Chapter 49: The Titan of Dragons
The young titan with black hair and golden eyes stood on the platform of Dragon Castle, overlooking the many giants with a slight dissatisfaction evident in his expression. His physique now towered above all the giants present.
His tall, robust form displayed the golden ratio in human physique, embodying the epitome of perfection, flawless in every way. Many cloud giant girls watched him, their hearts racing and eyes dazzled, while the male cloud giants and storm giants felt ashamed of their own appearances.
"Your Highness!" Seeing Muria in his current form, all the giants on the castle platform were visibly excited and knelt down in allegiance. This version of Muria was the leader they sought to follow, unwavering and until death.
"Very impressive!" Dimos nodded with satisfaction upon seeing that Muria could freely transform between his dragon and titan forms. "Muria, it seems my primeval blood was not wasted on you."
He could tell that his grandson was using the bloodline in his own body to morph, not relying on any transformation spells. The change was a natural talent unique to Muria.
"Thank you, Grandfather!" Muria, sincerely grateful, looked up at Dimos, who was hovering in his human form. He could feel the overwhelming power within him and sensed his life essence had further evolved.
The process of merging with that drop of primeval blood had greatly enhanced Muria's control over his body, which was the true source of his ability to shift forms freely. This made him realize the value of that single drop of primeval blood.
"You are my direct descendant; it's my duty to look after you, so let's dispense with the thanks," Dimos said with a hint of displeasure upon hearing Muria's gratitude.
"Uh, understood, Grandfather. I won't say 'thank you' again," Muria awkwardly responded to Dimos.
Dimos twitched his lips, sensing something odd in his grandson's statement. After a brief silence, he examined Muria's titan form. "You should have one more form, shouldn't you?"
"Yes." Muria nodded. Then, golden dragon flames ignited around him, mingling with the thunder and whirlwinds enveloping him. The sight was truly awe-inspiring.
Six dragon horns sprouted from Muria's forehead, and a pair of large wings covered in diamond-shaped scales unfolded from his back. A slender tail with a spear-like tip emerged behind him, whipping through the air with a sonic boom.
Simultaneously, plates of gleaming golden dragon scales grew over every part of his body, covering every inch of his skin. Even his head was covered with a bony helmet that left only his eyes and shoulder-length hair visible.
In an instant, Muria transformed into a titan clad in golden dragon armor. However, this armor was a product derived from his dragon bloodline—the third form that Muria, as both titan and dragon, could assume.
"Pure dragon form, perfect titan form, and now this—your display of a blend of your two bloodlines, the Dragon-Titan form," Dimos declared, smiling genuinely at Muria's transformations and naming his third form.
"Dragon-Titan! An apt name," Muria agreed with a nod, pleased with the title his grandfather had bestowed upon his current form.
"Well, grandson, I've been here for five years now, and with your hibernation period over, it's time for me to leave."
"Grandfather, can't you stay a bit longer?"
"This place is too small to hold my interest for long, and I've already ascended to the status of Dragon King. It's the perfect time to explore other worlds. I've grown tired of Erathia."
"Other worlds?" Muria's curiosity was piqued by Dimos's mention of other realms.
"Endless and beyond your imagination."
"Are these other worlds like ours?"
"Of course not; even similar life forms differ, so how could the worlds be the same?" Dimos chuckled at Muria's question.
Seeing that Muria was about to ask more, Dimos raised his hand in a stopping gesture. "Enough questions. If you're truly curious, strive in your cultivation. Become a being like me, and then you can see for yourself how vast the universe and how wondrous the worlds are."
Resigned, Muria didn't press further. Traveling to other worlds was far beyond his current capabilities. Besides, he hadn't even explored the vast world of Erathia, remaining secluded on a small island.
"By the way, my grandson, I've spent some time training your dragons. I hope they can surprise you," Dimos's figure began to fade under Muria's gaze. Just before disappearing completely, the blond youth dropped a final remark and vanished.
"My dragons!" Muria's dragon horns, wings, tail, and golden armor receded, and he returned to his titan form, turning to face the juvenile five-colored dragons staring up at him, mouths agape.
"What's going on? I remember before I fell asleep, I instructed you to keep them inside the Dragon Castle. Why are they all outside now?"
Muria directed his question to the storm giants kneeling before him.
"Your Highness, we intended to follow your commands, but your grandfather said that dragons should soar in the sky and not be confined within the castle. Thus, he forbade us from stopping any dragon that wished to fly," explained the nearest storm giant in a low voice.
"Is that so?" Muria narrowed his eyes at the young dragons who shivered under his gaze. "Do you return to the castle willingly, or should I have the giants fetch you?"
"We'll return on our own."
The young dragons obediently flapped their wings and flew back into the castle. Muria's emergence from the cocoon in his dragon form had greatly intimidated them.
A sixty-four-meter-long dragon was a formidable concept. In the hierarchy of the five-colored dragons, even the weakest, the white dragons, only reached such a size in their final phase, the Ancient Dragon stage.
Although white dragons were considered the weakest, achieving legendary status only in the Ancient Dragon stage and still being the weakest among legendary dragons, they were nonetheless legends. In other words, Muria already possessed a stature comparable to that of a legendary Ancient White Dragon. To the juvenile dragons, this was profoundly shocking.
"Are there still dragons outside the castle?" Muria's golden eyes scanned beyond the castle. Taiji Island, apart from the ever-expanding giant cities and Dragon Castle, was mostly vibrant wilderness forest under the blue sky. Here and there, dragon figures could be seen flitting through the vast treeline.
"Yes, Your Highness. Many dragons fly out to play on the island after completing their magical homework each day."
"Every storm giant, mobilize! Those with mounts, take your giant eagles; those without, run on foot. Search the entire Taiji Island and bring back every five-colored dragon not within Dragon Castle."
"At your command!" All the storm giants responded in unison, rising to their feet. Those with mounts headed to the aeries to ride their giant eagles, while those without leapt from the platform, rushing down to the ground on gusts of wind.
With the burly storm giants gone, only the prostrate cloud giant girls remained, their skin tones a mix of milky white and sky blue.
Muria looked at
these cloud giant girls, then down at his own bare body, and issued an order: "My clothes have been damaged. Now, make me new clothes that fit my current size and can adjust as I change forms, and do it in the shortest time possible."
"At your command!" The cloud giant girls reluctantly looked at Muria's form obscured by thunder and whirlwinds, then, with a hint of resentment, they withdrew to sew his garments.
"Muria!" After the giants had departed, two red-haired, red-eyed loli, hand in hand, approached Muria's feet and called up to him.
"Ah!" Muria looked down—without his exceptional vision, he might not have noticed the two dragon lolis in human form, "Renata and Cynthia."
Brilliant magical lights illuminated around Muria, and then his thirty-two-meter titan form rapidly shrank. Soon, the imposing titan was gone, replaced by a small, black-haired, golden-eyed boy.
His small stature starkly contrasted with his immense true form, making Muria's human form appear especially endearing.
Muria, now silent, looked down at the two dragon lolis who ran up to him, smiling joyously. He now had to look up to see their faces.
Renata and Cynthia, young red dragons, corresponded their human forms with their dragon age phases, appearing as lolis about nine years old.
And Muria, when in human form, followed the same rule, thus appearing even younger than Renata and Cynthia.
"It's so good that you've woken up now," said Renata, dressed in a red Gothic loli dress, as she ran up to Muria and hugged his bare form, her smile radiant.
"Ugh..." Muria's face bumped into Renata's chest. After a moment, seeing that Renata had not let go, he finally spoke, "Let go of me, Renata, your ribs are uncomfortable against me."
"Hehe!" Renata finally released Muria, giggling, "Muria, I'm about to hibernate, and I'm so happy I could see you wake up before that."
"About to hibernate?" Muria paused. Ordinary true dragons entered their teenage phase at age twenty-five, and given that he was actually five years older than these dragons, he realized he must have been asleep for five years.
"Time flies indeed!" Muria sighed, then looked at Cynthia, who yawned beside him, and Renata, who still held him, "Go into the castle and prepare for hibernation. Here, you don't have to worry about danger."
"Okay!" The two dragon lolis nodded in unison, obediently following his instructions.