Chapter 176: Flame Dragons
After receiving Garon's response, the two red dragons, still in their human forms, grinned viciously.
In the next moment, they plummeted from the sky, their bodies rapidly falling towards the ground, directly above the Fire Dwarves' territory.
The leader of the Fire Dwarves, Rick, had a solemn expression.
Brown eyes watching the figures in the sky, the dwarves raised their war hammers and axes high. The slightly neater Fire Dwarf casters began to quietly chant spells, constructing magic and drawing on the dense fire elemental energy around them.
Creatures living in an environment like the lava semi-plane are predominantly of the fire or earth types.
Fire Dwarves are so named because they are a sub-species of dwarves associated with fire.
The dwarf warriors swung their heavy weapons, launching flame-formed blades through the air, while the casters completed their spells, creating a net-like flame barrier aimed at enveloping the two humanoid red dragons descending from the sky.
Of course, these dwarves were not yet aware of the true identity of the group above.
They did not have the ability to see through the true dragon's transformation, thinking instead these were audacious casters.
The status of mages is revered not only on the Noah Continent but also in the lava semi-plane, or in most of the prime material worlds. However, this reverence does not mean the Firebeard clan dwarves would tolerate being looked down upon.
"The airspace of the Firebeard clan is not open to outsiders."
Rick huffed heavily.
In his view, the dense attacks from the dwarf warriors and casters were about to hit the two falling figures.
But at that moment, two ear-splitting dragon roars echoed continuously.
In the roar of the red dragons, flames burst into life on their bodies, rolling fiercely.
The two small human forms, in the suddenly burgeoning flames, swelled and stretched in an instant, turning into fearsome, gigantic true dragons.
This sudden scene left the Firebeard clan dwarves stunned.
Then their faces changed dramatically, their heartbeats quickened.
"Dragons, they're not humans, they are, flame dragons!"
Some dwarves' voices trembled.
Even in the lava semi-plane, there are legends about dragons. Although these creatures had never seen true dragons with their own eyes, they recognized them from their fierce aura and appearance at first glance.
As for flame dragons, that's another name for red dragons.
Just like blue dragons are called storm dragons, and green dragons are called forest dragons.
Meanwhile, the Fire Dwarves' attacks reached the red dragons.
The first to make contact were the casters' spells, the flame nets.
Several flame nets, each over ten meters in diameter, would indeed be a binding net if the targets were humans, but their targets were gigantic red dragons, each over twenty meters long.
The red dragons simply charged through.
The flame nets instantly tore apart, turning into a shower of sparks.
Then, the attacks imbued with high temperature and flames also arrived, continuously falling on the dragon scales of the red dragons, sparking but leaving no mark.
Attacking red dragons with fire-based attacks.
Unless it's to a certain degree of strength, it's akin to tickling a red dragon.
"Insolent dwarves dare to challenge the mighty red dragons."
Balls of fire, each about two meters in diameter, spewed from the viciously interlocking fangs.
These fireballs accurately hit the dwarves' houses, the powerful impact instantly shattered those mound-like houses, igniting towering flames.
Some Fire Dwarves caught in the blast were thrown through the air.
The flames of the red dragons, hotter than lava, even the aftermath was enough to scorch the fire-resistant Fire Dwarves, causing excruciating pain.
The strength of adult red dragons received a significant boost in the lava semi-plane.
Their fire power increased by at least thirty percent compared to on the Noah Continent.
Just the initial display of power was enough for the more intelligent and calmer Fire Dwarf mages to realize that the Firebeard clan stood little chance against these two red dragons.
Not to mention, there were still others in the air, silently watching.
Although still in human form, those who could accompany true dragons were likely dragons themselves, just in human guise.
Provoking their anger was not something the Firebeard clan could afford.
There were not many mages among the Fire Dwarves, only six.
It's rare for dwarves to be casters. Mages hold high status within the clan, seen as wise guides for the clan's development.
In the blink of an eye, the Fire Dwarf mages hastily called a halt to their kin, who, angered by the destruction of their homes, wanted to fight the dragons to the death.
They realized the red dragons' attacks targeted the buildings, merely venting anger without killing. The Fire Dwarves injured by the aftermath were hurt but not dead.
This indicated there was room for negotiation.
The opponents were not here for destruction and slaughter.
"Hold your fire! Without my command, do not act!"
The Fire Dwarf elder shouted angrily, his staff striking the clan leader's helmet with a crisp sound, drawing the attention of the dwarves.
This elder was five hundred years old.
As a sixth-ring mid-tier caster, he held high prestige among the Fire Dwarves.
The Firebeard leader had grown up under his watchful eye, and he had personally seen off the current leader's father.
After the clan's most revered elder spoke, the impulsive dwarves hesitated and, under his stern gaze, lowered their weapons.
Rick, gripping his steel warhammer, rubbed his head and glared at the elder.
But the elder's gaze was fiercer, ready to strike again.
Rick begrudgingly withdrew his gaze, deciding not to argue with the elder at this critical moment.
Meanwhile, the rumbling explosions continued. As the Fire Dwarves hesitated, their surroundings had turned into a sea of fire due to the breath of the red dragons.
The flames were rampant.
Filling the view.
The dragon wings stirred up a strong wind that cleared the flames, and the red dragons' massive bodies landed on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. The surrounding flames scattered, as if to complement the dragons' majesty.
"Lowly beings, swear fealty or turn to ashes!"
Roel got straight to the point, having demonstrated the power to destroy the Firebeard clan, he spoke solemnly in the Dragon language.
The elder looked up at the fierce, massive red dragons, feeling their scorching heat, his breathing slightly labored.
Hearing the syllables uttered by the red dragons, the Fire Dwarves looked at each other, silent.
They did not understand Dragon language.
Even on the Noah Continent, mostly casters learn Dragon language. In the lava semi-plane, where dragon sightings are extremely rare, even fewer are interested in and learn Dragon language, and even if they wanted to, they would need the appropriate knowledge to do so.
The Firebeard clan lacked knowledge of Dragon language.
Seeing the silent Fire Dwarves, the already limited patience of the red dragons quickly eroded, their vicious faces filled with impatience.
They spewed large plumes of fire, forcing the dwarves in front of them to retreat repeatedly.
At such close range, the oppressive impact of their massive dragon bodies made even the hot-tempered, reckless Fire Dwarves realize that these were terrifying beings the Firebeard clan could not provoke.
"Mighty true dragons, please forgive the disrespect of the Firebeard clan."
The elder, taken aback, spoke in Dwarvish.
The red dragons, obviously not understanding, grew visibly more dangerous.
As proud dragons, they did not care whether their words were understood.
In the eyes of the red dragons, weaker beings must do everything to appease them.
With communication failing, the scorching winds continued to blow but could not disperse the nearly stagnant tension in the air.
In this tense atmosphere, a few Fire Dwarf mages chanted spells nervously, and the sturdy dwarf warriors gripped their weapons tightly.
In the air, Garon, silently overlooking the situation below, said calmly, "Go down."
Through Luna, he had some understanding of the lava semi-plane.
But it was far from enough.
After all, Luna had only visited here for a while before leaving due to the scorching environment.
And that was many years ago.
Time passes, stars move, everything is constantly changing. Who knows if the information from her is still accurate?
Garon needed to learn more from the natives of the lava semi-plane.
For instance, whether there already existed powerful lords who had unified large lands and clans.
Among those elemental beings of fire and earth granted life, how many were of legendary stature.
Under the right conditions, the strength of elemental beings is not inferior to that of dragons, both being extremely formidable species.
If there were many legendary elemental spirits, controlling the lava semi-plane would require much effort.
A certain number of legendary elements, if united, could be difficult to deal with without using Time Reversal.
"But no matter what, as long as there are no elemental lords with demi-god power, this place will eventually become my world."
Garon thought silently.
Demi-god power refers to those who possess immense power comparable to deities but are not gods themselves.
The young man with silver hair shimmered, his humanoid body suddenly transforming into a silver dragon over thirty meters long, with wings that covered the sky, blocking the light from the fiery sky, casting a large shadow below.
Layers of silver dragon scales, mysterious circular black scales, and winding majestic horns.
The Fire Dwarves noticed the anomaly, looking up at the sky, their breathing hitched.
Next to the imposing red dragons, the massive silver dragon in the sky seemed to relegate them to mere background, clearly not of the same league.
"Legendary dragon."
The Fire Dwarf elder felt his throat incredibly dry, murmuring lowly.
His reference to a "legendary dragon" was not about a rare dragon breed.
But rather, a dragon of legendary strength.
Dragons growing over thirty meters, except for the serpent dragon kind, are generally powerful legendary beings. The Firebeard clan's knowledge of dragons may not be extensive, but they knew some basics, like judging a dragon's strength by its size.
The silver dragon disappeared into the sky behind the curtain of flames.
When the Fire Dwarves came to their senses, those platinum dragon eyes were almost within reach, looking down at them indifferently.
The two red dragons silently retreated.
The ones who had been so imposing just moments ago now seemed like guards or subordinates, their fierce expressions gone, quietly standing by the silver dragon's sides, honoring it as their superior.
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