Chapter 14: The Sea of Trees – The Fountain of Life

“What do I have to worry about?”  

The young dragon scratched its chin in mild dissatisfaction, tiny sparks sparking between its scales and claws.  

“Maybe we won’t even be fully grown by the time this war ends. After all, this war is led by a noble ancient gold dragon. How could a mere blue-scaled dragon possibly oppose such a force?”

“It’s not that simple,” said Elro, another young dragon, furrowing the scales between its brows and joining the siblings’ discussion.  

“If this were just a typical ancient blue dragon, this war would have been over long ago. Our parents should be resting in the nest, not constantly leaving to fight.”  

The ancient dragon war wasn’t just a concern for the eldest sister; anyone with a functioning mind could feel the storm brewing within it. After all, they weren’t dragons of shame like those wild beasts roaming the icy plains, constantly thinking about how to fill their bellies.

“An enemy that even an ancient gold dragon cannot defeat after years of effort is certainly no simple foe. It’s pointless for us young dragons to worry about it. Even our parents won’t have much impact on the outcome of this war,” Dieryel said, ending the young dragons’ discussion. It was a harsh reality.

While their parents were unquestionable rulers of the near sea, when it came to wars involving ancient dragons, they were merely pawns in the game—perhaps even unimportant ones.

When ancient dragons clashed, even adult bronze dragons weren’t qualified to participate, unless they were willing to pay with their lives. 

If that was the case for adult dragons, then young dragons like them were even less likely to play any role. Even if they remained far from the battlefield, the outcome of this war would still affect them—whether for better or worse, it was impossible to say.

“I wonder if Father and Mother will make it back before we enter our deep sleep,” Ai Luo said with concern. The sense of security provided by the adult dragons was unmatched by any alchemical matrices.

“They’ve already prepared everything. Whether Father and Mother return or not doesn’t change anything. Are you saying you won’t go into deep sleep just because they’re not here?” Dieryel stood up, his dark blue dragon eyes locking onto his younger sibling, who was so reliant on their parents.

“Color dragons’ young ones, even in the wilderness, dare to enter deep sleep alone. And here, in a well-prepared dragon nest, you’re saying you don’t even have the courage to enter deep sleep?” 

“Of course, I’m just worried…” Ai Luo hesitated, still not entirely convinced.

“Alright, if there’s nothing else to do, then go meditate. If you don’t want to, you can always pray to Bahamut!” Dieryel cut off the conversation, knowing where his siblings’ unease stemmed from.

The war their parents were involved in was so vast and dangerous that even adult dragons faced significant risks of falling in battle. Every time they ventured out, it was a gamble.

In the worst case, they could end up as orphaned dragonlings without their parents. As young ones, they knew just how grim their fate would be without their parents’ support.

Though the dragonblood carried an unlimited future full of potential, until they grew strong, it would be the deadliest poison in the world. Even beasts would spare no effort to tear a piece of flesh from their bodies if they encountered them.

If they encountered a wise species, the situation would be even worse. Even a young dragon, not yet fully grown, would still face threats. Despite the intimidation of the metallic dragons, there would always be those who would risk everything for the chance to exploit a vulnerable giant dragon cub.

“Yes, second brother!” Although the eldest sister, Elina, worked hard, she still couldn’t shake Dieryel’s position in the dragon’s nest. She meditated diligently, but Dieryel kept up as well, and his results were more pronounced.

However, out of consideration for his eldest sister’s feelings, Dieryel didn’t flaunt his progress too much. Apart from the innate spells granted by his dragon blood, he also learned a few spells through meditation.

The bronze dragon tribe was naturally skilled in animal, order, and water-related magic.

However, his innate spells were limited by his age, and were mostly simple tricks or first-circle spells. The spells he actively learned weren’t much stronger than his innate ones, but they did offer more variety. 

Some of these included:

– *Glimmering Light*, *Tremor Strike*, *Light Burst*

– *Fog of Concealment*, *Lesser Electric Orb*, *Electric Claws*

Although he was still a juvenile dragon, with these spells and his dragon body, common beasts would find it difficult to threaten him. Only the most ferocious species could pose a danger. 

However, there was no need to voice this out loud. In the dragon’s nest, under the protection of the adult dragons, Dieryel didn’t have to face the perilous world outside for the time being.

Still, his parents’ frequent departures to fight in the war created a heavy sense of pressure on Dieryel. Unlike his siblings, he didn’t show his concern. Even though he knew about the war, it seemed pointless to express anxiety since he couldn’t do anything about it.

However, he could make some attempts, even if it was impossible to influence the outcome of the ancient dragon war. He could, at the very least, prepare himself to improve his survival abilities for potential future crises.

A dragon with a keen mind can always find opportunities. When the adult dragons left the nest again, Dieryel didn’t wait long before another opportunity arose.

As the juvenile dragons fell into their slumber, a stage in their development where most of their time is spent in deep sleep, Dieryel took control of the dragon’s nest once more and seized the chance to enter the Void Floating Land again.

The brilliant stars sparkled in competition, magnificent and resplendent. Upon entering this place once more, Dieryel appeared at the entrance to the temple—the very spot he had left from previously. He looked up at the starry sky for a moment before entering the temple.

The vast desert, which he had first seen, had now transformed into an endless expanse of verdant sea, with lush grass and thriving trees. The life force was so dense that it almost became tangible, and a thin, gauzy mist curled around the branches and leaves.

As soon as he entered, the juvenile dragon felt an overwhelming sense of comfort. His scales slightly opened, and the entire dragon involuntarily showed a look of intoxication. 

But soon, Dieryel regained his composure. His deep vertical pupils narrowed in vigilance, and his dragon wings flared as he leapt into the air, heading straight for the altar of sacrifice.

It didn’t take long for the juvenile dragon to find the world tree seed, which he had previously knocked off the altar and sent to the sandy ground. However, this time, instead of sand beneath it, there was a clear, refreshing spring of turquoise water.

Massive vines, winding like dragons or serpents, interwoven to support the world tree seed in midair, as if loyal subjects were lifting their king. The green mist in the area was especially thick, resembling a curtain of green hanging from the sky, making everything in the field of vision appear hazy and unclear.

“What is this?!”

Dieryel’s eyes widened in shock as he saw water vapor condensing on the turquoise tree seed, forming droplets that rolled down and fell into the pool below, creating ripples that spread outwards.