Under the Red Dragon.

Chapter 447: The appearance of God
"When the body controls more than the mind, it is animalistic; when the mind controls more than the body, it is divine."

Karon's massive body stood majestically on the grassland, his strong and sturdy hind legs with very obvious muscle lines that were full and smooth.

He only needs to exert a little force to stand up.

The skeletal and muscular structure of its hind limbs alone was sufficient to support the weight of the ancestral dragon body, which weighed over 100,000 tons, without the need for any magic or spells.

"And what is inherently neutral, struggling and wavering between bestiality and divinity, is human nature,"

The Karon people, standing upright, were taller than the trees on the grassland, looking down at the leopard in the forest.

These leopards have undergone many generations of bloodline evolution. Although there is no direct lineage, they have been domesticated and altered by the dragon herd using natural means.

Just as dogs are born with a gene for loyalty, trust, and affection towards humans, these leopards feel the same way about the terrifying dragon; it's an instinctive memory passed down in their genes.

Therefore, under Karon's watchful gaze, the two large cats began to tentatively step out of the woods, lingering tentatively near Karon's massive, tree-like hind legs, pretending to be lazy as they gradually rubbed against Karon's paws.

The dragon's scent has long been present in this territory, ingrained in the very bones of the big cats, so they have not been too afraid of Karon.

“So, Caron, are you going to make a choice during this slumber?” Raven asked with interest, reaching out a paw to stroke the two large cats.

The Pixie are close to nature and have a great fondness for such spiritual beasts.

Moreover, influenced by the True Dragon Emperor, the Golden Empire has always prohibited the hunting of these beautiful big cats, which has resulted in a good living environment for both wild leopards on the grasslands and fierce tigers in the forests within the territory of the Golden Empire.

In particular, the intelligent and ferocious Demon-Striped Tiger is one of the most beloved companions of the Imperial Naturalist Druids.

Karon's every move, even his smallest hobby, can now affect many things within the empire.

Just like Caron's favorite food, the white-horned bison, a wild beast that lives on the grasslands.

Although the empire's ranches and numerous farms bred many white bison, the empire's hunters were also restricted to hunting a fixed number of adult male white bison only after the breeding season had ended each year.

However, the number of white bison remaining in the Golden Empire continues to decline proportionally every year.

It's just that there are quite a few creatures in the Golden Empire who follow Charon's interests.

The newly hatched dragons in the empire alone devour hundreds of adult white-horned bison every day.

This also greatly worried the druids in the Empire. Although they had tried their best to improve the breed of bison and provide these beasts with better living conditions, they still could not keep up with the Empire's consumption.

Although the vast Golden Empire doesn't necessarily need such beasts, it means that the druids' work won't be recognized, since their annual performance reviews are tied to their year-end bonuses.

Caron naturally wouldn't care about such a small matter. Now, there are many things that Caron can no longer handle personally because he's not at a high enough level.

"Of course, it's not about abandoning them, but rather I'm considering how to achieve a relatively perfect balance among the three during the legendary transformation,"

Caron turned his head to look at Raven and said gently, "You should know that the definitions of these three are inherently contradictory. While encompassing all three on my path is not difficult at all, unlike others who need to focus on one aspect,"

"But beyond the legendary, one can anchor oneself to the most peak and prosperous state at a certain moment. At that moment, one side will inevitably completely overwhelm the other, and only then will the most outstanding ultimate power be achieved. So I am thinking about it."

"I don't understand,"

Raven shook her equally small head. "Anyway, with my talent and strength, it would probably take an incredibly long time for me to advance to Legendary status."

“I don’t need to be as strong as you, strong enough to bear the weight of the entire empire and the entire race on my shoulders, so I don’t need to think about all that,”

"But, Caron, you really have worked hard!"

Raven followed Caron's example and stood up, her head and long neck rubbing against Caron's chest and abdomen, and said softly, "However, I can still help you!"

Raven raised her head, looked directly into Caron's eyes, and said, "Over the years, I have read many books and discussed many things with many brilliant archmages in the Empire's Department of Magic Research."

"We have finally uncovered some ancient secrets and knowledge."

“What secret? Tell me,” Caron grinned, placing his massive head on Raven’s, making Raven’s voice choke.

"The primordial dragon god Aio, although the earliest and most original dragon god among the dragon race, all dragons can be said to be descendants of Aio's bloodline,"

"But Aio was not the original scaly-blooded god,"

Raven said softly, "At the very beginning of the world, there existed a great being, the Cosmic Serpent, the ancestral deity of all scaly beings in the material world and the astral plane."

"Also, the common ancestor of dragons, reptiles, and amphibians,"

"The ancient and mysterious physical deity, the Cosmic Serpent, once led the gods to victory in the Dawn War between the first and the Ara-gami. However, due to the division of its own followers, it gave birth to many separate aspects, which eventually broke apart, allowing each aspect to become an independent god."

"The primordial dragon god Aio is said to have emerged from the face of a dragon. This claim is difficult to verify, but based on it, perhaps the face on your body, Charon, could also become a vessel for the power of faith, ultimately transforming you into a deity."

Raven said, "So I've started creating different forms of cards for you in Dragon Ages as a preliminary experiment."

"As long as you need it, I can immediately distribute those cards through the Empire's channels to create a huge influence for you!"

"Does the face become an independent deity, separate from the physical form?"

Caron's eyes flashed with electricity, his mind racing.

Everyone's path is different, and the results are also different.

Kalon is not the Cosmic Serpent; his path is the return of all things to oneness, and the ultimate flow of all paths.

Therefore, logically speaking, even if the various avatars born from him ascend to godhood, they remain the same, contained within Charon's own myriad forms.

The true form of the dragon, however, is the vessel that bears all power. It is the essence of existence and is in harmony with the appearance without causing conflict, independently forging its own path.

But the amount of mental strength one possesses determines the amount of power one can bear.

Even though Charon's current power cannot keep up with the limits of his mental strength, if he decides to take this path and ascend to godhood by carrying the power of faith in his differentiated forms, Charon's mental strength will inevitably need to be incredibly strong, reaching at least tens or even hundreds of times greater than his current level.

Because Charon has more than just three facets.

The earliest Dragonborn incarnations were born from the influence of the faith of dragons and the Dragonborn. The appearance of the Lord of Man is influenced by the human race, while the appearance of the elves comes from the elves of the Green Field Plane.

However, as the Golden Empire now flourishes with its diverse races, the other facets have also taken shape.

A series of illusory faces flickered behind Kalon's skull, rotating with his thoughts. The figures of all beings hovered behind these illusory faces, like a giant wheel watching over each one. The appearance of each illusory face would elicit hymns of praise from the phantoms of all beings.

Dragonborn, elf, human, troll, ogre, kobold, centaur, werewolf, and even naga, all finally settled on the face of a Pik elf with slightly chubby cheeks.

These facial avatars all possess the most outstanding advantages of a race of living beings, and the most prominent features of Kalon's Pik elf facial appearance are cuteness and quirkiness.

However, apart from the first three faces that were born, the faces that were born later were obviously not very mature. The last face of the Pixie was barely formed, like smoke that could be blown out by a gust of wind.

This is because the number of the Pixie race in the Golden Empire is too small, only tens of thousands. If it weren't for the help of the little elf Raven, who gathered the faith of the entire race, it would have taken an unknown amount of time for Karon's Pixie appearance to be born.

However, tens of thousands of Pixie elves are far from enough to fully develop the appearance of the Pixie, so Caron doesn't need to worry too much about his mental energy being overly distracted.

"It seems I'm far from strong enough to embark on this path," Caron said softly, sensing his own condition.

These facial incarnations are born from the faith and spirituality of their race, and are naturally bound to the spirituality and soul of the Karon, being a part of the Karon's soul and spirituality.

However, once these incarnations embark on their respective paths to godhood, Charon will have to bear a burden that is at least a thousand times greater than it is now.

While Charon will gain immense and diverse powers as a result, his own spiritual soul will also be subjected to tremendous pressure.

Because these avatars are also encompassed by the rules of the main body of Charon, becoming one of the myriad phenomena in the legendary destiny system, rather than simply the path of the gods.

"Eat your food one bite at a time, and walk your path one step at a time."

Caron sighed softly, suppressing his extraordinary abilities, and said, "Wait until I've completed this slumber and undergone a legendary transformation, Raven."

"Only after I awaken from my slumber can I decide whether to embark on this path. I need to assess it based on my own abilities, rather than making a blind choice out of coveting greater power."

Raven nodded, then patted the pink scales on her chest and said, "Don't worry, Caron, I've been preparing for you!"

Caron placed his paw on Raven's little head, gently stroking it, and then said softly, "Raven, you truly are the smartest little elf in the Golden Empire, no, in the world of Arcaneia!"

Caron had also considered the path Raven mentioned, but he had never discussed it with Raven.

Raven's actions were entirely spontaneous and proactive.

However, Caron and Raven never exchanged words of thanks, so Caron simply praised Raven's clever little brain.

"Hehe, of course,"

Raven patted her chest, making the scales on her body jingle.

But at that moment, the leaden clouds in the distance, accompanied by a howling wind, caught Raven's attention. She looked up and exclaimed in surprise, "Kalon, that's Akz, and Kalite and the others!"

"Yes, I know, I'm waiting for them here,"

Kalon looked towards the horizon, where two enormous blue dragons flapped their wings, cutting through the air currents as they approached.

With a clattering sound of air currents, two young blue dragons landed in front of Kalon, their naturally aloof faces immediately showing joy and affection.

"Karon!"

Blue Dragon Akz and Blue Dragon Kalit walked up at the same time, touching the head of their ancestor, the Red Dragon Armor, who was slightly bowing, to express their direct feelings.

Many dragons, especially the five-colored dragons, are particularly resistant to expressing their emotions, as if it were a shameful act, but this view is not held among the Gorgmora dragonflight.

“Akz, Kalit,”

Charon and the fairy dragon Raven responded to the pair of blue dragons, and then Charon invited the two blue dragons to walk alongside him.

Four giant dragons strolled slowly across the grassland in the dim evening light, as relaxed and carefree as members of a family.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this,” Akiz said casually, pacing back and forth and looking at the setting sun. “I remember when you were little, you would always be out on the grasslands in groups, hunting, playing, and frolicking.”

"And I am watching you from the sky."

“Yes, time flies,” Kalon said with a slight smile. “We’ve all grown into great dragons now, but the Gogmora dragonflight remains inseparable.”

Blue dragon Kalit has little say in this matter, although Kalon still respects the female blue dragon very much and treats her as his foster mother.

However, when the Goggmora dragons were young, the blue dragon Kalid was far too lazy.

Because of fear and laziness, the blue dragon hadn't fulfilled its responsibilities, so Carit had to change the subject.

“Karon, we have personally verified that the dragonborn you banished to the Frost Giants' capital is indeed, as you said, a being born of an ancient soul,”

Carit looked at her most prized adopted son. The pride she still held in her heart came from the ruler of this dragon flock, just like the pride of the old mage Laperth.

"However, even the dragonborn cannot know which race or which creature's offspring the hounds of the gods will be born into. This is the secret of the gods."

Caron nodded and said, "It doesn't matter. We just need to be prepared in advance."

"Many of the great dragons in the Empire are about to enter a period of slumber. Even Kadiros, Alfred, and Alina will be entering a new age of slumber, so we will need you to keep a close watch on the Empire!"

Today, the Blue Dragon Akz is not only known as the King of Azure Thunder, but has also become the Storm Dragon who controls storms and tides.

In ancient times, the most powerful and outstanding blue dragon species was called the Storm Dragon, the green dragon was the Forest Dragon, and the red dragon was the more ordinary-sounding one, known as the Volcano Dragon.

However, Akz is now capable of controlling the empire during the slumber of many great dragons.

"Don't worry, Caron,"

Akz's pupils flashed with lightning, echoing the runes formed by countless lightning patterns on his chest.

"The family is the empire. While you are asleep, I will take good care of our family!"

“Let’s go, one last family gathering before we fall into slumber,” Caron said, looking up into the distance. He felt as if he owned the whole world.

“Alas, now I am a dragon too, and I want to participate!” Raven cheered.

Kalit and Akz exchanged a smile, then disappeared into the twilight alongside Karon and Raven.

(End of this chapter)