As dawn broke on the next day, Caesar awoke to a mild sense of pressure on his chest, akin to the weight of carrying a significant burden. Glancing down, he discovered Diana and Aurelian still cozily ensconced in slumber beside him; their bodies half-draped over him in a warm embrace. Their ivory-smooth, long legs intimately entwined around his waist, and the gentle mound of their arms, coupled with the softness of their bosom, rested heavily upon him—explaining the weighted sensation.
After a moment of silent appreciation for the intertwining silver and aqua locks against his own crimson tresses, Caesar decided such indulgences must be set aside. A grand vision for the resurgence of the Dragonkind filled his heart, and his ambition had expanded from reigning over the Emerald Continent to ruling the entire Aerlan World, rewards notwithstanding.
His lair within the Karl Mountains was but a fraction of his dominion. As his strength was formidable, the time had come to extend his territory, amass more loyal subjects, and eventually bring the entire expanse of the Karl Mountains under his rule.
Caesar was particularly intrigued by the challenge of the region's biological diversity. Arrogance, greed, dominance, cruelty, destruction—all these were synonymous with the Red Dragon, and as one of its finest specimens, Caesar sought to embody these illustrious draconic traits to their fullest extent.
Upon considering the potential magical creatures that might dwell within the mountain range, he consulted his ancestral memories—knowledge spanning from lesser beings to legendary creatures—a hierarchy beginning with ordinary fauna and ascending to beings of myth and legend.
For creatures beneath the Legendary tier, there were nine ranks, from the first to the ninth. The first through third made up the lower ranks, the fourth through sixth the middle, and the seventh through ninth constituted the higher ranks. Different worlds had their own systems to gauge the strength of their inhabitants, with some assigning thirty levels to grade the skills and abilities of various professions. In such systems, Legend status began from level 21 onwards, and every ascension in rank signified a profound leap in power.
Dragons, by their very nature, were destined to reach these legendary echelons of power, so long as they did not suffer an untimely demise. Being the apex of the five chromatic dragons, Red Dragons boasted superior growth potential and typically reached legendary status in the later centuries of their lives. Other chromatic dragons, barring any reckless misadventures, could also achieve the same at around the six-hundred-year mark, with White Dragons as the unfortunate exception, requiring far more time.
Furthermore, some unique dragon breeds were born legendary, revered on par with the rarest 'Child of Destiny' across a myriad of worlds. Such dragons were second only to Tiamat, the Mother of Dragons, and Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon God in the draconic hierarchy, and were so powerful that even deities would wary of them.
According to the records of the Dragon Legacy, there were nearly a hundred known dragon breeds, but the five chromatic evil dragons, along with the five metallic dragons of good and five gemstone dragons of neutrality, were the primary inhabitants of the material planes. Other breeds remained elusive and rare in the world of Aerlan.
Evaluating his own might, Caesar acknowledged his youth at twenty-eight, matching the vigor of a young human adult. After a recent period of hibernation, his abilities had elevated to that of a middle-ranked creature. To him, lower-ranked beings provided no more threat than a minor irritation, with most middle-ranked beings also proving inferior to his natural might. Indeed, dragons were not single-faceted creatures; born as the epitome of arcane and martial proficiency, their excellence spanned uniformly across their capabilities.
With that in mind, Caesar resolved to have Cyrion, the chieftain of the Jackalmen, survey their surroundings for intel. Should no upper-tier entities be present, he was set to exercise dominance over the Karl Mountains freely. Though only a mid-tier entity himself, Caesar was confident he could challenge even sixth-tier opponents, as demonstrated by his victory over the Aurelion Hawk—a peak fifth-tier magical creature which had risen to the sixth-tier under his wing.
Together with his subjects, Caesar faced few threats, unless they encountered a formidable high-tier adversary.
With a mighty unfurling of his vast draconic wings, splitting the clouds above as mighty sail-ships cleave the ocean waves, Caesar cherished his dragonform over his human guise. The mark of his overwhelming draconic presence spread far and wide, compelling his subjects to cease their tasks and bow their heads in reverence, gathering towards him like subjects to an emperor.
Cyrion, leader of the Jackalmen and a peak third-tier creature, was the first to answer the summon. Next emerged a group of sulfur-scented Fire Lizards, mostly second and third-tier creatures that would spell doom for any adventuring party unlucky enough to encounter them. Lastly came the Jackalmen, mostly first-tier combatants and thus the common foot soldiers in any monster horde.
Gazing down at his less than a hundred subjects, Caesar proclaimed, "Take your kinsmen and bring back word of the lands beyond, for all the territories of the Karl Mountains shall be mine, and I shall bestow upon you glory beyond measure!"
Cyrion, struck by the gravity of Caesar's tone, firmly responded, "As you command! The warriors of the Cyrion tribe will battle in your honor, mighty Caesar!"
With earth-shattering roars, the Fire Lizards and Jackalmen echoed their leader's oath, ready to fight for the expansion of their Red Dragon overlord's realm.