Not only with the magic greatsword obtained from Roxia, but Garon now could also see the Shadows of Time on the previously collected damaged armor and the corroded iron sword.
However, his connection with the River of Time was not yet deep enough.
The Shadows of Time in Garon's eyes were like patches of color and mosaics—too vague to discern anything clearly.
Nonetheless, he had a faint premonition.
With a few more growths and deeper connections with the River of Time, he would eventually be able to see the Shadows of Time clearly, see the various pasts of these ancient items, and perhaps even use them as anchors to travel through time.
After arranging the ancient items, Garon closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.
The waters of the River of Time flowed quietly and steadily, seeping into his body with each of Garon's steady breaths, slightly strengthening his connection with the River of Time. This process was slow and subtle, but it was indeed happening.
Beneath the night sky, a fifteen-meter-long blue ferocious python, as thick as a water barrel, wriggled its body, burrowing slowly into the snow, leaving only its barely visible eyes exposed, patiently waiting for its prey to approach.
Soon, a magic creature enveloped in elemental light passed by.
Resembling a saber-toothed tiger but several sizes larger, the fanged tiger was unaware of the hunter beneath the snow.
Boom!
The snow exploded, scattering in all directions under the bright moonlight, resembling flecks of silver.
As a feline, the fanged tiger reacted swiftly. At the first sign of disturbance in the snow, it leaped backward, attempting to dodge the cunning and sudden attack.
But a blue blur flashed by, and the elongated, sharp fangs of the python, like daggers, had already deeply penetrated the fanged tiger's neck.
In a short-range assault, the ferocious python's launching speed was like a bullet, unpredictably fast.
Its robust body quickly coiled around the fanged tiger, the barrel-like girth wrapping and binding the magic creature, forcefully squeezing inward.
The crisp crackling of bones could faintly be heard as the fanged tiger, not a weakling on the polar ice plains, was strangled to death by the python's coils.
Just as the ferocious python was about to enjoy its well-earned meal, it suddenly sensed an astonishing presence.
It stiffened, then raised its head to look at the sky.
A silver-white dragon silhouette flew by, pausing briefly before speeding toward the python's location, its wings obscuring the moonlight, casting numerous dark shadows on the silver-lit ground.
After a few days of light sleep, feeling somewhat bored, Garon went out to stretch his limbs and hunt personally.
Although his kin provided him with food, Garon occasionally took to the field himself, hunting some of the more challenging prey for his kin, treating himself to a gourmet meal.
The targets he chose were invariably fierce predators of the polar ice plains.
Yet before Garon, these creatures that terrified countless beings of the ice plains could only become his meals.
He had always wanted to taste the flesh of ferocious breeds, surely different from ordinary magic creatures.
However, both the ferocious tiger and the ferocious wolves had been made his kin, and Garon was not inclined to consume his own kin.
After hunting down two large magic creatures along the way, Garon came across this ferocious python.
Creatures like pythons ranked high on Garon's culinary list.
Moreover, their intelligence was much lower than that of the ferocious tiger and wolves, even less than that of terror lizards and white hounds, making them unsuitable as kin.
When Garon extended his dragon claw towards the head of the coiled-up ferocious python, it hissed, flicking its vivid red tongue as it compressed its upper body like a spring, and in the blink of an eye, it lunged with a foul wind, biting towards Garon's neck.
Ferocious breeds could push their physical abilities to the limit, making the ferocious python's movements lightning-fast.
Even to Garon's eyes, its actions were incredibly swift.
Facing the ferocious python's counterattack, Garon's expression remained unchanged as he used a spell-like ability.
Slow Time.
In an instant, a ripple emanated from Garon.
Everything touched by the ripple seemed to enter slow motion, their movements becoming extremely sluggish.
The sparse snowflakes fell slowly, the passing cold wind slowed, and the ferocious python's attack slowed to the point where Garon could even see the details inside its mouth.
Crack!
The silver dragon claw grabbed the python's head, squeezed firmly, and then twisted to the side.
Garon ripped the python's head from its body and casually tossed it aside.
"This Slow Time spell combined with Accelerated State is really useful."
Slow Time, a power derived from his manipulation of time, corresponded with Accelerated State, affecting any target within Garon's line of sight. Moreover, the consumption of temporal power wasn't significant, similar to that of Accelerated State.
"I accelerate, you slow down, effectively resulting in entrapment."
Slow Time and Expelling the Breath of Time were two of the time-related abilities Garon had acquired after his last awakening. Both were extremely useful and their effects would enhance as he grew, making them powers he could utilize indefinitely.
Garon divided the ferocious python into two parts: one half he froze with his breath, and the other he began to roast right there with flames.
Soon, the flesh of the ferocious python, which was remarkably elastic and rich in flavor layers, made Garon's eyes light up, and he couldn't help but praise the taste.
"It's a pity that ferocious breeds are so rare; the taste of their meat is truly exceptional."
If there was a way to cultivate ferocious breeds, Garon wouldn't mind transforming the ordinary creatures within his territory into such. Ferocious breeds significantly increase in size, which would provide him with a continuous supply of delicious food.
Unfortunately, the secrets of such evolution were difficult to unravel.
Garon had studied the ferocious frost tiger but hadn't made any progress.
He suspected that the emergence of ferocious breeds was not a result of natural evolution but seemed to involve external forces.
"Perhaps it's related to the mysterious Lord of Beasts."
Garon thought to himself.
The Lord of Beasts, akin to archdevils and demon princes, is a powerful existence comparable to deities, and each beast species visible on the material plane is said to have its own Lord of Beasts.
They reside in the Outer Planes, in the Endless Wilderness of the Menagerie.
This plane, often referred to as the Menagerie, Beast Realm, or Animal Domain, is one of the well-known Outer Planes connected to the material plane.
Garon had thought about leaving the material plane one day to explore other planes, and the Menagerie was one of his targets; thus, he noted information about the Menagerie from the dragon heritage.
Having satisfied his curiosity about the taste of the ferocious python, Garon continued to eat, savoring the different flavors offered by the two cooking methods.
Once he had finished his meal, he planned to return to the depths of his nest to rest and continue his studies. His time in the wilderness, although briefly interrupted by this encounter, provided a much-needed respite and a reminder of his capabilities and the potential threats that still loomed in the wider world.
This encounter with the python, though trivial for someone of his power, was a good exercise in the practical use of his temporal abilities in combat situations, confirming their effectiveness and his control over them.
As Garon contemplated his next moves and the broader implications of his powers and potential allies or enemies, he knew that his journey was far from over. There was much more to learn, many more creatures to encounter, and perhaps even worlds to explore. The adventure, as always, was just beginning.