"Are you a Time Dragon?"
A curious inquiry emanated from the Force Dragon, its eyes, like purple gems, sizing up Garon.
Garon nodded slightly without speaking, choosing instead to demonstrate his identity through actions.
With a thought, the power of time within him flowed like water into the surrounding space, and suddenly, under the curious gaze of the Force Dragon, the area spanning several hundred meters around Garon came to a complete standstill.
Within the time-stopped area, only Garon and the Force Dragon could think and move, making the scene surreal.
Now, Garon could actively control the objects affected by time stop.
Clusters of flames, constantly rolling and engulfing, became like gorgeous flowers blossoming in the air when frozen in place.
"Truly, time has stopped."
The Force Dragon extended its claw, covered in diamond-like scales, poking at the flames, pulling them into strange, ribbon-like shapes, its face filled with wonder.
Blinking, the Force Dragon turned its gaze and introduced itself seriously, "Hello, my name is Yuna, of the Force Dragon clan."
"Did you recently arrive here? After I passed my hatchling phase, I've lived in this demi-plane for twelve years but haven't seen any of my kind here."
"You're the first of our kind I've seen since I left my elders."
"What's your name?"
Being the first time Yuna encountered another legendary dragon species, especially the most mysterious Time Dragon, her tone was slightly excited.
However, she spoke to Garon as an equal, unlike other dragons who become restrained upon hearing the identity of a Time Dragon, adopting a respectful yet distant tone.
Garon's heart was similarly not calm. While not exactly thrilled, he was quite happy.
"You can call me Garon. I arrived in this demi-plane a few months ago."
"I didn't expect to encounter another legendary dragon here," Garon replied.
Perhaps due to the lack of interaction with other beings for so long, Yuna eagerly engaged in conversation with Garon, who was of the same legendary rank.
"How old are you? They say Time Dragons are much more powerful than us Force Dragons."
"I was somewhat skeptical before, but you're smaller than me, and yet I can't defeat you."
"Hmm, you must be younger than me."
Yuna couldn't discern age but guessed from Garon's size and records about Time Dragons.
As legendary dragon species, they possess more information about other legendary species than ordinary dragons.
Yuna, observing Garon and scanning the black scales on him and his size, exclaimed in surprise, "You wouldn't still be a hatchling, would you? I've heard Time Dragon hatchlings are already of giant size."
In dragon age classification, five to fifteen years is considered a hatchling phase.
Sixteen to twenty-five years mark the juvenile phase. Yuna, at seventeen, has just entered the juvenile phase.
Garon, slightly over four years old, is close to the hatchling phase but technically still a hatchling.
If compared to human age perception, he's still an infant.
Garon shook his head, stating calmly, "I still have some time before reaching the hatchling phase."
In fact, Garon's growth rate has surpassed that of a normal Time Dragon.
Time Dragon hatchlings are typically of a large size, becoming giants during the juvenile phase, but Garon is already a giant, his rapid growth largely thanks to the Life Gem.
The essence of hundreds of thousands of lives condensed into the gem is an absolute treasure anywhere.
Upon hearing Garon's words, Yuna visibly startled.
She opened her mouth wide, revealing her neat white dragon teeth, and exclaimed in astonishment, "You're still a hatchling? So young."
"No wonder they say Time Dragons are the foremost among legendary dragon species."
After a pause, she looked at herself, then turned back to Garon, saying, "I was only about twenty meters when I entered the hatchling phase."
Garon nodded, responding, "I've grown rather quickly."
Suddenly, Yuna sighed, a bit dejected, "I'm already in my juvenile phase, but I can't defeat a hatchling."
Despite both being legendary dragon species, the gap was too wide, causing Yuna to feel somewhat insecure.
"Don't compare yourself to me. Even adult red and gold dragons combined wouldn't stand a chance against you."
"You're already very powerful," Garon consoled kindly.
He noticed that although Yuna was older and in her juvenile phase, her temperament wasn't as mature and steady.
Dragon heritage shapes worldviews, but true character and experience require personal journeys.
Yuna, older than Garon, has evidently experienced less.
Force Dragons prefer solitude and independence, living undisturbed, merely observing intruders without engaging unless discovered.
Yuna seemed not to be a mutant but a pure Force Dragon, supported by protective elders.
After hearing Garon's words, Yuna thought carefully, her dejection quickly fading.
"Indeed, I'm already very powerful. I'm a legendary creature."
After speaking, Yuna, looking at the agile silver giant dragon, expressed her confusion, "You don't look like the Time Dragons I'm aware of. And why are you moving around on your own as a hatchling? Are your Time Dragon parents also here?"
In her dragon heritage, Time Dragons were described as less appealing, but Garon didn't fit that description.
Typically, true dragon hatchlings are nurtured under the watchful eyes of their kin, venturing out alone usually not until the juvenile phase.
However, for a Force Dragon like Yuna, solitude doesn't mean vulnerability; ancient Force Dragons would instantly cross planes to her aid if needed.
Legendary dragon species are rare and fiercely protective.
Garon, contemplating, calmly shared, "My situation is a bit special; I left my kin's protection quite early."
His White Dragon mother sent him away when he was just a year old.
Indeed, quite early.
Yuna nodded, not prying further, but warmly invited, "You're not in a hurry to leave, right? Want to visit my dragon lair?"
Garon's gaze swept the surroundings, all engulfed in flames.
This was the edge of the plane, near the crystal barrier, a place where fire elemental energy condensed into a tangible form, nearly as potent as in a pure fire elemental plane.
Building a lair here would appeal mainly to a solitude-loving Force Dragon.
"Sure."
He wasn't in a rush to return.
Having finally encountered another legendary dragon species, Garon was keen on more interaction and exchange.
Yuna shared this sentiment.
Having not spoken to other beings for years and living a rather monotonous life, she was more enthusiastic and excited to find someone she could communicate with on equal footing.
If it were an ordinary being, even one of legendary strength, the inherent pride of a legendary dragon species would make Yuna indifferent to communication.
Receiving dragon heritage had already shaped Garon's worldview, although he was still significantly influenced by it. Unlike other true dragons, who pride themselves above all other beings, Garon found it difficult to adopt such an attitude.
The Force Dragon spread its wings, scales reflecting the firelight's luster, flying towards a certain location below.
Garon followed closely, his wings repelling the surrounding flames.
They reached Yuna's lair in less than half a minute, a liquid magma river next to the crystal barrier stretching towards the realm of fire elements in the distance, becoming narrower and shallower at the edges, leading to a scorched and barren land.
"This is ground melted by fire elements."
"My lair is below."
"Follow me," Yuna said as she descended, plunging into the magma river, sparking countless bright lava sparks.
Garon followed, his body also submerging into the scorching, high-temperature magma.
After moving for a few minutes with Yuna, an area held up by invisible force appeared in Garon's view.
Magma was restrained by force, shaped into various forms, creating an oval dragon lair outline. Inside, magma was repelled by the force, creating a sanctuary.
Garon glanced around.
"Poor."
That was his immediate thought.
In Yuna's lair, he only saw a few precious metals and magical gems, floating in mid-air under the force's influence, emitting a faint luster.
All combined, they were smaller than one of Garon's dragon claws.
True dragons customarily display their treasures within their lairs, not keeping them in dimensional spaces, to constantly admire and satisfy their greed for treasures.
Garon shook his head imperceptibly, thinking of his own vast treasure hoard suitable for swimming.
The metal and gem deposits of the magma demi-plane were countless.
As the ruler of the magma demi-plane, Garon's wealth could rival that of ancient dragons.
Young yet possessing a mountain of wealth, Garon could be considered a high-quality true dragon in both strength and wealth.
His gains in the magma demi-plane could form a real small mountain, enough to fill Yuna's lair and then some.
Unaware of Garon's thoughts, Yuna excitedly led him into her lair.
In this spacious area, surrounded by flowing but impassable magma, the scenery was uniquely beautiful.
"Look, these are gems I found nearby."
Yuna picked up a few black-red magical gems, possessing both fire and earth elemental energies, seemingly special to this magma river.
After showing them to Garon for a moment, she quickly put them back, seemingly to show off but not wanting to reveal too much.
Garon shook his head again.
He asked, "Have you never really left your lair?"
Yuna, despite her youth and legendary strength, could easily amass a fortune if she wished.
Her meager collection suggested she never ventured out, relying on chance encounters with magical gems near her lair.
Blinking, Yuna casually replied, "Yeah, I plan to live here until adulthood before moving."
Living until adulthood meant she intended to stay for over eighty more years.
Garon originally planned to stay in the far north ice plains until adulthood, but realized he lacked the patience for a hundred years, possessing the strength to traverse many prime material worlds.
Unless a deity incarnated, he feared nothing.
And strictly speaking, he wasn't too afraid of deity incarnations.
Yuna, with the support of other Force Dragons, wasn't staying out of caution but simply preferred solitude.
"What do you eat? There are no living beings here," Garon noted a discrepancy, curious.
Upon hearing Garon's question, Yuna looked up naturally, stating, "We Force Dragons don't need to eat. As long as there's a force field, we can absorb its energy."
Not needing to eat and absorbing force field energy was new to Garon, a Time Dragon who still required food to avoid hunger.
Dragons can consume anything from flesh to minerals, making starvation rare. However, living entirely without food was unheard of for Garon.
Force Dragons, as legendary species, have many unique traits, though not as prominent as Time Dragons.
Regarding Yuna's mention of force field energy, Garon had limited understanding.
Could it be related to gravitational fields? He pondered briefly.
"Some theories from my previous life mentioned that strong gravity can warp space-time."
Realizing this, Garon's heart skipped a beat, viewing Yuna differently.
He had long been troubled by a question: uncovering histories buried in the sands of time and gaining the power to traverse past and future.
Whether it's the half-heard reason for the Yttrium Dragon Clan's expulsion or the true cause of the Alpha Tia Empire's downfall, Garon sought clarity.
Partial knowledge of history was like ants crawling on him, uncomfortable. Ignorance was one thing, but partial understanding was the worst, vague and unclear.
Normally, Garon felt he'd need to reach adulthood to time travel.
But with Yuna's help, combining his connection to time with her force power, they might achieve time travel without the long wait.
"Thus, I need to find a way to take Yuna with me."
"Although the chances of success are slim, it's worth a try. Besides, I'd like a peer for equal conversation."
At that moment, Garon considered kidnapping the Force Dragon girl.
Not really kidnapping, as the eldest among legendary dragon species, taking care of a Force Dragon to prevent her from straying seemed natural.
Garon licked his lips, looking at the oblivious Yuna.
After some thought, Garon carefully broached the subject, "Yuna, don't you want to see the outside world?"
Yuna immediately shook her head, "I've seen it through our heritage. Doesn't seem interesting."
"The prime material world is vast, but worthwhile beings to communicate with are rare. Since leaving my mother, you're the only one I've met."
Dragon heritage provides a rich background, including ancestors' experiences. Though many dragons would still want to see the world for themselves, Yuna was an exception.
Garon nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
He preferred firsthand experiences. To him, heritage content was like watching a movie as an outsider, not as engaging as being the protagonist.
While he didn't agree with Yuna's perspective, he didn't argue, recognizing dragons have their own aspirations.
But how could he convince her to stay by his side for care? Garon pondered for a few seconds.
Then, looking at Yuna with a gentle smile, he softly said, "The outside world may not be interesting, but it holds ample treasures."
Pausing, Garon glanced at the sparse gems and metals, continuing, "It seems there's much room for improvement in your collection."
"Don't you want more wealth, to sleep on a bed of gems, to lie on a mountain of magical metals?"
"Imagine, with enough treasures, you could fill your lair, burying yourself among them, peacefully sleeping amidst the friction of gems and metals against your scales."
Garon's enticing words reached Yuna's ears.
Every true dragon, even legendary ones, can't resist the lure of treasures, not even dragon gods.
Using treasures as bait is the simplest, most direct, and effective method.
As expected.
The inexperienced Force Dragon girl, hearing Garon's narrative, gradually showed longing in her eyes, her breathing becoming heavier.
Disdainful of communicating with other beings, Force Dragons didn't gather followers. Solitary by nature and not plundering like chromatic dragons, relying on luck to collect treasures made wealth accumulation difficult.
"Want to visit my lair?"
Finally, Garon revealed his intent, smiling warmly.
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