The Dragon’s Rapid Growth and Hidden Power

At this moment, Ai Ou was in his Dragon Island, having a grand time playing with Erza.

Having not seen Ai Ou for some time, Erza seemed a little lonely. Although Dragon Island was vast and her dwelling incredibly comfortable, without her master, Erza appeared somewhat forlorn. When Ai Ou finally returned to the island, Erza became ecstatic, flying over to rub her face against his.

The effects of the Royal Dragon Fruit were truly remarkable. In just a few days, Erza had grown from a tiny hatchling to the size of a small pony.

The growth period for dragons is incredibly long, directly related to their formidable power. Generally, an ordinary dragon requires at least several centuries to mature from birth to adulthood. The more mysterious and powerful a creature, the longer its growth phase.

Many potent creatures have fallen during this crucial developmental stage, slain before they could fully mature—a testament to life’s delicate balance of gains and losses. The heavens bestowed upon them extraordinary talent, yet demanded a prolonged period of development.

Aside from dragons, whose growth spans centuries, only elves possess a growth period of around a hundred years.

Fortunately, Ai Ou could cultivate the Royal Dragon Fruit, drastically shortening the dragons’ growth cycle and allowing Erza to mature at an astonishing pace. Under normal circumstances, Erza would have needed one to two years to reach her current size. However, by consuming a Royal Dragon Fruit daily, this growth period was significantly condensed.

As Ai Ou stroked Erza’s head, she displayed an expression of profound enjoyment, letting out ‘Ya-yi, ya-yi’ sounds as if complaining to him about his prolonged absence.

“Alright, alright, no more pouting. I was busy, wasn’t I? Now that everything’s settled, I’ve come to see you. Be a good girl, okay?”

It was then that Ai Ou truly observed Erza’s transformation.

Erza was now large enough to be ridden. Her head was as massive as a carriage wheel, and her teeth and claws had sharpened to the hardness of hundred-refined steel. Dragon scales, previously hidden beneath her skin, now completely covered her body, their faint outlines visible upon close inspection.

As the innate Lord of Fire Elements, Erza constantly radiated a scorching aura, like a living volcano. Thankfully, Ai Ou, as the master of Dragon Island and bound by a contract with Erza, could disregard this intense, oppressive heat. Otherwise, merely approaching Erza would be a challenge.

Perhaps this was a side effect of her rapid growth; Erza’s control over her power was not yet perfect. Once she matured further, her command over her abilities would likely stabilize, allowing her to regulate the emission of her own energy.

“You need to hurry up and learn to control your power! Otherwise, I won’t dare to take you out anywhere.”

Ai Ou said this while stroking Erza’s head.

Erza, in turn, displayed an incredibly human-like expression, appearing pitifully wronged, as if to say, ‘I want to control my power too, but this humble servant cannot!’

“Alright, alright, I’m not blaming you. Don’t make such a wronged face; you’re making me out to be some great villain. Just try your best to control your energy output!”

****

‘Innocence is a crime when one possesses a treasure.’

Even on this magic-filled continent, dragons were exceptionally mysterious and rare powerful creatures. Though dragons had vanished long ago, a few had appeared in history, ridden by humans.

Those who could command dragons were invariably renowned figures, paragons among their peers. In the hearts of ordinary people, dragons were akin to deities, and many empires even claimed draconic bloodlines to solidify their rule.

Ai Ou had not yet fully matured. If others discovered he possessed a dragon—and a Purgatory Fire Dragon King, the King of Fire Elements at that—various factions would undoubtedly vie to snatch Erza away. Thus, Ai Ou decided that unless he achieved absolute strength or found a way for Erza to perfectly control her power and disguise herself, he would never allow her to casually appear before the world.

At this moment, Erza’s data appeared before Ai Ou:

“Purgatory Fire Dragon King
Name: Erza
Gender: Female
Level: 3
Skills: Dragon’s Breath (Fireball), Dragon’s Might, Bite, Flight, Fire Element Immunity, Fire Element Control, Tier 1-3 Draconic Magic, Slumber
Habitat: Fire Element Dragon Lair
Output: 30 Dragon Stones/day
Experience: 20/100
Personality: Loyal, passionate, stubborn”

These past few days, Erza had been consuming Royal Dragon Fruit daily, drinking the Water of Life flowing from the Tree of Life, and sleeping in the specially constructed Fire Element Dragon Lair. Her growth was incredibly swift.

In just a few days, she had already reached Tier 3 strength. Normally, this would require at least several years of growth, yet Erza achieved it in mere days.

Perhaps this was the benefit of having a cheat. Ai Ou, in any case, hoped for more such ‘cheats’; he quite liked them.

Thanks to Erza’s immense power, Ai Ou also received a feedback boost. He, too, had become a Tier 3 mage, though he only knew two spells: Fireball and Fire Shield.

Nevertheless, it was undeniable that when Erza became a Tier 3 dragon, Ai Ou’s body was significantly reinforced. This, coupled with him immediately allocating any experience points to himself, was what forged Ai Ou into such a monstrous talent.

If Oreo knew that the achievements of his entire life’s work were less than Ai Ou’s efforts of a few days, he would surely spit blood and die of envy.

After playing with Erza for a while, Ai Ou beckoned, and Erza lowered her head. Ai Ou then climbed onto her back.

Erza, now the size of a pony, was capable of carrying a rider.

Although Ai Ou was like a god on Dragon Island, able to fly at will and control the terrain and weather, personal flight was simply not as exhilarating as riding a dragon!

Who else in this world, besides him, Ai Ou, could use a Fire Dragon King as a mount? Who else, indeed?

This was a privilege akin to that of Yin Zhiping: to become a magnificent Dragon Knight.

“Let’s go!”

Erza let out a soft rumble, unfolded her hidden wings, and began to soar through the skies of Dragon Island. Suddenly, Ai Ou’s brow furrowed. He then said to Erza:

“You keep playing, but don’t forget to train! I have to go back for something. There’s someone here! I’ll bring you back for the New Year sometime, and treat you to some takeout. Don’t miss me.”

With that, he vanished from Erza’s back. Feeling the sudden lightness, Erza knew Ai Ou had returned. She let out a mournful cry, then flew back to her dragon lair and sullenly lay down.

Ai Ou had sensed someone knocking on his door. When he first came to Dragon Island, he had set up a marker that would alert him if anyone knocked on his door while he was on the island.

After all, while on someone else’s ship, the secret of possessing Dragon Island was best kept hidden.