Chapter 174: A World of Flames and Scorched Earth

Garon withdrew his gaze from Barton and flew back to the peak of the snowy mountain.

With a gentle turn of his neck, he surveyed his surroundings, his majestic dragon might emanating in all directions, sweeping across the land.

Within the might of the dragon, infused with Garon's will, all kin and followers nearby raised their heads in excitement as they felt the sweep of his presence.

Especially two red dragons nesting in the nearby snow forests.

"Ha ha, finally leaving this place devoid of any flames."

The red dragons roared with laughter, their wings beating, casting down showers of fierce flames as they flew towards Garon at the peak of the snowy mountain.

The ground trembled violently, earth and stones churned, and the land cracked open as if some beast was stirring below, with dark green, menacing scales visible amidst the shattered rocks and soil.

The Coldwood Serpent Dragon, moving like an earth dragon beneath the ground, avoided the constructions of the kin and followers, slithering towards the base of the mountain.

After reaching sufficient age, dragons can control their conception to some extent if they wish to conceive. After rolling around non-stop in the underground dragon nest for several days, the Coldwood Serpent Dragon successfully impregnated the Stone Tomb Serpent Dragon.

Then, quite ruthlessly, the Coldwood Serpent Dragon drove the Stone Tomb Serpent Dragon away.

The Stone Tomb Serpent Dragon, not tolerating such treatment, left after expressing its intentions to Garon and its respect for the Time Dragon, without a moment's delay.

Moments later, the silver dragon stood atop the highest peak of the snowy mountain, with two red dragons circling above and the Coldwood Serpent Dragon slithering below.

The human mage also gathered, enveloped in the glow of spells, floating in the air.

After addressing the city of extreme cold, Garon surveyed a vast area of the far north ice plains, finding no power threatening enough to concern his backyard, thus he set his worries aside. After delegating some tasks, he prepared to head to the lava demi-plane.

In the end, Niconina did not bring the two human children along.

The environment of an elemental demi-plane is deadly for those of weak strength, unlivable without care.

The primary material world, with its balanced elements, fosters a wide variety of life.

But in demi-planes composed of only two elements, only specific species and the powerful can survive, and pure elemental planes, even more dangerous, are home to elemental lords.

The number to be taken by Garon to the lava demi-plane was small, as teleportation consumes gems and energy according to the number of travelers.

But all were powerful beings.

Two adult red dragons, a mature Coldwood Serpent Dragon, two high-level spellcasters, and Barton, a legendary soul servant.

Legendary creatures, naturally, are among the top powerhouses in all planes, respected and elite. Adult true dragons are no less formidable.

A demi-plane much larger than the far north ice plains, due to its unique environment, is likely to harbor a number of legendary creatures.

But their number would be limited, and their quality not too high.

The odds of encountering an elemental lord, as powerful as deities, as Garon feared, are slim in such demi-planes.

Looking around, Garon saw significant anticipation on the faces of his subordinates.

Space rippled as he reached in, feeling something heavy, grasping a heavy stone door like a brick, then pulled it from the dimensional space under many watchful eyes.

"The name of the Eternal Dragon will resonate between the sky and earth of other planes."

Rowell and Gresha showed excitement, looking at the ancient stone door marked with the passage of time.

The door, just appearing in the air, circulated a strange magical power that felt extraordinary to the dragons.

The red dragons, as the most arrogant among the chromatic dragons, disdain ninety-nine percent of creatures. They maintain their haughty attitude even towards legendary creatures, showing respect to Garon mainly due to his identity as a Time Dragon.

Otherwise, even if sworn to follow, they would not show such reverence.

Then, Garon took out the Flame Wand, reluctantly extracting several red gems.

The moment the Flame Wand appeared, its exquisite lava crystal at the top began to tremble, forming a subtle connection with the diamond-shaped recess in the door.

This wand, acquired from Molton, was now to fulfill its true purpose.

"Ah, my gems."

Garon sighed.

Then, with a thought, he directed the Flame Wand towards the door, allowing the connection between them.

As if attracted by an invisible force, the lava crystal clicked, causing the Flame Wand to tremble uncontrollably. In seconds, it detached from the fiery red staff, spinning in the air, casting red streaks, and embedded itself into the door's recess.

Instantly, fiery red energy, like liquid patterns, spread from the lava crystal.

Like branching lightning, it rapidly extended across the entire door.

Boom! Flames rose, the door ignited, its surface ablaze with flaming patterns and runes, all glowing brightly, emanating intense heat and aroma.

At the same time, the stone door in Garon's hand began to shake, attempting to escape his grasp.

Garon's gaze shifted, releasing the door.

Covered in flames, the door rose, then hovered in mid-air, stationary as if fixed in space.

The flames condensed into elegant ribbons, one end on the door and the other vanishing into space, connecting to the unknown.

"Next, insert five fire or earth elemental magic gems."

Garon let out a long breath.

Turning his head away, unable to bear the sight, he tossed the gems towards the door.

Click, click, click. The gems, drawn by an unseen force, embedded themselves around the lava crystal, their brilliance intensifying, releasing pure magic, while their own luster and color gradually dimmed.

All beings present watched the door intently.

Hum, hum, hum. Space trembled, the door shook.

The tightly closed crack in the center slowly opened, revealing a fiery red glow, richer than the burning flames, casting the surrounding space in a deep red hue.

Garon's silver scales reflected the red light, as if draped in a thin veil.

The red dragons, sensing the presence of high-temperature flames, breathed heavier.

Hum, hum, hum. Moments later, the door was fully open.

Dense magic formed a barrier, revealing only red light, obscuring the view of the world beyond.

The door, designed for humanoid use, opened a passage not wide enough for true dragons but perfect for humans.

Looking at the open portal, the silver dragon shimmered with a wave-like glow.

His body gradually shrank.

In an instant, Garon transformed into a human form, with silver hair and platinum eyes, exuding an aura of timeless, undying essence.

Rowell and Gresha transformed into their human forms seen by Garon before, standing side by side.

The Coldwood Serpent Dragon, twisting its body, flew up.

In a flash of light, it transformed into a burly man with a fierce face and sharp teeth.

Under Garon's command, Barton shrank to a little over two meters, his dark skin turning blue, resembling a frost giant's.

Krichens and Fred, already human, needed no transformation.

"Let's go, we can enter now."

Garon looked at his subordinates and spoke.

He moved forward, stepping in front of the door, and then walked through the fiery glow, disappearing.

The rest followed, vanishing one by one from the snowy mountain realm.

This is a world ablaze with red.

Flames and rocks form its essence, the ground covered in blackened cracks, with bright magma flowing like liquid through the fissures.

The sky, a curtain of flames without a sun, illuminated the entire world, banishing darkness.

This realm, embodying fire and scorched earth, occasionally blooms with fire flowers, igniting spontaneously, while the blackened ground, dotted with towering volcanoes, lacks even a hint of green. The air is thick with the smell of sulfur, devoid of any freshness.

Yet, in such a world of fire and scorched earth, life tenaciously survives.

At the foot of a furnace-like volcano, a river of glaring magma flows.

The magma river, bubbling with black-red bubbles, emits thousands of degrees of terrifying heat.

On the land beside a bend in the magma river, the Fire Dwarf clan resides.

The Firebeard clan.

These dwarves, as temperamental as the flames they adore, some patrol the tribe's perimeter, wearing scalding iron armor unaffected by the heat.

Many more Fire Dwarves remain within the tribe.

Their round, bowl-shaped dwellings have vertical chimneys from which billows of black smoke rise.

The clang of metal forging echoes over the Firebeard clan, sparks falling on the bare chests of some dwarves, who sweat profusely before the melting furnaces, faces alight with excitement.

Forging, high temperatures, and fierce flames are the Fire Dwarves' beloved elements.

Today, the Firebeard clan continues as always.

Their lives are monotonous yet stable, seldom disturbed by creatures daring to provoke these explosive and belligerent dwarves.

But a portal suddenly appearing in the sky, accompanied by intense white light and cold winds, disrupts the Firebeard clan's routine.

The outdoor Fire Dwarves, alert, look up upon seeing the portal, immediately raising the alarm.

One by one, sturdy, hammer- or axe-wielding Fire Dwarves emerge from their homes, joined by burly staff-wielding Fire Dwarf mages.

"What's happening?"

Rik Geen, the Firebeard clan's chief, standing at 1.2 meters, looks up at the sky with a grave expression.

___________________

(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)

If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters

Read Ahead

Patreon.com/INNIT