Starting with watering the World Tree for otherworldly survival

Page 226

“Nasika, announce to our king that a distinguished guest has arrived.”

Kylo's massive, muscular physique made him look as imposing as a superhuman. He impatiently raised his fist and pounded on the fortress's heavy iron gate.

"Hmm...not bad, occupying such a place. Once war breaks out, most of the White Dragon's followers will be kept outside the city walls."

Volper began to analyze the fortress, noting that the White Dragon did not have many followers in the Ice Plains.

The same winter wolves and snow bears might appear, but ogres or ice trolls are another story...

Unless the White Dragon Queen has a large number of white dragons, or the Wind Wyverns among the flying dragon species, to command, breaching this impregnable fortress under the threat of dragonsteel javelins will be extremely difficult.

"...Was that a hunter?"

The frost giant named Nashiga glanced at the graceful woman lounging lazily in the carriage, her striking dragon horns alerting it.

“It’s a dragon, a purple dragon. This deep purple duchess is specifically seeking our king’s cooperation on matters concerning the evil silver dragon and the white dragon queen.”

Although Kelpo understood from Volper that the tribe's adversary was not some evil silver dragon, but a dangerous chrome dragon, they had already gotten used to calling them that.

Whether the enemy is a chromium dragon or a silver dragon makes no difference to the frost giants. What matters is what the chromium dragons took from their tribe!

Kylo pointed to the four extra carts of supplies and said to Nashiga:

"These are all top-quality cheeses and butter! The Duchess is very generous. By the way, how's the 'map' coming along?"

"You know, ever since the evil silver dragon stole the map, the king fought it. That evil silver dragon stubbornly refused to admit it..."

Qin He was the first to make a conjecture.

Perhaps, the map that Qin Xinru and Zhong Xiling possess now is the only map.

It is possible that the Frost Giants obtained the map by chance and were about to present it to the Frost Giant King when the map was stolen by the spirit of Moonbeam.

The frost giant who had the map at the time thought the evil silver dragon had stolen it. Ironically, it was the chromium dragon who took the blame for the real silver dragon, Moonbeam.

The Frost Giant King stormed the Chromium Dragon's lair and engaged it in a fierce battle. Given the Chromium Dragon's evil and cruel nature, it would never admit to doing something it didn't do.

Given the frost giants' cartographic talent, they might not have been able to create a backup map without the participation of highly intelligent and professional humanoid races.

……

Whether it was a test or unintentional, Kylo started talking about the map as a probe. Perhaps this daughter of the Frost Giant King wanted to know if the Purple Dragon had other purposes for coming here.

Walper was clearly not going to fall for the trap, but he wouldn't pretend to be completely indifferent either.

"How long are you going to keep talking... Can I enter the city now? If you anger me, I'm afraid there won't be a single good spot left on your maps!"

Pretending to be impatient, Volper unleashed the dragon's might that belonged to the ancestral purple dragon, once again causing the winter wolves and snow bears to cower and tremble.

Soon, busy apologizing, Kylo arranged for four strong frost giants to carry Volper into the fortress in a manner similar to carrying a palanquin.

"Wolper, be careful over there. If things get bad, wait until Xingyuan gets there first."

Qin He, through the magical communication terminal, was reminding Volper to be careful in everything. After entering the fortress, Volper responded in kind:

"Yes, Your Highness Qin He, please rest assured. I will complete the mission successfully."

……

Inside the fortress, in the tent of the Frost Giant King.

"This is the restored map?! This is the map you painstakingly drew from your memory?"

On the throne in the center, made of wind-swept dragon wings and snow leopard skin, stood a hulking frost giant with a blue face and fangs, resembling a demon—Kous Winter.

The Frost Giant King, a lower-ranking ninth-tier being.

Beside its throne lay a twenty-meter-long ice-fanged dragon. In terms of size alone, this kind of dragon would be a deadly challenge to the young white dragon.

In the Frost Giant King's hands were some parchment scrolls covered in haphazard lines. They were nothing like the original map containing information about Iceborne.

He tossed the parchment into the burning fireplace beside the throne, and then grabbed a piece of perfectly cooked yak meat from the snowy plateau in front of him and began to eat.

At this moment, the Frost Giant King's mount, the Icefang Dragon, also looked as if it were about to "eat." Its pair of amber-colored saber teeth scraped against the ground inside the tent with a chilling, ear-piercing sound.

With just a glance from the Frost Giant King, the Ice Fang Dragon would pounce and bite these useless creatures to death in exchange for roasted meat.

"King of Winter! Spare us... We've drawn the map as accurately as we remember it. It's all that wretched silver dragon's fault! If we capture it, we can get the map back."

These few thin frost giants were truly terrified; facing the Winter King of the northern ice plains, they dared not utter the slightest offense.

"Yes, capturing it will retrieve the map. But do you think I wouldn't know something so simple? If I could just capture the evil silver dragon and take the map back from it, what would I need you for?"

"Keep searching! Send out all the Winter Wolves left behind to sniff out the remains of the Ice Dragon, and also send Ice Trolls to keep a close eye on the Evil Silver Dragon."

He tore off another hind leg from the cooked beef, and Koss devoured it with gusto before continuing:

"If the Evil Silver Dragon makes any move, it should be heading towards the remains. The remains of the Ice Curse Dragon are also ice-type, which should be fatally attractive to the Evil Silver Dragon and that damned White Dragon."

After some consideration, the Frost Giant King decided to escalate the situation.

"Pass down the order: select a few of your followers and have them pledge allegiance to the White Dragon, and leak the information that the Evil Silver Dragon obtained the map of the Ice Curse Dragon's remains to the White Dragon."

They believed that the White Dragon Queen needed to revert to her ancestral form, and the energy of the Ice Dragon might hold an immeasurable allure for her.

Koss was betting that the White Dragon Queen would succumb to her greed and fight the evil silver dragon.

"We'll make plans once the two sides start fighting."

In any case, the snowfield environment is isolated, and information about the Ice Dragon is at most only circulating among the Frost Giants, White Dragons, and Evil Silver Dragons.

None of the three parties would be foolish enough to leak such important information to the outside world, letting the White Dragon know that the Evil Silver Dragon possesses the map and stirring up trouble.

This was Koss's purpose.

"Report! King Winter! A purple dragon named 'Duchess Deep Purple,' introduced by Kylo, ​​is requesting an audience outside the tent! She wishes to discuss a deal with King Winter."

Purple Dragon? In the Frost Giants' minds, Red Dragons were slightly stronger than Silver Dragons, the most terrifying of all colored dragons. However, Purple Dragons possessed the ability to rival Red and Gold Dragons, and should not be underestimated.

"Quickly, invite the Duchess in!"

As two frost giant guards lifted the heavy curtain of the royal tent, Volper stepped inside.

"King of Winter, I have long admired you."

Without uttering many words, Volper revealed his true form within the spacious tent. The colossal twenty-three-meter-long ancestral purple dragon left the other frost giants present speechless.

Compared to those white dragons with only protruding horns, the purple dragon before them was elegant and languid, as if it were not entering and leaving the camp of a king of a race, but a plaza where it could stroll at will.

Her purple scales were almost like jewels, yet she was so different from the Amethyst Dragon. The Amethyst Dragon's beauty was crystal clear, while Volper's was luxurious and understated.

Revealing his dragon form is the best way for Volper to demonstrate his power.

The lower-ranking ninth-tier white dragon queen was only eighteen meters tall, but Volper was already twenty-three meters tall, exceeding the length of this ice-toothed dragon.

"Good afternoon, Duchess Deep Purple. Our royal tent is rather modest, and apart from fine wine and meat, there is nothing particularly good to offer in hospitality."

With a glance, the other frost giants brought out some of the high-end wines they had looted.

"Bring that here!"

Koss made a gesture, and the frost giants beside him quickly followed suit. Volper narrowed his eyes slightly.

That gesture, in the sign language of the Frost Giants, did not signify grabbing a weapon or smashing a cup, but rather meant "tail."

Could it be that these Frost Giants are keeping white dragons with mutated tails as pets?

It's not impossible... After all, this is a snowy plain on the border, and there are quite a few white dragons entrenched here.

As the Frost Giants brought out a dish, Volper's association with the mutated dragon tail came to an end. What was on the dish wasn't a plump dragon tail, but rather the tail of a Crimson Fire Dragon with its sharp thorns removed.

That's not surprising, as dragon tails are considered quite rare ingredients.

For Shiryu, who comes from the Underdark, this is something new that he has most likely never eaten before.

The Frost Giant King was quite thoughtful; a whole fire dragon tail would definitely be enough for her to feast on.

Paired with the dragon liver sauce that was stolen by the frost giants along with the dragon tail, it looked quite different from the style inside the royal tent, appearing both grand and luxurious.

"Thank you for your kindness, King Winter. I have come here for two purposes: first, to defeat the White Dragon Queen, and second, to capture the evil Silver Dragon."

"Partnering with the Frost Giants will allow me to achieve my goals more quickly. As for the details of the cooperation, please let your daughter, Carol, explain them."

Just now, Zilong overheard the conversation inside the tent using magic. He never imagined that there really was only one map, and that Yuehuang had snatched it away before it even reached the Frost Giant King's hands, doing him a favor.

It seems that she and Qin He overestimated the Frost Giant's abilities.

If they had enslaved any intelligent race with the ability to draw maps, they wouldn't have wasted their time on the few frost giants who had seen the maps.

Meanwhile, Koss was also wary of Volper's arrival. It had already given the order to spread the news about Iceborne...

The White Dragon Queen will undoubtedly stop at nothing to seize the map from the Evil Silver Dragon. And for Volper, the Evil Silver Dragon is a familiar that must be captured.

If the White Dragon Queen goes to war with the evil Silver Dragon, the Purple Dragon who arrives at that time may hear about the remains of the Ice Dragon.

Although it was an ancient dragon and didn't possess the vast wealth of other dragons of the same rank, its blood, shell, scales, and horns were still invaluable treasures even to a true dragon.

Koss might have the ability to contend with the White Dragon Queen and the Evil Silver Dragon. But no one knew what kind of power was behind this foreign Deep Purple Duchess.

Look at her gear—a Saint-level Odogaron set. It's the equipment of an elite hunter; even a Dragonsteel javelin might not be able to hurt her.

Should we rescind the order? Or should we try a four-way battle to find an opportunity to kill Shiryu...?

……

The Frost Giant King was pondering a countermeasure. If it knew that the map it was going to such lengths to reclaim was currently with Volper, it would probably vomit blood on the spot.

"The Chromium Dragon is on the side of the Atherosthian Dragon King. As long as I lie to her and say that I want to kill the White Dragon first and then join forces to deal with the Frost Giant, I can keep the Chromium Dragon calm."

Although chrome dragons are evil, as a type of terrestrial dragon, they will definitely obey Garugosingo's orders, unlike chromatic dragons which are obedient but disobedient.

If you can make Chromium Dragon believe that you are going to carry out the mission of assassinating Qin Xinru and Zhong Xiling with her, then during the battle, Volper can make the most of Chromium Dragon.

"Ha! I'll reap all the benefits from this battle. I want the White Dragon tribe, I want the Frost Giants' Ice Fang Dragon, and I want that Chrome Dragon too!"

"His Highness Qin He will soon be fulfilling his battle agreement and competing with that Aiou for the Dragon Emperor's throne... Then, I will do my best to help him."

……

Within the icy plains, in the frosty, winged cave.

The habitat of the White Dragon Queen and her tribe.

The two white dragons were also tearing at the yaks, but the difference was that they were eating raw meat and drinking blood, while the Frost Giant King cooked the meat before eating it.

The White Dragon tribe consists of a low-ranking ninth-tier White Dragon Queen who is gradually reverting to her ancestral form, two mid-ranking eighth-tier White Dragons, ten peak seventh-tier White Dragons, and many more young, adolescent White Dragons, hatchlings, and young dragons.

Lying in the very center was the Queen. On the top of her head, like a lamp, a pair of ancestral dragon horns gradually began to grow.

Compared to ordinary white dragons, this queen's appearance was closer to that of a regressed white dragon. However, she had never been able to cross that boundary.

The white dragon queen, who had not yet successfully reverted to her ancestral form, used her sharp claws to scavenge some ores imbued with a special chill and swallowed them.

These ores inexplicably emanate strange natural energy fluctuations. Consuming them will further help the White Dragon Queen purify her bloodline and achieve ancestral reversion.

"Report! Your Majesty, we have captured several ice trolls who escaped from the Frost Giant tribe!"

Seeing the white dragon's hurried appearance, the White Dragon Queen frowned and said:

"I don't eat that stuff; troll flesh will regenerate and make my stomach bloated. You guys cook it thoroughly before you eat it..."

As she spoke, the White Dragon Queen stuffed another piece of unprocessed cold iron ore into her mouth.

After hearing this, Bai Long realized that the Queen thought they had cooked the Ice Troll, so he quickly explained:

"No...we haven't eaten them yet! Your Majesty, these ice trolls seem to have been conscripted by the frost giants in search of treasure. They say the frost giants obtained a map showing the burial site of the Iceborne Dragon!"

"The reason why the minerals in this ice field have such miraculous effects, allowing us to suppress our bloodlust and gradually purify our bloodline, is probably because of the Ice Curse Dragon!"

After hearing this, the Queen gathered all the unchewed ore into a pile with her tail and swept it into a corner.

The remains of an ancient dragon—if it was an Iceborne dragon that died of natural causes, it would be a treasure for ascending to godhood! If an Iceborne dragon really did die here, then the abundance of elemental energy in the snowfield would make sense.

“That makes sense, but what about the veracity of the information? How can you be sure this isn’t a conspiracy by Koss? What if he’s spreading false information about the Ice Dragon to wipe us out in one fell swoop?”

The white dragon paused, then said to the queen:

"The Iceborne Dragon does exist... It seems the Frost Giants didn't leave any backup maps; the only map of the Iceborne Dragon was stolen by that Chromium Dragon."

"In order to find Iceborne Dragon before Chrome Dragon does, the Frost Giants have now dispatched their familiars to begin a large-scale search."

The White Dragon Queen pondered for a moment and said:

"You all search as well, send out all our Winter Wolves to look for traces. And that batch of newly tamed Wind Dragons... send them all into battle!"

A resolute and ruthless glint quickly flashed in the White Dragon Queen's eyes.

It knew that the Frost Giant King wanted to take advantage of the situation while she was at war with the Chromium Dragon. But as long as it obtained the map, found the Velkhana, and absorbed the blood of the Elder Dragon, it should be able to help the White Dragon Queen successfully revert to her ancestral form.