Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 164 - 163: A Player at Heart

Chapter 164: Chapter 163: A Player at Heart

The path ahead was no longer a corridor, but a spiral staircase descending vertically.

While there wasn’t any black pudding, there was green slime—acidic sludge that could devour flesh and organic matter, even dissolve metal. But Tassera easily dealt with it with a single Flame Arrow.

Walking in front, Tassera was determined to lead the way, worried that Leon would brute-force his way through the puzzles. She hadn’t solved a single puzzle yet, and she no longer expected Leon to be stumped, ultimately forcing him to ask for her help and giving her a chance to shine.

"Honestly, aren’t you worried you’ll destroy those game pieces and fail to solve the puzzle as the dungeon designer intended, leaving that door unopenable?" Tassera asked while cautiously observing her surroundings. After all, where there was one patch of green slime, a second one wasn’t far off, and there was always the chance of more black puddings making a reappearance.

"Because I think I’ve played something like this before, and it worked back then," Leon pondered aloud. "If those game pieces are all small magic statues, they’re obviously meant to be destroyed. Otherwise, why go through all the trouble to craft so many of them..."

Leon took a deep breath and said, "A war can be won either with flawless strategies or sheer overwhelming force."

Tassera nodded slightly and said, "Looks like you’ve thought it through. At least it’s not just mindless brute strength."

Leon smiled politely—more theatrical than awkward—and said grandly, "Boldly hypothesize, carefully verify. Don’t box yourself in, don’t bind yourself by your own limitations. There’s never only one way to solve a problem. If you want to grow stronger, you can’t just follow someone else’s path—you have to carve out your own."

Tassera didn’t respond, for once falling into silent contemplation.

Leon smirked, thinking it’s one thing to talk the talk but another to walk the walk. Still, spouting cheesy aphorisms was easy for someone raised on a steady diet of motivational "chicken soup" for the soul.

After descending the spiral staircase, they entered another room.

The room wasn’t very big. As soon as Leon and Tassera stepped in, the door behind them immediately shut.

Leon tried pushing it, but it wouldn’t budge, so he prepared to draw the Catastrophe Blade.

"Leave it. Once we clear this stage, it’ll open on its own," Tassera said as she walked toward the counter in the center of the room.

Leon followed her over and saw several jars placed on the counter. Each jar was painted with a different type of monster, and a line of text was written in front of each one.

"The hag doesn’t have the key."

"Everyone bullies me; this old woman can’t take it anymore."

"The key was lost at night."

"I didn’t steal anything. I didn’t take the gold coin."

"It poured rain the day the key was lost."

...

Leon glanced at Tassera, about to speak, when she raised a hand with her palm upright, silencing him.

"Don’t say anything. This challenge is mine," Tassera declared, finally seizing the chance to showcase her puzzle-solving prowess.

Leon shrugged, refraining even from agreeing, and began wandering around the room.

Should a fight break out, the room was just barely big enough for him to turn into Dragon Form, but there wouldn’t be enough space to swing a sword. He’d have to rely on his sharp teeth and claws.

Meanwhile, Tassera picked up one jar, then another, murmuring to herself, "The key must be inside one of these jars. They all weigh roughly the same... The real clue lies in the inscriptions and the illustrations on the jars."

"This jar depicts an Enchanting Demon—beings with devastating combat prowess. Yet, they prefer luring victims to destroy themselves by offering power and wealth, all while spinning lies and orchestrating deceptions. You can’t trust anything an Enchanting Demon says," Tassera mused, her extensive knowledge showing.

"Horned Demons, on the other hand, aren’t demons but devils. Devils belong to the Order Camp and, rather than outright lies, are infamous for trickery, insinuations, and half-truths. Horned Demons typically serve as flying infantry for Hell’s legions and are painstakingly precise in carrying out orders." Tassera nodded to herself. "It’s reasonable to presume what’s in front of the Horned Demon jar is truthful."

Leon was sorely tempted to interject, burning with the urge to comment, but ultimately held his tongue.

After what felt like an eternity to Leon, Tassera suddenly lifted a jar and hurled it to the ground. It shattered, revealing a key inside.

"Looks like my deduction wasn’t wrong," Tassera remarked as she retrieved the key. "Aren’t I amazing?"

"So amazing," Leon clapped, grinning. "Our Tassera is absolutely amazing."

With a huff, Tassera unlocked the door leading forward, which simultaneously caused the door behind them to reopen.

"Let’s go. Time to move on." Tassera strode out of the room briskly. After walking a bit, she noticed Leon hadn’t caught up, and when she turned back, she saw him still standing in the room. "What are you doing back there? We’re leaving."

"What do you think will happen if I smash all these jars?" Leon asked curiously.

"No idea," Tassera replied. "Maybe monsters or traps."

"Let’s find out." Leon then picked up a jar and smashed it to the ground. From the jar painted with an Enchanting Demon, an actual Enchanting Demon emerged. The massive Great Demon had enormous claws and two smaller fists balled tightly.

"You’ve freed me. I must repay you," the Enchanting Demon said, eyeing Leon. Naturally, it couldn’t see through Leon and Tassera’s true natures. "I can help you conquer this dungeon."

"Hmm, let’s chat later." Leon, unfazed by the demon’s offer, grabbed another jar and smashed it.

Even if every jar contained just monsters, he’d still smash them all. It didn’t sit right with him otherwise. What kind of gamer leaves treasure chests unopened, glowing spots untouched, or jars unbroken in a game?

Even knowing there might only be junk—or worse, monsters—his compulsive nature wouldn’t let him leave a single one intact.

The next jar Leon smashed bore the image of a Horned Demon. He had been hoping to summon an actual Horned Demon to pit it against the Enchanting Demon, given their eternal enmity. Instead, what fell out was a pile of strange coins.

So the jars held treasures, not just monsters?

Leon picked up one of the coins and heard eerie, incomprehensible whispers. He murmured, "These are soul coins, aren’t they?"

"Correct, they’re soul coins," the Enchanting Demon confirmed. "With these, you can shop at devil-run stores... perhaps I could even take you there."

"Stop bluffing. You’re a demon—do you think you can open a portal to the Nine Prisons?" Leon carefully tucked the soul coins away.

He knew a little about them: soul coins were valuable currency in the Nine Prisons, highly coveted by devils, used to trade for favors, bribe reluctant individuals, or reward loyal subordinates.

"You can tell I’m a demon?" The Enchanting Demon flashed an unattractive smile. "But do you know what kind of demon I am?"

"Don’t talk to me right now. Don’t distract me—I’m busy smashing jars." Leon smashed the rest of the jars in quick succession.

One by one, the shattered jars released explosive lightning that couldn’t be dodged, a Flying Potion, three shadowy figures resembling undead creatures, and a dreadful curse—all of which Leon and Tassera easily resisted. There was also a significant sum of gold coins...

Though the rewards weren’t spectacular, Leon was quite satisfied after smashing every jar.

Leon turned to the Enchanting Demon and asked, "You said you’d help us navigate this dungeon. Do you know its secrets? What’s the deal with this place?"

"Of course."

According to the Enchanting Demon, the dungeon’s master was a mage who sought immortality by becoming a Witch Demon. However, for unknown reasons, they abandoned that path. Instead, they used magic and magic statues to create this dungeon, then vanished without a trace.

"You’re kidding," Leon said, skeptical of the Enchanting Demon’s story.

"I assure you, it’s true." The Enchanting Demon added, "Can we leave now?"

"We can, but you’re staying here." Though a minor threat, Leon didn’t want a dangerous outsider interfering with him and Tassera. "You’ve already outlived your usefulness."

The Enchanting Demon was momentarily dumbfounded by Leon’s words. What was wrong with these two? Had it encountered adventurers even more wicked than demons?

Demons, however, were easily angered.

The Enchanting Demon’s face darkened in rage. "I was going to play along with you two, but since you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant your wish."

Many assume demons are crude brawlers, but many demons are craftier and more intelligent than devils. They lack organization, their selfish nature prioritizing personal gain over teamwork. That’s why far larger demonic armies are often crushed by devil-led forces.

The Enchanting Demon raised its hands to cast a Dark Skill, only to see the man before it transform into a gigantic Red Dragon, glaring at it with smoldering eyes.

What followed wasn’t a fight—it was a one-sided thrashing.

Leon’s sharp teeth and claws made quick work of the Enchanting Demon, burning and tearing it into pieces. Turning back to Tassera, he said, "Now we can leave... If the Enchanting Demon wasn’t lying, we might find some impressive treasures here."

Tassera glanced at the wrecked room, strewn with broken jars, and sighed deeply. For some reason, her enthusiasm for solving puzzles had vanished entirely.

Leon, oblivious to Tassera’s sudden gloom, remarked, "Don’t you feel like someone—or something—has been watching us this entire time? Do you think it’s the dungeon master the Enchanting Demon mentioned?"

"It could be the dungeon’s master," Tassera speculated, "or perhaps a guardian set by the master to oversee things."

"As long as it’s not a Witch Demon, I’m fine," Leon replied nonchalantly. "I don’t sense any negative energy."