GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

Her death marked the end of the test. The heat disappeared immediately. It left the dragonlings feeling cool and lightheaded. It was almost as if they were never under the threat of fiery death a few moments ago. Fortunately, that experience was very traumatic, so it is not something that they will ever forget.

The ball of fire shrank down. It eventually reduced into a humanoid form with a large tail behind him. They knew at first sight that this was their father. His tail was as long as he was tall. It is also on fire.

He is mostly red because of the bright red scales on his body, but there is a crown of white horns on his head. The shape of the horns is not fixed. It fluctuates and shimmers like a flame. It is the manifestation of his concept. It is why he is called White Fire.

He didn't use his white flames on them. In his opinion, he had been lenient enough with them. The fact that only one of them died is proof of his benevolence.

He spoke proudly. "This is good. You lot performed above average in my descendants before one of you died. It shows that you have been working hard on your training. Take this as your reward from Father."

The imprint in their bloodline that represents their father lit up immediately. It means they have gained a single instance of assistance from their Father. In their time of need, a single full powered attack from their father will appear from the imprint.

They had failed to acquire the imprint while they were in the egg, but they were given a second chance. All they had to do to get it was survive enough for one of them to die. It has made the imprint more precious to have.

The dragonlings didn't thank him. Mother on the other hand, just scoffed while she focused on healing them. She created a bubble of green water that she drenched them with.

None of them complained about this bath. Even First who hated baths the most, was grateful. Her burnt flesh was healed, and she was restored to prime condition in seconds.

No one spoke. Not even the birds and the ants in the forest. Every living being was cowered by the might of this powerful dragon. Father had withdrawn his aura, but his majestic presence remained. He is like a volcano that no one wants to trip off or disturb lest it erupt.

Even Mother was silent. It is not a surprise to the younglings. After all, Father had to be stronger than Mother for them to be born. As for them, although they are silent because they are afraid of their father, that has not reduced their admiration for him.

Neither has the death of one of their siblings made them hate him. Instead, it has stoked their determination to overtake him. They want to beat him more than ever before. But that's for the future. They have to be fearful in the meantime.

Father didn't mind the silence. He said to them, "You performed well, so you are qualified to go to the naming ceremony. I can be rest assured that this trip won't be a waste."

Then he shifted his attention squarely to Second. "As for you, I have a feeling that you were holding back and could have done more. If not for your mother's interference, maybe I could have caught you off guard and got you to show just how much you're capable of."

Second didn't say anything. He didn't cower or look away from Father's glare. He just continued to look straight ahead.

Father eventually turned away from Second. He asked them, "Which of you wants to go for the naming ceremony now? All of you can go. You will surely survive it. You won't embarrass me or yourself after surviving my test. But if you aim to win the final prize, then you are still far behind."

They considered the question seriously. Even far more than they did when Mother had asked them the same question.

The test they just went through pushed them to their limits and beyond. They succeeded in manipulating dragon force in ways they couldn't before. So they are confident of surviving the naming ceremony. But Father is also correct in that they are nowhere close enough to win the grand prize held every thousand years.

They need that grand prize if they want to have more than one law in their concept. If they are to defeat their father in the future, then having more than one law will come in handy. If Father is already this strong as a single law Sovereign, then they will be stronger if they can have two laws.

Father looked at their contemplating faces and laughed. "What are you thinking about? There is nothing to think about. The best decisions are made in the thick of battle. I will take you to fight so you can see if you have a chance."

Fourth thought about it and he felt it was a good idea. Fighting does bring out the survival instincts buried in their bloodline. That's why they hunt for training. But they have outgrown the threats in the forest, so their training has been lackluster.

Fourth thought to himself. "If I fight another dragon, it will at least make me certain of my chance."

He was inclined to take his father up on the offer and was about to express his willingness, but Mother interjected before any one of them could express their opinion.

She said to Father, "They will only go if they want to. You will not force them to. You have done enough."

She stood up to express the seriousness of the situation. Mother's dragon body overshadowed Father's humanoid body, but that doesn't mean anything. Size doesn't equate to strength. Even so, it is clear that he would have to go through her to get her dragonlings.

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A/N: This extra chapter is for Aspect and his contribution of 22 golden tickets.