Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 211 - 210 Fear of Death

Chapter 211: Chapter 210 Fear of Death

A group of Gray Dwarves, nothing more. Even if they have Spiritual Energy, it’s not a big deal. Adding in the Shifting Beast doesn’t change much—reality isn’t the same as games. In games, even a commoner can damage an Ancient Red Dragon with a good dice roll. In reality, that’s impossible. Leon was confident Cecilia could handle them easily.

If one intends to learn Spiritual Energy, then mere observation won’t suffice. Reading ten thousand books pales in comparison to walking ten thousand miles. There’s no better way to gain firsthand experience than by battling enemies who wield Spiritual Energy.

As for Mind Flayers, who are also proficient in Spiritual Energy—perhaps letting them serve as Cecilia’s opponents would be more ideal—Mind Flayers are powerful aberrations. Even though Cecilia is a Green Dragon, a young Green Dragon would struggle to deal with that many Mind Flayers. A single moment of carelessness could spell disaster. It’s simply not suitable to use them as opponents.

Leon had no choice but to intervene.

Considering that in countless worlds, Mind Flayers are the scourge of intelligent life, Spiritual Tyrants, slave traders, and interdimensional travelers, harvesting entire races for their twisted purposes, they are evil beyond description.

Among all races, Mind Flayers harbor special animosity toward the Githyanki and Githzerai, as both of these races hunt Mind Flayers. Mind Flayers never show them mercy, and in turn, the Githyanki and Githzerai reciprocate with the same ruthlessness.

Under such circumstances, the Githyanki and Red Dragons form an alliance. Who knows how many Githyanki have ridden on the backs of Red Dragons to hunt down Mind Flayers. Mind Flayers surely hate Red Dragons immensely. Without a single warning or exchange of pleasantries, Leon dove straight into action.

The Mind Flayers are formidable foes to Gray Dwarves, as well as troublesome opponents for Cecilia. But in Leon’s eyes, they were inconsequential. It was a simple matter to annihilate them using his skillset.

In short, three Mind Flayers, along with a swarm of Brain-eating Monsters, were all disposed of. There was no need to worry about reinforcements from the Mind Flayers—unless a Mind Flayer Witch Demon was present, which, with a challenge rating as high as 22, would be a true monster. However, such creatures wouldn’t appear in a backwater like this. Leon leisurely reverted to his human form.

"You may proceed," Leon said as he sheathed his sword and found a stone covered in faintly glowing moss to sit on. "I guarantee no one will disturb you."

"We surrender. We’re willing to surrender," Benhard said, raising both hands. Truth be told, his head was still spinning, and everything felt surreal no matter where he looked.

The smell of blood stung his nose. Looking around, the ground was littered with the corpses of Brain-eating Monsters. The bodies of Mind Flayers in the distance were unspeakably grotesque. Benhard was certain this wasn’t just a nightmare, though he felt a nightmare might be more believable. He knelt before Leon and said, "We surrender to the great Red Dragon Lord."

"I don’t accept your surrender," Leon replied, crossing his legs and placing his hands on his knees. "Your task now is to defeat that Green Dragon... If you can defeat that Green Dragon, we might spare your lives."

Benhard turned back to the Green Dragon. He had initially been confident he could take on the Green Dragon, but after witnessing the Red Dragon’s prowess, he now doubted whether the Green Dragon possessed similar abilities and felt utterly hopeless.

"Attack her with your Spiritual Energy; defeat that Green Dragon," Leon commanded loudly. "Don’t worry, she’s not strong, just an ordinary Green Dragon."

Benhard wasn’t sure how to respond. How could the word "ordinary" ever be associated with a Green Dragon? There’s no such thing as an ordinary dragon—not even the Deep Dragons that dwell within the Dark Territory.

Though he didn’t understand why the Red Dragon and Green Dragon were together, seemingly quite close, the order to attack the Green Dragon with Spiritual Energy... Unless they wanted to die, they had to obey. Benhard reluctantly pointed his Nail Head Hammer at the Green Dragon.

"Come on, give it everything you’ve got. Use your Spiritual Energy to attack me," Cecilia said, lowering her head to gaze down upon the Gray Dwarves.

She didn’t enjoy combat and preferred to achieve her goals through schemes and intrigue. However, she wasn’t afraid of fighting—so long as her opponents were clearly weaker than her.

"We will," Benhard said, nodding to his companions.

Whatever the reason, there were some things better left unknown. Following orders was the safest course. Benhard remembered that both the Red Dragon and Green Dragon had specifically mentioned Spiritual Energy. Resolute, he activated his Spiritual Energy and hurled it at the Green Dragon without hesitation, launching a barrage of energy beams and Spiritual Stabbing... Unfortunately, they couldn’t muster Mind Thrust.

"Is that all you’ve got?"

"I don’t feel a thing."

"You little kitty really have quite the audacity."

Cecilia was originally very thin and had a challenge rating below that of a normal Green Dragon. Yet, after receiving the blessings of Tiamat, the Evil Dragon Queen, her combat prowess gradually returned to that of a typical Green Dragon—perhaps even slightly beyond, though still not by much.

Cecilia couldn’t bring herself to kill the Gray Dwarves in cold blood. She still needed them to help her learn Spiritual Energy.

Benhard and his companions were mainly afraid of Leon and didn’t dare truly harm the Green Dragon. They hesitated to use their most ruthless tactics, leaving them fighting awkwardly and ineffectively.

Even though Leon had promised that they wouldn’t be killed if they defeated the Green Dragon, the group of Gray Dwarves simply couldn’t overpower Cecilia. It wasn’t a matter of willingness; they simply lacked the strength.

The Shifting Beast was dead, its neck snapped after Cecilia bit down, shaking it violently until its spine broke. Of the six Gray Dwarves, only five remained, lying on the ground groaning in pain... Cecilia hadn’t intended to kill them, but sometimes she couldn’t restrain herself.

The battle was utterly unimpressive, boring Leon to the point of drowsiness. At last, it was over.

Leon didn’t care about the loss of one Gray Dwarf. His usual philosophy held that killers should be prepared to be killed, so he wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate all the Gray Dwarves. He wasn’t concerned about the Shifting Beast either; his sole interest was whether Cecilia could learn Spiritual Energy. "How did it go?" he asked.

"Still not working," Cecilia said frustratingly. "I have no clue where to begin."

"Should’ve left a Mind Flayer for you," Leon regretted acting too hastily. "Gray Dwarves, Githyanki, Githzerai... Their ability to use Spiritual Energy likely stems entirely from the Mind Flayers."

Leon didn’t dwell on the reason why those races developed Spiritual Energy. Generations of spiritual surgery and physical transformations were nothing to celebrate; they were tragedies.

"Stop playing dead," Leon said, kicking Benhard. "You said there’s a Mind Flayer colony nearby? Tell me where it is."

Benhard sat upright, scrunching his neck and drooping his shoulders, shrinking down like a harmless creature. "I only heard there’s a colony on Ghost Road, but I don’t know the exact location," he replied.

"Why are you asking about the colony?" Cecilia queried. "Do you plan to attack a Mind Flayer colony?"

"Not me—it’s you who’ll attack," Leon said analytically. "The Spiritual Energy intensity of Mind Flayers far exceeds that of Gray Dwarves. Contacting them for Spiritual Energy would certainly be more effective than dealing with these Gray Dwarves."

Cecilia shook her head, her short hair swaying. "One or two Mind Flayers, fine. But an entire Mind Flayer colony..."

"Isn’t there that saying? Under extreme circumstances, or in moments of crisis, people can unlock hidden potential from deep within," Leon argued. "These Gray Dwarves are no match for you, but Mind Flayers are a different story—they might actually kill you. In critical situations, your potential could kick in and activate your Spiritual Energy."

"Master, if you want me dead, just say so," Cecilia retorted. "I won’t recklessly court death. I hate danger."

"Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from the shadows. I won’t let you really die," Leon assured her. He valued Cecilia, second only to Tassie. "You’re my good maid, my loyal subordinate."

"Knowing Master would protect me removes the sense of true danger, making the idea of unlocking potential nothing but wishful thinking," Cecilia replied, fixing her gaze on Leon. "Don’t you agree?"

"That’s true," Leon nodded. If he knew someone had his back in a dangerous situation, he likely wouldn’t be able to push himself to the limit and unleash hidden reserves of strength.

"If I could become stronger easily, I’d gladly do it," Cecilia said, curling her lips. "But risking my life to become stronger... No amount of strength can surpass Master’s anyway. Even if I learn Spiritual Energy, I won’t see your shadow."

Leon considered this. He himself wouldn’t risk his life to become stronger. What mattered more than strength was survival. For the same reason, he preferred working for others rather than starting businesses, as entrepreneurship came with risk. If he couldn’t do it himself, he couldn’t demand Cecilia do it either. "Do as you please," he said finally.

"Keep an eye on these Gray Dwarves and attempt connecting with Spiritual Energy again. Meanwhile, learn what you can about their city... I’ll go look for the Mind Flayer colony." Leon wasn’t ready to leave the Dark Territory just yet. He was determined to witness the Mind Flayer colony firsthand.

"Be careful, Master," Cecilia said thoughtfully.

Leon waved her off and strode away in search of the Mind Flayer colony.

He didn’t fear the Mind Flayers, the Elder Brain, or the loss of face. If things became too difficult, he could simply flee—his Vajra Body paired with Gathering Form and Scattering Energy would allow him to leave at any time.

The Dark Territory was a labyrinthine, sprawling domain, akin to a massive garden box. Leon had to expend significant effort to locate the Mind Flayer colony.