Chapter 84: Chapter 84: The Eternal Dragon
Garon looked down at the winter wolf pack surrounding him, a smile spreading across his face.
He then withdrew his temporal power, and the wolves that had disappeared reappeared in their original state, looking somewhat bewildered at the winter wolves by Garon's side.
The various colors and abilities of the wolf pack seemed like a miracle to the winter wolves as they appeared suddenly. As top predators and powerful magical creatures, the winter wolves were acutely aware of elemental energy fluctuations. To them, any magical ability employed by Garon should have triggered changes in elemental energy.
However, the fact that they detected no such fluctuations was precisely why they were so astonished. It meant that if Garon chose to attack them using this method, they would be defenseless and could disappear just as the other wolves had.
On the other hand, the suddenly reappearing wolves were even more confused. With their lower intelligence and the brief time of their banishment, their consciousness and memory remained at the moment they were banished. They were utterly unable to comprehend the current situation.
From their perspective, it seemed as if in the blink of an eye, the king of wolves, the winter wolves, were already prostrating before Garon.
Both parties found the situation incredible.
With the winter wolves already submitting, the other wolves were much easier to handle. Already unable to resist under Garon's dragon might, and now influenced by the winter wolves, they were easily subdued by Garon without much effort.
While not as formidable individually as the winter wolves, the quantity and the presence of magical and ferocious wolves among them made them a valuable collective.
There was another benefit to having a wolf pack as followers. Due to their smaller size, except for the ferocious wolves, they did not require much food for themselves. However, their formidable abilities often allowed them to hunt large prey, which could provide Garon with both plentiful and high-quality sustenance.
"Master, should we leave with you to your territory?" Wolf Evil asked, glancing at the familiar snow ridge pine forest with a hint of reluctance.
Garon smiled gently and responded, "Where I am, there is my territory, and where my followers are, there too lies my domain."
"You may remain in the snow ridge pine forest; this place suits you."
In the dense forest, the winter wolves could leverage their strength far better than in the plains. Even creatures as powerful as the White Dragoness were no match for a pack of winter wolves.
Like with the ogres, Garon expected the wolves to make weekly trips to the ice cliffs territory to provide him with food.
Considering the wolves' greater strength compared to the ogres, he had higher expectations for the Wolfheart Clan, but nothing they couldn't handle.
Garon considered himself a fair lord; he did not make unreasonable demands of his followers.
"I have no interest in doing such despicable things as taking my anger out on my followers," he thought.
"If there is a need for the Wolfheart Clan in battle, the winter wolf warriors will charge at the forefront, fighting for you," Wolf Evil declared his loyalty.
He was not content to have the clan simply provide food for Garon, which would be an easy task for the winter wolves.
Wolf Evil deeply hoped that one day, the Wolfheart Clan could become the largest winter wolf clan.
Garon nodded and said, "When you are needed, I will come to summon the winter wolves; there's no need to hurry."
Meanwhile, the adult male winter wolf named Wolf Ferocious, who had initially chosen to side with Garon, suddenly spoke, "Master, there are other winter wolf clans on the extreme northern ice plain besides the Wolfheart Clan. Wolf Evil comes from the Wolf Fang Clan, and there are also the Wolf Head, Wolf Claw, Wolf Snout, Wolf Fur, and Wolf Tail Clans."
Hearing Wolf Ferocious list the names of various wolf clans, Garon felt as if he was getting overwhelmed by the word "wolf."
Winter wolves often used parts of their bodies to name their clans, which could sound quite odd after a while.
After speaking, Wolf Ferocious paused and looked toward the pack leader, Wolf Evil.
As highly intelligent creatures, their scheming was no less sophisticated than humans, but to Garon, these were minor concerns. He preferred intelligent species over unintelligent, simple-minded followers.
He observed quietly, waiting for Wolf Evil to speak.
Wolf Evil's face showed anticipation as he continued, "If you agree, Master, the Wolfheart Clan will fight in your name, integrating all winter wolf clans on the extreme northern ice plain to join the Wolfheart and become your followers."
As someone who had left a stable clan to establish the Wolfheart Clan, Wolf Evil was not satisfied with the status quo. His life's goal and ambition were to grow the Wolfheart Clan into a force that unified all winter wolf clans on the extreme northern ice plain.
This was a challenging goal, which was why he was willing to submit to
Garon, hoping to use Garon's power to achieve it.
After hearing Wolf Evil's proposal, Garon thought for a moment and asked in a deep voice, "All the winter wolf clans on the extreme northern ice plain?"
Wolf Evil, slightly nervous, replied, "Yes, what do you think?"
Considering Garon as a silver dragon and unsure if a typically gentle silver dragon would want to engage in such endeavors, Wolf Evil was hopeful due to Garon's previous uncharacteristically aggressive actions.
Garon smiled and looked at Wolf Evil, saying, "Just the extreme northern ice plain?"
Wolf Evil was momentarily stunned, then his eyes gradually lit up with excitement, "What do you mean?"
Garon looked toward the barely visible Dragonspine Mountains to the south and said, "If you have a goal, why not aim for something even greater?"
"The entire Noan continent, the entire world's wolf species could bear the name of Wolfheart."
A follower with goals and ambitions was far better than one without drive.
Garon wanted to gather more knowledge, and once he left the extreme northern ice plain, relying solely on himself would be difficult.
Even with great individual strength, there were areas he couldn't cover.
But followers could act as his extended limbs, helping him achieve his goals.
After this increase in strength, Garon was no longer content to stay in the extreme northern ice plain. Once he learned all the spells left by Mordenkainen, he planned to leave and explore the wider world beyond.
The human cities to the south, the beast-ridden natural forests, the dark and deep dungeons, and the vast oceans where metallic dragons resided—and not just these, but the legendary histories and potentially grand or decaying futures were all things he wanted to witness firsthand.
The origins of true dragons involved even the gods, the grand battles with giants, and the sparse mentions of the Dragonfall War in dragon heritage, the battles for succession between metallic dragons and adamantine dragons...
But currently, he couldn't move through time.
However, everything was worth looking forward to.
"The entire world's wolf species!"
Listening to Garon, Wolf Evil's breathing grew heavier.
He had only considered the extreme northern ice plain before meeting Garon, not thinking about what he would do after leaving the ice plain. Unifying the winter wolf clans of the extreme northern ice plain was his ambition before meeting Garon.
But now... Wolf Evil felt a profound stir in his mind, his scalp tingling at the thought of unifying all the world's wolf species under the Wolfheart Clan, too excited to contain himself.
"Master, your vision far exceeds anything Wolf Evil could have imagined."
"I am willing to give my life, to pay any price, to struggle for this goal all my life, to fight for you forever."
Wolf Evil took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his excited emotions, and looked at Garon with a different gaze.
Garon spread his wings, his vast shadow covering the land.
"There's no need to limit yourself to the winter wolf clans. The surrounding minotaurs, trolls, barbarians... You can use my name to make them submit under the wings of a true dragon," he said slowly.
The creatures living in the harsh environment of the extreme northern ice plain were generally stronger than those in other regions, making them suitable as followers.
In the shadow, Wolf Evil looked up at Garon with awe, "Master, may I ask your name?"
Garon thought for a few seconds, then looked up at the continuously flowing ethereal River of Time and smiled, uttering four words.
"The Eternal Dragon."
Usually, others give such titles, but since one was needed and he now had the confidence, Garon didn't mind choosing one for himself.
Given that dragons typically prefer grandiose and arrogant titles, the name "The Eternal Dragon" wouldn't attract too much attention; it would just make people think he was another conceited dragon who didn't know the extent of his own reach.
However, Garon was unaware that some tales about him had already begun to circulate in the southern countries.
These stories came from a few humans who had managed to escape, but after being passed around and exaggerated, they had become somewhat distorted.
Even poets had composed verses about Garon.
His dragon wings burned with undying flames, swirling with cold winds and solid ice.
His followers are fierce, not inferior to high beings.
He is the dragon of ice and fire, the dragon of frost and blaze, the master of flames and extreme cold, the destroyer of worlds with his icy fire magic.
Garon was still unaware of all this.
Returning to the main topic, when Garon mentioned other tribal creatures, particularly the minotaurs, the winter wolves perked up their ears and instinctively bared their teeth.
This unusual reaction caught Garon's attention.
Wolf Evil took the initiative to explain, "There are shamans in the minotaur tribes who use some strange powers. With the large numbers of ordinary minotaurs
, they have tried many times to take over the snow ridge pine forest."
"Although we've led the wolf packs to repel them many times, they keep coming back, causing us significant trouble."
Strange powers?
Garon grew curious about what kind of unusual abilities a warrior-like minotaur could possess, asking, "What kind of abilities?"
Wolf Evil thought for a moment, then recalled, "They have totemic runes carved on their bodies, which are the sources of their abilities."
"Their powers aren't like spell-like abilities, but they can still manipulate elemental energy, capable of rolling the earth and turning stone into pillars, altering the terrain."
"."
"Fighting the minotaurs, I felt as if the earth itself had gained sentience, working in coordination with them."
Wolf Evil described the sensation of battling the minotaurs to Garon.
After listening, Garon fell into deep thought.
The earth gaining sentience... The rich knowledge from dragon heritage gave Garon a suspicion, but he wasn't entirely sure yet.
After a moment, he asked, "Is the gap in strength between you and the minotaurs significant?"
Wolf Evil replied, "In the snow ridge pine forest, we have the advantage of terrain, and they are at a disadvantage in battle. But if we leave the forest and enter their tribal lands, they can exhibit greater strength than us."
Garon nodded, pondering for a few seconds before saying, "Now, I command the Wolfheart Clan to undertake the first task as my followers—conquer the minotaur tribe."
"This will be a test for the Wolfheart Clan, a proof of your qualification to fight for me."
"I will not personally intervene."
"However, since you are my followers, I will provide you with some assistance."
Next, Garon performed a draconic transformation for each of the adult winter wolves and the few ferocious wolves.
The young winter wolves not yet mature were not eligible for the transformation.
Draconic transformation was not entirely safe; creatures not robust enough could not withstand the power of dragon blood and often died during the process.
During his previous transformation of the northern ice spirits, some had exploded into fragments.
After bathing in dragon blood, the winter wolves and ferocious wolves entered a drowsy state, soon to undergo a brief period of sleep.
As winter wolves, their cold-affinity bloodlines were highly compatible, quickly adopting a faint dragon-like aura.
After outlining some tasks for these winter wolves as his followers, Garon flapped his wings, raising a gust of wind as he left the snow ridge pine forest, his figure gradually disappearing into the high sky.
Before long, he returned to the ice cliffs territory and entered his dragon's lair.
Compared to the dense forest, he preferred the open view of the towering ice cliffs.
Garon had been awake for several days now.
He had renovated and expanded his lair once again, and the space was now just right for his size.
The only downside was that the gems that once covered the floor, perfectly fitting for him to lie down, now seemed too sparse and thin, leaving Garon somewhat dissatisfied.
Having grown accustomed to the comfortable touch of gems, switching to ordinary materials made him feel slightly uncomfortable.
Upon returning to his lair, Garon's dragon tongue flicked lightly, deftly pulling out a space ring.
With a flash of light, a spell scroll bearing the symbol of the School of Transmutation and a fire-red staff of exceptional quality appeared in Garon's hands.
The spell scroll, "Maelstrom of Teeth," a seventh-tier transmutation spell, was initially intended as a last resort.
He had thought it might be useful during battles with human armies, but it had ultimately gone unused.
For the current him, the effects of the scroll were somewhat ordinary, though still useful, but far from a last resort.
After placing the "Maelstrom of Teeth" scroll back into the space ring, Garon held the small, fiery red staff, closing his eyes slightly.
His mental energy flowed into it, and a strong sense of connection immediately emerged, pointing directly to a location in the south.
The vague connection he had felt before was now as clear as tangible reality with the enhancement of Garon's mental power.
He opened his eyes, looking southward, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.
"It seems I need to visit Luna and ask what the Red Flame Staff is truly for, why a two-thousand-man army would come to the extreme northern ice plain in search of it without regard for their lives."
If anyone knew of the Red Flame Staff's connection to the unknown in the south, it would be Luna.
Before she left Garon's lair last time, she had told him where his territory was, deeper into the northern ice plain.
Now resembling a silver dragon, and possibly appearing more heroic in Luna's eyes, she might be more forthcoming... Garon thought to himself.
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