Chapter 11: Planes and Worlds

Garon's scales shone like a new mirror, devoid of any signs of aging, his claws were robust, wings like sails, and tail as sharp as a spear, all exuding an intense aura of strength. Most striking were his platinum-colored dragon eyes and the ring of tightly interlocking black scales around his neck.

A dragon's whelping period lasts from birth until the age of six.

Yet, at just about a year and a half old and still technically a whelp, Garon had already achieved a size close to that of an adolescent dragon, a size typically reached by dragons who are over twenty-five years old.

This rate of growth astonished even Garon himself.

It seemed as if time flowed faster around him.

However, as he grew to understand his powers, Garon gradually accepted his extraordinary growth rate.

With several growth spurts during his periods of deep slumber, Garon's perspective of the world had expanded beyond mere skies, lands, ice, and creatures. He saw what seemed an elusive river, invisible to other beings.

This was the River of Time.

More precisely, it was a physical representation of time, appearing as a river to Garon but potentially as a giant tree or a gentle breeze to other creatures.

The entire prime material plane—no, all planes, including the ether between the crystal walls—were encompassed by the River of Time.

The River enveloped everything; falling snow, flowing glaciers, gusting winds, the heavens, the earth, the stars and moons. When Garon breathed, he not only inhaled air and elemental energy but also consumed strands of this ethereal river, gaining a unique power he referred to as the Force of Time.

The Force of Time was the source of his ability to manipulate time.

The reason he first mastered time acceleration rather than deceleration or reversal is that the River of Time always flows forward, and swimming against the current is far more challenging than going with it.

As a juvenile time dragon, he was like a creature specially favored by the River of Time. With its help, his growth rate was many times faster than that of ordinary dragons.

Moreover, the passage of time, besides making him increasingly powerful, did not leave any negative effects on him.

Typical white dragons, whose scales shine brightly when born, soon roughen and bear the marks of time.

But Garon's scales remained as reflective as a mirror, dazzlingly beautiful as if untouched by time.

Only natural disasters or human-made calamities could kill a time dragon; the passing of time was powerless against him.

Under the night sky, a much-grown Garon felt some anxiety.

"The White Dragoness's glances are becoming increasingly hostile. I think she no longer wants to keep me."

"Without the White Dragoness, the stable life of development will disappear."

Logically, a dragon mother should nurture her whelps through their juvenile phase until they reach a level of self-sufficiency before kicking them out of the nest to fend for themselves.

Even the most ruthless and cruel dragons do not let their young fend for themselves right away.

But Garon, just over a year old, had already reached the size of a teenage white dragon.

The White Dragoness now looked at him with wariness and impatience, probably planning to expel him from the nest soon.

Although Garon now had some ability to defend himself and had mastered new powers besides time manipulation, he was far from matching a full-grown dragon. In a world fraught with dangers, life without the White Dragoness's protection would mean treading on thin ice.

Garon was already making plans for himself.

He occasionally ventured to the edge of the White Dragoness's territory, soaring high to scout for a suitable place to thrive once expelled, looking for a sanctuary.

A nomadic life was not what Garon desired; it was far too perilous.

Under the night sky, as Garon flapped his wings, his reflective scales not only avoided catching the eye but also mirrored the night environment, providing excellent camouflage.

To an unobservant onlooker, Garon crossing the night sky might seem merely a passing cloud.

On the Arctic ice plains under the starry sky, with stars and the moon both visible, the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, like something from a dream. Garon flying under such a sky felt the air around him come alive.

Although not his first flight, the freedom of soaring high always brought Garon joy.

Moments later, Garon reached the edge of the White Dragoness's territory.

Beyond the kilometer-high ice cliffs where she resided, the land spread into a vast plain, extending thousands of miles south into a continuous mountain range filled with countless magical creatures, humanoid beings, and subterranean horrors.

Garon flew towards these faintly visible, towering mountains.

If possible, he would prefer to avoid the mountain range since it was more dangerous than the Arctic ice plains.

Garon had once crossed the kilometer-high cliffs and moved

 further into the northern reaches of the ice plains. However, the further north he went, the colder and more barren the environment became, with pitifully few living creatures.

In such conditions, Garon doubted he could find enough food.

His appetite was enormous; he needed to consume several times his body weight in food weekly to barely satisfy his needs. Heading into the deeper, barren parts of the Arctic ice plains, he might not be killed by predators, but he could starve.

A time dragon starved to death would be a joke among all sentient beings.

Though he was flying south towards the mountains, it was only to find a suitable place. Until he was strong enough, Garon had no plans to leave the Arctic ice plains.

In this world, the most dangerous creatures were actually humans.

Human adventurers, often boasting titles such as Dragon Slayers, would swarm at the hint of a dragon's presence, eager to become heroes by slaying a dragon.

A dragon's body parts—teeth, claws, scales—were prized magical materials, representing incalculable wealth in the human world.

"My own kind are now those I must be most wary of."

Garon felt the whims of fate as he recalled the blue planet in his mind.

He pondered that perhaps, once powerful enough, he might even return to Earth to make a grand appearance.

It was not an impossibility.

Different planes have vastly different material rules. Since the Earth and the prime material plane share similar material rules, Earth is likely located somewhere within the prime material plane.

In Garon's understanding, a plane refers to a collection of numerous worlds.

These worlds vary in size and shape; they might be a landmass, a planet, a galaxy, or even an entire universe.

The relationship between planes and worlds is like a large bubble encompassing countless smaller bubbles.

The membranes separating these 'bubbles' are known as crystal walls. Between them is a substance called ether, an amber-like fluid. Aside from powerful artifacts like teleportation circles and magic ships, some formidable creatures possess the ability to traverse worlds and planes directly.

Time dragons are among these beings.

Garon had a premonition that once he became powerful, he could surely travel through the River of Time, perhaps even to the past and future.

For now, however, he was just a young dragon worried about his impending expulsion.

Garon circled high in the sky, his gaze scouring the landscape for a suitable hiding place.

Moments later, his eyes brightened as he locked onto a location approximately fifteen kilometers away—a winding, small ice river.

All dragons are amphibious creatures, and Garon felt he might live underwater for a while.

Setting up a nest at the bottom of the ice river would offer excellent concealment and safety.

With that plan in mind, Garon decided to scout the vicinity of the ice river to check for any formidable beings, such as frost giants or winter wolves.

He looked back towards the dragon nest, took a deep breath, and then left the White Dragoness's territory.

Crossing an invisible boundary, the oppressive aura belonging to powerful dragons dissipated.