Heh, you think I'm joking with you?"
The Red Dragon's spiky face revealed an inexplicable ferocity, its bone-white fangs glinting with cold light, and its crimson pupils held not a trace of desire, but were filled with complete rationality and indifference.
"Fafna, I let you manage Goldsea City not because I value your body and beauty, but because I value your wisdom, which is a bit more than a monster's. Now it seems your wisdom is only a tiny bit more than a monster's."
Kalon's gaze was unperturbed, as he looked down at Fafna, whose expression shifted. The Giant ogre felt like prey being targeted by a predator on the prairie, a chill rising from the base of her spine straight to the crown of her head.
"Next time you use such an inferior method and aren't here for an important matter, I will truly eat you, Fafna. I'd much prefer you come to me to claim credit and ask for rewards, rather than trying to influence me."
"By hoping to use your beauty and body to achieve some goal,"
Kalon's pupils grew brighter and brighter, with flames faintly flickering in his eyes. His True Dragon might condensed, making Fafna's face, despite her exceptionally strong mental power, turn pale.
If it weren't for the psycho-energy Fafna provided him, and her diligent management of Goldsea City for the Dragon clan and himself during this period—even if it wasn't credit, it was hard work—
He would have long since sent this Giant ogre back to the slave camp to add bricks and tiles to his and the True Dragon's castle.
He was a Red Dragon; if he had such needs, he would certainly not lack for beauty.
Just the Green Dragon Antagena alone, even though a Green Dragon's true form was not considered beautiful in a Red Dragon's aesthetic, he could have Antagena transform into an Elf, whose beauty might not be much inferior to the Giant ogre's.
Even if his tastes were more unique, he could even use the magical knowledge he learned from those Magicians to summon Succubi from the abyssal hell.
Although Kalon was aware of the charm brought by his appearance and power, his will was always clear. He keenly perceived that within Giant ogre Fafna's sincerity, there was a hint of deliberate flattery and fawning, which must have had another objective behind it.
"My Master, King of the Dragons," the voluptuous and full-figured Fafna knelt down, her body, laden with heavy, plump, and moist fruits, swaying like a delicate flower in the wind.
Fafna tremblingly said, "Your gaze is like a torch that pierces all darkness; my thoughts cannot be hidden from you. I came here because I have entered adulthood, and the bloodline talent from the ancient demigod, the Three-Headed Sea Demon Decalutius, is driving me to find a powerful creature capable of bearing my bloodline talent."
"Ancient demigod, the talent of the Three-Headed Sea Demon Decalutius?" Memories from the True Dragon's inheritance flashed through Kalon's mind. The ancient North Sea Demoness, who once dominated the seven seas of Ekania World, was a powerful demigod existence.
This demigod enslaved countless marine creatures, loved to devour the souls and flesh of countless passing travelers and creatures, and was the ruler of the North Sea in ancient times. She formed a partnership with a King of the Giants, advancing and retreating together.
Even when facing the overlords of the sea, the Bronze Dragon clan among the True Dragon s, she never retreated a single step.
In ancient times, after the prolonged war between the Titans and the True Dragon s, and during the war between Giants and True Dragon s. This demigod Sea Demoness and her companion, that Hill Giant King.
Both were torn apart by the sharp claws of the Chromatic Dragon Goddess Tiamat's great creation, the powerful Chromatic Dragon Prince, and their souls fell into the endless abyss.
To this day, it is still rumored that the palace and ruins of that demigod Sea Demoness exist deep within the North Sea.
However, Kalon did not know what kind of bloodline talent this ancient demigod, the Three-Headed Sea Demoness, possessed, but from the rumors, and from his own psycho-energy source once counteracting the bloodline sensation of Ogre Giant Fafna, he speculated it must be related to mysterious souls.
Indeed, as Ogre Giant Fafna recounted, Kalon truly understood the extremely powerful bloodline talent within this Giant ogre.
The Giant ogre's soul-devouring talent could be said to be even more overbearing than the True Dragon's subjugation magic. It could devour and contain the opponent's soul, forming a symbiotic master-subordinate relationship, making the Giant ogre seem to have an extra head and possess all the abilities of the absorbed entity.
Moreover, most of the opponent's qualities and attributes would benefit the Giant ogre, allowing the Giant ogre to gradually acquire the same qualities and attributes as the opponent.
In other words, Fafna could evolve in directions superior to herself based on the soul symbiosis with the other party.
"Hmm," Kalon was also somewhat surprised by the talent possessed by Ogre Giant Fafna. He guessed some of Fafna's thoughts, and a tempting True Dragon thought of simply throwing Fafna into his laboratory as an experiment also arose in his mind.
His crimson pupils stared at the Giant ogre's expression as he asked, "So, you are coveting the power of that Red Dragon, Fafna."
"Yes, my Master, I beg for your grace, to allow me to use my talent, so that I may better serve you and the True Dragon."
Fafna dared not use her charm ability again, choosing instead to sincerely and directly state her purpose. This tactic had never worked in front of the Red Dragon; even after she entered adulthood and her charm ability had increased, it had never swayed this Red Dragon's will.
At this moment, Fafna somewhat doubted whether the other party was truly a cruel, lustful, greedy, and uncontrollably chaotic Red Dragon. Even with the strongest will, how could there be a creature that could completely control its instincts?
Kalon did not even hesitate for a second; he refused Ogre Giant Fafna's request. Even though this Giant ogre's talent was quite useful to him. A fierce gleam flashed in the Red Dragon's eyes, and his tone became somewhat menacing,
"Fafna, I think the comfortable life these days has made you forget some things. Even if that Red Dragon becomes my prisoner, only a True Dragon can enslave a True Dragon."
"Even a trapped True Dragon is not something you can overstep," Kalon said, as his long tail whipped out like a lash, striking Fafna, who was kneeling on the ground, sending the beautiful succubus flying through the air.
Poof,
Ogre Giant Fafna spewed a mouthful of blue-green blood in mid-air, then fell to the ground.
Bang, bang, bang,
Kalon's massive body stepped forward, walking to Fafna, who lay on the ground, looking down coldly and saying, "Fafna, put away your petty schemes. I am already tolerant enough to allow others to make mistakes, but if there is a next time, you will only be crushed by me."
"Go back and think carefully about how you can use your abilities to create more value for me. When your merits are sufficient, I will not be stingy with your rewards."
Rumble,
Kalon left the Ogre Giant stunned in place, unfurled his wide wings, which were large enough to obscure Ogre Giant Fafna's entire vision, and soared into the sky with the wind.
As Kalon flew in mid-air, he could faintly hear the farmers, returning home as dusk settled, humming True Dragon songs and some adapted ballads about True Dragon s as they returned to their homes.
These rural folk songs, spread by the bards recruited by Alfred, had already begun to circulate in populated areas within the territory, and even some human children and Young Dragons would occasionally sing a few lines.
Some diligent Pixie overseers, wearing hats woven from wheat ears and chestnut stalks, were still urging the overly hardworking farmers to return to their homes in the fields.
Even though this place was only a few dozen miles from the Mountain Dragon Nest, many wild beasts would still appear at night. Although these beasts were just small animals and food for True Dragon s and their dependents, they posed a fatal threat to ordinary farmers.
As Kalon flew over Golden City, the bell in the tallest clock tower in Golden City happened to be ringing.
The melodious bell sound was like a timed switch; in an instant, lights lit up all over Golden City.
Amidst the myriad of twinkling lights, the songs of bards loudly echoing through the city could occasionally be heard.
The Red Dragon saw this scene from the high-altitude clouds, and a sense of accomplishment welled up in his heart.
At the docks, large and small ships were moored at the port. Under the guidance of the guards in the shore watchtowers, many ships were queuing orderly to enter and exit. Even in the evening, the flow of people in the entire port still seemed somewhat hurried.
Kalon overlooked from the clouds and even saw a large ship flying the banner of the Orc Kingdom. Many Fox Girls, known for their beauty in the human kingdoms on the continent, curiously gazed at this emerging city from the ship.
There were also many Leopard-men guards on the ship, and many Pig-men serving as servants, surrounding an Orc who was tall and burly, with yellowish-brown skin, and a face somewhat similar to a human's. However, he looked more like a hybrid of human and pig, with several inverted tusks protruding from his lips.
This was the pure bloodline of the ancient Orcs, while those Leopard-men, Pig-Orcs, and Fox Girls were said to be the descendants of ancient Orcs interbreeding with other races of extraordinary creatures or some magical animals.
Kalon couldn't help but marvel at what he saw. He felt that the tastes and aesthetics of those ancient Orcs seemed to rival those of the True Dragon race.
At this moment, many Pig-men servants pulled out a long line of slaves tied with ropes from the ship's hold. Not only Orcs and humans, but also some Lizardfolk and Barbarians were among them.
It seemed that the Dragon Clan Territory's business had gradually become famous, and even the Orc Kingdom far across the sea had learned of it, wanting to sell slaves to the Dragon Clan Territory.
Kalon originally just glanced over, but among the slaves tied with ropes, a human with messy golden hair caught his attention.
It wasn't that this human's appearance was particularly astonishing, but in Kalon's naturally spread perception, the life aura on this human was as messy as the hair on his head, with more than ten different life auras appearing all over his body.
This human's appearance was approximately over sixty years old, which was considered elderly in the human world.
But in Kalon's eyes, the vitality in this human's body was more vigorous than that of teenagers aged eighteen or nineteen, yet this human showed no signs of a power seed or magical aura.
"This human is an ordinary person, but displays extraordinary characteristics," this thought flashed through Kalon's mind, and a curious interest in investigation arose.
However, many matters now did not require Kalon to personally intervene. He temporarily put this aside, flew over the harbor, and plunged into the sea after flying dozens of miles out from the sea.
According to the tailor-made diet, Kalon's dinner choice tonight was sea fish from the ocean.
Kalon's body soared through the seawater. Although the Red Dragon did not like the aquatic environment, he did not dislike it either. Kalon, on the other hand, quite enjoyed the feeling of soaring through the sea.
His strong body effortlessly moved through the sea. Although his speed was not comparable to that of aquatic True Dragon s like the Bronze Dragon and Sea True Dragon, it was still faster than many sea fish.
He searched for his target. Sea fish of average size were merely snacks in front of his massive body, not even enough to compensate for the energy expended in hunting.
Kalon somewhat wanted to taste the Fishmen that the Bronze Dragon and Blue Dragon loved. Last time, when the Fishmen invaded, he was only focused on killing and didn't get a chance to taste this creature.
As for whether this monster belonged to the category of intelligent beings, Kalon directly activated the Bronze Dragon's double standard mode. Anyway, it was not a humanoid creature, so he felt no psychological reaction eating it.
However, Kalon was not lucky today. After their tribes were scattered by the slaughter, those Fishmen were already fearful of the Dragon Clan Territory.
In addition, the Dragon Clan Territory had issued a bounty for hunting the Fishmen, so now, within dozens of miles of the Dragon Clan Territory's sea area, not a single trace of Fishmencould be found.
Kalon had no choice but to reluctantly catch a seven-meter long marlin. This marlin was quite fierce; after failing to escape, it even charged at the Red Dragon with its long, spear-like upper jaw, only to be knocked unconscious by Kalon's slap.
However, just as Kalon was feasting, his naturally emitted perception detected a prying gaze watching him from within the sea.
He remained silent, continuing to enjoy his dinner while secretly focusing his perception to search for the source of the gaze that was spying on him.
But the other party was clearly very alert. When Kalon's perception found its trace, he only saw a long blue tail disappearing into the sea.
The tail of this mysterious creature was somewhat similar to a True Dragon's tail, but the tip of the tail had a pair of fin-like wings, similar to those of a fish.
"Could this creature be the ocean Dragon that Dos and Akzi once mentioned?" Kalon had not seen the full appearance of the other party, so he could not be certain. The world was too vast, and many magical animals, even within the True Dragon's inheritance, might not all be recorded.
"It seems the other party has been secretly watching the True Dragon Group's territory, but it doesn't seem to have any ill intentions," Kalon shook his head, temporarily ignoring it, but he had already decided to have Blue Dragon Dos and Akzi pay closer attention to the sea area.
The Red Dragon swallowed his prey, then re-emerged from the sea and flew towards his Dragon Nest.
For the next month, Kalon basically spent his time exploring magic and inspecting his territory.
Now, many matters in the Dragon Clans Territory had fallen into place. Although many were just rough frameworks, fortunately, they only needed to be continuously supplemented and expanded upon the existing foundation.
The former blacksmith shop of Dwarf Kragon, due to its gradually expanding scale, had moved outside the city and established a specialized iron foundry.
Dwarf Kragon's letter had not yet received a reply, but this Dwarf had recruited three fellow Dwarf blacksmiths from among the adventurers. Under the teaching of the Dwarf blacksmiths, the apprentices also gradually grew, gaining richer experience in forging and smelting techniques, which greatly increased efficiency.
Even an institution specializing in raising and domesticating wild beasts had been established, named the Beast Pasture. It was dedicated to artificially breeding and optimizing meat-producing species for the territory, and cultivating and optimizing various poultry and labor beasts for the territory.
Many wild horses, wild cattle, and wild sheep from the grasslands, which reproduce quickly and can both provide meat and serve as working livestock, were captured and then domesticated. This place was also Black Dragon Rosani's favorite place to visit.
During this period, Kalon's exclusive laboratory was also completed with the generous contributions of the Magicians. This was a rather rudimentary laboratory, located between the valleys surrounded by the mountain Dragon Nest, which was also where the Young Dragons' Dragon Nest used to be.
However, what Kalon cared about was not the laboratory itself, which was entirely made of stone, but the precious magical instruments and equipment used for research and exploration, as well as the knowledge of how to use these devices.
If Kalon had to procure these things himself, even spending several times the gold coins, it might not be as complete as what these Magicians brought.
Therefore, during this period, Kalon also had to set aside some time to consult Magician Hiusir on this knowledge, which was essential for his future research.
In these busy days, Kalon almost forgot about the human man who had piqued his curiosity on the Orc's ship.
Fortunately, he had given instructions earlier, asking the Imperial Guards guarding the Dragon Nest to inform Fafna, the governor of the Goldsea City, to buy all the slaves from the Orc Kingdom.
However, he temporarily had no time to investigate the secrets of this man, because Yug, the Gnoll, had sent a bird message reporting that everything was fully equipped, and the exploration expedition team had also gathered, just waiting for Kalon's command.
So Kalon instructed the True Dragons that after he left the territory, all affairs should continue to operate normally, and the Dragon Clans Territory would temporarily be managed by Germot and Blue Dragon Dos, who would supervise each other.
The Red Dragon then flapped his wings and arrived in front of the broken cliff of the Plane magic portal.
At this time, a team of heavily armed warriors, armed to the teeth, had already lined up under the leadership of Yug, the Gnoll. Through Yug's training, the Gnoll Barbarians had acquired the same discipline as ordinary human soldiers.
Each of these tall Gnoll Barbarians wore full-body iron armor, making them appear twice as tall. Yug, the Gnoll leader, also wore a heavy suit of armor, only revealing his head covered with thick, blood-red mane.
Each of the iron-clad Jackal warriors held a sharp hunting spear. Although the hunting spears seemed a bit long in the forest, they were the quickest weapons to forge within the Dragon Clan Territory, requiring only a simple flat spearhead and a sturdy wooden shaft.
These Gnolls also had several short ironwood throwing spears hanging from their waists, and in their right hand, they carried a wooden tower shield that was half their height.
With such comprehensive protection, only a close-range volley of powerful crossbows or a large-scale bombardment of magic torrents could defeat these elite Gnoll Barbarians.
But the several High-level Mages and Gnoll Spellcaster standing behind these elite Gnoll Barbarians were not to be trifled with.
If it weren't for the need to leave many Magicians to maintain the operation of the Plane portal, even more Spellcasters would have entered the Green Field Forest with them.
Then there were hundreds of Kobold Soldiers carrying subsequent food and supplies. Although these Kobolds also carried weapons, Kalon did not count on the Kobolds' combat power for this expedition.
The role of these Kobolds was to guard and maintain the outpost where the portal to the Green Field Forest Plane was located.
And during the initial reconnaissance, after the life-testing of a dozen Kobold dependents, these Magicians finally determined the exact location of the Plane portal, choosing an uninhabited place.
Kalon's massive body descended from the sky, then transformed into his Dragonborn form.
Although the target Plane for this exploration did not have a high power ceiling, Kalon's massive body could easily become a target for concentrated attacks. Before personally confirming the situation in the other Plane, Kalon chose to act discreetly.
Upon seeing the Red Dragon, the True Dragon dependents saluted and excitedly shouted, "Our King!"
Kalon nodded and walked towards Squinty-eyed Mage Hiusir and the others who were approaching.
"Kalon," Squinty-eyed Mage Hiusir asked for the Red Dragon's opinion. Although this exploration was proposed by these Magicians, the person in charge had become the Red Dragon.
"Let's go, I also want to experience the wonders of another Plane," Kalon replied.
The Magicians infused their magic into the Plane portal's magic circle. Within the massive magic circle, each magic crystal, as large as an adult's fist, was lit up one by one, and a tall portal slowly rose before everyone.
Yug, the Gnoll, led the way, guiding the Gnoll Barbarians with their tower shields raised into the Plane portal. Team after team of fully protected warriors stepped into the Plane portal.
Then came hundreds of Kobold auxiliaries carrying supplies and Gnoll Spellcaster, and finally, Kalon and eight Magicians, including Hsiusir.
As he passed through the Plane portal, Kalon could feel a brief stagnation and blankness in his consciousness, but he subconsciously activated his psionic power, enveloping his soul and consciousness.
The next instant, his consciousness, which felt as if it had been frozen in time, returned to normal operation and gradually became active.
But in front of Kalon, he could see nothing but the endless, time-distorted curtains woven from various chaotic light and spacetime curves. His perception could not extend outwards, making him feel like a bird trapped in a black cage.
Kalon did not know how much time had passed. It seemed like only a few seconds, yet also like several days. In this distorted perception of time, he had already traversed an immeasurable distance across vast space.
When Kalon's normal perception and five senses returned, what met his eyes was no longer the chaotic and dazzling curtains, but blue skies, white clouds, and lush green forests.
The forest was exceptionally quiet, as if an invisible sound barrier covered all sounds from the outside world.
But a moist and gentle breeze blew across his face, letting Kalon know that a new world had unveiled its mysterious veil before him.