The Red Dragon Just Wants To Do As It Pleases

This form of social gathering was fundamentally different from the sociability retained by Old Silver Dragon Attilicia, where one could have several neighbors just across a ridge.

If he could unravel this mystery, he could make targeted modifications to his Dragon Nest camp in advance. Then, he wouldn't have to spend the following days in constant fear of those Elves moving The Slaying King Star to Elariya.

This question was doomed to remain unanswered by Dragon Dad Attilicia; after all, he wasn't one of the Metal Dragon immigrants of Toriel.

However, upon hearing David's doubts, the corners of Tiamat's mouth curled into a vicious smile.

"Good question," she said, "but I'm afraid you're going to have to ask Bahamut yourself if you want the true answer.

"Ask him why, before the onset of Dragon Madness, the Metal Dragons always seem to have foreknowledge and make preparations to hibernate in advance?

"Also, this is why I wanted you to take a look at The Slaying King Star for me, to see if there is still... the third god on that star."

The third god? Bahamut?! David was genuinely shocked. Could Tiamat suspect that the Platinum Dragon God, worshiped by the Metal Dragons, might also be on The Slaying King Star? How could that be!

David found this hard to believe. "But as far as I know," he said, "the Metal Dragons also suffered heavy losses during the first Dragon Madness catastrophe."

But Tiamat sneered coldly. "Afterward, Ephelomon and the others interrogated some Gold and Silver Dragon captives. Before the onset of Dragon Madness, the Claw of Justice received orders from Bahamut to stand by and enter hibernation en masse. Unfortunately, true to their name, the Claw of Justice learned that we Chromatic Dragons were destroying all the civilizations of Toriel. They chose to defy Bahamut's orders and launched an all-out attack in an effort to stop us, and as a result, they were completely annihilated."

At this, Tiamat looked at David with a complex expression.

"The Dragon Lakes of Toriel and that vast Dragon Coast are the graveyards that we Chromatic Dragons built for that 'foolish' legion of the Claw of Justice.

"If it hadn't been for their 'foolish' sacrifice, our surviving Chromatic Dragons might not have relocated from Toriel in time and could have been completely decimated by the Metal Dragons who regained their senses, maybe even faced extinction like the Iron Dragons and the long-extinct Three-Color Dragons."

Ah? David's eyes widened; his mind went numb from such explosive revelations.

Tiamat actually harbored a secret suspicion that the Platinum Dragon God, her old rival, was one of the masterminds behind the Dragon Madness. What a crazy speculation! That was Bahamut, the chief among the benevolent, the Northern Wind Dragon King! Even as a Red Dragon of the Chromatic Dragons, David found it difficult to reconcile these revelations with Him, especially in the first moment he heard them.

What did it feel like, exactly? It was somewhat like suddenly hearing that Ultraman had betrayed the light. Or like being used to Marvel superheroes and then having a friend recommend watching The Boys for a change... His brain couldn't process such complex and uncertain nuances; it simply crashed. Upon rebooting, he directly shifted away from the topic that seemed to displease the Chromatic Dragon Queen.

"Alright," David said, "I have no desire to sift through the dust of history. I just want to know how I should undertake the task Your Majesty has given me."

Indeed, the Chromatic Dragon Queen's mood was as volatile as a young girl's—quick to flare and quick to fade. Her coldest, white dragon head immediately adopted a pure and naive gaze as it asked, "If I knew how to complete it, would I have been daydreaming for these thirty millennia?"

David was rendered speechless by Tiamat's seemingly nonsensical retort.

He knew that in over thirty thousand years, Tiamat must have attempted countless times, through her various followers, to break the shackles of The Slaying King Star. All attempts had ultimately failed for various reasons. But surely, when undertaking anything, there should be some sort of plan, right?

Moreover, he wasn't charged with striking down a star but merely with making a mark—essentially the dirty, tiring work of a surveyor. Correspondingly, unlike the frenzy of construction at a project's official launch, his responsibilities as a surveyor and the attention he would receive were limited. It was precisely this mentality, like a part-timer working for their boss, that made him accustomed to receiving a task template in advance. It's just like playing an RPG and completing a 'Dragon Lord's Quest,' he thought.

Fortunately, the blue dragon head tilted up slightly, a noble and mysterious smile playing on its features as it said, "David Uthos, you are a heteromorphic dragon from a foreign land in the Multiverse. The knowledge and personality the world has bestowed upon you should, by rights, be more imaginative and creative than those of us bound within one kingdom's sky. Likewise, starting now, you need to get your role straight."

"Hmm... let me think." Tiamat's tail rose, its tip pressing against the forehead of her blue dragon head. She then reopened her eyes, smiling as she said, "In your mother's words, our relationship now isn't that of god and believer, nor boss and employee. It's more like client and contractor. This is a transaction, and we've reached an agreement: I state the need, you design the plan. I'll review it, and you'll implement it. And now, you've found yourself the most trusting and wealthiest client in this sky. Oh, right. Right now, I'm your daddy."

Goddamn 'I am your daddy,' David thought, utterly exasperated.

He was immediately startled. Wait a second, Pafila is his mom, and Tiamat is now overtly and covertly hinting at being his dad?! Reflecting on the boundless indulgence and doting his mother, Pafila, had shown... What the hell! Dad! I suspect a god with ulterior motives is trying to steal your woman!

And soon, Tiamat brought up Dragon Dad.

"By the way, if I'm not mistaken, you brought your Silver Dragon father to Barto Hell, to my kingdom, intending to dabble in the potion business of the impending planar war, right? I'll consider that a bonus and agree to it. However, you'd best tell him this: if he harbors any hope for a Legendary Destiny or even ascension to godhood, he shouldn't waste too much time chasing money. Restraining endless desires and loathing mediocrity are essential qualities on the path to a Legendary Destiny."

Facing the suddenly magnanimous Dragon Mother, David, though a bit uncomfortable, was also thrilled. Yet, a doubt inevitably arose in his mind: But isn't this completely contrary to the innate greed for wealth that dragon gods supposedly have?

Seemingly perceptive of David's doubts, the red dragon head laughed proudly and said, "But if one day you become a Dragon God and possess a domain concept of Greed for wealth like mine, that Greed will make you mighty. It will also significantly increase the 'rate at which your followers mature.' You will only become even more 'greedy' than I am. And if I remember correctly, you too possess this talent, David Uthos."

Hearing this, David's pupils constricted slightly. He recalled his own Authority—Greed—and immediately bowed. "I am deeply grateful," he said.

"You see? Now it's not about you accommodating us. Rather, it's I—or rather, *we*—who are fully accommodating *you*," Tiamat said, spreading her claws wide as she continued.

"Now, isn't it time you made a wish? My child, no matter how preposterous the request, as long as it can achieve the ultimate goal, you may ask for it."

*Greed.*

Since the Chromatic Dragon Queen had put it that way, David decided not to be polite any longer.

"Firstly," David began, "could you grant me the ability to be 'summoned' in the same way that devils and demons are?"

He didn't want to risk being discovered and killed instantly by the Elves while executing this dangerous mission.

"Soul projection. A fine choice," Tiamat mused, unsurprised. "This will give you more opportunities to make attempts. However, I must remind you that on the Toriel primary plane, due to the rules there, I am 'merely a lesser deity'."

"Secondly, is the devil who designed the Soul Train and the Flying Fortress still alive? I would like to meet him.

"If possible, I would like to employ him."