Chapter 15

As I followed my brother to the pirate base, I mulled over the idea of killing the people there. They might not be human, but they were likely one of the more civilized races. I felt neutral about it—not good or bad—which was startling. Then again, these people were thieves, probably murderers and rapists, too. Besides, it’s our job to rid the waters of pirates, ensuring safe trade routes through our territory, free of pirates and monsters.

As we flew, I felt the wind rush over my scales and wings. Ah, how I loved flying! The freedom, the air against my body, the sights below. It reminded me of why people in my past life enjoyed skydiving. I couldn’t imagine ever losing the ability to fly. It’s such a wonderful feeling.

"We're here!" Vaelrath shouted.

I scanned the area. We had flown a few kilometers from our beach, about a 30-minute flight. I wondered why the clan hadn’t taken care of these pirates earlier. Then I remembered: dragons can be lazy and don’t always stick to their agreements 100%. Dragons typically make contracts with other races for treasure—like being hired for wars—but most of the time, they put in almost no effort. They’ll flex their aura, shoot a breath attack or two, and lazily fly overhead. That’s why this place still existed—because dragons are lazy.

I looked at the base. It was nestled in a cove, surrounded by rock, with an inner port exposed from above. There were two ways to enter by boat, from the east and west, leading back to the ocean. Quite a nice setup, honestly. My brother had only discovered it by accident while out enjoying a flight.

We landed on a rock formation, and Zarothan began discussing the plan. It was simple: kill all the leaders. From my magical senses, none of them were much stronger than ordinary humans. I used *Inspect* on one of the guards and found he was a creature level 2, slightly better than a normal adult male with no training. So, normal humans. The only real threat was their leader, who I was assigned to deal with.

I spread my mana, searching for the strongest presence in the area. Flying over the main hideout, I sensed a slightly stronger mana signature. A tall man walked out—a white-skinned human male, around 40, with a scar over his left eye. I cast *Inspect*.

**Name**: James Gunwood

**Race**: Human

**Sex**: Male

**Age**: 40

**Creature Level**: 3-4

I couldn’t get exact details, like his magic affinity or spells, but it was clear any of the other dragons could take him down easily. I was to give the signal for the attack, most likely with a lightning spell. As I watched James speak with his second-in-command, I cast *Lightning Bolt*, a staple of tier 5 lightning magic. It shot out, and before he could react—lightning being one of the fastest magics—he was dead, struck squarely in the head.

With that, I charged in. As I flew down, I saw flashes of lightning from my fellow younglings, likely using their spells. I landed in front of the second-in-command, who was still in shock, blood-spattered around him. Before he could react, I clawed out his throat, ending him quickly.

The pirates blew a horn, waking the rest of their crew. I’d estimate there were about a hundred of them, none above rank 2. As I finished off another man, I sensed a disruption in the magic around me and darted away just in time. A stream of water hit where I had been standing. Glancing over, I saw an older man surrounded by five others, one standing close by.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

**Name**: James Callahan

**Race**: Human

**Sex**: Male

Oh, so he was the leader, not the man I had killed earlier. They must have suppressed their mana signatures and used the first man as bait. The spell the mage cast was only level 2, *Jet Stream*, which confirmed he wasn’t very advanced. From his appearance, he seemed to be around 40. With mages, their power often increases with age, as magic strengthens them physically over time—a fact many people misunderstand.

Back to the fight. I wanted to end it quickly. I used *Electro Speed* to enhance my movements. One of the guards rushed forward while the mage prepared a spell, and the others fanned out to try and surround me. They wore light leather armor, which I knew I could cut through easily.

I targeted the nearest guard on my left, but before I could reach him, the mage hurled a *Water Spear* spell at me. To his surprise, I took control of the water and redirected it, piercing the heart of one of his guards. He hadn’t expected me to have greater water control than him. Typically, blue dragons my size focus on lightning and earth magic, with only minor water abilities. But I was a variant.

As I turned the mage's water magic against him, the guard I had initially targeted lunged at me with his sword. The blade hit my scales and deflected off. I took the opportunity to swipe at him, tearing out his throat. Panic spread through the remaining pirates, and they began to flee. Pirates aren’t like knights—they won’t fight to the death. They’re only in it for the money.

Over the next few minutes, I hunted down and killed every last one, except for the mage. He tried to run, but I tripped him with a bit of ground magic and pounced on him. He looked terrified. Then an idea came to me.

“Tell me where your magic books are,” I growled.

He stammered, trembling. “T-They’re in my living quarters.”

“Where’s that? Lead me there, and don’t try anything funny, or I’ll kill you,” I growled, getting closer.

Shaking like a leaf, he nodded. “O-Ok.”

We reached his tent after a short walk. It was a simple setup, easy to overlook. Smart of him to hide among the regular bandits, but unlucky that he ran into a dragon. He disappeared inside, and I waited outside, as the tent was too small for me.

After a few minutes, he emerged, holding several books. “T-These are all I have. Will you let me go now?” he asked, hopeful.

I glared at him, then lunged, tearing out his throat. As he bled out, I examined the books. The titles caught my attention.

*Basic Water Magic*—not very useful to me, but worth keeping.

*Medium Water Magic*—now that’s useful. I was still working my way to medium water spells.

*Basic Ice Spells*—useless to a normal blue dragon. Each type of dragon has its elemental weaknesses and strengths. For reds, it's water blues, ice green, metal black, lighting, and white fire. But for me, being a variant, it should come easier.

There were also a few basic books on mana, which I stored in my mouth. After using a basic water protection spell, I tore down his tent, hoping to find magic gems. Mages usually kept those. As I searched through the mess, I caught sight of a shiny object—a low-tier water magic gem.

I couldn’t help but feel like an excited puppy as I picked it up, storing it in my mouth. I also found a chest filled with gold, silver, and a spatial storage ring. How lucky! These rings are rare, even if this one was only low-tier. It automatically adjusted to my form, so I could store the books, gems, and most of the gold and silver.

With the remaining loot in my forepaws, I flew to the meeting point. The others were already there, carrying their treasure.

“So, we all got a pretty good haul,” Vaelrath said, his paws full of gold.

Everyone nodded, and with that, we took off. There was little conversation during the flight back. We were all tired but excited. I could even see it on Zarothan’s snout—he was eager to add this haul to his hoard.

When we arrived back home, I emptied the spatial ring into my hoard and began playing with the magic gem. "I’m the luckiest and happiest dragon right now," I thought to myself.

Reflecting on the events, I realized I hadn’t felt guilty about killing the pirates. I enjoyed it, just like when I hunt. I hoped I wouldn’t become some evil dragon, killing innocents for fun. No, it was different. These were evil people. I wouldn’t feel the same if they were ordinary folk.

With those thoughts, I drifted off to sleep, half-buried in my hoard, ready to learn ice magic.