"Alchemy Spells?"
Samantha snorted a puff of disdainful sparks from her nostrils.
"Isn't that just a weak trick of fiddling with bottles and jars? A true Red Dragon should conquer the world with claws and flames."
She said,
Among all Dragonkin, Red Dragons are perhaps the most power-oriented, taking pride in their Bloodline and status. They prefer defeating opponents using innate means like their claws, teeth, and Dragon Breath.
Hearing Garros suggest that she learn Alchemy Spells...
Samantha's scoff was a normal reaction.
Since learning requires personal interest and coercion doesn't work, Garros smiled and said persuasively, "Do you know how many gold coins an Alchemist in the Losern Federation can earn in a year?"
As he spoke, he poked at the Alchemy Engine with his claws.
The resulting metallic clatter sounded just like clinking gold coins.
Samantha's pupils dilated slightly as her interest was piqued. "How many?" she asked.
Garros said solemnly, "Even the worst Alchemist can earn enough money to pile up like a small mountain."
Hearing this, Samantha's tail flicked unconsciously; she was clearly tempted.
"...Really? You're not lying to me, are you?"
She said.
Garros nodded, his tone grave.
"Alchemists can even make their own gold coins. If you study hard and your Alchemy skills are deep enough, you'll be rich enough to buy an Empire. You could hire hundreds or thousands of adult Dragons like the Iron Dragon Mother to serve you and sing praises of your greatness day and night."
"Besides wealth, Alchemy Spells can also make you stronger. Don't forget the Giant-Arm Miner that made you flee in embarrassment. Once you master Alchemy Spells and use them to continuously strengthen and temper your own claws and scales, I believe that with your talent, you will one day be able to tear apart a Holy Flame Arbiter with your bare hands, making countless Evil Dragons cheer for you and bow down in awe at your feet."
The scenes described in these words...
...hit Samantha right in her sweet spot.
Just imagining it made Samantha's heart race, and a sensation like an electric current surged from her head to the tip of her tail.
Her chest heaved, her breathing quickened, and a look of longing appeared in her eyes.
But she still had concerns and said hesitantly and with distress, "But learning Spells sounds like such a hassle."
Red Dragons are not unintelligent. As top-tier magical creatures, their magic talent and Comprehension Ability exceed those of most Casters. However, Red Dragons are lazy and dislike the effort of thinking.
As a standard pure-blooded Red Dragon...
...Samantha also disliked thinking and learning.
Garros asked leisurely, "Do you think learning knowledge is more of a hassle, or being hunted by inferior creatures using Alchemy tools?"
His question was sharp and to the point, making Samantha fall silent.
Being hunted by weak and inferior creatures like goblins was a massive disgrace in Samantha's eyes.
"Only through a thousand temperings can indestructible scales be forged."
"Samantha, if you don't have the resolve to face trouble or even torment, then stop dreaming of standing at the apex of all things and ruling the world, because it's destined never to happen."
Garros concluded with reverse psychology, a tactic Red Dragons were most susceptible to.
Sure enough, after hearing Garros's words, the hesitation and concern on Samantha's face vanished, replaced by a flash of determination and ambition.
"Garros, my dear brother."
"I will let you know that I, Samantha, have my own resolve!"
She spoke with a resonant and powerful voice, "I'm going to start studying Alchemy right now!"
After saying that, Samantha leaned against a towering hemlock and curled up in the shadows on the spot.
She closed her eyes slightly but did not sleep. She began to concentrate, digging deep into the Alchemy knowledge within her dragon heritage and started learning on her own.
This was a tedious and boring process.
Few Dragonkin would delve into and learn the knowledge within their dragon heritage during their hatchling stage.
In reality, with a treasure trove like the dragon heritage, even the weakest White Dragon could achieve something if they were willing to cast aside arrogance and laziness and focus diligently on learning various types of magic knowledge.
If Samantha could persevere...
...while she still wouldn't be able to compare to Garros, her growth rate surpassing that of an ordinary Red Dragon was a certainty.
Meanwhile.
Garros placed the Alchemy Engine in a hollow of a rock and prepared to begin his daily training. Just as he lifted his claw, he noticed it was stained with some black, viscous liquid.
"What's this?"
At first, he didn't know what it was.
But the moment curiosity arose in his heart, his dragon heritage was naturally triggered, and the corresponding information surfaced in his mind.
It must be said that although the dragon heritage caused Dragonkin to pass down negative traits like arrogance and conceit from generation to generation, its existence was also one of the key reasons they could remain top-tier creatures.
The content of the Legacy was vast and boundless, like a library that had accumulated thousands and tens of thousands of years of knowledge and information.
Whenever needed, it always provided a timely response.
The black oil leaking from the Alchemy Engine.
Garros sniffed it. He caught a pungent smell, like the engine oil from his memory, but with a strong, spicy kick.
black oil, formed from the remains of magical creatures over long periods. It's a rich type of basic energy stored on Planet Bernardo. Hmm, it's a bit like an upgraded version of petroleum.
Garros was deep in thought.
"It should contain quite a lot of energy."
"The dragon heritage says it's not food, but it feels very attractive."
After a moment's thought.
Garros brought his claw stained with black oil to his mouth and took a light lick with his tongue.
It was like licking wasabi.
A spicy sensation rushed straight into his nasal cavity.
As Garros swallowed it, he felt as if a small ball of fire had ignited in his stomach. His whole body instantly invigorated. He tilted his head back, opened his mouth, and couldn't help but exhale a pillar of fire.
"That's... that's got a kick!"
Staring at the black oil on his claw, Garros showed a look of pleasant surprise.
The energy contained in this stuff was comparable to the flesh of the Advanced magical creatures he had eaten before.
His Adaptive Evolution didn't happen out of thin air; it required a lot of energy supplementation during the process.
Garros still remembered the first time he underwent Adaptive Evolution.
Because he hadn't supplemented enough energy, he did evolve, but it relied entirely on his own body's energy. For the next several months, he was so emaciated he was just skin and bones, as if he had been completely drained by a succubus.
Only after eating ravenously like a starving ghost afterward did he gradually recover.
Garros had been somewhat worried about the future.
When he became stronger and evolution required massive amounts of energy, relying solely on hunting Vicious Beasts and magical creatures would be very troublesome, as he wouldn't know how much he'd have to eat at once to accumulate enough.
This unexpected discovery now showed him his best source of energy.