Chapter Twenty-Seven: Manifestation

Of course, the reasons why Huang Ze failed to defeat the white dragon back then were manifold.

For one, he had been starving and weak, in no condition for battle. Secondly, he had underestimated his opponent, never imagining that dragons could be so treacherous or that he would find himself at odds with the white dragon. Third, he had not inherited his predecessor’s memories, so he was unfamiliar with his own body and abilities; he had no experience in combat whatsoever...

“...But no matter how many excuses I come up with, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m inherently lazy and my combat prowess is abysmal!”

Huang Ze suddenly began to reflect deeply. The prideful nature of the black dragon still lingered within him, and looking back on his own conduct over the past half year, he realized he had been far too aimless and lacked ambition—hardly the bearing befitting an adult black dragon.

If he were a solitary, outcast dragon, it wouldn’t matter how he muddled through life—no one would care. But the truth was, he had returned to his homeland, relying on the nation’s resources to eat well and sleep soundly, growing stronger by absorbing electricity. He was, without question, an extraordinary creature and a mainstay of the country’s supernatural defense.

It was no exaggeration to say that everyone in Xia who knew of his existence pinned great hopes on him!

As a grown man, how could he bear to let them down, to make them feel as though all their efforts had gone into raising a useless dragon?

With this thought, a resolute glint appeared in the dragon’s eyes. He resolved to turn over a new leaf, to change his attitude and spirit, to be positive and tenacious, and to unleash his full strength and talents—becoming a dragon who contributed to his country and people!

“Alright, I can go deal with that red dragon!” the dragon declared. “But before that, shouldn’t I find some weaker opponents to practice on first? After all, I have so little combat experience and haven't yet mastered my body and abilities.”

“Excellent! With your help, Mr. Huang, we’re sure to take down that red dragon!” Ding Xuewen’s face lit up with delight. He had expected Huang Ze’s laid-back nature would require much persuasion, but to his surprise, the dragon agreed so readily.

“Come to think of it... Black dragons are known as warmongers, with war and destruction in their very bones. For Huang Ze to suppress this nature and become a quiet, gentle dragon was always going to be impossible!” Ding Xuewen mused inwardly. Although they were now asking the black dragon to fight on their behalf, it wouldn’t be long before they’d have to worry about how to keep it in check.

“Mr. Huang, if you wish to start with some weaker opponents, that’s perfectly fine.” Ding Xuewen had the staff turn on the projector and introduced, “In fact, your idea aligns with our own plans.”

About a hundred kilometers northeast of North Dragon River’s No. 1 Trade Port, there dwells an adult chimera, roughly classified as a level-five lifeform. It’s the perfect first opponent for you to train against.

West of Trade Port No. 5, about 120 kilometers away, there’s a sub-adult phoenix, a level-six lifeform, which can be your second target.

Some two hundred kilometers north of Trade Port No. 4, there’s a volcano inhabited by a level-seven demon of fire. This will be your final training challenge—if you can defeat it, conquering the red dragon should be well within your grasp.

The projector displayed a map of the outlands, along with images and data on these monsters.

The chimera is a two-headed beast with the head of a lion and the body of a goat, measuring about ten meters in length and weighing roughly eight tons. One head breathes fire, the other spits a corrosive toxic liquid. Its melee abilities and mobility are mediocre, making it ideal for the black dragon to easily overpower and build confidence.

The phoenix is an ancient supernatural creature, though they are generally not very intelligent and are even less social than dragons, never having formed a civilization. Thus, they are not considered a sentient race.

The one Ding Xuewen selected for the black dragon was a sub-adult, about sixteen meters long and weighing six or seven tons. It possesses formidable vitality and a talent for fire magic, and its speed is astonishing—its top velocity may reach 150 meters per second.

Owing to its low intelligence and irascible, fearless nature, even if it can’t defeat the black dragon, it likely won’t flee but will fight to the bitter end.

For the black dragon, this phoenix would be a perfect sparring partner for gaining experience.

The fire demon is a fearsome demonic entity. Information about it was scant, with only a few blurry photographs. It is known to stand about twenty-four meters tall, weigh over a hundred tons, and to be at least a level-seven lifeform!

“Wait... Aren’t you being a bit too optimistic here?” Huang Ze listened patiently before interjecting. “You actually think I can take on a level-seven fire demon? Isn’t that giving me a bit too much credit?”

What did it mean to be a level-seven extraordinary creature?

Such beings could unleash destructive force equivalent to over a hundred tons of TNT!

Huang Ze knew he was tough and incredibly strong, but it was hard for him to believe he could be that powerful.

“No!”

“Mr. Huang, it’s not optimism,” Ding Xuewen replied confidently, looking the dragon in the eye with a smile. “It’s simply that an adult black dragon is just that powerful—once matured, it is at least a level-seven lifeform!”

“Mr. Huang, you are far stronger than you imagine. You just haven’t realized it yet.”

“Really?” Huang Ze asked doubtfully. “But I’m only a pseudo-dragon who hasn’t awakened his inherited abilities... could I really be that strong?”

“Absolutely!” Ding Xuewen replied with conviction. “Even though you haven’t awakened your inherited talents... don’t forget you can absorb electrical energy. That alone makes you far stronger than most dragons. It means your body’s energy level has evolved to a very high degree—you can convert electricity directly into bioenergy...”

“By the way, Mr. Huang... Over these past few days, you’ve absorbed about fifty thousand kilowatt-hours of electricity. How do you feel? Have you reached your absorption limit yet?”

“No,” the dragon replied after some thought, shaking his head. “I do feel somewhat filled up, but I think I could easily absorb another hundred thousand kilowatt-hours or so.”

“There! Isn’t that the clearest evidence of your strength?” Ding Xuewen exclaimed joyfully. “One kilowatt-hour is about the energy released by 850 grams of TNT. Fifty thousand kilowatt-hours is equivalent to over forty tons of TNT...”

“And your body can absorb at least 150,000 kilowatt-hours, meaning your energy level is at least 120 tons of TNT—undoubtedly that of a level-seven lifeform!”