【 CHOICEOF THE YOUNG DRAGONS 】

Tiberia’s eyes sparkled with intrigue as she observed the chosen ones in the illusory forest.

“Such strong killing intent! Are these really elves? How many lives have they taken?”

Regardless of their actual strength, the sheer killing intent these elves exuded was beyond her expectations.

She suddenly realized that these long-eared beings, whom are mostly known for their love of peace, might not be as gentle as the legends had depicted them.

If only I had done more research on these so-called chosen ones before coming here…

Tiberia muttered to herself.

Alas, she didn’t had the time to do so, as she had been rudely awakened from her slumber by her old man, who wasted no time in kicking her out of Dragon Island after ordering her to complete this escort mission.

Thus, before her arrival, Tiberia hadn’t bothered to investigate the details of the Elven Forest at all. She had been thrust into this task with little preparation, relying only on the scattered bits of information she had picked up along the way.

The only thing she knew for certain was that the elves had apparently welcomed a new Patron Deity—the so-called Goddess of Life—and, for reasons beyond her understanding, had formed some sort of alliance with her fellow kin, the dragons.

But now, she was beginning to realize that these elves who called themselves ‘Chosen Ones’ were far from the subservient, cowardly beings she had encountered before, who only knew how to bully the weak and avoid the strong.

After all, having such a potent killing intent could only be forged through real, bloody battles.

As a chromatic dragon who revered power and destruction, she was not only shocked by such intense killing intent but also began to see these elves in a new light.

Watching Tiberia’s surprised expression, Meryer’s lips curled into a smug grin.

He chuckled softly, his face brimming with pride.

It was as if it wasn’t the players who had impressed the red dragon, but Meryer himself.

However, his smug expression, which practically screamed “You know nothing, you’re still too young, learn from me,” only served to irritate Tiberia further.

She lifted her head haughtily, casting a disdainful glance at the black dragon.

“Hmph, so what if they have a strong killing intent? The demons from the Abyss and Hell also have similar auras, but most of them still end up nothing more than food for higher beings. And these elves… their strength doesn’t even come close to that of a greater demon!”

Instead of immediately mocking her, Meryer let out a light chuckle, which was rare for him.

“Strength, you say?”

He raised his chin arrogantly and continued:

“Tiberia, how long do you think it took these chosen ones to reach their current level of power?”

How long did it take for them to reach this level of power?

Tiberia was momentarily taken aback.

She wasn’t sure what he was getting at, but she did know some secrets about the elvenkind.

“Hmph, you’re asking me how long did it take for them to reach this level? As a race with silver lineage, their average strength doesn’t even reach silver-rank. That in itself is a joke. Even if they did reach silver-rank, in my eyes, they’re nothing more than slightly larger ants.”

She replied with pride.

As an adult red dragon, standing almost at the top of the food chain in the mortal world, she had every right to be proud.

However, upon hearing her words, Meryer shook his head, sighing with an air of superiority:

“Ah… you simply don’t understand the chosen ones.”

Tiberia: “…”

Seeing his condescending demeanor, she suddenly felt the urge to punch him.

But this was a mental space created by a true god, where their every action was under divine scrutiny. So no matter how annoyed she felt, Tiberia dared not act rashly. ȐÄꞐ𝔬ВËš

Of course, being a proud and vindictive red dragon, she made a mental note to settle this score with this mongrel later on.

“Tiberia.”

Meryer spoke again.

This time, his expression turned serious:

“What if I told you that these chosen ones went from being mere level 1 weaklings to level 48 silver-rank experts in less than two years? What would you say to that?”

“That’s impossible!”

Tiberia instinctively retorted.

Advancing 48 levels in just a single year?

Not even the most prodigious human geniuses could achieve such a feat!

While it was true that elves were indeed a Silver-lineage race, their strength had declined significantly over time. Historically, it had taken them at least 150 years for a typical elf to grow from birth to adulthood—an agonizingly slow progression compared to many other races.

Of course, with the recent resurgence of mana, all races were bound to experience a rapid increase in power.

Nevertheless.

The mana resurgence had only begun a few months ago—far too little time for such a drastic transformation. No race, no matter how gifted, should have been able to leap from level 10 to Silver-rank in mere months so Tiberia wouldn’t believe any race could quickly advance just like that in just a few months!

Hmm… perhaps the primordial elves from the old legends could do it, but surely this foolish black dragon wasn’t trying to tell her that these so-called chosen ones were all primordial elves, right?

“Don’t dismiss it so quickly. Think carefully! Over the past few days, consider the elves you’ve seen in Florence. Reflect on their strength and how they’ve changed.”

Meryer shook his head as he spoke.

Tiberia paused.

She never paid much attention to these weaklings.

So, when she noticed that the elves trying to curry favor with her were even weaker than goblins, she stopped paying them any mind.

But now, hearing Meryer’s words and looking at the growing number of elves below them, Tiberia recalled something she had overlooked…

Indeed…

When she first arrived in the Elven Forest, many of the elves she encountered were indeed pitifully low-leveled, with some not even reaching level 5, which were utterly insignificant beings.

However, as she looked around now, among the dense crowd of elves in the vicinity, it was almost impossible to find anyone below level 5, or even level 10, as such individuals had become exceedingly rare.

Iron-rankers were now practically everywhere, and Tiberia even recognized some familiar faces among them—those same people who had also been trying to curry favor with her in recent days!

This realization struck Tiberia with an absurd truth:

“…When did those weak elves… advanced to Iron-rank?”

Seven days!

She had only been in the Elven Forest for seven days!

In that short span of seven days, surprisingly those elves had already reached the Iron-rank?

Were they like Abyssal Worms?!

(Author’s Note: Abyssal Worms devour each other in a Gu-like¹ manner, and the lucky ones can evolve into Lesser Demons in a short time.)

Tiberia’s expression instantly turned grave, as she suddenly realized that the black dragon… might indeed be telling the truth!

These strange elves… might have indeed grown into Silver-rank experts in less than a year! And as a red dragon who had lived for centuries, Tiberia knew all too well what this implied.

For instance, within the realm of Seigües, humanity was a race with relatively weak individual strength and short lifespans.

And yet, despite these inherent disadvantages, humans had achieved dominance. By relying solely on the rapid advancement of a few exceptional geniuses from their ranks, they had managed to suppress many other races through sheer combat prowess.

And now, before her eyes, there existed a multitude of beings whose potential rivaled that of human geniuses, yet with even longer lifespans.

Perhaps one year wouldn’t make much of a difference. A single cycle of seasons, a mere moment in the grand march of time, might be insignificant.

But what about two years?

Three years?

What about a decade spent in ceaseless growth?

If such progress continued unimpeded, where would they eventually stand? How far would they ascend before reaching their true limit?

—Or… did they even have one to begin with?

Such absurdly rapid advancement was not just an anomaly—it was a testament of Elvenkind’s real potential. For the faster one advanced, the higher their ultimate ceiling, and if this trend held, then the implications were staggering.

A sizeable portion of their population, capable of climbing from level 1 to beyond level 10 in just mere span of a year…

These elves true potential will certainly go far beyond the Silver-rank!

At this thought, Tiberia took a sharp breath.

Suddenly, she understood why those elders from Dragon Island had such high hopes for these elves.

Because… they were essentially a group of rapidly expanding monstrosities!

Moreover, unlike in the past, these new breed of elves were no longer the peaceful, benevolent beings sung about in ancient legends. For no true lovers of peace would never carry such a dense aura of killing intent!

“It seems… you’ve also begun to grasp just how terrifying they are,” Meryer said leisurely.

Tiberia fell silent.

But soon, another thought crossed her mind…

Where did these elves even come from?

Was it the work of the Goddess of Life?

Had these elves been artificially forged through the power of the Scepter of Life? If that were true, then the deity who wielded the Divinity of Life might be far more powerful—and far more fearsome—than the outside world had ever imagined Her to be.

To craft an entire race, not only blessed with immense talent but also honed for battle, was an act beyond mortal comprehension. This was no simple occurrence; this was more deliberate, calculated…

This was divine intervention at its most terrifying.

And if this truly was Her doing, then what did it signify?

It can be said that the actions of a god’s followers often reflected the will of their Patron Deity, and their thoughts were but echoes of divine intention.

Therefore if these elves carried such raw, unrelenting ambition—if they bore a presence steeped in both growth and carnage—then what did it say about the one who had created them?

After sensing the killing intent emanating from these elves, Tiberia finally realized that the elven race was on the brink of a monumental transformation.

A cold shiver ran down Tiberia’s spine as she whispered, almost in disbelief,

“Was this all… preparation for revenge?”

She had heard stories from some of the elders about the Elvenkind, especially the catastrophe they endured a thousand years ago. And now, it seemed… the newly ascended Patron Deity of the elves was determined to restore the elven race back to its former glory.

Otherwise, She would not have created so many elven monstrosities!

This was essentially a formidable army with terrifying potential…

After reflecting on this, Tiberia’s gaze toward the elves shifted significantly.

However, she still had unanswered questions.

“Hey, Black Dragon,” she turned to Meryer. “What did you mean when you said these elves are the most arrogant and craziest beings you’ve ever encountered?”

She was curious.

In her eyes, despite their immense potential, the behavior of these chosen elves seemed utterly devoid of dignity.

Meryer merely chuckled.

With a meaningful tone, he replied…

“Tiberia, do you think a group that fears authority and bullies the weak would be so eager to slay dragons, challenge gods, and take on powerful foes?”

“Have you heard of Demon Lord Azazel? Currently he’s sealed beneath the Elven Forest. And you know what, every day, the Chosen Ones visit his prison, delighting in defeating him again and again.”

“Oh, and they’ve also defeated the incarnation of the God of Winter and Hunt, desecrated the temple of the Eternal Lord, and, not to mention, they can resurrect infinitely.”

“With all that, don’t you think they’re utterly insane?”

Infinitely…ressurect?!

Tiberia’s jaw dropped in shock.

“What do you mean by resurrect infinitely?” she asked.

Meryer gave her a puzzled look.

“You don’t know? Really? Didn’t the elders on Dragon Island told you anything?”

Tiberia: “…”

“Heh, you’ll figure it out soon enough. Maybe sooner than you think,” Meryer said with a chuckle, noticing her bewildered expression.

Tiberia: “…”

She suddenly felt like she’d missed out on a lot of crucial information.

Meryer continued, “Speaking of which…” He glanced at the red dragon.

“If they hadn’t considered you as their allies, these Chosen Ones wouldn’t be trying to please you. Instead, you’d just be another target to kill in their eyes—and right after murdering you, they’d just strip you of everything useful, just like human adventurers do.”

“So what you’re seeing now is just their pragmatic side. They’re willing to compromise and, under the guidance of the Goddess, treat you as a friendly presence. But don’t mistake that for a lack of dignity.”

“To them, you and I are just passing characters in their so-called game. What you care about means nothing to them. Their only focus is improving themselves.”

Tiberia opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words to respond.

As if recalling something, Meryer’s expression softened. “Of course, despite their pragmatism, they can still treat you as their real friends… the kind that’s genuine.”

Then he turned his gaze back to the forest below and chuckled.

“Well… looks like those little ones have finally chosen their partners. Hah, they even have to compete for it.”

Hearing this, Tiberia also looked down.

She saw those five dragon hatchlings gathered together, actually fighting each other.

…Why are they fighting?

Tiberia was stunned.

But she quickly understood the reason.

Each of the hatchlings had marked the same chosen elf—a black-haired male elf with an overwhelming aura of killing intent and the highest level she’d seen so far.

These hatchlings… were fighting over who would get to form a pact with this particular male elf?

Tiberia: “…”

The scene was unexpected, yet it made perfect sense. After all, from any angle, that particular elf who had caught the attention of all five hatchlings was clearly the strongest and most exceptional among the surrounding elves.

The fight among the newborn chromatic dragons didn’t last long.

In the end, the strongest black dragon hatchling emerged victorious. It strutted proudly over to the chosen elf, with its little head held high.

However, the battle among the remaining four hatchlings wasn’t over.

They continued to fight… this time for a red-haired female elven warrior.

A short while later, the blue dragon, skilled in lightning breath, claimed victory.

The remaining three green dragons each chose a warrior and two druids.

All the chosen individuals selected were Silver-rank experts.

Meanwhile, Tiberia overheard the chatter among the elves below:

“These batch of young dragons are quite fierce… I feel like they’re generally more stronger than the metallic dragons from before.”

“It’s not just a feeling—it’s a fact. Check their stats, compare them to the records on the forums, and you’ll see they’re indeed stronger than most dragon types, except for gold dragons.”

“Gold dragons… Speaking of which, I heard Optimist is almost bankrupt from feeding his gold dragon.”

“Haha, serves him right!”

“He chose the gold dragon, so he got to feed it, even if it means selling everything he own.”

“Still, I think black dragons are way cooler! And it suits Boss Box perfectly!”

“Exactly! Boxlunch is the real deal. Five hatchlings fighting over him—what a flex!”

“Moon Jasmine is quite amazing too! She’s a fourth-beta player, right? It’s insane how she’s even more popular with the dragons than Boss Tomato… truly as expected of the Valkyrie!”

“Tomato is no slouch either! The strongest green dragon chose him, didn’t it?”

“See, even chromatic dragons prefer druids when the strength is comparable…”

“So jealous… Guess I’ll have to wait for the next batch of dragons.”

¹ Gu / 蛊 – a venom-based poison associated with cultures of southern China. The traditional preparation of gu poison involved sealing several venomous creatures (e.g., centipede, snake, scorpion) inside a closed container, where they devoured one another and allegedly concentrated their toxins into a single survivor, whose body would be fed upon by larvae until consumed.

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