Chapter 50: Simulation

Garon's gaze was vigilant, his face marked with serious caution.

Despite the distance, he could still feel the destructive power radiating from there, the blinding fiery red elemental luminescence dominating his vision.

Someone was casting high-level spells in that area.

The astonishing surge of elemental energy was like a tidal wave gathering and rolling.

"A high-level caster has come to the northern ice fields and is using a powerful high-level spell."

In a moment of rapid thought, Garon ignored the northern ice spirits and the bear cubs, his dragon wings flapped, and he soared into the kilometer-high sky amidst howling winds to get a clearer view of the area where the elements were in turmoil.

The brilliance of the spell completely overshadowed the already sparse starlight and moonlight.

The dim night sky was covered in a layer of fire-cloud-like colors.

In the fiery red luminescence of the spell, a bright red orb, seemingly the size of a bucket to Garon but dazzlingly bright, slowly rose and then exploded violently without hesitation.

Hot winds rolled, and waves of flame ascended, blasting open swathes of clouds to form a mushroom cloud made of roiling flames.

Boom!

Upon witnessing the explosion, Garon's eyelids twitched, and he felt as though he heard a deafening blast.

He hadn't actually heard it, but the elemental energies around him trembled simultaneously, especially the fire elements, which were nearly boiling and even formed faint ripples in the air, giving Garon such a sensation due to his acute sensitivity to elements.

The red orb might not have looked large, but Garon was very far from the site of the spell.

In reality, it was likely a gigantic fireball several hundred meters in diameter.

Garon remained alert, watching intently without blinking.

Shortly after this unknown high-level spell was cast, a wave of residual hot wind rolled in, sweeping over the ice cliff territory and extending even further beyond.

Although it was too weak to cause any damage or melt the ice and snow due to the distance it traveled, the fact that it could spread so far still demonstrated its formidable power.

The fiery mushroom cloud rolled and ascended for a full fifteen minutes before the violent forces gradually ceased, and it took another half hour for the cloud to dissipate in the air.

"It must be a high-level pyromancy from the shaping energy school—such formidable power."

Garon inhaled sharply, the mix of hot and cold air filling his lungs as apprehension flickered in his eyes.

The power of a high-level shaping energy spell was equivalent to that of a strategic missile, affecting an area of kilometers, even tens of kilometers; the red orb was definitely a high-level spell.

If he were in the core area, Garon didn't believe his young body could withstand it.

His magic immunity was strong, but he was still too young, and it had its limits.

Low-level spells felt like mere tickles, mid-level spells could shatter his scales and wound his flesh, but high-level spells could be lethal.

Garon's desire for a broader world was tempered by his reluctance to leave the northern ice fields, wary of such formidable powers.

Compared to adult true dragons, who mainly rely on physical combat, high-level mages have an incredibly rich array of methods. With sufficient preparation, the destructive power they can unleash is terrifying.

"Although it's definitely not aimed at me, just to be safe, I should lie low for a while. If I encounter the caster of that spell, I could be in danger."

Garon's gaze shifted, and after warning his followers not to venture out carelessly, he set off toward the Ice River territory.

The least conspicuous hiding spot was still the riverbed dragon lair within the small glacier.

This was the advantage of having multiple lairs; they provided a place to hide in emergencies.

Both the ice cliff lair and the ogre basin were too conspicuous and could easily attract the attention of interested parties. High-level casters, as top-tier forces, are not afraid of adult dragons.

As he flew, Garon pondered how he would deal with an enemy of this level.

Accelerated state? If he detected the danger from a distance, he could potentially escape at five times the speed.

If the distance was shorter, he would be doomed.

As for Plundering the Breath of Time, its power mainly depended on Garon's age. Although it had a special effect of aging the opponent, its true power was not very strong.

Of course, if the opponent was already of advanced age, getting hit by Plundering the Breath of Time could very well be lethal on the spot.

The most powerful tactic, Time Stop—if the opponent was not vigilant enough to allow a dragon to approach within twenty meters, even a legendary mage could be taken down by Garon.

"If I encounter an enemy of this level now, using Temporal Reversal to seek help from my future self, my future self might

, perhaps, should agree to help."

Garon knew himself.

He wasn't particularly generous, but if his past self were in a life-or-death crisis and sought help from his present self, he would definitely offer assistance if he could, regardless of the cost.

Garon couldn't bear to watch himself die.

Moreover, he had a feeling that his selves from different timelines, past or future, were critically important and inseparable parts of him.

"But no matter what, I can't always rely on my future self to intervene."

"The power borrowed through Temporal Reversal isn't a free lunch; it always has to be repaid."

Garon took several deep breaths, calming his somewhat agitated mind.

He moved his tongue, skillfully rolling the spell scroll beneath it, enjoying the silky touch.

Seventh Circle Shaping Energy Spell—Maw Vortex.

Having now witnessed a high-level spell firsthand, Garon felt he might have underestimated the power of this spell scroll. Even if it couldn't match the most renowned fire-based shaping energy spells, it surely wasn't far behind.

The only regret was that he didn't know the specific effects of the Maw Vortex.

The spell scroll didn't come with instructions, and with only one scroll available, there was no possibility of testing it.

Garon felt the spell scroll in his mouth, a dangerous glint flashing in his platinum dragon eyes.

"If I really encounter such a troublesome person, I'll try to lure them close first. If I can successfully use Time Stop, then combine Plundering the Breath of Time with this Maw Vortex scroll"

Garon silently pondered, simulating potential combat scenarios.

Direct confrontation was difficult, but if the opponent was slightly careless and fell for his Time Stop, there was a high probability of a successful counterattack.

Before long, Garon saw the familiar small glacier.

He immediately descended, transforming into an arcing white line, splashing up countless glistening water droplets before diving beneath the glacier.

The few remaining ice river sharks, which were scarce and only numbered a few, saw the returning dragon and scattered in panic.

Garon ignored these delicacies and went straight back to what was a somewhat cramped riverbed lair for him.

He then closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and slowly drifted into sleep.

A sleeping dragon's presence diminishes almost completely, making it nearly impossible to detect unless seen directly overhead.

Thus, Garon decided to sleep off the immediate threat.