"You make a fine point!" Saron lifted his head, acknowledging Rawel's proposition.

A flicker of hope sparked in Rawel's eyes. But it was quickly extinguished by Saron's next words, plunging him into despair.

"But why should I trust someone willing to kill his own father?" Saron's voice was a cold blade.

"No, why not? Aren't you a vile dragon? Isn't this what you delight in?" Rawel cried out, consumed by hopelessness.

Saron did not bother to answer him further; instead, he let out a spray of corrosive acid.

Rawel's screams echoed as he was dissolved into nothingness. Saron, unphased, picked up Rawel's magical conduit and swiftly took flight, disappearing into the distance. After several minutes, he located a cave, usurping it from its previous tenant, a ferocious black bear, with a single breath. He then sealed the entrance and finally allowed himself to close his eyes.

Then came the familiar darkness of transformation. He had forcibly suppressed the urge to evolve immediately after the feast had ended, curious about the changes that would manifest, mostly fueled by the mighty fire elemental lord he had consumed.

Saron observed the changes in himself as an outsider. His size increased, and around him gathered numerous fiery-red motes of light, which slowly merged with his body. He noticed dark red patterns beginning to form at the base of his horns.

When Saron opened his eyes in the darkness, he surveyed the new changes to his form. His pupils had turned a deep crimson, and his stature reached seven meters, with scales that seemed even darker and more unfathomable.

He then turned his attention to his stat panel, eager to assess the full extent of his evolution.

"Saron: Health Points 175"

"Feast Layers: 5"

"Feast Cooldown: 4 days"

"Talent 1: Carnivore – You can recover health and energy by killing your enemies. The amount restored is determined by the life energy of your foes."

"Talent 2: Earth Magic Affinity – You possess a powerful affinity for earth magic."

"Talent 3: Fire Magic Affinity – You possess a powerful affinity for fire magic."

The health points gained this time seemed slightly less than before, and the feast cooldown had been reduced to four days. Saron wasn't surprised by the addition of the third talent; the affinity for earth magic had come in a similar manner.

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He wished for more diverse talents, knowing well that the core of his power remained the feast. Magic, however, was a useful secondary tool. Saron pondered over the changes in health and cooldown, but without certainty, he knew further experimentation was needed.

With that thought, Saron unleashed another breath. It was the signature corrosive acid of the black dragons, seemingly more potent than before. A twinge of disappointment struck him – he had no flame breath. He had always fancied being a fire-breathing dragon.

Red dragons, among the chromatic dragons, wielded fearsome fiery breaths, growing stronger with age. The breath of ancient red dragons could even overpower fire elementals from the fire elemental planes, testament to its domineering power.

There's a clear distinction between the instinctual nature of flame breath and the deliberate casting of fire magic.

...

Days later, the Del Kingdom was in turmoil. The only son of the king, Prince Rawel, had been slain by a vile dragon while on a dragon-slaying expedition. His remains were found in such a horrific state that the king initially refused to believe the corroded bones were his son's.

However, after thorough verification by court magicians, it was confirmed that the remains were indeed those of Prince Rawel, who had met a grisly end by the black dragon's acidic breath.

The king fainted with rage and, upon awakening, ordered the execution of the two Level 8 warriors who had accompanied Rawel. It was only the intervention of Leo's master, a demi-saint realm light mage, that saved Leo, the lord of Kaileni City, from a similar fate.

The situation only became clearer after Duchess Ola's daughter, Rola, was found and relayed her account. She claimed that there was also a cunning young black dragon present, not just the Dragon Mother. While the warriors engaged the Dragon Mother, this young black dragon had taken the opportunity to ambush Rola, costing her an arm.

In a selfless act to save his beloved Rola, Prince Rawel had given her the space teleportation scroll, facing the black dragon alone.

After telling her story, Rola was overcome by such sorrow that she fainted, and even in her sleep, she continued to call out Rawel's name. It was a poignant testament to the depth of their love.

"Your Highness, Prince Rawel... he's truly gone!" In a lavish manor, a blond-haired maid dressed in her uniform reported to a striking red-haired woman.

"Are you certain?" The redhead stood up, her eyebrows arching, a beauty mark accentuating each corner of her eyes. Her tall and statuesque figure, combined with a commanding aura, loomed over the maid, imposingly.

"Yes... yes... It's true. The court magicians have confirmed it multiple times. Prince Rawel has been reduced to a few unrecognizable, corroded bones in his act of saving Lady Rola!" The maid spoke, trembling with fear.

"Do you believe Rawel was the kind of man to sacrifice himself for others?" scoffed Sofia.

Sofia gazed towards the direction of the palace. "Father, I wonder how you will handle this," she mused to herself.

The red-haired lady was none other than Sofia, the third princess of the Del Kingdom. Her talents were exceptional; this year she had reached the rank of a Level 7 caster. However, her path to the throne was blocked, not just by her gender, but now by the death of the king's only son...

On the surface, the kingdom appeared calm, but beneath, it was seething with unrest.

...

Saron observed the activity near the Bone-Eating Marsh with great interest. Hundreds of well-equipped soldiers guarded the area, their masks seeming to protect them from the poisonous vapors.

He watched as carts were loaded with gold coins and treasures, guarded by the soldiers. After all, not everyone possessed a spatial magic device to transport such wealth.

Upon closer inspection, Saron noted the absence of the powerful enchanted weapons he had seen in the dragon's hoard. It seemed the Dragon Mother had taken some of the treasures with her.

Extracting the treasure was no easy feat. The Dragon Mother's lair was deep beneath the swamp, and the soldiers who ventured inside could not be too weak; the lingering dragon might within deterred the faint-hearted, leaving them in a state of utter terror.

It took several days before they could transport the treasure out of the lair.

Saron's crimson eyes fixated on the last cart. On it was a large black bundle, within which he could barely discern the outline of an axe head.