Chapter 53 Returning to the Nest
"The power of time... truly mysterious and unfathomable. I wonder when I'll be able to fully comprehend it and truly wield it in my hands."
Brian shook his head.
Unable to solve the issue at hand, Brian made a mental note to revisit it later when he had a better grasp of the River of Time.
He then departed from the makeshift Dragon's Lair and headed to the Ogre basin to inspect the two Extreme Northern Bear hatchlings.
Within just a few days, the Ogres in this place diligently followed Brian's detailed instructions, ensuring the proper care of the two hatchlings. They had built a cozy nest for them in a house with warm animal skins, with a campfire burning nearby and a female Ogre assigned to look after them.
When Brian saw the two hatchlings again, he was surprised to find that they had become plump and chubby in just two or three days.
‘Magical creatures indeed have extraordinary qualities. They adapt quickly and can thrive even without their kin's care.’
Brian studied the chubby little bears, and couldn't help but think of the delicious taste of an adult Extreme Northern Bear, swallowing its saliva unconsciously.
It hadn't had enough.
The small Dire Bears, unaware of Brian's malicious intentions, may have recognized his scent from their time together in the blizzard shelter. Upon seeing him, they eagerly scampered over, rubbing against his Dragon Claws.
Brian was taken aback for a moment, extending his sharp claws to gently stroke the little Dire Bears' backs.
Unlike the steel-needle-like hard fur of adult Extreme Northern Bears, the fur of the newly born little Dire Bears was long, soft, and smooth, making it quite pleasing for Brian to touch.
However, since his claws were too sharp and could easily kill the little Dire Bears accidentally, Brian only played with them for a minute or two before retracting his Dragon Claws.
‘When they grow up, maybe I don’t need Extreme Northern Bear anymore and they would just be pets.’
Brain knew he was growing extremely fast.
As for the Extreme Northern Bears, he had perused detailed accounts of them in the Bestiary. These bears reach adulthood at the age of thirty and only start to develop pseudo-magical abilities in their twenties.
Looking ahead twenty or thirty years, Brian couldn't envision any purpose for them aside from being pets, provided he was still alive.
There were no entertainment activities in the barren northern Ice Field, his life was all about eating, sleeping, and studying magic. A pet could accompany him.
Returning the little Dire Bears to the female Ogre in charge, Brian directed Tancred to change his primary diet to magical creatures and instructed the Ogres to hunt Blood Food for him.
After receiving Tancred's solemn vow, Brian's Dragon Wings fluttered, carrying him into the air as he swiftly vanished into the thick snowstorm.
Amidst the howling wind and heavy snowfall, a broad smile graced his face as he flew northward with a determined purpose.
White Dragon Mother, I'm coming!
He roared inwardly and was unable to contain his excitement, and his flying speed increased.
Traveling from north to south, the locations that stood out to him were the Ice Cliff Dragon's Lair, the ice river territory, and the Ogre basin. Flying from the Ogre basin towards the Ice Cliff Dragon's Lair, he crossed over his ice river territory.
Below, about a quarter of the Arctic Ice Spirits were stationed on guard, while the remainder had banded together in hunting teams to search for Brian.
With these subordinates, Brian no longer had to constantly hunt for himself, freeing up more time for other activities.
This was his initial primary reason for recruiting subordinates.
"White Dragon Mother should be in the Ice Cliff Dragon's Lair now."
Based on Brian's knowledge of the White Dragon Mother, he knew that she preferred to rest in the Ice Cliff Dragon's Lair during blizzards, sometimes forgetting her weekly duty of providing food for the young dragons.
In reality, she was simply too lazy to take on the responsibility. Assuming there were no unexpected events, the White Dragon Mother was most likely fast asleep, oblivious to the fact that her eldest son was on his way.
At the same time, Brian thought of the pile of treasures White Dragon Mother had accumulated, which looked like a small hill, and his eyes filled with longing. His flying speed increased again, his heart burning with anticipation.
‘The White Dragon Mother has gathered a vast number of magical gemstones and is reluctant to use them. With such a collection of magical gemstones, my treasure trove will be complete at last.’
Brian's love for magical gemstones was no less than that of any greedy True Dragon, perhaps even more so.
Magical gemstones were born through miraculous evolution over long periods, which imbued with ancient attributes and the ability to gather elemental energy, making them irresistibly attractive to Brian.
Sleeping on a bed of colorful magical gemstones would be wonderful.
However, when he thought about White Dragon Mother's accumulated wealth, he because suspicious.
‘How did White Dragon Mother get so many treasures with her level of strength?’
Brian had not noticed this detail when he was weaker, but upon reflection, he realized that the treasure pile of the White Dragon Mother was unusually large. It made sense to him that if she was skilled at raiding and frequently plundering other species, such abundance would be justified.
But White Dragon Mother was a lazy dragon, often staying in the Ice Cliff Dragon's Lair to sleep.
In human terms, she was like a sixteen-year-old girl who stayed at home all day, taking care of a few small children.
‘So how did she get so many treasures?’
Brian's expression became strange as he made various guesses.
‘Did the White Dragon Father give them as courtship gifts? Impossible. Offering rare prey would be logical, but presenting treasures would be akin to revealing a major weakness for an Evil Dragon.’
Brian shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
Soon, braving the heavy snow, he saw the familiar territory of White Dragon Mother.
The blizzard had altered the terrain significantly, making it unrecognizable. Despite this, Brian, who had resided in the area for a year and a half, was familiar with its layout and extent.
Additionally, there was a faint presence of the Dragon's Might emanating from the White Dragon Mother.
The terrain here had changed drastically due to the blizzard, becoming unfamiliar, but Brian was very familiar with its location and extent since having lived in this territory for a year and a half.
