Chapter 24 Half a day later, Brian awoke and felt refreshed
Dragon eyes possessed unique adaptations, including a nictitating membrane beneath their eyelids for waterproofing and a crystalline layer enhancing their vision in darkness.
Although it was pitch-black underwater, it didn't hinder Brian's vision.
It was merely dim for him, but he could still see clearly.
At the deepest part of the Dragon's Lair, Brian had built an ice bed large enough to accommodate his body, mimicking the White Dragon Mother's construction.
Due to the frigid temperatures of the river water in the extreme north Ice Field, the ice here was hard to melt, requiring only minimal maintenance from Brian.
On Brian's large ice bed lay a piece of broken, rust-stained armor and a similarly rusty sword.
After lying down on the ice bed, Brian played with the rusty armor and sword, sensing the weight of time encapsulated within them.
As he gently caressed them, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.
Brian had unearthed these items from the riverbed mud while building his Cave. At first glance, he was captivated by them.
It wasn't the items themselves that intrigued him, but rather the temporal imprints they bore.
To Brian, such ancient artifacts held greater allure than gold coins or gemstones.
While gold coins and Gemstones also held some appeal, they paled in comparison to items steeped in the passage of time. If these items were gold coins or Gemstones that had also experienced long ages, that would be ideal.
Being near such collectibles seemed to subtly increase Brian's ability to absorb the power of time.
When he used abilities like Time Manipulation and Plunder Time Line, they consumed the power of time, making the speed at which he absorbed time an important factor.
'Maybe I should bury them again and dig them up after a long time; they would have accrued even more temporal energy by then,' Brian thought to himself.
However, he couldn't bring himself to enact the plan due to his currently limited collection.
Clutching his cherished collectibles, Brian then closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep, processing the hefty feast of Giant Hoof Yaks and Ice River Sharks he had just consumed. These provisions exceeded Brian's own body weight, as dragons were known to devour more than their weight in a single meal.
Half a day later, Brian awoke and felt refreshed.
He reluctantly left his ice bed, placing the time-worn rusty armor and sword beside it.
With his now over twenty-foot-long body, Brian swam through the water as nimbly as a fish, his Dragon Wings folded at his sides. He effortlessly emerged from the water's surface, adopting a streamlined posture.
Crystal-clear water droplets slid down his white scales, accentuating Brian's muscular dragon form.
Several Arctic Ice Spirits saw Brian and respectfully lowered their heads, saying, "Praise the great True Dragon."
Brian had claimed this area as his Territory, and their lives visibly improved after taking the Arctic Ice Spirits as his subordinates. Creatures like Terror Lizards and White Hounds now were served as pets, which once hunted them for sport.
Being under the protection of a True Dragon was a rare privilege, even if the dragon in question was immature.
In exchange for protection and the dragon lineage transformation, the Arctic Ice Spirits offered their services.
As elemental beings, they didn't need flesh and blood food, surviving on the abundant ice attribute elements in the extreme north Ice Field air. They were easy to sustain, and their hunting expeditions provided nourishment for the mindless Terror Lizards, while the delicious Giant Hoof Yaks were reserved for Brian.
Brian remained aloof to the reverence shown by the Arctic Ice Spirits. As a True Dragon, he didn't feel the need to respond to the reverence of his subordinates. Acceptance was enough.
With a leisurely flap of his Dragon Wings, Brian flew northward to a place far from the small icy river, where none of his subordinates could see him.
Using his Dragon Claws, he dug through the snow, revealing the gray-brown frozen soil beneath, and proceeded to excavate a small pit in the frosty earth.
