Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 186 - 185: Getting Carried Away

Chapter 186: Chapter 185: Getting Carried Away

Leon had certainly taken an elixir, but it was the Bloodthirsty Elixir, which didn’t impact his strength.

He could match Angmog’s strength as a mature Red Dragon because he had grown considerably over the years, evolving from a teenage dragon to a youth dragon, advancing from a large size to an enormous one. While he was still no match for Angmog, the gap had closed significantly—and there was the added boost of Bull’s Strength from the Cloud Giant.

In fact, if Angmog hadn’t progressed to Blood Scale Frenzy—which increased both strength and constitution during a berserk state—Leon might have even been able to overwhelm him instead.

But there’s no "if" in this world. The reality was that Angmog had advanced to Blood Scale Frenzy. In terms of strength, he was still superior to Leon. He just couldn’t toss Leon around as effortlessly as he once had. Now it would inevitably come down to a prolonged standoff, wearing down Leon’s energy bit by bit, then finishing in one decisive push.

"Let’s see how long you can last... you little runt, little bug."

"Why would I try to endure?"

Angmog in his Blood Scale Frenzy could be considered the most savage of the savage barbarians. No one in their right mind would want to clash with him head-on. Leon, for one, had no interest, especially in close-quarters combat.

"The longer the weapon, the stronger the advantage; the shorter, the greater the risk." Different weapons had different ideal ranges. Close combat belonged to daggers, sharp teeth, and claws, not swords.

Leon wasn’t shy about using his abilities. Gathering Form and Scattering Energy—he activated it with zero hesitation. At this stage, the mana cost was negligible, though the inability to use it continuously was still a hassle. In an instant, he disappeared into thin air, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash his Breaking Stealth Strike.

A baby dragon’s scales were as tough as chainmail. As they aged, those scales only grew thicker and harder, tougher and more durable than steel. Ordinary attacks stood little chance of penetrating the mature Red Dragon Angmog’s scales to deal actual damage.

But ordinary attacks weren’t Leon’s game here. Using Gathering Form and Scattering Energy to pinpoint a weak spot, paired with Breaking Stealth Strike, freshly maintained weapons coated in precise oil, and a refined gold weapon enhanced with Elemental Weapon enchantments—this was a special strike perfectly aligned with both timing and preparation.

Unlike the earlier strike that grazed Angmog’s back, this attack proved highly effective. The Catastrophe Blade slid effortlessly into Angmog’s flank.

For a Red Dragon of enormous size, an ordinary adventurer’s sword was no more threatening than a toothpick. Even ten stabs wouldn’t pose much danger. But Leon’s sword was different—its length was measured in meters.

As the blade struck, a shriek of pain escaped Angmog’s mouth and reverberated through the cave.

For most Red Dragons, suffering such severe injuries would trigger a moment of fear, some snarling threats, and a retreat.

But Angmog, in his Blood Scale Frenzy, reacted differently. The wound merely inflamed his bloodlust.

He let out a single scream, then turned his head to sink his teeth into the arm Leon was using to grip the sword.

Leon hadn’t expected Angmog to be so ferocious. Yet, even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered. With his Vajra Body activated, Leon was immune to harm. The only downside was the rapid drain on his mana.

Angmog bit down savagely, expecting to tear flesh, but all he felt was something unnaturally hard. He hesitated for only a moment before violently shaking his head to tear at it—but still, no effect.

Angmog’s biting attack couldn’t harm Leon, but as long as his jaws remained clamped, Leon couldn’t draw his sword back out either.

After two unsuccessful attempts to pull free, Leon decisively twisted the sword’s hilt in an attempt to deepen the wound and force Angmog to release his grip in pain. But to Leon’s dismay, Angmog didn’t flinch—he was like a pit bull that felt no pain.

Leon let out a resigned sigh and released the sword. Nevertheless, Angmog still refused to release his bite.

Frustrated, Leon, fueled by the effect of the Bloodthirsty Elixir, tapped into a feral rage. Using his free clawed hand, he began clawing at the scales on Angmog’s neck.

Three... five... ten... Slowly, the Tear Claw began to show its worth.

As more and more scales were stripped from Angmog’s neck, Leon leaned in and bit down. The refined gold Dragon’s Jaw tore into flesh, and the scorching-hot blood, strangely sweet, filled his mouth.

At first, Angmog felt pain. But as the blood flowed and the adrenaline surged, the sensation of pain disappeared. However, he wasn’t an idiot and knew that continuing to fight under these circumstances was unsustainable. Without hesitation, he released Leon’s arm, violently shaking his head to break free of Leon’s bite.

Round one ended in a decisive victory for Leon.

Now, it was time for round two.

"Staring at me won’t help. If you’ve got the guts, come at me and bite me again." Leon, with his Vajra Body still active, stood tall and unyielding. He feared Angmog’s attacks as little as a mountain fears the wind. What worried him more was if Angmog decided to waste time instead of engaging. "I’m standing right here. Not moving."

Barbarians love combat, and Blood Scale Frenzy warriors no less so. Combined with Leon’s relentless taunts, Angmog pounced once more at Leon.

This time, Leon took a deep breath, preparing his Samadhi True Fire.

The Blood Scales would protect Angmog, reducing the damage from spells and weapons. Angmog, recognizing Leon’s deep breath and glowing chest, knew exactly how threatening Leon’s fire was—but he charged forward without hesitation, straight into the flames.

The Blood Scales could reduce spell and weapon damage, but Leon’s Samadhi True Fire wasn’t ordinary fire. Beyond just damage, it had additional effects. This was why Leon, knowing Angmog had high fire resistance and that the Samadhi True Fire’s damage would be significantly reduced, still chose this ability.

A little singe wasn’t a big deal. But tanking the full blast of Samadhi True Fire head-on—what kind of lunacy was this?

Leon wasn’t aware of Angmog’s advancement into Blood Scale Frenzy, which rendered him immune to pain while berserk. Charging through the Samadhi True Fire without batting an eye gave Angmog an advantage of ignorance.

Regardless, with his Vajra Body still active, Leon had nothing to fear from Angmog. As Angmog drew closer, Leon cut off the Samadhi True Fire, stood slightly upright, ready to meet the incoming assault.

Once again, the two dragons clashed violently.

In his berserk state, Angmog felt nothing. But Leon could feel every detail—like how Angmog’s scales had grown notably fragile. Each swipe of Leon’s claws ripped off chunks of Angmog’s scales, exposing the thick hide beneath.

It didn’t take long for Angmog to realize that something was amiss. Despite inflicting no visible damage on Leon—not a single scale torn—red scales and blood now littered the ground.

Sensing danger, Angmog abruptly shoved Leon away, leapt back from the battlefield, and inspected himself. To his dismay, he found most of his scales stripped away, leaving his body riddled with open wounds. His inability to feel pain had masked the extent of the damage until now.

"What’s the matter? Why’d you stop?" Leon sneered.

The Samadhi True Fire had dulled Angmog’s scales to a lifeless gray, rendering the Blood Scales practically useless.

Leon raised his claw, arcs of electricity gathering in his palm, and unleashed a Hand Palm Bomb.

The moment Leon cast the first Hand Palm Bomb, Angmog turned tail and fled.

Despite his legendary savagery, even a Red Dragon knew when to quit. Accepting defeat and living to fight another day was a hallmark of their cunning. The shame of retreat was a small price compared to another loss. Angmog found it easy to justify his escape.

Leon, meanwhile, only realized after Angmog fled that his mission was to lure the Red Dragon to the trap set by the Cloud Giant and Silver Dragon.

Damn it! He’d gotten caught up in the fight. Between the pre-battle pumped-up elixirs, the Bloodthirsty Elixir, and the unrestrained spell buffs, he had lost control.

Angmog sprinted out of the nest, leapt off the cliff, spread his wings, and took to the skies.

With the Silver Dragon-enhanced Big Step Running, Leon’s speed was nothing to scoff at.

He chased Angmog out of the Dragon Nest, the two taking their battle into the skies above the Lost Plateau.

...

...

At the same time.

By a certain canyon.

Hiding within the mist, Mankus was growing impatient. "Why hasn’t Leon arrived yet?"

"Just wait a bit longer. He should be here soon," Grianna replied calmly.

"We’ve waited long enough," Mankus muttered, pacing restlessly.

"Do you think something unexpected happened?" Grianna speculated.

"If it’s been this long, he’s definitely encountered Angmog," Mankus said. "We prepared so thoroughly, gave him so many elixirs, and I even gave him Bull’s Strength, while you provided Big Step Running. If he wanted to escape, he could’ve done it."

"Is it possible he didn’t want to escape?"

A Silver Dragon understands Red Dragons better than most. Grianna analyzed, "Red Dragons are confident fighters. With how well-prepared we made him, he might have felt emboldened. Perhaps he suddenly decided to fight Angmog. Maybe he lost and found himself unable to flee—or perhaps he panicked and flew off in the wrong direction."

"That sounds plausible," Mankus agreed, convinced it was just the sort of thing a Red Dragon might do.

"Let’s head to Sunshine Peak," Grianna suggested.

Mankus exhaled deeply and said, "Alright. I’ll follow your lead. If Leon’s still alive, we can rescue him. If Angmog’s injured from the fight, we can ambush him."

Grianna took flight, Mankus close behind. Together, they headed to Sunshine Peak and ventured into Angmog’s lair. Deep within the nest, they found pools of steaming blood and scattered scales.

"There was a fight here."

Mankus picked up a dull scale and asked, "Whose scale do you think this is?"

Grianna examined it for a moment and replied, "Judging by the thickness, it’s from a mature dragon."

"All the scales are the same thickness," Mankus muttered, scanning the ground with a peculiar expression. "Could Leon have actually forced Angmog to retreat?"