In the empty Fortress, the dome seemed infinitely high and distant.
Upon the massive throne high in the far distance, a youth whose true face seemed forever unclear sat calmly, bowing his head in contemplation.
It was rumored that the Emperor of the Golden Empire, Kalon Kogmora, this King of True Dragons, Emperor of Dragonkind, rarely deigned to reveal his humanoid form in public, due to his excessively handsome appearance and the innate arrogance of a True Dragon.
Only within the Dragon Court, or perhaps the Empire's National Library or the Dragon clans National Academy—these sacred places—would this True Dragon King, whose visage could make even celestial angels pale in comparison, maintain the amiable countenance of his human form.
Of course, the shaper of this rumor did not understand that the Red Dragon's humanoid form appearing in his private laboratory was hardly a display of amiability.
Now, small areas within the Abyss and the Nine Hells had begun circulating portraits of the Red Dragon's humanoid form and the coordinates once used for summoning from the Material Plane.
And the rumors warned all Demons and Devils not to casually respond to summons from the Material Plane recently, lest they go and never return.
This also led to the current situation where, whether it was Kalon himself or the spellcaster teams under his command, whenever they wanted to summon creatures from other planes, they always had to heavily obscure and reroute the true coordinates of their own plane.
However, due to this situation, some 'Hacker' mages began to emerge within the Empire, exceptionally skilled in such operations.
But even the True Dragons who had some understanding of Kalon's abilities would not know that Kalon's reluctance was not due to the disdain most Red Dragons held for transforming into weak bipedal creatures; in Kalon's heart, any form was himself.
Nor was it because his overly handsome appearance was ill-suited for an Empire's Emperor.
Rather, it was because Kalon discovered that his Visage Avatar was gradually evolving. When his human visage appeared, his humanity would occupy the vast majority, and his way of thinking would also lean more towards a human perspective.
Simultaneously, he also sensed that his Visage Avatars, after taking shape one after another, were beginning to gestate abilities unique to each Visage Avatar under the entanglement of Faith Power and his own Mind Power.
Although the abilities had not yet fully gestated, not even a seed, Kalon had some guesses about the abilities of his Visage Avatars. Perhaps, similar to how the abilities and Divine Offices of Gods who ascended through faith were related, the abilities of his various Visage Avatars also stemmed from their unique visage origins.
These thoughts flashed through Kalon's mind. He still sat upon the throne, gazing at the silent hall of the Court. This was one of his rare moments of solitude now.
With the Empire's recent establishment, the Dragon Emperor, no matter how proficient he was at shirking responsibilities, had become mired in heavy administrative affairs. Decrees awaited his signature, documents awaited his review, and important members awaited his audience.
The endless busywork seemed to have no end in sight. It was only now that Kalon truly understood how awful it felt, as Dos often complained to him during stolen lazy moments in the Court, that even a race like True Dragon s with excellent sleep quality could still be startled awake by nightmares.
And it wasn't just the Empire's affairs; Kalon's own plans could not be delayed for too long either.
Currently, Kalon's biggest problem was not how to grow to a higher level. On the contrary, he needed to pay special attention to his own growth and not let himself develop wildly without purpose.
If he woke up one day to find he had crossed the Legendary threshold, that would be a huge joke, missing the best opportunity to solidify his foundation.
Fortunately, dragonkind was different from weak races like humans. Even if Kalon's life tier hadn't crossed the Legendary stage, his pure power could still increase until it reached a certain difficult-to-cross boundary, just unable to trigger certain qualitative changes.
However, now the busy affairs had finally come to a temporary end. The Court became empty, utterly quiet, with only the occasional tolling of bells echoing within, like the final notes after the music ends and the crowd disperses.
The Head Maid Charlize, standing quietly in attendance nearby, used the corner of her eye to steal a glance at her sovereign, who had his eyes slightly closed, head bowed in thought. The contours carved like jade and forged of steel, and the peerless bone structure and flesh in Charlize's eyes, paled in comparison to the slight furrow between Kalon's brows.
"Ruling the Empire is one of the pillars of the master's strength, but it is also the shackle that binds him to the throne," Charlize thought. "True Dragons are born with wings meant to soar the skies; True Dragons are born not to be trapped upon a throne."
Master and servant remained silent like this until noon arrived. The maids in the castle rang the bells and began bustling between the corridors and the castle, while the Halfling chefs started preparing the Emperor's lunch.
It was the designated lunch and rest time.
As long-lived dragonkind, they had never held a precise concept of time. Even Kalon, after living for nearly the first half of a mortal's lifespan, had gradually blurred his sense of time.
These True Dragons were accustomed to arranging their activities based on their own preferences and whims, free and unfettered, never considering time.
In the eyes of dragonkind, emphasizing timekeeping was a base notion, a practice forced upon Short-lived Races with fleeting lifespans.
But ever since his territory was established, Kalon had taken the lead in learning from humans and other Short-lived Races, following the rules of time, abandoning the nearly non-existent time sense of dragonkind.
Such detrimental habits were also one of the reasons why the True Dragon race was gradually withdrawing from the world's stage. True Dragons were like the heritage they possessed—ancient and inflexible.
Those mages, through generations of improvement and progress, even the most basic spell, Mage Hand, had countless versions with different emphases and capabilities.
Not to mention other magics. For instance, spellcasters of the Evocation School had changed the research and casting models for a single Fireball Spell at least hundreds of times.
Yet, within the True Dragon heritage, that knowledge had only seen minor additions, with not the slightest alteration.
In this era where numerous races rose and prospered, if True Dragons and their heritage could not keep up with the evolution and development of other races, then being pushed into a corner, or even ground to dust, would be no surprise at all.
After the initial painful adaptation and under the overly large fists of the Ancestor Red Dragon, almost all the True Dragons in this Dragon clan had now grown accustomed to following the rules of time, establishing a normal sense of time.
Undoubtedly, exerting formidable adaptability was the True Dragon's most powerful survival law.
After the maidservants attended to their master finishing his custom-made lunch and presented the usual rare dessert, Kalon finally descended from the throne and headed towards the Reception Hall. The next target was not suitable for being too formal, nor for being too negligent.
When the fourth chime of the afternoon bell sounded, a middle-aged man, dressed in a noble's exquisite robe resembling an Open-front Overcoat popular in the southern Rose City of the Northern Continent, with a Magical Dragon Crown Emblem pinned to his chest, slowly stepped into the magnificent castle.
A maidservant of the Court gave a slight bow. "Mr. Hollister, please follow me. The master awaits your arrival."
Bronze Dragon Hollister, in his humanoid form, was a tall, slender middle-aged man with a somewhat sallow face, prominent features, deep-set eyes, and distinctly inhuman vertical pupils.
He nodded politely to the maidservant, a gesture that seemed more like a natural habit. His eyes inadvertently appraised the maid's attire—a habit stemming from this Bronze Dragon's hobby, as he was fond of fashionable and splendid clothing.
The maidservant led the pre-scheduled guest through the deep, vast corridors to the front of the Golden Empire Emperor's exclusive Reception Hall.
Before that broad and heavy door, painted with crimson lines depicting flames and lava, Hollisterpaused for a moment. Then, he revealed his True Dragon form and strode proudly into the Reception Hall.
Kalon was reclining beside the warm fireplace, his feet on a luxurious long rug, reading the intelligence report about this visitor. One report came from the intelligence network Kalon had established long ago—the Dark Raven Eye.
The other report came from the male Bronze Dragon, Gros.
The Bronze Dragon Gros did not wish to confront the Red Dragon alone for the time being, which was understandable. However, his actual behavior also revealed this Bronze Dragon's attitude.
Kalon felt that he himself was not some Demon who enjoyed toying with True Dragon s' hearts, yet he still felt a certain satisfaction that his subtle influence could produce positive effects.
Only when Kalon heard the slight footsteps deliberately made by the Bronze Dragon did he lift his head from his thoughts.
The Dragon Emperor's Reception Hall was spacious enough that even a mature Bronze Dragoncould move about freely within it.
However, this mature Bronze Dragon, like others of his kind, was not considered particularly attractive among True Dragons. He had a short, thick neck and short, rib-like wings resembling those of a bat, stretching from his shoulder blades all the way to nearly the tip of his tail.
Moreover, compared to the vividly and distinctly colored scales of the Chromatic Dragons, this Bronze Dragon's scales were overly dull.
His lean, elongated body, along with the distinctive, wide axe-blade-like horn crown unique to his True Dragon type, the sharp horns on his chin, and eyes resembling balls of molten metal, all marked this Bronze Dragon as being in his mature years.
Seeing this, Kalon was slightly taken aback. He had chosen to take on a humanoid form out of respect for the habits of this Bronze Dragon, who was accustomed to living within human civilization.
Furthermore, in this humanoid form, both parties would not immediately face the direct barriers and differences between Metal Dragons and Chromatic Dragons.
But this Bronze Dragon evidently shared a similar thought, as he had actively assumed his True Dragon form.
Thus, Kalon also revealed his own True Dragon form. However, compared to his humanoid avatar, this form was more akin to borrowing the abilities of his true self and returning to his origin.
"Hollister Blacken."
"Welcome, my distant kin of different scales," Kalon said, looking at the Bronze Dragon who had stepped into the hall.
"By the way, the attire you are wearing is truly excellent. You have great taste."
At that moment, the Bronze Dragon Hollister's meticulously serious expression showed a hint of pleasure. He bowed his head in greeting and said, "Leader of the kogmora Dragon clan, shaper of wasteland civilization, Emperor of the Empire, ruler of the Golden Land's wastelands, forests, and seas, the noble Flame Sovereign, His Majesty Kalon Kogmora, I offer you my respects and convey the friendly goodwill of my kin on their behalf."
Faced with such formal etiquette, Kalon had no choice but to stand up and face the Bronze Dragon Hollister: "I am pleased that this meeting provides an opportunity for us to understand each other better. Although the Good Dragon Alliance is located far in the southern continent, your reputation has spread throughout the world."
"I have heard that not only Metal Dragons but also many gem dragons have joined the Good Dragon Alliance. It is truly admirable."
The Bronze Dragon Hollister's eyes were a very dull color, yet his gaze was extremely profound. He stared at the Ancestral Red Dragon's dark golden pupils for a long time before finally speaking.
"Initially, when the Dragon Crown Council dispatched me here to investigate, I was actually very reluctant to leave my lair. You must understand, in my impression, this was still a barbaric land, filled with ignorant and foolish beasts on the ground. Moreover, it was territory ruled by a group of Chromatic Dragons. What's even more dreadful for a True Dragon is that this Chromatic Dragon clan is led by a Red Dragon."
The Bronze Dragon Hollister looked at the Ancestral Red Dragon's calm expression and then explained: "Of course, the natural aversion Metal Dragons have for Chromatic Dragons is not a very correct viewpoint. At least, in the presence of the Chromatic Dragons you lead, it is not a correct viewpoint."
"It's just that I didn't expect this place to be surprisingly good, far beyond my expectations. Although there are still many problems, at least it is a place where a True Dragon can enjoy staying. Moreover, you are a leader with exceptional vision, capable of appreciating my noble aesthetic sense."
Hollister casually picked up a piece of rare metal with his claws, tossed it into his mouth, then smacked his lips and complained with dissatisfaction: "However, most people do not understand. My forward-thinking, fashionably designed attire is often not accepted by those conservative nobles and people."
"They don't know that the vast accumulation of design concepts I possess was formed from my adolescence by capturing—oh, I mean, seeking advice from adventurers from various places and visitors from different planes. They simply don't understand my ideas, too constrained by their own narrow knowledge."
The Bronze Dragon race, although relatively easy to get along with among Metal Dragons and lacking the arrogance Gold Dragons have towards other races, possesses an extremely serious flaw, or rather, a notorious characteristic.
That is their incessant chatter, much of which is simply irrelevant nonsense unrelated to any purpose.
Most Bronze Dragons have good tempers and can tolerate jokes from other races, but they absolutely cannot tolerate others interrupting their speech.
A young Bronze Dragon, even with limited experience, can talk for an entire day with a pile of repetitive nonsense, let alone a mature Bronze Dragon who has lived countless years and experienced things beyond the imagination of mortal races.
Moreover, although Bronze Dragons are among the weaker categories of True Dragons, their ancient age grants them profound strength. A mature Bronze Dragon is not far behind an adult Gold Dragon in power.
Fortunately, Kalon had long been prepared for this situation. He had left his humanoid avatar—his most patient aspect—to face the Bronze Dragon's loquacity, thus enabling him to quietly filter out some useful information from the Bronze Dragon's incessant chatter.
Hollister was the inspector dispatched by the Good Dragon Alliance to the Northern Frontier to oversee the entire region. Although the Good Dragon Alliance's control over its organization is not as strict as that of a nation or a lord, and most matters can be handled by Hollister himself based on his judgment.
However, the Kogmora Dragon Clan has successively achieved victories in the war against the Orc Kingdom and has defeated and detained several Metal Dragons, especially the Ancestral Gold Dragon Obirash.
This matter has drawn special attention from some members of the Dragon Crown Council. Therefore, even the Bronze Dragon Hollister must personally come and attempt to negotiate with the Ancestral Red Dragon regarding the release of several Metal Dragons.
Furthermore, in the future, it is highly likely that due to orders from the Good Dragon Alliance, the Bronze Dragon Hollister will be stationed long-term within the territory of the Golden Empire.
Although nominally maintaining contact with the Kogmora Dragon Clan, in reality, he will be overseeing the future movements of the entire Empire.
Additionally, although the Bronze Dragon Hollister chatters incessantly and spouts endless nonsense, his topics still intentionally or unintentionally probe into the true purpose behind Kalon's establishment of the Pantheon of Ten Thousand Dragons.
In the view of the Bronze Dragon Hollister, although those Dragon Gods also enshrined within the Pantheon of Ten Thousand Dragons nominally belong to the same Dragon Pantheon, these Dragon Gods themselves do not hold this concept.
Not to mention Bahamut and Tiamat, who were enemies and ignited the Dragon Holy War in ancient times; other True Dragon Gods also have their own alignments and purposes.
It is hard to imagine how such a hodgepodge could coexist peacefully within the Pantheon of Ten Thousand Dragons.
Finally, there is the nature of the Bronze Dragon. Hollister wants some benefits, because he has heard of and witnessed the prosperity of the Dragon Empire. This is the inherent nature of True Dragons, unchangeable.