Chapter 11: Vigorous Vitality

“Brother seems bigger than all of us?”

“It’s not just seems, Dieryel really is bigger than all of us now.”

“That’s amazing!”

“How much bigger is he than us?”

“I’ll compare with him, you guys straighten his tail.”

When Dieryel woke up from his slumber once again, he was unsurprised to see the young dragons in the dragon nest gathered around him.

His eldest sister, Elena, was lying next to him, pressing her body against his, wings folded, tail straight, comparing their sizes. Behind him, his third brother, Ailo, was tugging at his tail, trying to straighten it, so that it could be compared with Elena’s.

“What are you all doing?”

When Dieryel opened his eyes and looked at the young dragons surrounding him with his dark greenish-black dragon pupils, his younger brother behind him quickly released his claws and lowered his tail. Even his eldest sister, Elena, had an awkward expression on her face, trying to pull away.

“Brother, your body has grown so big. Sister Elena wants to compare your size,” his only younger sister, Angelica, said in a childish voice.

“My body…”

Hearing this, Dieryel turned his neck and glanced at his own body. It was a radiant golden color, with edges tinged with greenish scales. Even these could not hide the slightly bulging muscles and the smooth, flowing contours of his body, which perfectly embodied the beauty of strength.

The change was expected, and it also made sense. Before falling asleep, when Dieryel ate far more food than usual, he knew that his body would undergo some significant changes.

As for the reason, Dieryel was well aware. He had come into contact with the entities in the void. Even though they hadn’t directly granted him any favors, he had still benefited immensely.

“Didn’t you want to compare with me?”

Dieryel reached out with a claw and grabbed the tip of his eldest sister’s tail.

“Haha, you want to compete?”

Elena, who was caught off guard by the tail grab, quickly turned her head, instinctively opening her mouth as electric sparks crackled within. However, she soon realized what was happening and quickly closed her mouth. Looking surprised, she asked, “You want to compare?”

“Why not compete? I also want to see what’s different about me, how much my body has grown.”

At this moment, Dieryel’s dragon father and mother were still in the dragon nest, as they had said, not leaving. The noise and excitement from the young dragons had caught their attention.

They watched the scene with gentle, affectionate eyes, not interfering. Having guarded their offspring for so long, they knew exactly what changes were occurring with their children.

Although one of their offspring had displayed some unusual behaviors, different from the other siblings, they considered it all within a normal range.

Though all the young dragons hatched from the same clutch of eggs, it was impossible for every dragon to be identical. There would always be differences. Some dragons were stronger, some weaker, some skilled in magic, and others not.

Dieryel was simply the most physically robust among his siblings, and that was perfectly normal. It was even said that some dragon offspring exhibited extreme mutations, so extraordinary that they seemed like an entirely different species. Compared to those, their children were absolutely normal.

“Of course, no matter what changes occur, they will love all their children equally and protect them as they grow, until they reach adolescence and gain the strength to claim their territory in the coastal regions.”

“This doesn’t seem that much bigger!”

Stretching his tail and comparing it to his elder sister, Dieryel realized that his physical changes weren’t as significant as he’d expected. He was only about half a head taller than Elina.

“How much bigger do you want to be? I remember you weren’t that different from us before!”

Elina looked at her brother with confusion, then leaned forward to sniff near Dieryel’s neck. Her expression shifted to one of suspicion, and she leaned in closer, making Dieryel feel a bit uncomfortable. He took a step back.

“Is there something wrong with me?”

“Your scent is strange,” Elina said, stepping closer. She gently sniffed his neck and chest, as if searching for something unusual.

“Scent?” Dieryel asked, unsure of what she meant.

Dieryel couldn’t help but look confused. “What’s wrong with my scent?”

“It smells really nice.”

As she spoke, Elina moved even closer, almost pressing her body against Dieryel’s. The young dragon paused for a moment, not quite understanding.

“Nice?” he repeated.

“Yes,” Elina nodded, “Your scent is like being in an underwater forest, full of vitality. It feels fresh and comforting.”

Elina tilted her head, thinking for a moment, then began to describe to her brother the unusual nature of the scent he was giving off.

“You haven’t gone into the sea yet, have you?”

Dieryel’s expression turned awkward. None of the young dragons had even touched the sea, let alone come close to it.

“But my bloodline inheritance has descriptions of it. The scent you give off reminds me of what’s described,” Elina continued.

“Does my scent really smell that nice?”

Before Dieryel could respond to Elina, the other young dragons crowded around, their heads poking toward him as they eagerly sniffed the scent that seemed to remind them of an underwater forest.

Despite Dieryel now possessing strength that far surpassed any of his siblings, he couldn’t escape the close attention of the four young dragons. They all crowded around him, enjoying the unfamiliar yet enticing scent.

“Really smells so good!” one of them exclaimed.

“I think the scent on Brother smells like the revitalized forests of the Elves,” the youngest of the young dragons commented, offering a different description from his older sister.

“I think Brother’s vitality is very strong!” their only sister added, interpreting the scent in her own way.

Despite the differing descriptions, all the young dragons shared a common understanding at this moment—Dieryel’s scent was truly captivating, drawing them in and making them want to stay close.

“Vitality, life!”

Dieryel endured the closeness of his siblings, silently repeating these words in his mind. Clearly, the change in the scent he emitted was linked to the World Tree he had encountered.

From the current developments, it was clear that all the changes in Dieryel were positive. He had transformed from an ordinary bronze hatchling into a slightly unique one, standing out among his siblings and attracting the attention of his parents.

Amid the noise of the hatchlings, the two adult dragons walked over, gently inhaling the scent emanating from Dieryel.

“It really is something special. I can sense that strong vitality.”

“Could it be because of a bloodline reversion?”

The dragon mother seemed pleasantly surprised, her eyes filled with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty. This situation exceeded her understanding, leaving her unsure of what exactly was happening.