"The potion supply is insufficient, why hasn't more been added?"
"Have rcy, Director!"
The gnoll slave knelt in terror, kowtowing and pleading:
"Honorable Master, the materials have been all used up, and there are no new ones available on the market."
"Ah, it's not that new ones can't be bought; it's that other Dragon Race mbers won't sell to you. After all, you bear my mark, which others can see at a glance..."
Irexis pursed her lips, stood upright from the hot spring, and clenched her fists:
"Fortunately, I can move now. I've troubled Wawa too much during this ti; it's really not right to ask her to fetch things again—forget it, I'll go out myself."
Soaking for too long, one is worried about wasting martial skills; it's just right to take a walk and see if anything new has happened.
Even if there's a cycle of reincarnation, not everything remains the sa; there will always be so changes that require tily reconnaissance and understanding.
Mist naturally draped over her, transforming into a form-fitting hunter's outfit, and to avoid tearing wounds by transforming back, she continued to walk in a humanoid female Dragonborn form.
Teleporting away from her private lair, Irexis raised her head, looking toward the bustling floating tropolis ahead.
The high altitude caused misty clouds to envelop the ground. Not only the Dragon Race but a large number of different race rchants and travelers also ca to the Floating City on Dragon Island for trade and leisure. The thousands of years of history of the Border Abyss Dragon Clan are displayed here, with diverse architectural styles from various eras captivating the eyes.
Perhaps because she hadn't been out for days, the sight of Dragon Island seed a bit unfamiliar to her. While walking through the sea of clouds, she occasionally heard Dragon Language with foreign, Layer Abyss, or even Void accents.
Irexis found a human-run shop and handed her list of needed materials to the other party, who said it would take half a day to prepare them fully.
Given the recent bustling atmosphere of Dragon Island and the booming business, Irexis could understand and thus took the opportunity to wander around the Floating City while waiting.
The Floating City has no na; the Dragon Race believes their own nas are complex enough and are not keen on naming places, calling various streets, cities, and locations based on habit and feeling.
If the surrounding shops have nas, it must be because they are owned by different races or involve outside investnt.
Irexis wandered for a while without finding anything appealing; she had no interest in entertainnt, bought a drink, and sat by the fountain square, closing her eyes to solve magic equations.
She must not let her mind idle. As a White Dragon who had almost regressed to the level of a dragon beast and arduously climbed upwards, Irexis had paid a great price. She knew better than any Dragon Race mber what issues the Dragon Race faces.
Arrogance and indulgence, never laboring, refusing to make efforts, lazy and slothful.
The Dragon Race and humans are opposite. Humans have a strong sense of crisis, perpetually considering future disasters and those centuries ahead. Though their lifespans often peak below a century, they have created civilizations hundreds of tis more glorious than those of the Dragon Race.
Out of the 13 Narrative Civilizations, 10 include humans or humanoid groups within their narratives.
Considering the undead narratives, most of whom were human before death, this proportion could be even higher.
Irexis didn't believe this was due to racial talent limitations.
If a species has strengths, it certainly has weaknesses, and vice versa.
Thus, she kept learning and endlessly training. As long as she could beco stronger and brighter, it would be worth it even if it ant burning through her lifespan.
Yet, the Dragon Race mbers around her didn't seem to share this view.
"Hey, isn't this who I think it is—Kastelin Blue Thunder, you're back too?"
"You're... Sigurd Doran? Long ti no see, didn't expect you to return from the Void. How are things on the Far-Eastern Star frontline?"
The noisy voices rose by her ear, and Irexis frowned, lifting her gaze to the side, where two elves-transford High Dragon Race mbers t in surprise at an open-air restaurant, shook hands, and started chatting wholeheartedly.
They spoke with heavy Void accents. From their appearances, it was hard to tell, but it's customary for High Dragon Race mbers to transform into elves instead of lower Dragonborn or humans.
This stemd from the legendary benevolent treatnt of elves by His Excellency Redd Gold, which left the Dragon Race with good relations with elves.
"It's relatively easy-going; the Twilight Duke was infuriated by the killing of disciple Xides and has ramped up protection for other disciples and apprentices, pulling quite a few people from the frontline to specifically guard them."
"No wonder you managed to retire from the Union's forces; after this match, you should stay on Dragon Island then?"
"Co on, there's no guarantee on that; in the species ranking matches, there are death quotas. I might just end up eting His Excellency Redd should things take a wrong turn."
"Oh, co on, surely there's sothing good awaiting you—speaking of which, I've heard the chieftain of the Border Abyss Dragon Island tribe is making trendous efforts to form an elite strike team specifically to counter the 'Dark Engraving Group' of the Yadun Ming clan, is this true?"
The two High Dragon Race mbers talked rrily without caring for decorum, and the sheer pressure of their presence stifled the surrounding Dragonborn and diners, who were left with no choice but to bear witness to their unruly discussions.
"Never heard of that, given Dragon Island's current numbers; those who can fight don't qualify, and those who qualify can't be gathered. They're hoping to form an assault team? Ha, guess what, last year they couldn't even gather a soccer team from what I heard from my steward."
"Oh, how did it get so short-staffed? I figured Dragon Island was a financial powerhouse in the Border Abyss; they can't even afford to nurture talent?"
"What good is money if it can't buy ti? The biggest issue for us Dragon Race mbers now is lacking ti. The elderly are pulled into the Void, at the frontlines either dying or unable to extricate themselves, while the young ones, without four or five centuries, how can you expect them to compete on par with other species?"
Irexis had her train of thought interrupted repeatedly by the two dragons. She opened her eyes and glanced at the two High Dragon Race mbers. Their eventual fates surfaced in her mind:
Kastelin Blue Thunder starved to death because of a famine disaster, four years before the Apocalypse Judgnt descended.
Sigurd Doran was dispersed by the soul currents while attempting to stowaway across the Nether River, hoping to reach the Nether Abyss for refuge.
Thinking of these two boisterous individuals' endings lightened Irexis's mood, and she couldn't be bothered to quarrel with them.
Besides, they were complaining about internal Dragon Race issues, albeit sowhat uncouthly.
She lost interest in solving equations, turned, and walked away, leaving those two unfortunate chatterboxes to continue their aimless banter across the world.
"What do you an, surely there are Dragonborn? Even if not pure-blooded, at least strong enough in capacity to win the matches, granting them a na accordingly, isn't that feasible?"
"Yes, it's feasible, but the higher-ups don't allow it. You're a Sub-dragon person, following the Pathway of Starry Abyss, speaking Layer Abyss language, and visiting Dragon Island just once in your life—is this type of dragon sothing the elders dare to use? Using such a dragon would admit that the Dragon Race now has to rely on these lowly mud-burdened to save them."
"His Excellency Redd Gold above us. At such critical monts, they're still fussing about lineage?"
"Oh, boasting lineage alone doesn't cut it!"
"How so doesn't it cut?"
"You see, you have to have connections too! Just having lineage isn't enough! For you, a Sub-dragon person, even if your power is adequate to win the match, the higher-ups won't allow it because if they did, it would an admitting that we depend on lowborns to save the day."
"What a hassle, though with my skill level, I doubt I'll make it."
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