Dragons and Demons
As Cesar stepped into the Ferocious Beast Area, the landscape transformed entirely from the previous zones.
Here, no creature lounged in open spaces or behind simple stone enclosures. Instead, menacing beasts, notorious for their lethal natures, were secured within robust iron cages formed from thick steel bars. The deeper one ventured, the more stringent the confinement became, evolving from mere iron cells to bindings of both metal and magic.
Witnessing these formidable creatures, previously known only through illustrations in textbooks, Cesar felt a visceral stir within his spirit. An intense, perilous illusion gripped his heart, an inexplicable mingling of fear and fascination. Though a solid barrier ensured his safety, his instincts screamed warnings of the profound danger lurking mere inches away, emphasizing his own vulnerability. This raw confrontation reignited a thirst for power within him.
While Cesar grappled with these sensations, Dorothy, too, was under duress. Since entering, she had been on edge, her entire being radiating tension. Her tiny fists clenched, tiger-like teeth bared, and her blood-red pupils constricted to pinpoints. Occasionally, she flung a few coins violently towards any beast that dared to lock gazes with her, a defiant message that she was no easy prey.
In stark contrast, ordinary visitors seemed unaffected by the oppressive aura enveloping the area. They chattered carelessly, pointing and even provoking the caged monstrosities with teasing calls and laughter.
Regaining his composure after lingering on the perimeter for a while, Cesar turned to his sister, "Feeling better?"
"Much," Dorothy confirmed, her eyes regaining their normal hue but bloodshot from the strain. "I never felt like this before. Every moment felt like a brush with death. Annoying. Is this some kind of premonition, a sign of an awakening talent?"
Gently ruffling her hair, Cesar mused, "Maybe. But, this is the harsh reality. I think Pops sent us here for that very lesson—to confront our own insignificance."
Dorothy huffed, frustration clouding her features. "Great, we recognize our helplessness. So what? We're still just ordinary students. Our cousins are already mastering bloodline spells, engaging in advanced training. Even some classmates are learning martial arts. But us? Nothing!"
Cesar patted her shoulder, a brotherly gesture of reassurance. "We have to be patient. I'm thirteen and equally clueless. Let's just enjoy today, forget these worries, okay? We're here, they're caged, and we can tease these so-called ferocious beasts all we want. How about we buy some treats to rile them up?"
"Best brother ever!" Dorothy cheered up momentarily, dashing to a nearby vendor to purchase a cage of small rodents.
The siblings spent the next hour advancing from the outer zones towards the central exhibit, transitioning from observing natural predators to supernatural entities bound by enchanted chains. Ultimately, they arrived at the core area reserved for dragons and similar apex creatures.
This central chamber was expansive, resembling an enormous eggshell from the outside, with limited exhibits within. According to the information placard, alongside the dragon that had recently caused a city-wide stir, only three other entities resided here.
Fortuitously, the visitor crowd was thinning. After the departure of the last group, only Cesar, Dorothy, and a small entourage remained, including two families and a pair of guides outfitted in heavy-duty steam mechs.
A thunderous roar greeted them as they entered, the pungent, humid breath of the creature within washing over them. Tiny particles, remnants of its recent meal, sprinkled the front-most mech guard.
A child, slightly larger than Dorothy, wailed in fear, while Dorothy herself grimaced, waving her hand before her nose. "Your breath stinks!" she declared, unimpressed by the dragon's theatrics.
Before them, a gargantuan cage crafted from enchanted steel loomed, its occupant enjoying amenities that included wigwams, miniature lakes, and a simulation of its natural habitat, complete with a live lava feature. Despite their luxury, these creatures seemed more the observed than the observers, with Cesar and the others playing the role of the true exhibit.
The dragon, a juvenile specimen the size of two buses, peered at them curiously. It emitted a friendly if not overpowering roar, tilting its head. However, the accompanying odor, heavy with the stench of rotting seafood, prompted the group to step back.
"Gargoyles?" Dorothy inquired with raised eyebrows.
"Indeed, gargoyles," confirmed the guide.
While parents from the accompanying families gaped in awe, their children succumbed to fear, crying and trembling.
"How lame," Dorothy commented, disappointment evident in her voice. "It's like a pet dog. No flair."
Expressions of wonder spread across the faces of parents from the other two families, their mouths agape. Contrarily, a few petulant children slumped in disinterest, letting out bored howls.
"How utterly dull! It has as much flair as a common house dog," Dorothy remarked, her voice tinged with disillusionment.
"Regrettably, it's been thoroughly domesticated," Cesar agreed, his gaze fixed on the massive dragon before them. Despite its immense frame, armored scales, menacing fangs, robust claws, and golden, vertical-slit pupils—despite the intermittent sparks of fire flaring from its nostrils, giving off an aura as terrifying as a molten inferno—the creature exuded an intimidation as mild as that of an elderly saber-toothed tiger they had encountered earlier.
This creature, a juvenile 'Aesopian Lava Dragon,' was anything but wild. From its hatching, it had not known the thrill of the hunt. Instead, breeders provided it with sumptuous, meticulously prepared meals, rich in flavor and nutrition. This dragon, compared to its feral counterparts, resembled a submissive, tail-wagging pet. The ball muzzling its snout was a mere accessory, meant to prevent accidental fiery breaths and perhaps to maintain some semblance of its inherent dignity.
"Well, I'm disappointed! I can't believe it didn't make me shudder, is it really a dragon? It's not as good as the other three breaths." Dorothy pulled Cesar's sleeve and asked in a low voice.
"Nonsense, if it's not a dragon, what else could it be? Although it's not much of a threat, it's really the strongest species in the continent, and I can feel the great power contained in its body. If it is used to make bloodline potions, it can definitely catalyze the most top-ranked ability person." Cesar said.
"I guess, those goblins did that a long time ago. Brother, should we give it a boost?" Dorothy smiled sinisterly.
"What are you going to do? Smashing coins is enough, don't go too far." Cesar asked warily.
"Not too much, not too much, just smash a blood bag. With such tight measures, it can't escape. Do you think a packet of blood can stir up its ferocity?" Dorothy asked.
"It's not clear ah ..."
Although he understands that it's not right, Cesar can't help but imagine going on ... Simply indulge his sister for once, and when the goblins find out, just say that he was negligent and didn't watch over that bear, and just compensate a little bit of money. Thinking of this, Cesar tickled his sister's palm without a trace, and then walked towards the other side, leaving only the little loli alone next to the iron pillar, looking at the giant dragon in the cage.
''Pop!''
The blood bag ruptured, and the pungent blood splattered open, wetting the young dragon's nose. Under this sudden stimulus, the young dragon went crazy and howled shrilly, its piercing cry shaking the iron cage. Then, it fluttered its wings and flew up, circling several times in the air before landing in the miniature volcano, burying its body in the lava, and then shivering.
Rubbish, actually frightened! What a waste! Cesar cursed.
The two families beside him, on the other hand, were like gargoyles, sitting on their knees trembling like plague chickens. The brown-haired male, even wet his lower body. The boys of the two families, on the other hand, howled one after another, their shrill voices even drowning out the young dragons hiding in the volcano. The ear-splitting sound scared the young dragon so much that it completely retreated into the lava and stopped coming out to interact with the tourists ...
"This young lady! ..." The keeper came to Dorothy with an angry and horrified expression ...
In the end, Cesar paid a five hundred dollar fine to quell the accident. And under the close monitoring of two burly men in mechs, he and his sister came to the next magical creature area together.
Compared to the five-star ranked gargoyles, these three magical creatures were much shabbier, barely reaching three-star treatment. Within the relatively small activity area, the three magical creatures were either scurrying at extreme speeds or lazily lying on the rocks to bask in the sun.
"Demonic creatures, are creatures that have been subjected to demonization, among which there are animals and humans, and even a small number of plants. Under the erosion of demonic qi, they gained great power, and as a price, they lost their consciousness and were dominated by bloodthirsty instincts, leading a bloody life of constant killing, just like the devils in hell." Under the explanation of the breeder-cum-guide, Cesar saw three demonic creatures with different forms.
A huge praying mantis whose entire body was blocked by a magic pattern, with blood-red compound eyes, sharp mouthparts, large sharp blades, and six jointed limbs that resembled alloys, just the sight of it was creepy. At the first sight of this praying mantis, Cesar and Dorothy couldn't help but tremble.
Through the gap in the iron cage, Cesar clearly and incomparably sensed the killing intent emanating from the mantis, which was firmly locked onto his body. In addition, there were two more strands enveloping his body. One strand came from a two-headed giant dog whose entire body was painted with blockade magic patterns, and the other strand came from a freakish gnome whose body was severely deformed.
There were eleven people present, but Cesar was all but certain that the killing intent was only directed at himself. The two mech-strong men behind him who had fought in hundreds of battles acted very calmly, not in disguise, but they really didn't feel the slightest bit of threat.
"These guys must be very dangerous, right?" With cold sweat constantly rising from his forehead, Cesar spoke with difficulty.
"Of course, these monsters are magical creatures, the most dangerous creatures in the entire continent are none other than them. Whether it's the church or the association, they are listed as the number one hunting target, no investigation is needed, once discovered they are immediately destroyed." The burly man who was monitoring Cesar spoke up.
"Heh, have they ever attacked tourists?" The killing intent grew stronger, and Cesar had quietly retreated behind the burly man.
"Nope! These magical creatures are just lower level types, and aren't considered dangerous. Moreover, on their skin, they have the newest type of magic tattoo engraved on them, which is much more advanced than the enchanted cages outside, and there are only four sets in the entire zoo. With this set of magic patterns engraved on their skin, not only can you perfectly restrain them, but you can also enjoy their hunting movements." The tour guide explained.
"Really? It's a long time to see." Cesar returned with difficulty.
"Brother, are you alright?" Dorothy ran to Cesar's side and asked with concern.
"It's okay, just a little tired." Cesar said perfunctorily.
"Scared? That's normal, you're still a child." The tour guide smiled kindly, "These demons have been imprisoned for nearly ten years, their ferocity has long since worn off, and are not dangerous."
"Oh, so ah ..." Cesar nodded and responded. And in his heart elevated the danger of the demons, imprisoned for ten years and still able to hide the killing intent, these guys are not only ferocious but also very cunning.
"Let's go let's go, it's no fun, let's go out!" Seeing the cold sweat constantly rising from her brother's forehead, and the greedy and bloodthirsty eyes of the three demons in the cage, Dorothy loudly urged.
"Yeah, let's go, there's no point in looking at the others after seeing the giant dragon." The other two families followed suit.
Just like that, the ten-minute tour was compressed into five minutes, and another group of tourists walked in full of anticipation. Unfortunately, that giant dragon was cowering in the lava, refusing to come out anyhow.