On Arotala, within the Emerald Royal City.

Two great dragons coiled amidst the lush canopy of thick branches, where sunlight pierced through layers of overlapping leaves, leaving scattered patches of light on their scales.

The Green Dragon stared at Garoth before her, her eyes filled with astonishment.

Her gaze swept over the mutated dragon scales and spikes on his body before finally settling on his face.

That face she recognized, yet it now appeared somewhat foreign.

What was familiar was the basic outline; what was foreign were the vein-like patterns surfacing on the scales and the expression the entire face displayed—as if ready to erupt in anger at any moment, yet never truly doing so.

The Green Dragon couldn't help but ask, “It’s only been a little over a month since we last met. How did you end up looking like this?”

Garoth lowered his head slightly, examining the mutated scales on his chest, then lifted it again. “This is thanks to the gift you gave me.”

The Green Dragon paused for a moment, then realization dawned.

“Oh, you consumed the Fury Curse inside those meteorite fragments.”

She tilted her head, then continued, “You do look somewhat similar to those initially mutated rage beasts. Those beasts start changing from the scales and spikes first, their facial expressions turning ferocious.”

“But their eyes go mad along with it, while yours...”

“Still the same—quite steady.”

She knew Garoth wasn’t afraid of the Fury Curse.

But seeing such obvious mutations with her own eyes still made Cerora a bit uneasy.

She moved closer, examining the vein patterns on his face carefully, and asked, “You can still control yourself, right? You look very fierce right now.”

The limited number of mutated scales and spikes didn’t really have much impact.

The key point was that the changes to the red iron dragon’s face directly affected his overall appearance.

Especially around both eyes, prominent vein-like patterns extended across the scale surface, covering a large part of the faceplate. Those patterns were dark red, slightly raised, starting from the eye sockets, extending upward to the forehead and downward to the cheekbones, making the red iron dragon’s already fierce features look exceptionally savage.

At first glance, the red iron dragon’s expression seemed locked in a state of extreme rage—extremely dangerous.

As if ready to lunge forward and tear something apart.

But his eyes remained steady and calm.

It was a completely contradictory state.

Expression furious, eyes calm.

The overall effect was highly contrasting, making people feel very uncoordinated yet unable to stop staring.

Cerora stared at him for a long while before saying, “If someone who didn’t know saw you like this, they’d definitely think you’ve gone mad and are about to pounce and bite someone. But you’re so calm instead.”

The red iron dragon shook his massive head. “This is only temporary.”

“It won’t take long before I return to normal, or there might be some other changes.”

He had been exploring the power of mutation for a while now.

Although he hadn’t completely figured it out, he had reached some preliminary conclusions.

At his current intensity of frenzied flame, he could only achieve slight mutations like this.

The overall impact wasn’t great—it wouldn’t give his strength a qualitative leap, nor would it cause too much damage to his body. Moreover, as the frenzied flame burned and flickered, it accumulated something he temporarily called mutation value.

The angrier he became, the faster it accumulated.

Once enough mutation value was gathered, he could mutate again.

Because his overall mutation power was limited, minor mutations wouldn’t bring him any essential changes. They would only slightly enhance one aspect while correspondingly weakening another.

Gains and losses went hand in hand; there were never only benefits without drawbacks.

He could also control the frenzied flame and refrain from mutating.

That wasn’t a difficult thing to do.

The mutation reaction was a bit like an allergy—brief and intense. As long as he restrained himself and didn’t stay continuously enraged, those mutations couldn’t contend with his own adaptive evolution. Over time, the uncoordinated mutated parts would gradually return to normal.

In short, Garoth’s mutations weren’t entirely uncontrollable, and the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

For bad mutations, he could adapt them away or choose to undergo a new mutation.

For good mutations, he could keep them or bet that the next mutation would be better. It was like gambling, with his body as the stakes—but fortunately, he could afford to lose.

On the other side, the Green Dragon blinked.

After hearing Garoth’s explanation, she said, “That’s good then. Aside from being fierce, to be honest, you look a bit uglier than before.”

“Fierce and ugly.”

Garoth: “…”

Seeing that he didn’t speak, Cerora’s lips curled up slightly.

She swayed her tail lightly, approached, and extended a forepaw, using the back of her claw tip to gently lift the red iron dragon’s chin.

“But you know, you also have a certain charm about you. Let me take a closer look.”

The red iron dragon twisted his head to avoid the claw, refusing to cooperate.

“Oh, shy now?”

Cerora teased, her tail wagging even more cheerfully.

Garoth shook his head slightly and didn’t take the bait.

He made his tone more formal and changed the subject.

“Let’s talk business.”

“I want more meteorites carrying the Fury Curse. Not just fragments—preferably complete meteorites. I have a strong premonition that they will make me stronger,” he said seriously.

A small fragment allowed him only a minor mutation, showing him the possibility of mutation, but nothing more.

The amount of frenzied flame within the fragments wasn’t enough. For now, it could only produce some superficial changes without reaching deeper levels.

What about a complete meteorite? Or multiple ones?

He couldn’t determine the specific outcome, but he could be certain it would be a qualitative leap.

Cerora withdrew her claw from the red iron dragon’s chin.

Her expression shifted from teasing to thoughtful. Her gaze lingered on Garoth’s mutated scales for a moment, as if assessing whether he was serious.

Finally, she shook her head slightly and said, “A complete meteorite… Garoth, you’ve got quite an appetite.”

Garoth looked at her. “That difficult?”

“Not just difficult—extremely difficult.”

Cerora’s tone became serious.

She turned around, her gaze passing through the gaps in the leaves toward the sky dyed gold by the sun. “Fragments are one thing. Over the years, quite a few meteorite fragments have scattered across various places. I can help you gather more. It’ll just take time and resources to find them.”

“But complete meteorites… basically every single one has an owner.”

Garoth didn’t interrupt; he listened quietly.

He knew things wouldn’t be that simple.

If complete meteorites were so easy to obtain, Cerora wouldn’t have only given him fragments earlier.

Cerora raised a forepaw and pointed a sharp claw tip.

“Complete meteorites are mainly held by three factions.”

She said, “The Elves, the Orcs, and a few extremely powerful rage beast lords.”

“For the Elves, these items are both research materials and strategic resources. They started collecting them the moment the meteorites fell—earlier than any other race.”

“They believe that using or destroying these meteorites recklessly would be unwise.”

“As for the Orcs, they control fewer meteorites, but they have no such qualms and use them as weapons.”

“The rage beast lords are the fewest in number. The ones capable of claiming a complete meteorite are top-tier rage beasts at the Mandate of Heaven level, instinctively dwelling around the meteorite.”

Having said this, Cerora withdrew her claw and faced Garoth directly.

“Among these three, which one do you plan to target?”

Garoth showed a thoughtful expression, weighing the options in his mind.

“For the Elves, do you think I could obtain the meteorite through trade or negotiation?”

Cerora thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“It’s unlikely.”

“Even if you’re willing to pay a price, the negotiation process would be extremely long. The Elves like to take their time with everything. A simple trade agreement can drag on for years. Do you have the patience to wait?”

Cerora considered carefully and said, “Your best bet is to target the rage beast lords.”

“You’re not afraid of the Fury Curse—that’s your biggest advantage.”

“When others fight a rage beast lord, they have to guard against infection, which is the biggest problem. The Fury Curse is no joke. Just getting close to those rage beast lords will affect you with the curse. A short time is one thing, but if it goes on too long, even a Mandate of Heaven powerhouse can’t withstand it.”

“So when others fight a rage beast lord, they have to end it quickly—finishing the battle before the curse takes hold.”

“Normally, to seize a meteorite, only an Immortal personally stepping in could resolve the fight before the curse takes effect. Otherwise, it’s extremely difficult to claim the meteorite.”

“But you don’t have to worry about that.”

The red iron dragon suddenly asked, “Are there any Immortal-level rage beasts on Arotala?”

Cerora shook her head. “No. If there were an Immortal-level rage beast… Arotala would probably already be lost.”

The red iron dragon nodded. “Mm. Compared to the Elves and Orcs, rage beast lords with little intelligence are indeed a better target. Besides, I’d also like to see what kind of mutations exist in top-tier rage beast lords.”

Normal intelligent beings stayed far away from rage beasts.

But for Garoth, they were highly valuable—not only for absorbing the frenzied flame to strengthen his own mutation power but also for reference, to see what effects the Fury Curse produces on other life forms.

Cerora said, “The risk of hunting a rage beast lord is only relatively low; in reality, it’s still considerable.”

“Nausil’s suppression of rage beasts is very intense. Most rage beast lords’ territories are in southern Arotala, which is the Orcs’ domain. As an outsider, going into Orc territory to hunt rage beast lords would make it hard not to attract attention.”

“If you make too much noise fighting a rage beast lord, the Orcs won’t just stand by and do nothing.”

“They might think you’re here to seize territory, or that you’re helping the Elves. Or they might not think at all and just attack first. Those guys aren’t too bright and don’t reason much.”

The Orcs were a well-known intelligent race, appearing across numerous planes and worlds.

Elsewhere, there were civilized, rational Orcs who excelled at trade and negotiation, with developed cultures.

But the Orcs on planet Bernardo were different.

Almost the entire nation worshipped deities. They were a theocratic race, practicing the teachings and ideologies of their gods, warlike to the point of fanaticism.

Garoth’s gaze flickered slightly.

“So, when I hunt a rage beast lord, I might still end up clashing with the Orcs.”

“That’s right.”

Cerora said, “Unless you can silently eliminate a rage beast lord, grab the meteorite, and leave. But the rage beast lords claiming meteorites are all at the Mandate of Heaven level, possessing Superspeed regeneration traits, making them extremely troublesome.”

Garoth slowly nodded his head.

“Every endeavor carries risk.”

“The key lies in the balance between risk and reward. If the reward is great enough, the risk is acceptable. If the reward is mediocre, then it requires careful consideration.”

“My main purpose for coming to Arotala this time is these meteorites.”

“The Fury Curse can strengthen my frenzied flame, allow me to master mutation, and show me another path of evolution. With such enormous rewards on the line, this level of risk is bearable.”

Garoth was cautious—that had always been his style. He never made decisions impulsively or risked things out of temporary anger or desire.

But caution didn’t mean timidity.

He wasn’t lacking in an adventurous spirit either.

After all, in his view, strength was the greatest safety.

A powerful creature could still fall into danger for various reasons even if it did nothing, while a powerful creature, even when actively taking risks, could often walk out alive. Sometimes, taking some risks to pursue strength was very necessary.

Cerora looked at the red iron dragon with admiration in her eyes.

“Since you’ve decided, I won’t stop you.”

“I’ll help you organize the known information about the meteorites. I’ll put together a report on all three factions—the Elves, the Orcs, and the rage beast lords—including roughly where the meteorites are, who guards them, what you need to watch out for, and so on.”

“The information might not be complete. There are some places I don’t know about myself, but at least it will give you a general picture.”

“As for where to seize the meteorites, you weigh the options and decide yourself. I won’t make the choice for you. This is your affair, and you’re in charge.”

Her voice paused briefly, and the Green Dragon’s lips curled upward in a smile.

“Of course, if you need support, then beg me—try your best to please me.”

“I’ll decide whether to help based on my mood at the time. If I’m in a good mood, I’ll agree. If not, you’ll have to figure it out yourself.”

Garoth glanced at her and ignored the comment.

Just then, Cerora’s eyes suddenly narrowed, as if she had received some message.

In that instant, her gaze sharpened, her pupils contracting into thin lines before quickly returning to normal. Then, she stretched her wings, opening and closing them, working the joints of her shoulder blades.

“The sun is drying out my scales.”

“Wait here for a while. I’ll go organize the meteorite information for you. Also, there’s a messenger from Nausil coming to visit—I need to deal with them. The Elves like to speak slowly and talk a lot of nonsense, which is annoying, but on Arotala, I have no choice but to deal with them.”

Garoth nodded. “Go. Do what you need to do.”

Cerora didn’t linger. She stepped into the depths of the dense canopy.

The branches and vines seemed to recognize her, automatically making way before closing behind her. Thus, the Green Dragon was obscured by layers of leaves, leaving only the tip of her tail visible, flicking twice before gradually disappearing from view.

Garoth watched her leave, then withdrew his gaze, coiling up among the tree crowns and closing his eyes.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, falling on his scales. The mutated dragon scales vibrated slightly under the sun, producing faint rustling sounds like metal gently colliding.

“First, wait for Cerora’s information.”

He murmured to himself, “Then decide where to start.”

Meanwhile.

Northern Arotala, the Giant King’s Court.

A strong wind swept over the gray-black mountain ridges, kicking up gravel and dust, howling and roaring between the rugged peaks.

At the highest point, a rough yet magnificent hall stood tall.

It was carved out of the mountaintop itself, the entire hall being part of the mountain. Every rock had been fused by fire, and the massive stone pillars were engraved with the history of the Giants’ campaigns—rough reliefs full of power, as if they might step out of the stone walls at any moment.

Inside the hall, flames burned in enormous bronze basins, illuminating the entire chamber brightly.

A massive figure sat on a red stone throne at the far end of the hall.

His body was enormous and robust, his shoulders broad as mountain ridges. Sitting there, he was like a giant rock. His dark red skin was covered with throne—irregularly distributed across his neck, shoulders, and outer arms, giving off a metallic luster.

His hair was deep red, coarse and hard as steel wire, cascading down his broad shoulders.

His head was huge and rugged, his forehead low and flat, his jaw prominent. A pair of short, thick dragon horns extended diagonally from above his brow bones, the tips curving slightly upward. His eyes were a blazing orange-red, with vertical pupils—snake-like, even more dragon-like. Behind him were a pair of folded giant wings, their tips nearly touching the ground.

Some called him the Half-Blood King.

Others called him the savior of the Giant race.

He was the Giant King, Haldurn.

At this moment, he leaned back on his stone throne, one arm resting on the armrest, propping up his head slightly, his eyes half-closed as if lost in thought.

The entire hall was silent except for the crackling of the flames in the braziers.

Until a heavy footstep echoed from the entrance of the hall.

Haldurn didn’t open his eyes, but he already knew who was coming.

The newcomer was noticeably smaller than Haldurn, with an overall slender build, unlike the Fire Giant’s thick and sturdy frame.

His skin was sky-blue—like lightning in the clouds or the sky before a storm. His eyes were a deep electric blue, with tiny arcs of electricity occasionally leaping in his pupils.

A Storm Giant.

Under normal circumstances, a Storm Giant’s status among the Giants was equivalent to that of a Red Dragon among the Five-colored Dragons, or a Gold Dragon among the Metal Dragons.

His name was Solarton, Haldurn’s most trusted deputy.

Even during the escape from the Thalassian Continent, he had followed Haldurn.

Back then, the Giant race had been shattered on the Thalassian Continent, fleeing in all directions with countless casualties. Solarton had met Haldurn during a battle with the Orcs. He was severely wounded at the time, surrounded by a group of Orcs. It was Haldurn who charged into the enemy ranks, rescued him, and broke through the encirclement with him.

Since then, he had remained by Haldurn’s side, never leaving.

Solarton’s expression was somewhat complicated now.

He stood there, arms crossed over his chest, occasionally glancing at Haldurn before looking away, as if weighing whether he should speak.

“Since you’re here, just say whatever you have to say directly.”

Haldurn glanced at the Storm Giant and said.

Solarton was silent for a few seconds, then took two steps forward and stopped beside the throne.

He looked up at the Giant King and said, “Many witnesses have reported that the Red Emperor from the Aola Kingdom on the Atlan Continent—that Scarlet Emperor Cangxing—has arrived on Arotala.”

Haldurn’s expression didn’t change, though his eyes flickered slightly.

Solarton lowered his voice a bit and continued, “This Red Emperor has gone to the Greenwild Kingdom and has been staying there for some time now. His relationship with the Dragon Queen Cerora… seems to be quite deep.”

The words were spoken very tactfully, but the meaning was clear enough.

Haldurn didn’t erupt in anger or roar. He simply spoke calmly.

“You mean the Dragon Queen has taken a liking to the Emperor of Aola?”

Solarton hesitated for a few seconds.

He understood Haldurn, knowing that the calmer the Giant King appeared, the more turbulent his inner emotions might be.

He quickly organized his words in his mind, then slowly nodded.

“According to the reports that came back, that’s the case.”

“A Dragon Emperor would not normally stay long on another ruler’s territory.”

“Dragons have a very strong sense of territory; they don’t cross boundaries casually—especially not an emperor. He wouldn’t come to Arotala for no reason and stay this long.”

Haldurn remained silent, tapping his thick fingers lightly on the armrest.

The Storm Giant took a step forward, straightened his chest, and pounded his right fist against his left breastplate, producing a dull thud.

“Your Majesty, if you feel anger—whether it’s attacking the Greenwild Kingdom or striking at that Red Emperor—I, Solarton, will charge at the forefront and crush your enemies for you.”

He spoke in a booming voice.

“My war hammer has been thirsting for dragon blood for too long.”

His eyes burned with fighting spirit.

Haldurn glanced at him without emotion, as if looking at a child who didn’t quite understand.

“Why do you think I’d be angry?”

He asked.

Solarton was stunned.

This reaction was not what he had expected.

He had assumed Haldurn would at least frown or let out a cold snort.

The Storm Giant furrowed his brow, confusion appearing on his rugged face, before he spoke.

“Because Your Majesty likes the Dragon Queen—that’s common knowledge.”

“Over the years, how many betrothal gifts has Your Majesty sent to the Greenwild Kingdom? Every one of them was sincere. And now, the Dragon Queen has gotten together with another male…”

“That’s something hard for any male to tolerate.”

The Storm Giant concluded, “Putting myself in your shoes, I’d also be furious. If my mate were taken by someone else, I’d twist off their head—no matter who they were, no matter how strong—I’d make them pay.”

He spoke earnestly, without any exaggeration.

In Giant culture, that was how such matters were handled.

Haldurn let out a low, scoffing laugh but didn’t respond immediately.

Then, he rose from his throne, his massive body casting a heavy shadow across the ground.

He asked, “Solarton, my brother-in-arms, do you know why I pursued the Green Dragon Queen?”

Solarton said, “Because Your Majesty likes her?”

“Likes her?”

A faint twitch tugged at Haldurn’s lips.

“Many foolish intelligent beings think I’ve been blinded by desire.”

“They think I pursued the Dragon Queen for courtship, for mating, for satisfying those base urges. They use their own narrow minds to measure my actions.”

The Giant King spoke flatly, his tone carrying no anger, only a faint trace of disdain.

Solarton scratched his head, not knowing what to say.

He had thought the same way.

But hearing Haldurn’s words, it seemed things weren’t that simple.

After a few seconds, he asked quietly, “Then what is it for?”

Haldurn extended one hand, revealing the small scales embedded in the skin of his palm and fingers.

“You know I have half dragon bloodline.”

He said, his gaze falling on his own palm.

“This bloodline flows through my body. It’s been flowing without pause since the day I was born. It has brought me humiliation, but it has also given me power that other Giants lack.”

His tone was calm, but Solarton knew these words weren’t said lightly.

Haldurn’s origins were no secret among the Giant race.

His father was a Fire Giant, his mother a Red Dragon. But relations between Giants and Dragons were rarely friendly; the two races were mostly hostile and conflicting.

His birth was the result of violence and coercion.

“At the same time, besides strength, it also gave me a… talent belonging to dragons.”

Haldurn’s gaze lowered slightly, landing on his palm, and then he slowly clenched his fist.

“Dragon hibernation.”

He said, “Now, I need a period of hibernation to cross the threshold of the Mandate of Heaven.”

Solarton’s eyes widened slightly.

“Your Majesty is about to break through to the Mandate of Heaven?!”

He asked in surprise.

“Mm.”

Haldurn withdrew his hand and rested his arm back on the armrest.

“My current life level is level 34, peak crown-level. I’m only one step away from the Mandate of Heaven.”

“That step—it’s neither close nor far.”

“If I rely only on myself, the hibernation will be very long—maybe a hundred years, maybe two hundred.”

“During that time, the Giant King’s Court will lose its king. The gathered clansmen might scatter again. The Orcs will seize the opportunity. The Elves will seek other allies. And those enemies of the Giant King’s Court lurking in the shadows will all show their fangs.”

“I can’t sleep that long. Too many uncertainties.”

“It took me so many years to reunite the Giant race, establish the royal court, and secure our own territory. I can’t let all of this collapse while I’m asleep.”

The Storm Giant looked thoughtful.

“So that’s why you need the Green Dragon Queen’s talent.”

The Green Dragon Queen, Cerora, ruler of the Greenwild Kingdom.

Her special talent for shortening dragon hibernation was no secret among the upper circles of Arotala.

“Yes.”

Haldurn nodded. “Cerora can shorten a dragon’s hibernation time, and she can shorten mine too.”

“As long as she’s willing to help me, I can break through to the Mandate of Heaven in the shortest possible time. Her talent works on any dragon kind, and it should work on me, who has half dragon bloodline.”

“But she’s the ruler of a kingdom with her own interests to consider. She won’t help anyone for no reason.”

“I need to make her lower her guard, trust me, and feel that helping me is worth it. Pursuing her is the most direct way—it lets me achieve what I want at the smallest cost.”

“It’s not a noble reason, I know.”

He said, his tone frank, without any hint of concealment.

“But in this world, the victor becomes king; the loser is the outlaw. The process doesn’t matter—what matters is the result.”

“If I can obtain her power and break through to the Mandate of Heaven, then whatever I did before, whatever price I paid, it’s all irrelevant. History is written by the victors. No one cares how you won—they only care that you won.”

Solarton remained silent.

He looked at Haldurn’s rugged, cold face, trying to find some other emotion there.

Anger, resentment, or at least disappointment.

But he found nothing.

That face was like rock poured over by molten lava—hard and cold, without a single crack.

“So what do you plan to do now?”

He asked.

“Now?” Haldurn asked back.

The Storm Giant said, “That Red Emperor… I’ve heard some rumors about him.”

“If he really is with the Green Dragon Queen, no amount of further pursuit is likely to work.”

Haldurn’s eyes flickered slightly.

“I know. That’s why I’m going to change my approach.”

He said unhurriedly. “Remember my father? I’ve told you about him.”

Solarton nodded.

“I remember. You said he was the chief of a small clan—hot-tempered and ruthless.”

Haldurn rarely spoke of his father, but occasionally mentioned a few things.

“His way of dealing with females who didn’t submit to him was considered cruel and tyrannical back then, looked down upon by intelligent beings with reason.”

“But what was the result?”

He stood up, spreading his arms to show his body.

“The result is me.”

“A being with both Giant and Dragon bloodlines, one who can contend with the Mandate of Heaven at the crown level, one who will save the fate of the Giants.”

“If my father hadn’t committed those atrocities back then, none of this would exist.”

“And I will only do better than him.”

Hearing this, the Storm Giant said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, if we are to act against the Green Dragon Queen, we must be wary of that Red Emperor. He most likely won’t sit by and do nothing—regardless of his relationship with Cerora, he’s in the Greenwild Kingdom right now.”

Haldurn curled his lips into a cold smile.

“The Red Emperor—I’ve heard of his reputation.”

“The Scarlet Emperor Cangxing, the Undying Dragon, the Red Emperor of Atlan… his achievements are indeed glorious, on par with mine.”

“But I crawled out of the piles of corpses on Thalassia, narrowly escaping death to come to Arotala. I gathered the remnants of my people, fought the Orcs, negotiated with the Elves, contended with rage beasts—I did all of that, and it wasn’t to make way for anyone.”

He paused, then looked down at Solarton.

“On this journey of mine, everything that stood in my way has been turned to dust.”

“And that won’t change for anyone.”