Evil Red Dragon

Time slips away quietly, as slowly and irresistibly as a river of lava.

Since that mining excavation, Alecto devised a rigorous training program for the three-headed dragon hatchlings:

In the morning, they search for and mine ores near the volcano; in the afternoon, they venture deep into the forest to hunt; and at night, they return to their den to digest and absorb the minerals.

Oliveira was initially very nervous.

She never forgot her betrayal of Alecto, and when the Shadow Blade Panther appeared, her first thought was to abandon him and run away, which she then put into action.

Although it was forced back by Alekto with the most realistic threats, that brief retreat was enough for any red dragon to hold a grudge for life.

She believed that Alecto would settle this score sooner or later.

Perhaps she was accidentally pushed into the claws of a monster during a hunt, or perhaps her neck was quietly snapped while she slept, and then she was thrown to a place where no one could find her...

The Red Dragon has countless ways to make an annoying little sister disappear without a trace.

However, as the days went by, Alecto seemed to have completely forgotten about it.

He still directed them to dig, still led the charge in the hunt, and still distributed the spoils according to their contributions.

It's unbelievable! A red dragon is distributing its spoils! And it's incredibly loyal to the contract, giving them every single thing they're entitled to!

Although Oliveira's share was always the smallest, it was purely because she still habitually cowered and slacked off in battle, rather than being deliberately punished.

He didn't even use the escape incident to threaten her again.

This forgetting gradually gave Oliveira a strange unease after her initial relief.

Why didn't he pursue the matter?

Red dragons are not a magnanimous race.

Being vengeful is an instinct ingrained in one's bones.

Oliveira secretly observes Alecto, trying to find clues from his every move.

But Alector's performance was flawless.

He spent most of his time eating silently, sleeping soundly, or gazing into the depths of the nest with a look so profound that she couldn't understand him.

He only reveals the cold majesty of a red dragon when directing digging and hunting.

"Could it be... that he really doesn't care?"

Oliveira lay on the warm rock platform, licking the monster blood off her paws as she drifted into thought.

Not far away, Cinsera was practicing her newly mastered spells in front of the rock wall.

Dozens of fist-sized, sharp rocks hovered and spun in front of her before whistling as they crashed into the rock wall, leaving deep dents.

Her magical skills improved rapidly during this period, her control over earth elements became increasingly refined, and she even began to try to incorporate metal particles into stone projectiles to increase their penetrating power.

Cinsela also made no mention of the escape.

But Oliveira could sense that in her sister's eyes, besides the usual disdain, there was also a kind of pity born of shared misfortune.

In fact, Cinsela was waiting.

He waited for Alecto to lose patience with Oliveira, and for an opportunity to legitimately get rid of this burden.

Unaware of what was happening, Oliveira shrank closer to Alector.

Anyway, she has to cling to this powerful figure!

Once she felt reassured, she took her efforts to please Alecto to a new level.

"Brother, look at this ore! It's glittering, it must be high-purity gold!"

Oliveira, holding a golden piece of ore dug from the depths of the mine in her paws, ran to Alecto, her voice sweet and full of adoration.

Alecto was lying next to a pile of newly mined ore, resting with his eyes closed.

Hearing Oliveira's voice, he lazily opened one eyelid and glanced at the stone in Oliveira's claw.

"Iron sulfide ore contains many impurities and has a negligible gold content."

He mercilessly exposed Oliveira's offer, exhaling two wisps of sparking smoke from his nostrils:

"Instead of wasting time searching for this junk, I'd rather help Cinsera reinforce the mine. I don't want to be buried alive."

"Ah...yes, yes!"

Oliveira awkwardly put down the ore, but she was not discouraged.

She twisted her body, the tip of her slender tail brushing lightly against the edge of Alecto's wing membrane hanging on the ground, the scales rubbing against each other and making a rustling sound.

"My elder brother is truly learned! He knows everything!"

She blinked her vertical pupils, trying her best to strike a seductive pose.

Although it looks somewhat comical because it's made in the shape of a baby dragon.

"When I'm a little older, I'll definitely be able to help my brother even more!"

Alecto opened his eyes.

The crimson dragon's eyes stared at Oliveira, causing her to freeze instantly, forgetting even to wag her tail.

"Olivera".

Alecto spoke:

"If you used half the effort you put into currying favor with me to hone your claws and breath, you could at least hunt a level three magical beast on your own now, instead of hiding in the back and picking up the scraps every time you hunt."

Oliveira's fawning expression froze instantly:

"I...I just..."

"You're just afraid of dying, afraid of getting hurt, afraid of paying the price."

Alector interrupted her, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger:

"There's nothing wrong with that. The red dragon's instinct is survival and plunder, and the fear of death is in the nature of intelligent beings."

He paused, then turned his gaze to Cinsera, who was practicing magic:

"But you must understand that in this world, especially for us Red Dragons, only strength is the only capital to please the strong and protect ourselves."

"You're only able to survive by these petty tricks because I still allow you to live, because Cinsella temporarily needs a weaker contrast to highlight her worth, and because Mother is still asleep and I don't have time to clean house."

Every word he uttered felt like a cold piercing into Oliveira's heart.

"If one day I die, or if I feel you're no longer even worthy of being a comparison..."

Alecto didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was crystal clear.

Oliveira was ice-cold all over, and even her breathing stopped.

She always thought she had hidden her true feelings well, and that Alector was just too lazy to care.

So... he knew everything.

He simply doesn't care.

Just as a dragon wouldn't care about the struggles of an ant at its feet, as long as the ant isn't in the way, it might even allow it to crawl between its claws for a moment.

But if an ant, unaware of its own limitations, tries to climb the dragon's spine...

It can be crushed with one foot.

"I...I understand, elder brother."

Oliveira lowered her head, her voice barely audible:

"I will change... I definitely will."

"That would be best."

Alecto closed his eyes again and stopped looking at her.

"Go help Cynthia reinforce the mine. This afternoon's hunt, I want to see you kill at least one level three magical beast on your own, or your dinner will be nothing but air."

"……yes."

Oliveira dared not say another word, lowered her head, and quickly walked towards the mine.

Cinsera saw this scene from afar and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

She certainly heard what Alector said.

So that's why Alecto kept Olivera.

The incompetence of the weak serves to highlight the excellence of the strong.

It was brutal, but very effective.

Cinsera's apprehension towards Alecto deepened even further.

This male dragon was not only incredibly powerful, but also terrifyingly deep in thought.

He was only born recently, yet he seemed to have lived for hundreds of years, mastering the survival rules of the red dragon and the art of managing its subordinates to perfection.

Do I really... have a chance to surpass him?

Cinsela began to doubt herself once again.

But Red Dragon's pride wouldn't allow her to indulge in this emotion for long.

She shook her head, clearing her mind of distractions, and focused more intently on controlling her magic.

Magic! Only magic is eternal!

Only magic could allow her, with her vastly different size, to catch up with Alecto's unreasonable and powerful strength!

She wanted to become stronger, so strong that even Alector would have to take her seriously, so strong that one day she could trample him underfoot, reclaim the stolen eggshell, and... the humiliation of being pinned to the ground time and time again!

Thinking of this, the wound on Cinsella's shoulder blade, which had already healed, seemed to feel a faint burning sensation again.

She couldn't help but glance at Alecto.

The dragon remained lying still, its crimson-gold patterns flowing slowly across its scales, like gold surging in a river of lava.

Enormous, powerful, mysterious... and filled with an allure that makes dragons tremble.

Cinsera whirled around and slammed a rock missile deep into the rock face.

Damn that attraction! They're the enemy! The competitors! The targets I must surpass!

She roared at herself in her heart.

Time continued to pass.

During the afternoon hunt, Oliveira seemed like a completely different dragon.

Instead of hiding behind Alekto and Cinsera, she charged towards a small group of Ironback Mountain Demons that Alekto had designated, a level-two social magical beast that was agile, cunning, and had sharp claws and teeth.

The leader of this group of Ironback Mandrills had just been promoted to level three.

The battle was tough.

Oliveira quickly sustained several wounds, scales flying off and blood gushing from her body.

But she did not back down. Instead, she frantically bit, scratched, and spewed dragon breath, even using some combat techniques from her inherited memories.

In the end, at the cost of minor injuries, she managed to bite through the mandrill leader's neck and kill him.

When she dragged the mandrill leader's corpse to Alecto, Alecto looked at her wounded body, then at the still convulsing corpse on the ground, and nodded.

"You passed."

He left the mandrill leader before Oliveira:

"Eat it, it's what you deserve."

Gasping for breath, Oliveira ignored the pain and pounced on it, wolfing it down.

As the flesh and blood entered his stomach, a warm current rose, and the wound began to heal rapidly.

She looked up at Alecto.

The dragon's gaze remained calm, but Oliveira seemed to see a hint of approval in it.

This slight recognition stirred up an indescribable excitement within her.

He approved?! He really approved?!

It turns out that in his eyes, striving to become stronger is more effective than begging for mercy!

Oliveira lowered her head and began to eat even more diligently.

Cinsera, standing beside her, snorted coldly, but her eyes showed less disdain and more seriousness.

Oliveira, that piece of trash... seems to be really starting to change.

This is not good news.

The days flew by in a cycle of digging, hunting, and sleeping.

Alekto's size steadily increased, the metallic luster on its scales grew stronger, and the crimson gold patterns gradually spread from its wings to its torso.

His manipulation of earth and metal elements has become increasingly sophisticated, and he is now able to briefly transform a small patch of ground into a forest of spiked stones and cover its surface with metal.

Cinsera's magical talent was fully unleashed.

She not only mastered a variety of low-level fire and earth magic spells, but also began to explore enhancement magic. She could even briefly enchant her dragon breath to increase its explosion radius and splash damage.

Oliveira's progress has been relatively slow, but at least she is no longer a complete liability.

She learned to use her size and strength more effectively, and the duration and temperature of her breath also increased. She was even able to hunt down some strong level 3 magical beasts on her own under the cover of Cinsera's magic.

A delicate and fragile balance has formed among the three fledgling dragons.

Alecto is the absolute core and leader, ruling this small group with unfathomable power.

Cinsera is a powerful second-in-command and a potential challenger, constantly accumulating rebellious power while obeying orders.

Oliveira is a diligent follower, earning her survival through scars and progress, and becoming increasingly obsessed with Alecto, gradually developing a twisted admiration.

They occasionally venture silently into the depths of their nest.

Daenerys Targaryen remains asleep there, like an ancient, unchanging volcano.

But Alekto could sense that the immense life force belonging to an adult red dragon was slowly awakening.

time is limited.

He gazed at the vast, endless mountains outside the cave, flames burning silently in his crimson-gold dragon eyes.

They must become stronger before being expelled, find the capital to stand on, and secure their future.

Outside the forest, human activity seems to be increasing.

On one hunt, they even spotted a sizable camp in the distance, with campfires flickering in the night and the faint sound of human language emanating from it.

Alecto did not approach rashly, but instead quietly retreated with Cinsela and Oliveira.

It's not the right time yet.

He said to himself.

When I have enough strength, I will crush all threats...

When that time comes, this mountain range, and even the wider world, will prostrate themselves beneath his dragon wings.

Night falls.

The three-headed baby dragon lay on the warm rock, digesting the day's harvest.

Oliveira quietly moved next to Alecto, rested her head on his hind legs, and soon fell asleep.

Cinsera was huddled a little further away, with a small piece of silvery ore in her mouth.

This is a rare mineral she found today deep in the mine, suspected to contain mithril.

She didn't give it to Alecto, but instead secretly hid it for the first time.

This precious mithril ore would be of great benefit to her, making it worth the risk of forcibly keeping it.

Even in her sleep, she still held that stone tightly in her mouth.

Alecto did not sleep.

He opened his eyes, feeling the magic flowing through his body and his slowly but steadily growing physique, listening to the Dragon Mother's increasingly clear breathing deep within the cave.

The volcano murmurs beneath our feet, the forest breathes in the distance, and the stars twinkle in the night sky.

This is a dangerous and vast world.

And he will eventually conquer it.