"Little Saga, do I sense the power of psychic energy within you? Have you embarked on the path of a Mind Warlock?" the Red Dragoness squinted her eyes, her massive body partially submerged in the lava pool as she spoke to Saga.
Saga nodded and replied, "I'm quite interested in the power of the mind, and I've made rapid progress on this path."
Across from him, the Red Dragoness smiled slightly and said, "Indeed, with your personality, it's impossible for your development as a Mind Warlock to be slow. It's a fine power system."
"However, dragons as young as you who actively seek transcendent powers beyond their own are few and far between. Even I didn't start studying magic subjectively until I was an adult."
Her words carried a tone of praise.
Saga lifted his chin and said, "After all, I aim to catch up with and even surpass you, Mother. With such a goal, I can't afford not to work hard."
His words also carried a sense of praise.
The Red Dragoness showed a pleased expression, communicating with her long-unseen younger son. Saga's arrival had put her in a good mood.
After a while, as she listened to Saga's plans for the future and his development strategy through the Grayrock Archipelago towards the Yar Continent, the Red Dragoness's gaze suddenly sharpened, and she looked up.
It was as if her vision pierced through the palace walls to the space outside.
Saga, puzzled, looked in the same direction, but all he saw was the grandeur of the palace walls. Just as he was about to use Force Field perception, the Red Dragoness turned her head back and withdrew her gaze.
"Little Saga, don't you want to know who is stronger now, your father or I?"
"You can witness it with your own eyes and judge for yourself."
Eh?
Saga was momentarily stunned, then realized whose arrival had caused the Red Dragoness to react.
Whoosh!
Black and crimson flames rose, enveloping the Red Dragoness's body and also wrapping around the little Golden Dragon. Then, with an inward contraction, they vanished from the vast palace interior in an instant.
The next moment, outside the palace, atop Yakan Volcano.
A grand inferno bloomed like a flower, revealing the figures of the Red Dragoness and Saga.
Saga looked up, gazing into the distance.
Hum!
A golden light rippled through the air like water, forming the shape of a massive golden gate. Then, the robust and majestic Golden Dragonfather stepped out from it.
The golden gate did not close.
After the Golden Dragonfather emerged, to Saga's astonishment, a 'Red Dragon' about ten meters in length followed, distinct from ordinary Red Dragons. Her fiery red scales were interwoven with strands of golden thread, creating an intricate and unusual pattern. It was Yekaterina, who had been away for some time.
"Yekaterina. Her size is nearly the same as mine. My foolish sister has also grown quickly."
The little Golden Dragon and the little Red Dragon locked gazes across thousands of kilometers.
"Saga, my foolish brother, we meet again," Yekaterina said, lifting her head with the same haughty tone as before, slightly raised.
"Dear sister, you've become even more beautiful and seem stronger too," Saga said with a grin.
She called him foolish, but Saga didn't mind; he would be truly foolish to get angry over it.
Instead, Saga complimented Yekaterina, which made her feel as if her provocation had hit thin air, and she even regretted her subconscious challenge.
Her regret lasted only a second.
Yekaterina snorted lightly, still holding her head high like a proud swan.
"Yekaterina, go on, catch up with your brother and mother," the Golden Dragonfather whispered.
As he spoke, Yekaterina was already flapping her wings, flying towards the peak of Yakan Volcano like a bright flame.
Upon reaching the summit of Yakan Volcano and briefly taking in the unfamiliar scenery, Yekaterina turned her gaze to the Red Dragoness and said, "Good day, Mother."
The Red Dragoness nodded slightly.
After a pause, she asked, "Yekaterina, how is your stay in the Deep Sea Dragon City?"
Yekaterina lifted her head, her tail swishing as she replied, "I've beaten all the Hatchling Dragons in the Deep Sea Dragon City, earning the title of Hatchling Champion."
Her tone carried a hint of anticipation.
Under her eldest daughter's expectant gaze, the Red Dragoness hesitated for a few seconds, then said, "You've done well, Yekaterina. Keep it up and continue to show the young Metal Dragons of the Deep Sea Dragon City the prowess of the Red Dragon's daughter."
Yekaterina was momentarily stunned, then visibly brightened with joy.
The rare approval from the Red Dragoness delighted the little Dragoness.
At the same time, Yekaterina proudly raised an eyebrow at Saga, as if to say, "Look at my achievements, and what about you? My foolish brother, envy me!"
Saga smacked his lips.
Just a compliment and her tail nearly reaches the sky; if I, who am often praised by the Red Dragoness, should take it to heart, wouldn't I fly right off Saiga Planet?
After exchanging a few words with Yekaterina, the Red Dragoness shifted her gaze to the massive Golden Dragon hovering in the distance, then with a flap of her dragon wings, stirring up a fierce wind and sparks, she approached.
"What are you doing here?" the Red Dragoness asked with an icy voice.
The Golden Dragonfather sniffed lightly, frowning slightly at the demonic scent on the Red Dragoness, and said, "I heard you were in danger and came over with Yekaterina out of concern."
He paused, then added gravely, "You ignored my advice and insisted on keeping the remains of the hellish overlord, to draw evil power from it, didn't you? It seems you've succeeded, but it nearly cost you your life."
The Red Dragoness snorted and retorted, "Don't speak to me in such a scolding tone."
"I know exactly what I want, and even if it leads to my death, I won't have a single regret. Given the chance, I would still choose the pursuit of power."
The Golden Dragonfather fell silent for a moment, then said, "Renata, I'm worried about you; you're on a path of no return."
"There's a hellish overlord within you. How long can you keep it sealed?"
After a pause, he earnestly continued, "Come with me to the Deep Sea Dragon City. I can have the ancient dragons of the Metal Dragon Kind join forces to extract the hellish overlord from you."
The Red Dragoness's gaze sharpened, her pupils turning vertical.
"Nagaias, it seems you don't understand that what you consider kindness, I see as malice."
The Golden Dragonfather sighed, "I understand, but I had to try, right? You're too obsessed with power, and it will be your undoing. Like this time, if not for the mysterious intervention of the Dragon of Eternity and Time, you…"
The Red Dragoness suddenly asked, "If I had died in the attack by the Mechanar Empire, what would you have done?"
The Golden Dragonfather's majestic face grew somber.
"The Metal Dragon Kind of the Deep Sea Dragon City wouldn't wage war over a Chromatic Dragon."
He paused, his voice deepening, "As for me… I would cast aside all concerns, unleashing a tempest upon the Mechanar Empire to show them the wrath of a demi-god dragon capable of drowning both sky and earth."
The Red Dragoness tilted her head, asking, "Aren't you afraid of dying at the hands of the Mechanar Empire, triggering a war between the Metal Dragon Kind and the empire, reigniting the flames of war on this planet?"
The Golden Dragonfather replied calmly, "If what I care about no longer exists, then the principles I follow, the justice I uphold, and the peace I maintain also lose their purpose."
Hearing the Golden Dragonfather's response, the Red Dragoness's expression softened, but she remained unsparing with her words, "You talk big, but you alone against the Mechanar Empire would likely end up captured, a prisoner at their feet."
"Take care of yourself and the sea creatures you care about. My affairs are none of your concern."
The Golden Dragonfather smiled slightly, his large head suddenly moving closer, and to the Red Dragoness's astonishment, he licked her faceplate with his tongue, then said, "Really? Then why do I taste a flavor called joy?"
The Red Dragoness, furious and embarrassed, swung a claw at him, but the Golden Dragonfather dodged in time.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Black and crimson hellfire surged as the Red Dragoness, seemingly serious, unleashed a formidable presence befitting the Hell Queen.
"Just right, I want to know what level of power you've obtained from the hellish overlord that's worth such risk. Renata, come, show me your strength now," the Golden Dragonfather remained unafraid.
Golden light spread, forming the golden gate once more.
The Red Dragoness and the Golden Dragonfather entered it, leaving the area and vanishing from Saga and Yekaterina's sight.
At that moment, atop Yakan Volcano, Saga and Yekaterina withdrew their gazes from their parents and the little Golden Dragon and little Red Dragon looked at each other, their eyes reflecting the grown features and physiques of one another.
"My foolish brother, life under Mother's protection must be nice," the little Dragoness said, lifting her chin. "I'm curious, having lived on Thorn Isle all this time, do you have any experiences worth mentioning? My life in the Deep Sea Dragon City has been quite rich."
"Let me think, you surely haven't just been eating and sleeping through your Hatchling stage, have you?"
Yekaterina was unaware that not long after she left for the Deep Sea Dragon City, Saga had also left Thorn Isle.
Saga didn't answer Yekaterina's question. Instead, he licked his tongue and asked, "Yekaterina, what is this Hatchling Champion you mentioned?"
Hearing this, Yekaterina stretched her neck long, lifting her head even higher, almost looking down at Saga through her nostrils, then proudly declared, "I, the Dragon Empress, defeated all other Hatchling Dragons in an official battle of True Dragons in their Hatchling stage, earning the title of Hatchling Champion, a title recognized by all creatures in the Deep Sea Dragon City."
Saga extended his dragon claw and gave a thumbs up.
"That's amazing, truly worthy of you."
Taking a few steps closer, Saga stared into the little Dragoness's eyes and praised, "Your eyes are still as beautiful and deep as rubies."
Yekaterina, unable to maintain her tough demeanor, instinctively stepped back, her mind dizzy with praise.
For some reason, while in the Deep Sea Dragon City, she had heard plenty of compliments but felt nothing inside. Only praise from the Red Dragoness and Saga could elicit such a response from Yekaterina.
Seeing that her nature hadn't changed and she was still easily manipulated by the same tactics, Saga nodded in satisfaction.
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas