On the third day after birth, the young dragons were already capable of running, biting, and playing on their own, even attempting their first solo hunts.

All black dragons, regardless of age or strength, had one common hunting strategy — ambush. They hid in muddy rivers, waiting for their prey to come to them instead of actively chasing it.

In the murky waters filled with decaying matter, the three young dragons patiently lay hidden beneath the riverbed, their black scales providing perfect camouflage as they blended seamlessly with the mud. With only their vertical pupils visible, they resembled crocodiles, silently waiting for the fish above them to fall into their trap.

nearby, the black dragon mother concealed herself among the ferns, observing her offspring's first hunt.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the hunt wasn't going well. After a whole afternoon, the black dragon mother's three children had caught nothing. The young dragons were still too small to control the intimidating aura they were starting to develop, known as the "dragon's presence." As a result, their potential prey had become more cautious and stayed away from the area where the young dragons were hiding.

However, next to the river, Caesar had a different experience. The fish and shrimp would pass by him unaware, not because of his extraordinary talent, but because he hadn't inherited the dragon's legacy, therefore lacking any magical abilities. The river creatures had no clue about the small Caesar lurking beneath the mud.

Despite this advantage, he too failed to catch anything. The keen senses of the otherworldly fish surpassed Caesar's imagination. Whenever he was about to make his move, the fish sensed the disturbance in the water or the movement of the river and swiftly escaped. Before he could even launch himself out of the riverbed, his prey had already made a clean getaway.

His siblings seemed unfazed, as if they didn't care. Being true dragons, they showed no interest in the fish and were only interested in aquatic creatures with magical abilities. To them, the failed hunting attempts were simply a source of entertainment.

However, Caesar wasn't as comfortable. The lack of a successful hunt left him feeling frustrated. When he crawled out of the water, he couldn't help but sigh as he looked at his wet and dirty body.

"This is so frustrating!"

To aggravate matters, as time went on, the differences between him and his siblings became more apparent.

The most noticeable difference was that his siblings had already developed their intimidating aura and could fly to some extent. They only needed to flap their wings lightly to take off.

In contrast, no matter how hard Caesar flapped his wings and generated a howling gust of wind, he couldn't lift himself off the ground.

Wanting to fly, Caesar had to adhere to the laws of physics. There was a fixed relationship between weight, thrust, and wingspan. Observing his siblings, from an earthly perspective, their wings were somewhat small, which meant they didn't generate enough lift to support dragon flight.

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However, dragons were magical creatures.

Wings were simply an auxiliary tool, and it was their innate magical abilities that allowed them to soar through the skies. This was the biggest difference between Caesar and his siblings. He hadn't inherited the dragon's legacy and had no knowledge of magic. What came so effortlessly to his siblings was an insurmountable obstacle for him.

Caesar was already prepared for this and wasn't overly disheartened. He knew that comparing himself to his siblings was pointless. His immediate goal was to grow stronger, develop a certain level of self-defense in this dark realm, and then leave the black dragon mother's nest.

While black dragons didn't possess renowned wisdom, their intelligence wasn't inferior to that of an adult human. As the young dragons grew, the black dragon mother would eventually discover Caesar's differences.

Black dragons were infamous for their cruelty, and they showed no mercy towards flawed and regressed dragonkin. They would often forcefully drive them away, or in extreme cases, even kill them.

Soon, Caesar noticed that his food supply was decreasing. The black dragon mother had no interest in hunting for an inferior offspring like him. With limited food, his situation would only worsen over time.

"This can't go on."

Even though he had been consuming inorganic matter to sustain himself, without adequate nutrition, his growth and development had already started to stagnate.

During this time, his siblings had grown closer and even surpassed him in size.

But Caesar wasn't bothered by being outpaced by his siblings. He just wanted to grow as much as possible and gain the strength needed for self-preservation.

"I can't rely on the black dragon mother anymore. I have to hunt on my own."

With that thought in mind, Caesar decided to take a risk and venture out on his own for a hunt.

Waving his tail, the small dragon disappeared into the dense underbrush, blending seamlessly into the foliage. He navigated the thorny bushes and ferns with utmost caution, his heart pounding. He knew as a novice, a single mistake could turn him from predator to prey.

He had to be careful and alert in order to survive in this terrifying jungle.

Prior to this, Caesar had devised a detailed hunting plan and selected his prey: carnivorous mammals.

Unlike picky black dragons that only ate fish and aquatic creatures, Caesar had found that ordinary creatures without magical abilities, but strong and robust, were his ideal prey. They provided him with ample meat and nutrition.

However, catching them was the challenge.

Like the otherworldly fish, mammals had sharp hearing and keen sense of smell, especially in the dense jungle. Any rustle of leaves would put these creatures on high alert.

Fortunately, as the apex predators, dragons had evolved numerous adaptations to thrive in their environment. The fleshy protrusions on the soles of Caesar's feet allowed him to move silently even in the thick undergrowth.

Caesar's dragon wings were relatively small compared to his weight. Without magic, he couldn't take flight, but the lift generated by lightly flapping his wings enabled him to glide smoothly over the decaying forest floor, making his movements stealthier.

But that wasn't enough.

Having learned from his failed fishing experiences, Caesar knew that relying solely on these abilities wouldn't guarantee a successful hunt. He needed to utilize his body more cleverly.

Caesar burrowed into the undergrowth, digging through the hard soil and using the black mud to conceal his body. He could feel the movement of the wind and waited patiently for the black dragon mother's scent to dissipate.

Only then did Caesar begin to make a low grunting sound, imitating a pig, taking advantage of the thick vegetation concealing him.

"Huh, huh..."