Chapter 43 Desire and Reason

The bright moonlight flowed like water over the hemlock hills, and Garus's scales gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster in the night.

He put away the map and looked into the distance.

Samantha was still engrossed in repairing her alchemy workshop, the clanging and hammering sounds particularly clear in the silent wilderness.

Garros's tail gently patted the ground, but his thoughts had already drifted to that abandoned mine—the nest of the Rock Worm, the location of the Marnes Underground City, and most likely the burial place of legendary alchemical artifacts.

A burning desire simmered in his chest, urging him to set out immediately and claim the treasure for himself.

Reason whispered at the same time: if we rashly rush in, we may pay a heavy price, even our lives.

Feeling the inner struggle, Garus took a dozen deep breaths before reason gradually took over, slowly suppressing the greed, arrogance, and conceit inherent in his dragon nature.

It involves legendary alchemical items.

These emotions surged to an unprecedented level just now.

Greed drove him to seek out legendary alchemical artifacts at all costs.

Arrogance and conceit made him feel certain of success, ignoring the risks.

Fortunately, ever since Galus became a dragon and first experienced these emotions, he realized that if he did not restrain them and make them submit to his reason, they would harm him sooner or later. So he often fought against them.

Even now, we still cannot completely escape the impact.

But it won't be completely driven by it.

He exhaled slowly, and Galos's gaze returned to clarity.

"These inherent flaws that have developed along with tradition are like a raging flood, truly terrifying."

Regardless of what other dragons might do, Garus was unwilling to let these emotions affect his reason.

Although he is a hybrid dragon with exceptional talent and evolutionary abilities, he is still far from having the conditions to be arrogant and willful.

"If I were a legendary dragon, I probably wouldn't need to think so much and could just embrace my nature. Their arrogance and confidence are only natural."

Garus thought to himself.

"But legendary dragons are ethereal and elusive, and there are still many dragons like me, or even worse. The negative impact of these emotions far outweighs the benefits."

"Why not remove them? The gods worshipped by the dragon race are real and should be able to do such a thing."

Galos thought to himself.

An excessive obsession with treasure, like a curse, and an irrational arrogance—these were, to Garus, obvious, invisible shackles binding the dragons.

Even without special talent.

Even the white dragon, the weakest of all dragons.

Galos believed that as long as they could break free from these invisible shackles, with the innate physique and talents of dragons, they would surely be able to soar to great heights that ordinary dragons could never reach.

If we remove these bad habits...

The dragon race, which is gradually declining, will surely be able to quickly recover and even regain its glory from ancient times.

But why not?

Is it something that the dragon gods couldn't do?

Or perhaps they are unwilling?

Galos couldn't figure it out, so he shook his head and stopped thinking about it, focusing his attention on the matter at hand.

He turned to the red dragon and asked, "Samantha, what do you think a legendary alchemical artifact would look like?"

Samantha stopped tapping the rock slab and turned to face Galos.

It tilted its head and thought for a while, its eyes sparkling with excitement:

"It must be something that can make the entire wilderness tremble! Like a giant cannon that spews lava and causes the sky to collapse and the earth to crack? Or a mechanical core that can summon storms?"

Galos chuckled softly: "Perhaps."

Samantha, having overheard the wanderer's story, couldn't contain herself and exclaimed, "My dear brother, do you want to explore the dungeon? Take me with you! We're sure to find the treasures inside and dominate the wilderness!"

"At that time, you will be the supreme dragon king of the Wilderness of Sel, and I will be the red dragon queen, second only to the dragon and above all things!"

"Let's rule the Wilderness of Sel together. The future is bright, and the dragon will flourish."

The Supreme Dragon King, the Red Dragon Queen. How childish!

Moreover, it didn't consider the risks involved at all.

Garus glanced at the excited red dragon, who was eager to explore the dungeon immediately, and said, "Stop dreaming. Instead of wasting your time fantasizing, you should study alchemy more."

"My dear brother, if you don't want to go, why don't you give me the map and let me go instead!"

Samantha said expectantly.

Galos said expressionlessly, "Go do what you're supposed to do. This isn't your business."

Samantha wanted to say something more, but when she met Galos's calm, deep eyes, she felt a ticklish itch all over her body.

It wasn't actually itchy, but rather a kind of 'premonition'.

Because it happened too many times.

Samantha could roughly sense the signs that Galos wanted to beat her up.

His current expression, his current gaze, his current tone—everything he said was sending a dangerous signal to Samantha.

Samantha turned away sullenly and never mentioned it again.

On the other side.

Galos suppressed his greed and arrogance, and used reason to think and assess the gains and losses.

"The Marnes Underground City is suspected to exist beneath the abandoned mine where the Rock Worm swarm is located, and it is suspected to contain legendary alchemical artifacts."

"The Insect King was recently injured by the Copper Dragon and has not yet recovered. Ordinary Rock-Breaking Worms pose no threat to me."

"But the abandoned mine is not large. It may just be a passageway to the underground city. Who knows if there are creatures more advanced and powerful than the Insect King down there?"

"Moreover, the underground city was destroyed a thousand years ago. Even if this alchemical tool really exists, it is uncertain whether it is intact or whether it can be used."

"There are too many uncertainties, and the risks far outweigh the rewards."

After much deliberation, Galos temporarily suppressed his idea of ​​exploring the dungeon.

Ultimately, it's just a legendary alchemical item. For dragons destined to become legends, obtaining it only makes the early stages easier, rather than something crucial or indispensable.

To take unnecessary risks for something that may not even exist, may not be useful, or is not necessary.

A young dragon blinded by greed, arrogance, or other such emotions would do the same.

Galos, however, chose to refuse.

He can become stronger by taking steady steps and evolving gradually; there is no need for him to take risks.

It's not worth it.

However, he did not give up completely.

If he could obtain a legendary alchemy item before level 20, it would be of great benefit to him.

"Once I grow strong enough to defeat the Insect King, subdue and enslave it, and then rely on it and its swarm of Rock-Breaking Worms to explore this dungeon."

Galos made his final decision.

(End of this chapter)