Future

"Aisaria really is beautiful, her scales shine like emeralds and gemstones. When I reach maturity, I definitely want to choose a dragon like her as my mate," mused one dragon.

"I think those colors are better suited as decorations, hanging in the dragon's nest. They would look amazing," another dragon opined.

"What are you doing?" Yongrong asked as he found Belron and Hel crouched under a low wall, their bodies low to the ground, heads peeking out, whispering to each other and occasionally shifting their tails.

"Come, come," Belron gestured for Yongrong to crouch like them, speaking in a hushed tone, a guilty look on his dragon face. When Yongrong joined them, he realized they were sneakily observing a female dragon, glancing her way now and then.

"Do you think she's pretty?" Belron asked Yongrong, referring to the green dragon Aisaria.

"She's alright," Yongrong replied after a quick glance. By draconic standards, the female green dragon nearby was indeed attractive. Her scales were small and shiny, emerald in color, with pupils of the same hue indicating her pure-blood status. Her neck was slender, wings large, and her neatly aligned sharp teeth were like a thicket of white thorns, her cheeks small and symmetrical.

"More importantly, this female is not just beautiful, but also strong. She almost defeated Kazan yesterday with her paralyzing and disorienting toxins. Even though Kazan won in the end, it was a tough battle. I guess that hybrid red dragon won't be showing up for a couple of days, needing time to cleanse the green dragon's toxins," Hel added.

Yongrong, somewhat surprised, had noticed Aisaria's skill with toxins but didn't pay much attention, as her opponents seemed weak. Hearing Hel's comment, he started to take her seriously, focusing on the female green dragon nearby.

"Everyone is now saying Kazan is the strongest, with Aisaria and Yongrong tied for second," Belron noted, attributing Aisaria's ranking to her actual strength and Yongrong's to his impressive breath attack from yesterday.

"But in my eyes, you are stronger than Kazan," Belron said to Yongrong, suggesting a fight with Kazan, which many were eager to see.

"Eventually, it will happen," Yongrong replied nonchalantly.

"Do you think you can win?" Hel asked, more concerned and thoughtful than Belron.

"It's hard to say," Yongrong admitted. "Kazan has never lost, and no one has seen him at full strength."

"You've never lost either," Belron pointed out, slightly discontent.

"Speaking of which, more than the green dragon Aisaria, I'm more interested in that black dragon, Posa. His combat skills are quite special," Yongrong said, standing up and stepping back, bringing up the day's main concern. "Does anyone of you know him well? I'd like to learn from him."

"Posa is notoriously reclusive, a typical trait of black dragons—strange and off-putting," Hel replied. Despite his reluctance, Yongrong explained that Posa's victories in the arena despite his lack of advantages in bloodline and talent indicated something worth learning.

After a moment of reflection prompted by Yongrong, Hel asked, "Yongrong, what kind of future do you want?"

"At least a few nests, my own territory," Yongrong answered, his vertical pupils gleaming. "I want to become very strong, so strong that my name is known across the multiverse, just like Black Emperor Caesar and Death Omen Xylon. It's been too long since a blue dragon's name was known among the evil dragons. I want my name to be as renowned as theirs."