Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 256 - 254 A Different Kind of Adventurer

Chapter 256: Chapter 254 A Different Kind of Adventurer

In order to buy equipment, that large refined gold weapon came at quite the price. Leon did spend a considerable amount of money.

Even so, for Leon, who had received compensation from the elves and plundered Moon Bay, it wasn’t much—just enough to make him feel a slight pang in his heart.

Leon still had a lot of money, all tucked away in the small space of his Sleeve of the Universe. Several hundred thousand Gold Coins could easily fit into just a few small chests, but even more treasures were stored on Volcanic Island.

Back then, the goods plundered from Moon Bay hadn’t even been sold off completely after several years. There was still approximately a shipload of goods stored in the warehouse by the pier.

For this, Leon specifically summoned the Efreeti from the Lost Plateau back to Volcanic Island to temporarily act as the chief of security. Counting Fiora, who now lived in a coastal cave on Volcanic Island; one "cat," the Magma Salamander; and one "dog," the Magma Land Shark now approaching adulthood, plus the combat prowess of the Salamanders—it was no small lineup...

Without a legendary powerhouse or an entire army, there’s no way anyone could take down Leon’s Volcanic Island. And even if they did, it would come at a bloody cost.

Leon hadn’t realized that, unwittingly, the forces under his command had grown so powerful that conquering a kingdom seemed well within reach.

Even dragons get tired. Sustained high-speed flight at maximum acceleration wouldn’t last for more than a few hours. With Leon leading the group, the four dragons flew at cruising speed, seeking ascending air currents as they departed from Volcanic Island, crossed the Lost Plateau, and arrived at the Red Crown Desert after more than half a day’s flight.

"What’s that?"

"Two Red Dragons, one Blue Dragon, one Green Dragon—four dragons in total?"

"Save us! Is the apocalypse upon us?"

The four dragons lined up and flew across the sky, terrifying some dwarves living in the Lost Plateau, who promptly dropped their miner’s pickaxes and rushed to report their discovery to their lord. The entire Dwarf Fortress immediately went into battle mode, coincidentally encountering some Grey Iron Dwarves preparing to ambush them, leading to chaos as the two sides clashed—a story for another time.

"Such nostalgia."

"Is this the place where you used to live, brother?"

"I like the desert sky—it’s like a mirror, unlike the cloud-covered sea."

Finally arriving at the Red Crown Desert, Leon wasn’t in a hurry to lead everyone to the tomb of the Ancient Fallen Empire. He had already planned to visit the Molten Lava Lake where he used to live first.

He had always considered the Brass Dragon a friend, and with his rare visit to the desert, how could he not catch up with an old friend and perhaps collect some favors? If possible, he even wanted to convince the Brass Dragon to move to Watchtower Port. That guy was a top-notch stonecutter, extraordinarily useful.

Upon finding the Molten Lava Lake, Leon saw how drastically it had changed—it should now be called a crater.

"Why is there no lava here anymore?" Leon landed on the grand balcony of the Dome Castle, looking around curiously.

"It turns out this Molten Lava Lake wasn’t naturally formed but had been modified by the Efreeti. If it lacks consistent infusions of magic power for too long, the lava gradually disappears," Tassera explained. "The Brass Dragon isn’t a Red Dragon, nor is he an Efreeti. He can’t maintain the magic required to sustain the lava."

Leon nodded noncommittally, reflecting that Volcanic Island, too, had been forcefully awakened by the Efreeti. Fortunately, the magic of the Magma Land Shark and the Magma Salamander kept the volcano active—otherwise, he would be just another "fraudulent" Red Dragon. No matter how powerful he was, he still couldn’t manipulate the surrounding environment.

"Where’s the Brass Dragon?" Cecilia asked, knowing the dragon, "We’re here to find him, yet he’s hiding from us."

"Probably out chatting with someone," Leon paused. "Or maybe at one of his other lairs."

From the countless statues within the Dome Castle, it was clear that the Brass Dragon spent quite a lot of time residing here.

"Why are there so many statues?" For once, Salovis showed great interest in these statues, even considering taking a few. "A Brass Dragon doesn’t deserve these things."

Except for Leon having a human soul, all Red Dragons firmly believed that no creature should possess anything it lacked the strength to protect—this rule even applied to their kin.

Salovis, unlike Leon, didn’t have a Sleeve of the Universe. She only had a Dimension Bag, and its space was relatively small. Having a cubic meter of space was considered a lot, suitable for transporting trinkets, but not statues several meters tall.

To the Brass Dragon, these statues were far more valuable than any Gold Coins.

Salovis’s attempt to carry off statues inevitably caught the attention of the Brass Dragon, who was away at the time. He rushed back to the Dome Castle in a whirlwind, only to find four Colorful Dragons sprawled or perched in his castle—two of which were Red Dragons—and immediately felt his entire world crumble.

No wonder the Brass Dragon didn’t recognize his old friends.

After so many years of absence, Leon had grown beyond recognition—nothing less than a fully matured Red Dragon at first glance.

Living for several years on Volcanic Island, now a geomantic treasure land, had evidently transformed both Tassera and Cecilia’s aura significantly.

Most notably, Salovis didn’t recognize the Brass Dragon at all. At that moment, she crouched on one of the statues, glaring menacingly at him with claws bared, leaving the poor Brass Dragon utterly muddled.

It’s over, it’s over. His savings were about to be entirely plundered by these evil Colorful Dragons.

Leon noticed that the Brass Dragon didn’t recognize them and, intrigued, narrowed his eyes dangerously and growled, "Cute little Brass Dragon, how did you get lost and wander into MY castle?"

"This is my castle," the Brass Dragon responded while cautiously backing away. He’d always believed discretion was the better part of valor.

"This was clearly my castle. Since when did I gift it to you?" Leon stood up and replied with a playful smile.

The Brass Dragon was a chatterbox, undeniably cowardly, but by no means foolish. Quickly figuring things out, he tentatively whispered, "Leon?"

"Only a few years have passed, haven’t they?" Leon said disdainfully, "And you already can’t recognize me?"

"You bastard," the Brass Dragon retorted, "You scared me half to death!"

"How dare you insult my older brother?" Salovis inhaled sharply, her chest glowing crimson—an inheritance from Lady Furnace Throat—and blasted the Brass Dragon with a Flame Breath.

Currently freeloading on Leon’s Volcanic Island, Salovis had been anxiously scheming for ways to win Leon’s favor to prevent him from chasing her away. Unfortunately, she was far less clever than Cecilia and never knew the right thing to say or do—she wasn’t even a competent bootlicker.

The Brass Dragon, immune to fire, was unaffected by Salovis’s flames.

Seeing her Flame Breath fail, Salovis began limbering up for a fight.

"Enough," Leon called out just in time to stop his sister and prevent a bloody confrontation.

After some brief pleasantries.

Leon hadn’t specifically come to the Molten Lava Lake just to revisit his old home; he had another agenda—to seek out the Brass Dragon, and not for mere nostalgia.

"I want to ask you about something," Leon said. "Do you still remember when we visited that tomb of the Ancient Fallen Empire years ago?"

"Of course," the Brass Dragon answered matter-of-factly. That tomb had been the start of his nightmares: first getting brutally beaten by the corrupted Male-faced Sphinx guarding it, then being extorted by two other dragons who followed him back to his lair. It took him ages to recover financially.

"What’s the current state of that tomb? Has anyone managed to conquer it?" Knowing the Brass Dragon’s penchant for gathering knowledge from countless conversations during his long life—often rewarding others generously for information—Leon was confident that the desert-dwelling Brass Dragon must know about the tomb.

"Why are you asking about that?" The Brass Dragon casually threw the question back without bothering to analyze Leon’s motives, immediately launching into a relentless, rambling tirade.

Due to the high death toll among adventurers, the tomb of the Ancient Fallen Empire had long been labeled as an adventurer’s forbidden zone, yet it still attracted powerful adventurers seeking its secrets.

Even so, the tomb was guarded by the corrupted Male-faced Sphinx. Despite countless attempts over the years, no one had ever managed to enter the tomb.

No adventurer had been able to penetrate the tomb; as long as they refrained from attempting to intrude or probe its secrets, the Male-faced Sphinx would generally ignore them.

Of course, the Sphinx’s inaction didn’t mean the place was without hazards. Constructed monstrosities like the Ancient Tomb Giant Scorpion, along with undead soldiers, posed constant threats to adventurers.

Rumor had it that a Pharaoh was buried within the tomb, and one day, the Pharaoh would awaken, summon an army of the dead, and reestablish the Empire’s former glory.

Leon wasn’t interested in love stories from the Ancient Fallen Empire. After extracting the information he needed—such as confirmation that no one had entered the tomb yet and hints about a token capable of granting passage past the Male-faced Sphinx—he wasted no time arranging their departure.

"We’re leaving now."

"See you next time."

"We’ll be back, so don’t forget to prepare some food for us next time."

Not until Leon and his companions departed did the Brass Dragon realize why they had asked so many questions and pondered chasing after them to shout, "Hey, you forgot to take me along!" But ultimately, he restrained himself.

Leon was undoubtedly a special kind of Red Dragon. Tassera, the Storage Dragon, was relatively easy to deal with, but the Green Dragon and the other Red Dragon were tough customers... The Brass Dragon had no desire to tempt fate. Money wasn’t worth the risk—he could just continue collecting stories later.

The first time Leon and Tassera visited the tomb of the Ancient Fallen Empire, they rode camels and took several days to reach it. This time, they didn’t want the hassle and opted to fly directly, braving sandstorms to arrive at the tomb within a few hours.

Salovis, upon seeing the pyramid, immediately dashed toward it in high spirits.

More adventurers?

Four of them.

As the tomb’s guardian and something akin to the landlord, the Male-faced Sphinx sensed the intruders nearby.

Endless trouble.

These newcomers needed a lesson.

The Male-faced Sphinx opened his eyes gradually with a blank expression, only to spot a Red Dragon, then a Green Dragon, a Blue Dragon, and another Red Dragon. His eyelids twitched.

Wait, is this—a team of Colorful Dragons? A dragon adventurer squad?