Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 175 - 174 Death Fear Punisher

Chapter 175: Chapter 174 Death Fear Punisher

The standard challenge rating for a Cloud Giant is only 9, but Mankus is no ordinary Cloud Giant.

In his presence, an average adult White Dragon is no match. All he needs to do is raise his Nail Head Hammer, summon lightning enchantments, and smash with the Storm Hammer—hitting the target every time.

Why does Mankus always act like an old farmer, preferring to grow pumpkins in the garden and even helping to deliver giant lynx cubs? It all depends on the strength of the other party. If they’re strong, he’s an old farmer; if they’re weak, he’s a domineering leader.

At first, Mankus was indeed frightened, so scared that his legs went limp and he couldn’t move... Under normal circumstances, even the mature Red Dragon Angmog wouldn’t terrify him to this extent. Angmog wouldn’t dare provoke him in his castle—maybe out in the wild, but it wouldn’t go unchallenged. Yet in less than a minute, he regained his composure and stood up again.

If given a bit of provocation, such as an attack, his recovery would be even quicker.

"Stop!"

The pressure was overwhelming, forcing Mankus to draw his weapon. Only the grip of his weapon could bolster his courage.

"Why are you so tense? I didn’t harm you; I haven’t harmed anyone," Leon observed, noticing the Cloud Giant gripping his Nail Head Hammer with a tense posture, like a taut string on the verge of snapping.

Leon could very well destroy the Cloud Giant’s castle and leave unscathed, but there was no need for that. He withdrew his aura, transforming from a monstrous menace into a relatively harmless creature.

As Leon withdrew his aura, Mankus immediately felt a drastic reduction in pressure, though his wildly beating heart didn’t calm down right away—proof that what he’d just experienced was no illusion. He asked, "What did you just do?"

"Nothing much," Leon replied, raising both claws and casually slamming them onto the flawlessly tiled floor, easily shattering the surface. "I just got some new gear and couldn’t resist testing it."

What does sudden fear have to do with new gear? At least make up a better lie.

Mankus realized he couldn’t see through the Red Dragon at all. Hesitating, he tried to avoid confrontation on non-fundamental matters and said patiently, "If you want to test your gear, you can do it outside the castle however you like."

"Outside the castle is just rocks. How would I test anything there? Using your castle as a test dummy would make more sense... Just kidding, I don’t plan to do that," Leon said. He could sense the quality of his newly acquired gear was quite solid. "I think I’ll head back and test them instead."

"When will the Dragon Armor be ready?" The high quality of Tear Claw and Dragon’s Jaw had raised Leon’s expectations for the upcoming Dragon Armor.

"I don’t know," Mankus admitted, growing increasingly hesitant to talk money with the Red Dragon.

"Dragon Armor must be more difficult to forge than Tear Claw or Dragon’s Jaw, right?" Leon still felt uneasy. "Are you sure there’s no problem with this?"

"Rest assured, there’s no issue," Mankus reassured him. "The Fire Giant smelter I enlisted—though he hasn’t forged Dragon Armor for a Red Dragon—has crafted several suits for White Dragons. A Frost Giant tribe that managed to tame a White Dragon frequently requested him to forge Dragon Armor, primarily for saddles to make riding easier."

Mankus spoke while carefully observing Leon, fearful the Red Dragon might be upset upon hearing about Frost Giants enslaving White Dragons.

"Since you say he has experience, I’m reassured," Leon replied, indifferent as he had no personal ties to White Dragons. "I really have to thank you; otherwise, I wouldn’t know where to find a Fire Giant smelter capable of crafting Dragon Armor."

A Red Dragon expressing gratitude left Mankus a bit flattered. He hurriedly responded, "You’re being too kind."

Leon chuckled, a sound that made Mankus’ heart hang in suspense.

Not forgetting the purpose of his visit, Leon said, "I always stick to my word. I promised last time to give you the Impermanence Card as collateral, so I brought it today."

With that, he placed an exquisite box on the ground.

Mankus picked up the box and opened it. The ivory-crafted Impermanence Card inside brimmed with magical power, leaving him almost unbelieving.

"Go ahead, check if it’s real," Leon offered, seeing the Cloud Giant nod in acknowledgment. Despite everything, the Red Dragon retained some conscience. After all, this volatile artifact was as much trouble for him as it would be for others. "But don’t say I didn’t warn you—many eyes are on the Impermanence Card. The Blazing Sky Barrier might be manageable, but have you heard of the Death Fear Punishers?"

"You’d better lock it away in your treasure vault," Leon advised. "Your vault should have powerful spell protections to deter thieves or spell-based detection."

"I know how to safeguard the Impermanence Card," Mankus replied, patting his chest with confidence.

"Good that you know." Waving a claw, Leon retrieved Tear Claw and Dragon’s Jaw in a flash. "Keep an eye on my Dragon Armor—I hope you won’t give me a reason to lose my temper."

Leon came and left quickly, soon returning to the Volcanic Island. He noticed everyone was working—except the Brass Dragon, who was snoozing off to the side. With an irritated swipe, he smacked the Brass Dragon awake. "Sleeping during work hours? Do you even want your wages?"

"Work hours, my claw! I agreed to help you build the castle. Can’t I rest when I’m tired? Don’t push it too far," the Brass Dragon, grumpy from being woken, retorted. Knowing Leon wouldn’t really hurt him, he added, "I’ll fight you."

"Alright, calm down. Don’t get mad. I actually have something interesting to show you," Leon said, his intent unrelated to the nap.

"What is it?" The Brass Dragon, intrigued, instantly perked up—after all, he enjoyed chatting more than anything.

"This." Leon lifted a claw, flashing Tear Claw. "What do you think this is?"

"That’s Tear Claw?" the Brass Dragon recognized it instantly. Still groggy, he blurted, "Is it for me?"

"What are you dreaming about? Are you still half-asleep?" Leon replied, half mocking. "I’m just showing off, not giving it to you. It’s mine—mine! Not a single piece for you."

Occasionally, Leon indulged his need to share, but the Brass Dragon wasn’t the best audience. More often than not, the Brass Dragon would hijack the conversation, turning himself into the star. The two dragons ended up chatting for over half an hour.

After all the day’s commotion, Leon began feeling sleepy as well. He dove into the molten lava pool to rest—a feature conveniently suggested by the Brass Dragon near the castle. Lava was directed to the perfect depth for Leon to settle into, preventing accidental submersion into the volcano.

Watchtower Port was already within his grasp, but Leon seemed in no rush now—like anticipating the release of a long-awaited game, only to leave it idle after purchasing.

With Tear Claw and Dragon’s Jaw enhancing his combat capabilities, Leon could rest easy. Unfortunately, creating Dragon Armor took more time than expected and would still require patience.

For now, the Shuffle Demon had shown up, as had the Blazing Sky Barrier Knights. Before the troublesome Comet Pioneers or the Death Fear Punishers could emerge, Leon had passed along the hot-potato Impermanence Card, effectively ridding himself of the problem. This reprieve was why Leon could sleep so soundly.

...

...

With the Impermanence Card now out of his possession, Leon figured the Shuffle Demon and Blazing Sky Barrier Knights wouldn’t bother him anymore, nor would the Comet Pioneers or Death Fear Punishers. But things were rarely that simple.

Although the Shuffle Demon and Blazing Sky Barrier Knights had already appeared, the Comet Pioneers weren’t particularly fixated on the Impermanence Card. The Death Fear Punishers, however, would never let it go unheard of.

The Death Fear Punishers were fanatically searching for any hint about the Impermanence Card—the owners of the cards or anyone privy to the secrets of the deck.

At the Watchtower Port docks, no one noticed a black-clad figure who had suddenly appeared, with an eagle perched on his shoulder and two dogs at his feet—an odd sight amid the crowd.

Apart from their out-of-place presence, the man and his eagle-dog companions seemed unremarkable. However, anyone with True Vision would discern their true nature—undead creatures.

If someone with True Vision also had extensive knowledge, they would recognize the eagle as a Punishment Falcon.

Punishment Falcons are creatures that died alongside their trusted masters in battle and later resurrected. These undead birds—whether falcons, ravens, or other raptors—roam cemeteries and ancient battlefields, magically traversing the multiverse from one world to another.

If the eagle was a Punishment Falcon, the dogs must be Punishment Hunting Dogs. These undead creatures originated when the Death Fear Punishers conquered a Fairy Kingdom known as the Joyful Garden, slaughtering countless Flash Dogs and reanimating their corpses with necromancy. Punishment Hunting Dogs proved particularly useful in seeking traces of the Impermanence Card.

As for the black-clad figure, there was no doubt—they were one of the Death Fear Punishers.

Death Fear Punishers travel via the Death Passage to hunt for the Impermanence Card or other objects of interest. These missions are known as Hunts of Suffering, or simply Hunts.

Just one person, one eagle, and two dogs make up a hunt team?

If the Hunting Captain is sufficiently strong, why not? Why take a parade of thoughtless undead creatures to draw attention?

Only when a Skull Card is drawn—granting a chance to destroy an entire Impermanence Deck—would the entire force mobilize, possibly even led by the Death Horror Monarch in person.

Indeed, the black-clad man was a deputy general serving under the Death Horror Monarch: a powerful Death Knight.

A textbook Death Knight, one who wouldn’t even flinch before facing any dragon.

"You say there’s a faint scent of the Impermanence Card on that island?" The Death Knight gently stroked the Punishment Hunting Dog’s head while the Punishment Falcon circled above.

The Punishment Hunting Dog couldn’t speak the Universal Language, only the tongue of Flash Dogs. But its barks, combined with body language, conveyed enough information.

"The scent is faint?" The Death Knight murmured. "No matter. Even if the card itself isn’t there, there are likely clues about it."

The Death Knight gazed toward the distant Volcanic Island, pondering how best to cross the sea and land on it.