In the Immortal Fortress, at the grand hall's location.
Garon, Nicole Nina, and the White Dragon Mother, along with three colossal dragons, were all staying here at the same time. However, the spacious fortress hall still did not seem crowded, leaving plenty of space for even more creatures to stand.
Yuna was resting in the main nest behind them.
When Garon brought Nicole Nina and the White Dragon Mother back, he keenly discovered that there were subtle energy fluctuations at Yuna's location. However, it only fluctuated once before returning to calm.
Clearly, the sleeping Yuna had detected the unfamiliar dragon aura.
But upon discovering that the dragons were brought by Garon, she continued to sleep, only becoming invisible again, maintaining her invisible state even in sleep.
Not just the dragon-veined ogres, Garon's followers, but even high-level spellcasters, as well as adult dragons of the same dragon race, Yuna did not want them to see her appearance. As a result, Garon was the only one who had actually seen her.
As for Nicole Nina and the White Dragon Mother, they were unable to discover the legendary dragon's concealment techniques.
They were completely unaware that a legendary dragon, still young, was residing nearby, or even that it was within arm's reach.
Having not seen each other for a while, Nicole Nina appeared quite excited, bombarding Garon with questions about his experiences in the lava demi-plane. She told Garon to take some time to make it into a mural, to be carved onto the walls of the entrance passage.
The hall's walls were inlaid with magnificent crystals.
Soft halos shone down, casting a gentle light on the silent White Dragon Mother, making her smooth, white scales shimmer with a faint light.
However, the White Dragon Mother, her body shimmering with light, did not listen to the conversation between Garon and Nicole Nina.
She was plunged into deep self-doubt.
Because, just not long ago, Garon had confessed to her his identity as a heterochronic time dragon, clearly stating that Nicole Nina had not switched the dragon eggs, and that he truly was a white dragon variant, wielding both the power of frost and time.
Garon has always been reluctant to openly proclaim his identity as a time dragon.
It was inconsistent with his approach to handling matters.
However, Garon also did not care about being known as a legendary dragon breed. When necessary, he did not bother to hide it.
After being separated from the White Dragon Mother for a year, seeing her deliberately display dignity and elegance, Garon knew she still harbored ill intentions, so he chose to clarify actively.
At first, the White Dragon Mother did not believe it.
She still blamed everything on the detestable Nicole Nina for switching her dragon egg.
Then, the crystal dragon solemnly swore by the Eternal Wheel, swearing that although she had harbored ill will, she had never actually stolen or switched the White Dragon Mother's dragon egg.
The "Eternal Wheel" she referred to is one of the titles of a dragon god who adheres to neutrality.
The Eternal Wheel, the Dragon of Harmony, the Guardian Dragon, the Nine-Faced Dragon God, is the only medium-power dragon god in the dragon god system, the creator of dragons, whose divine power cannot represent His true strength.
The Nine-Faced Dragon God, Io.
In some records about the origin of dragon gods, it is said that the platinum dragon god Bahamut and the five-headed dragon queen Tiamat were born because of Io, making Them His direct descendants. This claim is known by many true dragons, but its veracity has never been conclusively determined.
Swearing by the name of the Nine-Faced Dragon God, Nicole Nina was so solemn, the White Dragon Mother could no longer deceive herself.
"Heterochronic Time Dragon"
The White Dragon Mother looked at Garon with complex eyes.
Her amber dragon eyes carefully examined Garon, who had grown much taller and more imposing than herself.
Whether it was the majestic dragon horns or the rings of black scales on his body, they all spoke of the dragon before her as being out of the ordinary.
The White Dragon Mother remembered the first time she saw Garon hatch.
Seeing the ring of black scales on the neck of the young dragon, she suspected it was a dragon beast born, contemplating leaving it to fend for itself. It was only after Garon spoke his true name that she dismissed this dangerous thought.
Now, the black scales representing the circle of time had grown from one ring to three.
And the young dragon of the past, in just four years, had become a legendary giant dragon that she had to look up to.
This transformation left the White Dragon Mother with indescribable feelings.
At the same time, Garon turned his gaze, seeing the White Dragon Mother staring at him with a somewhat lost expression. Thinking of Yuna's words, he then asked, "I want to know, what kind of dragon was your mate?"
"Was it a white dragon?"
Garon wondered if there was a very slim chance that he actually had a time dragon as his biological father.
But to his astonishment, the White Dragon Mother, upon hearing Garon's words, shyly shook her head.
"Actually, I don't know."
Garon frowned, not understanding what the White Dragon Mother meant.
How could she not know what kind of dragon her mate was?
"How could you not know?"
He pressed for an answer.
The White Dragon Mother's claws unconsciously scratched the ground below, with a tone of confusion, "I never had a mate. One day when I was out hunting and returning in a blizzard, I felt something brewing in my belly, and after a careful check, I found myself inexplicably pregnant."
Garon and Nicole Nina exchanged glances.
"At that time, I wasn't even of age yet. I was focused on accumulating wealth and had never thought about finding a mate."
"Let alone raising offspring. I had no intention or plan to nurture offspring."
The White Dragon Mother said indignantly yet with a flushed face.
As a direct victim, Garon was very clear that the White Dragon Mother indeed had no plans at all. The young dragons were in a state of being left to fend for themselves, nearly starving every day.
Garon himself, along with his dragon sister Hilda and dragon brothers Tom and Charles, during a particularly difficult time to hunt for food in the cold blizzard, while the White Dragon Mother was sound asleep, all had nibbled on ice and snow without exception.
"How could this be?"
Garon could see that the White Dragon Mother was not lying.
She was not good at lying, and in this matter, there was no need for her to lie.
At this moment, Nicole Nina raised her paw, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I've heard a rumor that some very powerful ancient dragons, if they have lost their ability to reproduce but still desire offspring, can use special means to condense their own bloodline power and directly implant it into another dragon's body."
She looked at Garon, blinked, and said, "Garon, you might have come about this way."
After a pause, Nicole Nina giggled, "Your father might be a powerful primordial dragon."
Garon felt it was absurd but also had some guesses.
It couldn't possibly be related to his future self, could it?
Meanwhile, the White Dragon Mother snorted coldly, her noble dragon face frowning, displeased, "If that's the case, no matter if that guy is an ancient dragon or a primordial dragon, doing this without my consent is utterly shameless and despicable."
Time would unravel all mysteries. Garon stopped pondering over this issue and decided to put it aside.
As for his origins, he actually had no strong desire to explore them.
Whether he knew or not.
It wouldn't affect him much.
"Cough, how are Hilda and the others now?"
Garon awkwardly changed the subject.
"They're all staying in the dragon nest, eating and sleeping all day. I still have to raise them until they reach the young dragon stage."
"It's really annoying."
"I don't want to have offspring ever again."
The thought of the hungry dragon hatchlings made the White Dragon Mother's tone become irritable.
Metal dragons and gem dragons generally raise their young dragons until they are fifteen years old. When they reach adolescence, they let them leave their dragon nests to establish their own territories.
But the chromatic dragons, in many cases, would drive their young away at the age of six.
At six years old, chromatic dragons leaving the hatchling stage to enter the young dragon stage already possess a certain ability to protect themselves. If they are careful, they can survive on their own.
Garon did not respond to the White Dragon Mother's complaints.
After a brief thought, Garon said to the White Dragon Mother, "From today onwards, you can hunt in my territory, and you can also bring Charles and the others over."
The White Dragon Mother's eyes lit up.
Now, without mincing words, the silver giant dragon before her had become the uncrowned king of the Far North Icefield. The intelligent creature tribes living here dared not defy the orders of the Eternal Dragon. Having Garon's permission to hunt would make her life much more comfortable.
But before the White Dragon Mother could proudly respond,
Garon's expression turned solemn, his tone serious, emphasizing, "The condition is, you are not allowed to kill or play with my followers. They are all my wealth."
"Otherwise, you shall not even dream of stepping into my territories again."
Garon's words were firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
Because the White Dragon Mother could eat her own followers out of spite, she would not have a favorable view of other dragons' followers. Hence, Garon bluntly warned her.
When Garon became serious, the White Dragon Mother shrank her neck, a hint of fear appearing on her face.
Normally, her eldest son was easy to talk to and did not hold onto his status. But once he became serious, the majesty of a legendary giant dragon was emitted, making her dare not act rashly.
The White Dragon Mother had a bit of a psychological shadow towards Garon.
When Garon was just about twelve meters tall, he could already knock her unconscious.
The White Dragon Mother did not want to anger Garon, who was now much bigger than her.
The White Dragon Mother was not foolish; she knew how powerful Garon was now.
That was a level she could hardly imagine.
By clinging to her eldest son's leg, she could walk sideways in the Far North Icefield. So why provoke Garon's anger?
"Everyone knows, I, Salia, have always been compassionate and merciful towards weaker creatures."
The White Dragon Mother said without a hint of shame.
Garon narrowed his eyes, his voice neutral, "It's best that way."
Time passed, and Yuna was still quietly sleeping in the main nest behind, while the White Dragon Mother and Nicole Nina had already left.
The White Dragon Mother couldn't wait to return to her dragon nest to tell the news to the hatchlings.
Then, she could let the few young dragons come to Garon's side, where the biological resources were abundant, to hunt on their own. She would no longer have to worry and could sleep comfortably and peacefully.
Nicole Nina left because the silver dragon had not returned yet.
Two human children needed her care.
During the construction of the fortress for Garon, she frequently traveled between two places, also dealing with the White Dragon Mother's provocations, living quite busily.
Now that the fortress was finally completed, Nicole Nina planned to rest well.
Garon stayed alone in the main hall of the fortress, sitting on a majestic throne made of ice-blue cold iron, specially crafted for true dragons. The cold iron throne fit his body and structure, making it comfortable to sit on, with a cool sensation coming from the contact points.
Sitting on the cold iron throne, looking forward from here, he could see the entire main hall of the fortress.
The view was excellent.
In his platinum dragon eyes, the illusory river of time was reflected. Garon observed it, capturing every indiscernible ripple, taking it all in, while quietly feeling the grandeur of time.
After a while.
"The leader of the Wolfheart Tribe, Wolf Evil, requests an audience."
A dragon-veined ogre guard passed through the passageway, knelt on the ground upon seeing the silver giant dragon, and said.
"Let him in."
Garon withdrew his gaze.
Two minutes later, a white-furred, agile winter wolf leader stepped into the fortress hall, deeply bowing his head, praising, "Great Eternal Dragon, your brilliance and power grow day by day."
Garon's expression remained calm, his dragon claw lightly tapping the cold iron throne, producing a crisp metallic sound.
"I have been away for two months. How has the territory developed during this time?"
The wolf's tail wagged faster, and Wolf Evil maintained a stable voice, but could not hide his joy, saying, "Under your protection, the Wolfheart Tribe has been unstoppable."
"Now, all intelligent creature tribes still existing in the Far North Icefield have chosen to live under your rule."
Not all intelligent creatures are willing to give up their freedom.
However, those still existing in the Far North Icefield are willing.
Wolf Evil continued to speak, and Garon listened quietly.
The Far North Icefield is no longer as chaotic as before, with intelligent creature tribes having a unified lord. Conflicts between them no longer directly resort to violence, leading to a certain degree of easing.
Such a situation, except for evil races that naturally enjoy killing, is welcomed by all.
Under the rule of the Eternal Dragon, from initial resistance, they gradually became compliant.
On conquering the Far North Icefield, Garon was not particularly enthusiastic.
He gathered followers and expanded his power primarily to live better, not to satisfy some ambition. Even now, it remains the same. Even if he consumes those gems and precious metals daily, the resources of the Far North Icefield and the lava demi-plane are enough to last him a long time.
After learning that nothing unexpected happened during his absence, Garon let Wolf Evil leave.
Not long after, he flapped his wings and left the Immortal Fortress alone.
A deep, bottomless rift, like an ugly scar, was branded on the land of the Far North Icefield.
From above, it looked like a winding, twisted black line.
The weather in the Far North Icefield has not been good these days. Amidst the blustering snowstorm, the silhouette of a giant dragon could be faintly seen from afar.
In an instant, the silver giant dragon dove from the sky, landing steadily at the edge of the rift.
Garon stretched his neck, looking down.
Between the rugged, craggy rift walls, some protruding rocks were occasionally visible. The already dim light could hardly penetrate further, making the bottom appear incredibly dark and gloomy. Additionally, when wind entered the rift, it formed shrill, eerie sounds in the narrow spaces, like the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves.
In his perception, the time mark branded on the Black Sun Sculpture was still obediently staying below.
Apart from that sudden movement one day, there had been no other activity.
Withdrawing his gaze from the deep rift, Garon looked around.
The depth of this rift was unfathomable, almost spanning the entire Far North Icefield. As for its width—at the place where Garon dropped the Black Sun Sculpture, the widest part was no more than three meters, and the narrower parts were even less than one meter.
With his size, he could not easily enter or exit.
"Black Sun Sculpture"
Garon murmured lowly, his eyes showing vigilance.
The whispers in his ear back then are still crystal clear when he thinks of them now, vivid in his mind.
Being able to make the Church of Light on edge, with the God of Light even descending an oracle to warn his followers, this thing must not be trifling.
The followers of the God of Light are spread across the Noa Continent and not limited to it; he is a powerful deity with worshippers in countless primary material worlds. Thus, anything that catches His attention is definitely not weak.
Garon had full confidence in himself.
With the Reverse Flow of Time Dragon here, there were not many creatures that could threaten his safety.
However, when it comes to deities, he still needed to be cautious.
Deities are undoubtedly the most powerful existences in the multiverse.
Only other gods and quasi-divine forces can kill or oppose a god. Whether it's from the records in the dragon heritage or from the information Garon read from books, there are no records of mortals successfully killing a god on their own.
Strictly speaking, it's not nonexistent.
But if a mortal kills a god, there must be divine support behind that mortal, so it's not considered their own power.
Even gods cannot completely kill another god.
The death of a god, accurately speaking, is only temporary, not eternal oblivion. Every dead god has a chance to be resurrected and reborn, to make a comeback. All gods are truly immortal.
Even when he reaches adulthood, he would only have the ability to converse on equal terms with ordinary deities. Encountering some of the more powerful ones, the Reverse Flow of Time Dragon might not be useful.
Garon took a deep breath, calming his emotions.
Then, in a flash of light, his body shrank, turning into a cute little dragon.
The little dragon, with eyes that did not match its body's solemnity, stepped forward, leaned forward, flapped its wings, and dived towards the rift in front of it, gradually disappearing into the deep darkness.
Turn self-reliant 1... There's some block in writing, so only one chapter today. The promised daily ten thousand words were not fully achieved, but the days without successful ten thousand words will be made up for next month.
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