Adapting

Argen was having beautiful and bountiful dreams of Gold, Silver, Platinum, and numerous types of Jewels as any Half-Western Red Dragon would. Glorious riches and his Master's booming laughter filled the air. It was a wonderful and divine dream.

Until he felt a whole Elk drop kicked onto his stomach causing him to open his eyes in haste to survey his room only to find a Certain Tailed Half-Dragon on top of him adorning smirk that would be similar to an 8-year-old who managed to finish their first errand.

"Wake your Sorry ass, Argen. It's time for Breakfast." Argen wanted to clock the dragon lady oh So much but the thought of food won him over. He had skipped dinner last night. Hilda looked at him with what his Master Vein called The Puppy eyes with guilt written in them." And sorry for waking you up that way. I tried shaking you awake but no avail so a Drop kick was the reasonable solution aside from torching you-" Argen gave her a glare." Shutting up. Sheesh, I was trying to be friendly. No need to be hostile."

Friendly? This was Friendly?! Drop kicking someone that was fast asleep, Friendly? Hilda seriously needed to think things through. Not that he was in any position to say that out loud. Argen did serve raw meat to Vein once by just throwing the calf of the Elk he had just killed and the time he nearly made Vein piss his pants after hiding for days on end due to a small argument. Yeah, his first twenty years of interaction with another person weren't the best.

They reached the Tavern where the aroma of meat roasting and the sounds of eggs sizzling smothered Argen his senses. Which got him an elbow to his sides courtesy of Hilda.

Ofself grinned at the two as he began to serve breakfast. He passed a plate to Argen then to Hilda and said." I heard some thrashing all the way from here. I hope you two haven't been busy as much as I like grandchil-"

"SHE DROP KICKED ME IN MY SLEEP"/"I drop kicked him to wake his ass." 

Argen just glared at Hilda which the young lady replied with a smirk. Ofself just rolled his eyes." Why not train with one another? We could build Argen's heat resistance and test out how durable he is."

Hilda wore a predatory smile whilst Argen was still processing the old man's words.

--Outskirts of Asphetheir--

'FUWAAAAAAAAARAAAAH' 

Hilda's fire breath hit the metallic cube in a two minute interval for the past thirty minutes for the next hour. Why you ask? Argen was inside and was training his heat resistance.

"The best way to develop a fire resistance is to be heat resistant first by letting your body adjust to the heat. That and given your Dragon blood you'd be more than capable of developing a new fire resistance after heat treatment." Argen remembered Ofself's words as he was stuffed in the metallic heat death trap. To be fair his body was in some way developing heat resistance he didn't sweat but his scales glowed a bit.

An hour had passed and he was let out the cube having adorned more red scales all around his body the most notable growth of scales was on his lower back, forearms, calves, thighs and upper limbs. 

"Now, Argen do you have any abilities that allow you to harden?" Ofself asked as Argen nodded in response." Good, don't use it. We'll be training your base durability and hope it carries over."

"Based from my Master's training it did by a small portion." Argen explained." Hardening is an ability that makes the caster's body well harden. But being a False or mimic of the original it gives more drawbacks than the actual ability. For one my Hardening is simplified version having my base durability multiplied by three than the standard five my master had another is my movements are stiff so I can only flex my hands if I exclude them and finally it takes a long time to actually activate."

"Hence why we will increase your base durability enough so you use it only for dire situations." Ofself gave Argen and Hilda a knowing grin." Hilda get ze Panzer."

A few moments later Argen was repeatedly beaten by Hilda's tail and Ofself's Tungsten alloy bo-staff. Argen gave his all to endure the pain he was taking his time to figure what's his and make it his own. He knew the people around him were pushing him to be better than he thought he could ever be. So he had to endure and push his body to it's limit. 

As the sun set Ofself and Hilda were treated with the sight of glowing red scales emanating from Argen's body which some were dull from the blood that dripped down from his face, upper limbs, forearms, and Calves. Hilda notices two stubs on his back as it glowed. Argen gave them a smile and a wobbly thumbs-up.

" What's for dinner? I'm starved." All of them let out a laugh as Hilda helped Argen back to the tavern.

Day one done.

The second day of training was a lot worse compared to yesterday. Why you ask? He was in a Boiling Pot and Hilda was using Fire breath on a minute interval. This was borderline bullshit if it weren't for Ofself explaining the exercise to him earlier." Boiling water holds heat a BIT longer and tempers dragon scales making them somewhat more durable." That was what the tavern owner told him hours before the exercise.

"How long before you throw Ice Water at me?" Argen was basically wearing nothing but his underwear to his private parts. He was lucky that his hair was somehow fireproof not even burning under the stray embers that made their way to his uncharacteristic fluff of hair not that he was complaining. He was often engulfed in Hilda's Fire Breath whilst being boiled alive.

Ofself had an affinity with ice magic albeit he could only make water as cold as ice to help in cooling the Half-dragon, as the tavern owner says. The sun was at its peak signaling it was noon and they started at the first light of morning. Roughly six hours of training and a few minutes dipping in ice-cold water to cool his internal temperature after all being heat resistant didn't mean his insides would be adjusting as fast as his body. Argen began to notice Hilda breaking a sweat and what Ofself told him the other day of the sweet scent that Dragons exude. It was alluring he really couldn't blame Bombagoose for chasing him if this is what that Wyvern smelled on him. He unintentionally smiled at Hilda flustering her making orange fire breath the hotter Yellow flame variant which Argen tipped over the large pot and replied with an obligatory." FUUUCK."

"Whoops-" Hilda smiled meekly as she scratched her head in embarrassment. Walking slowly to a literally steaming Argen giving her a glare.

"Well, at least we know he's heat resistant now." Ofself thought to himself as he readied two buckets of Ice cold water carrying them over to the steaming half-dragon then dumping the cool liquid over him with an 'SSSZZZZT' sound as steam slowly disappeared. Ofself noticed Argen's scales were glistening meaning the exercise worked. 

Now for his favorite part that he would never admit to the Male Half-Dragon. Giving a knowing grin towards Hilda." Hilda Get Ze Panzer Mark Zwei."

After six excruciating hours of beatings, Argen's scales did not bleed nor cracked the worst he got was bruises while his scales were glowing brighter than yesterday. Argen let out a yell of triumph. Shouting at the heavens as his own way of proving he was alive and kicking still. His scales began to slowly dim as the sunset bounced off them. 

He felt alive, he felt he was meant to fight as he kept pushing his body. Tomorrow will not be the same as today. He will become stronger. He had something to protect. He had found a family with Ofself and Hilda like he did with his master and he will do everything he can to grow stronger in the upcoming days' nay years.

Argen woke up refreshed from yesterday's training and noticed the Lady half-Dragon was nowhere in his room which was new to him. The last two days she'd drop kick him awake now, it was strange. Don't take it to heart it was just weird to wake up without any form of violence. He went to the bath to cleanse himself of the sweat or grime that had accumulated in his sleep not that he was worried that he stunk if Ofself's claim that Dragon's smelled sweet by default not to mention Argen caught scen- Nope, nah, no. If anything he needed to be stronger before even considering that dumb thought.

After what seemed to be an eternity in the bath he got down. The sun hasn't risen so he decided to go to the tavern and was greeted with an unusual sight of Hilda wearing something aside from her Dirndl. She was wearing what seemed to be a knee length Tunic under a corset with a hold where her tail fit as she whipping some batter with the appendage while she was sorting the leaves of lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and what seemed to be homemade mayonnaise with a handful of dill as she shredded pieces of last night's roasted lamb over it. She then lit the stove with her Fire Breath placing a pan over the burners. She then smeared a stick of what seemed to be butter waiting for it to melt then poured the batter on to in. It smelled sweet. Hilda then flipped the hardened batter then a few seconds later she placed it on a plate placing multiple berries; Strawberries, blueberries, and a slice of fruit that even Argen had no prior knowledge about whilst drizzling a honey like substance over them. Hilda did this until four stacks were achieved and three plates filled the table. 

Argen received a pat on his shoulder and flinch as the hand began to squeeze it. He turned to see Ofself smiling menacingly as the owner guided the male half-dragon to the dining hall where Hilda sat. She gave them a smile." Good morning."

After breakfast Argen had noticed Ofself held a grin. A grin which Argen knew would mean hell is coming don't get him wrong Argen appreciated the training that Ofself and Hilda were giving him. It was just so brutal. Vein, his master had never pushed him that hard before to the point he'd collapse. It was mostly Mana training having Argen remember where mana should flow in his body to prevent another of his accidental bursts. They took a week off due to some of Argen's veins bursting blood outside of his body aside from that they mostly practiced his swings with the Great splitting maul and focused on his physical fitness. It could get any more brutal, right?

--Outskirts of Asphetheir—

Argen was SO WRONG. He was currently twenty feet above ground balancing by the balls of his feet on two, four inch in circumference poles as he held two large anvils; one for each hand as he held the large chunks of steel all in a horseback riding stance. Ofself told him if he even dropped on of the anvils or fell he'd give Argen another four hours on the structure. It has been eight hours since Argen started his grip was slipping, his body was screaming for him to let go, his feet felt like it was on fire as his calves and quads began to sting. His scales were glowing once more as smoke was escaping from the small spaces in-between his scales.

"Alright. Release!" By Ofself signal Argen let go and released a roar as he fell to the ground. Ofself walked over his exhausted Male Half-dragon giving him a grin." Next is running."

'Finally a task that seemed doable-'

"With these forty-five kilogram weights on your arms, ankles, and torso. Run around Asphetheir's Perimeter."

"Alone?!"

"OH, no no no. Not alone." 

"Thank the Gods."

"I'm coming with you on a land drake." Ofself Whistled after a few moments a rumble on the earth next to Argen as an explosion of dust and dirt revealed a seven foot seven tall eighteen foot long, quadrupedal dragon it was earth brown and mossy green with dried earth like scales and amber eyes. It had a turtle like head in it's mouth were herbivorous teeth. It already had a saddle on one of it's humps which Ofself just sat on it." Well kid. Wear the weights and get running or I'll have Tasque here shoot some fire on you."

The next seven hours and four hundred eighty square hectares of the kingdom's perimeter later. Argen's scales glowed as bright as a small fire as the crevices on the scales released steam. Argen was breathing heavily gulping in large amounts of air as his form screamed and ached from the strenuous exercise. He had survived another day of training. He will be stronger if only Ofself would just carry him and not drag his immobilized body from the outskirts to the door of the tavern.

Hilda instantly ran for Argen as she and Ofself helped Argen to a bath and cleaned what they could before depositing him on the bed. As he slept ever so deeply.

Day three completed.