Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 235 - 234: Breaking the Defense

Chapter 235: Chapter 234: Breaking the Defense

Leon in his human form could maintain his sanity, but in his Dragon Form, he was far too prone to losing control.

He looked at Eran and had a sudden impulse to breathe a blast of Samadhi True Fire, striking first to gain the upper hand. Ultimately, he forcibly held back; he managed to suppress the instincts of the Red Dragon.

"Fine, today you win. I’m leaving now. We’ll fight another day." Hesitation often leads to confusion and disaster. Without any delay, Leon activated Gathering Form and Scattering Energy, a spell he had never used in front of elves before.

His limbs were locked in place by forcefield-like hands, and his body was cocooned in vines and tendrils. Could he really just leave?

Danalan’s Maze Lock restricted teleportation magic, and although there was seemingly no way out, Eran had no reason to believe that the peculiar Red Dragon could break free from their control. Yet preparation was secondary to action, so Eran decisively loosened the bowstring and let the arrow fly.

By the time Eran released the arrow, Leon had already transformed into a stream of Clean Energy, leaving the vines, tendrils, and forcefield hands grasping, tangling, and clutching at thin air.

Soaring invisibly into mid-air, Leon spotted the enchanted arrow wrapped in powerful energy streaking toward the afterimage left by his Gathering Form and Scattering Energy. Relief washed over him—until he realized the arrow shattered the afterimage, veered sharply, and redirected itself toward him in the sky.

Clearly, Eran wasn’t just a Ranger but a warrior, a Magic Archer—the elite of the elves, accustomed to using Enchanted Arrows to defeat any enemy of the elves. Unlike in games where professions are strictly delineated, reality offers limitless possibilities.

Anyway, from the mechanics, it was undoubtedly a tracking arrow. To borrow a gaming manual’s explanation: Prophetic Magic imbues your arrow with the ability to seek its target independently. For this attack, you forego an attack roll and instead select a character you’ve seen within the past minute.

The sky offered no obstacles, which could have been advantageous. Leon firmly believed that no matter how sharply the tracking arrow could turn, it couldn’t match the maneuverability of him in his Gathering Form and Scattering Energy state.

Even without obstacles, there was another solution: just escape the arrow’s range. Determined not to dally, Leon exerted himself to the limit, frantically beating his wings.

While Gathering Form and Scattering Energy allowed him to become a stream of Clean Energy, boosting his speed by lightening his body mass, it still wasn’t fast enough to outrun a speeding arrow.

Without looking back, Leon could sense the tracking arrow closing in because the tip of his tail was already feeling the searing heat.

Since dodging was futile, Leon chose not to evade.

In his Clean Energy form, Leon turned with extreme agility to face the oncoming arrow—imbued with immense power, including the might of divinity. With precision, he curled into a ball, crossing his arms over his chest, folding his legs inward, and finally wrapping his wings protectively around himself.

The tracking arrow struck Leon, and the immense energy exploded.

For the first time, Leon felt death so close to him... though it hadn’t truly gone that far. The Vajra Body he earned as a high-level reward was no mere boastful title.

In *Journey to the West*, Sun Wukong’s Vajra Body was only compromised when his eyes—the Fire Eyes of Golden Flame—proved vulnerable. Except for his encounter with the Scorpion Demoness and her Poison Stinger, which was sharp enough to pierce his Vajra Body and poison him to suffering. That stinger was so potent it could even injure the Buddha’s Golden Body, though it only stung him lightly.

Leon now felt he’d encountered his own Poison Stinger. The arrow hadn’t pierced his scales or penetrated his body, but it undeniably hurt him—a strange, indescribable energy was burning and assaulting his form, pain so intense it knocked him out of the sky and sent him crashing into the forest below.

Speaking of Leon’s strength, it was largely thanks to his magical prowess. Aside from his reflexes, heightened from honing his agility through alchemy, which surpassed even other dragons, his other attributes were merely on par with those of a young dragon—impressive for a teenage dragon, to be sure, but not invulnerable.

Still, he’d rarely taken injuries before. The Vajra Body was indisputably formidable, but it could not cope with that bizarre power... The pain—it was unbearable, truly excruciating.

Leon couldn’t guarantee the elves wouldn’t pursue him, but he wasn’t willing to gamble. The strange force was disrupting him, and he resolved to take no risks until it faded—temporarily shelving any plans to challenge the elves.

Leon didn’t bother attempting to hide; he simply didn’t dare to be reckless. He avoided returning to Danalan, resisted mocking the Elf General with taunting remarks, refrained from making threats of future vengeance, and instead flew straight toward Volcanic Island.

Once back on Volcanic Island, Leon’s anxiety dissipated completely.

The elves had only been able to rely on Danalan’s Maze Lock. Without the Maze Lock in play, his ferocious might could prevail. Coupled with his Soul Summoning Mantra, a mere numerical advantage wouldn’t suffice against him—in fact, it would be his turn to employ overwhelming numbers if needed.

Although the Efreeti wasn’t currently on Volcanic Island, Tassera with her mastery of Seven-Ring Magic could easily contend with a Great Druid. Cecilia and Salovis—despite their youth—were still dragons. Accompanied by the numerous Salamanders boasting a challenge level of five, those elves wouldn’t stand a chance if they dared to come.

Leon had remained apprehensive about the elves of Danalan pursuing him, but in truth, not a single one followed.

"What kind of spell did he use to escape?" Vilanser stood dumbfounded, gazing at the sky.

Eran gently shook his head and replied, "If you ask me, I don’t know either."

"How did he suddenly appear so far away? Wasn’t the Maze Lock supposed to block teleportation?" Vilanser questioned. "If not for the tracking arrow, he would have completely escaped."

"That wasn’t teleportation. He suddenly turned into wind..." Eran said, lacking True Sight yet having briefly glimpsed flowing air resembling heat waves. "Even with the tracking arrow, he managed to slip away this time."

"He fled. He doesn’t dare come back," Vilanser paused, adding, "So does that mean we have won?"

Vilanser was uncertain, yet Eran knew. He understood the significance of his arrow—it had dealt considerable damage to the mature Red Dragon. And yet, the Red Dragon, despite falling from the sky, had risen again before they could even decide whether to chase him—seemingly unharmed.

More than that, the overwhelming strength of a Red Dragon wasn’t the most terrifying aspect. The truly frightening part was the speed and decisiveness of that Red Dragon. Upon sensing danger, it had fled without hesitation. Normally, even the cunning Green Dragon would not retreat without injury, let alone the prideful Red Dragon.

"We must negotiate with that Red Dragon," Eran stated with certainty. "No matter the cost, we must. Otherwise, we’ll have to abandon Danalan entirely."

"Is there still a chance for that?" Vilanser asked skeptically.