novelraw Page 225
Page 225
The Barioth is a flying wyvern species that inhabits cold regions and is a formidable enemy of the White Dragon. In existing combat records, the two have even traded victories.
However, the vast majority of the battles of the Barioth Dragon are those of young white dragons who were hunted down by the Barioth Dragon and thus failed to gain greater power.
As a flying wyvern that uses its hind limbs and wing claws to walk on all fours, the Barioth still possesses considerable short-distance flight and close-quarters combat abilities, even though its flying ability is not as good as that of flying wyverns like the Rathalos or the Electric Wyvern.
Its sharp thorns on its wing claws act like serrations, preventing it from slipping on ice. They can also slice through the flesh of enemies in battle.
With fangs resembling those of a saber-toothed tiger, and possessing an amber or silver luster, they were passed down as prized possessions of dragons.
For Qin He, the Ice Fang Dragon material could be used to create a rather dashing and sexy Ice Fang Dragon outfit. If Qin Xinru and Zhong Xiling could wear it, it would be a feast for the eyes.
Kos Winter, the Frost Giant King, is a chieftain who united the surrounding Frost Giant settlements. Legends of his blue-faced, fanged appearance and godlike strength are said to be able to stop children from crying at night near the icy plains.
Frost giants have grayish-blue skin, which is somewhat similar to drow elves. Some frost giants also have light blue skin.
But it is said that the beauties among the Frost Giants, who only appear in fairy tales, have translucent, radiant, ice-blue skin and elfin-like pointed ears.
Their five-meter-tall bodies meant that they could bury a person in their breasts simply by bringing them together.
If Qin Xinru and Zhong Xiling are fortunate enough to find a beautiful girl among the Frost Giants on this trip, bringing her back to be Qin He's wife would be a wonderful thing.
In the icy plains, the White Dragon tribe and the Frost Giant tribe fought each other. The White Dragon Queen was also a low-level ninth-tier anomalous individual.
It is said that it once fought the Silver Dragon to a draw in a one-on-one battle.
Legend has it that the White Dragon Queen is extremely cunning, a green dragon disguised as a white dragon. There are also rumors that she possesses unparalleled power, suppressing her bloodlust to purify dragon blood, and has the potential to revert to her ancestral form.
Red Dragon Sos scoffed at this:
"What good would a white dragon's ancestral reversion do?"
But the red dragon's arrogance and recklessness don't mean she's truly stupid. On the contrary, her intelligence is more than enough to get her anything she wants.
Looking at Deng Liu, who had been working hard to revert to her ancestral ways since childhood and was being groomed by Qin He, Su Si immediately thought of a way to smooth things over:
"It's already at the lower ninth rank, quite old. A dragon of this age is only just beginning to revert to its ancestral form? That's laughable! If it had half of Deng Liu's determination, it might already be an ancestral white dragon by now."
Perhaps the red dragon is reckless, but her current attempt to redeem herself is not bad. What makes Soth stronger than other red dragons is that she is quick to notice when she might have offended others.
"Stop joking, Red Dragon. Which of the Frost Giant King and the White Dragon Queen can you beat right now? What we need to do is not to annihilate them all, but to find the remains of the Ice Dragon."
As she spoke, Volper continued to show the intelligence she had gathered about the ice fields.
Besides the Frost Giant King and the White Dragon Queen, there is also said to be an "Evil Silver Dragon" here. Of course, this Evil Silver Dragon is not the ancestral Silver Dragon Moonbeam that stole the Frost Giants' treasure map.
The evil silver dragon was cruel and bloodthirsty, and very few people or dragons had ever seen it.
The evil silver dragon once fought against the frost giant; both were lower-tier ninth-order beings.
“We’ve never seen a frost giant, but as dragons, we know… that thing that appeared on the ice plains wasn’t some corrupted silver dragon at all, but the second most powerful chromium dragon among the Atheros.”
Chromedragons belong to the lawful evil dinosaurs and, like felines, enjoy toying with their prey.
Cruel and merciless, they will inflict as much pain as possible on their prey.
They share the same shimmering silver scales, the same frost-covered breath, and the same habit of nesting in the high peaks of cold regions. This leads to conflict between the Chrome Dragon and the White and Silver Dragons.
Generally, white dragons are easily suppressed, while chrome dragons and silver dragons are evenly matched. However, if a silver dragon brings in righteous adventurer companions for help, the chrome dragon may have to run away depending on the situation.
However, the two dragons have extremely similar appearances, and many adventurers who are deceived by their appearance are captured by the Chromium Dragon when they are least prepared, resulting in their death.
Aside from the Lawful Good tungsten dragons, all the Atheros are dragons of the evil alignment. The suppression of Atheros by the Chromatic Dragons has, to some extent, reduced the number of unfortunate adventurers who have died encountering Chromatic Dragons.
The scarcity of records about the Atheros and related creatures has led the Frost Giant tribes to be unfamiliar with this dragon.
Having ascertained the current power distribution across the Icefield, a plan took shape in Volper's mind. As a Shiryu, she possessed this kind of innate wisdom.
"My two mistresses, I intend to personally reveal my true form and sound them out."
Interrogating a frost giant who is influential within the tribe will only alert the frost giant tribe, causing them to hasten their search for the remains of the Iceborne Dragon in a panic.
However, if cooperation is desired, one could start by approaching the Frost Giant leader at the front of the party, who appears to be of high status, and then solicit a superficial cooperation with the Frost Giant King, using the White Dragon or Chrome Dragon as a starting point.
Therefore, it would be much easier to secretly investigate some information about Velkhana.
Volper suspected that there was more than one map of the Frost Giants. If things were progressing quickly, they might have already found the remains of the Iceborne Dragon.
How many factions in the Iceborne region know about the Velkhana? If the secret of the Velkhana is spread, will a three-way conflict allow me and the Mistress to fully benefit?
As he pondered these thoughts, an ancient summons, originating from his bloodline, suddenly exploded in Volper's mind—
“Wolper Dark Kite! My daughter.”
Suddenly, the enormous phantom of the three-tailed dragon queen, Manlottis, descended into Volper's sea of consciousness.
Unaware of Aio's resurrection, the return of the Three-Tailed Dragon Queen Manrotis, and the Supreme Iron Dragon Garugsingo, Volper was utterly astonished.
Why does Manlottis, who should have been devoured by Tiamat and completely erased from the world without a trace, appear in her mind?
"Your Majesty Manlottis..."
By adopting an attitude of worshiping God, Wolper managed to maintain his composure.
Manrotis didn't waste any words; she simply recounted everything about Ao and her own resurrection. She told Shiryu that their mother had returned!
“My child! You have suffered. Now the great nine-faced dragon god Aio is about to compete with Qin He, the descendant of the tree-eating evil dragon, for the throne of the Dragon Emperor.”
"Your great mother, now you need to secretly push things along so that Qin Xinru and Zhong Xiling fall into the spatial-temporal turbulence that has sunk into this icy plain."
Although Nidhogg's barrier can exempt them from damage caused by anything below the level of a main god, if they were caught in a spacetime turbulence, Qin Xinru and Zhong Xiling might fall outside the World Tree.
Upon hearing Manlottis's request, Volper's pupils suddenly narrowed, then quickly relaxed.
Seeing this, Manlottis nodded as if very satisfied, praising Zilong:
"I've reached an agreement with Garugosingo, and the chrome dragon from the Ice Plains will lend you a hand. After trapping them both in the spatial turbulence, I will bestow upon you the divine blood of your ancestral purple dragon."
"What about guarantees and chances of victory? Your Majesty, do you think Prince Qin He will let me off the hook for doing such a thing?"
She remained outwardly calm, but Volper posed a question. Manlottis's face darkened... and she shook her head, saying:
"The great Io is the key to victory and the guarantee of success! I created you all for my great revenge against Tiamat! You have no right to question or disobey our mother, do you understand?!"
Manrotis noticed that Volper possessed the blood of the ancestral dragon, a gift from Tiamat. This greatly displeased her.
Tiamat was able to bestow the blood of the ancestral purple dragon upon Vulper because she had devoured the authority of Manrotis.
“Wolper, you should understand! Your mother hates Tiamat. If you truly love your mother, you should be an obedient child.”
"I understand, Your Majesty."
Manlottis's figure quickly disappeared, while Volper transformed into his true form as the Purple Dragon.
She was going down to discuss business with the frost giant.
"Wolper, be careful. If things get tough, come back. Don't push yourself!"
The thought that the Frost Giants might possess a deadly weapon like the Dragonsteel Spear made Qin Xinru uneasy. The scene of the Crystal Dragon being pierced through was still vivid in her mind.
After nodding, Volper spread his wings and swooped down, flying swiftly towards the frost giants in the distance.
For frost giants who never work, high-calorie products like cheese and butter are extremely precious commodities. Ordinary money and valuables might not be enough to entice frost giants, but these things are.
If the right conditions are offered, frost giants can be easily won over and a cooperative relationship can be established.
Fortunately, Walper had planned ahead and prepared a sufficient amount of cheese and butter in the City of Pale Moon.
Qin Xinru and Zhong Xiling initially thought that Walper simply liked sweets. Qin He, however, understood that the cheese and butter would be used in the Icefield Pie.
The 23-meter-long purple dragon possesses beautiful purple scales. Due to atavism, her dragon body reflects a magnificent luster.
The wind pressure from just the Purple Dragon's flapping wings was enough to make the Winter Wolf lose its footing.
The ordinary snow bears pulling cargo also groaned and crawled down. Even without deliberately unleashing her dragon's might, her intimidating power was more than enough.
"It's a dragon!!!"
The leading frost giant quickly gripped his Frostblood Cleaver and confronted Volper. The other frost giants also urged their followers to take up their weapons.
"Don't be nervous, subjects of the Frost Giant King. I am not on the same side as the white dragons of the Ice Plains. Put away your spears and hacksaws; I'm here to discuss business."
Without letting their guard down, the leading frost giant cautiously inquired:
"Purple dragon, what do you desire?"
He immediately took out his chips, and the storage ring embedded in the purple dragon scales flashed, revealing four carts of prepared butter and cheese behind the magnificent wings.
"I am Vulper Darkwing, the 'Deep Purple Duchess,' from the Underdark, here specifically to tame a dragon as my familiar. I am a fully grown purple dragon."
"This is a gift for the Frost Giant King, produced in Palemoon City, with an outstanding taste."
With his nimble tail, Volper scooped up beautifully packaged butter and cheese from the cargo wagon and tossed them to the lead frost giant warrior.
The frost giant warrior opened the package, checked the quality of the goods, and then signaled the other frost giants behind him to put down their weapons.
“Generous Lady Deep Purple, my name is Kylo Winter, and I pay my respects on behalf of my mother, Kos Winter. I suppose you are already familiar with the dragons here.”
Instead of ordering the ice trolls and ogres to move the goods, Kylo wanted to confirm whether the deal was feasible.
"I don't like wasting time. I came to this barren land for two reasons—"
"First, I want to join forces with the Frost Giant King to defeat the White Dragon Queen here. After that, the blue and young dragons in the White Dragon's Nest will belong to you, while the hatchlings and dragon eggs will belong to me. The treasure will be divided equally between the two sides."
"Second, let's join forces to capture that chrome dragon that once fought the Frost Giant King—oh, that's the evil silver dragon you mentioned. I want it to be my familiar!"
Volper approached Kylo, his twenty-three-meter-long body towering above the rest of the adult dragons. As one of the Frost Giant King's daughters, Kylo had once faced the eighteen-meter-long White Dragon Queen on the battlefield.
Although Kailo fell within a few moves, even a lower-level ninth-tier white dragon had never given it such a suffocating sense of oppression.
This feeling was as if the purple dragon in front of him could kill him with a single, casual strike.
Beside him, another frost giant said:
“Lord Purple Dragon, I am not questioning you. But the White Dragon Queen and the Evil Silver Dragon both possess terrifying strength at the lower level of the ninth rank... while you are only at the lower level of the eighth rank.”
The frost giant wisely stopped speaking halfway through his sentence. While the frost giants did indeed hate the White Dragon Queen and her tribe, it would be unwise to start a war without sufficient assurance of victory.
If Shiryu doesn't demonstrate enough power to disrupt the balance, it will be difficult for the Frost Giants to cooperate with her.
"You know the concept of atavism, right? The White Dragon Queen wants to use atavism to purify her bloodline in order to overwhelm your Frost Giant King."
Having said that, Volper displayed her translucent scales and ancestral dragon horns to the frost giants before her. Then she turned abruptly, and a sharp breath shot out.
In the distance, there was a small glacier that wasn't very high. Under the breath of the Purple Dragon's blade, the glacier was directly cut in two and collapsed.
"I already possess the ancestral blood she so desperately craves. For Shiryu, cooperation is merely for convenience, not a necessary option."
"If the frost giants don't agree to this deal, I can still demand dragon eggs from the white dragon tribe first, then join forces with the queen to capture the chromium dragon, and finally assist them in a counterattack against the frost giants. It saves me the trouble of these 'greeting gifts'!"
Wolper's meaning is simple: he's giving you a chance, and you have to make the most of it.
If you, as the daughter of the Frost Giant King, still can't make up your mind, this opportunity to become the ruler of the Icefield will slip away right under your nose.
"Dame Deep Purple, you were the first to choose to cooperate with us. The White Dragons are ultimately just a second choice—their savagery and shortsightedness mean they will only bare their teeth at you like wild dogs whose territory has been invaded."
"If you wish, the Winter Clan will offer its sincerest friendship and long-term cooperation with the Duchess!"
Eager to prove himself to the Frost Giant King, Kylo Ren seized this irresistible bait.
“Indeed, Frost Giant, you have the wisdom to seize opportunities.”
Qin Xinru and Zhong Xiling are currently hidden within the spatial scale, carried by Wolper. They are observing the situation outside and are already cheering for Wolper.
Even Qin He on the other side praised Volper's abilities.
“Take me to your fortress, I want to meet the Frost Giant King in person.”
Volper transformed into human form and casually sat on the Frost Giants' cargo wagon, letting the snow bear and winter wolf pull him and the goods along.
The elite Claw Dragon armor set, powerful enough to defend against attacks from Saint-level experts, further convinced the Frost Giants that Purple Dragon was capable of doing what she said.
……
Aside from the fact that the chrome dragon had been communicated with by Garugsingo beforehand, the frost giants were indeed the easiest to cooperate with among the white dragons, chrome dragons, and frost giants.
Regarding the Void Dragon's treasure map, the Frost Giants surely wouldn't be foolish enough to proactively reveal such a secret to Shiryu. But that's alright, this trip only requires confirming the situation.
If the remains of Iceborne have been obtained by the Frost Giants, then the Dragon Soul Compass should be able to detect their exact location.
At that time, Walper will suddenly attack, and together with Qin Xinru, Zhong Xiling, and the other members of the dragon group, they will be able to suppress the Frost Giant.
If the remains of the Iceborne Dragon are still being searched, then Qin Xinru and the others should follow the Frost Giants who are searching for treasure. As long as the Purple Dragon uses the pretext of an alliance to keep the Frost Giant King occupied, the remaining Frost Giants will be powerless to resist them.
Soon, the convoy arrived at their base camp, "Hops Fortress," under escort.
This place was originally a massive fortress on the edge of the icy plains, built to defend against the beast scourge. However, it was seized by the Frost Giant King Kos Winter and made his territory his own.
This place is easy to defend and difficult to attack; only white dragons and some flying dragons can leap over the city walls. However, the frost giants also throw spears to meet the invading dragons.