Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 212 - 211 I’ve Been Waiting for You for a Long Time

Chapter 212: Chapter 211 I’ve Been Waiting for You for a Long Time

Mind Flayers don’t just have few friends—they have absolutely none. Yet, they manage to make plenty of enemies.

The control hub of a Mind Flayer colony is the Elder Brain, which serves much the same role as a brain within a body. The Mind Flayers within the colony are merely extensions of its will.

The Elder Brain must reside in a dimly glowing pool of brine filled with nutrient-rich fluids and psychic energy. If forced to leave the brine, it would quickly perish. Transporting the Elder Brain and its brine pool through the narrow and labyrinthine underground tunnels is a nearly impossible feat.

In light of this, Mind Flayer colonies are typically hidden deep within the Dark Territory to ensure the Elder Brain’s safety.

The Mind Flayer colony Leon tracked down was located in a dark cavern behind an abandoned gnome settlement deep underground.

Before even approaching the colony, Leon spotted a patrol unit of Mind Flayer thralls.

The patrol consisted of a single Mind Flayer, a Minotaur, and two Gray Dwarves.

The latter, of course, were not willing slaves. They had been captured by the Mind Flayer and subjected to relentless psychic attacks until they were subdued.

Worse still, the thralls were fully aware of their own actions and loathed their circumstances. And yet, they remained powerless to resist the Mind Flayer’s commands. The psychological despair combined with the terror of physical captivity weighed on them like an unending torment.

Few thralls ever managed to die a natural death. Most ended up as food for their masters, their brains devoured. Whatever remained of their bodies would be fed to other slaves, leaving nothing to waste.

"What the hell is that thing?"

Thanks to his exceptional Dark Vision and the Heavenly Eye Technique, Leon easily discovered that there were other sentries hidden in the shadows of the Mind Flayer colony, in addition to the patrol.

One such sentry was a Mind Flayer Roper. The result of implanting a Heart-stealer tadpole into the brain of a Tree Rope Demon, these abominations shared their Mind Flayer creators’ intelligence but were relegated to serving as convenient tools—hidden in shadow to act as guardians and sentinels.

The creature was even more revolting than a Mind Flayer. It resembled a natural stalagmite, its rocky body draped in thin, flexible tendrils. A single crimson eye glared out above a maw filled with jagged, saw-like teeth.

It would be easy to avoid the patrol, but slipping past the Mind Flayer Ropers disguised as stalagmites was nearly impossible without using Gathering Form and Scattering Energy.

"Should I leave now, or figure out a way to sneak in?" Leon muttered to himself.

After all the effort he’d put into finding this place, Leon wasn’t about to just turn back because it got difficult.

Moreover, magical equipment and props crafted by humans, elves, or dwarves were readily available in the market. But Mind Flayer-made magical gear? Virtually unobtainable unless one ransacked a Mind Flayer colony. Such items were invaluable treasures.

An automatic writing pen wasn’t worth much in comparison.

The Thought Extractor, however, was a sinister machine capable of allowing its user to read every thought within the mind of its victim.

And then there were the Resonance Stones, which came in various sizes and forms. While they could be used for casual amusement, their darker applications were even more intriguing. For example, certain Resonance Stones could emit sensations of satisfaction and submission, perfect for use in prisons to pacify captives and prevent conflict.

Leon suspected Tassera would be interested in any of these Mind Flayer creations. Even one artifact might be enough to negotiate for her cooperation. Cecilia, on the other hand, might even awaken her psychic abilities if exposed to a Resonance Stone.

"Definitely worth going in," Leon decided. The only question now was whether to transform into a Red Dragon, obliterate the patrol with brute force, and swat the Mind Flayer Ropers into dust—or to use Gathering Form and Scattering Energy to slip into the cavern, explore the colony, and decide the next move later.

After a moment’s thought, Leon chose the latter plan. It was smarter to first take stock of the Mind Flayer colony’s layout and resources before making any rash decisions.

Leon activated Gathering Form and Scattering Energy, transforming into a mist-like form. He bypassed the patrol and the Mind Flayer Ropers, silently slipping through the darkened cave into the heart of the Mind Flayer colony.

The first thing to greet him was a central plaza, spacious and wide. Several Mind Flayers wandered around casually, while a group of Brain-eating Monsters darted back and forth like playful hounds.

Each Mind Flayer had its own living quarters, the size and location of which were determined by their rank within the colony. The Elder Brain’s favored Mind Flayers, powerful arcanists, and researchers occupied the best locations. Newly born Mind Flayers, however, were relegated to cramped, dilapidated chambers.

The Mind Flayers’ rooms encircled the central plaza, offering clear indications of the colony’s hierarchy and scale.

Mind Flayers reproduced through the tadpole metamorphosis process, implanting a mature Heart-stealer tadpole into the ear, nose, or eye of a helpless humanoid captive. Within a week, the victim’s tissues would be replaced by Mind Flayer matter, creating a fully-fledged Mind Flayer.

Only humanoid races of similar size and build to a Mind Flayer were used in the metamorphosis process. Other captured races were typically relegated to slavery or food.

Leon soon spotted a slave barracks, a bleak facility used to house the colony’s thralls. There were only a pitiful few slaves left inside.

Nearby, Leon discovered a laboratory filled with books, scrolls, bubbling beakers, half-finished complex machinery, and the remains of corpses and body parts used as research specimens. Littered across the workspace were gemstones that Leon guessed were Resonance Stones.

After observing for a while, Leon quickly concluded that this Mind Flayer colony was relatively small and recently established.

Only in rare cases would a metamorphosis ritual produce a Soul Eater Monster—a creature stronger than a Mind Flayer and free from the Elder Brain’s control.

The appearance of a Soul Eater Monster could bring cunning, creativity, and strength to a Mind Flayer colony.

When the colony grew large enough, the Soul Eater Monster would inevitably break away, leading a migration of half the colony’s Mind Flayers and thralls to establish a new colony. The Monster would swiftly undergo transformation to become a new Elder Brain.

"This is a golden opportunity—miss it, and it’s gone for good," Leon thought.

Determined, Leon resolved to locate the Brain Pool, kill the Elder Brain, and plunder the entire Mind Flayer colony.

The colony was small enough that it didn’t take Leon long to find its deepest chamber, where an enormous pool dominated the center of the room. Ornate carvings and inscriptions decorated the wide rim encircling it.

The water within the pool was pitch-black, filled with countless tiny writhing Heart-stealer tadpoles that swam in dizzying patterns and exuded an unbearable stench. Hovering above the water was a massive brain, its surface covered with wriggling tendrils and emitting visible psychic energy ripples.

"Finally found you, Elder Brain," Leon muttered.

Before he could utter another word, a swarm of Mind Flayers floated in from all directions, followed closely by a voice echoing within Leon’s mind.

"I’ve been waiting for you."

"You’re finally here."

"Red Dragon."

"You’ve been waiting for me?" Leon asked, momentarily stunned as he stared at the Elder Brain.

"You knew I was coming?" Leon pressed further. "When did you realize it?"

"When you were snooping around outside our base," the Elder Brain replied through telepathy, incapable of vocal speech. "Has no one ever told you that your Stealth skills leave much to be desired?"

Leon pursed his lips. He couldn’t deny that his Stealth abilities were subpar—after all, he hadn’t received any formal training as a rogue or ranger. He asked again, "And how did you know I’m a Red Dragon?"

"You transformed into a Red Dragon and killed my people. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?" The Elder Brain’s voice conveyed no emotion whatsoever.

Leon figured one of the Mind Flayers he killed must have used spiritual energy to inform the Elder Brain about him.

Leon felt a twinge of annoyance. Here he had thought he was clever, sneaking undetected into the colony and getting all the way to the Brain Pool. Turns out, he’d been playing right into their hands the entire time...

In hindsight, it wasn’t difficult to understand.

In terms of intelligence, Leon was just an average Earth office worker—ordinary education, an unremarkable career, and decent but unexceptional problem-solving skills. Better than some, worse than others.

On the other hand, the intelligence of even the most basic Mind Flayers rivaled that of human prodigies. And the Elder Brain, the culmination of Mind Flayer evolution, amassed the knowledge and experiences of every Mind Flayer whose brain it consumed after their death. An existence of almost god-like intelligence and malevolent cunning.

"So then?" Leon smirked without panic. "Since you knew I was coming, why didn’t you run?"

"A mere adolescent Red Dragon," the Elder Brain wriggled its tendrils. "Your arrival means my liberation."

"I shall become an Elder Brain Dragon," it said, its telepathic voice brimming with excitement.

To those who fought against Mind Flayer colonies, the limited range of a Mind Flayer’s operations was one of the few comforts. Their range was restricted to the influence of the Elder Brain.

If a Mind Flayer colony were to capture a dragon, however, the Elder Brain would attach itself to the dragon’s back, embedding its tendrils deep into the dragon’s brain. The dragon’s body would undergo a horrifying transformation, turning it into a nightmare-fueled Elder Brain Dragon.

The Elder Brain would then gain the mobility of a dragon, freeing itself from its brine pool prison and transforming into the commander of an unstoppable Mind Flayer army.

Leon now understood why the Elder Brain had made no move against him, claiming to have been waiting for him all along. Its ambition was to take over his body.

"So the Mind Flayer told you I’m a Red Dragon, but did they mention how strong I am?" Leon retorted sarcastically. He admitted the Elder Brain was smarter than him—but just barely.

Returning to his Dragon Form, Leon tore off two scales and activated Downy Hairs, summoning two Red Dragon clones. He sent the clones to handle the Mind Flayers while charging directly toward the Elder Brain himself.