Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 257 - 255: Leave It to Us

Chapter 257: Chapter 255: Leave It to Us

Whether it was due to years of weariness, regret for wanton bloodshed, or some other reasons, some Sphinxes would break free from their divine mission.

However, even if a Sphinx’s allegiance and loyalty were shaken, it would not leave the place it guarded, nor would it ever reveal the secrets it protected to any creature that failed to meet its qualifications.

It’s merely four dragons. Even if four gods appeared before him, the male-faced Sphinx wouldn’t waver... He truly wanted to move, but for some reason, he couldn’t budge his legs.

The male-faced Sphinx was no insignificant figure; he was on par with an adult Red Dragon, commanding respect from all.

As the male-faced Sphinx shook off the yellow sand and stood up, Salovis stopped abruptly, glancing back to see where everyone else had gone.

Leon walked continuously, walking ahead of everyone, and then he stopped—not because of the itch for the new equipment he had just obtained, but because he knew how powerful the male-faced Sphinx was. Even Tassera, who mastered Seven-Ring Magic, could only last three moves. He said, "Stand down. You are not its match."

"Master, don’t underestimate us," Cecilia glanced at Salovis and Tassera, "It’s merely a male-faced Sphinx; it’s no match for us."

Cecilia had already conspired privately with the Blue Dragon and the dragon sister, determined to contribute their efforts. Otherwise, if everything was left to Leon, it would be hard to demand spoils afterward.

"Brother, just sit back and rest," Salovis mimicked Leon, standing tall and flapping her wings, roaring, "Watch us tear it apart limb by limb."

"We can’t do much against powerful foes, but for minor leaders like this one, leave it to us," Tassera said as she glanced around, mulling over a battle plan.

Leon wanted to test the strength of his Three Heads and Six Arms. He wondered if he could defeat the male-faced Sphinx in five minutes but decided to give face to his companion, sister, and servant. He said, "If you’ve said so much, then I’ll leave it to you."

Leon believed the male-faced Sphinx was not the end; there were stronger foes in the pyramid, ones only he could confront. He could test his Three Heads and Six Arms then.

A single dragon was nothing to fear; a three-headed dragon, however, was a different story. The male-faced Sphinx gazed at the slowly approaching three-headed dragon and said, "Colorful dragons actually allied together... Are you longing for the treasures inside the pyramid?"

"Tell us the secrets of this pyramid, and perhaps we might spare you," Salovis, hot-tempered, spoke. Tassera, versatile but with no particular expertise, left Cecilia, the Green Dragon, better suited for negotiation.

"Don’t even dream of me revealing the pyramid’s secrets. But I can tell you this is no place for a young Green Dragon or a young Blue Dragon..."

The female-faced Sphinx is a living library of knowledge and scholarship, and the male-faced Sphinx is no less. He could discern everyone’s age at a glance. His gaze fell on Leon, standing at the back, and he continued, "Two young Red Dragons and four immature dragons cannot afford to come here."

"You cannot bear the consequences," the male-faced Sphinx said, brutish yet indifferently, often speaking with insults and denials, depending on his opponent.

"Tell us the secrets of the pyramid. If there’s danger, we will naturally leave," Cecilia said, sneaking in a Detect Thoughts spell.

"Naive Green Dragon, don’t use Detect Thoughts on me," the male-faced Sphinx keenly sensed the Green Dragon’s actions. "The enigmatic Sphinx is immune to any effect that senses its emotions or reads its thoughts, and can reject all prophecy-based spells."

Cecilia smiled awkwardly.

"Why bother saying so much to it?" Salovis was already impatient.

Yet even she knew the terror of the male-faced Sphinx, so she dared not recklessly charge forward, instead preparing her Breath Weapon from afar.

The male-faced Sphinx, mastering numerous spells, leaped lightly and vanished into the air, teleporting to evade Salovis’s Flame Breath. He then raised his head and roared, unleashing a deafening Magic Roar.

Among the three-headed dragons, Salovis was undoubtedly the weakest, with the lowest immunity. She was utterly terrified by the male-faced Sphinx’s Magic Roar, even immobilized despite Cecilia whipping her with her tail.

The male-faced Sphinx seized the initiative through teleportation. Seeing that his roar only controlled the Red Dragon, he decisively raised his claw and cast the Exile Technique, targeting the Green Dragon, attempting to send her to another dimensional plane. A lone Blue Dragon would be far easier to deal with, even if the observing Red Dragon joined the fray.

Cecilia, far stronger than Salovis, sensed the magic trying to send her to another plane and decisively unleashed her Spiritual Energy.

"Spiritual Energy?" The male-faced Sphinx hadn’t expected a Green Dragon to possess such power.

Tassera had long prepared her Mirage, waving her claw to create a field of illusions.

"Fool, don’t you know I possess True Vision?" the male-faced Sphinx mocked.

"Since you can see through illusions, why aren’t you moving?" Tassera sneered. She naturally knew the male-faced Sphinx possessed True Vision, making illusions ineffective against him, but Mirage was no ordinary illusion.

Mirage made a vast area appear in sight, sound, smell, and even touch like an entirely different terrain. Creatures with True Vision could see the real terrain but would still perceive elements of the illusion, enabling physical interaction.

The male-faced Sphinx said nothing, raising his head for another thunderous Magic Roar. Any creature failing the resistance fell into deafness and heightened panic, followed by paralysis. He prepared his steps carefully to avoid the disadvantageous terrain created by the Blue Dragon.

Poor Salovis had yet to overcome her initial state of fear when she was struck again by the second Magic Roar from the male-faced Sphinx.

The male-faced Sphinx was overwhelmingly powerful. Cecilia, albeit capable of defeating an adult Green Dragon, still fell short of his level. Her luck failed this time, and her immunity crumbled entirely.

Only Tassera, well-acquainted with Sphinxes, especially having "fought" a female-faced Sphinx before, was prepared with spells and successfully resisted the male-faced Sphinx’s Magic Roar. She used Mysterious Steps to dodge his pounce.

Though a formidable Blue Dragon, Tassera often viewed herself as a delicate mage, preferring spells from afar rather than melee combat.

While Tassera contended with the male-faced Sphinx, Cecilia succeeded in resisting the effects of the Magic Roar and unleashed her Poison Breath. A dense, green mist enveloped and spread across the male-faced Sphinx.

"You wretch." Salovis finally snapped out of it, and as a Red Dragon, she was far fiercer than Cecilia or Tassera. She flapped her wings and charged at the male-faced Sphinx, biting at his throat as if wanting to sever it.

The throat holds not only the carotid arteries but also the trachea. Risking a bite there promised great returns. However, throat-locks often come from behind rather than the front, gradually wearing down prey’s stamina, then using claws to pin the prey’s head down and drive sharp teeth deep into its throat.

Attacking the neck involves puncturing the hind neck, cutting spinal nerves—even if severing the neck fails entirely.

The male-faced Sphinx’s neck was well-shielded by thick mane, enough to act as armor, forcing Salovis to target his rear instead.

Biting the rear didn’t mean disembowelment but involved pinning down large prey’s tail section and gripping tightly beneath the skin, simultaneously depleting stamina while preventing rear leg kicks. Using weight to control balance ensures attempts to kick invariably lead to collapse.

Salovis’s melee ferocity far exceeded Leon’s, honed through years of battle and inherited hunting knowledge from her lineage.

Salovis entangled herself with the male-faced Sphinx, somewhat hindering Tassera and Cecilia’s attacks, rendering their Poison Breath and Lightning Breath unviable.

Unless years of collaboration forged unspoken coordination, oftentimes one plus one equaled less than two.

Cecilia opted for Jade Flame Ashes, unconcerned about fire harming fire-immune Salovis. Tassera, proficient in shaping energy and adept at fire magic, conjured a roaring wall of flames.

Though the male-faced Sphinx possessed resistance to non-magical blunt strikes, punctures, and slashes, it became clear Salovis, with merely natural fangs and claws—not yet refined into magic weapons—was no match. The Sphinx bore only minor wounds compared to Salovis’s bloodied body.

The blood only ignited Salovis’s ferocity further, causing Leon to raise a brow silently. His usually harmless-seeming sister bore unimaginable ferocity.

One Red Dragon alone was no threat to the male-faced Sphinx, but successive spells from Cecilia and Tassera eventually overwhelmed him. Roaring desperately, he unleashed a third Magic Roar, loud enough to knock Cecilia and Tassera to the ground, leaving Salovis with only a faint ringing in her ears.

Though immensely powerful, the male-faced Sphinx ultimately couldn’t match the three-headed dragon trio. Despite their immaturity, each was unique, and he could only utter a bitter curse in the end.

"Go ahead, go ahead. You will never comprehend what lies ahead of you."

"I am not blocking your way; I am protecting you."

"You will meet a fate worse than death. No, even death will elude you."