[Having not seen sunlight for a long time, you were both blinded by the sun’s glare]
[After a short period of adjustment, you finally could see the world before you clearly]
[The hills and the earth around you were all red]
[“We finally made it out!”]
[Both you and Winteria’s faces were filled with the joy of surviving a calamity]
[Your appearance was noticed by Dragon clans who happened to be passing by]
[Several Dragons flying overhead landed around you]
[“You… came out from below?!”]
[“That can’t be, did we just see wrong?”]
[“Look at the scales on them, they haven’t seen the sun in a long time, they’re somewhat pale.”]
[“By the Dragon Ancestor, there really are members of our clan who escaped from the Abyss beneath the earth!”]
[You had originally thought you’d be ostracized by other Dragons upon coming out, but it seemed you were overthinking]
[“I am Tai Ran of the Forest Dragon clan. Please, both of you, come be our guests first and tell us all in detail how you flew out of the Abyss.”]
[Tai Ran of the Forest Dragon clan, like all the other Dragons here, was entirely emerald green, the same color as the Forest]
[“You… are interested in this?”]
[You opened your mouth in slight surprise]
[“Well… after all, many of our clansmen’s descendants have accidentally fallen into it…”]
[You finally understood—they lived near the Abyss, which was why they were so interested in those who emerged from it]
[Of course, there was also genuine goodwill and sympathy among them]
[Exhausted, the two of you accepted the Forest Dragons’ hospitality]
[Dragon clans all possessed high intelligence, so the food naturally wasn’t bad—just roasted meat from forest animals]
[While you were being entertained, female Dragons would occasionally barge into your lodging, frantically asking you]
[“My child went missing before, there’s a good chance they fell into the Abyss. How can I find them?”]
[Though you really didn’t want to make them grieve, you had to tell the truth]
[Some even more unreasonable female Dragons wanted you to return to the Abyss to find their children, which you naturally refused]
[After some time, those Forest Dragons who had been holding onto hope finally gave up, yet they remained very interested in your story, especially regarding what lay at the bottom of the Abyss]
[During this time, Tai Ran observed that the two of you were extraordinary]
[“Your scales are somewhat dull and pale, but I can tell that neither of you had humble origins.”]
[“Ice Dragons and Flame Dragons are both relatively high-ranking existences among the Dragon clans.”]
[Tai Ran said with some self-deprecation]
[“Dragons like us who chew leaves in the Forest can only live near this terrible Abyss…”]
[Tai Ran’s words carried deep meaning for you, and you began to gain a new understanding of Dragon clans]
[At the same time, you felt the injustice of their situation—why should good Dragons with such loyalty and honor be pushed to live near the Abyss, while Ice Dragons and Flame Dragons who would kill their own children got to occupy the core territories]
[You planned to settle all of this]
……
[On a morning when the dew hadn’t yet dispersed, you and Winteria decided to set out]
[Tai Ran and all the Forest Dragons came to see you off]
[“Welcome back anytime!”]
[Looking into their somewhat simple, honest eyes, you had a premonition in your heart that you might never see them again]
[When you returned to Flame Dragon territory, that premonition indeed came true]
[It only took a few hours for you and Winteria to reach the Flame Dragons’ domain]
[Dragon architecture was grand and bold, somewhat rugged, yet full of craftsmanship]
[As one of the most prominent branches of the Dragon clans, the Flame Dragons not only had a Royal Palace similar to Humans, but also various tall structures for sacrifices, meetings, and other purposes]
[Before this magnificent territory, you felt no fear at all—they couldn’t be more terrifying than what you’d encountered in the Abyss]
[Your appearance instantly caused a massive Storm within the Flame Dragon ranks]
[Among them, the one with the greatest emotional upheaval was naturally your brother, Gondor]
[He had replaced your father, Garrod, and came to meet you]
[The moment you met, Gondor began his attack]
[“Although I don’t know how you came back from there, only one of us can survive!”]
[For some reason, he was extremely furious and disgusted by your very existence]
[“This Ice Dragon is so noble and elegant—how could a weakling like you be worthy of her!”]
[In response to Gondor’s criticism, Winteria immediately struck back]
[“It’s still uncertain who the weak one is!”]
[“Fine, fine! Then let’s have a duel—only the winner gets to live!”]
[Gondor laughed in anger. In his eyes, you were dim and lusterless, looking very frail. He felt beating you would be as easy as smoothing out scales]
[Facing Gondor’s near-suicidal demand, you laughed bitterly inside]
[“I accept your duel.”]
[Gondor, having just come of age, naturally was no match for you]
[The duel’s outcome came quickly—Gondor was pathetically fragile before your Red Talent]
[“How is that possible! Why do you possess such powerful strength!”]
[His proud combat techniques were like child’s play against your simple, crude stats]
[And the Dragon Flame he breathed couldn’t even damage the Dark One’s Tentacle]
[The result of this duel shocked everyone]
[You, the abandoned Dragon spawn, had actually defeated the “stronger” successor chosen by Garrod]
[“Father, he’s cheating!”]
[Covered in wounds from your assault, Gondor lay on the ground protesting]
[Just as all the Flame Dragons were waiting for Garrod to come out and deal with you, he did something that made everyone’s jaws drop]
[“Gondor, you are the weakest one now. Go die!”]
[A breath of Flame shot out, and just like that, Gondor was dead]
[“Father… why?”]
[Ignoring Gondor’s death, Garrod beat his broad wings and landed before you]
[“Child, you are stronger than Gondor. I now acknowledge you as my child.”]
[In his eyes, you saw madness]