Evil Red Dragon

Beneath Chifeng, magma surges and churns.

Alecto's aura had already broken through to level six, yet it still didn't stop, slowly climbing upwards every second.

The wounds on the dragon's body have mostly healed, and new scales are gradually replacing the old ones, making the dragon tougher and denser.

His size has increased since he fell asleep, reaching a length of fourteen meters, and he continues to grow.

The lines on his body became smoother and more powerful, and with each breath, the lava rippled slightly.

Under the influence of the Dragon Domain, the entire Crimson Peak swayed in unison with him.

At this moment, Alector's consciousness was slowly withdrawing from the library, scanning every inch of his scales, muscles, and bones with his senses.

"I see……"

He had just learned that the growth of the red dragon was not simply a matter of increasing its size, but rather a stage of leap in its life level.

Every period of dormancy is an opportunity for transformation. If it can be actively guided, it can break through the limits based on the original foundation.

"My previous evolution was too crude."

Alector examines his past evolution, which relied solely on slumber.

Although his strength increased rapidly, less than half of his potential was developed; the vast majority of his energy was used to build up his flesh and blood.

"What a waste..."

As luck would have it, he unearthed an unorthodox lineage from some obscure corner, which suited his taste perfectly, so he decided to give it a try.

Alecto silently activated his body, beginning to create a magical corridor within himself according to the methods passed down in the tradition.

The Magic Corridor is the legacy of an ancient red dragon named Sobek, who has an extremely severe obsession with magic and spends his days traveling to other worlds to collect and learn magic.

The Magic Corridor is a product of his invention, which combines magical loops from other worlds with the physical structure of the red dragon.

Each corridor increases magic reserves, speeds up spell casting and magic recovery, and allows magic to permeate the body, causing strength to increase rapidly.

Furthermore, corridors in different locations can provide different benefits.

As magic gathered, a corridor began to appear within Alecto's body.

Starting from the heart, it slowly spreads along the gaps between blood vessels, bones, and muscles, gradually outlining a delicate internal pathway.

This process is extremely slow and extremely painful.

Each corridor is accompanied by the tearing and reorganization of muscles and nerves.

Ordinary life forms would have collapsed long ago when the circuits expanded; only a dragon could withstand such a brutal and simple construction method.

Alecto controlled the flow of magic with an unusually cold will, forcing his body to adapt to this transformation.

Time loses its meaning here.

When he finally completed the prototype of the first magic corridor, the magic power in his body seemed to have found an outlet, surging wildly into the corridor and constantly flowing through it.

His magical reserves also began to expand rapidly at this moment.

Alexo could clearly feel that his total magic power had increased by nearly 30%, and the corridor itself was constantly absorbing fire elements from the magma to reinforce and expand itself.

"A single corridor can create such an effect..."

Alecto was deeply shocked.

According to Sobek's historical records, the complete Magic Corridor system consists of 9 main routes, 18 branch routes, and 54 auxiliary routes.

Once all the corridors are completed, the total amount of magic power will be more than ten times that of a red dragon of the same rank, and the speed of magic casting and recovery will also experience a qualitative leap.

However, with each additional structure built, the energy required and the pain endured increase exponentially.

The pain became so intense that even the red dragon trembled.

Moreover, the Magic Corridor's main function is magic, and the Red Dragon highly values ​​physical combat.

Magic? Only cowardly and useless fools use it. A true red dragon should tear the sky apart with its claws and burn the earth with its flames.

Therefore, very few red dragons actually learn the Magic Corridor.

"With my current resources, I can at most build two more auxiliary lines, and I must reserve enough energy to repair my body and continue to grow..."

After a brief deliberation, Alecto decided to build another auxiliary line.

This time, he chose to start from the base of the dragon's wing and follow the path along the spine to the tailbone.

This corridor will greatly enhance magic output during flight, and its value to the red dragon, which excels in aerial combat, is self-evident.

The construction of the second auxiliary line was several times more difficult than that of the first.

The spine is the central hub where the nerves and magic of dragons converge; it can be damaged if not handled carefully.

Alecto focused all his attention and carefully guided the corridor through the gaps between bones and muscles.

pain!

It was as if someone was carving him stroke by stroke deep into his marrow with a carving knife.

His dragon body trembled violently in the lava, but his consciousness remained unusually clear.

can't stop.

Stopping means all previous efforts will be wasted, and the backlash of magic may even cause the circuit to collapse, resulting in serious injury.

As the last line of the second main circulation closed at the end of the coccyx, his consciousness suddenly plunged into darkness.

He fainted.

But the surging magic power rises from the newly formed circuit, echoing the first circuit and forming a preliminary circulatory system within the body.

Alecto's total magic power surged once again, and at this moment, in terms of magic power reserves alone, he had surpassed the vast majority of sixth-level spellcasters.

His dragon domain thus began to quietly expand outwards.

Meanwhile, outside Chifeng.

The first snow of winter has quietly arrived.

Feather-like snowflakes drifted down from the leaden sky, quickly covering the mountains and forests in a pure white layer.

However, within the Dragon Domain's coverage area, the temperature remains above zero degrees Celsius, and snowflakes melt into water droplets when they get close. Only areas far from Chifeng can be seen with snow accumulation.

With the food crisis resolved, the atmosphere at the camp was noticeably more relaxed.

The orcs cultivated several small experimental plots in the area near the magma heat source, carefully sowing the Fireheart Flower seeds and covering them with ash.

Kargas stayed by the experimental field every day, carefully observing the changes in the seeds.

Seven days later, the first tender shoot broke through the soil, showing a light reddish-brown color.

"It's a success!"

The young orc shaman apprentice jumped up excitedly and ran to report to Kula.

Kula smiled contentedly in bed:

"Great! This is a good start. Take good care of them, and when their owner wakes up, they might see a sea of ​​flowers."

Goron then reorganized his hunting party, venturing out into the frigid cold to hunt prey and get some exercise.

Although the harvest was not much, the occasional snow hare brought back could add some fresh meat to the camp and improve the meals.

However, the shadow of Greystone Town always loomed over Goron's heart.

He dispatched his most astute sentries to set up concealed observation posts on high ground, far from Chifeng but with a view to the southeast, to monitor day and night for any signs of large-scale human military activity.

Fortunately, the area around Greystone Town was unusually quiet.

Greystone Town.

Snowflakes gently drifted down into Elena's palm, turning into a glistening droplet that slid down her fingers.

She stood at the entrance to the mine, gazing into the distance at Graystone Town, its lights flickering in the snowy night.

Behind her, in the mine, Cinsera lay on the mountain of gold, her dragon tail slapping against the pile of gold coins with a clattering sound.

"Elena, I feel a bit cold."

During this time, Elena was very obedient to her, giving her whatever she wanted, and she almost regarded Elena as her own.

Cinsera felt incredibly good!

"I'll have Helena turn the temperature up a bit."

Elena didn't turn around, and Isa slowly approached:

"Your Highness, news has come from the capital that His Majesty is unwell and is currently undergoing baptism by the Pope."

Elena smiled slightly after hearing this.

"It seems my dear father won't last much longer. The battle for the throne in Kalando is about to begin, and my brothers and sisters in the capital should start thinking about it."

Isha nodded in agreement:

"Fortunately, His Highness requested a fiefdom early on, thus escaping the vortex of the capital."

Elena said calmly:

"Since my identity is sensitive and my strength is lacking, I might as well feign weakness early on and secretly accumulate power."

She used this to ask her father for a fiefdom equivalent to two earls; Greystone Town was just a small part of her fiefdom.

Isa paused for a moment, then continued...

"Then, Your Highness, what do you think of the red dragon Alekto that I mentioned to you?"

To Elena, Isaac's words were far less moving than Flying Snow's.

"Wasn't it supposed to be completely without any clues?"

Elena's voice was very soft:

"Isa, our energy is limited. The Endless Mountains are so vast. Compared to the fledgling dragon whose whereabouts are unknown, which is more important?"

Isabella frowned slightly, took half a step forward, and lowered her voice:

"Your Highness, I understand, but that red dragon is different. Judging from its behavior, it is highly likely that it will launch an attack on the city..."

"So what?"

Elena interrupted her, her tone remaining indifferent.

"Every country has experienced being attacked by a red dragon; is it worth wasting our energy on that?"

This is not a question that needs to be answered.

Isa immediately bowed her head: "Your subordinate understands."

Elena couldn't help but sigh:

"Isa, I understand what you mean, but our plan is more important than the lives of those people."

She strolled over to Cinsera, feeling the vast magic within Cinsera and the pulse of that powerful life force.

This feeling made her blood boil, but it also made her incredibly clear-headed.

"The key to a Dragon Vein Warlock's advancement lies in the purification of their bloodline."

Elena seemed to be explaining to Isa, but also recounting her plan to herself:

"I'm currently at the peak of level four, and the bottleneck has started to loosen since I made the blood pact with Cinsera. What I need to do now is not to chase after another dragon, but to delve deeper, make good use of the existing resources, and increase the concentration of bloodline within my body."

Cinsera sensed her thirst for power and responded by exhaling a puff of hot air from her nose.

She had no aversion to Elena's focus on improving her own strength; in fact, she was somewhat pleased with it.

Look, this human is so dependent on my power, he can hardly live without me.

"Is there any progress in Helena's research?"

Elena asked Isa, and the topic completely changed.

"have."

Isha quickly adjusted her mindset and reported to her supervisor:

"Helena believes that through specific rituals and guidance, Lady Cinsera can stimulate and purify the dragon blood within Your Highness."

"She devised a plan that requires Lady Cinsera's active cooperation to release dragon blood and guide His Highness to harmonize with it."

A glint of light flashed in Elena's eyes: "Success rate and risks?"

"Helena estimates that with Lady Cinsera's full cooperation, the success rate is over 70%."

"The main risks lie in the fact that the impact of bloodline power during the ritual may put a strain on His Highness's body, and may deepen the blood pact, bringing a stronger sense of shared perception."

Isa reported the truth.

"A deeper connection..."

Elena murmured repeatedly.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. While it means less privacy and stronger mutual influence, it also represents stronger synergy.

"So there's only one question left: will you cooperate?"

She looked at Cinsella.

Cinsela shook her head abruptly.

Even though Elena's offerings during this period pleased her quite a bit, she still had no intention of helping.

"Give me a break. Dragons don't need companions. We only need followers, treasures, and power. I won't agree to that."

"Oh? Is that so?"

A hint of a smile flashed in Elena's eyes.

After so many days of getting to know her, she knew exactly how to manipulate Cinsella.

Since Cinsera isn't cooperating, she can't be blamed.

She took a few steps forward, stepping on the scattered gold coins, which made a crisp sound.

Cinsela stared at her warily:

"What do you want to do?"

Elena glanced at the glittering golden mountain:

"You said you wanted treasure, right?"

Cinsera sensed something was wrong, and her body tensed slightly.

Elena raised her hand and patted it gently.

At the entrance to the mine, two squads of Silverwing Knights soldiers filed in and silently lined up on either side.

Cinsera roared, "What exactly are you going to do?!"

The dragon's might unconsciously emanated, but the soldiers' expressions remained unchanged.

"Nothing else."

Elena spoke slowly, but every word struck a nerve with Cinsera:

"I just want to help you understand what you can currently have, what I can give you, and what I can take back."

She crouched down and picked up a gold coin:

"Aren't these gold coins, gems, and crystals beautiful? They look quite impressive piled up here. But are they really yours? Or are they just temporarily placed here for you to play with?"

"you!"

Cinsera suddenly propped herself up, spreading her wings. A fierce wind arose in the mine, sparks flew everywhere, but she couldn't reach Elena.

"It seems you understand."

Elena ignored her rage and remained calm:

"Then let's talk about it in a different way."

"If you cooperate with the ritual, these treasures will remain here with you. If you don't cooperate..."

"Isa, start moving."

"Starting from the outermost edge, move these gold coins, gems, and crystals out little by little, in front of her, so she can see them."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Without hesitation, Isa waved for the soldiers to come forward.

"You dare!"

Cynthia's roar shook the mine, sending dust flying everywhere. She pounded the barrier frantically, her dragon breath slamming against it and creating ripples, but she couldn't break through.

"That's mine! My treasure! You despicable humans! You robbers!"

The soldiers, armed with shovels and carts, began shoveling the gold coins from the edges into the carts.

The ear-piercing sound of metal scraping against metal, the clatter of gold coins falling into the truck bed, were incredibly clear and incredibly cruel at this moment.

The first batch of gold coins was slowly pushed out of the mine.

"No~~~~~~"

Cinsera watched helplessly as the dazzling gold vanished from her sight; the feeling of losing wealth was far more painful than any physical injury.

"very good."

Elena nodded:

"At this rate, we'll empty this place. If our little red dragon friend is still so determined, then we'll move it back little by little, then move it away again, then move it back again, then move it away again... until she completely understands."