Deep Sea Dragon City, the arena.
Eager to witness the upcoming Hatchling Dragon competition and find some amusement in their monotonous lives, countless powerful True Dragons and sea creatures had already gathered here, creating a cacophony of noise and a lively atmosphere.
The mighty dragons engaged in enthusiastic conversations, each touting their favored contenders and discussing the favorites to win this year's competition.
The competition had not yet officially begun.
In the preparation hall outside the arena, a multitude of Hatchling Dragons of various shapes and sizes had congregated. It was here that Saga and Yekaterina encountered the little Silver Dragon and the Golden Giant Mountain.
"Saga, who's your opponent?" asked the little Silver Dragon, Ilyag, curiously.
"A Copper Dragon named Kezere, a fourteen-year-old elder Hatchling Dragon," Saga replied calmly.
The Hatchling Dragon competition's mechanism was straightforward.
Magic items randomly assigned opponents to each Hatchling Dragon. Only one of the two dragons could advance; the victor continued in the competition, while the loser left the arena. There were no second chances or revival matches.
This seemed somewhat unfair.
For instance, a Hatchling Dragon expected to be the second strongest could be eliminated in the first round if it faced the reigning champion, forced to leave the competition prematurely. Similar incidents had occurred in past competitions, where favorites to win were defeated in their first match.
However.
This brutal and simple competition mechanism had never changed.
Because among all the Hatchling Dragons, only the champion would be remembered. In Deep Sea Dragon City, there were honors such as Hatchling Dragon Champion, but no second place for Hatchling or Hatchling Dragons. Golden Giant Mountain, who had lost to Yekaterina in the final match of the Hatchling competition, received nothing.
The purpose of the competition was to single out a champion who could dominate their age group.
Nothing else mattered.
Through the magic dragon scales given by the dragons hosting the competition, Saga had already learned the basic information about his next opponent: age, species, name.
Beyond that, there was no other information.
"Never heard of it, not a famous Hatchling, not a favorite to win," said Golden Giant Mountain.
Saga grinned and said, "I'm not a favorite to win either, we're pretty evenly matched."
Hearing Saga's words, the little Silver Dragon, Ilyag, seemed to have an idea, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she said:
"Brother Saga, we know you're as strong as Sister Yekaterina, definitely one of the strongest contenders for the Hatchling Dragon Champion. But there aren't many Hatchling Dragons who know your true strength."
The little Silver Dragon said with a smile:
"I think we can make some money off of this."
Saga became interested, guessing how the little Silver Dragon planned to make money.
With events like the Hatchling Dragon competition, betting pools would also start.
Betting on the Hatchling Dragon you favored, if the dragon you bet on won, you could earn a handsome reward, especially when betting on underdogs that were not favored to win. If they pulled off an upset, depending on the odds and the prize pool, one could even strike it rich.
Saga, thoughtful, said:
"In a regular match, I can hold back a bit."
"If I face a favorite to win, and a lot of dragons bet on my opponent, hey, then I'll surprise everyone by defeating them, and I reckon I'll make a fortune."
The guardian dragons of the hunting grounds had seen Saga's strength.
But compared to the entire Deep Sea Dragon City, very few knew of Saga's situation, a mere drop in the ocean, especially among the Hatchling Dragons, most of whom had never seen Saga.
"Oh ho, I might make a fortune," the little Golden Dragon thought excitedly, his tail perking up.
A few little dragons quickly left the preparation hall, placing their bets at the betting area, where they saw many bet-on matches and Hatchling Dragons.
"My odds are ten to one. If ten dragons bet on the match between me and the Copper Dragon, nine of them bet on the Copper Dragon. But the total amount of the prize pool is so small, I can only make a little money."
A fourteen-year-old elder Hatchling Dragon against a six-year-old younger one, the outcome was usually obvious under normal circumstances.
The fact that Saga was the son of the Golden Dragonfather had not been widely publicized. Apart from his initial visit to Dragon Island, where he explored a very small area, he spent most of his time preparing and training for the competition in the Golden Dragonfather's palace. Therefore, very few dragons knew Saga's true identity, and those who did were mostly reclusive old-timers.
As a result, Saga was not well-known.
His opponent, the Copper Dragon, was equally obscure, with only a small number of dragons paying attention and betting on their match. Given such odds and a low prize pool, it was not surprising.
The most popular were still the matches involving the favorite Hatchling Dragons.
The resplendent Golden Dragon, Hyperion, had countless dragons betting on its victory. The odds of its opponent winning were an astonishing ten thousand to one, but such a match with a foregone conclusion was not a popular betting pool. The most popular bets were when favorites faced each other.
But there were no such bets for this first match.
Saga decisively bet on himself.
The little Silver Dragon was very optimistic about Saga, betting all her little money on him. Golden Giant Mountain and Yekaterina mainly bet on their own matches, with a small portion on Saga's victory.
Some time later, the competition was about to start, and the little dragons returned to the preparation hall.
"Brother Saga, I'm counting on you to make me rich," said the little Silver Dragon, Ilyag, clenching her fists.
"I'll try to turn you into a little Silver Dragon tycoon," Saga chuckled.
Yekaterina glanced at Saga and snorted, "I bet on your victory too."
Saga waved his paw and said:
"My arrogant sister, thank you for your rare recognition."
"Hmph, I admit I'm arrogant, but I'm not foolish. I consider you a formidable rival, but if you lose in the first round, it would just show my foolishness in misjudging you."
Yekaterina flicked her tail and strode towards the arena.
The drumming sound reverberated through the water, creating ripples and waves. The competition was about to begin.
One by one, the Hatchling Dragons left the preparation hall and arrived at the arena.
The arena, through the use of spatial magic, had been transformed into multiple spaces where matches could take place simultaneously without interfering with each other.
Saga arrived at the arena as well.
He lifted his head, looking around.
In his field of vision were countless True Dragons and sea creatures seated in the circular stands.
Bubbles of seawater bubbled up, colorful jellyfish extended their long, brightly glowing tentacles, drifting back and forth like neon lights, casting various colors. In one area, a group of massive octopuses beat on drumstones, producing a fierce, rain-like rhythm. Accompanied by the beat and the lights, some beautiful sirens offered their enchanting voices.
Under the watchful eyes of many.
Many Hatchling Dragons felt their spirits surge with fighting spirit.
A legendary Brass Dragon flew to the middle of the Deep Sea arena, proclaiming with vigor:
"Another heart-thrilling Hatchling Dragon competition begins. The Hatchling Dragons of our Deep Sea Dragon City have gathered here, showcasing the valiant and warlike spirit of our Dragon Kind."
"So, among this generation of dazzling Hatchling Dragons, who will stand out and become the sole Hatchling Dragon Champion? Let's wait and see. The competition, begins!"
At that moment, Saga looked towards his opponent.
In his field of vision was a Copper Dragon about ten meters long, not much different in size from Saga.
It had reddish-brown scales, a slender figure, and wings that spanned about sixteen meters, with brown shield plates extending from above its eyes, growing into a series of segmented long horns.
The Copper Dragon, the lowest in the hierarchy of Metal Dragons.
At the same age, Copper Dragons had the lowest average level among Metal Dragons.
At the same time.
The Copper Dragon was also sizing up its opponent.
The serpentine triple horns, diamond-like golden scales, perfectly proportioned wings, and a lithe and symmetrical body caught its eye.
"Facing an Outsider Dragon, but it's only six years old, and we're similar in size. I should be able to defeat it with my richer combat experience," the Copper Dragon thought to itself.
Saga wasn't in a rush to win; it was just the first preliminary match, and there was no need to reveal his edge, especially since he wanted to make a big profit.
So.
The little Golden Dragon strolled forward cautiously, appearing vigilant and focused.
The Copper Dragon's spirit lifted, seeing his opponent seemingly nervous, and felt reassured.
"I've got this. It's obvious it has no real combat experience."
"The advantage is mine!"
The Copper Dragon's eyes gleamed, and with a flap of its wings, its body propelled through the heavy currents, charging at Saga with ferocity.
Mid-flight, it opened its mouth, exhaling a gaseous breath that enveloped Saga.
This was one of the Copper Dragon's two breath attacks, the slowing breath, which had the effect of making the target's movements sluggish and awkward. The other breath was similar to that of the Black Dragon, an acidic liquid.
Saga blinked, dodging the breath at the last moment with a deliberately slow reaction.
The Copper Dragon pursued with its breath for a while, always just missing Saga.
Eventually, it stopped using its breath and flew in close for melee combat.
Thud!
Claws clashed with claws, and in the Copper Dragon's onslaught, the Outsider little Golden Dragon kept retreating.
Some dragons watching the match showed disappointment.
"This peculiar-looking little Golden Dragon seems to be all show and no substance."
"Being that size at six years old is impressive, but it seems to lack fighting strength."
Saga and the Copper Dragon were both unknowns, but Saga's striking appearance had piqued the interest of many dragons on his first appearance.
"This kid is hiding his skills, oh, he wants to make more money, what a clever little fellow."
A few guardian dragons who had seen Saga hunting high-level creatures on Dragon Island spotted him and guessed his intentions. They looked at the odds for Saga's match and decided to quietly bet on the little Golden Dragon, making no fuss about it.
Moments later.
The Copper Dragon pursued Saga, but suddenly stumbled, losing balance and stumbling forward. The little Golden Dragon, who had been retreating throughout the fight, seized the opportunity for a swift counterattack and 'luckily' won.
"It's just your luck," the Copper Dragon said displeasedly to the little Golden Dragon in front of it, leaving the arena feeling more and more irritated by its own blunder, probably unable to sleep for a long time.
"Damn it, I really should have known better."
"How could I have stumbled?"
Outside the arena, the Copper Dragon, feeling it had almost won, beat its chest in frustration.
Little did it know, its stumble was no accident but the result of Saga's psychic abilities, subtly affecting its coordination.
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas