Chapter 10 Time Dragon
He saw an illusory river, vast and encompassing the entire sky with its mysterious waters flowing at an unchanging, eternal pace.
A massive dragon-shaped shadow coiled above it, like the master of the Illusory River, watching him by its platinum dragon eyes.
The Giant Dragon, with silver-white scales clinging to its flesh, had exceptionally broad wings and a massive, agile body that loomed like a mountain. In comparison, the White Dragon Mother looked as tiny as a baby figurine.
Unevenly spaced black scale lines radiated across the enormous dragon's body, resembling tree rings.
It exuded a mysterious and ancient aura.
The dragon's shadow gave Brian a meaningful smile, flicked its tail, and transformed into a white light that shrank instantly, merging entirely into Brian's body.
Simultaneously, the Magic Crystal within Brian seemed to vanish in an instant, as if it had experienced ages in that brief moment.
The magic waves also merged into Brian's body, enhancing his foundation.
At the same time, a wealth of new knowledge appeared in Brian's mind like Dragon Heritage, as if he had always known it.
'River of Time...The Abilities of Time, Time Dragon Revert... The future self lending time to the present self...' he thought.
Brian stared blankly at the dissipating dragon shadow, the resuming howling Cold Wind, and the falling snowflakes and ice crystals. A realization dawned on him, causing his emotions to fluctuate wildly.
He thought inwardly, 'So, I am a Time Dragon disguised as a White Dragon.
'Or rather, a pseudo-Time Dragon.'
According to Dragon Heritage, excluding the numerous dragon beasts and subspecies, the most common True Dragons in the Prime Material Plane where Brian resided numbered fifteen.
Evil Dragons, also known as Chromatic Dragons, characterized by selfishness, chaos, and cruelty, included the Red Dragon, Blue Dragon, Green Dragon, Black Dragon, and White Dragon.
Noble and good-aligned dragons, respected by the righteous and known as Metallic Dragons, included Gold Dragon, Silver Dragon, Brass Dragon, Bronze Dragon, and Copper Dragon. Gold and Silver Dragons were the most noble and powerful, usually residing in Dragon's Nest or Dragon City, while the other three mostly lived in Desert Seas, underwater, or Yellow Mountains.
Additionally, there were five neutral Gemstone Dragons, Amethyst Dragon, Crystal Dragon, Emerald Dragon, Sapphire Dragon, and Topaz Dragon. These Gemstone Dragons were highly intelligent and generally peaceful, avoiding conflict.
Red Dragon, Blue Dragon, Green Dragon...
These fifteen types were the most common True Dragons.
Beyond these, there were many rarer True Dragons, such as the Pivotal Dragon, Celestial Dragon, and Catastrophic Dragon.
These dragons, with names suggesting immense power, were fewer in number and harder to find.
Finally, there were the last three special kinds of dragons, so rare that their scarcity was beyond imagination. The Prime Material Plane, with its endless worlds separated by the Crystal Wall, and even considering planes beyond it, it was unknown if there were more than ten.
Force Dragon, Prismatic Dragon, and Time Dragon who was capable of breathing and devouring time, traversing past, present, and future, and ultimately becoming a manifestation of time itself.
These were called Legendary Dragons.
Born naturally, these dragons were extremely powerful, almost at the pinnacle of their plane, just below the Gods, and were known as Legendary Creatures.
However, natural births were incredibly rare, a one-in-a-billion chance due to their extreme rarity.
The highest probability of their birth was through aberrant mutation.
Among the three Legendary Dragons, Time Dragons, sometimes called Chronicle Dragons, Epoch Dragons, or Eternal Dragons, which were considered the rarest and most powerful.
Brian absorbed the newly acquired information, using the reflection in the ice crystal on the wall to re-examine the black scale ring on his neck.
This black scale ring was no longer just a decorative necklace-like feature to Brian; it now held a different meaning.
This ring perhaps symbolized the cyclical nature of all things or represented the ring of time, It was a classic emblem of time.
He was an aberrant Time Dragon.
Not born a legend, but his growth potential was extremely high, and he had a higher ceiling than normal Time Dragons as an Aberrant Dragon, also possessing the freezing power of a White Dragon.
"No wonder I'm so much larger than Hill. Even the Red Dragon, the leader of the Evil Dragons, isn't this big at birth," he muttered.
Brian took a deep breath, feeling a surge of excitement.
Although any adult dragon was considered a top predator, this was only if they acted wisely and avoided provoking more terrifying beings.
Besides the lofty Deities, beings liked Legendary Humans, Demon Lords, and Archdevils could all slay dragons.
A relatively weak White Dragon had to be especially cautious.
In this perilous world, less than one-tenth of White Dragons survived to adulthood. They often died from hunting accidents, dragon arrogance, or dragon-slaying adventurers.
Even as adults, they wouldn't reach a level where they could dominate unless they lived long enough.
But a Time Dragon was entirely different.
The gap between a White Dragon and a Time Dragon was as vast as that between humans and dragons.
An adult Time Dragon had the right to converse with Gods as equals.
"An aberrant Time Dragon... If I can grow up, maybe I can become a Dragon God, or even a Dragonlord!"
"No, let's aim higher. I could become a God above Gods with effort!"
Brian felt his body lighten, his mind soaring with limitless possibilities.
Every creature was born with infinite potential, but with each choice, the path narrowed, reducing possibilities until they vanish.
At this moment, newly born in the extreme north Ice Field, Brian had infinite potential.
What mattered next were his choices.
Brian slapped himself, the first choice being to steady his mind.
"Stay calm to grow safely!"
"No matter the potential, survival comes first! Those ancient Deities won't be merciful; one slip and I'll become a plaything..."
If his identity as a Time Dragon were exposed, many Deity-level beings would eagerly capture Brian.
He didn't want to be skinned, made into a time-related artifact, or have his soul extracted and body stolen, or be enslaved and turned into a toy.
So it was best to develop quietly.
Brian's eyes flickered as he quickly formulated a Growth Plan.
The plan was simple. He would hide in the extreme north Ice Field until he was a hundred years old and an adult.
By then, he would likely possess the power of a normal Time Dragon, possibly even stronger due to his aberrant nature.
He articulated, "Take it step by step. First, set a small goal; survive to adulthood."
Dragons reached adulthood at one hundred years. It might seem long, but a hundred years would pass quickly with enough food and a safe environment.
The extreme north Ice Field, with its harsh and cold environment, was also known as the cold desert.
As the name suggested, it meant a cold desert, rarely visited, with a limited variety of creatures. Only a few beings with cold resistance could barely survive there.
However, it was a good place for Brian to grow as long as he stayed cautious.
The only downside was the lack of abundant food resources.
