The morning breeze brushed gently, red maple leaves rustled and fluttered, and a man and a woman stood before the weeping Copper Dragon.
The man had a flawlessly handsome face, a tall and slender build, and a physique with long arms and a narrow waist.
His long silver-white hair was tied back with an ice-crystal hair clip, a diamond-shaped ice soul hung from his left earlobe, and his skin was as pale as fresh snow, almost transparent. When he smiled, his exhaled breath condensed into tiny frost flowers in the air.
The woman beside him was beautiful, her freckled cheeks always wearing a mischievous smile.
She had honey-colored skin, and metallic wire-like hairbands were wound through her copper-red curly hair.
They were none other than the parents of the Copper Dragon Deborah. Though they appeared human, they were actually prime dragons over two hundred years old—Metallic Dragons favored human aesthetics and often lived in human form.
The man was the Copper Dragon's father, a Silver Dragon.
[Frosttrace] Adrie.
The woman was the Copper Dragon's mother, a Copper Dragon.
[Copper Flame] Serena.
The two did not let go of each other's tightly clasped hands because of their sobbing offspring, as if they were each other's true love and Deborah was just an accident.
"A Metallic Dragon's dignity is just as important as their treasure."
"As a descendant of Metallic Dragons, you should have courage and a resilient will."
"Since you were able to return safely, it's not a major issue. Stop crying; crying solves nothing."
The Silver Dragon father spoke.
The Copper Dragon mother rolled her eyes at her partner and said displeasurably, "Don't be so stiff. Deborah was bullied by an Evil Dragon on her very first adventure; it's normal to cry a little."
Regarding their choice of mates...
Copper Dragons place extreme importance on a partner's wisdom and sense of humor, considering them the keys to a long-term relationship.
A creature that can catch their puns, riddles, or pranks—and even turn the tables—or one who appreciates the art of language or excels at improvisation, is more likely to be appreciated by a Copper Dragon.
And the Silver Dragon Adrie excelled at none of these.
He was a Silver Dragon with a rather stern and dull personality.
But even so, Serena found it hard to refuse his pursuit. More accurately, it was actually Serena who had pursued him.
—The Silver Dragon was simply too handsome.
Among many Dragonkin, the appearance of Silver Dragons is second to none, making both males and females highly popular.
Returning to the point, Serena gave her offspring a smile and said, "My dear Deborah, what did you experience? Tell me in detail so I can have a good laugh."
Her father was stern.
Her mother even used her for amusement.
Deborah cried even more sorrowfully, sobbing so hard she could barely speak.
Serena kicked a pebble by her foot, flicking it against her daughter's head, and said giggling, "It's riddle time—what causes you pain and sadness, yet makes you stronger and stronger?"
It is the nature of Copper Dragons to love riddles.
Deborah stopped crying and answered hesitantly, "Failure?"
Serena snapped her fingers, blew a kiss, and said happily, "Correct! Your reward is a kiss from your mother."
Having answered the riddle and understood her mother's meaning, Deborah's emotions slowly calmed down, and she then recounted the events in full detail.
"A Red-Iron Hybrid Dragon?"
Serena blinked and looked toward her mate.
The Silver Dragon nodded slightly and said, "There is a high probability it is the offspring of the Steel Queen and Burning Mountain Wings."
Instances of Red Dragons and Iron Dragons mating are rare. As far as the Silver Dragon knew, there was only one such pair in the Serel Wilderness. What he hadn't expected was that they would produce a Hybrid Dragon, and according to Deborah's description, it was an excellent hybrid that had inherited the powerful traits of both sides.
"A dragon alone in the world must have already been driven out, surviving on its own."
The Silver Dragon shook his head slightly and said.
"How truly pitiful; those Evil Dragons are really outrageous."
"To be able to defeat Deborah while she was covered in Alchemical Items, and with such mature mental faculties, it must have endured many hardships."
Serena also sighed and said.
Opposite them.
The Copper Dragon Deborah widened her eyes.
That's not right.
This isn't right at all.
Shouldn't you be flying into a rage? Why are you sympathizing with that hateful Red-Iron Evil Dragon instead?
Seeing through his daughter's thoughts.
The Silver Dragon said unhurriedly, "Deborah, the reason Evil Dragons are evil is, on one hand, due to the influence of their own Legacy and character, and on the other hand, it is related to their life experiences."
"Your mother and I both believe that if an Evil Dragon could grow up in a world surrounded by kindness, it would also have the chance to grow into a kind and righteous individual."
"Unfortunately, almost all Evil Dragons abandon their offspring, and the hatchlings struggling to survive alone suffer greatly. The evil in their hearts is only infinitely magnified, their Heart-Nature becomes twisted, and they grow into the evil beings we know."
Hearing this, Deborah fell silent, also feeling some sympathy for the pitiful dragon that had snatched her things.
"Why is it like this? Shouldn't affection and Bloodline bonds bring dragons closer together?"
She asked.
Serena thought for a moment and said, "Abandonment is actually a way for Evil Dragons to train their descendants."
"In battles of the same level, we Metallic Dragons are often inferior to Evil Dragons because they have been fighting for their lives against a cruel fate since they were young. Although the mortality rate is high, any Evil Dragon that manages to grow up is without exception a powerhouse, whereas we Metallic Dragons are uneven in quality."
Deborah paced on the spot, her tail swaying left and right.
After a few seconds, she stood still and hesitated, "Then what should I do? Should I just swallow this insult and let him take my things?"
The Silver Dragon and the Copper Dragon exchanged a look and said, "Of course not."
"What you should do is defeat him, capture him, and discipline him, gradually turning him into a righteous Dragonkin."
"Turning an Evil Dragon into a good dragon is an achievement ten or a hundred times greater than simply defeating one."
Deborah's eyes lit up; she knew what she had to do.
"My dear Papa, give me some more powerful Alchemical Items. I'm going to find him and then make him change his ways!"
The Copper Dragon girl rubbed her head against her father's human form, acting spoiled and pleading.
"Relying blindly on Alchemical Items is not the right path."
The Silver Dragon said sternly, "You lack actual combat experience far too much. I will steel my heart and personally train you for a period of time, then I will give you one Alchemical Item and let you go out to handle your own affairs."
This failure had also made Deborah realize how poor her actual combat experience was.
She nodded and did not argue.
Hemlock Hills.
Under the scorching noon sun, Garros lay on a rock slab to rest after a long period of exercise. His spirit was lazy; the training effect of using the Alchemical Items was very good, putting him in a good mood.
"It would be great if I could run into some other wealthy Metallic Dragons, or maybe just rob that Copper Dragon again."
Garros thought to himself, then closed his eyes to sleep and rest while basking in the sun.
A few days later.
Garros was having Samantha blast him with Dragon Breath to further increase his fire resistance.
Because there was treasure dangling before her, Samantha was much more hardworking than before. Her Dragon Breath made Garros feel both pain and pleasure, a mix of suffering and joy. His Buffer Scaless took on a glow like red-hot iron under the impact and burning of her Flame Dragon Breath.
After this continued for a while.
Samantha had almost burned herself out, her tongue lolling as she slumped on the ground, panting for breath.
Garros plucked a Buffer Scales from his body. The red-hot color was slowly fading, but at the very edge, a trace of it ultimately remained. These Buffer Scaless seemed to be evolving in some uncertain direction.
Crack.
The ground and rocks ahead suddenly split open.
Garros shifted his gaze and looked intently; an Earth Spider scrambled out of the crack in a hurry.