The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 523 - 547 The First Half of a Dragons Life

Chapter 523: Chapter 547 The First Half of a Dragon’s Life Chapter 523: Chapter 547 The First Half of a Dragon’s Life “And for that, I am endlessly grateful,” the Elf chuckled, “White Dragons are like wild beasts in battle, rarely using magic, and in terms of strength, constitution, sensory attributes, they’re significantly weaker than other colored Dragons. But don’t let that deceive you into underestimating them; the so-called weakness is relative to other True Dragons. Even a juvenile White Dragon can cause us tremendous trouble.”

“I heard you mention before that Svafnir is an ancient White Dragon, right?” Lancelot asked curiously, “How are Dragon ages classified? Does this affect their combat ability?”

“You’ve asked the right person. Elves are one of the few species in the Multiverse who have done detailed research on Dragons, and I’ve always been fascinated by these beautiful and powerful creatures. My understanding of them is no lesser than Kalalin’s knowledge of Demons,” Alamir said with a smile, handing a skewer of roasted meat to Lancelot, “Dragons are oviparous, there’s no doubt about that. A Dragon that’s just hatched from the egg is a wet little beast, but about an hour later, it’s ready to fly, breathe, hunt, and think.”

“Are you saying Dragons can think immediately after birth?” Lancelot was quite surprised, “Don’t they need educators?”

“Dragons are naturally magical creatures with a wealth of innate knowledge in their minds, but if there is an adult educator, they can learn to use their powers better,” the Elf said with a beaming smile, passing another skewer of meat to the drooling Reap, “Merely with their Breath, a newborn hatchling can become the top predator in the forest. However, hatchlings severely lack combat experience, particularly against intelligent beings. A seasoned group of Hunters could defeat or even capture a hatchling without suffering any casualties, but the wrath of the hatchling’s guardian that follows is another matter altogether.”

“So Dragons can be captured alive!” the Dwarf listened with his tongue wagging, “And… can Dragons be tamed? I mean, that White Dragon treats Kostcheqi as its master, doesn’t it?”

“To some extent, yes, but don’t forget that Dragons are extremely proud creatures. They only regard an exceptionally distinguished mortal as their master on rare occasions. More often than not, they prefer to be viewed as partners, and Svafnir likely sees Kostcheqi the same way.”

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“Alright,” the Dwarf scratched his head, “What’s the next stage for a hatchling then? Juvenile?”

“That’s right, Dragons have a big appetite and grow very fast. By the time they’re 5 years old, even the smallest White Dragons can be over nine feet long. Compared to the hatchling stage, juvenile Dragons are stronger and more energetic, becoming experienced hunters, even though their heads and feet are still disproportionately large compared to their bodies.”

Alamir, having finished his skewer, drew a Dragon’s outline on the ground and continued to introduce with an enthusiastic tone:

“If we’re speaking generally, a Dragon is considered a juvenile from ages 6 to 100, but this stage is actually the most tumultuous in a Dragon’s life, and elven Scholars have further divided this period into four stages: juvenile, adolescent, teenager, and young adult.”

“From 6 to 15 years old is the juvenile stage for Dragons; during this period, they’re still learning to hunt, but their rapidly increasing appetite has forced them to look for new hunting grounds. This marks the first major change in their ‘Dragon life.’ Normally, at least one adult Dragon closely guards them during this stage and passes on various experiences about being a ‘Dragon.'”

“Dragons from 16 to 25 years old are called adolescent Dragons. During this period, Dragons develop quickly, growing rapidly to a size nearly resembling that of an adult. At the same time, they feel the urge to hoard treasures and establish their territory for the first time, though their bodies are not yet ready for truly independent life.”

“The next stage is the teenage phase, where they frequently leave their parents’ den, learning to enjoy privacy; most Dragons awaken their innate spellcasting abilities during this stage. Teenage Dragons are already capable of living independently, and though there is still much room for their strength to grow, they are somewhat impatient to prove themselves.”

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“From 51 to 100 years old is the youth period for dragons. After half a century of growth, their scales have become a formidable armor, capable of resisting attacks from most conventional weapons. They will completely leave the nest of their parents or mentors to establish their own territory, consider the role they need to play in this world, and actively seek a mate.”

“So, a dragon is considered an adult only after it has lived a century in this world?” Lancelot said, somewhat astonished, “That even exceeds the lifespan of most humans…”

“Yes, by the way, we Elves are also declared adults at a hundred years old,” Alamir chuckled, “Right, Bruto, you Dwarves are declared adults at forty, correct?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“How old are you now?”

“Thirty-five…”

“No wonder, now a lot of things make sense…”

“Speak properly!” Bruto glared at the other, discontentedly, “So what if I’m a bit young? Lancelot is even younger than me, and yet he’s the most powerful one among us, isn’t he?”

“What I mean is, in most people’s minds, Dwarves have an image of being stern, old-fashioned, and lacking a sense of humor, but you’re clearly not like that,” the Elf said with a laugh, passing a large handful of roasted meat to Bruto, “Although we have our significant differences in many issues, I’m still glad to have a companion like you on this adventure.”

“Ah, you Elves just speak pretty words,” Bruto rudely grabbed all the skewers of meat in one go; it was one of the ways he expressed closeness, “Let’s continue talking about those damn dragons. A dragon lives for a century and finally reaches adulthood, so what?”

“Firstly, as their bodies fully develop, dragons become stronger than ever, and they are well aware of it. Adult dragons have established their own territories and lairs, and what comes next is accumulating wealth and seeking a long-term mate. Occasionally, rumors spread about a dragon attacking towns and looting kingdoms, and these are typical behaviors of adult dragons. But most importantly, turning adult means that a dragon officially becomes a legendary creature…”

“Legendary creature?” Lancelot was interested in the term, “What does that have to do with legendary resistance?”

“You’re thinking of the battle with Olul’s transformation, aren’t you? Legendary resistance is indeed one of the hallmarks of legendary creatures,” Alamir nodded, “The scales and muscles of dragons make them extremely strong already, and combined with legendary resistance that can reverse the outcome of Spells, they become even harder to kill. Fortunately, that kind of dragon ability doesn’t have much of an impact on us, because with the casting abilities of Kalalin and myself, the dragons don’t need to resort to legendary resistance to counter our Magic…”