Magma Dragon's Heir

45th of Season of Fire, Year 156 AL

Newt hovered above his realm, watching the transformed world that was once black and red. The inspiring and imposing contrast had disappeared, replaced by a domain of searing orange ground and blazing golden seals, with near-white yellow mana shimmering above them.

“I like it,” Magmin said as they both sensed heat and mana density rising around Newt’s physical body. “It’s still fascinating to see the parts of your realm that are supposed to be set in stone change.”

Newt nodded. “I think we just pushed the stone near its melting point, and yet the ground is as firm as it ever was, if not firmer. And this isn’t really magma, I think. It feels hotter.”

Magmin nodded. His nature had also undergone a slight shift as Newt underwent more and more of his celestial baptisms, the energy of the stars and the world suffusing his spiritual form.

The one thing that remained unchanged through it all was the general shape of Newt’s realm. The lava rivers were the same liquid gold as the rest of the seals, while Magmin Pines had grown orange, with radiant crystals shimmering with sunlight. The second realm was still as amateurish and embarrassing as it ever was, but the glow did mask it slightly.

Suddenly, the world started singing as fiery tears rained from Magmin Pines. Crystals struck the smooth ground, ringing like chimes and rolled down the grooves towards the rivers of golden magma. Their susurration grew louder as more and more of them fell, rising to the intensity of the rumbling of distant thunder.

From the heart of Newt’s realm, white magma shot into the sky before falling down as liquid gold into the giant lake and draining into the four rivers. The barrier of Newt’s realm shook, but rather than shattering, it melted and shot away from the border.

Newt observed it all with understanding gained over his baptisms and closed his fist. The violent eruption stopped, the hail of crystals from Magmin Pines ceased, and the realm barrier reformed several hundred yards inside his eighth realm.

The rumbling quieted, and the realm barrier still moved a bit into the distance, the leftover energy still expanding Newt’s world of earth and fire. However, the baptism wasn’t over yet. Celestial fire and the essence of the world flowed into the realm itself, refining and improving, and when there was only a trickle left, he sent it into Magmin, who could barely stand the rush of pure energy, despite it already dwindling far from its peak.

“Can you handle it?” Newt noticed his friend’s discomfort, and the dragon nodded, roaring in agony.

The energy, while beneficial to Magmin’s growth, was alien and seared his body and realm, and Newt had to dose it carefully. He preferred to err on the side of caution, while Magmin made demands which bordered between masochistic and maniacally suicidal.

Finally, the energy died out, ending the dragon’s torment. Magmin’s form was charred, and the big snake was miserable, but out of danger.

“It’s become easier to control,” Newt said while Magmin flew down to the expanse of Newt’s newest realm and crashed onto the ground, bouncing off, then just sprawling with no intention of moving.

“I won’t complete the first layer in at least a year, perhaps two, since refining myself and my realm is more important than expanding it.” Newt spoke aloud for Magmin’s benefit, even though the dragon just kept smoking on the searing ground. “I’m not sure I can endure more than a year without sculpting my realm, though. Perhaps I could try to research some new seals, or plot out a better seal layout for my realm?”

Magmin still said nothing.

“Any advice, oh wise and powerful grilled dragon?”

“Too busy digesting. Need rest. Talk to you in a decade.”

Newt just stared at him. “Fine. Be that way.”

Newt left his realm and opened his eyes.

Everyone had fully locked all their senses on him. His body felt strong. Perhaps he could even endure a blow or two from an exalt, which was an excellent improvement, but the changes to his mana sensitivity and affinity were even more astounding.

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He could sense the exalts’ mana, the fine strings saturating the air, feeling everything in a huge area. But those threads didn’t matter. What mattered was the dragon staring at him hungrily.

“Magminion,” Newt shouted. “How about we have a little scuffle?”

***

Magminion gazed upon the newly evolved invader called Newt. The first layer of his ninth realm was still incomplete, and he was as freshly evolved as could be and yet… and yet, there was pressure coming from him. Not threat, not killing intent or hungry eyes, but pressure nonetheless.

“And how would you have us fight?” Magminion looked around. They were far enough from the invaders’ hive not to damage it if things got out of hand, but the mountain they were on was a treasure, and it would get damaged if they fought seriously.

Unlike the invaders. Magminion saw no point in despoiling a natural treasure just to see who’s stronger. Nor did he see a need to make a move without a suitable treasure to compensate for his loss. After all, every bit of mana at the ninth realm was hoarded, and using even a speck for no good reason was madness.

“Just with our bodies. I won’t use my weapon; I have no desire to injure you, and I know recuperation doesn’t come cheaply.”

Magminion regarded the tiny invader, smaller than a fraction of his claw. While his mana was impressive, both in how vast the reserve felt and how dense it was, the body seemed like a weak link.

“You wish to compete in physical might? Why?” Magminion couldn’t understand. There was obviously no competition, and while he doubted he could kill the invader with a single strike, a full-strength blow would leave Newt miserable.

The invader nodded. “To see how I measure up.”

Perhaps the words were misguidedly meant to provoke Magminion and his sense of superiority. If that was the case, Newt had failed. But Magminion didn’t mind a brief scuffle as long as nobody got hurt.

As for why he would fight. It would cost me nothing, and Mother would appreciate the information on the state of his body after reaching the ninth realm.

It seemed like one of the deals Newt mentioned many times to Magminion - one where both sides profited, even if he didn’t understand what the invader stood to gain.

“Fine,” Magminion said. “Let’s fly.”

He soared into the sky, flying away from the Magnetic Mountain just in case. Newt followed, still much slower, his flight speed falling short of even an eighth-realm dragon.

Makes sense. He doesn’t have wings.

While the wings didn’t help Magminion stay in the air, they certainly contributed greatly to his speed and maneuverability.

Once they were ten miles away from the mountain, Magminion regarded Newt. “Ready?”

The invader nodded, and they lunged for each other.

Magminion moved his tail alone, there was no need to move the rest of his body when the whip-like appendage could splatter most eighth realm invaders on the spot. Newt dodged with minute movement, still heading for Magminion’s body. He landed on Magminion’s flank, his fist pricking at the dragon’s scales, but the fact that he could feel anything disturbed him.

He swatted the invader with his clawed hand, hitting himself, but Newt avoided the strike, scrambling mana around himself to mess with Magminion’s perception.

After hitting himself thrice and causing himself more harm than the invader’s attacks did, Magminion mobilized his mana. His colossal body quivered and shrank while Newt floated away to give him time to transform. While weaker in his smaller body, Magminion’s speed grew explosively. He stopped when he was five times as long as the invader and regarded him.

“Continue,” Magminion said, and without a word, they came at each other again.

Newt aimed at Magminion’s body, but the serpentine physique made dodging easy, while he scored a hit with his claw, drawing blood.

“Should we stop?” he asked, and the invader shook his head.

After two more failed attacks, one of which had left him bloody, Newt changed the target and struck at Magminion’s head. The blow caught Magminion by surprise, saurians never attacked the heads of others, as they exposed themselves to teeth or horns or spikes, and so it landed, rattling Magminion for a moment, and in that moment, he lashed out with his tail again, slamming it into Newt’s back and sending him tumbling towards the ground.

Crap. Magminion unleashed his mana to scan the damage he had done, but Newt firmly kept the zone of privacy around himself and stopped himself after falling half a mile.

“My loss,” the invader said calmly, blood dripping off his body. “I didn’t know you were holding back that much.”

Magminion wasn’t, at least no more than Newt. The strike that had felt like a genuine threat to his life resulted in a reflexive action and a full-power strike instead of a reserved blow like all the others.

“You were holding back quite a bit yourself,” Magminion said, wondering whether Newt could threaten his mother alone once he reached the tenth realm.

He firmly decided it was impossible. Because believing otherwise without reporting it was treasonous and might threaten Magminion’s chance at a brighter future.

After all, like Newt had said, both sides profiting should be their goal.