Evolving by devouring from a young dragon

Alduin had noticed these red-skinned orcs the moment they stepped into his territory.

He was lying on the obsidian table, digesting the food he had eaten in the last few meals.

Sound wave perception is like an invisible net, covering the entire decaying swamp, and anything that steps into this net cannot escape his "eyes".

Eleven heat sources entered from the west and moved slowly along the edge of the swamp.

Their body temperature is significantly higher than humans, their muscle density is very high, and their bones bear numerous traces of healed old wounds. Most are at the fifth or sixth rank, the leader being—

Auduin's vertical pupils narrowed slightly.

Seventh rank.

A seventh-tier orc, leading ten elite soldiers, stealthily sneaked into his territory.

He continued to lie there, his sonic perception tracking every movement of the eleven points of light.

They walked carefully, each step firmly planted on hard ground, avoiding mud, rotten wood, and anything that might leave a mark.

But they cannot escape the perception of sound waves; in this swamp, there is nothing that can be avoided.

interesting.

He used the power of the dragon to intimidate the lizards and kobolds in his territory, telling them not to make any rash moves.

After all, to rashly attack a seventh-tier orc is tantamount to suicide.

Alduin rolled over, rested his chin on his front paws, his vertical pupils half-closed, deep in thought.

Tier 7, Emberfang Orc, from Ash Highlands.

He knew this tribe.

It wasn't because they had dealt with each other before, but because their territory was just on the west side of the basin, separated by a swamp, so they were neighbors.

Neighbors or not doesn't matter, the key question is, what are they here for?

The sound wave perception increased its frequency, penetrated the ground, and tracked the direction of the eleven points of light.

They crossed the outer edge of the swamp, bypassed the kobold mines, avoided several lizardman lairs, and headed east towards the Bone Hills.

Hills of withered bones.

Alduin tapped the stone platform lightly with the tip of its tail.

He had already explored the area using his sonic perception a few days ago. The area was sparsely populated with magical beasts, and the terrain was complex. Just like its name suggested, it was full of withered bones, weathered corpses, and barren, rocky slopes.

There were no mineral veins, no water sources, and the vegetation was sparse. To put it bluntly, it was a forgotten wasteland with no value whatsoever.

So, where are they going?

Alduin's eyes narrowed slightly, and his tail stopped thumping.

It doesn't make sense for a seventh-tier chieftain to lead ten elite troops across his territory to a worthless wasteland.

Unless, there is something in that wasteland that he doesn't know about.

His sound wave perception is not omnipotent; it can only penetrate the shallow surface and cannot go deep underground.

In other words, something is hidden underground there.

He rose from the obsidian platform, the dark gold scales gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the cave's dim light.

The sound wave perception swept over the eleven points of light one last time. They were almost at the edge of the hard ground on the east side of the swamp. If they went any further, they would be stepping out of his territory.

It's time to go and meet them.

He spread his wings and glided silently into the mist above the swamp. His dark golden figure blended into the gray sky without causing a ripple.

Sound wave perception spread through his mind, clearly outlining the location of the eleven orcs. They had stopped, as if waiting for something.

……

Ironbone had noticed the anomaly as soon as he set foot on the territory.

The swamp's shadowy scaled lizards and kobolds seem to have vanished completely, leaving no trace.

He didn't believe he had avoided the lizardmen; their sense of smell was exceptionally keen in the swamp.

Moreover, the feeling of being watched is absolutely awful.

He stopped at the edge of the swamp.

He knew they had been targeted by a dragon.

……

Auduin's lips curled up slightly.

He adjusted his angle and swooped down from the height.

The moment he landed, he used the ability he had obtained from the Serpent of Ig; there was no vibration, no sound, and he landed as lightly as a feather on the water.

Eleven orcs were right in front of him, less than twenty paces away.

Alduin's vertical pupils swept over the eleven orcs, finally settling on the leader.

The dragon's oppressive aura was released silently, sweeping across the highlands like a tide, making the air heavy.

The thinner orc behind him was the first to lose his breathing, letting out a suppressed gasp. Ironbone swung his hand back and pressed it against the orc's chest, and the sound stopped.

Alduin nodded to himself; this leader was good.

He spoke.

"Emberfang Orc".

Ironbone's shoulder twitched. It was so slight, almost imperceptible, but Alduin saw it.

"You have trampled on my territory."

silence.

Tiegu did not look up, but his voice was steady.

We need to cross this swamp.

"Where to?"

Ironbone was silent for a moment. Alduin could sense that he was considering, weighing his options, and deciding how much to say.

"East."

"To the east are the Hills of Bones. A wasteland. Nothing there." Alduin's voice slowed. "What are you going there for?"

"State your purpose, or else..." Alduin revealed his sharp dragon fangs.

He didn't want to waste any more words with these orcs.

"The Salamander King." Ironbone remained silent for a long time before speaking in a low voice.

"Its lair is underground in the Hill of Dry Bones; we need to go there."

Salamander King, underground in the Bone Hills.

Alduin's mind flashed back to the images that his sound wave perception had previously swept through.

There was indeed something beneath that desolate, rocky slope. He hadn't paid attention to it at the time, but now it seemed that a high-level magical beast was hidden underground.

War with the Salamander King?

Auduin scanned the eleven men.

Apart from the leading seventh-tier orc, who was somewhat capable, the rest were just lousy fry; going there would only be suicide.

That can only mean one thing.

They are not the main force, but rather reconnaissance or interception units.

Their main force should be quietly preparing for battle at Ash Heights.

This explains why they didn't even bring the Winged Beasts.

They didn't want to be discovered.

Alduin pondered this in his mind.

He didn't care why the war was going on; he only cared about whether he could benefit from it.

The Salamander King, a seventh-tier creature, is an ancient being that has lived for hundreds of years.

What's in its lair? Needless to say, there are magic crystals, scales, bones, and blood—all good stuff.

Not to mention that it had been soaking in the lava river for hundreds of years, and the magic power inside it was incredibly concentrated.

Alduin tapped the ground lightly with the tip of its tail.

A plan took shape in his mind.

"You want to kill the Salamander King," he said softly. "I don't care why. What I care about is that a seventh-tier battle is about to take place next to my territory."

Iron Bones frowned slightly.

"The lava river is three hundred meters underground. Your battle will shake the ley lines, cause lava to flow back, and..." Alduin paused, "...affect my territory."

That's true; Alduin did indeed know that there was a lava river beneath his territory.

However, his words were indeed exaggerated; a battle at the seventh level could not possibly cause the earth's veins to tremble.

"So," Alduin's voice turned cold, "you have to pay to pass through my territory."