In Search of a New Companion

Informed by the descriptive words of the Troll Shaman, Caesar came to know of the female Amethyst Serpent, a mighty denizen of the Karl Mountains, just like Aurelian, and even more formidable than Aurelian had been before his transformation by the dragon veins.

She was a sixth-tier being, a creature of legend rumored to have the bloodline of the titanic serpents of yore. Her strength was said to be terrifyingly great, having only taken residence within the mountains in the past few years, seizing territories that once belonged to the Trolls under her control. Caesar's interest was piqued. A serpent with the blood of the legendary serpents, at the astonishing tier of six—such a magical creature held high intelligence from birth and was not easily subjugated. Caesar knew well the rebellious spirit of Aurelian prior to taming. But as a mate, she was an excellent prospect, capable of bearing offspring of even greater talent.

"Sax, you have done well. If your intelligence proves true, a handsome reward awaits you. Now, reveal the dwelling of this Amethyst Serpent!"

Caesar's emotions surged with excitement. Should this purveyor of legendary bloodlines meet his expectations, his third companion could well be decided. Fortune appeared to favor him.

As for the notion of defeat? How could a noble Red Dragon fail against a mere Amethyst Serpent? Caesar had never entertained such a possibility; the bloodline of the Red Dragon carried an unyielding pride.

"At your command," declared the leader of the Trolls, the Troll Shaman named Sax, with the utmost reverence, dutifully sharing the location with the dragon.

Wisdom was the key to recognizing the might of dragons—for they were not beings the likes of Troll tribes could hope to contend against. Leading one's people to destruction was a folly reserved for the foolish.

Rising with indolent grace, Caesar stretched, the slumbering majesty slowly arousing from its rest. His forelimbs extended, elevating his towering frame, and at the snap of a moment, his wings unfurled—a crimson blaze against the skies, their span exceeding eighteen meters. The oppressive aura of his massive form was palpable, instilling an overwhelming presence before the Troll Shaman. This was the true essence of a Red Dragon!

Even as a sixth-tier being, and an exalted spellcaster at that, the Troll Shaman harbored not an inkling of rebellion against the towering marvel before him. This colossal frame, this reservoir of magic, this fearsome armor—what could possibly rival such force? Only when in the towering presence of Caesar could one truly comprehend the suffocating majesty of a dragon.

Shrinking before his superior, the Troll Shaman was visibly humbled. Caesar's dragon eyes radiated an unmistakable authority, sparing no thoughts for the overly cunning shaman. Overwhelm with might, and all intrigue is crushed underfoot.

For the malignant creatures of the wilds, their worship and fear pivoted not on the dragon itself, but on the dread renown that came with their name. Should they encounter another dragon of greater strength, an immediate shift in allegiance was their natural recourse. The annals of dragonkind detailed such occurrences—a warring dragon discovering mid-battle that his followers had defected to the enemy (barring those transformed by the dragon veins, for they were as loyal as if brainwashed).

Thus, it was paramount for dragons to retain absolute superiority in power.

With a gust of his wings, Caesar soared aloft into the vast skies, the wild winds howling around him. The physical prowess of the dragon kin was evident in every aspect; an adult dragon could sustain full-speed flight for months without recourse to magic and could, if riding the high-altitude currents, remain airborne for years.

The stamina of dragons was legendary in its own right. There were tales of an adult Azure Dragon, wearied by a prolonged journey, that took to slumber mid-flight and unwittingly strayed beyond the material plane, waking only upon its accidental arrival in the perilous Chaos Star Realm.

And so it was that the pinnacle of life in the ecological hierarchy, the dragon, boasted heart chambers so vast they pulsed tirelessly, sustaining their vast bodies with endless vigor.

Even weariness bowed before the dragon's heart; a brief slumber would renew them for months of vigorous activity. The might of the draconic heart was rivaled only by their indomitable scales. Some scholars dedicated to the study of dragons declared that the formidable heart could pulverize the sturdiest of minerals to dust within a single beat.

Gliding over the terrain, Caesar observed an expanse of wild creatures below—ironclad boars, gargantuan earth bears, and even a ferocious white tiger rivaling his own size...

But these were unremarkable.

Most of the Karl Mountains was home not to magical beings but to mere beasts—some fortunate enough to have evolved into fierce variants, immense in size and unmatched in strength, yet bereft of intellect, hardly better than the Trolls.

Nevertheless, these top-tier predators ruled without equal. The robust resources of the Karl Mountains meant that these creatures lived without reason to venture beyond their domains, thus remaining at peace for lengthy spans.

"One day, perhaps when I reach my dragon youth, I shall entertain the notion of bending them to my will," Caesar pondered with an ignited desire for conquest. Combined, these fierce creatures could send even upper-tier beings into retreat, save for the legendary heroes of humankind.

And this was why, despite the abduction of Princess Diana from the Silvermoon Kingdom, along with the obliteration of an elite troop of Griffin Knights, Duke Cassius had yet to seek vengeance. Within the Karl Mountains lurked perils great enough to deter the bravest of men; only the Red Dragon held dominion.

After roughly one hundred kilometers of flight, Caesar arrived upon a unique basin—an environment shimmering with magic and remarkably altered, likely by magical means. Its bowl-shaped depression was lush and moist, an ideal habitat for serpentine creatures much like how volcanic realms enchanted the Red Dragon.

He gazed into the basin with the superior sight native to his kind; every mote of dust visible over great distances, should nothing obscure the view. As his eyes fell upon the basin's heart, he discerned a shadow wreathed in amethyst magic.

Glistening purple scales shimmered resplendently beneath the sun, enchanting in its splendor. The Troll Shaman, Sax, indeed spoke true; the Amethyst Serpent before him radiated a beauty most mesmerizing.