Several days later.
The mine beneath Gem Peak had been expanded, spacious enough even for Saga's current size, and the deepest part had been fashioned into a nest-like structure favored by Dragon Kind.
Glistening gems adorned the walls of the nest.
Their bright, gentle light dispelled the surrounding darkness, making the Dragon's Nest appear crystalline and luminous. At the bottom of the nest lay all of Saga's collected gold and silver coins, along with high-quality yellow crystals plucked from the Yellow Crystal Earth Dragon, and some precious magical materials, such as the hardest bone fragments from elite Giant Crocturtles.
Saga lay on his back atop a bed of coins.
Compared to his current size, the bed seemed a bit small, leaving the tips of his limbs exposed on the nest floor, which was simply lined with ordinary metal.
"This slumber has awakened some spell-like abilities in me, belonging to both the Red Dragon and the Golden Dragon."
"The awakening of my spell-like abilities seems rather early."
Saga's tail swept over the precious metal coins, making a rustling sound as he pondered inwardly.
Normally, a True Dragon wouldn't awaken spell-like abilities until the adolescent years, around fifteen, without actively studying magic or psychic knowledge. Yet Saga, just stepping into the Young Dragon stage, had already awakened numerous spell-like abilities.
Object Locating Spell.
Suggestion Spell.
Ignition Spell.
Fire Whip Spell.
Flame Shield.
Sleep Spell.
Blessing Spell.
Domination Spell.
Some of these spell-like abilities were unique to the Red Dragon, others to the Golden Dragon, but Saga possessed them all.
"However, none of the basic force skills related to my essence have awakened naturally."
"The awakening of spell-like abilities is also tied to heritage, and my Outsider ability is unprecedented among Dragon Kind. So, I can't rely solely on slumber and heritage to awaken them."
"I need to research on my own to gradually deepen my understanding of the basic forces, to grasp the essence and acquire the corresponding skills."
"If I have descendants who can inherit my abilities, perhaps they won't have to toil as I did, awakening abilities simply through heritage. But there's a difference between skills obtained through heritage and those researched independently."
"However, the Outsider bloodline is hard to pass down. Most likely, my offspring will be Red or Golden Dragons, but it's not certain. After all, it's a matter yet to occur, and anything is possible."
Saga exhaled silently, lost in thought.
With his eyes slightly closed, he meditated for a while in the gem mine Dragon's Nest. Then, turning over, he reopened his eyes and began to explore his abilities, experimenting with some hypotheses.
Looking down at the layer of precious metal coins beneath him.
Saga swept his tail thoughtfully, then deftly picked up a gold coin with his dragon claw.
Held between two talons, he brought the small coin close to his eyes.
With a serious expression and focused gaze, Saga examined the coin. Releasing his grip, the coin, which should have fallen to the ground under normal circumstances, hovered in the bright space of the Dragon's Nest. It was as if the metal coin had become a feather, descending slowly towards the ground.
Saga concentrated, his tail sweeping back and forth.
Invisible gravitational arcs, under his precise control, converged delicately upon the coin.
Its descent slowed further until, just millimeters above the ground, it stopped falling altogether and then began to rise.
Under Saga's watchful eyes, the coin leisurely ascended and floated upwards.
Soon, it adhered to the ceiling of the Dragon's Nest, as if up and down had reversed, and it had fallen to the 'dome'.
"My control over Power Essence has become finer and more mature."
A pleased look crossed Saga's face as the coin fell again, landing on an upright talon before nimbly spinning and jumping at his fingertips, occasionally sparking with electricity.
"As for Electromagnetic Force, I can control more of it now, making it simpler to replace or mix it with psychic energy to perform psychic abilities."
"The limit of my gravity field has nearly reached six times stronger."
"As for the weak gravity field, opposite to the gravity field, it can now evolve into an anti-gravity field. It just lacks proficiency for combat use, and I need to practice more."
Saga was now capable of creating an anti-gravity field.
However, this required his utmost concentration and was not yet something he could use with ease.
Saga narrowed his eyes and exhaled a hot breath.
Ting. The coin dancing on his fingertip fell, clinking melodiously against the other coins below. Following the sound, with Saga at the center, the surrounding coins, gold and silver alike, yellow crystals, and even the smallest dust particles, silently levitated.
With eyes half-closed, Saga focused intently.
It wasn't just the use of an anti-gravity field; through meticulous calculations, he manipulated numerous gravitational arcs, causing the force field effects to fluctuate constantly. The surrounding objects began to rotate around him.
They orbited Saga as if stars drawn to a black hole.
This scene deep within the Dragon's Nest was strange and beautiful.
Unfortunately, after just a few seconds, the spectacle collapsed due to a misstep by Saga, causing coins to collide and trigger a chain reaction. They began to hit each other, and the fluctuations in the force field arcs exceeded Saga's control. Eventually, the objects whirling around his body all fell with a clatter.
His previously taut tail relaxed.
Saga opened his eyes, his golden dragon pupils devoid of discouragement.
"Such delicate control can sometimes be more challenging to master than the grand gestures of intense combat."
The strength of power is important, but so is the precision in controlling and harnessing one's own power. Saga did not want to be someone with great strength but poor finesse.
As Saga delved into his research, time quietly slipped by.
Until midnight.
A golden dragon shadow stretched its wings and soared into the sky, then landed atop the towering Gem Peak. There, he enjoyed the cool night breeze, listened to the ceaseless rolling waves, bathed in the moon's pure light, and gazed up at the boundless night sky and ocean.
"A year has passed. Should I visit Thorn Isle?"
Saga wondered.
Curious about things he didn't understand, Saga was eager to know the relationship between his dragon mother and the Dragon of Eternity and Time, a mysterious and powerful Dragon God. Why would such a being personally intervene for his mother? It seemed unlikely there was no connection, and Saga was puzzled by The Red Dragoness's sudden surge in strength, allowing her to single-handedly invade a human kingdom, slay legendary warriors, destroy vast territories, and leave triumphantly. All of this baffled him.
Besides resolving his own doubts.
Saga also wanted to establish a connection with The Red Dragoness, to cling to the coattails of the now 'Hell Queen'.
"Oh, and my clever and beautiful Iyeona, my supple and boneless serpent woman."
Saga suddenly missed the carefree, domineering life on Thorn Isle.
But it was just a fleeting nostalgia, not longing, for now he was unbound, with his own territory, his own kin, and even a gem mine. Life was good.
To dwell too much on the past would be like marking the boat to find a lost sword in the river of time.
"Hmm, I just wonder if The Red Dragoness's power level is now close to that of the Golden Dragonfather."
"But I'll know once I go see for myself."
Saga decided to make a trip back to Thorn Isle.
Yiyiyi. At that moment, a group of wind slimes floated by like balloons, inadvertently drawing near to Saga.
Saga's gaze sharpened as he summoned his magic power.
Magic Power, psychic energy, Power Essence—Saga had these three distinct energies within him. Of these, he used magic power the least, as he hadn't delved deeply into studying magic. After all, a Mind Warlock is also a Caster, and using psychic abilities through psychic energy is more practical than conventional spells.
Spell-like ability, Domination Spell!
A captivating light shone in Saga's eyes.
At the same time, the wind slimes trembled and their wobbly forms stiffened, then, like marionettes, they arranged themselves into S and D shapes at Saga's will.
After a small application of his newly awakened spell-like ability and seeing the satisfactory result, Saga nodded in approval.
These inherited spell-like abilities required no casting process, no incantation, like a Warlock's spells.
The downside was that Saga had no clue about the principles behind these spells. It was like using a skill in a game, pressing a button in his bloodline to use it directly, without much room for flexibility.
"The path of magic leads directly to the mysteries of the world. Perhaps I could dabble in it too, as my essence is akin to the cornerstone of the multiverse. Studying magic would surely be beneficial."
Saga mused.
This new pursuit did not conflict with his current path as a Mind Warlock. With enough time and energy, he could choose to study multiple systems of power at his discretion.
As for the shortcomings of biting off more than one can chew or being a jack of all trades but master of none, those are concerns for short-lived species with insufficient time.
Many sapient beings with brief lifespans tend to specialize in a single system or path, compelled by their fleeting lives to go further. As a long-lived Dragon Kind, Saga had no such worries.
Take the Gemstone Dragons, for instance.
Many older Gemstone Dragons are experts in both mind and spell, studying both magic and psychic energy.
Other Dragon Kind, once they reach a certain age, also tend not to be satisfied with power from just one system. Instead, they choose to dabble in multiple systems to broaden their arsenal and become stronger.
However, individuals among Dragon Kind who are willing to take the initiative to learn on their own, rather than relying solely on heritage, are few and far between. If all dragons were like Saga, the collective strength of Dragon Kind would increase by at least two or three levels.
After testing his newly awakened spell-like abilities and exploring the psychic abilities he had inherited, Saga focused his mind and informed his kin through telepathic command that he would be away for a while.
With a flap of his wings, the golden dragon shadow, with a wingspan of over twenty meters, took to the night sky.
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas