With a roar that could hardly be suppressed, Garon interpreted the ferocious Frost Tiger's roar as an eagerness to test its limits.
"Still as brave as ever," Garon nodded in satisfaction.
Ferocious types inherently had higher resistance to supernatural abilities like dragon might. After undergoing the dragon vein transformation and acquiring dragon blood, other dragons' influences, including their dragon might, had minimal effect on the Frost Tiger.
Meanwhile, Garon left the dragon nest and appeared beneath the oppressive dark clouds.
The heavy rain fell relentlessly, shattering against Garon's dragon scales and turning into sparkling droplets with a faint sound, reflecting the Northern Ice Plain and a woman with golden hair and pale skin.
Garon hovered in mid-air, his wings slightly stirring as the rain slid off him.
He scrutinized the woman below, his eyes tinged with wariness.
Rain cascaded around her, but as it neared, it parted to keep her dry and fresh.
Her bright, pale golden hair flowed like a waterfall, her exposed skin milky white and seemingly glowing. Her features were finely crafted, perfect and delicate with silver pupils, long lashes, and full lips. She looked like a very attractive young human female in a lace-edged white dress, adorned with a silver necklace and delicate earrings, exuding an air of elegance and gentleness.
But beneath this deceptive exterior, Garon could distinctly feel a dragon might far stronger than that of the White Dragon Mother.
This was an adult true dragon in human form, and not just any ordinary dragon.
Garon's gaze hardened, and he said with a firm voice, "Sallya is not here, this territory now belongs to me."
The humanoid true dragon looked puzzled, seemingly trying to discern what type of dragon Garon was.
A White Dragon?
White Dragons do not have horns.
Moreover, his body was much more robust and majestic than a White Dragon's, with the physique of a young dragon but scales as pristine as a newly born dragonet, seemingly untouched by time.
"Sallya is not here, then the one I am looking for must be you."
The humanoid dragon spoke slowly in an elegant tone, without any malice.
After a pause, she smiled amicably, her voice pleasing to the ear, "As fellow true dragons, won't you invite me in? It's quite rainy outside, and I have something to discuss with you."
She wasn't here for the White Dragon Mother. Garon thought of the two children who had mentioned going to an old mage's friend.
This mysterious true dragon was most likely that friend of the old mage.
Garon's vigilance lessened.
Bound by a pledge, unless she intended for those children to meet a grim fate, she would not be seeking trouble with him.
Since she knew of his existence through the children, she was indirectly under the influence of that pledge.
Moreover, manifesting dragon might here didn't necessarily mean a declaration of war or a challenge—it was akin to a polite knock on the door, a way to announce her presence respectfully.
Concealing dragon might and entering silently would have indicated intentions of conflict.
Seeing Garon, she had already retracted her dragon might, and the minions within the territory gradually returned to normal.
"We can talk here," Garon said flatly.
The humanoid dragon seemed slightly taken aback by Garon's aloofness but responded with a gentle smile, "I come in good faith; you need not be so guarded against me."
Garon pondered for a moment, then cautiously said, "If that's the case, show me your true form."
Despite having some suspicions, he needed confirmation.
Knowing exactly what type of dragon she was would allow him to choose a more appropriate response, regardless of her intentions.
The humanoid dragon listened to Garon's request, and her dragon aura intensified.
In a flash of light, her clothing transformed into silver dragon scales, wings sprouted from her back, and sharp claws and a long tail appeared—all within a single breath, a magnificent silver dragon, gleaming like metal, stood before Garon.
With bright silver facial scales, thick wings, small shiny horns, and a high silver crest running from her head to the tip of her tail, she was indeed a Silver Dragon.
As Garon observed the silver giant, he could feel the immense power within her body.
This adult Silver Dragon, twenty-one meters in length, was among the larger of the true dragons, with a visually striking and imposing presence.
"If it comes to a fight, I might not be able to defeat her now. She's much stronger than the White Dragon Mother."
Garon thought internally.
His offensive capabilities, aside from a precious seventh-circle spell scroll, would hardly suffice to defeat an adult Silver Dragon without exhausting his time powers.
Given her size, just one hit from her could be decisive.
"Among the fifteen common types of true dragons on the Prime Material Plane, the Red Dragon is the strongest of the chromatic dragons, the Gold
Dragon of the metallic dragons, and the Amethyst Dragon of the gem dragons.
If ranking the fifteen types of true dragons by strength, the Gold Dragon is undoubtedly the strongest.
Silver Dragons and Red Dragons are comparable in strength at the same age, equivalent to a four-hundred-year-old adult White Dragon—there's a reason White Dragons are considered the least formidable of the true dragons.
Furthermore, every Gold Dragon lives under the watchful eye of Bahamut, the god of good dragons, who during divine manifestations might even bring along Gold Dragon wyrmlings, showing extreme protectiveness.
His attention to Silver Dragons is slightly less, but not by much.
Gold and Silver Dragons are not to be trifled with. Apart from their strength, they are very united, calling friends for help if overwhelmed, and might even summon an avatar of a dragon god.
However, metallic dragons are known for their gentle and friendly nature; Gold and Silver Dragons, being among the best, often help weaker beings selflessly, truly embodying saintliness, not hypocrisy.
Unless faced with a profoundly evil being, they rarely initiate conflict, preferring negotiation and discussion.
Garon didn't consider himself profoundly evil.
He had his own moral lines, not good, but not evil either.
If he were purely evil, those children would never have made it out of a dragon's territory alive.
"You may call me Luna."
Silver Dragon Luna looked at Garon, keeping a respectful distance, indicating she meant no harm.
She had shown enough sincerity for Garon to nod in acknowledgment, "Come in."
He turned and entered his nest, with Luna following. As she reached the edge of the nest, she transformed back into her humanoid form, shrinking down to a female human's size.