Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 165 - 164: The Final Test

Chapter 165: Chapter 164: The Final Test

A house needs human presence; only with life does the house thrive.

A house left uninhabited will "age" very quickly.

In reality, there’s no such thing as an aura—it’s just that without people living in it, small problems left unchecked can quickly evolve into major issues. It’s similar to how weeds and creeping vines, if not dealt with promptly, can aggressively grow roots that damage the structure of a building. These plants also attract insects, which burrow into walls and weaken the structure, leading to an unending cycle of deterioration.

All in all, an underground city so well-preserved likely has one or more guardians to watch over it. Perhaps only some annoying black puddings or green soft mud appear along the way, naturally occurring nuisances.

A massive lion with wings and the head of a female humanoid—a female-faced Sphinx—is one such guardian of this underground city. She’s responsible for maintaining the entire structure and protecting it from destruction.

The female-faced Sphinx crouched in the deepest part of the underground city. She could observe everything happening in the city... Well, she couldn’t perfectly see who entered or clearly hear their conversations, but she could certainly feel it faintly.

Two individuals—though perhaps not strictly humans—let’s call them two targets for now—had somehow opened the magical door to enter the underground city.

However, there seemed to be some issue with that magic door. At this point, she couldn’t sense it anymore and thought she’d have to find a chance to go out and check it, repair whatever was wrong. Otherwise, if anyone could easily push open the door and wander in, the underground city would lose all its mystery.

The magical door might not stop every intruder, but it could block most adventurers. Those who only rely on brute force often can’t even notice the puzzle, let alone piece it together to open the door.

"They’ve entered the underground city, now in the tunnel..."

Gaining access to the underground city via the magical door was only the start of the challenge. Those black puddings residing in the tunnels likely wouldn’t trouble adventurers who’d already passed the door’s test, though they were never meant to. The true test lay in strategy.

Breaking that "endgame position" wasn’t easy. The black pieces enjoyed significant dominance, and using the white pieces to overcome them demanded seeing more than ten moves ahead—a feat manageable only once, without second attempts.

Trying to cheat or play tricks would result in facing an assault from every piece. Each chess piece was a small magic statue, not exceptionally strong on its own, but with over ten pieces—black and white combined—it was a formidable force.

So, what had those two done? Even the chess pieces could no longer be contacted. She vaguely recalled hearing an alarm earlier. But really, who could destroy so many chess pieces in one go? No, it wasn’t destruction—it had to be a similar malfunction to that of the magic door.

Next came Strategy Room. Wasn’t Logic Room following after?

One must possess exceptional reasoning to pass Logic Room. Recognizing the creatures painted on the jars was essential; otherwise, traps and monsters awaited.

Enchanting demons weren’t as brutish as fierce battle demons, charging blindly without thought. They deceived. When their tricks failed, their array of tactics excelled far beyond those of succubi or dream demons, beings talented in deceiving but weak at combat.

Wow, they actually pinpointed the jar hiding the key.

But why smash all the other jars too? Didn’t they already retrieve the key?

Such troublemakers, the pair.

Even if they passed all prior tests, the final challenge wouldn’t be so easily overcome. Trickery wouldn’t work because she herself presided over it. Thinking this, the female-faced Sphinx couldn’t help but crack a subtle smile.

What kind of riddle should she prepare?

It had to be one with a proper challenge.

"She is both round and flat. She is the Wolf King’s altar, the gemstone on black velvet, the pearl within the sea. She remains eternal, yet is forever changing..." How about this? Without true wisdom, no one could guess she’s the moon.

"There exists a creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening. When it has the most legs, it is at its weakest; when it has the fewest, it is strongest..." But isn’t this riddle too famous? Anyone who’s studied would know it.

"What leaves more behind the further it goes forward?"

"What has six faces but no mouth, twenty-one eyes but cannot see?"

The female-faced Sphinx contemplated for a long time but remained undecided.

...

...

The enchanting demon was merely an interlude; being observed didn’t concern Leon and Tassera.

They then passed through a labyrinth made entirely of glass and mirrors, though these were composed of ice. Otherwise, Leon would’ve tried to pack those mirrors up for sale—every coin counts.

A room full of illusions posed no challenge for Leon, equipped with the Heavenly Eye Technique, nor for Tassera, a Blue Dragon versed in the magic of the Illusion school.

Tassera had brains; Leon had brawn. ...Of course, he had brains too, though solving riddles bored him. He much preferred the simplicity of smashing things. This vast underground city proved no match for them.

"Finally... the treasure room." The journey had been light on monsters, primarily filled with puzzles. Tassera found it enjoyable; Leon less so. Now, finally, something he cared about.

Even then, Leon didn’t drop his guard and said, "I bet most of these chests hide shape-shifting monsters."

Treasure chests can simply be treasure chests—but don’t be so sure.

A shape-shifting monster is a predator that can transform into lifeless objects to lure its prey. In the underground city, these cunning hunters adopt shapes like doors or chests, waiting to ambush unsuspecting victims who wander too close.

"So?" Tassera said, "If you stay away, they stay dormant... Unless you plan to set everything ablaze."

"That’s easy," Leon said. He then muttered the Soul Summoning Mantra—a mental attack spell ensuring the treasures remain intact.

The unimpressive shape-shifting monsters, ranked even below black puddings, couldn’t resist the spell’s effects, turning on one another in savage frenzy until only one was left. Leon drew his Catastrophe Blade and took it out with a single slash.

"Treasure room, my foot. Hardly anything worth mentioning here." Leon searched every corner of the room, uncovering one hidden compartment, but all of his findings combined were just worth a few thousand gold coins. ...Still, he admitted, it was no small sum, enough to spare one or two unsavory deeds.

The pair reached the treasure room via a three-way junction, finding it at a dead end. Now heading back, Leon couldn’t help grumble, "If the final destination holds such miserly rewards, I’m not interested... How much farther to the end, anyway?"

"The middle path of the junction leads to the end," Tassera said. "I feel it. I just know."

"Hope your feeling’s right." Leon yawned, adding, "I’m a bit tired."

"Don’t be tired," Tassera replied. "We’re so close to the end. The final trial is ahead."

"And that’s exactly why we need a proper rest," said Leon. "To take on the final trial in peak condition."

Tassera hesitated before replying, "You might have a point."

"Not a long rest, just a short one. Eat something, have a quick nap." Leon retrieved food from the small space within his Sleeve of the Universe—wine, meat, bread—and shared it with Tassera. Even though they weren’t a couple, he didn’t skimp.

...

...

The two were already at the door. They could push it open and meet her, so why suddenly stop moving? The female-faced Sphinx couldn’t comprehend their behavior.

Resting was understandable, but remaining still for hours? She hesitated to step out and peek but held herself back. After half the day, she resolved to make the challenge harder once they resumed the test.

Were those footsteps?

Finally, they’re moving.

The female-faced Sphinx shook her head, stood upright majestically, and gazed at the opening doors behind which emerged a handsome man and a striking woman.

She focused on the pair, instinctively licked her lips, then sharpened her gaze.

Her eyes pierced through time and space, peeling back veils of magic and invisibility.

The enchanting demon failed to discern the pair’s true forms, but it didn’t stop the female-faced Sphinx from seeing clearly. No humans—these were a Red Dragon and a Blue Dragon.

The female-faced Sphinx blinked, speaking tactfully, "Travelers from far away, what brings you here?"

Before Leon or Tassera could respond, she continued, "If you pass my challenge, I can help you alter your fate."

"Now, answer me this," said the female-faced Sphinx. "What has five brothers, lives together, has different names, and varies in height?"

Leon wasn’t fond of riddles, but this one was far too simple. There was no reason for him to miss it.

He recalled his encounter with a male-faced Sphinx from long ago—a stronger entity in an ancient fallen empire’s tomb. Raising a hand, he answered confidently, "The hand. Did I get it right?"

"As expected," she nodded.

"Let’s keep going," Leon said.

"That was the end." The female-faced Sphinx said with a sly smile, "Ready to alter your destinies?"

Somehow, she produced a deck of ivory cards and said, "You may draw one, or several..."

For a moment, Leon was stunned. Meanwhile, Tassera’s eyes widened in shock. "The Impermanence Cards?!" she exclaimed.