Chapter 4: The Growing Young Dragons

“Elro!”

“Angelica!”

“Hadison!”

After waking up, Deriel found that there were three more young dragons in the nest, two brothers and a sister. After finishing his meal, he met these siblings, exchanged names, and got to know each other.

It was a rather natural and uneventful first meeting. These siblings didn’t show too much enthusiasm towards him as their elder brother, only displaying the kind of closeness typical of bronze dragons.

Of course, compared to other branches of dragonkind, this level of affection was quite intimate, even standing out among the metallic dragons.

In such a harmonious and close-knit family atmosphere, with loving parents and affectionate siblings, Deriel was naturally very satisfied. The only minor annoyance was that his siblings were overly energetic.

After eating their fill, they would play and frolic for a long time until they were half-hungry again. Only then would they eat heartily once more before falling asleep.

In this regard, Deriel was the opposite of all his siblings. After eating his fill, he only wanted to enter a state of dragon sleep and had no interest in playing around.

However, these hatchlings were completely oblivious to Deriel’s reluctance and ignored his minor displeasure.

Despite having racial bloodline inheritance, which endowed them with innate knowledge, they were ultimately just newly hatched dragons, naturally playful and active.

So, even if he wasn’t particularly willing, he still played along with his siblings, joining in their rambunctious activities.

From his outward appearance and behavior, he seemed like an entirely normal bronze hatchling. Even the two adult dragons, who were very attentive to their children, couldn’t detect anything unusual.

He ate and slept, slept and ate, and occasionally played with his awake siblings, behaving just as a newly hatched dragon should.

Apart from this, Dyril had no other thoughts and no desire to explore the world outside the dragon’s nest.

Of course, he was curious about this new world. From what he had learned through his heritage, he had a glimpse of the world’s appearance and harbored a desire to explore it.

But what made him more cautious, even fearful, was the knowledge that despite dragons being one of the most powerful species in this world, many individuals and even groups could fight against and even hunt dragons.

Especially those dragons that had not yet grown up; they were like walking blood bags, tempting to anyone who saw them. Hatchlings without the protection of adult dragons were gifts to the world.

Even the red dragons, the leaders of the chromatic evil dragons, could be killed by a group of farmers with pitchforks shortly after hatching. As for the white dragons, known as the shame of the dragon race, they were not even worth mentioning.

However, the issues of safety and food after birth are problems that only the evil dragon species need to worry about.

As a member of the metallic dragon species, Deriel didn’t need to worry too much about these aspects. He could peacefully spend the most vulnerable and fragile period of his life under the protection of his parents.

For evil dragons, simply growing into a young dragon meant they had temporarily gained some foothold, barely managing to make it.

Although for this group of evil dragons, who were often neglected by their parents, the survival rate to this age was less than one in ten, their lack of any moral constraints and breeding practices ensured that the population of chromatic dragons wouldn’t decrease.

As for Deriel, he didn’t know what plans his siblings had, but he intended to get through the entire juvenile dragon period and fully transition into adolescence before leaving the dragon nest.

Before that, no one could make him leave the nest, even though the light sources here were all the gold and silver treasures, as well as various magical weapons and devices, collected by his dragon parents.

By now, Deriel had already figured out the structure of the dragon nest.

This dragon nest was mainly constructed within a cliff by the sea or within a mountain, accessible only through a waterway below sea level.

The nest was divided into a lower section that could be submerged by the tide and an upper section that remained dry all day. The place where the dragon eggs hatched was the dry treasure room, the most heavily defended part of the nest, which at first glance seemed completely enclosed.

Even though he understood the internal structure of the dragon nest, Deriel had no intention of leaving. As a bronze dragon, he hadn’t even touched a drop of seawater from birth until now.

However, he didn’t feel ashamed of this fact; instead, he took pride in it. Dragons had naturally long lifespans; even the so-called disgrace of the dragon race, the white dragon, could live for over two thousand years. As a metallic dragon, his lifespan would be even longer.

Yet, such a long lifespan wasn’t something every dragon could enjoy. Most dragons would perish due to various external factors.

There was no need to discuss the evil dragons; this entire lineage alone could lower the average survival rate of the dragon race by several percentage points. The metallic dragons fared better, but not by a significant margin.

Because the metallic dragon clans have a very bad habit—strong sense of justice, liking to meddle in affairs, his belonging, the bronze dragon clan is a typical example.

Bronze dragons will, within their activity range, participate in what are called righteous wars, extremely bellicose; dragons fond of participating in wars, if they can live for a long time, that’s odd.

In light of this, Di Ruier established several behavioral guidelines for his future self, determined not to meddle in affairs like other metallic dragons, making self-preservation the first principle of conduct.

Stay away from all sources of danger that could endanger your life, never intervene in situations where you could get hurt. As for wars? Unless I can absolutely guarantee my own safety, I will never participate in any war.

He must firmly restrain the nature of the metallic dragon clan, preventing it from influencing his rational judgment and thereby endangering his life.

“Sleep!”

Emperor Riel squinted, casting his eyes over the now quiet cave, then glanced at his dragon mother lying on a pile of treasures, dozing off.

A palpable aura of authority emanated from her, but as her offspring, Emperor Riel felt no discomfort. Instead, he felt remarkably comfortable, a natural sense of security enveloping him.

Under this sense of security, the young dragon slowly closed his eyes once more, slipping back into a dragon’s slumber. Nourished by a full belly, his body grew quietly and steadily.

Swish!

Countless stars shimmered, an ancient and eternal pyramid continent appeared…