A Prime Material World Garon was somewhat interested.
This was no mere demi-plane.
A genuine Prime Material World, even if small, was much larger than Garon's lava demi-plane. Since the dragons of the Noa continent were contributing jointly, Garon wouldn't have exclusive access to all resources of this world. However, the distribution of territories and spoils of war would ultimately be decided by ability.
Garon wasn't boasting; he could responsibly say that even if Nehemiah was the only ancient dragon in Noa, Garon could easily handle two Nehemiahs without much pressure. Thus, if Garon wished, he could obtain massive wealth in this new Prime Material World.
Garon, with his lava demi-plane, was already a wealthy dragon, but to say he was richer than other dragons would be a joke. It's said that the Dragon God possesses wealth enough to fill dozens of Prime Material Worlds.
Some ancient dragons who had lived long enough had amassed fortunes that could rival mountains of gold and seas of silver. Compared to them, Garon's wealth was far from comparable.
Moreover, due to the massive expenditure of the Gem Seal Spell and the time required for mining gems in the lava demi-plane, he had no new channels for replenishing his treasures. The amount of treasure in his hoard was far from its peak, and he didn't know how long it would take to recover.
Garon suppressed his thoughts.
"What kind of Prime Material World is it?"
"How does it compare to the Noa continent?"
He asked Nehemiah.
"That Prime Material World exists in the form of a planet, Kara Planet."
The forms and sizes of Prime Material Worlds vary. Enclosed in the crystal walls, there are square-shaped worlds like Noa, and also spherical worlds like Earth. Land-based worlds can be vast or, like Noa, rather small.
The countless stars seen from Noa are the projections of other Prime Material Worlds through the crystal wall.
The largest Prime Material Worlds exist in the form of universes.
Garon's previous life on Earth was in a universe-level Prime Material World.
However, universe-level worlds are too vast, and most areas are extremely dangerous and unsuitable for life. Only a fraction of a billionth of the planets can nurture intelligent life, which is why deities generally don't focus on universe worlds.
"It's hard enough to find life in such worlds, let alone spread faith."
"Kara Planet is more than ten times larger than Noa. Frankly, even if all dragons from Noa went there and dealt with the warped creatures, it would take a long time to cover the entire planet."
Noa's dragons were powerful, but even they would find this a tall order. If not for the metallic dragons lacking ambition to rule and the chromatic dragons being divided, Noa's dragons could replicate the pre-Dragonfall War situation where dragons ruled all lands, provided other deities didn't interfere.
However, this was only relative. Noa's overall power level wasn't high. The total number of other legendary creatures was fewer than that of the legendary dragons.
"A planet world, ten times larger than Noa, its diameter might be similar to Earth's."
Garon thought to himself.
Such a world, even with all Noa's dragons and their attendant forces, would likely be hard to manage.
"How many dragons are there in Noa?"
Garon wasn't sure of the exact number, but it certainly wasn't much.
"Nehemiah, do you know how many metallic dragons there are in Noa?"
After pondering, the ancient silver dragon replied, "Around three thousand on Metal Dragon Island, and with those scattered around the continent, the total should be about five thousand."
Around five thousand metallic dragons, with chromatic dragons being weaker and gem dragons rarer, other species were exceedingly rare.
Adding up, Noa's total dragon population hardly reached ten thousand.
Ten thousand might seem a lot, but it's an entire species. Even a small human town or a larger bustling village can have more than ten thousand inhabitants.
"To clear a planet ten times larger than Noa of warped creatures, relying solely on Noa's dragons would require a lot of time and effort," Nehemiah said.
"However, the warped creatures have chaotic minds and don't care for material resources. Kara's resources are well-preserved."
"After clearing the creatures to a certain extent, every dragon can obtain a vast territory. With some attendants to manage and develop it, immense wealth will be accumulated over time."
Garon nodded slightly.
He wasn't short-sighted and understood this point.
He had already decided to venture to Kara Planet to open new territories.
"What's the strength of these warped creatures?"
Garon wondered.
The warped creatures on Noa were quickly dealt with by the Bright Church. If any remained, they were likely hidden in the towers of mad mages, shunning the light.
Due to short exposure, Noa's warped creatures were weak. But on Kara, having been under the Primordial Sun God's control for who knows how long, their strength would be on another level.
Nehemiah shook his head, "I haven't been to Kara and don't know their exact strength."
"But as a world handpicked by the Metal Dragon God for us, their strength, no matter how great, is within our capabilities to handle, albeit with some trouble."
Garon nodded thoughtfully.
The Primordial Sun God's occupied worlds weren't the only ones, and the forces undertaking the clearing task weren't limited to one. Deities' apostles, followers, and subjects in various worlds could act on behalf of the gods.
The Dragon Gods specifically selected a suitable world for Noa's dragons.
It was a special consideration for Noa's dragons.
As gods, their focus generally isn't limited to one world.
"Perhaps because of the Primordial Sun God's invasion of Noa, the Dragon Gods are paying special attention here."
But another possibility dawned on Garon.
He wasn't vain, but compared to the above guess, the Dragon Gods' special attention to Noa due to his presence seemed more plausible.
"Sooner or later, I will become part of them, communicating on equal terms with the Dragon Gods and becoming a strong support for the dragons."
"I will join the metallic dragons in this mission."
In the expectant gaze of the ancient silver dragon, Garon smiled and said.
"Haha, I knew you would."
"With you, we can clear Kara's warped creatures more quickly."
Receiving Garon's affirmation, Nehemiah laughed loudly, his draconic roar shaking the snow on nearby mountains.
"When are we heading to Kara? Do you have the coordinates for this Prime Material World?"
Garon asked.
"In a month, the great Metal Dragon God will open a large portal to Kara near the sea surrounding Metal Dragon Island."
"True dragons and their attendant families can pass through this portal to reach Kara."
Just Noa's dragons wouldn't suffice. Even if the warped creatures of a planet stood still, it would take an unknown amount of time for all of Noa's dragons to clear them. However, most adult dragons have their attendant families, a formidable force.
The elderly metallic dragons on the island also had their territories and attendant forces outside.
But even with attendants, this was a task requiring a lot of time and effort.
"If only I knew the spells of the Alpha-Tia Empire."
In this situation, Garon thought of the Destructive Wind that shattered Alpha-Tia's planet. It was much larger than Kara, yet the wind shattered it. Garon didn't need planet-destroying spells, just enough to clear the surface.
He pondered returning to the Alpha-Tia Empire's golden age to unearth their wind and fire spells from the River of Time.
Garon had the teleportation stone gate left by Alpha-Tia. Using it as an anchor, it was possible to return to their heyday with his portal of time and space, but it wasn't certain if it could reach that far back.
Setting this aside, Garon asked Nehemiah, "Is the Metal Dragon God's portal only for dragons and their attendants?"
"If the Bright Church could join, their divine light spells could assist us well in clearing the Primordial Sun God's warped creatures."
"Just reward the Church accordingly."
Nehemiah shook his head, "If possible, I would've asked Yeleian for help. The Church would be eager to fight the Primordial Sun God's minions, no compensation needed."
Due to opposing power attributes, the feud between the Primordial Sun God and the God of Light was intense.
Just mentioning killing warped creatures was enough. The Church's people would be eager to join, using their divine light spells to purify darkness.
Garon looked puzzled, "Why is that?"
He didn't believe the Metal Dragon God couldn't open a portal for other forces.
Nehemiah's voice lowered, his expression becoming much more serious.
"Garon, the Metal Dragon God's oracle explicitly stated that Kara Planet can only be inhabited by dragons and their servants."
"It must be a Prime Material World belonging to and ruled by dragons."
This was unusual.
Garon felt the Dragon Gods might be up to something.
He narrowed his eyes.
What did the Metal Dragon God, or rather the Dragon Gods, want to do? Since the Dragonfall War, dragons' rule over Prime Material Worlds was gone. Now, multiple races coexist, with dragons powerful but not dominant, just a powerful faction.
Like Noa.
True dragons could rule it, but out of respect for the deities of other races, they refrained. If they acted, the deities would intervene.
The other gods wouldn't tolerate dragons ruling a Prime Material World again.
"The gods aren't intervening?"
Garon asked.
"Who knows? Maybe the Dragon Gods have already negotiated with the others."
"A world ruled entirely by dragons, I long for that."
As an ancient dragon, Nehemiah knew more about dragon affairs.
"As for matters between gods, it's not our place to intervene."
As he finished, Nehemiah realized his companion wasn't a mere dragon like him.
He sighed, then corrected himself, "I misspoke. It's not my place to intervene. As for you, dragons differ in physique, and you will walk alongside the Dragon Gods eventually."
Looking at Garon, Nehemiah joked, "Respected Time Dragon, don't forget me then."
Garon smiled slightly, "Of course, my memory is excellent."
After further conversation, Nehemiah left the Ice Cliffs territory amid the snowstorm.
However, he didn't leave the Far North Icefield.
Nehemiah visited Luna.
They shared a blood bond, and metallic dragons valued familial bonds. Luna was deeply upset when Nehemiah was nearing death.
Before leaving, he invited Garon.
But Garon declined.
He and Luna, both living in the Far North Icefield, met frequently.
Luna often sent her children to learn magic from Kritchen and Fred, chatting with Garon each visit.
Garon was now much stronger than Luna.
However, he had a good impression of her, and their friendship remained unchanged despite his rapid growth and revealed identity.
As for Crystal Dragon Nicole, she had disappeared.
Garon hadn't seen her in the Icefield for a long time.
He visited her territory, finding it abandoned for years.
He asked Luna, but she was also unaware.
"Hope the dragon is safe."
Garon shook his head, concerned about Nicole, a friend from his weaker days. But with no news and no temporal mark on her, there wasn't much he could do to find her.
Few beings carried Garon's temporal mark.
The white dragoness was one, and the stonetooth serpent dragon had one due to Garon's suspicion.
That's about it.
Marking other dragons could allow Garon to know their movements and even spy directly – an intolerable invasion of privacy for dragons.
Or for most intelligent beings, being constantly watched is unbearable.
If the white dragoness knew about the mark and its purpose, she'd likely confront Garon angrily, demanding its removal.
But unless Garon told her, she would never discover it.
Garon had no intention of revealing it.
Back to the matter at hand.
Garon returned to his nest.
He told Yuna about Kara Planet.
"I want to go too."
"Damn Desolate God, I can't beat Him, but I'll bully His minions!"
Yuna swung her claw.
She was also a vengeful dragon.
The Primordial Sun God's name was etched in Yuna's little book of grudges.
"A planet full of warped creatures will definitely be satisfying."
Seeing Yuna's demeanor, Garon chuckled softly.
With a month until the journey to Kara, Garon didn't linger in his nest after informing Yuna.
He cast a plane teleportation spell, entering the lava demi-plane.
The silver dragon appeared amidst endless flames.
In areas with many fire elemental creatures, the air was constantly filled with ascending and twisting flames.
The surging flames couldn't harm a single scale of the silver dragon.
His invisible draconic aura, like a wild wind, suppressed and expelled the flames.
Under his broad wings, Garon overlooked the Flame Steel City below.
He could see fire giants and ordinary fire elementals, their servants, moving along the city walls.
Fire tigers, lions, birds, wolves... various fire elemental creatures abounded.
Since ruling the lava demi-plane, Garon strictly controlled the conflicts between fire and earth elementals.
A balanced environment of fire and earth elements created the demi-plane's rich magical gemstones and metal resources. If it were purely fire or earth, it wouldn't be as resourceful.
And as long as these elemental energies exist, the demi-plane's resources could regenerate.
This regeneration needed long cycles, but it was renewable.
Thus, Garon wouldn't allow unchecked battles between the fire and earth elementals.
Their skirmishes might alter the demi-plane's environment, reducing its magical mineral wealth.
Garon needed to maintain a stable ratio of elemental energy, which required his control.
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