Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 182 - 181: Out of the Woods and into the Flower-Lit Clearing

Chapter 182: Chapter 181: Out of the Woods and into the Flower-Lit Clearing

Leon was profoundly impressed by Angomog.

That mighty Red Dragon in his prime had indeed been defeated by Leon, but achieving such a victory had drained Leon’s mana completely. He did not possess the strength to hunt Angomog down afterward.

Leon knew Angomog was formidable, even more so than that Death Knight. After all, the Death Knight was a foot soldier—without a nightmare steed for mobility, a grounded unit could never match the level of a flying adversary.

Even so, successfully breaching the Cloud Giants’ castle wouldn’t be an easy task. According to what Leon had gathered from the Cloud Giants, Angomog was merely considered a troublesome foe at best.

With this thought, Leon nodded thoughtfully.

The last time he had seen Angomog was several years ago. Back then, Leon was still a young dragon. In such a lengthy period, it was entirely possible that Angomog had encountered some fortuitous event that dramatically increased his strength.

...Then again, it wasn’t entirely certain that the Red Dragon in question was Angomog.

After all, the Lost Plateau was vast, easily accommodating dozens or even hundreds of dragons. It surely wasn’t home to Angomog alone; it was entirely plausible that there could be an older Red Dragon, perhaps even an ancient one, residing there.

A challenge level of at least 20 would be expected for an ancient Red Dragon. Even if Leon did encounter such an opponent, while victory wasn’t impossible, it would still be risky. Unless he was absolutely certain of success, it wasn’t worth the gamble. Life was singular and precious—recklessness was not an option.

"What am I even thinking?"

"Why should I care who it is? What does it have to do with me?"

No matter who that Red Dragon was—whether it was Angomog or not—Leon realized there was no reason for him to clash head-on with the other dragon. It wasn’t as if he had been ambushed or robbed. His sole target from the beginning had been the Cloud Giants.

Focus on who owes you. Don’t invite unnecessary trouble—there’s only disadvantage and no reward.

Once the Cloud Giants were dealt with, then he could consider any debt transfers. There would be time later to seek compensation from the Red Dragon if necessary.

Information about the Red Dragon wasn’t of the highest priority. Gathering intelligence on the Cloud Giants remained his main objective. The problem was that all of the Frost Giant villages near the Cloud Giants’ castle had already been visited.

Leon decided to search further afield. He resolved to spend three more days looking—if nothing came of it, he’d leave. He couldn’t stay in this icy wasteland indefinitely.

He wasn’t that intolerant of the cold; Red Dragons naturally made their nests in high-altitude regions, often in snowy mountain caves. Still, they disliked the cold. Lava-heated or volcanic caves were the most cherished nesting sites for Red Dragons.

Had it not been for this current predicament, Leon would likely be lounging comfortably in his castle, sleeping soundly after a hearty meal, and eating again after waking up.

"If I were Mankus and still alive, what would I do?"

Leon placed himself in the Cloud Giant’s shoes. If he were Mankus and had narrowly survived, what would his next steps be?

As a Cloud Giant, it would make sense to seek assistance from fellow Cloud Giants of the same rank, rather than turning to lower-ranking Fire Giants or Frost Giants. Pride wouldn’t allow otherwise.

"First, I would surely find a place to lay low, then plan my revenge..."

Leon mused for a moment, recalling his understanding that in contrast to most types of giants, who preferred communal living, the fundamental unit of Cloud Giant society was the household. While these scattered families were separated by significant distances, they were not isolated—every household or individual knew the location of their nearest neighbor.

In times of crisis, news could spread from one Cloud Giant family to another, quickly organizing a formidable Cloud Giant army if necessary.

"Cloud Giants—I can still seek out other Cloud Giants."

Fire Giants bore a particular hatred for Red Dragons, and within Frost Giant society, rank was determined purely by brute and ruthless strength—violence permeated their entire culture. By comparison, Cloud Giants were far easier to negotiate with. Leon decided to seek out other Cloud Giants for discussions.

Cloud Giants typically resided within permanent cloud formations or atop towering mountains, sometimes thousands of meters high, as many cloud altitudes matched such elevations.

Leon spread his wings and began his ascent, flapping vigorously. Deciding to use the Gathering Form and Scattering Energy ability, he swiftly climbed altitude, breaching the cloud layers to search for a castle built atop the clouds or perched on the peaks of mountains towering above them.

After half an hour of fruitless searching, Leon landed atop a mountain and felt momentarily dejected.

Was that a White Dragon or a Silver Dragon?

The distance was too great for Leon to discern immediately.

Whether it was a White Dragon or a Silver Dragon, Leon lacked any real interest. He lived by the principle of not meddling unless provoked. But with this approaching dragon—whether White or Silver—things might change.

As the dragon came closer and closer, Leon was finally able to identify it: it was a Silver Dragon.

The shimmering scales gleaming like pure silver in the sunlight were something a White Dragon could never possess.

Because of their preference for similar nesting locations, Silver Dragons and Red Dragons often clashed—these conflicts were typically fierce and fatal, with the Silver Dragons usually gaining the upper hand due to their more numerous allies.

Leon was unsure whether this Silver Dragon was here to cause trouble for him. While he wasn’t one to instigate, he certainly wasn’t afraid of conflict either. Silver Dragons, regardless of size, didn’t particularly concern him. In fact, with his recent frustrations, he wouldn’t mind a fight as a way to vent.

Leon waited patiently for the Silver Dragon to approach.

"Leon." The Silver Dragon spoke in Dragon Language, its voice accompanied by a faint hiss. "Your name is Leon, correct?"

"How do you know my name?" Leon replied in Dragon Language.

"I’m a friend of Mankus," the Silver Dragon said. "He mentioned that you would surely come looking for him. He said you liked to stand upright—if I hadn’t seen you standing, I might not have recognized you and wouldn’t have dared approach."

"From the way you’re talking, it seems like he’s still alive." Leon couldn’t hide his excitement—he hadn’t expected things to take a sudden turn for the better.

The Silver Dragon landed beside Leon, its size comparable to his own, and said, "Alive, yes, though it’s hardly different from being dead."

"Was his injury severe?" Leon asked—not out of concern, but out of mere curiosity.

"Not too severe. He’s mostly recovered now," the Silver Dragon replied with a chuckle. "It’s just that his centuries’ worth of treasure has been completely plundered... I’m sure you can understand that feeling."

"By the way," the Silver Dragon introduced itself, "I’m Grianna, a Silver Dragon."

"Leon," Leon responded. "You already know—just a Red Dragon."

"I never thought I’d be able to have a peaceful conversation with a Red Dragon. It’s truly remarkable," Grianna said, her chin adorned with whisker-like spiny fins. A row of spines extended from the top of her head down her neck to her tail. "Mankus told me you were a particularly unique Red Dragon. I didn’t believe him at first, but now I see it’s true."

Leon chuckled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Lord Bahamut was right," Grianna said with a nod. "Even the most chaotic and evil of Red Dragons can have a chance at redemption." Metallic Dragons generally held respect for Bahamut, acknowledging him not as a deity but as a king.

"I don’t think I need any redemption."

"You didn’t come here for that, did you?" Leon asked. Whether Tiamat or Bahamut, Leon couldn’t care less. "Let’s talk about Mankus instead. He owes me a set of Dragon Armor and still has some of my treasures. I hope he hasn’t lost them."

"That’s something you’ll need to discuss with him directly." Although the Cloud Giant lived in Grianna’s lair, she had no intention of inviting Leon over. "Wait here for a moment—I’ll be back soon."