
Samantha spiraled down from the sky, a muscular wild ox-like ferocious beast clutched in her talons. She slammed it to the ground.
"My dear brother, I sense you're about to wake. I went hunting ahead of time. You must be starving, right? Have a bite to tide you over."
Samantha said.
So thoughtful? Garos glanced at the red dragon in surprise.
This wasn't the Samantha he remembered.
In truth, for the past few days while Garos rested and recovered from his injuries, Samantha had been patrolling the skies. She had seen far too many powerful ferocious beasts and demonic beasts that she couldn't handle alone, keeping her spirit tense and unable to relax.
When Garos was around, she hadn't felt this way. She had simply focused on her alchemy studies, amused herself by playing with ants, and carried out Garos's requests. Life had been peaceful and easy, almost no different from when she had lived under the protection of the iron dragon maiden.
Only when Garos temporarily withdrew from the spotlight did she truly realize how reliable and secure his presence had made her feel.
After devouring the ferocious beast, Garos still felt unsatisfied, the hunger in his belly persisting.
"It's a shame there's no black oil left."
"Otherwise, I'd have a can after waking from my slumber, and I wouldn't have to starve so desperately."
Ever since the source of black oil disappeared, Garos had been particularly nostalgic for its taste.
The substance wasn't addictive, but its benefits were too significant for Garos to ignore.
"I should find a way to get a steady supply of black oil," Garos thought.
Since that wasn't possible for now, he decided to take a pinch of fairy scale powder to boost his spirits.
In terms of mental stimulation and enhancement, fairy scale powder was even more potent than black oil.
Garos turned to look at Vera, the fairy dragon, and beckoned with his claw.
Having done this many times before, Vera understood his intentions without needing words. She flew above him, flapping her butterfly-like wings to shower him with scale powder. Garos opened his mouth and inhaled it all in a single gulp.
Buzz!
Instantly, a warm current surged from the crown of his head straight to the base of his spine.
The world through Garos's eyes sharpened and took on a warm hue. His senses doubled in clarity, his mind became invigorated, and his thoughts flowed without any obstruction.
Garos had a clear understanding of his own capabilities.
Whether as an iron dragon or a red dragon, his reputation among others, both human and draconic, was never based on his intelligence.
And that was the truth.
Garos knew that as a Red Iron Hybrid, his intelligence was unremarkable—neither particularly high nor low.
Words like "near-demonic intelligence" or "high intelligence" didn't apply to him. His greatest strengths, beyond his Adaptive Evolution Talent, lay in his ability to control his desires and negative emotions.
But after using the fairy scale powder:
The rapid processing of thoughts, the clarity of his mind, and the sudden realization of overlooked details made Garos feel an irresistible sensation.
I'm incredibly smart right now.
"I should have saved the fairy scale powder for when I research the cliff serpent dragon's steam eruption."
"Fairy scale powder should be used for strategic thinking and enhanced perception during combat, to unlock inherited spells from my bloodline, or to begin studying professional knowledge."
"Using fairy scale powder just for a temporary mental boost is an utter waste."
Garos, exceptionally intelligent, thought rapidly, his dragon eyes shining with wisdom.
"Vera, give me more scale powder," he said.
The fairy dragon blinked and continued flapping its wings, shaking off more scale powder.
Garos didn't use the powder immediately. He stored it away, tucking it into a hidden crevice within the inner layers of his scales, ready for immediate use when needed, without having to keep the fairy dragon by his side.
Soon, Garos spread his dragon wings and soared into the sky to hunt for food.
"Little one, let me try your scale powder too," Samantha said, curious about the fairy dragon's scale powder after Garos had left.
"No, I can't. I'm Garos's servant. I can't act without his permission," the fairy dragon replied, shaking its head.
Why does that sound almost proud? Samantha thought.
She casually moved closer and, while the fairy dragon wasn't paying attention, quickly stuck out her tongue and licked its wing.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
Drenched in the red dragon's slobber, the fairy dragon retreated to a safe distance.
It wasn't afraid anymore, knowing Samantha wouldn't eat it.
Meanwhile, after licking the fairy scale powder, Samantha's mind raced with excitement, feeling suddenly smarter.
But she didn't seize the opportunity to study alchemy.
Instead, she quickly approached an anthill and conjured vivid fantasies of the "Red Dragon Queen" in her mind. Heightened by the powder, these fantasies nearly became hallucinations, and she began taunting the ants.
"Destroyer giant ants, awakened from ancient times! How dare you invade the territory of the great Red Dragon Queen!"
"Heh heh heh, this is getting interesting."
"You're the king of the destroyer giant ants? You clearly don't understand the difference in power! Face my dragon's flame!"
Lost in her delusion, Samantha was completely carried away.
The fairy dragon circled Samantha, quickly understanding her game and aligning with her brainwaves. It eagerly joined the play.
Meanwhile,
Garos soared through the sky on his massive wings, his sharp eyes scanning the land below.
After several days of rest, his explosive scales had fully regrown. These scales shed easily but grew back quickly. Before his speed had fully recovered, the red glow of the scales was faint, and they appeared mostly black-gray, blending into the pale blue sky of the wilderness.
Unless they possessed exceptionally keen senses, few creatures would notice the red-iron dragon soaring high above.
Under the scorching sun of the wilderness, a group of steelbristle thornbeasts wallowed in a muddy forest pool.
These ferocious beasts resembled wild boars but were far larger, standing two meters at the shoulder and nearly seven meters long. Their thick, metallic bristles could both cushion attacks and be launched like arrows, while their skin was armored in hardened mud and tree sap, making them look exceptionally defensive.
Within this territory, the thornbeasts were the undisputed rulers.
When they charged in a group, other ferocious beasts and demonic beasts would scatter in fear.
Thus, they wallowed happily and relaxed in the mud, nudging and playing with each other.
Until a soul-shattering shriek pierced the air.
As Garos flapped his wings at high speed, the feather-like scales on his wing membranes guided the air, producing a terrifying shriek like the arrival of Death itself. The mere sound was enough to make most creatures tremble in fear.
The thornbeasts were no exception.
These 'rulers' felt the terror of Garos's dragon might and scattered, trying to flee.
But it was already too late.
The piercing shriek meant Garos was moving at full speed.
Whoosh! He swooped down, his claws sinking into the back of a massive thornbeast. The creature's hardened carapace cracked like a brittle walnut under his dragon claws.
With a powerful downward thrust, he slammed his claw into the steelbristle thornbeast's skull.
The massive force shattered its skull.
The thornbeast shuddered, its body collapsing lifelessly.
This level 7 ferocious beast had been instantly slain by Garos.
Without stopping to feed, Garos lifted the heavy thornbeast and soared back into the sky. Before long, the other thornbeasts had regrouped, showing no signs of fleeing the area.
The loss of a single member was not enough to drive them from their territory.
The thornbeast pack was just one of many centered around Needleleaf Valley, surrounded by other viable food sources like Thunderhorn Rams, heavy armor giant rhinoceroses, and earth crocodiles.
Garos never focused on a single prey type. Instead, he rotated his hunts to ensure sustainable development and prevent any one species from migrating too far away.
Thornbeast meat was plentiful and satisfying. Only after devouring this meal did Garos finally quell his hunger.
(End of the Chapter)
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