Time flies, and the stars shift.
Eight years of time whistled past in the monsoon of the Serel Wilderness; the trade routes were repeatedly washed away by the rainy season and cracked under the scorching sun, and The Borderlands were also invaded several times by cold waves from the south, with frost plowing through the land like a sharp blade, making the frozen soil of The Borderlands a bit firmer.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Lothern in the south was undergoing a major upheaval, with undercurrents surging.
As the core of the Southern Kingdoms Federation, the court of the Kingdom of Lothern was resplendent; gilded vine patterns were wrapped around marble pillars, and crystal chandeliers refracted the luster of gemstones.
And in this luxurious palace, the Young Dragon Gorton enjoyed a life far more opulent than that of ordinary royals and nobles.
First of all, he was the princess's playmate, and he was also a top-tier Demonic Beast, a powerful Dragon, and his personality was not as fierce and savage as other Evil Dragons, making him very popular in the court.
Some nobles vied to invite Gorton to banquets, considering it an honor to share a table with him.
When the Kingdom of Lothern held regular Demonic Beast gladiator matches, Gorton often attended as a special guest, occasionally even entering the arena himself to "instruct" the contestants, presenting a wonderful match and enjoying the cheers and applause of countless people.
At this very moment.
Gorton had just finished his Dragon Sleep of the juvenile stage and woke up from his comfortable bed.
Gorton's bed was not the traditional pile of treasure in a Dragon nest, but a giant dragon bed carved by elven craftsmen from millennium-old wood, filled with velvet and magic feathers to ensure a comfortable sleep.
Moreover, his entire bedchamber, including his own dragon body, was cleaned by dedicated personnel every day.
So much so that even after several years of slumber, his body remained spotless.
In addition, the long Dragon Sleep allowed Gorton to digest those accumulated fat energies, his body returning to the normal appearance of an Iron Dragon, and his size was several times larger than an average Young Dragon.
His growth environment was simply too good.
Gorton stretched his body, and the scales on his body collided with each other, making a crisp sound.
Then he looked down.
Oh, heavens, he could finally see his hind legs, instead of his entire field of vision being filled by his belly.
"I swear on my Dragon honor that I will control my appetite from now on, go on a diet, and become a majestic Iron Dragon, not a fat Dragon."
Gorton thought firmly.
Rumble, rumble.
His stomach suddenly let out a thunderous sound.
Gorton's dragon face wrinkled, and his empty belly made him feel uncomfortable.
"I need nutrition and energy after just waking up, and I'm not fat right now; it's not time to diet yet, let's eat first."
The Iron Dragon used his tail to pick up a small, exquisite bell and shook it gently.
The clear sound rippled outward.
Soon after, attendants pushed carts filled with various foods into the Iron Dragon Gordon's exclusive bedchamber.
Laid out before Gorton were main courses such as whole roasted cow, cheese-melted beast steaks, and giant deep-sea squid tentacles.
There were also honey crystal towers, frost berry jelly, and volcanic magma wine (a mixture of lava essence and dwarven spirits), among other desserts and drinks.
Among them, the frost berry jelly transported from the northern ice fields had been cast with a preservation Spell to ensure that every bite was as fresh as if it had just been made.
After the first bite of the delicacy went down, Gorton couldn't control his appetite.
Having been hungry for so long, he ate voraciously, sweeping through the food like a whirlwind, and only stopped eating when his belly was stretched round and seemed about to burst, though he was still not quite satisfied.
"Where is my favorite Moonlight Dew?"
Gorton beckoned to an attendant and said: "Bring me a barrel of Moonlight Dew."
Moonlight Dew was a magical nectar brewed by elves using a special process; it was expensive and known as liquid gold, containing rich energy, and most importantly, it tasted extremely wonderful, making it Gorton's favorite drink.
Before the attendant could reply, the bedchamber door was pushed open again.
Princess Elena, wearing a crystal hairpin in her hair and a beautiful gauze dress, walked in.
"You're awake."
She said.
Gorton had been asleep for nearly seven years.
Compared to seven years ago, Princess Elena's appearance had not changed significantly; her face was still flawless, her skin as delicate as milk, without a single wrinkle, and her voice was still as light and clear as a lark.
However.
Her eyes, her expression, her demeanor.
Had gained a bit of maturity and sorrow, unlike the innocence of her youth.
"Elena, look at me now, I've become mighty and fierce again, look at my scales, my claws, and my tail."
The Iron Dragon said excitedly.
He was slow to react and did not notice the change in the princess.
Looking at the Iron Dragon, who was sticking out his round belly and striking different poses to show himself off, Elena chuckled, like a blooming flower, as if she had returned to the carefree days of the past.
She sat beside the Iron Dragon and snuggled against him.
The Iron Dragon kept his dragon scales tightly shut to prevent the sharp edges from cutting Elena, while simultaneously curling his dragon tail to gently wrap around Elena's waist, subconsciously tightening it slightly.
In the actions of Dragonkin, this represented possession.
At some point, the Iron Dragon's thoughts about Elena had changed; from the initial playmate, it had gradually developed into a kind of possessiveness he couldn't quite explain.
"I want to drink Moonlight Dew."
The Iron Dragon's appetite was greater than other desires, and he kept thinking about the Moonlight Dew.
He had assumed that as soon as he spoke, he would get the Moonlight Dew, but to his surprise, Elena revealed a troubled expression: "Sorry, Gorton, Moonlight Dew is too expensive, and I can't afford it now."
The Iron Dragon was slightly stunned.
Expensive? In his impression, such a word shouldn't exist in Elena's dictionary.
Opposite him, Elena explained softly: "The royal family is now taking the lead in cutting expenses, and even princesses and princes like us are no exception; our monthly supplies are gradually decreasing."
"Cutting expenses? Why?"
The Iron Dragon asked in surprise.
The Kingdom of Lothern was the core of the Federation, enjoying countless tributes and massive resources, and was the most powerful and wealthiest kingdom in the Federation.
The royal family had always been extravagant, and the wealth in their treasury was almost endless.
Cutting expenses?
It made no sense.
Elena sighed, unable to resist the urge to confide.
She lowered her voice and said softly: "Just recently, the Holy King failed a Breakthrough and passed away. Although the royal family sealed the news immediately, the strange phenomena at the time of the Holy King's fall could not be hidden from the eyes and ears of some powerful people, and it will be known to everyone sooner or later."
Gorton's eyes widened, and his heart was shocked.
The Holy King, full name Holy King of Lothern.
He had an even more widely known identity.
He rose eight hundred years ago, led the Kingdom of Lothern to sweep across the Southern Kingdoms, and established the Federation as the Lord of the Federation.
The Holy King of Lothern was stunningly talented, practicing both magic and martial arts (Dual Cultivation), a top Genius among humans, who stepped onto the path of the Legendary at less than thirty years old, and subsequently went further and further on the path of the Legendary.
However, this could not change his essential nature as a short-lived species.
Unless he abandoned his human identity and extended his life through methods such as Undying Life transformation or elemental life transformation, the limit of a human Legendary's lifespan was difficult to exceed one thousand years, and after passing their Peak, they would gradually weaken.
Transforming into other life forms would affect one's way of thinking.
The Holy King of Lothern always maintained his human identity and contemplated how to achieve eternal life while retaining his human identity and mind.
For this reason, he began to seclude himself at the age of five hundred to study the Spell of eternal life, no longer appearing in public, and gradually lived in seclusion behind the scenes.
But all the kingdoms knew the power of the Holy King of Lothern.
Although he had been living in seclusion behind the scenes for hundreds of years, his prestige was still like a sword hanging over their heads, causing the kingdoms not to dare to act rashly, maintaining the superficial peace and prosperity of the Federation.
However.
Supported by the Holy King as the pillar that held up the sky, the towering tree that was the Kingdom of Lothern was gradually decaying.
The current royal family was no longer the glory of the past.
The current king was addicted to pleasure and, even with the resources of the entire nation piled up, failed to step into the Legendary Domain, and was now old and frail; none of the princes and princesses could shoulder important responsibilities, and the talent in the royal Bloodline seemed to dissipate with the passage of time; eight hundred years of peace had made the entire kingdom's mechanism bloated and sluggish, with vested interest groups firmly controlling resource allocation, and true talent lacking channels for advancement.
Now.
With the fall of the Holy King.
The kingdoms were still respectful, but beneath the superficial calm, there were undercurrents lurking that were enough to tear the Federation apart.
The Kingdom of Lothern felt the threat and began to tilt resources toward the military, and even the royal family had cut expenses.
But no one could be sure when the war would come.
When that time comes, the vast Lothern Federation might fall apart.
Elena's narrative was like a key, clicking open Gorton's long-dormant Iron Dragon instincts.
Those details about border friction, fiscal deficits, and noble infighting automatically reorganized in the Iron Dragon's special military mindset, turning into a strategic map with beacon fires rising everywhere.
The light spots refracted by the crystal chandeliers in the royal court turned into the flames of war that were about to ignite in his eyes.
He smelled the coming storm and the taste of a crumbling mansion; the spines on his body stood up slightly, and a cold light like metallic weapons appeared on his scales.
Even a magical Empire that was once powerful could not last forever; the Dragon Clan that once dominated the world had now been reduced to 'Demonic Beasts'. Some glorious names had now been reduced to the dust of history.
Now it was his turn to witness with his own eyes how the giant ship of Lothern would sink.
Prosperity must decline seems to be a certain law that is difficult to violate.
The Kingdom of Lothern had already passed its Peak and was going downhill; perhaps it would soon be dismembered and divided by other kingdoms, and unless another figure like the Holy King descended, this process would be difficult to reverse.
After realizing this, the resplendent court became, in the Iron Dragon's eyes, a prison full of crises.
Instead, it was the Serel Wilderness where he was born.
When the time comes, when the Southern Kingdoms stir up a storm and lose their original order, having no time to care about the wilderness, the Dragonkin residing in the wilderness will instead be able to find peace in the chaos, and at the opportunity of the Federation's internal strife or even disintegration, take the chance to rise.
After thinking carefully.
The Iron Dragon Gordon stretched out his head, bringing his skull close to the human princess.
"Elena."
His vertical pupils contracted into two thin lines, looking at the seemingly calm clouds outside the window, and he said with unprecedented seriousness: "The crown will become a noose, and the ceremonial dress will turn into a burial shroud."
"The current Lothern is like a castle in the air, which may collapse at any time."
His voice paused, and he said solemnly: "Come with me, let's leave the royal court and go to the wilderness."
Note: After unloading till 200 chapters I will switch to uploading 2 chapters daily with Power Stones goals for bonus chapters.