The feeling was new to him, but Vaan felt he could trust it. It was similar to sensing danger with one’s instincts.
However, danger didn’t seem to be quite it; it was more like foresight of an upcoming event.
Nevertheless, Vaan’s hunch was on the mark. Just as he took out a fresh set of black clothes to wear, a group of True Dragons approached him.
With a single glance, he could immediately tell that they came looking for trouble; it didn’t take a genius to guess.
“Hm?” Jergag frowned at the group of twenty True Dragons before he asked them, “What do you all want?”
“Step aside, Senior Jergag. We don’t have business with you. It’s the human we have business with,” the leading True Dragon spoke before turning to Vaan. “Get out of our land, human. You’re not welcome here! Your presence here has made many dragons feel uncomfortable.”
“Our sacred land isn’t yours to enjoy!” the leading True Dragon spoke with a middle-aged man’s voice.
“Whether Vaan is welcome here isn’t for you to decide, Grymre,” Jergag stated with a gloomy look before mentioning, “He is currently Lord Narvim’s esteemed guest. You have no right to shoo this human away.”
“Lord Narvim’s esteemed?” the leading True Dragon, Gryme, uttered, but he didn’t show the slightest respect at the mention of the ninth dragon lord. Instead, he smirked and said, “All the more reason why this human should leave.”
“Lord Eighth has no respect for Lord Ninth. Thus, there is no reason for us dragons of Eighth Peak to show respect to Lord Ninth’s guests,” Gryme stated.
Although the other True Dragons in the group didn’t dare to voice their opposition like Gryme, they stood behind him, expressing their stance.
“Leave, human. I won’t repeat myself again,” Gryme directed his attention to Vaan again and sternly said, “A mere human has no right to step foot in this sacred land.”
The group of True Dragons wasn’t weak, nor were they young. But they were still juniors to Senior Jergag.
Although Vaan couldn’t tell much from the rest of the group, he guessed the leading True Dragon was at least from the second generation.
‘This lot should be around Mid-level to High-level Rank 4 or so,’ Vaan gauged Gryme and the other True Dragons as they exerted pressure on him.
Nevertheless, he faced them calmly, standing his ground.
“Oh? I was beginning to think there weren’t any overly arrogant and prideful dragons around because I’ve only interacted with reasonable and wise dragons so far. However, you have changed my mind,” Vaan replied before adding, “Gryme, was it? You’re a bold one.”
“Silence, human! This dragon’s noble name isn’t something the likes of a mere human like you can speak thoughtlessly!” Gryme barked.
“Get out of here!”
“You are not welcome here, human!”
Several True Dragons chimed.
Although they didn’t dare speak up in front of Jergag, they had no problem doing so in front of Vaan, who was an outsider and a ‘mere’ human.
“Do my words carry no weight anymore?” Jergag asked gloomily before adding, “Not only is Vaan an esteemed guest of Lord Narvim, but he is also this old dragon’s friend!”
“Allow me to speak with them, Senior Jergag. There’s no need for you to shield me. It’s me they want,” Vaan calmly said before turning back to Gryme and the other True Dragons. “You called me a ‘mere’ human, but if you can’t even defeat this ‘mere’ human, what does that make you?”
“Are you trying to challenge me, human?” Gryme glanced at Vaan with disdain.
“Challenge you?” Vaan snickered before shaking his head. “No, no, no. You got it all wrong. It’s not me trying to challenge you; I’m trying to teach you a lesson. Anyone can run their mouth, but the real question is do you have the strength to back it up?”
“Do you think you have the strength to contend with me, human?” Gryme’s expression turned colder, but he remained disdainful as if fighting Vaan wasn’t worth his time. “You might be somewhat strong for a human, but that is all there is to it. Even if we were on the same level of strength, we still wouldn’t be the same.”
“However, you don’t have to blame your inferior strength. Us, dragons, are simply born superior to you humans,” Gryme boasted.
“Is that so?” Vaan coolly smiled and said, “But if I recall correctly, the Lord of Chaos is also a human. Thus, in my opinion, there is no superior race, only a superior being. Only strength matters, and I believe I have that strength—at least, compared to you.”
“Your opinion doesn’t mean shit, human. Human ignorance is both a blessing and a disaster. Since you can’t listen, you can only learn the hard way,” Gryme grimly stated before instructing a True Dragon beside him, “Go and teach that foolish human the difference between humans and dragons, Hedwig.”
“Alright,” Hedwig grinned.
The Mid-level Rank 4 True Dragon called Hedwig stepped forward and cracked his stiff neck as he prepared himself for some action.
However, Jergag also stepped forward and snarled, “Who dares misbehave in this old dragon’s presence?!”
“It’s clear that they don’t respect you, Senior Jergag. Old heroes are forgotten, and new ones are born. Thus, you shouldn’t be stubborn either and go get yourself completely cured for a chance to advance. Only strength matters,” Vaan stated as he stepped out from behind the elderly dragon to face True Dragon Hedwig.
“I appreciate the fact that you are looking out for me, but allow me to handle this one, Senior Jergag. After such big improvements, I do need some exercise to adapt to my newfound strength. And these arrogant dragons seem well-suited for the task.”
“I can also teach them a lesson for you,” Vaan added.
“Alright. If you think you can handle them, Vaan,” Jergag slowly agreed with a nod before warning, “Be careful, though.”
“I will, Senior Jergag. One question, though. Will there be complications if I beat them up?” Vaan asked.
“Scruffles among dragons happen way more often than you think, Vaan,” Jergag mentioned before saying, “As long as no one dies, it doesn’t matter how badly you beat them or what methods you deploy.”
“Great! That’s just what I wanted to hear,” Vaan grinned.