The bright yet gentle light cascades down from the dome, sealing the deep night darkness outside the Dragon Nest. The Sunlight Stones embedded in the top emit a gentle and lasting glow.
On the walls and floor on both sides are laid transparent crystal materials formed by high-temperature baking. As far as the eye can see, there is not a single crack or seam.
This material constantly reflects the light from the top, so much so that within the Dragon Nest, there isn't a single dark shadow, making it look as though it was built from crystal, splendid and dazzling.
Such an arrangement directly cuts off any possibility of an attack from the Shadow Realm, elevating the safety factor of this Dragon Nest to another level.
Of course, even if shadows were present, the continuously running Defense Magic Array inside this Dragon Nest is enough to repel a Shadow Assassin.
This temporary shelter arranged by an adult Golden Dragon is considered simple in the eyes of a Golden Dragon.
Don't even mention the Colorful Dragon Clan; their primitive caves can't compare.
Even most other branches of the Metallic Dragon Race don't have such high-standard living environments, but this doesn't erase Noah's resentment.
Strictly speaking, this nest had been abandoned by his parents; living here was simply not a choice for him.
After all, what his adoptive father could provide was an even worse environment. Under normal circumstances, he should be living in a grand kingdom palace built with the power of a nation.
"Everything will get better."
Noah murmured softly to himself. This was not just to comfort himself; the Golden Tree he just saw, and the taste of the fruit it bore, gave him enough confidence. An unstoppable thought emerged from his heart,
"If they won't get me a king to be my sponsor, then I'll cultivate a human monarch myself."
In fact, Noah had long entertained similar thoughts. After all, though his adoptive father's title was low, it held promising prospects for the future.
The kingdom's granted rights for military expansion and pioneering are now nothing more than illusory and meaningless, but just because they're useless now doesn't mean they won't be useful in the future.
He had enough time and patience to wait; if one generation doesn't work, then two generations, if not two, then three, five, or ten generations.
The span of one generation of a short-lived species is just a nap for a dragon; that's the essence of a Longevity Species.
As a fledgling dragon, Noah enjoyed endless sleep, closing his eyes and falling directly asleep, but with a lifetime of memories, Noah did not intend to sleep through the remaining two years of his fledgling period.
Dragons are inherently adaptable creatures. Taking the example of the Colorful Dragon Clan, which lives in the harshest environments, at worst times, they can even eat dirt and chew on tree roots to endure the most challenging years.
Noah, fighting off sleepiness and maintaining a routine of sleeping three days and being awake for two, seemed insignificant in comparison.
The reason he persisted so stubbornly against instinct was because of the books left by his parents, representing the little love they had for him.
Although his parents left him an empty treasure room spacious enough for horse riding, they still left him a portion of their library, far more valuable than gold and silver — this wasn't just Noah's understanding, but a shared value among the Metallic Dragons.
Numerous Metallic Dragons who reached the Ancient Dragon phase even went as far as constructing magnificent libraries to display their power and wealth.
Knowledge is power!
By reading books and comprehending the knowledge recorded within, one can gain strength.
The books Noah's parents left for him contained detailed insights into magic not included in the Dragon Bloodline inheritance, with in-depth analysis and explanations of spell models, their application, mutations, advancements, and the construction, creation, and countermeasures of magic.
This was quite profound knowledge. When Noah first saw it, he realized he had to master it and memorize it in the shortest time possible, even if he couldn't utilize it for some time in the future.
Compared to the Colorful Dragon Clan, who only learn and grasp magic power when their physical strength starts to decline, the Metallic Dragon Race often realizes the importance of magic shortly after being born, during their early years.
Most in the Metallic Dragon Race have a mild obsession with magic, giving them an impression akin to spellcasters among the Dragon Clan.
Moreover, most of the Metallic Dragons active around the world often present themselves in spellcaster-like humanoid forms.
They only reveal their true identity to turn the tide when situations become extremely dire and reach an unredeemable point, if they deem it necessary.
What constitutes a necessary situation depends on the preferences and habits of each branch of the Metallic Dragon Race, plus the dragon's own personality and mindset.
Dragons judge the world by their own standards, including good and evil.
The passage of time seemed meaningless to Noah. Returning to the Dragon Nest, Noah embraced a roll of magic books to ponder deeply, unknowingly dozing off, with the radiant Golden Tree reappearing in his vision.
However, circling in the nebula, observing the Golden Tree closely, Noah was somewhat disappointed to find no sign of a second fruit appearing on the Golden Tree.
Although he noticed the figure of a Little Fairy on a minor root, seeing those little fellows calling their friends, such actions obviously didn't provide effective feedback in causing the Golden Tree to bear fruit.
Nonetheless, it did allow Noah to gain more understanding and assumptions about the Golden Tree.
"It should be because I'm too weak. If I could recruit Cloud Giants, or even stronger Storm Giants, like a fully-grown Golden Dragon, to serve me, perhaps there would be different outcomes."
Noah silently guessed while watching the flickering fairy image on the tiny root in front of him.
Furthermore, under his influence, if Ted killed more and stronger Monster Clans, the Golden Tree might bear more potent Blood Origin Fruits for him.
Causality is interconnected, tied closely with the level of life. Even the extinction of an entire Goblin Tribe wouldn't affect a Golden Dragon's bloodline in the slightest, just as Little Fairies, akin to specks of dust, are negligible and useless even when tirelessly laboring all night.
If the affected creatures were strong enough, the result should be different, but the specifics still needed to be verified through facts.
When Noah woke up from his slumber once more, he immediately sensed a strong threat and pressure emanating from outside the Dragon Nest.
However, the fledgling dragon feeling this sensation didn't show any panic or fear, but instead revealed a look of delight, as he understood that within a thousand miles, only one person could make a Golden Dragon like him, sheltered in the Dragon Nest, feel this way.
That was his adoptive father, Casius Augustus, the Border Earl of the United Kingdom of Aireael Toria, the most formidable pioneer since the Augustus family was established, the nightmare of every Monster Clan from the Elidis Mountain to the Lois River Valley, Casius Augustus.