Evolving by devouring from a young dragon

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Alduin also continuously resonated with the soul of the Fire Spirit, and golden-red flames intertwined in his dark golden vertical pupils.

He sat coiled on the obsidian, his massive dragon body undulating slightly, the magical furnace within his body constantly churning.

The fire spirit chick was curled up between the dragon horns on his head, fast asleep.

In the past six months, it has grown from the size of two palms to the size of three palms, and its feathers have changed from golden-red to a mix of red and gold, like dancing flames.

He estimated that in about six months, he would be able to successfully match the soul frequency with the fire spirit, at which point he would be able to set up an elemental binding array and establish a true symbiotic contract with the fire spirit.

Looking at the ball of fire, a hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

He then gently tapped the stone platform with the tip of his tail, and the sound waves spread silently, covering the entire nest and the surrounding area.

A heat source is approaching.

It wasn't the lizardmen or kobolds of the territory, nor those orcs; the heat source was very small.

Auduin narrowed his eyes slightly.

This is Grimm, the old goblin is back.

The smaller, darker heat source next to him must be the dwarf runemaster he mentioned.

Alduin opened his vertical pupils fully, released a slight dragon's might, and his gaze instantly sharpened.

The fire spirit chick rolled over on the head, uttered a muffled murmur in its sleep, and did not wake up.

Because of prior instructions, the lizardman guards at the entrance did not stop them, and footsteps soon followed.

Grimm appeared first at the cave entrance.

The old goblin blinked his one eye in the dim light, then forced a fawning smile onto his wrinkled face.

His cloak was more tattered than it had been six months ago, but his posture was straighter than before.

However, the moment he saw Alduin, he bent over again and immediately knelt down.

"Great dragon," Grimm's high-pitched voice echoed through the cave, "Grimm is back! Grimm has brought the one you are looking for!"

After he finished speaking, he quickly stepped aside.

A small figure emerged from the shadows behind him.

They weren't much taller than goblins, but their body proportions were completely different.

His shoulders were broader, his limbs longer, and he walked with a calm and composed gait, unlike Grimm's timid and hesitant manner.

His hair was gray, tied into several messy short braids that hung down his shoulders, and his face was covered with deep wrinkles.

His hands are the most striking feature.

When those hands emerged from the tattered sleeves, the backs of their hands were covered in shocking burn scars.

The dwarf stopped about twenty paces from the obsidian platform.

He didn't kneel down like Grimm. He just stood there, head tilted back, looking at Alduin with his deep brown eyes.

There was awe, curiosity, and... expectation in those eyes.

Auduin did not speak immediately.

His sonic perception silently swept over the dwarf's body.

The body's bone age is only about 200 years old, which is still considered middle age among dwarfs.

However, he looked very old.

His right knee joint was severely worn, clearly indicating a serious injury, which explains why he walked with a limp.

Auduin scrutinized him carefully, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"What's your name?"

The dwarf paused for a moment before speaking in a hoarse voice, "Krieg."

"Krieg." He repeated the name, his tone devoid of emotion. "That old goblin said you can carve runes."

"Grim said a lot," Krieg replied briefly and directly, without even using any honorifics.

Grimm was rubbing his hands anxiously beside him, and the one-eyed man was desperately trying to wink at Krieg, but the dwarf didn't even glance at him.

Auduin was not angry.

In the underworld, only three types of people can stand and speak before a dragon.

Fools, madmen, and truly worldly people.

Krieg was clearly not a fool.

"What runes can you inscribe?" Alduin asked.

"Many," Krieg said slowly. "I will inscribe complete runes of rank seven and below inside the magic crystal."

"I will embed circuits of level five or lower into ordinary rock, and carve permanent elemental conversion arrays on metal surfaces, and..."

He paused, a hint of confidence flashing in his dark brown eyes.

"I can carve anything you can imagine. Just give me the materials and the time."

Auduin's vertical pupils narrowed slightly.

He had seen the runes previously carved on ordinary stones and knew that they were very powerful.

but......

"Prove it to me," Auduin said.

He extended a dragon claw from the obsidian platform and tapped a blank stone slab on the edge of the platform.

It was an ordinary rock that he had casually broken off from the cave; it was grayish-black, with a rough surface, and had no magic power whatsoever.

Strength isn't something you can just boast about.

Krieg glanced at the stone slab, then at Alduin.

"What should I carve?"

Alduin thought for a moment. He didn't want the dwarf to carve anything too complicated. For the first test, something basic would be enough. But he also didn't want him to carve anything too simple, because that wouldn't show his skill level.

"Fireball," Alduin said. "The complete Fireball rune. Channeling, Formation, Initiation—all three loops are required."

Fireball is the most basic elemental spell, and almost every runemaster knows how to inscribe it.

But it is precisely because of the basics that one's true skill level is most evident.

The direction of the loops, the depth of the carvings, the spacing and angle between the three loops—every detail reveals the sculptor's skill.

Krieg did not answer immediately. He walked to the edge of the stone platform, looked down at the stone slab, and gently ran his fingers across its surface, feeling the texture and density of the stone.

Then he took the tool bag off his waist, unfastened the buckle, and took out a few items.

A fine mithril engraving needle, as thin as a hair; a small star iron hammer the size of a thumb; and a small pinch of earth fire sand that gleams faintly.

The dwarf squinted, his fingertips as steady as a rock.

Under Alduin's gaze, he focused his mind and energy, the mithril needles moving within them.

With a few quick swipes, three perfectly aligned rune paths, each angled with precision down to the millimeter, were deeply engraved into the stone surface.

There were no unnecessary movements, and no deviation whatsoever.

Each engraving is of uniform depth, each turn is smooth and natural, and the three paths echo each other, as if they were naturally grown in the stone.

Krieg put away his tools, looked up at Alduin, and said calmly:

"Basic runes should be like this."

Alduin silently sensed the runes; the three paths were perfectly etched into the stone without the slightest deviation.

A glint of light flickered in his eyes.

This is the internal engraving method in rune carving, which is extremely difficult to perform on objects without magic.

A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

This stone slab can now be considered a perfect fireball scroll, one that can be used multiple times.

As long as it is not damaged.