C16 He Had Crossed over Time to Cultivate!

"Huff... Huff..."

At the summit of a snow-capped peak, a small silver dragon laboriously embedded its claws into the frosty ground, advancing slowly.

"So cold..."

Igrel's head pounded with an excruciating ache. Even with magical defenses, the harsh conditions were too much for a young dragon's body to withstand.

"It's as if it's claiming a dragon's very life."

With a wry smile, Igrel could feel his magical energy ebbing swiftly.

"I'm not built for the frost. Grandfather, are you intent on making me adaptable to every element? I must be the most wretched young dragon in existence, subjected to such relentless trials."

Grumbling to himself, Igrel pressed on.

This year marked Igrel's fifth in apprenticeship under Renafam, and he had grown from a mere hatchling into a young dragon. His body now stretched nearly four meters long, with a standing height of two and a half meters and a wingspan of roughly four meters, allowing for low-altitude flight aided by his magic. Pointed horns had emerged on his forehead, and his visage had sharpened, though his head and feet remained disproportionately large.

Igrel's youth had been devoid of the carefree existence typical of his peers, replaced instead by Renafam's relentless trials. He had begged, wept, and even despaired, to no avail. Renafam's obstinacy was unshakable, his centuries-old stubbornness manifesting in full force with Igrel.

What seemed a mere moment in the life of a dragon, but a considerable length of time to a human, Igrel had primarily conversed with Renafam. On rare occasions, Carrick and Garcia, accompanied by Oliveira, would visit, offering Igrel a precious reprieve.

The most profound impact on Igrel over these years was his complete integration into dragon culture. His human aspect was fading, not entirely abandoned but certainly leaning more towards his draconic identity.

The dragon's true nature was gradually assimilating Igrel. He felt a burgeoning desire for combat, a pursuit of power, and the unleashing of his wild instincts. This shift even affected his aesthetic perception; he could now distinguish the allure of dragons while becoming increasingly indifferent to the appearance of other species. Never having encountered humans in this world, Igrel was unsure if his human sense of beauty still persisted.

When Igrel first emerged into the world, he thought and acted with a human's sensibilities, keeping the instinctual behaviors of the Dragon Clan in check—everything from eating and grooming to the way he walked. However, over time, he began to let go of human conventions, slowly adopting the mindset of dragon society.

Within a few years, shaped by his environment and innate instincts, Igrel had retained only fragments of his human cognitive processes and the most basic standards of conduct.

"I've changed as well, but it's necessary to fit in with life. If I had been reborn as a human, I wouldn't be dealing with all these troubles and awkwardness..." Igrel pulled his claws from the snow, shaking off the flakes that clung to his scales. He plunged his claws further into the snow ahead, hugging the ground as he crept forward, leaving a lengthy drag mark in his wake.

"If I freeze to death in this blizzard, Grandfather, I swear I'll return as a ghost to annoy you every single day!" Igrel grumbled, his words tinged with vexation.

"Hmm?"

At that moment, Igrel noticed a glimmer of light from above. He lifted his head slowly and saw the gloomy clouds dispersing, revealing the sun's dazzling rays reflecting off the pristine snow.

"Have I finally arrived?"

Seeing Renafam's formidable silhouette, arms crossed, standing at the peak, Igrel let out an involuntary sigh of relief. He stood up, brushing the snow from around him, and spread his wings. A faint aura of magic surrounded him as he leaped into the air, escaping the thick blanket of snow, and flew towards Renafam at the mountaintop.

"You're slow," Renafam commented, his face the picture of calm.

"Grandfather, you've upped the ante. You were behind that storm, weren't you? It doesn't add up—snowing all the way from the foot of the mountain and then abruptly stopping at the peak. I'm not that gullible."

Igrel landed next to Renafam, folding his wings, his tone a blend of annoyance and acceptance. He had begun to understand that Renafam's requests always came with hidden challenges, though at first, Igrel had simply thought he was unlucky.

It wasn't until Igrel saw Renafam casually scattering venomous King Scorpions in his path during a forage in the forest that it all made sense. His so-called bad luck was actually the result of deliberate sabotage. After all, luck doesn't tend to thrive when you're the target.

After his training session ended, Igrel confronted Renafam about the incident, only to be met with feigned ignorance and stubborn denial from the old man. Struggling to articulate his frustration with such a grandfather, Igrel was left speechless.

"Tsk, keep up the act, Grandfather. Just wait—when I can finally beat you, I'll have my revenge," Igrel muttered under his breath, grinding his teeth.

"Sorry to disappoint, but for at least the first two hundred years of your adulthood, you don't stand a chance against me. Better to just obey for now," Renafam said with a smug look. Watching the young dragon that had grown considerably, Renafam couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. He was confident that after the hellish training he had designed, combined with Igrel's exceptional talent, Igrel was on track to surpass even some of the older dragons.

"Grandfather, what's the next trial?" Igrel asked, turning to Renafam as he inhaled the fresh mountain air. After years of intense battle and training, he had grown accustomed to the rigorous routine. Renafam, citing his ample magical power, never allowed him much rest, pushing him to deplete his magic every day before allowing time for meditation and recovery.

"Today, we'll take a break. Later, I'm taking you to meet some other dragons," Renafam answered, unexpectedly shaking his head and not providing the next training plan, which surprised Igrel.

"Huh? Grandfather, you've actually put my training on hold. That's quite rare," Igrel commented, clearly puzzled.

"Kid, what do you take me for, some kind of demon? Watch your tone," Renafam scolded, giving Igrel a stern look.

"Isn't that the case... Uh, fine, I'll keep quiet," Igrel replied instinctively, but sensing the shift in Renafam's magical energy, he wisely chose to hold his tongue.

"The time for your strength training has come to a pause. I've been thinking about the importance of you learning dragon ethics and social skills. You're still young, the perfect age to interact with your peers. Without that, you risk becoming a loner," Renafam explained, nodding in agreement.

Renafam fixed Igrel with a steely gaze and said in a deep voice, "Isn't that what you are... uh, never mind, I'll keep quiet..."

Igrel had spoken without thinking, but after sensing the magical energy emanating from Renafam, he wisely chose to retract his words.

"Enough dawdling. We should set off now; we can't keep the elders waiting. Show some initiative and don't disgrace me in front of dragons from my generation. I'm presenting you as my heir," Renafam declared, unfurling his vast wings with a cautionary tone.

"Yes, yes, I'll do my best not to let you down, Grandfather..." Igrel's mouth twitched as he responded weakly, spreading his own wings in turn.

"Seeing you like this doesn't exactly put my mind at ease. Keep up," Renafam remarked, understanding Igrel's disposition. With no further words, he soared into the sky, his powerful ascent scattering the mountaintop snow into the air.

"Ptui, ptui! You did that on purpose, Grandfather!" Igrel exclaimed, splattered with snow. He shook off the flakes and hurried after Renafam.

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