A big monster?
Given Yuna's strength, the fact that she spoke of this creature with such apprehension indicated that it was not on the same level as the legendary creatures Garon had previously slain.
"What kind of big monster did you encounter?"
Garon asked, playing along with Yuna's apparent concern.
After pondering for a moment, Yuna replied seriously, "I traveled quite far this time. When I flew over a range of high mountains, I noticed that the entire area was eerily quiet, almost devoid of any signs of life."
Garon understood this scenario well. The absence of other aberrant creatures indicated the presence of an extremely powerful aberrant, whose very existence scared off lesser beings, creating a zone of deathly silence.
"A territory covering a mountain range must belong to a formidable aberrant creature," Garon nodded.
"Did you find any specific traces of it?"
Yuna nodded, her expression filled with disgust, "It looked like a small hill among the dense mountains, inconspicuous at first. I only discovered its exact location when I used my energy to disturb it from above."
"With all due disgust," Yuna said with an air of revulsion, "you wouldn't believe how ugly that thing is. The Chaos God's avatar we saw on Noah was bad enough, but this aberrant creature is a hundred, no, a thousand times uglier!"
Garon grew curious about a creature that could elicit such a reaction from Yuna.
"What does it look like?"
Under Garon's watchful eyes, Yuna used her powers to roughly shape the appearance of the creature.
Garon felt a chill run through him as he looked at the representation. As Yuna had described, this aberrant creature was far more grotesque than the black serpent dragon, almost unbearable to look at. Just a glance was enough to make Garon's skin crawl.
"I feel an urge to turn it to ashes immediately," Garon said, exhaling slowly.
Yuna nodded vigorously, "Right? I told you it's disgusting."
Pausing, Yuna continued, "But it's quite powerful. The moment I saw it, I wanted to obliterate it with my energy breath, to spare my eyes."
"It was hit directly by my dragon breath and although its body shattered, it regenerated instantly."
Yuna appeared helpless, "I kept attacking, but even after using most of my energy, it seemed unphased."
"Aberrant creatures have strong regenerative abilities, but this one's is horrifyingly powerful even compared to others."
"Its attacks are also strong. I didn't want to get hurt, so I left once my energy was mostly depleted."
Such powerful regenerative abilities made Garon squint slightly. A supreme aberrant like this, if left unchecked, could evolve into a force even true dragons would be wary of.
"There are other legendary dragons nearby, aside from me," Yuna continued, "I didn't engage them, but I suspect they're here for the same disgusting creature."
"Let's go now, Garon, and finish it off," Yuna urged eagerly. "It might not be the strongest aberrant on Kala, but it's definitely among the top."
The creature's grotesque appearance had invoked intense hostility from Yuna. Indeed, in any world, appearance is a crucial factor.
Garon looked closely at Yuna and shook his head, "No rush. You're not fully recovered yet. Rest first, and we'll go once your energy is fully replenished."
Not only Yuna, but Garon himself needed rest after expending a large amount of magic and temporal power. Dealing with a powerful aberrant required caution to avoid serious injury.
Yuna agreed to wait, regaining her composure.
Both dragons then closed their eyes, replenishing their strength and energy through sleep. The unique interaction between Yuna's force energy and Garon's temporal power significantly accelerated their recovery when they were close together. To hasten their recovery, they squeezed into the somewhat cramped temporary lair.
World forces and the river of time stirred slightly, intertwining around the two legendary dragons like an invisible cocoon, infusing their bodies with endless energy and slowly enhancing their capabilities.
Meanwhile, after a month and a half of exploration, the kobolds, led by Ford, had dug deep, winding tunnels underground, following their natural intuition for mineral veins.
In the dark mine, sparse torches provided faint light, but the kobolds' natural dark vision was sufficient to navigate the complex tunnels.
"For the great Eternal Dragon!" the kobolds chanted, working their picks against the rocks.
Their fanatic devotion to dragonkind drove them to exhaust every ounce of their feeble strength in hopes of pleasing Garon.
Despite their flaws, the kobolds' dedication to their dragon master's commands was unquestionable.
Later, in a downward-sloping tunnel, an experienced elder kobold paused his work. The others watched as he scrutinized every inch of rock and soil, his ears and nose quivering.
Minutes later, he stood up, excitement in his voice, "My experience and intuition tell me there's a precious magical vein below."
"Thanks be to the Eternal Dragon," he said, attributing the find to Garon's guidance.
The discovery of the vein excited the kobolds, who dug even more fervently. But an unexpected event was about to occur.
Clang!
A young kobold's pick flew from his hands, revealing a faint glow in the opened rock layer. In the dim mine, this gentle light was strikingly bright.
"Oh, Kur'tumak above, the Eternal Dragon will see our clan in a new light!" the elder kobold exclaimed.
However, at that crisp sound, an invisible force rippled out.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Kobolds touched by this force fell dizzy and unconscious almost simultaneously. The elder, still smiling, succumbed to sleep as well.
High in the sky, Garon hovered, gazing downward.
The landscape below was rugged with craggy rocks and steep cliffs, punctuated by desolate towering mountains.
"This is the place," Yuna confirmed, looking at the rolling mountain range below.
Remaining invisible, her voice reached Garon's ears directly.
Garon nodded, continuing his scan of the silent mountains.
"Can you locate it?"
After a moment, Yuna asked curiously.
Under the soft sunlight, Garon withdrew his gaze and shook his head.
"No, it's hiding its presence well."
Even with maximized perception, Garon couldn't detect the legendary aberrant within the vast mountain range. There were only a few common aberrants.
Compared to other areas, aberrants here were scarce, indicating the presence of a powerful aberrant dominating the mountains.
However, Garon sensed a dangerous, deadly aura while observing the mountains, a feeling only a formidable creature could evoke.
Garon and Yuna didn't immediately search for the aberrant, as several legendary dragon auras approached rapidly.
Garon turned toward the source of these auras.
In his view, eight legendary dragons, each at least thirty meters long, were approaching. A Gold Dragon, a Green Dragon, a Red Dragon, two Silver Dragons, two Brass Dragons, and one Copper Dragon.
Seven were metallic dragons from Noah's Dragon Island, who had fought alongside Garon against the second empire's magic fleet and the Chaos God's avatar.
The legendary Green Dragon was the one who had given Garon a dragon scale earlier.
The legendary dragons present were mostly familiar faces to Garon. The fiery-scaled legendary Red Dragon was new to him.
It was an ancient dragon, the most formidable among the eight. Its breath shimmered with bright flames, and its thirty-eight-meter body nearly reached the super-gigantic size. Even from a distance, its sulfuric aura overpowered Kala's aberrant stench.
"Noble Dragon of Time, we meet again," the leading Gold Dragon spoke first. Not Garon's familiar friend Lockweed, but another high-ranking member from Dragon Island.
Garon hadn't interacted much with this legendary Gold Dragon before.
Pausing, the Gold Dragon smiled, "May the glory of the Platinum Dragon God shine upon this land and favor our kind."
Garon's interest piqued. Such words were uncommon among metallic dragons.
This Gold Dragon seemed a devout follower of the Dragon God. Most true dragons respected but didn't worship Dragon Gods, though a few did. This Gold Dragon was one of the rare worshippers.
In the metallic dragon hierarchy, Gold Dragons rank highest and are least likely to worship a god, given their strength. However, the proportion of worshippers is higher among Gold Dragons due to their god's favoritism, a fact envied but not resented by other metallic dragons.
"Are you here for the aberrant creature?" Garon asked bluntly after a brief exchange.
"Yes," the Green Dragon nodded. "A young Bronze Dragon passed here half a month ago while clearing aberrants."
Sighing, the Gold Dragon continued, "It has returned to the embrace of the Dragon God."
A euphemism for death, implying that the Bronze Dragon had perished without reaching the divine realm.
"News of this attracted other legendary dragons," it said. "But even they nearly couldn't escape."
Yuna had identified the aberrant as a 'big monster,' and indeed, it proved too much for other legendary dragons.
"We've decided to join forces to kill it here, trapping it without escape," the Gold Dragon explained.
"We were waiting for more legendary dragons, but with you two here, there's no need to wait."
Their plan was to gather enough power to trap and kill the aberrant, wary of its dangerous stealth. Yuna's earlier action had alarmed it, heightening its caution.
The dragons present felt that they couldn't dodge the aberrant's stealthy attacks easily.
"Let's end it today," Garon declared. "I don't want to waste time returning."
The distance made even teleportation or flying costly.
"It won't surface with ordinary provocation," a male Silver Dragon noted, frowning.
"Simple," Garon replied. "Bombard the ground indiscriminately until it's forced to emerge."
Under the dragons' keen senses, the aberrant couldn't hide once it revealed any sign of its presence.
The vast mountain range required significant energy, meaning the dragons wouldn't be at their peak when the aberrant appeared. But to force its emergence, this was necessary. With Garon and Yuna present, the others were confident.
"Let's do it," they agreed, decisively executing the plan.
Under Garon and Yuna's watchful eyes, eight legendary dragons swept towards the mountain range, wings whipping up wind and fury.
Thunderous roars echoed as the dragons unleashed their might. Dragon breaths tore through mountains, and magical prowess easily shattered rugged peaks. Unrestrained, they wrought catastrophic destruction.
Different elemental attacks from the legendary dragons made the ground quake violently. Mountains swayed, boulders tumbled, and web-like cracks spread rapidly. Fire, ice, poison fog – waves of destruction engulfed the land.
Amidst this apocalyptic scene, time passed silently.
Two and a half hours later, the view from above revealed collapsed mountains and a scarred, elementally ravaged landscape. The disaster wrought by the dragons' combined might unfolded before Garon's eyes.
In the midst of this, the ancient Red Dragon breathed a torrential stream of flames.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Its fiery breath struck several mountains, blasting through rock layers and igniting the surroundings. A tremendous firestorm spread rapidly.
At that moment, an unnatural distortion appeared in the fire-engulfed area.
Every legendary dragon focused on this anomaly, their keen eyes locked on the unusual spot in the fire.
"Caught you," the Platinum Dragon glinted sharply in its eyes.
The aberrant knew it was discovered and stopped concealing itself.
A small hill, camouflaged within the environment and about a hundred meters tall, began to transform amidst the flames.
Its earthen color shifted to a sinister black.
A rolling, heaving mass of black flesh emerged before the dragons.
Its original form was indiscernible, just a horrifying mass of rotting flesh. As it moved, layers of meat writhed like mud, emitting low growls and roars.
Then, several giant bloodshot eyes on fleshy tentacles emerged, flailing wildly. Grotesque mouths filled with sharp teeth dotted the meaty hill.
"Disgusting! It's polluting my eyes!" Yuna grumbled in extreme distaste.
Meanwhile, a powerful force converged beside Garon.
Boom!
Yuna's force breath tore through wind and fire, leaving a clear path straight to the black meat hill.
The hill's flesh was ripped open, but its enormous size and soft, rotten composition made the injury seem less threatening. More horrifyingly, in a single breath, new flesh sprouted, refilling the torn gap.
"It's regenerating too fast," Garon noted, squinting.
Yuna's breath was too powerful for the hill's defenses to gauge, but its regenerative ability was undeniably terrifying.
After Yuna's attack, the hill didn't remain passive.
Roars like tsunamis erupted from its depths.
Its fleshy tentacles with eyeballs lashed out, their tips gaping with jagged teeth, aiming for the dragons.
Simultaneously, it shot black flesh spears from its body, raining them towards the dragons. Its intact eyes fired beams similar to the Chaos God's avatar, creating a storm of deadly projectiles.
Yuna shielded herself and Garon with a force barrier.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
Dark beams struck the barrier, causing web-like fractures, but it held firm and soon healed with constant energy replenishment.
"Is that all?" Yuna seemed surprised, then excited.
During their last encounter with the black serpent dragon, Yuna hadn't been as powerful, and the Chaos God's avatar had been far more formidable, easily breaking through her barrier. That experience had left a mark on her.
Thus, facing this aberrant, Yuna attacked with fervor.
Hum!
Gathering force energy, Yuna amplified gravity in the hill's area, crushing it into a flattened mass. The writhing flesh and eyeball-mouths compressed together.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
The laser-firing eyeballs burst under the pressure, spewing thick fluids.
Amid agonized roars, a dark mist rose around the hill, resisting Yuna's gravity.
The aberrant's attacks slowed considerably.
Garon joined the fray, unleashing his well-crafted Great Sun Fireballs.
The land turned into an endless sea of fire, with the massive, struggling hill at its center. Amidst fiery destruction and tortured howls, the scene resembled a hellish furnace.
Great Sun Fireballs, Time Division, Breath of Time Plundering, Sequential Casting – Garon used all his abilities, outstripping the output of the other eight dragons combined.
Indeed, few creatures could withstand such onslaught from two legendary dragons.
The black hill struggled but withstood the ten dragons' assault, barely surviving thanks to its incredible regenerative powers.
Its attack was not particularly fierce, making it a lesser threat among legends, which explained why individual dragons had survived encounters with it.
Pushing its regenerative abilities to the limit, the hill matched the black serpent dragon in resilience.
Tough and durable, but under the righteous beatdown of the legendary dragons, its body broke repeatedly. Despite constant regeneration, it grew weaker, struggling to escape.
But its bulky form made it impossibly slow compared to the dragons.
After over an hour of offense and defense, the hill exhausted its energy, disintegrating into ashes in the roaring flames.
"Finally killed the ugly thing," Yuna sighed, sticking out her tongue.
Garon too, breathed a sigh of relief. The creature was indeed a tough adversary, its enormous size and recovery prowess formidable. Without the need to eliminate it, no dragon would willingly confront such a creature – a thankless task.
Common legendary dragons, even without the hill's counterattack, would struggle to slay it due to sheer stamina depletion.
"With this aberrant gone, Kala's southern hemisphere's greatest threat is no more," the Gold Dragon remarked, smiling.
"In the Platinum Dragon God's guidance, we dragons can revive the splendor of our kind on Kala."
Garon paid little heed to its latter remark. Devotees often credited all success to divine guidance, something he didn't appreciate.
"Have you explored the entire southern hemisphere?" he inquired.
The Gold Dragon nodded, "Our metallic dragon clans have been in touch. The strongest aberrant in the south was the one we just vanquished."
"As for the north, I'm unsure due to the distance. But with Nehemiah and Lockweed there, aberrants can't stir trouble."
Pausing, it handed Garon a communication crystal.
"In this strange world, we must stand united. If you face an aberrant too strong to handle alone, contact our metallic dragon clans."
"The great Dragon God said we're always your backup."
After addressing Garon, the Gold Dragon hesitated before giving crystals to the Green and Red Dragons too.
"We dragons are one family. May the Dragon God witness our unity and disapprove of internal strife."
After exchanging information and bidding farewell, the legendary dragons returned to their domains.
Before leaving, the ancient Green Dragon was stopped by Garon.
"Can I assist you with something?"
The elderly Green Dragon appeared amicable and approachable.
Garon nodded, "Aberrants will be cleared in time, but I want to rejuvenate my territory."
"In exchange, I'll compensate you."
With the Gold Dragon's information, the situation on Kala seemed stabilizing, making it time to improve the environment.
Revitalizing a lifeless planet begins with vegetation – towering trees, rich fruits, lush green forests – all missing from Kala.
Green Dragons, experts in this area, possessed abilities to promote plant growth from nothing.
"Of course," the Green Dragon smiled. "But there's no need for compensation."
Green Dragons, with their intricate minds, were the most cunning among chromatic dragons. It preferred Garon's favor over material compensation.
Garon insisted, "Compensation is necessary. The area I need greened is not small."
The Green Dragon acquiesced, "I'm not at my best now. Use the scale to call me when you're ready, and I'll come."
Garon agreed, and the Green Dragon left.
Garon surveyed the scarred land before returning with Yuna to their territory.
Soon, they were back among their eager followers – primarily the kobolds.
"Master, we've had an incident in the mines!" Ford exclaimed urgently.
"Our kin discovered a glowing vein deep underground, but everyone who touched it fell unconscious."
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