Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 247 - 245 Brawl_2

Chapter 247: Chapter 245 Brawl_2

The Red Dragon that stood towering might be over ten meters high. Even Haken had to look up to it. Although fear flickered in his eyes, he craved nothing more than splitting the dragon’s chest with his axe, crushing its heart, and bathing in the scalding dragon blood that flowed forth, empowering himself further through the savage ritual.

But Haken wasn’t that reckless. He had plans, of course. It was impossible for him to kill the Red Dragon alone. But with the pier full of people, if he took the lead, others wouldn’t remain idle... After all, it was just a fraud of a Red Dragon. Or no, judging by its earlier display, this dragon did have some skill. Still, no more than that.

Leon always had a flair for showmanship. He didn’t evade Haken’s attack but let the axe land squarely on his chest, just as the earlier javelin had barely scratched him. He sneered, "This is it? That’s the best you can do?"

"It’s not even enough to tickle me." Leon casually stretched out a claw, flicking the spot on his chest as if dusting off dirt.

Haken stood stunned. His massive axe had struck solidly, yet not a single scale on the dragon’s chest was broken. With equal and opposite force sent back, the larger his strength, the greater the recoil. Now, his arms were numb, and he was utterly baffled.

How was this possible? He swallowed hard, staring at the Red Dragon, stammering, "Why... you... you’re not even wearing Dragon Armor, are you?"

"Dragon Armor?" Leon squinted his eyes. "Don’t tell me you thought my weakness was hidden beneath Dragon Armor?"

"It’s... not?" Haken muttered.

"Of course not," Leon replied matter-of-factly. "I wear Dragon Armor purely for aesthetic purposes. It serves no other function."

A fleeting thought passed through Leon’s mind — all his equipment was currently left in Danalan, waiting for the elves to intricately refine it. Who knew how long he’d have to wait: months, years, perhaps longer.

"Then why?" Now Haken only wanted to bury his axe deeply into Castanin. "Weren’t those elves the ones who stripped off your Dragon Armor and... well, shot you down with an arrow?"

Leon was about to respond when his peripheral vision caught a ranger standing atop a crooked building, clad in scaled armor and a hooded cloak, aiming a bow at him. And nocked on the bowstring was none other than a Dragon Slaughter Arrow... Honestly, Leon hadn’t expected these pirates to have their hands on such weaponry.

Even though he saw the ranger release the Dragon Slaughter Arrow, Leon still didn’t move, allowing it to strike his chest unimpeded.

This was his peculiar habit. With the Vajra Body activated, Leon had no intention to dodge attacks, not even a tilt of the head. He even leaned into the hits, considering that, in his mind, the Vajra Body continuously drained mana. The more damage it absorbed, the better the trade-off. Conversely, avoiding damage was just plain wasteful.

As the Dragon Slaughter Arrow pierced Leon, one after another, pirates began drawing their weapons... After all this time, many had overcome their fear of Leon’s ferocious demeanor.

Axes flew toward Leon, heavy crossbows launched arrows, and though Dragon Slaughter Arrows were scarce, chaotic alternatives like Strong Acid Arrows, Lightning Arrows, and Frozen Arrows flooded the scene. Pirates scattered across the pier to operate cannons and crossbow cannons, aiming at Leon...

A Bear-man swung a heavy hammer onto Leon’s toe, only to be slapped to death in a single, disdainful gesture.

A brave Half-Orc charged at Leon, only to be whipped by his tail and flung into the crates piled upon the dock. Hopefully, the cushioning saved his life.

No one else dared approach Leon for melee combat anymore.

The pier had been bustling with pirates earlier, most of whom had initially stayed back to watch the show. But seeing the Red Dragon encircled, none wanted to miss the chance to join the fray, fearing they’d lose out on the spoils.

As the battle raged, more pirates poured in from the city.

Finally bored, Leon decided to end the charade. Using only sharp teeth and claws wasn’t efficient enough—each swipe at most hit three to five enemies. While his Samadhi True Fire could now be used as a regular skill rather than an ultimate move, even that felt like a waste for this small-scale fight. He resolved to unleash the Soul Summoning Mantra.

Leon suddenly stopped moving, raising his neck high. Iron nets landed onto his body, and hooked chains coiled tightly around his thighs. Watching this, the pirates grew increasingly excited, imagining the Red Dragon was ready to surrender. But then they felt a peculiar tremor in their eardrums.

Leon chanted the long-dormant Soul Summoning Mantra, and an eerie sound reverberated through the air. Covering their ears was futile. Only pirates with exceptional willpower could resist its effects. Those who had initially failed to withstand Leon’s sheer aura had almost no chance.

"I’ve hated you for ages." A pirate, overcome by the mantra’s influence, suddenly lost focus in his eyes and swung his weapon into the back of another pirate.

"Father, Mother, I’ve failed you both." A pirate dramatically unsheathed his blade and slit his own throat, collapsing onto the ground.

Under the mantra’s control, one pirate jumped into the sea, lingering alive for now. The cold water jolted him back to clarity, but he dared not return to the pier.

After chanting the Soul Summoning Mantra for several minutes, Leon finally stopped, surveying the carnage. Of the hundred or more pirates that initially surrounded him, only a few dozen were still alive.

Killing innocents was beneath him. He had rules, standards, a moral baseline. But killing evil pirates? There was no conflict in his mind—it didn’t bother him in the slightest.

"What did you do?" Kefra, still alive but drenched in blood, asked. One of his arms hung uselessly at his side.

"Take a guess." Leon glanced at the iron nets and hooks bound to him. Tugging at them to no avail, he simply activated Gathering Form and Scattering Energy, turning into a stream of Clean Energy.

"Where did the Red Dragon go?"

"The Red Dragon turned into the wind."

Among the pirates were a few skilled ones with True Vision.

Leon cared little for this. He found the most boisterous pirate, grabbed him, and pinned him to the ground. "Why’d you mess with me? I was quietly minding my own business on Volcanic Island without provoking anyone, at most ensuring there was no piracy in Flash Sea."

Without waiting for the pirate to respond, Leon crushed him with a burst of force.

Meanwhile...

Haken, being a Barbarian, appeared fearless and impulsive but was, in truth, highly resourceful. That was how he had survived this long. Upon realizing none of his attacks or anyone else’s could harm the Red Dragon, he had long since slipped away amidst the chaos.

"Didn’t you say that Red Dragon was all show and no substance?" Haken sneered as he side-eyed Castanin.

Recovering some vitality, Castanin replied, "You heard the same thing I did. The elves shot him down with one arrow—it’s not something I made up..."

"I have no idea what’s going on. That Red Dragon is unbelievably strong..." Castanin said. "Do you think he’s insane, getting struck by elves and not retaliating, choosing instead to sulk on Volcanic Island? Or are the elves so formidable that even such a terrifying Red Dragon wouldn’t dare cause trouble?"

Indeed, who would’ve guessed that the proudly arrogant elves would surrender so easily, handing over a fortune of ten thousand Gold Coins without hesitation? Add other concessions into the mix, and suddenly, memories of grievances vanished completely. Even the notoriously vengeful Red Dragon opted for negotiations, the allure of benefits washing away its fury.

"Monster. That Red Dragon is a monster—absolutely not a normal one. My axe didn’t even leave a mark on him... Can’t win, even all together, it’s impossible to win." Haken sighed. "I don’t care anymore. I’m leaving now."

"What’s your hurry..." Castanin muttered. "With all this commotion, there’s no way he hasn’t heard us."

"He?" Haken paused. "Who’re you talking about?"

"The master of Moon Bay," Castanin whispered. "The tyrant, Envis."