"That's not happening."

Caesar shrugged, knowing that no matter how confident the other two hatchlings were, their mother could never match the green dragon. The black dragon mother had just entered her prime, while the approaching green dragon was nearing old age, creating a significant age difference between the two.

"So, what do we do? Hide in the nest and tremble in fear?" Ghalon and Blackscales looked at each other, realizing their helplessness. The young hatchlings were incapable of posing any threat to the powerful green dragon, much like rabbits in the presence of fierce beasts.

In their imagination, despite the black dragon mother's weakened state, she would never compromise in the face of the malicious and hideous green dragon. But for the sake of her children, she would reluctantly leave behind her treasures.

Imagining a scene where the black dragon mother maintains a cool attitude, saying, "Hmph, for now, you can hold onto my treasures," before taking her children and leaving, they felt comforted.

They dared to dream.

However, Blackscale's laughter brought them back to reality. "That evil and powerful green dragon, I guarantee she has ten thousand ways to deal with you without your mother's interference."

Caesar found his sister's words laughable and couldn't help but worry about the future of dragonkind. With their detachment towards familial bonds, dragons were not known for their compassion. It was unlikely that the green dragon, who had come for the treasure, would really harm the black dragon family.

The laziness and indifference displayed by adult dragons, even towards their own offspring, was a clear sign of this. The green dragon's primary interest lay in the treasure, and it wouldn't go out of its way to eliminate all threats.

Of course, the situation might be different if they were dealing with silver dragons or red copper dragons from opposing factions. Although dragons were not beasts but rather intelligent creatures, they weren't simply antagonists from movies. They possessed their own thoughts and behavioral patterns.

Ghalon and Blackscales, armed with a comprehensive knowledge of dragons, probably understood this better than Caesar. But it seemed that the two of them were only interested in one thing: tasty maggots.

Finding their adorable stupidity amusing, Caesar reluctantly gave them a brief lesson on dragon behavior and beliefs.

After finishing his explanation, Caesar lifted his foot, ready to continue their journey. "So, what's the reason you two followed me?"

Ghalon and Blackscales hesitated, not quite sure themselves. They had mindlessly followed Caesar during the chaos caused by the green dragon. Ghalon, with his oblivious and relaxed personality, instinctively followed Caesar's lead.

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Blackscales, watching her two older brothers leave, followed along in a daze.

If there had been a group of hatchlings present, it was likely that Caesar would have led them all away. Under the influence of herd mentality, such a scenario was entirely possible, and reality had already affirmed half of it.

"Is there still time for us to go back?" Ghalon asked.

"I'm afraid not. Mother has probably already left," Blackscale replied with a mournful expression, her droopy nose reflecting her disappointment in Caesar's decision to run away.

Caesar, on the other hand, had no qualms about leaving behind their mother and so-called siblings. Familial bonds among dragons were weak to begin with, and given the circumstances, their black dragon mother would ultimately discover his abnormality and expel him. It was inevitable.

Moreover, in that case, he would even run the risk of being killed by the enraged black dragon mother.

So, he had to plan his escape early. Ever since he noticed the gradual change in their black dragon mother's behavior, Caesar had been considering a plan to leave the marshland nest. The current situation turned out to be the perfect opportunity.

After a short contemplation, he chose to go in the opposite direction of the approaching green dragon, diving into the dim forest, quietly slipping away.

During his escape, Caesar realized that something was different. When he was catching flies earlier, his movements had been too small. The effects of the "genetic enhancement" weren't obvious at first, but now, as he ran through the forest, he could feel the difference.

His pace and rhythm were noticeably faster.

Dragons were renowned for their immense strength and innate magical abilities. However, in the records of human adventurers, dragons were often described as slow and cumbersome.

But now, Caesar broke free from those stereotypes. His movements were light, his rhythm compact, and his once clumsy body became agile.

It was as if a cheetah was running, exhibiting a graceful flow of motion.

"Let's see how much I've changed."

Caesar silently thought to himself as he increased his speed and stride, experiencing a surge of energy. The increase in speed wasn't visually significant, but he could feel the difference in his actions, the way his limbs moved swiftly through the forest.

His claws created a rustling sound as they touched the decaying forest floor, and the wind whistled past his ears. The transformation wasn't only about speed; his body had become more responsive and lighter. He no longer felt the sluggishness caused by his massive weight.

Previously, running as a black dragon hatchling had been ridiculous, but now, he exuded an effortless grace that made hunting in the forest much easier.

Dragons boasted incredible physical strength, and even as a young black dragon, Caesar inherited this attribute. Even without the natural capabilities and magical abilities of a true dragon, he possessed enough strength to ensure his survival as an adult, solely relying on his physicality.

As long as he didn't do anything reckless, his future life would be quite comfortable.

Moreover, Caesar still had the enigmatic black dreams to accompany him. "Sneaky development, not bad."

In just a short run, Caesar had outlined a simple plan for his future life. However, reality often had different plans. When he turned his head, he noticed his two siblings, Ghalon and Blackscales, flapping their wings and catching up to him.

"What's the situation?"

"We can't escape," Blackscales replied with a smug smile, "That green dragon is evil and powerful. I can guarantee she has ten thousand ways to deal with you without our mother's interference."

?????

Caesar found his sister's words amusing and couldn't help but worry about the intelligence of dragons. After all, dragons were not beasts driven solely by instincts; they were intelligent beings capable of strategic thinking.

Watching his two siblings, who seemed clueless about the situation, he gave them a compassionate yet slightly exasperated look.