Kazan Rego

Dragons can go days and nights without sleep, and even when they rest, a brief nap is enough to rejuvenate their robust energy.

Yongrong flexed his growing body, which had expanded significantly in just a few dozen days. The lair he had burrowed after his last hibernation was becoming cramped again. The skull-engraved Dragon Mark of "Hyper Growth" on his head was proving its efficacy. To move freely, he knew he needed to expand his nest deeper.

"Wonder when I'll get to live in the fortress," mused the little blue dragon as he set to work. The dilapidated fortress, occupied by his clan, wasn't large. Only the leader and a few young dragons like Belron and Quis earned the right to dwell within, while the hatchlings like Yongrong were relegated to the courtyard, confined to their own dark, chilly burrows.

Enduring such an environment wasn't beyond Yongrong, but who wouldn't prefer a more spacious and comfortable abode if given the chance?

Strength was the key. Only after much effort did the blue dragon finish expanding his nest. As dawn broke, many hatchlings had already left their nests to frolic in the open courtyard. Yongrong, wagging his tail, crawled out too.

Belron and Hel were waiting for him.

"So early to call us, are you planning a fight?" teased Belron, playing with his claws. His interactions with Yongrong had grown increasingly casual. In contrast, Hel seemed more restrained, not even flicking his tail.

"No fights. I want to discuss the content of our Dragon Heritage," Yongrong clarified.

Three dragons couldn't fit in Yongrong's den, so he led the young dragons to a secluded spot.

"Dragon Heritage... the content?" Hel pondered thoughtfully.

"Yep, nothing secretive, just sharing some knowledge," Yongrong replied.

Star Realm boasted many legendary beasts, some even older and more powerful than dragons. But dragons held a unique place, thanks in part to their Heritage. This treasure trove of carefully selected memories, knowledge, insights, and perspectives from their ancestors was etched into them before they even hatched, granting even the youngest dragons independent thought, survival skills, and knowledge of deception, cooperation, and manipulation. The superiority of the Dragon Heritage was an extensive topic, impossible to cover in mere days or pages.

Due to varying lineages and surnames, each dragon's Heritage was unique. Yongrong was keen to exchange such information with other young dragons. Whether useful or not, more knowledge was never a bad thing.

"Why not start with the surroundings?" Belron suggested tentatively, gauging Yongrong's reaction before continuing, "We're in the wilderness, at the northern edge of the Eirdia Continent. Far to the south lie the realms of humans and elves, and to the west, unfriendly dwarves. Across the mountains to the east is the sea, and beyond the Mobius River to the north, the barren, desolate Ice Wastelands."

Ice Wastelands?

Yongrong paused, feeling a strange familiarity with the name. Then it clicked – these memories were from before his transmigration into "Star Realm," where each version update brought either an event or disaster. Despite being a casual player in his past life, Yongrong vividly remembered notable events like the Kings' Strife, the Stone Heart, the Great Voyages, and the Undead Calamity.

Ah, the Undead Calamity. That was when players disastrously failed, plunging the continent into a dark age, with the Undead King Sos controlling half the land. And Sos himself had emerged from the great tombs of the Ice Wastelands.

"So, I'm practically Sos's neighbor now?" Yongrong mused with a headache. Discussing the Undead Calamity was premature; the Undead King might still be an unconscious shadow for now, but the long-term threat remained.

"My Dragon Heritage tells me our environment isn't entirely safe either," Hel added, sharing his Nikleton lineage knowledge. "There are two formidable powers in the wilderness. One is the Stone Giants, the true masters of these lands, long before our clan settled here. Much of our territory, pastures, and hunting grounds were taken from them."

"The other are the Centaurs, western outsiders driven into the wilderness by the Golden Dwarves. Not just a handful, but dozens of Centaur clans have occupied most of the wilderness, their domain even larger than ours and the Stone Giants."

The information exchange was just starting, but Yongrong was already feeling the pressure. Although currently under his clan's protection without immediate threats, his situation was precarious.

Evil dragons in Eirdia Continent faced survival challenges, attacks from their kind, ambushes from dragon-slaying warriors, and threats from native creatures. And once players arrived, they could easily become targets for experience points. The landscape was fraught with enemies and obstacles at every step.

Post-hibernation, Yongrong acutely realized the fundamental difference between himself and the players. He was now a native of the Eirdia Continent, and failure meant more than losing levels and equipment – it meant death.

"Now's a good time. With players yet to arrive and Sos still unborn, I should use my clan's resources to amass a following, relying on the Chains of Authority and Threads of Fate to enhance my power and arcane energy," Yongrong strategized.

While plotting his future, he heard a disdainful taunt nearby. The half-blood dragon Kazan Rego's deep voice echoed in the courtyard: "You wretches, daring to bare your fangs at me?"

Angry roars answered him.

The atmosphere ignited instantly, the courtyard buzzing with activity. Yongrong, accompanied by Belron and Hel, moved closer to see. A fight had erupted; Kazan was entangled with several blue-green mixed-blood hatchlings, his mouth spewing boiling flames.

No hatchling in this cursed place was non-aggressive; fights broke out daily in this "arena." If one were to count victories, Kazan undoubtedly had the most. His red dragon bloodline was strong, and even older blue dragons couldn't defeat him.

Usually, hatchling battles were one-on-one, but this was the first time Yongrong had seen Kazan take on multiple opponents. And both sides were ruthless – in just moments, Kazan had torn a large chunk of flesh from his adversaries, blood splattering everywhere. He too was wounded, his left eye pierced with an acidic claw and rendered blind.

"I heard these mixed-bloods invited Kazan to join them, but he not only refused, he mocked them. That's when the fight broke out," Belron reported, having circled the watching hatchlings.

The clan collected abandoned eggs from across the lands for breeding. Before maturity, evil dragons laid eggs indiscriminately in the wild and abandoned their offspring, only nurturing them after reaching adulthood.

Too many hatchlings and their innate aggression led to frequent conflicts and clashes. As they grew, they began to form factions based on scale color and surnames, constantly recruiting new members and creating rivalries. Dragons like Yongrong, Belron, and Hel could be considered a small group in this sense.

The situation was escalating beyond control. Spectating dragons retreated as the fight intensified. Kazan Rego, taking on three opponents, gained the upper hand. He roared, slamming a blue-scaled mixed-blood to the ground and crushing its ribs. Then, he spun and grabbed a green-scaled assailant, ready to snap its neck.

He was intent on killing.

The clan didn't forbid hatchling brawls, but only if they didn't threaten lives. Each hatchling was a valuable asset to the clan, and dying here was unacceptable.

If Kazan killed his opponent, he'd certainly face punishment, and Yongrong guessed he wouldn't be spared either. He had just agreed to assist Quis, and any trouble might not lead to substantial punishment, but it would surely end his chances of seeking guidance from the hatchling feeders.

"Stop, Kazan," Yongrong intervened.

Kazan roared, his remaining eye bloodshot as he glared at the approaching Yongrong, his hostility palpable: "You want to try me, Yongrong?"

Only then did the hatchlings notice Yongrong Akatosh, the pure-blooded blue dragon. His size was now comparable to the over five-meter-long half-blood dragon Kazan Rego. Their confrontation surprisingly seemed evenly matched.

Sensing Kazan's threat, Hel immediately positioned himself behind Yongrong, baring his teeth in a defensive stance, fulfilling his earlier promise. After a moment's hesitation, Belron followed suit.

"You've won. The fight is over," Yongrong calmly stated, his tone unflustered. He glanced at the incapacitated dragons on the ground, adding, "You know, Quis wouldn't allow you to kill them."