Caesar was awakened by the growls of the hatchlings. The two little ones were restless, spending their days eating and sleeping, with occasional bouts of play-fighting.

The growth of the hatchlings was astonishingly rapid. Including Caesar, all three young dragons were now roughly the size of an adult tiger. By the standards of carnivorous creatures on Earth, they were already formidable predators.

However, in this place, among real dragons, the size of an adult tiger was of little significance. The fish that their black dragon mother brought back to the nest were larger than wild buffalos, and her strength surpassed that of the three hatchlings.

So, while the ruckus caused by the hatchlings was considerable, their black dragon mother found it unremarkable. She simply raised an eyelid, muttered a few incomprehensible words, and rolled over to continue sleeping.

Caesar, who was awakened by the commotion, was not annoyed. He had absorbed the rewards and didn't have any immediate revelations about the deeper research into the black dreams. So, he set aside those matters for now and sat up with interest, watching the "battle" between the two hatchlings.

The black dragon was still young, but its sharp claws, teeth, and tough scales were already taking shape. Caesar could even envision their fierce appearance in a few years. Dragon duels like this were rare, and it piqued Caesar's curiosity about the strange and fantastical world he found himself in.

However, the bloodsucking mosquitoes and flies that had been lurking around, waiting for their chance, were unfortunate victims of the dragons' battle. The effects of the dragon fight on the microorganisms in their nest were disastrous. Any misstep would result in the creatures being killed by an acidic exhalation from nowhere, reducing them to a pool of pus.

Countless mosquitoes and flies began to flee, escaping the nest and tactically retreating. A few of the fast-flying flies flew past Caesar, who acted swiftly, extending his right claw and gently capturing three of the unfortunate creatures in mid-air.

Caesar's gaze flickered. His focus was no longer on the ongoing fight between the two hatchlings. The so-called "Dragon Genetic Enhancer Type 1" had not made a significant difference, but his instinctive action just now had made him realize that the shattered trophy in the black dream indeed had an impact on him.

Caesar moved his right claw in front of his eyes, observing the struggling flies. He couldn't catch such fast-moving small insects before; otherwise, he wouldn't have returned empty-handed from fishing in the river.

"My speed and control over my body have improved, but I wonder how much my strength has increased. It's a pity I don't have any instruments to measure accurately."

Although he hadn't immediately reached a transformative stage, Caesar was already quite satisfied. As the name suggested, he understood that the "genetic enhancement" didn't bring about immediate changes but instead increased his potential, gradually raising the limits of what his body could achieve in the future.

Caesar was a descendant of black dragons. While he didn't know much about dragons, he had acquired knowledge from the fusion process, which revealed that black dragons were not considered powerful among dragons. They ranked close to the bottom among the evil dragons, with red, blue, green, and white dragons barely ahead. Not to mention the metallic dragons, whose magical prowess surpassed all others.

What made matters worse was that although he had the true name of a dragon, Caesar was not strictly a true dragon, which meant he couldn't awaken innate talents or magical abilities. So, Caesar had always worried that despite his struggles and efforts to squeeze every ounce of potential from his cells, his draconic lineage and inherent limitations rendered him little more than a mediocre creature in the world.

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Fortunately, he had the black dreams accompanying him, an unpredictable source of rewards that gave him enough confidence.

"Hey, Ortolonzo, aren't you going to challenge Blackscales?" Ghalon Dracoarth spoke up. He was Caesar's "little brother" in the context of dragons. At this moment, Ghalon stood on his hind legs, supporting his body like an upright ape. He didn't hide the fact that there was a large bird swinging beneath his crotch, standing brazenly in front of Caesar.

Dragons possessed no shame in such matters.

"Didn't you fight against her before?"

Caesar turned his head, avoiding the thing that was about to hit his face, and looked at his sister. Blackscales, the little female dragon, was not far away, on all fours, glaring at him with round eyes filled with hostility.

Clearly, the little female dragon hadn't forgotten about Caesar stealing her eggshell.

"How vengeful."

Caesar muttered to himself. Black dragons were known for their irritable and vengeful temperaments, and he saw those traits in the little female dragon.

Interestingly enough, among the three hatchlings, Blackscales, despite being the slowest to develop, showed the most progress. Ghalon, the male dragon with awakened magical abilities, had never been a match for her and was consistently overpowered.

"Heh heh." Blackscales flapped her wings and let out two low growls, challenging her older brother with a provocative tone.

"The play of the hatchlings, a fight."

Caesar pondered for a moment, took a deep breath, and stood up, using all four limbs. "Come on."

He wanted to see the extent of the effects of the Dragon Genetic Enhancer.

However –

"Boom!"

"The inept and foolish black dragon, behold the magnificent arrival of Sylvana! Leave your nest!" The voice resonated from above, seemingly tangible, as if the dragon's might swept across the marshland.

In Caesar's astonished gaze, a giant dragon with emerald green scales descended from the sky. Its imposing presence filled the air, and the gusts generated by the beating of its wings nearly knocked over the young hatchlings.

Its body was sturdy, every part bulging with muscles. Its teeth were large and gleaming white, protruding from its mouth, while a sharp horn jutted from above its nose, sparkling with a metallic sheen.

"The Green Dragon!"

The three hatchlings exclaimed in unison. The jungle and swamp were not exclusive to black dragons; they were also favored nesting grounds for green dragons. Friction arising from territorial disputes was not uncommon among the stories of the giant dragons.

"Roar!"

This time, their black dragon mother, who had been lying in the marshland, finally woke up completely. She let out an angry growl, broke free from the mire, and stirred up large clumps of mud as she ascended into the sky.

"Dare to trespass in my territory, Sylvana? Are you seeking war?"

This was the first time Caesar heard his mother, the black dragon, speak. Her voice perfectly matched the qualities of a black dragon – hoarse and irritable.

As the black dragon's roar echoed, mud golems started emerging from the marsh, wielding their weapons, while dog-headed cavemen crawled out of numerous cave entrances that Caesar hadn't paid attention to before.

Every adult dragon had more or less followers. These creatures lived under the wings of dragons and would become their loyal lackeys and henchmen when necessary. However, facing the colossal green dragon, most of these humanoid creatures cowered in fear and stood motionless.

After all, this was a majestic green dragon, nearing four hundred years old, with a name of its own. It was much stronger than their owners. Although the cavemen had low intelligence, they had no intention of seeking death in vain.

Not to mention that the green dragon was not alone –

On the opposite shore of the lake, an army of ogres surged forward, covering the entire swamp. It seemed there was at least one medium-sized tribe among them.

"Hah, your territory?" Sylvana, the "Emerald of the Green," laughed mockingly. "Did you forget to inform you? Your nest has been requisitioned. From today onwards, every forest and river here belongs to me!"

"Now, hand over your treasures and leave with your hungry children, or..." The unspoken threat hung in the air.

"Dream on!"

The black dragon mother let out an angry roar. For any dragon, their treasures were of equal value to their lives, and no dragon would ever compromise at a time like this.

The black dragon mother was no exception. She roared and ascended into the sky, engaging in a battle with the intruder.

"Now, what do we do?" The three young hatchlings stared at each other with widened eyes.