Chapter 23 Stability
The once tranquil Ice River Tribe had transformed into a bustling community over the course of two months.
Terror Lizards, White Hounds, and Tidal Crabs now roamed ceaselessly around the scattered igloos, coexisting harmoniously with the Arctic Ice Spirits.
Brian had chosen to nest near a particular section of the Ice River Tribe and gathered his other subordinates here as well.
The Arctic Ice Spirits who had undergone a transformation through dragon blood, showed significant improvements in both strength and potential. However, to Brian's disappointment, these enhancements were solely in frost magic; none of the Arctic Ice Spirits displayed any abilities related to time manipulation.
It seemed that they had only inherited the White Dragon's bloodline without acquiring even a trace of the Time Dragon's lineage.
Nevertheless, Brian quickly reconciled with this initial disappointment. If gaining the ability to manipulate time were so simple, Time Dragons wouldn't be regarded as legendary True Dragons.
...
Beneath the icy surface, dark waters stirred with the presence of a colossal beast, causing the winding ice river to churn with waves.
A white shadow over twenty feet long was faintly visible beneath the water—it was Brian.
In just two months, after a period of deep sleep, although he hadn't acquired new time-based abilities, his body had grown significantly. His robust dragon form now stretched over twenty feet from head to tail, standing at a shoulder height of five feet when on all fours, with a wingspan nearing thirty feet. He had also mastered a Pseudo-magical ability typically seen in adolescent White Dragons.
Such a rapid growth rate would astonish any True Dragon.
His primary food source was the Giant Hoof Yak, which was hunted by a team led by the Arctic Ice Spirits, along with Terror Lizards, White Hounds, and other subordinates. Despite the formidable and thunderous nature of the twelve-foot-long, three-ton Giant Hoof Yak when in motion, it proved no match for Brian's subordinates.
Ninety percent of the Ice River Tribe's members were occupied with hunting Blood Food for Brian, though it only barely satisfied his appetite. Occasionally, he still needed to hunt some Magical Creatures for an extra meal.
As the Lord of this area, Brian wasn't idle.
For instance, when the Hunting Team encountered formidable Magical Creatures, Brian would intervene and kill them if he felt confident in his ability. Similarly, if powerful Savage Beasts threatened the tribe and the Ice River Tribe couldn't handle them, Brian would take action.
This situation had only occurred once in the past two months.
At this moment, Brian was in pursuit of a school of fish under the icy river—a group of strong, plump Ice River Sharks, each about six feet long. Despite their mouths full of interlocking fangs, they lacked Pseudo-magical abilities and were merely ordinary beasts who were utterly helpless against Brian's agile pursuit, at his mercy.
The Ice River Sharks tasted delicious with tender, icy-cold meat, which were also easy to catch, making them one of Brian's favorite foods.
However, Brian only considered them a delicacy primarily to satisfy his cravings due to their limited numbers.
Brian bit into two Ice River Sharks at once, chewing slightly before swallowing them.
The remaining Ice River Sharks fled in panic, but Brian didn't continue the chase, savoring the delicious and chewy taste as he turned and dove deeper, heading to his riverbed Dragon's Lair.
The Dragon's Lair was built at the deepest part of this section of the icy river, about one hundred and fifty feet below the surface, emitting a faint cold light in the dim riverbed.
Brian had spent a day digging and sculpting the lair, using his frost breath to encase it in a layer of glittering ice crystal. Though somewhat curved, it formed an L-shaped structure, shorter at the top and elongated at the bottom.
The deepest part of the Dragon's Lair was where Brian slept.
