Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 181 - 180 Search

Chapter 181: Chapter 180 Search

For Leon, the Impermanence Card wasn’t of great importance—more of a collector’s item. Regardless, it was an exceedingly precious legendary artifact, not something that could be casually discarded.

Besides, what Leon hated most was being deceived.

He couldn’t tolerate being swindled, even for a single copper coin. He still vividly remembered being cheated out of five bucks as a child in the arcade, and later boycotting a restaurant he’d frequented for half a year over an unjustified one-yuan charge, emphasizing his vindictive tendencies.

I can give it, but you can’t rob, fool, or steal it.

Leon was absolutely furious at the moment, but soon calmed down after some quick thinking.

His Impermanence Card was valuable, yes, but certainly not worth the Cloud Giant abandoning a castle and domain carefully managed over years. Frankly, that was one of the reasons Leon entrusted the card to the Cloud Giant for safekeeping—another reason being that the Impermanence Card felt like a hot potato.

Descending into the lower courtyard of the Cloud Giant’s castle, Leon surveyed the destroyed crossbow cannon, the crumbled walls, the ruins and debris—it was desolate beyond words. He was pretty convinced that the Cloud Giant hadn’t fled with his Impermanence Card but had likely fallen victim to some mishap.

Wait, don’t jump to conclusions just yet.

The treasure amassed by the Cloud Giant could also determine their rank and status, and their greed for riches rivaled that of dragons.

At the same time, the Cloud Giant wasn’t exactly noble—often obtaining treasures through theft and plunder, avidly indulging in high-risk high-reward gambling. As for rigging bets, as long as they remained undiscovered, it wasn’t considered a crime—they’d do anything.

Leon wasn’t above imagining the Cloud Giant at their worst.

His single Impermanence Card probably wasn’t enough for the Cloud Giant to resort to such extremes. But if the Cloud Giant had deceived not just him but many others, then all sorts of possibilities arose—say, orchestrating a self-directed and self-starring tragedy.

On the walls and ground there were visible bloodstains. Inside the Beast Pen lay skeletons of giant lynxes and owlbears. The pumpkins in the botanical garden were still there, while unchecked plants grew wildly in chaotic overgrowth. The expensive Stone Magic Statue reduced to fragments...

Through observation, various clues confirmed Leon’s initial suspicion: the Cloud Giant had indeed met with misfortune, as no one would stage such an elaborate scene for mere subterfuge.

That said, the Cloud Giant wasn’t weak—there were a couple, plus their numerous subordinates and pets. What kind of force could conquer a Cloud Giant’s castle?

Leon thought of the Impermanence Card. If the Cloud Giant had drawn a card and, out of ill fortune, pulled the Skull Card—provoking the Death Fear Punisher... Well, there was a slim chance of survival against a subordinate of the Death Horror Monarch—a Deputy General like a Death Knight, Witch Demon, or Vampire—who often led a group of Death Fear Punishers. But encountering the Death Horror Monarch itself? Forget it.

Death Fear Punishers were entirely undead creatures. Should they mobilize en masse, the Cloud Giant’s castle would definitely be anything but clean, with traces of necromancy energy everywhere.

Ruins scattered about bore scorch marks. On the ground, melted iron could still be seen, making it clear that the perpetrator behind all of this was a fire expert.

The likelihood of a Red Dragon was high, though a Fire Giant wasn’t out of the question. Ordinary Fire Giants were ranked lower than Cloud Giants and probably wouldn’t strike against them—but the Evil Flame Fire Giant or the Prison Fire Villain? That was another story.

My Impermanence Card, that’s my Impermanence Card.

Leon wasn’t about to let things slide.

If the Cloud Giant was still alive, he’d confront them for the Impermanence Card. If the Cloud Giant was dead, then he’d go after whoever had taken the card.

Leon began a meticulous search of the Cloud Giant’s castle, hoping to uncover some clues.

Perhaps some clues existed, but Leon wasn’t a detective or a fan of mystery novels and games. Despite spending considerable time searching, he came up empty-handed.

Scratching his head in frustration, Leon spread his wings and took flight, deciding to explore the surroundings.

The Lost Plateau was vast, with land near the desert suffering from desertification, leaving few mountains. The area was mainly inhabited by humans and dwarves. At its borders lay a mountainous region with year-round snow and harsh conditions—a habitat for many giants and dragons.

Leon located a Frost Giant village not far from the Cloud Giant’s castle, deciding to gather intelligence from them.

A Red Dragon with a wingspan of over twenty meters was practically impossible to miss unless everyone was blind.

As the Red Dragon circled above the village, war horns sounded, prompting Frost Giants to take up arms—mainly massive axes, with some javelins and heaps of throwable stones.

Ordinary Frost Giants were limited to wielding basic weapons and had no knowledge of Frozen Magic, leaving them helpless against Leon’s hardened scales. Despite the village entering full combat readiness, Leon confidently landed at the forefront of the Frost Giant village.

"Red Dragon, what brings you here?" A Frost Giant with glacier-like blue skin, covered in frost and ice spikes, emerged holding an enormous frost-covered war hammer—a clear Magic Weapon. Towering above the other Frost Giants, he commanded, "Leave immediately."

"No need to get riled up," Leon replied. He’d never dealt with Frost Giants before and wasn’t sure how to approach them. "I mean no harm."

"I just want to know—do you have any idea what happened to that castle over there?" Leon gestured toward the direction of the Cloud Giant’s castle.

Was this a threat?

What was there to discuss between giants and dragons?

Almost instantaneously as Leon turned his head, the towering Frost Giant signaled an attack and charged at Leon.

Leon had been keeping a watchful eye on the Frost Giants the entire time; no way was he going to get caught off guard. Moreover, with his reflexes significantly heightened since completing his cultivation, he could even counterattack first. He whipped his tail across the towering Frost Giant’s legs, sending him sprawling to the ground.

The Frost Giants numbered far too many—over a dozen. If Leon had been an average Red Dragon, fleeing would have been his only option to avoid being overwhelmed by them.

Leon was fearless. With a roaring cry, he activated his aura, transforming into a ferocious and menacing Red Dragon, causing the charging Frost Giants to halt in their tracks. Then, he drew the Catastrophe Blade.

Though Frost Giants were fierce, against Leon, they were mere fodder. Their pieced-together armors were no match for Leon’s sword, which pierced straight through armored chests, skewering hearts and slicing heads with ease.

Swarming Frost Giants posed a formidable threat, but when their attacks proved futile against him, they resorted to grappling—holding onto his wings, neck, limbs, and even his head, attempting to restrain him. Little did they know, Leon possessed the Gathering Form and Scattering Energy technique. Activating it left them clutching at air.

Leon dissipated into a swirl of Clean Energy. Instead of retaliating with a Shadow-breaking Strike, he gracefully landed atop a large boulder, reciting the Soul Summoning Mantra that hadn’t been uttered in ages.

The Frost Giants’ challenge ratings were not low. That level of challenge rating in humans, dwarves, or elves would likely render Leon’s mantra ineffective. Such individuals would have undergone rigorous training, becoming resolute in mind and character, thus easily avoiding its effects.

Unfortunately, Frost Giants relied purely on innate talent for their challenge ratings—their mental resilience better than regular civilians due to their militaristic nature but comparable only to average hunters or militia.

As Leon’s Soul Summoning Mantra resonated, nearly half the Frost Giants turned against their own kind, attacking each other madly. A stone hurled by a remaining Frost Giant interrupted Leon’s chant, leaving only a handful standing—all severely injured.

"Now will you listen to me talk?" Leon asked.

There was no surrender, only an even fiercer counterattack. Left with no choice, Leon slaughtered the remaining Frost Giants before stepping into their village.

On the walls of the Frost Giants’ homes were decorations of mammoth ivory, griffin beaks, and thorny-tailed lion tails. Since Leon was broke, he unapologetically claimed them all.

Leon encountered a Frost Giant child and asked, "Can you understand me?"

The Frost Giant child glared at Leon fiercely, dodging his question by spitting furiously and thrusting a spear concealed under the snow toward Leon’s face—unsurprisingly, achieving nothing.

Frost Giants were ruthless pillagers, refraining from production and relying solely on hunting and raiding. Their favorite pastime was launching assaults on nearby settlements or outposts under the guise of blizzards.

Scanning his surroundings, humanoid and beast bones were scattered throughout the Frost Giant village, with dragon bones occasionally evident—naturally, from White Dragons.

In such a context, Frost Giants weren’t people to Leon but monsters. As for the child? It wasn’t a matter of whether they reached the height of a wagon wheel—the child was taller than an average adult. Leon didn’t hesitate to strike at the child with claws before finishing him off with a sword.

Leon ransacked the Frost Giant village, taking every valuable item he could find. Unfortunately, Frost Giants divided their loot into "Red Goods" and "White Goods"—living creatures versus material wealth. While fond of steel, alcohol, and large gemstones, they tended to leave small, round coins behind. Hence, Leon didn’t find a single gold coin.

Given the barren land, Frost Giants would pen small livestock for food. Leon discovered an abundance of provisions, devouring sheep one by one and saving room for mammoth meat—too good to pass up.

After eating his fill, Leon returned to the Cloud Giant’s castle, found a wind-sheltered room to sleep in, and decided to continue his investigation the next day.

Over two days, Leon visited all Frost Giant villages near the Cloud Giant’s castle—not that there were many. While collecting a considerable haul of loot, he managed to gather some tidbits of intelligence.

Though Leon hadn’t been to the Lost Plateau in ages, someone had reportedly seen a Red Dragon a month ago.

Angmog.

Leon recalled the name.