Chapter 37: Chapter 37: The Dragon’s Temptation

The western sunset hasn’t yet extinguished, while the gray-blue sky in the east already hangs with stars.

In the gap between light and darkness, Galos’s wings are cloaked in a layer of crimson flames burning brightly as he soars through the sky, finally spiraling downwards, diving toward the foot of an unnamed barren mountain.

The ground is riddled with deep pits of varying depths.

The mountain is covered with cracks from collapses and shatters.

Crumbling fissures, as dense as spider webs and like flashes of lightning, crisscross everywhere, seemingly ubiquitous.

— This place is Galos’s newly chosen training ground for the time being.

Due to its remote location, surrounded by barren mountains and wastelands lacking resources, there isn’t any presence of strong creatures.

As for the previous frequent spot, where they encountered the Red Copper Dragon, Galos abandoned it just in case, like if the aggrieved Red Copper Dragon came back with its parents seeking revenge.

His wings retracted, and the flames dissipated as the runes on his wing rings dimmed.

Blazed by black oil, Galos wobbled his head, feeling full of boundless energy, he took a deep breath, using the Silver Frost Ring to expel cold air to freeze and harden the mountain, crashing into it directly with his body as usual.

At this time, it’s been over a week since the first delivery of oil soil by the Earth Spider.

During this time, as a passage has already been dug underground, the Earth Spiders return faster than the first time, often bringing back some oil soil, and after being refined by Samantha’s alchemy, it turns into the heady, thrilling black oil for Galos to drink, though in limited quantity, it significantly enhanced Galos’s training efficiency.

This week’s time was akin to the previous month’s.

Coupled with his previous accumulations, his efforts have been rewarded.

He feels he’s about to evolve, besides a tingling sensation inside and out, it seems there’s a flame burning within, the most noticeable change is in the originally gray-black buffer scales’ edges, now appearing with gradient-like branding iron red, not sharp, yet with high temperature, and they become easily breakable.

“It seems due to the stimulation of black oil energy, this set of buffer scales is evolving in some unknown direction.”

“Though it can still buffer countershocks, it’s becoming more brittle, more likely to shatter.”

“I wonder if the upcoming evolution will be good or bad.”

Galos pondered silently in his heart.

He found it difficult to precisely control the direction of evolution, but until now, there hadn’t been any negative evolution. Feeling the increasingly fragile buffer scales, Galos wasn’t too worried, knowing the specific effects would reveal themselves once fully evolved in due time.

The Red Iron Young Dragon slammed into the ice-covered mountain, an impact resonating with a thundering sound.

The outermost layer of his buffer scales shattered and flew, the splinters cutting through the ice, leaving deep marks.

The cold wind emitted from the ice was rapidly evaporated upon contact with Galos’s high-temperature scale armor.

Accompanied by the sizzling sound of water and fire clashing, heat and cold grinding against each other, a vaporous mist formed around, enveloping the Red Iron Young Dragon, revealing only glimpses, indistinct and hazy.

Each previous collision with the icy mountain, when his body was touched by ice shards or cold air, Galos always felt severe discomfort, like the icy prick of needle stabs.

But with the training of these recent times.

The icy prick sensation persists but is somewhat diminished.

He estimates that his ice resistance might have improved, more or less.

The last glow of sunset gradually descended, the sky entirely veiled by the night, Galos, taking advantage of the black oil energy still not exhausted, continued training, rhythmic thudding resounded incessantly, echoing throughout the night.

Meanwhile.

In the wilderness about ten kilometers from Iron Pine Hills, five adventurers tread on the cracked ground, advancing deeper into the wilds.

Under the bright glow of the twin moons, time slowly passed.

Not long after, as the Adventurer’s Group climbed over the last rocky ridge, they all noticed the tall, densely pine-covered hills up ahead.

“The water in the storage ring is about to run out.”

“Where there’s lush vegetation on those hills ahead, there should be water sources around.”

The blond warrior licked his somewhat dry lips, speaking.

Exploring the wilderness isn’t an easy task, this group has gone through no less than ten battles of various scales during this period, luckily not encountering overly powerful beasts or monsters, thus only adding some minor scratches or claw marks to their bodies, more dust and dirt from travel, without any injuries threatening their lives.

“Wait.”

The caster suddenly spoke, then took a hot, glowing red crystal from his pocket.

He spoke in an unsure, somewhat fearful yet greedy tone, “There seems to be the presence of a Dragon Race in the hills ahead.”

Hearing this.

The other members of the Adventurer’s Group focused their sights.

“Haven, are you sure?”

The blond warrior lowered his voice, asking.

“My crystal has a magic that senses Dragon Race auras; it’s a magic item that lights up to warn when near a place where a Dragon Race aura lingers.”

Caster Haven said, “The red glow signifies a Fire Element Dragon.”

Thinking of the strength and various reputations of the Dragon Race, the white-robed priest softly said, “Then let’s bypass this hill, if we encounter a powerful Dragon Race it would be terrible.”

The caster pondered, “Judging by the intensity of the crystal’s flickering light, the Dragon Race living here shouldn’t be too strong.”

Not hiding his desires and greed, he said, “If it’s a young dragon, or a weaker juvenile dragon, we have a chance to hunt, or even capture alive.”

“Should we detour, or go and take a look, what do you guys think?”

The wanderer played with a dagger, saying:

“You guys should’ve heard, not long ago an Iron Young Dragon was offered to the Lothern Federation’s little princess, the reward from it is something a common person couldn’t spend in ten lifetimes.”

This news had spread considerably outside.

The Necromancer chuckled twice, “That Iron Young Dragon was caught from the Sel Wilderness, there are quite a few evil dragons residing in this wilderness, hence many lone young dragons surviving here…. I really want to capture a young dragon to turn into a flesh puppet, I’d surely hug it to sleep every day, arm and strengthen it with the best materials.”

Each dragon signifies immense wealth.

After some discussion, they couldn’t resist the temptation of ’wealth’, deciding to cautiously approach Iron Pine Hills for investigation, and should they confirm the target isn’t strong, they’d attempt an ambush and capture.

If the Dragon isn’t there, even better, they could pre-set some traps.

In the night, the group slowly approached Iron Pine Hills.

Once reaching a certain distance, they stopped, the wanderer took out an alchemy tool resembling a telescope, using it to gaze at Iron Pine Hills, observing closely.

Several minutes later.

The wanderer’s body suddenly shuddered, her breathing noticeably heavier.

In her vision, the figure of a red young dragon was vividly reflected, its rump up and claws busily scratching the ground, its dragon scale in the night radiant as flames, like gleaming gemstones.

“Michelle, what did you see?”

Noticing the unusual reaction, the blond warrior urged.

Binding the alchemy tool to her waist, the wanderer couldn’t help but smile, revealing white teeth: “I saw immense riches.”

Rumored abandoned mine’s alchemy relics?

Catching this Red Young Dragon alone would be more than enough, this wilderness journey could earn them a fortune.

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