Chapter 1658 Reward [1]

Chapter 1658 Reward [1]

This was the talent of an earth dragon.

There were a few different paths that their ancestors had taken, but few were able to properly thrive.

After all, the earth dragon bloodline was the thinnest of them all.

Other dragons came into being through various magical means. Those who evolved did so mystically and became beings far beyond their original stations.

Earth dragons were simply evolved lizards.

They could fly, but they didn't have wings like their peers. They were massive, but they were shaped like lizards with draconic features rather than true dragons.

Their species had always been discriminated against. They rarely gained access to resources, and since they didn't have a powerful ancestral bloodline in their heritage at all, they weren't able to harness the same talent that the other dragons had.

Hell, even the common fire dragons and water dragons had some sort of lineage, even if it wasn't powerful. They were the only ones that started at such a low threshold.

Draga, the Mountain God, was a unique case.

He grew up in the mountains alone, unaware of how weak his bloodline was. Yôur favorite stories at novelhall.com

No, rather, he didn't even know what bloodline was since he didn't have any ancestral memories supporting him.

He was forced to find out how to survive. And, since he was unaware that being a dragon was something special, he formed a different perspective on their existence than anyone else.

Draga never prioritized magic. The creatures around him only had their inherent skills, so he focused on his own.

It took a while to find them. Since mana didn't respond well when expelled, he couldn't mimic the ranged attacks of the creatures he saw.

But, what about his physical strength?

As he continued to train, his strength grew exponentially. He was able to rule the mountain with it, and he was able to expand his domain beyond it.

The mana in Draga's body stopped resisting him.

Though it still couldn't be emitted properly, it sunk into his flesh and bones and made his body infinitely stronger.

By the end of his reign, he could easily pluck stars out of the sky. Even other Supreme Gods had to be wary of him.

Once he went out into the world and saw how it functioned, he created an empire for himself where earth dragons could feel at home.

There was just one problem.

He was infertile.

His body lost its reproductive capabilities when it started being hardened by mana. His techniques were important for earth dragons, but at the same time, they were detrimental towards their population.

It was a technique that couldn't be widespread. Without descendants, Draga passed his skills on to disciples who chose to enter the same path he did.

And as his life continued, Draga focused his efforts on finding a way to make all earth dragons prosper.

She had been looking down on Melania. It didn't take much for her to admit that.

However, was she always this powerful, or did she have more talent than Valerie had ever expected?

It seemed she had to reconsider her previous views.

And, now that Melania had shown her such power, she had to start seeing the girl as competition, just as she saw August, Lucas, and Ophelia.

It was a bit easier for August, since he knew what his dad could do.

Melania saying she benefitted meant that Damien had done something and she had been rewarded. If that was the case, then her strength didn't need to be explained.

The more concerning part was that Damien never gave things to people easily.

For Melania to see such an immediate increase in her strength meant she'd done something worthy of such a reward.

If August knew that her current strength was only a byproduct of her trial...perhaps he'd never be able to lift his jaw off of the floor again.

Nevertheless, Melania didn't give them much time to think about it and realize that there were more than a few things wrong with her vague answer.

"What happened while I was trapped? Did you guys find any clues?"

"Ah..."

August nodded, accepting her redirection.

"There was a clue inside the Minotaur's horn. When the Furies died, it appeared and showed us a map that leads to the ocean again. This time, it's probably underwater instead of just on the pier," he said.

"But, I think I've found something else. If I try to read my dad's thought process, then there should be a shortcut somewhere. I've been looking around the cavern walls, but I haven't found it yet."

"As for me," Valerie chimed in, "I also just escaped a cocoon, so..."

Melania nodded. It was an easy situation to understand, especially since it hadn't changed much since her most recent memories in the real world.

"If it's not on the walls, then why don't we see what's beyond them?" She suggested.

"Pardon?"

"I mean, can't I just destroy them? It doesn't hurt to try, right?"

Melania's thoughts had definitely been influenced by her experiences. She still had her wisdom, of course, but she wasn't averse to using brutish methods anymore.

And, if August was being completely honest...

"That's probably for the best."

Melania seemed...different now. She seemed more confident in herself, and that made August more confident in her.

Their attempts to be intuitive hadn't reaped any results.

So, it wasn't bad to try another solution before they moved on, was it?