Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 252 - 250 Refined Gold Weapons are Unworthy

Chapter 252: Chapter 250 Refined Gold Weapons are Unworthy

Having spells but lacking mana—this could be resolved easily with a bit of time, though that "bit of time" might mean years, decades, or even centuries.

As for the issue of money: if there’s plenty, spend plenty; if there’s little, spend little. The Elves compensated him with 100,000 Gold Coins, and the plunder from Moon Bay was another massive haul, enough for him to purchase equipment. As for upgrading the Volcanic Island... possessing treasure invites trouble; with his current strength, it’s unwise to make overly extravagant modifications. The already favorable location was sufficient.

Leon, born with a large heart, quickly figured things out and decided not to linger at Moon Bay any longer.

Leon was certain that Andrea lacked the courage to embezzle his wealth—not even a fleeting thought of it.

What truly worried him was the possibility of encountering something like a Dragon Turtle, Kraken, or Leviathan midway, not to mention the ever-present Sahuagin pirates on the vast seas. Usually hiding beneath the waves, there’s no telling when they’d suddenly emerge, oftentimes taking human form to pose as pirate captains, shouting commands for no real reason.

"Why is our sailing speed so slow? I don’t recall it being this sluggish on the way here," Leon asked. If not essential, Leon wasn’t particularly fond of overthinking things.

"On the way here, we were traveling with an empty ship. Now we’re fully loaded, so naturally, our speed is slower," Andrea responded with a forced smile. "In fact, I think the slower, the better—it means we’ve gained that much more."

Dragon Turtles are rare in number, dispersed across the expansive sea, and barely seen.

Krakens typically dwell in the black depths of the abyss, while Leviathans, being elemental beings, primarily remain in the Water Element Plane. Finding one would be a near-impossible endeavor requiring sinister rituals conducted by Cultists.

Sahuagins, on the other hand, are quite common. As a particularly predatory fish-like race, their targets range from the dark abysses of the ocean to creatures in shallower waters and along the shorelines.

The issue lies with Sahuagin pirates being surprisingly intelligent. Spotting merchant ships, they might launch an attack, but when encountering pirate vessels, they generally avoid clashing with fellow predators. Pirate ships are packed with combat personnel, and even if they manage a victory, the costs would often outweigh the gains.

The pirate ship had been sailing for two days without encountering any creatures. This led Leon to think their journey might remain uneventful, but he had barely finished the thought before the Sahuagins appeared.

"Are these Sahuagins always this aggressive?" Leon said, folding his arms and leaning against the ship’s railing as he peered down at the Sahuagins climbing the ship with tridents in hand. He was genuinely surprised. "Even pirate ships and war galleys aren’t off-limits to them?"

"Under normal circumstances, those creatures wouldn’t dare attack us. It’s more trouble than it’s worth," Andrea explained.

Having been a pirate for over a decade and a pirate captain for seven or eight years, Andrea was no half-baked amateur like Leon. "But this time, they see that our ship is heavy in the water and our speed is slow; they must assume we’ve looted a fortune. Fortune favors the bold, and the cautious starve," Andrea added.

Krakens and Leviathans are legendary creatures. If one were to appear, even Leon would have to give it his all and remain vigilant, especially given his lack of aptitude in naval combat. The Water Walking Technique might come in handy, but Dragon Turtles are entirely beyond the capabilities of ordinary pirates. However, as far as mere Sahuagins were concerned, it wasn’t even worth Leon stepping in.

Leon simply stood on deck, watching the fight unfold between the pirates and the Sahuagins.

The Sahuagins worship the Shark God Sekoula, and as followers of Sekoula, they have a unique bond with sharks. They train sharks as attack beasts and even possess the widespread ability of Shark Telepathy, using magic to establish limited telepathic communication to command nearby wild sharks.

In this particular situation, accompanying the Sahuagin pirates were seven or eight sharks, massive creatures five to six meters long, circling the pirate ship. Luckily, the pirates were all aboard the vessel.

The Sahuagin Wave Shaper took the lead, using whirlpools to disrupt the pirate ship’s control.

The Sahuagins, under the direction of a Sahuagin Baron, began climbing onto the pirate ship.

Cunning Sahuagin veterans, who had seen countless battles, adorned their armor with the bones of vanquished enemies. Leading an elite squad of Sahuagin Warriors was a Sahuagin Great Sword Master, ready to engage at any moment.

Meanwhile, a Sahuagin Priestess kept her distance, casting spells from afar, deploying immobilization spells and summoning Spiritual Body Weapons one after another.

To Leon, Andrea seemed insignificant, but to the Sahuagins, Andrea was like an insurmountable mountain. Each swing of his sword claimed a Sahuagin life, and even the Sahuagin warriors couldn’t last more than two exchanges against him. With a single shot of his flintlock, he’d blow their heads off.

Leon had merely intended to spectate until he realized the Sahuagins, finding themselves at a disadvantage, had begun to bore holes into the ship.

Should the Sahuagins succeed in sinking the ship, the pirates, no matter how skilled at swimming, would be at a serious disadvantage underwater against the Sahuagins. Not to mention, the ships were loaded with Leon’s goods. Unable to remain idle, Leon finally stepped in.

Leon had no intention of transforming into a Red Dragon. Instead, he stayed on the deck and used a single Hand Palm Bomb to obliterate a Sahuagin Warrior attempting to breach the ship. With a wave of his hand, he summoned four or five swords, each bound and mentally controlled by him, directing them to eliminate the Sahuagin sabotaging the ship and targeting the Sahuagin Priestesses next.

Having suffered dozens of casualties, the Sahuagins retreated.

"So, how many casualties on our side?" Leon asked, though he showed no genuine concern for the losses. "It won’t affect our sailing, will it?"

"Just a single hole breached, and I’m already having it repaired," Andrea replied.

"If any of the three ships sink, none of you are walking away alive," Leon said unreservedly.

"Not a chance. All our ships utilize advanced watertight compartment technology," Andrea said proudly.

"Good." Leon nodded, thinking to himself about watertight compartment technology—a safety design that divides a ship’s interior into multiple sealed compartments, reducing the likelihood of immediate sinking when damage or water intake occurs.

The pirate ship, weighed down with cargo, moved frustratingly slow. After five long days, they finally neared the Gold-plated Coast. Upon Leon’s order, they docked at the Volcanic Island port.

With such a massive load of goods, Leon didn’t plan to sell everything at once to the Gold Shore Chamber of Commerce. He decided to first store the goods in the island’s warehouses, selling them batch by batch over time to avoid flooding the market.

"What are you all planning to do?" Leon hadn’t forgotten about the pirates. "Continue following me, or return to being pirates?"

"We’re willing to follow the Captain," Andrea answered eagerly.

"Find a place to settle down for now," Leon said, not yet sure how to handle them. "I’ll figure out what to do with you all later."

Dismissing the pirates on a whim, Leon turned his attention to his newfound magical ability, Three Heads and Six Arms. He urgently needed more weapons, so he sought out Cecilia.

"Cecilia," Leon called, soaking comfortably in a Molten Lava Pool as he admired the increasingly gleaming, jade-like scales of the Green Dragon beside him. "I have a task for you."

"What task?" Cecilia, ever curious and eager for action, asked. "I heard from the Gold Shore Chamber’s steward that Master recently went to Moon Bay."

Briefly, Leon recounted his exploits at Moon Bay, taking the opportunity to show off a little.

"Master is incredible!" Cecilia said, always skilled at delivering flattery. "Even such powerful Vampires couldn’t stand against you."

"I just happened to counter them," Leon replied modestly for once. "Alright, let’s get to business. I need you to get in contact with someone."

Leon outlined his requirements, fully understanding the wisdom of not overreaching. He wasn’t yet qualified to master All Swords Return to One, so his ambition was to become a Great Six-Armed Snake Demon. This entailed crafting five additional swords, making a total of six when including the Catastrophe Blade.

"What does Master need so many swords for?" Cecilia asked, puzzled.

"To use, of course," Leon chuckled.

Cecilia blinked innocently. "One person using so many swords? What are you, a Marilith?"

"A Six-Armed Red Dragon," Leon responded with a hearty laugh.

"Make sure to at least use refined gold weapons," Leon reminded, unwilling to settle for less. "Refined gold weapons are the bare minimum level worthy of me."

"Even refined gold weapons seem unworthy of Master," Cecilia remarked. "Master deserves even better weapons."

Leon, previously all smiles, fell into sudden silence. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean..." Cecilia hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "Refined gold weapons are indeed impressive for ordinary people, but for someone at Master’s level, they’re little more than average gear. Master has plundered so much wealth—surely you’re qualified to use even better materials for crafting."

"What better materials?" Leon asked.

"I don’t know," Cecilia admitted, shaking her head. "I just know they exist."

"Uneducated," Leon said dismissively. "Go fetch Tassera."

Unbeknownst to him, Leon had no idea that one thing would follow another.