Roar!
A deep tiger roar reached Garon's ears.
Turning his head, he saw a ferocious frost tiger, its body completely white, excitedly panting as its fur clung to its body in the wind created by its swift movements. It sprinted and leaped towards Garon's position.
Its heavy paws hit the ground, producing a thunderous sound.
Roar! As it neared Garon, the ferocious frost tiger let out another deep roar.
Then, it abruptly halted its forward charge, moved its muscular limbs, lowered its head, and rubbed vigorously against Garon's claws before pushing its head under Garon's dragon claws, placing them on top of its own head.
Having not seen Garon for a long time, the ferocious frost tiger behaved very affectionately, no different from a domesticated big cat in a human noble family.
However, only Garon could enjoy this big fellow's nuzzling. The frost tiger showed no such affection towards the two white dragon guards, even though they were true dragons.
Garon extended his dragon claw, retracted his sharp claw tips, and caressed the frost tiger's head with his palm. The tiger squinted its eyes and made a low whining sound, seemingly enjoying Garon's touch.
Its size had not changed, still the same as when Garon had left, and it seemed to have reached its strength limit.
Ferociousness, although abnormal, was limited.
Its current size was partly due to Garon's dragon vein transformation. To progress further, it would likely need Garon to enhance its strength and perform another dragon vein uplift.
Upon seeing the ferocious frost tiger, Garon thought of the celestial lions summoned by Krichens on the battlefield.
Those giant beasts, over thirty meters in length, were much larger than the frost tiger and also bore signs of ferocity, appearing to be the pinnacle of their kind.
Garon now suspected that the ferocious species might have originated from exposure to some radiation in the Beastlands.
Or was it a blessing from their species' animal lord?
Shaking his head slightly, Garon enjoyed the smooth and soft feeling of the frost tiger's fur and stopped pondering these matters.
Meanwhile, two round, white figures emerged from a corner of the Ice River Tribe and stealthily approached Garon. Hesitant upon seeing the frost tiger, they remembered their previous provocations when it was caged, leading to the frost tiger occasionally chasing and playing with the two polar bear cubs.
The juvenile polar bears, capable of fighting many ordinary beasts, were like toys under the frost tiger's paws.
Over time, they grew fearful of the frost tiger and usually avoided it.
Garon noticed them.
The two polar bear cubs were quite plump and shiny, indicating robust nutrition. They had grown rapidly, now about a year old and nearly four meters tall when standing, much larger than their peers.
This abnormal growth rate was not limited to the polar bear cubs.
In the Ice River Tribe, newborn white hounds, terror lizards, and various other creatures brought by the two white dragons grew faster than those outside.
Garon initially doubted this, but later understood it was due to his influence.
Dragons' magic subtly alters their surroundings to suit their living conditions. As a Time Dragon, the flow of time in Garon's territory was slightly accelerated.
"Come here," Garon beckoned to the four-meter-tall bear cubs.
They straightened up and, under the frost tiger's displeased gaze, hugged Garon's dragon legs.
Garon shook them off, but they clung on tightly.
Growl. The frost tiger growled lowly, displeased with the bear cubs diverting Garon's attention.
Feeling the cubs' elastic paws, Garon subconsciously recalled the delicious taste of polar bear meat, licking his lips.
"It's been a while since I've tasted polar bear meat. The flavor is truly memorable."
He looked at the cubs hugging his leg, then brought his massive dragon head close, sniffing their tender flesh.
The cubs froze under his warm breath, sensing something amiss in their master's gaze.
Garon chuckled and turned his head away, resuming his play with the frost tiger and bear cubs. He then exerted a bit of his will-infused dragon might on the frost tiger.
"Catch an adult polar bear and bring it back."
The frost tiger, understanding, roared at the cubs, sniffed them, and then leaped away to hunt for Garon.
With a flap of his wings, the silver dragon ascended, heading towards his dragon nest on the ice cliff.
Soon, Garon returned to his familiar ice crystal dragon nest.
The protective magic alarms he had set around the nest were untouched, indicating no intruders during his absence.
With two white dragon guards present, most creatures dared not approach Garon's territory, let alone attempt to enter his dragon nest.
The nest's interior remained unchanged, covered in thick ice crystals that refracted the incoming sunlight into dazzling glows.
After admiring his reflection in the ice crystals, Garon moved towards the deeper parts of his nest.
The first things he saw were his hoard of gems, the ice crystal bed, and a pile of equipment looted from the elite troops of the Mosha Duchy.
Opening his mouth, Garon manipulated several spatial rings, causing a ripple in the space as intricate chests made of brass and fine iron appeared, quickly filling the floor.
Garon's excitement was palpable as he breathed deeply and struck the chests with his claw, ripping them open and causing coins and precious metals to scatter like rain.
The ice crystals reflected a blend of gold and silver light, filling the nest with a luxurious aura.
"This trip south was meant only to retrieve the portal, but these additional gains are quite nice."
"My treasure is now enough to form a small mountain to contain me."
Countless coins and gems piled up, forming a mountain larger than Garon himself.
Garon then carefully arranged his gems and magical artifacts according to his aesthetic, enhancing the treasure mountain's appearance.
The mountain, primarily gold and silver, sparkled with the embedded gems, dazzling and enchanting.
Garon smiled, then used a protection spell to prevent the coins from slipping, maintaining their compact arrangement.
Admiring his treasure, Garon eventually climbed atop the mountain, feeling the cold, tight sensation of the coins against his scales, which brought him immense pleasure.
After about half an hour, his excitement settled.
"As time passes, my wealth will only grow. There's no need for such excitement; a sea of coins in the future is not out of reach."
Lying on his side, Garon played with a handful of coins, listening to their pleasing sound, his tail swaying subconsciously.
"Such wealth necessitates advanced protection."
Then, a translucent, crystal-like small skull appeared in Garon's hand.
This skull of a high elf was exquisitely crafted and, despite its material, appeared more like an art piece than something macabre.
Engraved with ancient magical runes, the skull was part of a nearly complete legendary equipment, missing only a few materials for activation.
Garon, now its master, knew its function: creating a Myslock domain, a powerful spell barrier covering a wide area, capable of various effects like barring entry or hiding territory.
"Where Halis found this high elf skull and crafted such legendary equipment is beyond me. But now, it benefits me."
Activating this equipment required a significant amount of elf blood, especially from high elves. For common elves, a massive amount would be needed to extract the necessary high elf bloodline.
"Elves mainly reside in the Greatwood Forest to the southwest, but their numbers might be too low to activate this equipment."
"It's a pity. A legendary Myslock domain, and who knows when it'll be usable."
Garon had principles. He wouldn't slaughter elves with no grudge against him just to activate an item.
"I'll visit the Greatwood Forest when I have time. If I find elves with strong high elf ancestry, perhaps trading some blood could activate it."
Garon stored the skull and then took out a pure, round red gem, emitting a vibrant life force and a faint fragrance, signifying its creation from the life essence of hundreds of thousands.
Despite being reduced to a fraction of its original potency, this Life Gem was as valuable to Garon as a Dragon Soul Stone.
Resisting the urge to consume it immediately, Garon allowed the gem's life force to fill his nest, then, with a decisive move, swallowed the gem, significantly benefiting his growth.
Ensuring his nest's protection, Garon gazed at the Life Gem, captivated by its beauty, then ate it, considering enhancing his lair's defenses with the legendary equipment.
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