Chapter 67 Fireball Spell
Within a Dragon's Lair covered in a layer of ice crystals, a pair of platinum Dragon's Eyes slowly opened.
Brian slightly moved his body, intending to stretch his limbs and his wings. However, the cramped Dragon's Lair caused his wings to hit the perimeter walls, leaving noticeable scratches.
"It should be safe now."
He calculated the time and realized he had been asleep for nearly two weeks.
His stomach was now completely empty, sending waves of overwhelming hunger through him.
Brian grabbed the broken armor and rusty iron sword, and amidst the surging waters, he quickly left the riverbed Dragon's Lair, reappearing in the sky of the extreme northern ice field amidst splashing water droplets.
Bright, gentle sunlight cascaded from the heavens, gilding the snow-covered world in a layer of gold.
Brian looked up at the sky and saw a silent sun, quietly emitting light and warmth, nurturing all things.
The golden sunlight fell on Brian's scales, momentarily transforming him to appear golden, almost like a gold dragon.
"While I slept, the polar night has passed," he thought.
With the arrival of the polar day, unless there was particularly harsh weather, sunlight would bathe the northern ice field for half the year.
During this six-month period, the ice and snow in many areas would melt, revealing the yellowish-brown permafrost beneath. Some resilient plants, having survived the polar night, would also begin their flowering life stages.
After observing the polar day's scenery for a while, Brian's wings vibrated, and his body transformed into a straight white line, swiftly racing toward the Ice Cliff territory.
It didn't take long for him to return to the Ice Cliff territory.
After throwing off the two ancient artifacts he initially unearthed into the Ice Cliff Dragon's Lair, Brian, in the still-howling cold wind, flew away from the Dragon's Lair, heading straight toward a northwest area within the territory.
Minutes later, a group of large Limen mammoths came into Brian's sight.
These giant beasts were wandering leisurely in groups.
They resembled elephants but with much more robust bodies. When they moved in herds, the ground shook. They were covered with thick fur and sported ferocious, spear-like white tusks—the very tusks that the White Dragon Mother used as a façade.
However, in contrast with their size, the personality of these Limen mammoths was quite timid.
Or rather, they were particularly timid when encountering dragons.
As soon as Brian appeared, Dragon's Might radiated outward, and a group of Limen mammoths, not much lower in tonnage than him, instantly crumpled to the ground. They trembled under the supernatural mental coercion of Dragon's Might, unable even to run.
"What a waste of such a large body..." Brian sighed.
Brian shook his head and dived low. His claws firmly gripped an adult Limen mammoth and quickly lifted it into the air.
The panicked Limen mammoth shook off the grip of Dragon's Might and struggled continuously in mid-air.
Brian exhaled a breath of Frost Breath, effortlessly freezing the giant beast.
Not being a magical creature or a savage beast, these creatures had pathetically low elemental resistance, unable to hold out for even a second, dying instantly.
After flying back to the Dragon's Lair with his food, Brian noticed the pile of spell scrolls.
Suddenly, he remembered the classic Fireball spell among his spell scrolls.
Since transforming into a dragon, Brian had never eaten cooked food. Thinking about the savory taste of cooked meat made him gulp involuntarily.
"Using a Fireball scroll to cook meat; isn't that a bit extravagant?"
Brian picked up the Fireball scroll.
Contrary to his long-held impression, the Fireball spell wasn't a low-level spell, not first or second level, but a third-level spell.
Just one more level and it could ascend to a mid-tier spell.
In terms of power, some fourth-level spells couldn't even compare to the Fireball spell.
"I have never used a spell scroll before; I should practice now to prepare for the use of the Devour Fang Vortex later."
Brian had a fitting rationale, and with a move of his claws, he unfurled the spell scroll.
An intense glow of fiery red elemental energy emerged from the spell scroll, which automatically ignited.
Brian's eyes shifted as he infused his mental strength into it.
The Principles of Spellcasting explained the use of spell scrolls.
One method was to directly tear it open and throw it at an enemy like a grenade, a crude approach.
Although this method could easily cause collateral damage, it was simple enough for an ordinary person with no spellcasting knowledge to use.
The second method was, after tearing it open, to guide the sealed magic power within the spell scroll using mental strength, lock on a target, and cast the spell, consuming only a small amount of one's mental strength while the magic power was entirely provided by the spell scroll.
This method was highly precise and less prone to errors, but only spellcasters could use it this way, making it less accessible to others.
Brian guided the magic power of the Fireball spell and locked onto the Limen mammoth's carcass nearby.
The Flame condensed into a tiny pea-sized fireball. It appeared harmless and even somewhat cute, but Brian could clearly sense the highly compressed fire elemental energy within.
Under Brian's control, the small fireball whooshed through the air, landing with a burst on the Limen mammoth's carcass.
The air vibrated intensely, and a wave of heat rushed forth.
Dazzling, surging flames engulfed an area of about several feet in radius, enveloping the entire Limen mammoth in flames.
Brian blinked, secretly marveling at the effect of this classic spell.
"Evocation magic... it's a pity I don't have knowledge of evocation spells."
He recalled the spell brilliance he saw a week ago and felt a sense of yearning.
The spreading flames began to die down without a fuel source, but the flames on the Limen mammoth's body continued burning, aided by its abundant fur which made for an excellent source of fuel.
Soon, a rich aroma of cooked meat wafted through the air, causing Brian to feel hungry.
After waiting a while longer and with the intoxicating scent of mammoth meat in the air, Brian snuffed out the flames and eagerly started eating.
Lacking any spices and with poorly maintained heat, the roasted mammoth meat was not particularly delicious, but the long absence of cooked food made Brian quite satisfied.
Cooked meat and blood food each had their unique appeal to the taste buds of dragons; one was richly fragrant, the other extremely savory, and both acceptable to Brian.
Soon after finishing an entire Limen mammoth, Brian licked his lips, wanting more.
He went to catch another Limen mammoth, planning this time to eat it frozen, for a change of palate.
However, just as Brian returned to the Dragon's Lair and before he started eating, he heard an excited shout mingled in the wind.
"Master, I have something good to offer you! You will definitely like it!"
'Something good? Could it be the magic gem I tasked him with earlier?' Brian wondered.
