Under the Red Dragon.

Chapter 556 The Dragon Emperor's Curse
The mature red dragon Argogon slumbers in a huge prison; his body is strong and sturdy, resembling a red hillock.

The rough, blocky red scales were dark and dull, and the equally dark red, almost black, horns carried the ferocity that a dragon is born with.

However, Argogun's performance was not as formidable as its appearance suggested. Even when resting, this mature dragon unconsciously curled its tail tightly around its head.

Its head was deeply buried under its wings and tail. Occasionally, the mature dragon in its sleep would suddenly tremble and let out a series of low, unconscious cries from its throat.

Like a puppy startled from its sleep, its face showed an unnatural look of fear.

From the deep corridor outside the enormous cell, a series of heavy footsteps began to echo, like a heavy beast pacing and surveying its territory in a desolate forest, unrestrained and ruthless.

This startled the sleeping Argogun, a robust red dragon, awakening him from his slumber. He quietly raised his head from under his wings and peered out of the cell, his expression one of utter terror.

Because the heavy footsteps were already very familiar and deeply ingrained in the young red dragon's mind; they were the footsteps of the Eternal Punishment Dragon Liam and the Amethyst Dragon Loya.

The rustling sound was the noise made by the Hydra, the nine-headed serpent of the Empire, as it moved across the ground. This ferocious, ancient serpent-lizard species also served as a guard for prisons and certain hidden places.

On the day the trial of the Imperial "Dragon Codex" was announced, this robust red dragon first watched helplessly as the hellish dragon, which was countless times stronger and more majestic than itself, had its skull severed by a massive blade. The scalding pain from the dragon's blood still lingers in Argogun's memory.

Then Argogun was publicly tried and sentenced on the execution platform of the Imperial Inquisition, where the sins committed by this vigorous red dragon were listed, and the Imperial Inquisition's knights personally flogged him three hundred times.

The reason this robust red dragon did not die on the execution platform in the courtroom was simply because of a sentence that Dragon Emperor Kalon Gogmora had once said to the black dragon Rossani.

“These guys were unaware of the existence of the Dragon Codex before, and many of them didn’t believe in its authority and effectiveness,”

"While ignorance is no excuse and this might not let the young red dragon escape punishment, we can't just kill it outright either,"

"Let Argogun and that evil dragon Nur be the beginning of the Empire's authoritative display of the Dragon Codex!"

So, in addition to being judged and whipped along with several other young dragons, Argogun was punished every ten days by the eternally punishing dragon Liam and the amethyst dragon Loa.

As a result, the Empire's Department of Magic Research discovered a type of magic with relatively low versatility, specifically designed for prisoners who had lost the ability to resist.

That is, to construct a mental simulation world centered on the mental domain of the mature red dragon Argogun, and to make certain events that Argogun once experienced happen.

So the mature red dragon and the other young male dragons began to enjoy all the sins they had once inflicted on the other female dragons and the dead dragons.

The two giants, Eternal Punishment Dragon Liam and Amethyst Dragon Loya, who are in charge of the Imperial Prison Department, even gave this punishment a strangely nice name—"What you give, you receive; what you sow, you reap!"
However, the name of this punishment always made Caron shake his head, but he ignored the two 'evil' dragons.

"How is it? How is it? Is that strong, red dragon about to give up? If he goes mad, will I be able to eat him?"

The seductive voice of the evil Hydra echoed from the deep passageway, causing Argogun's red scales to tremble involuntarily.

Every time Argonaut was punished, the sinister hydra would gleefully gesticulate beside him, threatening to devour him. The problem was, Argonaut thought the hydra was serious.

The covetous looks and the drooling in their eyes were proof of this.

"You're overthinking it. It's one thing to let you eat those demons and devils who dare to rebel against the Empire, but even though Argorgon doesn't understand rules and disregards the law, he's still a dragon,"

The dragon voice of Loya, the Amethyst Dragon, also rang out, "Only dragons can deal with dragons; this is the consensus of all the dragons in the Gogmora Dragonflight."

Of course, Loya the Amethyst Dragon's statement that only dragons can deal with dragons is limited to the Gogmora dragon pack. Having been in the Empire for a long time, Loya the Amethyst Dragon was already used to this kind of statement.

The Hydra's disgruntled voice drew closer, and the ancient serpent-lizard's nine heads spat in unison, saying, "Why am I not a dragon? I am one of the world's rarest nine-headed hydra dragons, do you understand?"

"His Majesty King Gogmora said that as long as one possesses the spirit of a true dragon, one can be considered a true dragon. How can I, Hydra, not be a true dragon? Loya, you are questioning the will of the Holy Emperor!"

"Don't try to pin this on me. I'm not buying it. You weren't this assertive when you spoke to His Majesty."

Loya the Amethyst Dragon muttered to himself, then stopped in front of Argogun's cell and looked at the grown-up dragon cowering like a chick.

The Hydra also stopped, its nine heads staring blankly at Argogun.

This hydra lizard is Fafnir's companion, and thanks to its allegiance to the Empire, it receives regular feeding.

Even many of the discarded items in Dragon Emperor Kalon Goggmora's private dragon laboratory were fed to this hydra, so much so that Hydra's first assessment of anything or anyone belonging to the Empire's enemies is whether that creature is slippery or not.

Only those things that are truly inedible are thrown into the empire's incinerators to be burned and reprocessed as energy, becoming fuel for the power furnaces in many factories within the empire.

Perhaps because it had consumed too many demons and monsters, the scales on this hydra now emitted billowing black fire mist, making it look far more terrifying than before.

However, both the amethyst dragon Loa and the hydra Hydra need to heed the advice of the taciturn eternal punishment dragon Liam.

This Eternal Punishment Dragon rarely expressed its opinions, whether in the council of the many great dragons in the royal court or at banquets of many private dragons. This was partly due to the Eternal Punishment Dragon's personality, and partly because its job required it to keep its mouth shut.

However, since the brother of the Eternal Punishment Dragon Liam is about to hatch from his egg and be born in the Dragon Graveyard, which is guarded by the World Tree Owo and two bone dragons, the Eternal Punishment Dragon has been talking much more than before.

“Argogun, your good days are over,”

A hint of amusement flickered in Liam's eyes as he extended his paw, pressed open the magical symbol on the prison door, and raised his head slightly to speak.

Argogun's body trembled slightly again; the mature dragon's body was completely unscathed.

However, the mental torment and punishment had rendered Argorgon unable to feel even a trace of hatred towards the dragons of the Goggmora, only pure fear and dread.

Now, even if a young dragon representing the Gorgorra dragon herd appears before Argogun, this mature dragon must submit to its authority.

"Am I finally free, just like the Colorful Prince?"

Argogun finally shook his scales, slowly stood up, and asked. After all, he was a strong, mature red dragon; he couldn't possibly be a chick.

"No, you have been freed, but you are not like that dead dragon Nur,"

Eternal Punishment Dragon shook his head and said, "Come with me. Emperor Goggmora wants to see you in person. I think I have taught you enough these past few days."

“I don’t want you to embarrass me in front of Emperor Gogmora, so you know what to do.”

"Although I don't think you have the courage to bare your fangs in front of Emperor Gogmora, my job requires meticulousness, hey."

Argogun silently followed Hydra out of the prison. Due to their shift duties, the Eternal Punisher and the Amethyst Dragon were escorted to the True Dragon's Lair by Hydra, the first serpent lizard under the two giants of the prison.

Along the way, the mature red dragon Argogon stopped frequently and saw several female dragons that he had once ruled on the mountain path. They stood high on the peaks, wings outstretched and heads bowed, watching him.

The female dragons' once large and bloated bellies have been restored to their original state, their scales look smooth and beautiful, and they exude a confidence that is different from before.

But what Argogun couldn't understand was that the female dragons' eyes didn't reveal hatred or the pleasure of revenge, but rather a look of condescension towards insects.

But the carefree Hydra hesitated before the dragon's lair, leaving the young red dragon Argorgon alone to the storm giants and the golden guards who were protecting the lair.

Argogun never had the chance to face the Dragon Emperor up close, but the Hydra was different. Its relationship with Fafnir allowed it to easily meet the Dragon Emperor.

Even though the effects of the true dragon's lair were consciously suppressed by the Dragon Emperor, Hydra did not want to face the Dragon Emperor's true form.

But when the storm giants and golden guards softly chanted the Dragon Emperor's title before the dragon's lair to awaken its master, Argogun understood why the hydra had been in such a hurry, almost rolling down the mountain.

Rumble,
The entrance to the enormous dragon's lair is tens of meters wide and high, enough to accommodate several mature Argoguns entering and exiting at the same time.

But when the mountain began to tremble slightly, Argogun felt the massive entrance suddenly go dark, followed by two enormous beams of light shooting out from the darkness, accompanied by surging air currents that roared and whistled.

Argogun held his breath, horrified as he looked up at the enormous head that had emerged from the dragon emperor's lair, hovering above him and looking down at him.

Argogun is now 31 meters long, which is extremely outstanding among adult dragons. Many powerful ancient dragons only have such a body length.

But his entire body was only comparable to the head of the Dragon Emperor.

Argogun even had a feeling that if the Dragon Emperor's head were to drop slightly, it could easily crush him to death here.

Even though the Dragon Emperor had suppressed all his outward power and pressure, the sheer size of his body was enough to make Argogun's legs go weak. He immediately slammed his head into the heavy ground in front of him, his vertical pupils fixed on his nose, not daring to move or look even once more.

To Argogun's surprise, every time the Dragon Emperor moved, the faint sound of countless chains being dragged could be heard from the dragon's lair, as if this incomparably powerful red dragon had been chained up there by someone.

The problem is, who can lock the Dragon Emperor's body in his lair in the Golden Empire's stronghold in the world of Ekania?
Dragon God?

Even Argogun, trapped in his prison cell, knew of the day the dragon goddess Tiamat descended upon the Dragon King's court and was suppressed by the Dragon Emperor with a royal decree. Argogun couldn't understand why the immortal dragon god who created the five-colored dragon race would be banished by the Dragon Emperor in the Golden Empire's own territory. He could only conclude that the Dragon Emperor had locked himself deep within his own lair.

“Raise your head, Argogun,”

Hearing the deep, resonant dragon voice from above, the mature dragon instinctively raised its head, only then vaguely seeing the thousands of chains flashing past between the gaps in the entrance.

These millions of chains appeared from all directions—the earth, the sky, and even the void—and entangled themselves around the Dragon Emperor's enormous, unseen body.

But those weren't real chains; they were lines of power that were already visible to the naked eye.

Argogun's claws, which were lying on the ground, involuntarily exerted great force, not only because of the shock of what it had seen.

It was also because when the Dragon Emperor spoke, the breeze created by his breath gave the young dragon the illusion that he was about to be blown away.

"Mighty Dragon Emperor, Argogun, burdened with the sins of his birth, bows and begs for the forgiveness of Emperor Gogmora, and for the mercy of all Dragon Emperors of the world!"

Argogun lowered his gaze to his nostrils, not daring to look directly at the enormous dragon's head in the sky.

Therefore, this robust red dragon did not see the countless changing figures of old, middle-aged, young and old that kept flashing in the Dragon Emperor's pupils.

That was a portion of the accumulated divine power brought about by the leader of the followers who worshipped this Dragon Emperor in the Dragon World, and also a spoil of war that Kalon had reaped while managing the Dragon Plane.

The path of the gods is also a major branch of the path that Kalon walks, and it is also the rule that this great red dragon needs to comprehend.

Therefore, the gods who once rose to power in the Dragon Dimension, such as the King of Light, the Crimson God, the Drowned God, and the Night Lion, all became reference spoils for the Lord of the Golden Empire.

In that plane of existence, Kalon Gogmora was hailed by the cult that worshipped dragons as the Lord of Light, the God of Dragons, and the ruler of all living beings. All the gods who had ever appeared in the Dragon Plane were merely different manifestations of the will of this great red dragon.

Therefore, this spoils of war were easily taken by the Great Red Dragon, and used as a reference and one of the nutrients for its own path, just like the other rules.

This is also one of the reasons why the Charon Herding Empire and other nations became its hounds.

Reaching the pinnacle of a single path or rule, or constructing a comprehensive system of rules, is enough to elevate one to legendary status and eventually rival the many deities above the celestial realm.

But Charon's path encompasses everything, which also means that this great red dragon needs to reach its destination on almost infinite paths simultaneously. How difficult that is! Relying solely on the dragons and the Golden Empire is far from enough to meet Charon's requirements.

Although advancing to the legendary realm of destiny seems a long way off, fortunately, every time Kalon masters a new rule, his strength and power increase day by day.

This is also why the Dragon Emperor's body has grown to such a size that even the Hydra doesn't want to face it easily, and why even the mature red dragon Argorgon's legs and claws go weak under the pressure of its size.

As long as Kalon's spirit and mind can withstand it, then for this first-generation dragon that has transformed into its mythical form, its size will grow endlessly with the increase of its strength and power.

The only drawback is that the resources consumed by Calon today are far too terrifying for any nation.

"There are countless races and beings in the world, so there are countless beings that are born as garbage and scum."

Kalon lowered his head and looked at the tamed, strong young dragon, saying this.

The young dragon suddenly went black. His innate nature was hard to change, and so it was true of everything. What he feared was the Dragon Emperor's judgment of him.

Caron does not agree with the saying that "human nature is inherently good," believing that all things are born with self-interest.

While many people and beings are drawn to goodness due to their innate character, many others are influenced by their power, status, civilized environment, legal constraints, and moral suppression.

However, some people and creatures are born with a wicked nature, which is very difficult to change.

"Even in today's empire, there are still naturally occurring scum and garbage like this,"

Kalon said, “Argogun, you are born scum and trash, but it doesn’t matter. As long as you abide by the laws of the Empire and fulfill its will, even if you are born scum and trash, you can still find a place to survive in the Empire.”

"So, for the sake of your freedom, you piece of trash and scum have to make the most of your remaining value!"

Argogun's fear vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of joy that even the Dragon Emperor's words about him being born scum and trash couldn't mask.

“Argogun is willing to serve the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor to atone for his sins,” Argogun said hastily, his body trembling with excitement.

Caron bared his fangs and let out a soft laugh.

He slowly extended his enormous claws, making a series of clanging sounds, and then pressed them down on the head of the mature red dragon, causing Argogun's body to slightly collapse.

Immediately afterward, Argogun heard an ancient and vast dragon voice resounding overhead, echoing and reverberating. It was a spell or magic chanted by the Dragon Emperor, carrying immense power and mysterious efficacy.

The winds of magic, echoing across the heavens and earth, followed the Dragon Emperor's command, and the elemental winds chanted the final notes of his incantation.

"I curse that the dragon will not die by his hand,"

"I curse that dragons will only die at the hands of dragons..."

When the continuous chanting of spells stopped, Argogun felt that something was different about him, but he didn't know exactly how.

Argogun only knew that there might be many creatures in the mortal world that could defeat him, but there might not be many that could kill him.

To kill Argogun, the opponent he would face before his death would not be a young, strong red dragon, but the mighty Dragon Emperor.

But Argogun also knew one thing: the dragons in the Gorgmora dragonflight would be able to kill him easily, no matter what kind of dragon they were.

"Go, Argogun, take your sins to the lands the Empire cannot touch, to the lands where civilization has not yet spread, to the most dangerous and ignorant lands,"

Kalon bowed his head and said softly, "This is your future destiny, and also your future freedom. You are my experiment, and also the sacrifice and vanguard for the empire to open up dangerous territories in the future. Only in this way can you gain your freedom."

Argogun bowed deeply in reverence, then slowly and deliberately walked down from the mountain peaks.

"Hehe, from another perspective, hasn't this rascal also received your favor, Caron? Isn't this too cheap for him?"

Laughter came from the cave. The little elf Raven hopped and skipped across the body of the big red dragon, landing on Karon's shoulder blade and plopping down.

The little skirt made of flower wreaths covered Raven's fair legs, while the 'dragon horns' on the elf's headband were lush and green.

The other dragon king's companions are often busy with their own affairs, and only in their spare time will Kron set aside time to go out and play with Kleinaya and Antajena.

But only Raven, the little fairy, can find Karon whenever she has time.

After all, many of this little guy's kin have been turned into 'black slaves' by her, and now Raven only spends a lot of effort and time on the Floating Life Card.

"What kind of favor is this? Besides, I don't even know how effective my curse is. I might as well use it to practice."

"The enemies that a young dragon might encounter can perhaps test the strength of my cursed power,"

Kalon turned his head slightly and smiled as he looked at the elf, who now looked like a tiny mosquito.

The little elf Raven reached out her white little hand and scratched Charon. This little elf had once wondered why the adult red dragon, despite his heinous deeds, was still able to escape death.

But Caron said something to Raven that was hard to understand, and Raven still doesn't understand what it meant.

"If I become the Green Emperor in the future,"

Caron told the elf that this was the charm of another language, but the wretched fellow was too lazy to teach the elf Raven.

Thinking of this, Raven became furious and punched Caron hard in the back with her little fist.

But this was met with a pained cry from the little elf.

"Hey, Caron, I feel like your skin and scales have gotten even thicker!"

"hehe,"

The dragon's laughter rang out softly.

(End of this chapter)