Strife upon the Lake

"Quick! Hurry!" Riding heavy magitech cranes, an imperial construction crew rushed over and began salvaging the red dragon that had sunk to the lake bottom, frozen into an ice sculpture. As the sturdy dragon body—coated in white frost, dripping with icy water, and billowing plumes of freezing vapor—was hauled up slowly, a shudder ran through every female dragon present. "Tiamat above..." "Is... is she still alive? Does this white dragon dare kill her own kind in broad daylight?" "Isn't she afraid of provoking Her Majesty the Dragon Queen's wrath?" Tinia, however, was puffed up with pride. Perched high above, her chin tilted so far toward the sky that she was practically looking down her nostrils at the assembly of dragons. "Do you see now, everyone? This is the fate of those who grow arrogant and defy the Emperor's will!" The white dragon snorted coldly. "Such a weakling, yet she dared covet my master's great lineage? What wishful thinking. She doesn't even qualify to be his pet! "Master told me himself: only a dragon capable of defeating me is worthy of an audience with him! "However..." Tinia glanced around, paused, and mocked them without mercy: "I don't see anyone here with that kind of strength. Please leave. The Empire does not welcome you." Having delivered this speech, Tinia felt an immense, soaring wave of exhilaration. Was this what human storybooks described as 'showing off and slapping faces'? It was simply magnificent! The dragons erupted into an uproar. That was Volcanis! A formidable, mature red dragon. If even she had been defeated so easily by this bizarre white dragon, what hope did the rest of them have? Seeing this, many black, brown, and yellow dragons began to entertain thoughts of retreat. They were weaker and lacked the backing of their own clans, so victory was completely out of reach. These chromatic dragons had merely come to try their luck. Leaving now carried no loss, and there was no reason to risk their lives. They had seen Volcanis's fate with their own eyes. Meanwhile, surrounded by her green dragon kin, Vesuvilla kept her head low, her expression shifting darkly as she gritted her teeth. "Her Majesty the Dragon Queen's divine favor truly isn't easy to attain..." "Given this white dragon's strength, we can't beat her alone. We must make use of those useless fools." With that in mind, Vesuvilla stepped forward from the dragon crowd. "Duke Tinia, may I ask what counts as defeating you?" Tinia frowned. Why was this green dragon even stupider than her own white dragon kin? Couldn't she understand even this? "Naturally, it's—" Vesuvilla continued with a smile, "You possess such immense power. Surely you wouldn't mind facing several dragons at once?" In an instant, almost every female dragon turned their gaze toward Tinia, eyes gleaming with various intents. Several red dragons bared their fangs with vicious, eager looks. Right now, this white dragon was the greatest obstacle keeping them from seeing Prince Cassius, standing before them like a towering city wall. If the dozens of dragons present swarmed her together, even this white dragon wouldn't be able to hold them off, would she? Vesuvilla's green dragon kin also began hissing low murmurs through the flock. "We came here following the Dragon Queen's decree! By standing in our way, this white dragon is defying the divine will! We should unite and eliminate her together!" No matter how simple-minded Tinia was, she could still sense the green dragon's sinister motives, and she sneered inwardly. Master was right after all. These chromatic dragons were utterly shameless scoundrels. If she didn't display overwhelming might, she wouldn't be able to keep them in line at all. —Well, Tinia completely forgot the fact that she was a chromatic dragon herself. Tinia flapped her wings and said coldly, "Master said that since this is an oracle from Her Majesty the Dragon Queen, we must naturally follow draconic tradition. There is only one spot. Only the victor of a duel may be granted an audience with His Majesty. "Otherwise..." The white dragon's face darkened, and a terrifying flash of icy light sparked in her pupils. "It will be treated as an act of war against the Cinder Empire!" With a long screech from her throat, over a hundred wyverns beat their wings, surging out from the forested mountains behind her. A vast contingent of imperial soldiers rushed forward, forming ranks and standing ready. At the same time, Tinia displayed a fresh scroll—a teleportation scroll leading directly to Cassius's bedchamber. Intimidated by the army, the female dragons reined themselves in, not daring to act rashly. Yet their eyes fixed upon that scroll with naked greed. Vesuvilla murmured to the dragons, "In that case, we will wear her down in a battle of attrition. "This white dragon might just be bluffing. When she defeated Volcanis just now, she probably used some magical item, and she might not be able to use it again so soon." Just then, Christina stepped forward and smiled faintly. "Vesuvilla, since you've deduced that Duke Tinia is bluffing, why don't you step up first? Such a wonderful opportunity shouldn't go to waste!" "You—" Vesuvilla ground her teeth, flushed with embarrassment, but still sneered, "Christina, an incompetent loser like you has no business chiming in here." The atmosphere stiffened at once. Each harboring their own hidden schemes, the chromatic dragons bickered incessantly and even came to blows, yet none was willing to step forward as the first challenger. This was the weakness of chromatic dragons. Though they far outnumbered metallic dragons and possessed formidable breeds like red and blue dragons, they spent their lives tearing one another apart, remaining nothing more than a heap of loose sand. Infighting was woven into the very marrow of chromatic dragons. They could never unite with one heart like metallic dragons to establish a just and disciplined order, leaving chromatic dragons forever a step behind the metallic dragons across the multiverse. In the end, Vesuvilla provoked an adult red dragon with taunts, goading her into taking the field first. "Base white dragon, how dare you look down on our glorious red dragon clan!" the red dragon roared and lunged forward. Tinia couldn't have cared less. Facing the charging red dragon, she didn't dodge or evade. She merely turned and whipped her tail violently. Under the staggering impact, the red dragon was swatted straight backward through the air. "Awoo—!" The red dragon wailed, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Tinia raised her head and opened her jaws, pouring forth a blast of frost-white freezing breath from her gullet. A biting chill blanketed the sky, instantly freezing that red dragon into a solid ice sculpture that crashed heavily to the ground. A dead silence fell over the gathered dragons. Vesuvilla offered a bounty, using gold coins to entice other chromatic dragons to challenge Tinia. After a long time, an adult black dragon succumbed to the lure of gold and stepped up. Trembling as she flew over, she was knocked unconscious in the very first clash, without even a chance to resist. Next came the young green dragons under Vesuvilla, a brown dragon from the southern deep forests, a blue dragon from the desert... Over a dozen female dragons took their turns to challenge her, yet not a single one lasted past three rounds. Almost every clash was an outright stomp. Under the crushing pressure of the white dragon, the chromatic dragons departed one after another. One red dragon even threw in the towel voluntarily, fleeing in disgrace. Seeing this, Tinia's confidence soared. What kind of riffraff were these? With strength like this, they dared compete with me for master's favor? Do they even deserve it? Only now did Tinia truly comprehend the staggering might she possessed as a scion of the Cinder Emperor. Judged by Cassius's system, after adding the power of Matalok, the Father of Frost, this atavistic white dragon's Challenge Rating had reached 22, surpassing even ancient white dragons. Ordinary dragons—even red dragons, the mightiest among chromatic dragons—were nothing more than clay chickens and pottery dogs before her, utterly frail. Only opponents on the level of very old or ancient red dragons could stand a chance against Tinia. "This white dragon is too strong..." "As expected of the Dragon Prince. If even a servant under his command possesses such strength, I probably don't have a chance." "Indeed. Her Majesty the Dragon Queen would never bestow her divine favor so cheaply. Perhaps only those illustrious prodigies could defeat this white dragon." "We'll have to find another way. Let's go." Before long, fewer than thirty dragons remained over Lake Tewar, half of them green and blue dragons led by Christina and Vesuvilla respectively. "Damn it! There's no way this creature is just an adult white dragon! With that size, that breath weapon, and dragon fear of that scale, she must be an old relic who has lived for over a thousand years and is nearing the grave!" Beside herself with rage, Vesuvilla cursed viciously in her heart. Christina, on the other hand, remained leisurely and composed. After all, she was the only one among them who had actually spoken with the Dragon Prince, and she knew this task was nowhere near as simple as it appeared. The Faria clan had always maintained close ties with the imperial upper echelon. If Christina wanted an audience, she could easily arrange it through her clan's connections under the pretext of cooperation. Christina's purpose here was simply to stir up trouble. Her goal was to ensure that no other chromatic dragon—especially someone like Vesuvilla—could stumble into obtaining Cassius's bloodline, fulfill the divine decree, and gain the Dragon Queen's favor. Now, her objective had been achieved. Seeing these female dragons suffer humiliation at Tinia's hands brought Christina nothing but delight, and she relished the spectacle in secret. Glancing around and seeing that hardly any female dragons dared take up the challenge, Vesuvilla looked toward the blue dragon and said coldly, "It's your turn, Christina. We ought to work together to fulfill Her Majesty the Dragon Queen's oracle. "You blue dragons claim to be second only to red dragons among the chromatic dragonkind. Do you lack even the courage to fight?" Christina refused to take the bait, only sneering, "How pathetic. Don't tell me you won't even get to see Prince Cassius's face in the end? "What a pity... there are many affairs awaiting my attention within the Faria clan. I don't have the time to witness your defeat with my own eyes." With that, Christina let out a resounding cry toward the heavens, beat her wings, and turned away with her fellow blue dragons, heading back toward the Rosa Desert. "Damned cowards!! Softer than gnomes!" Watching the blue dragons depart, Vesuvilla's face twisted into a snarl as she cursed aloud. "Hah, that annoying blue dragon ran off too." Tinia looked pleased as she watched the blue dragons leave. Once she dealt with that cunning green dragon, she could return to report her success to her master. The thought filled the white dragon with anticipation. Vesuvilla lowered her head, her face darkening as though shadowed by a storm cloud. "No, I can't give up. This is a rare opportunity—divine favor from Lady Tiamat herself! "If I miss this chance, I might have to wait another several centuries!" Hardening her resolve, Vesuvilla initiated telepathic communication with the green dragon kin following her. "Forget draconic traditions! We are carrying out Lady Tiamat's divine decree, and the Dragon Queen's will surpasses all! Once you see an opening, ambush this white dragon from the shadows and catch her off guard!" The green dragons exchanged knowing glances. "Understood, Lady Vesuvilla." Vesuvilla finally took to the air. Measuring seventeen to eighteen meters in length, this green dragon was dark green from head to tail and covered in sharp thorns. A pointed horn protruded from her nasal ridge, and her deep-set eyes flickered with eerie glints, exuding a venomous, ruthless aura. In terms of size, the adult green dragon Vesuvilla was barely over half the white dragon's length, appearing exceptionally petite. Yet unlike ordinary chromatic dragons, Vesuvilla was a dragon sorcerer. Her father was an ancient green dragon who had lived in the divine realm for centuries and enjoyed Tiamat's favor; riding on her father's status, she had enjoyed immense wealth and prestige, becoming a standout among the woodland green dragons. The green dragon flapped her wings, the numerous magical items adorning her draconic frame shimmering brilliantly. Protection from Energy, Spell Focus, Guidance, Emerald Radiance, and several other spells were layered upon her, their multicolored auras interweaving. Holding a golden scepter, a hypocritical smile formed on her draconic face. "Duke Tinia, since you insist on standing in my way and defying the Dragon Queen's will, I have no choice but to offend. "In the name of Vesuvilla, devout follower of Tiamat and daughter of Agria, I challenge you to a sacred duel..." Amid her drawn-out speech, crisp chimes rang out as the magical radiance swirling around the green dragon multiplied. "Save your breath!" Tinia gave an impatient roar and opened her jaws, unleashing a blast of frost-white freezing breath that tore straight toward the green dragon with bone-chilling cold. Yet the moment the freezing chill touched the green dragon, her form blurred, and the breath struck empty air—the green dragon was merely an illusion! As it turned out, while speaking, the cunning green dragon had shifted her position, leaving behind a deceptive phantasm in her place. The freezing breath crashed into the lake, releasing an intense chill that froze half the water's surface solid in an instant. What terrifying breath! The green dragon observing from nearby drew in a sharp breath of cold air, growing even more cautious. "Troublesome pest..." Tinia glanced around and snapped her head back, only to find the real green dragon had already materialized behind her, raising the scepter and chanting in ancient Draconic. "Dragonfire!" Following the elongated incantation, a raging fire dragon erupted from the scepter, roaring forth with horrific heat and clawing furiously toward the white dragon's back. "Roar—!" Tinia bellowed, the power of Matalok within her unleashing its dominion over frost and snow. Countless beams of ice-blue light burst from the white dragon's body, establishing a domain of frozen snow centered around her form. The two magical elements clashed and entangled, churning into a tempestuous elemental vortex, while plumes of white mist rolled endlessly across the sky.