Five Years(3)

"This is the clan's final reward to you. Give it your all, and show me your true capabilities."

Quis Nikleton's somber voice echoed from his throat as he turned his colossal fifteen-meter body. His enormous pupils coldly surveyed the two young dragons in front of him. As his words fell, the sweltering air suddenly turned cool.

The deep blue hatchling paced slowly to the side, wings folded behind, teeth crackling with electric arcs. Then, with a fierce bite, his entire body emitted a thunderous crackling sound. Despite being a hatchling, he bore none of the typical juvenile dragon's naivety. With horns protruding prominently and a body length of eight meters—larger than the average young dragon—his deep blue scales shimmered with a faint iron hue in the sunlight, like tempered metal.

His tail, unlike that of other dragons, wasn't lazily drooping but coiled to the side, its gleaming scales tightly enveloping it, with only the hard, sharp tip exposed, resembling a sword.

This was a pure-blooded Blue Dragon, Yongrong Akatosh, the most formidable in the clan. Perfect in strength, speed, and magic, the hatchlings called him "Storm Jail."

Next to him stood the half-blood, Kazan Rego, known as "Flame Jail." His pupils were as blue as Yongrong's, but his scales bore a rare dark red hue. Instead of a single horn, two robust horns extended from behind his ears towards his crown. His eight-meter frame was more muscular than a typical Blue Dragon, his scales hiding strong muscles. With each breath, a pungent sulfur scent filled the air.

Both Yongrong and Kazan were on high alert, their opponent being the hatchling feeder, Quis. The young dragon's aura suppressed the hatchlings' nascent dragon might. They slowly lowered their bodies, ready to explode into action.

The watching hatchlings retreated a few steps, seemingly oppressed by the uneasy calm about to erupt.

Quis glanced their way, noting the younglings hiding behind a low wall. In that instant, lightning boomed as Yongrong charged, his nearly eight-meter body stretching into a straight line. Amidst thunder and lightning, he opened his mouth to unleash a breath of electricity.

But Quis casually waved a claw, nonchalantly dispersing the intimidating arcs.

Kazan's breath followed, a stream of fire. As a Blue Dragon, Quis couldn't handle it as easily as the lightning and briefly paused to construct a simple barrier.

Meanwhile, Yongrong was already close, leaping up and swinging his tail, aiming for Quis's eyes. Despite his smaller size, Yongrong's leap carried a force comparable to a young dragon. He executed a swift combination of spreading wings, twisting body, and lashing tail, his tail tip sharp as a spear.

Quis stared at the airborne hatchling, smirking coldly. He slightly turned his head, deflecting the attack onto his cheek, sparks flying as the tail tip collided with his faceplate. In that moment, Quis unleashed his own breath of lightning.

Even in mid-air collision, Yongrong maintained control, instinctively shifting to the left. He couldn't fully evade the expansive reach of the young dragon's breath and had to create a "sandstone rock wall" to shield himself, taking the brunt of the attack.

Kazan charged next, his ferocious roar resounding. In a flash, he launched a single, unadorned, powerful claw strike. The air whistled as his talons tore through, a blow that could shred steel. Quis reared up on his hind legs, narrowly avoiding Kazan's attack before slamming back down, seizing the half-blood dragon and slamming him to the ground.

"Enough. Going back beaten every day is embarrassing enough in front of the other hatchlings. We'll stop here for today."

Quis looked at the injured Kazan, then at Yongrong, hurt by the lightning breath, and shook his head. "Yongrong did okay, at least knowing to evade and retreat after failure, planning counterattacks. Kazan, what's with your all-out attacks every time? They leave you vulnerable. What if they don't work?"

"Then I lose," Kazan grinned, getting up, seemingly unfazed by his broken bones. "If my all-out attacks have no effect, it just means the enemy is much stronger. Any hesitation or planning would still lead to a dead end."

"Reckless Red Dragon," Quis cursed irritably. After a pause, he added, "Call Oser, Posa, and Aisaria. Prepare for a hunt."

"I'm not interested in small game in the hunting grounds. Let them go," Kazan shrugged, turning to leave.

"Catching thorn beasts indeed isn't interesting."

Yongrong, unusually, agreed. With Kazan around, he could be more unrestrained, as the consequences would fall on the half-blood.

"It's not a usual hunt. The leader wants you to contribute to the clan's strength soon. You have a trial arranged."

"A trial?"

Kazan's body whipped around, eyes widening with excitement at the prospect of something interesting. Staying in the courtyard was too dull, and a rare interesting task was welcome.

"Your targets are two adult Silver-winged Griffins. One is critically injured and nearing death. You only need to deal with the other. Their feathers are magical artifacts; remember to bring them back to the clan. As for their flesh and bones, you can consume them," Quis explained.

"Two low-intelligence beasts? I can handle it alone, or just with Yongrong. Why bring others?"

Kazan grumbled, "That's just holding me back..."

Quis pressed his claw against the half-blood's head, silencing him by pushing his face into the ground. He then addressed Yongrong, "I won't accompany you. Your lives are none of my concern. After calling those three hatchlings, I'll show you the eastern mountain and wilderness maps."

"You have two weeks. Use your abilities to locate and kill the griffins, then bring back the feathers. Don't mess up."

After a moment's hesitation, Quis added, addressing Yongrong, "Be quick. After your return, you have other tasks to attend to."

"Understood," Yongrong nodded, squatting on the ground.