Chapter 19: Cloud Island and the Ferocious "Huskies"

Muria lifted his head and looked around the dimly lit room, shaded by the curtains. However, the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the curtains allowed him to see everything clearly.

"Very white, very big." Muria looked down at where his head had been buried and commented earnestly.

"Eh, Master Muria, you're awake." Muria's movements awakened the dragon maid Mia beneath him, who, with an unusually bold demeanor, looked at him with anticipation: "Aren't you going to sleep a bit more?"

"No need, I've slept enough." Muria was in high spirits and in a very good mood, especially since he woke up to a sight that many men would find delightful.

However, Muria climbed out of Mia's embrace without any reluctance. It wasn't that he had exceptional self-control; rather, to him, such sights were merely to be admired, serving no practical purpose as his body wasn't inclined to do much else.

"I'm leaving." Muria donned what might have been the robe Mia had removed and prepared to leave to do what he had planned before going to sleep—practice Titan fighting techniques in combat.

"Will you come back again next time?" The dragon maid, dressed in a thin silk nightgown, sat up, revealing more than intended. She seemed unconcerned, after all, the only ones who could see were her roommate and the young-looking Muria.

Hearing the question, Muria's lips twitched. He had just realized that the dragon maid who had slept with him all night was somewhat of an anomaly. Other dragon maids, including the head maid Sophia, treated him with nothing but respect.

And here she was, far too bold to describe, fully aware of his identity as a progeny of a Golden Dragon, yet she had dared to sleep with him all night.

"You're Mia, right?" Although it was phrased as a question, Muria spoke with certainty. He vividly remembered being woken up by someone pinching him during his sleep.

"Yes, I'm Mia, Mia Stock." The dragonkin girl nodded excitedly.

"Did you wear any perfume?" Muria tilted his head and asked.

"Perfume?" Mia laughed a bit awkwardly, "Before coming here, I was just a fallen noble's daughter, never had the chance to use such luxuries meant for noble ladies."

"Oh." Muria nodded, then muttered to himself in a volume only he could hear: "So, what I smelled was natural body scent."

"Mia, I'll remember you." With those words, Muria vanished from the sight of the two dragon maids.

"Hey, Michelle, what do you think Master Muria meant by that?" After a moment of silence, Mia asked Michelle with a trace of nervousness.

"Now you're scared? Why weren't you scared before, daring to embrace Master Muria and sleep with him all night." Michelle rolled her eyes, "Relax, Master Muria is the son of a Golden Dragon. Whatever he's thinking, it's probably good for you."

"Good for me? Hehe." Upon hearing Michelle's words, Mia started to giggle foolishly, "I wonder if I could hold Master Muria and sleep like this every night!"

"Keep dreaming," Michelle said disdainfully.

...

Outside the Crystal Castle, the cool morning breeze blew as Muria stood before the castle gates, gazing at the twenty-four Cloud Giant guards kneeling before him, tasked with guarding the entrance.

"Is Commander Ebert on duty today?"

The Cloud Giants exchanged looks before one bravely responded: "Commander Ebert is not on duty today."

"Oh." Muria had intended to seek out this familiar giant commander but then recalled Commander Bolton, the Cloud Giant who had presented him with mithril on the castle terrace.

"What about Commander Bolton?"

"He is also not on duty today, Master Muria."

"Good." Pleased with the response, Muria smiled, spread his nearly twenty-meter-wide golden bat-like dragon wings, and took to the sky.

Muria set a direction and flew towards it, a massive complex of white buildings where the Cloud Giants gathered around the Crystal Castle lived. He sought both Commander Ebert and Commander Bolton there.

As Muria descended from the sky, the normally bustling Cloud Giant settlement fell silent.

Then, a familiar scene unfolded: adult Cloud Giants, standing twelve meters tall, alongside slightly shorter female giants and a multitude of younger giants of varying sizes, all knelt before him in reverence.

This was the home of the Cloud Giants, with up to three hundred male giants living here alongside their partners, an almost equal number of female giants, and even more children of various ages.

Such a settlement, with at least a thousand Cloud Giants, was unusual outside the Titan Islands. Cloud Giants typically live in small groups, preferring not to settle in large numbers.

The reason for this anomaly was Muria himself. After consulting Titan records, Muria understood the real reason behind this phenomenon.

The arrival of three fifteen-meter-tall Cloud Giant commanders rushing towards the scene confirmed the commotion. Seeing Muria, they simultaneously knelt before him.

"Good morning, Commanders Bolton, Ebert, and Saga." Muria greeted them warmly, deciding to accept their gestures of respect.

"Master Muria. How may we assist you?" Commander Ebert asked respectfully from the ground.

"I wish to practice Titan combat techniques against some ferocious beasts. Thus, I'd like some Cloud Giant guards to accompany me." Understanding the principle that the son of a wealthy family should not expose himself to danger, Muria aimed to eliminate any threats to his life, ensuring safety during his practice.

"Titan combat techniques." Commanders Bolton and Saga looked up, their eyes shining with excitement at the mention of "the strongest combat techniques in the world."

Every melee fighter in the world desired to witness Titan combat techniques, and learning them would be even better, though virtually impossible. To learn Titan techniques, one must earn the recognition of a Titan.

Unable to learn but still eager to witness, they found the prospect thrilling. Unfortunately for Commander Saga, Muria specifically chose the other two commanders for the task.

In the Titan Islands, abundant in sunlight and moisture, every island was lush with ancient towering trees and vibrant life.

Muria, towering over eight meters tall, strolled leisurely through an ancient forest full of diverse plants, accompanied by a group of imposing, armored Cloud Giants.

Despite the aggressive vegetation fighting for every inch of space, there were wide paths enough for giants to pass, trails made by the beasts that inhabited the area.

"Commanders Ebert, Bolton, it seems there are many ferocious beasts living here," Muria observed, noting the numerous large beast tracks on the ground and smiling at the two Cloud Giant commanders.

"The resources of the Titan Islands are too rich, and the elemental concentration here is far denser than elsewhere, fostering so many ferocious beasts," Commander Bolton commented, examining the tracks.

"Do you find the number of ferocious beasts here excessive, Commander Bolton?" Muria inquired, aware that the Crystal Castle's Cloud Giants were not originally from the Titan Islands.

"Master Muria, it's not that there are too many; there are exceedingly many. The Cloud Island where I lived before had far fewer ferocious beasts. Truly befitting of the Titans' dwelling," Bolton remarked.

"Bolton, no matter how

 many there are, most ferocious beasts are only Bronze level, with the strongest barely reaching Silver Tier 5," Commander Ebert stated dismissively, holding his staff.

Every adult Cloud Giant can break through to the Gold level, albeit at the lowest tier, easily overpowering Silver-level ferocious beasts. And as both commanders were of Gold Tier 3, dealing with Silver-level creatures was effortless.

"Cloud Island?" Muria turned, intrigued by Bolton's mention, "Is that the kind of island that floats in the sky?"

"Yes, Master Muria."

"I'd love to see it." After nearly nine years in Erathia, Muria had witnessed many wonders and creatures but remained curious about the cloud islands, only heard of in tales from his previous world.

"Master Muria, we've discovered a ferocious wolf pack here," a Cloud Giant called out from afar.

As Muria approached with the two giant commanders, he was met with the sight of nine giant wolves, bellies up, surrounded by dozens of Cloud Giants.

"Perhaps, I shouldn't have brought so many Cloud Giants." The wolves wagged their tails into blurs upon seeing Muria and the commanders, prompting him to sigh at the overly familiar scene.

He then reflected amusingly on the physical discrepancies between Golden Dragons and Red Dragons across various life stages, puzzled by the peculiar setting where Red Dragons eventually outsize Golden Dragons.