Chapter 134: Almost There (Part 1)
The greed of dragons is ingrained in their bloodline; it is their nature. Even Muria, despite his efforts, cannot twist this trait, as he too shares this characteristic typical of dragons. However, perhaps due to the presence of his Titan bloodline, his greed is only directed towards rare treasures such as legendary metals and the sap of life trees, rather than common resources like elemental crystals.
"Keep it honest, finish the elemental crystals, and don't think about taking them out of here," Muria sternly instructed the severely injured dragons. "The elemental crystals you earn as rewards for killing demons will be calculated and given to you by Cassio later."
What motivates dragons the most? Money! Or in other words, all valuable items and rare resources. Nothing else could spur dragons of all ages, from newly hatched wyrmlings to ancient great wyrms, to strive and fight as effectively as the prospect of monetary reward.
Thus, when Muria led his dragons into the abyssal training grounds, he set up a series of incentive measures to prevent any dragon from slacking off. Dragons were rewarded with elemental crystals for killing demons, with the quantity varying based on the demon's strength and tier, to maximize the dragons' motivation.
Moreover, Muria no longer used depleted crystals to fool these chromatic dragons. Instead, he provided genuine, unused elemental crystals rich in elements as rewards.
Over the twelve years, the six red dragon eggs given to him by Gold Dragon Mother Atrelis had hatched and were fast approaching their young dragon phase. The dragon eggs given by his father Ansol had all reached the juvenile dragon stage.
Dragons of this age should have some personal treasures. It was unacceptable for them to be penniless.
Using both kindness and severity was the best approach. Relying solely on force and violent methods would inevitably lead to problems.
Muria left the task of ensuring the eight seriously injured dragons consumed their elemental crystals to the White Tiger Troi. This legendary beast, having also grown stronger over the past decade, was at the pinnacle of the gold level, on the brink of breaking into soul intent, just like Muria.
Even if these eight dragons had not been injured, they at best would have been evenly matched with Troi. Therefore, with Troi watching over them, Muria was not concerned about any mischief.
"Cassio, after you've finished calculating the rewards for those dragons, go ahead and distribute them. I'm off to take a bath," Muria called out to the air.
"Understood!" Cassio's translucent form did not appear, but her voice came from all around. Technically, the courtyard itself was Cassio's true body; what Muria usually interacted with was just a condensed form of elements.
Before entering the Hall of the Life Pool, Muria turned to look at a hall wrapped in green vines and blooming flowers, which now seemed even more vibrant with life, though the elves who once lived there had departed, leaving it both empty yet full of life.
Years ago, after Muria learned the archery techniques of the elven royal family from Hesel, she bid him farewell without hesitation, and despite Muria's attempts to retain her, the Silver Moon Elf insisted on leaving, not wishing to linger.
Soon after, the First Sword Saint Ron also departed. Muria had taught him all the sword-related techniques from his Titan heritage, and the Sword Saint, in turn, imparted all his sword skills and experiences to Muria.
When Muria tried to persuade him to stay, the Sword Saint refused outright. He had nothing left to teach Muria, and his presence would not only fail to benefit Muria's growth but might even hinder it.
Seeing his dependence on Ron's guidance day after day, the Sword Saint recognized this and left immediately after learning the Titan sword techniques.
Ron's departure was a regret for Muria, but unavoidable. What Muria was truly curious about was where the Sword Saint had gone, as Ron had mentioned plans to leave Erathia and explore other worlds. And in the lands of the Titans, such travels were indeed possible.
However, where exactly the Sword Saint went remained unknown to Muria, even if he asked Cassio, he wouldn't get an answer. His level was too low to be privy to such information.
"Cassio, set it up," Muria commanded before sinking into the Life Pool. "After my bath, I want to visit my mother's castle."
"Understood."
Under the blue sky, dazzling golden-scaled dragons frolicked among the clouds, playful and spirited. Below them, a crystal castle sparkled under the sun, surrounded by powerful dragon beasts whose scales refracted golden light just like the dragons above.
These were all members of the Gold Dragon Mother Atrelis' family.
As a small teleportation circle formed above the castle, a black-haired, golden-eyed child about ten years old in a dark blue
robe stepped out and stood suspended in the air.
"Roar! Roar! Roar..." At the child's appearance, some of the playful dragons noticed him, leading to alarmed cries that attracted more attention.
Soon, the initially leisurely golden dragons, as if facing a natural predator, scattered in panic. Every dragon sought to distance itself as far from Muria as possible, trying to widen the gap.
On the ground, the large dragon beasts that had been lazily napping in the sun were startled by the commotion in the sky. Upon seeing the child suspended in the air, these massive creatures scrambled up in a panic and dashed into the dense forests to hide their forms and suppress their presence.
"Really?" Muria smirked as he watched the frantic escape of the dragons and dragon beasts, who treated him like a fearsome beast. "Was it really necessary to train you a bit last time?"
Each year, Muria visited Atrelis' crystal castle several times, and each time he saw the guards around the castle lounging lazily. After a few such visits, Muria could no longer tolerate such indolence. Having lived among the Titans for over a decade, he could no longer stand such lazy behavior, so he began to "train" the dragon beasts in his own way.