Under the Red Dragon.

Chapter 428 The World Is Mine
As the banquet drew to a close, Charon raised his enormous golden cup in a toast from afar, and all the members of the Dragon King's Court thought the feast was about to end.

"A salute to all of you and to myself, a salute to our past, present, and future!"

Kalon shifted from a prone position to a sitting position, his strong upper limbs outstretched, and spoke these words with an unprecedented determination.

Caron had said such a blessing more than once before, but it was not just a polite formality.

Past, present, and future, pervading all of time and space, this idea already existed when Kalon founded the Golden Empire and made his founding declaration.

Kalon wanted to break free from all constraints of time and space and exist eternally. He also greedily fantasized that his race, his family, his empire, his civilization, and his people could also embark on this destined-to-be-difficult path with him.

This is the source of Calon's greatest greed in his life.

Or rather, in the case of the red dragon Karon Goggmora, not only is his arrogance enough to overshadow the dragon god, but even his insatiable greed surpasses, to some extent, those born gods like the Immortal Dragon Queen and the Platinum Dragon God.

The higher one's mental strength, the higher one's supernatural abilities, and the stronger one's power. The reason why Kalon's strength was listed as an unparalleled pinnacle in the world of Ekania was precisely because of all these factors, or rather, Kalon himself shaped himself.

The path pursued by Ragnar Hagrid, the Frost Giant King, bears a striking resemblance to the actions of Charon.

The path taken by Anudare, the Dark Elf King, and the actions of Charon are mutually reflective.

This is also why these kings were able to possess the power to become kings and form a deep alliance with Charon.

The most stable relationships in the world, besides shared interests, are those based on common ideals.

"Homage to our King, King of Kings, Emperor of the Empire, Holy Gogmora, homage to our past, present, and future!"

All the members of the royal court stood up from their seats, raised their wine glasses, exhaled in a deep, resonant voice, and then drank the wine in their glasses in a frenzy.

Liam the Eternal Punishment Dragon squinted at the Dragon Emperor on his throne and silently drank the wine in his golden cup in one gulp.

Liam, the Eternal Punishment Dragon, has a unique and eccentric personality, much like other dragons, which are especially rare in the material world.

Perhaps it was his life and experiences in the Forsaken Mountains that shaped the personality of this adult dragon, making it difficult to change, or perhaps it was the Dragon God's past 'betrayal' of the Eternal Punishment Dragon Clan that prevented Liam from integrating into the atmosphere of the Golden Empire.

Aside from Karon, the Eternal Punishment Dragon ignores even the many dragon kings of the Empire that it cannot defeat at present, thus this dragon is isolated among the great dragons of the Empire.

Despite being isolated in daily life, the Eternal Punishment Dragon's innate talent has been recognized by many dragon kings. As the highest-ranking prison guard of the Golden Empire, the Eternal Punishment Dragon also holds a great position of power.

Normally within the Empire, only the Hydra, who has a similar duty of guarding the gates of the secret dimension—the Magic Paradise—can speak with this dragon.

But it was precisely this unique situation of the Eternal Punishment Dragon that allowed Liam to understand some of the meanings in Karon's simple words.

"Past, present, and future, can you remain consistent? When your life reaches a point comparable to that of a god, will you, like those gods, regard your empire and your people as mere ants to be discarded at will?"

Liam recalled the multi-headed dragon that was still chained in the deep corridors of the Imperial Court. Today, it had become like a pet kept by the court, its former viciousness and tyranny worn away, turning it into a docile guard dog.

"I only hope that in the future, those difficulties and dangers, the long life and the ascent to divinity will not wear down your ambition today, and that you will become like that multi-headed dragon, a henchman and watchdog for those dragon gods to compete and show off to each other!"

No one can know what is going through Liam the Eternal Punishment's mind.

The bronze dragon Alina looked at Kalon with a deep gaze. If there was one dragon in the Gogmora dragon pack who was closer to Kalon in some ways of thinking, it would be this metal dragon.

To put it bluntly, when the bronze dragon Alina first joined the Goggmora dragonflight, in order to stay in the dragonflight's territory and realize her ambitions, she had already compiled a whole box of notes just by studying Charon's words, actions, policies, and so on.

Although Alina no longer needs these things to conform to Charon's ruling ideology in order to remain in the dragon kingdom.

However, when it comes to understanding Charon, she may not be as knowledgeable as the dragons of the original dragon pack like Grimhot in terms of the details of their daily habits, but Alina understands Charon far better than the five-colored dragons in the meaning conveyed by their words and actions.

Compared to the anticipation and vision that Caron expressed at the founding banquet, Caron's words now convey absolute determination, as if he were certain that he would achieve his goal.

Dragons are naturally more intelligent than almost all other races in the world of Ekania, and once they take advantage of their strengths, they will be incredibly terrifying.

Although Alina is not considered exceptionally intelligent among the dragons, with the rise of the Golden Empire and the increasing power of this female dragon within the empire, she has been dubbed the Queen of Wisdom among the Bronze Dragons.

"Perhaps, during this long journey through deep space, Charon has found a way, a way to prevent the Golden Empire from facing an insurmountable crisis and perishing,"

Alina's eyes gleamed. After resolutely following Charon's footsteps toward the great cause of the future, both the bronze dragon Alina and the other true dragons in the Gorgmora dragonflight were already mentally prepared.

After all, from a certain perspective, the path taken by the Golden Empire is not only about going against those dragon gods, but also about breaking through the bottom line of many gods who are high above the star realm.

After all, whether it's the stripping away of dimensional faith or the rise of a collective civilization, the Golden Empire has its original sin.

Those gods can tolerate a lucky individual possessing power capable of defying them, but they cannot tolerate a civilization possessing such power.

The Gogmora dragons had long anticipated that the Golden Empire might one day face an unprecedented crisis.

The offspring that Alina and her spouse Alfred had were also the way Alina and her spouse preserved their bloodline in this world.

However, the true dragons of the Gorgmora dragonflight, as pioneers of spiritual will, are not afraid of future calamities, but that does not mean they are willing to accept the fate of defeat.

Alina's dragon blood began to stir, driven by her irrepressible curiosity, which made her eager to uncover the truth behind Karon's words.

However, Alina forcibly suppressed this tormenting desire, because she knew that Karon would share this knowledge, a custom that had long been established among the Gorgmora dragons.

It is precisely because of this custom that the Gogmora dragons have become so powerful.

Moreover, Alina had been with Charon for almost his entire mortal life. She loved Alfred the copper dragon and also loved wearing Charon Gogmora, because she understood him.

Alina turned her head to look at the other true dragons of the Goggmora dragon herd, and was surprised to find that these dragon kings and lords almost all had similar light flashing in their pupils.

Even the snarling white dragon Sloka, and even the somewhat clumsy female dragon Ronnie, were no exception.

"This is wonderful," Alina, a dragon, felt a sense of happiness.

She could sense that at the moment of Karon's return, the former Goggmora dragon pack, which had gradually developed some conflicts, had also returned to its former state.

From his throne, Caron could easily observe everyone's movements and postures. The purpose of this banquet had long since transcended a simple gathering, and he had achieved his intended goal.

Charon then turned his gaze to Nero, the young red dragon hidden among the many great dragons. Among the long list of gifts presented by the Naga princess and her head lady-in-waiting were numerous congratulatory gifts from legion commanders and imperial dragons for Charon's return.

Among them are some dimensional treasures that can have a great effect on Charon now, such as the Heart of the Earth that was sent by the blue dragon Caesar.

The Heart of the Earth is a natural wonder formed from the condensation of elements from a plane. It is a product of the world's natural creation, unlike the products that mages extract and condense from elements. It is a derivative of the innate rules of a plane world.

If it were in the hands of those elemental giants, the Heart of the Earth would be enough to connect with the earth's veins, becoming an inexhaustible holy spring from which the elemental giants would give birth to their divine bloodline descendants.

When placed in the hands of a mage whose affinity is compatible, it can greatly increase the mage's chances of entering the legendary realm, making it a treasure among treasures.

There are also many legion commanders who capture rare and exotic beasts from other planes specifically for their emperors, each of which is a unique species that has no equivalent in the world of Ekania.

However, although these things are extremely precious in the outside world, they are not considered rare treasures in front of the Dragon Emperor of the Empire.

Nero's gift was quite unique among the many gifts, perhaps because this young red dragon inherited the domineering and powerful personality of the red dragon lineage.

However, Nero the Red Dragon not only inherited the Red Dragon lineage's domineering and powerful personality, but also its shamelessness.

Others may have given gifts simply to welcome Caron back and express their goodwill.

But Nero brazenly made a small request and listed it on the gift list, which left Caron somewhat amused and exasperated.

Kalon also knew that although he had been away from the Empire for twenty years, he was somewhat unfamiliar with everything in the Empire.

However, these second-generation imperial princes were extremely close to him, which was largely due to Karon's past actions.

When an elder dragon carries a young dragon to kill someone, it's hard not to evoke the young dragons' worship and affection.

“Come here, Nero,”

Charon beckoned slightly to the young red dragon with his claws, a smile appearing on his majestic dragon face.

"You're the only one among those present who made this request to me,"

Nero, the red dragon, huffed and puffed as he strode over to Charon's crown and gently bowed his head.

The young red dragon was now somewhat flushed, though the color of its scales did not reveal it; the sulfurous smell and smoke rising from the gaps in Nero's scales were enough to prove it.

Nero was scratching his head in frustration. He pushed Monica, the fairy dragon beside him, straight toward Charon, then stared at Charon with his dragon eyes, looking completely dumbfounded.

Monica held her breath, not daring to even breathe loudly.

This female dragon is twenty meters long, but its iridescent tail is much larger than that of other dragons, almost half of its length.

Not only are the dragon's crest and horns pink, but even the webbed thorns on its limbs and the webbed membranes on its back are pink. The entire skull is also very slender and beautiful, unlike the ferocious and vicious Five-Colored Dragon. From the perspective of dragon aesthetics, it is very delicate and beautiful.

Charon chuckled softly at Nero's embarrassment, a gentle expression appearing on his naturally aloof face.

He turned to the Fairy Dragon and said softly, "Raise your head, Monica,"

The fairy dragon slowly raised its head, but dared not look directly into the emperor's eyes, instead staring at the sharp, sword-like thorns on the red dragon's jaw.

“Your predicament has already been explained by that little fellow Nero,”

Monica then mustered up the courage to look into Caron's eyes.

"When I first established the Dragon Codex, I said that I would protect any dragon, regardless of its species, as long as it is within my power."

Kalon said slowly, "Although the Celestial Dragon is a rare species in the mortal world, I will not turn a blind eye to your request for help from the Empire."

Monica's pupils suddenly lit up, hope beckoning to the female dragon.

“However, I must explain this to you beforehand,” Karon paused slightly, then continued, “The Empire is currently at a critical juncture. Not only am I about to enter the peak of my dragon life, requiring a long period of slumber and transformation, but many of the great dragons in the Golgmora dragonflight are also waiting to enter this slumber with me.”

"Therefore, the empire cannot act on a large scale or even resort to military force at present."

Monica's eyes dimmed instantly; she felt hope slipping away again, but she was powerless to do anything about it.

“However,” Karon said with a slight grin, revealing his fangs, “Duke Dracula, living in the mortal world, it is impossible for you to have no desires. The Golden Empire is willing to make an exchange with Duke Dracula with the utmost sincerity in order to rescue your parents from their predicament.”

Monica, the female dragon, felt like a doll in front of the Dragon Emperor; a few words from him caused her emotions to rise and fall like the tides.

She quickly bowed her head and whispered, "I honor the Dragon Emperor and thank the Empire for its assistance!"

Charon glanced at Nero, who was spewing sparks, and pointed his dragon claw at him, then laughed, "Since it was you who took on this task, you will be the one to negotiate with the Luman Empire and the Farn Empire in Middle-earth."

"Let these civilized nations act as our introducers. The two dominant empires must have had some contact with the forces in the nearby plane. This can reduce some of those civilizations' rejection of dragons. The empire can offer some benefits for this."

Nero nodded hastily, and mumbled in a low voice, "I will take care of them, my king!"

“Iron Dragon Morton, come forward,” Kalon said, looking at the Iron Dragon whose body had suddenly tensed.

Morton slowly stepped forward, feeling his veins throbbing wildly.

Only when facing the calm Dragon Emperor could Morton truly understand what it meant to have an imposing presence like a mountain.

Even sitting there calmly looking down at him, he could still feel an irresistible power, as unshakable as a mountain.

“You must know that in all the long years I have lived compared to mortals, I have never killed a single dragon, except for the night the Empire suffered the calamity of the dragons,”

Caron looked at Morton and said calmly, "I won't argue with you much. I'll just ask you, do you know your guilt?"

"Confess your guilt and accept your punishment. You will remain in the Empire for three years of study and reformation as a lenient sentence for your crime of ignorance. If you resist, I will let you go back, and the Imperial army will follow closely behind to crush the entire Middle Plane into dust!"

"Now that the affairs of the world are in my hands, and I have made my decision, no one will disobey!"

(End of this chapter)