Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 294 - 289: He Has Arrived

Chapter 294: Chapter 289: He Has Arrived

An oversized elderly Green Dragon, already classified as a giant dragon upon entering its elder phase, and also a Priest of Tiamat. Not so easy to kill, its vitality is staggeringly tenacious.

Six arms tightly restrained Slankus, preventing escape. If Slankus managed to disappear into the treetops or jump into the forest, killing him would become impossible. The three heads unleashed Samadhi True Fire and savage bites, tearing Slankus until his scales were mangled. Leon truly expended significant effort to take him down.

Even as Slankus stopped moving, Leon dared not let his guard down. He had to bite through Slankus’s throat, pulling out his massive heart, major blood vessels, lungs, and other internal organs in a display of sheer madness.

To be honest, Leon’s mindset had grown peculiar. When facing dragons, he adopted a human attitude: "It’s just a big lizard—what’s the big deal?" Yet when opposing humanoid creatures, he embraced his dragon mindset: "I am a dragon. What are humanoids but tiny morsels?"

As expected, Slankus was dead. Leon had thought Tiamat, as his Priest’s patron, would intervene. But to his surprise, Tiamat did not make a single appearance—not providing Divine Power nor even uttering a harsh word. Truly unforeseen.

Regardless, Slankus was dead. The battle, though technically over, had yet to be formally declared finished. Leon allowed himself a moment of relaxation.

Witnessing Slankus’s demise firsthand, the Fallen Druids loyal to him—including the Fallen Elf Druid who had escaped Leon’s focus—remained alive. The Half-green Dragon guard regiment was nearly obliterated, and none, including the low-intelligence Wyverns, dared make any move under the blood-soaked gaze of the Red Dragon.

"Your master is dead," Leon declared, pausing briefly. "I will only execute the masterminds. Surrender and I’ll spare you."

With Slankus defeated, his subordinates could now be absorbed into Leon’s forces... He had so few capable allies, and the lack of manpower forced him to accept defections.

"The Elf Druid who served as Slankus’s steward—I trust your loyalty doesn’t extend that far?" Leon asked. "I now order you: manage Slankus’s subordinates and oversee his territory until I send someone to take over."

"Understood, my lord." The Elf Druid clearly had no intention of dying alongside Slankus. The one who could kill Slankus could crush him like an insect.

Leon nodded in satisfaction and gestured for the Elf Druid to hurry away. After some thought, he retrieved a Communication Stone from the small pocket dimension within his Sleeve of the Universe.

The Communication Stone consists of two smooth, intricately carved stones paired together. With a single action, you can cast the Short Message Technique targeting the holder of the matching stone.

The Short Message Technique allows you to send a brief message of up to twenty-five words to a familiar creature. The creature hears the message in its mind and can immediately respond the same way. If it recognizes you, it will also know you’re the sender.

Tassera leaned more toward research, while Anglistra and Salovis—the troublesome mother-daughter duo—were good for nothing. Leon opted to message Cecilia. The Green Dragon was currently his only usable ally, perfect to replace Slankus.

Using his Communication Stone, Leon informed Cecilia to come quickly. Once she replied, he immediately stored the stone away due to its daily use limitation. He then prepared to raid Slankus’s riches.

Even if there weren’t millions of Gold Coins, there were bound to be hundreds of thousands—enough to refine several Heavenly Immortal Pills. Particularly if rare alchemy materials had recently entered the market.

This brought Leon’s thoughts back to Slankus’s corpse, which also counted as alchemy material.

Ready to dissect the body, Leon realized he knew how to divide but not preserve it. Allegedly, Dragon Blood loses its Magic Power if not stored in specific containers. Grabbing his Communication Stone once more, he used another non-ordinary Communication Stone to notify Tassera.

Leon considered fallen druids nearby. Perhaps they knew alchemy techniques. Slankus’s servants almost certainly included Hags—those ugly creatures were infamous for their alchemy skills. Then again, trusting them left Leon uneasy. Ultimately, he decided to wait for Cecilia and Tassera.

Leon dumped Hinton’s corpse next to Slankus, ensuring the father and son were together. First, he raided the treasures atop the massive tree where Slankus had resided, uncovering a surprising array of Jades and Green Column Stones, along with ornamental Amber, Rubies, Tiger’s eye stones, and Opals.

A polished Unicorn skull adorned with many luminous flowers caught his attention. Despite its artistry, Leon cared more about the Unicorn’s horn, which could be used to refine Heavenly Immortal Pills.

Another find was a harp, its pillar carved into the melancholy form of a grieving Elf crying aloud. With a wave, Leon stored it in the pocket dimension within his Sleeve of the Universe.

...

...

Leon was so overwhelmed with excitement that he neglected to consider the Fallen Elf Druid steward. Odds were high that the steward knew the location of Slankus’s Treasure Vault, or at least had hints, which could save Leon significant effort in locating it.

Leon immediately burrowed into the hollowed trunk of the towering tree, finding a subterranean tunnel that felt like a maze. The passage seemed to follow the tree roots.

This path seemed newly traveled.

Why was it suddenly ascending? Shouldn’t it lead downward to Slankus’s Treasure Vault deep beneath the earth?

The underground passage lacked Half-green Dragon guards but featured dangerous flora. Killer Vine, Assassin Vine, Magic Palace Rose, and others appeared frequently. Large clusters of vibrantly colored poisonous mushrooms released deadly gases. Even an accidental inhale could kill an ordinary person.

Four pathways diverged—should he go left or right?

There were even traps.

Leon lost track of where he’d ventured, eventually arriving at a peculiar structure. He pushed open its massive arched door and stepped inside, greeted first by two sides lined with dragon statues that seemed to scrutinize all who entered.

A mysterious force drew Leon further inward.

He encountered a spacious hall, its lofty ceiling adorned with dragon-shaped chandeliers. The walls were covered in murals depicting an immense Five-Headed Dragon. At the far end stood a colossal sculpture of the Five-Headed Dragon encircled by five towering stone columns. Suspended above each column was a brazier burning white, red, blue, green, and black flames...

Leon was certain he had entered Tiamat’s temple. Yet Tiamat’s temple was supposed to be above ground, appearing as an open-air structure visible from afar—a landmark to avoid at all costs.

The statue of Tiamat appeared crafted from an unknown metallic substance. The gemstone eyes of its five heads sparkled, undoubtedly worth a fortune if pried loose... But Leon lacked such disrespect. Realizing he’d inadvertently entered Tiamat’s temple, he prepared to leave immediately, not daring to linger.

Just as the thought of leaving crossed his mind, Leon keenly observed the braziers on the columns. In an instant, the flames—white, red, blue, green, and black—burned fiercely, and an enormous shadow engulfed him.