Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 359 - 354: A Cloud Piercing Arrow

Chapter 359: Chapter 354: A Cloud Piercing Arrow

Delaguna didn’t immediately agree with Leon, mainly because the conditions were too demanding. Though he could come up with the one million gold coins, wanting to meddle in the Black Water Trading Company was like digging out his roots.

Leon didn’t care much about Delaguna. If he agreed to the conditions, it was for the best, giving him the chance to meddle in the Black Water Trading Company and Crossroads City. If he didn’t agree, it was fine too, since his base was in Watchtower Port. He reminisced with a bit of emotion that he was once satisfied with just ten thousand gold coins, but now he had become so greedy.

"Think it over carefully when you go back, no rush. I’ll give you a day," Leon said after finishing, burrowing into Delaguna’s lair in front of him.

"Black Dragon isn’t trustworthy," Tassera had been waiting for Leon.

She was quite sensible. Otherwise, if it were Anglistra or Salovis here, they would’ve probably already burrowed into Delaguna’s lair for a great loot, only to be caught by Leon, forcing them to cough up all the gold coins and gemstones hidden in their bellies.

"Black Dragon bullies the weak and fears the strong. From this perspective, as long as I’m stronger than him, there’s nothing to worry about," Leon said humorously.

"You do seem stronger than him now, but it might still be difficult to completely subdue him," Tassera said. "That is an Ancient Black Dragon."

"That’s why I need you to go back to Watchtower Port," Leon squinted his eyes. "Once we’re done pillaging here, we’ll immediately head back to Crossroads City to prevent any accidents and send Betty back to Watchtower Port... As long as she’s alive, we can discard those pesky items. We’ll simply buy them again later."

"Yes, I’ll stay here. You go back and summon... bring over Cecilia, Anglistra, Salovis, and that fallen Elf Druid Berrian," Leon paused. "Fiora, Eggon, and Isily can also be summoned. Leave the Dragon Turtle along with the Efreeti and such; they should be enough to protect Volcanic Island without fearing unexpected situations."

Leon shared his ideas, and Tassera nodded in agreement.

No matter what, Leon’s plan was just an idea for now. He still needed to patch and polish it, idly thinking it over. The urgent matter now was ransacking this place.

Delaguna’s lair was located in an underground cavern, its obsidian-like walls covered in slick moss. Water droplets fell from the stalactites, echoing hollowly in the dead silence, with a stinging smell of decomposed matter filling the air.

The ground was covered with a layer of sticky mud, scattered bones half-buried in the mire. A shallow pool of mysteriously green light reflected, the surface of the stagnant water coated with an oily film-like substance that occasionally bubbled, releasing pungent smoke when it burst.

Leon glanced around and soon found the treasure, located deep within the lair.

Black Dragon appreciated items with cultural, magical, or scientific significance, originating from lost civilizations. He was aware that one of his relics was coveted because it was linked to a bygone past, which was what made it valuable.

Additionally, Black Dragon also liked traditional treasures, favoring opal among all gemstones, corrosion-resistant precious metals, and stone sculptures.

Leon spotted a ceremonial Longsword at a glance, with sculpted silver for the hilt and amber for the blade... There were at least several tens of thousands of gold coins piled up like a mountain, vivid opals that were truly beautiful.

As for Tassera, she wasn’t too interested in the treasures, preferring the bones, shells, and metal plates instead. Because the Mage-skilled Black Dragon liked to record notes and rituals on those things instead of paper or parchment, which were hard to preserve in the damp environment.

Moreover, those items were pieces of art themselves, each adorned with elegant dragon script, engraved by the acid of dragons.

Whether useful or not, Leon used a Sleeve of the Universe to collect everything, planning to divide the spoils later when they reached a safe place. He discovered a hidden door... Most Black Dragons hid their treasures well and had a private treasure chamber for their most prized possessions. Knowing that even their minions might glimpse these treasures would infuriate a Black Dragon.

Whether useful or not, Leon used a Sleeve of the Universe to collect everything, planning to divide the spoils later when they reached a safe place. He discovered a hidden door... Most Black Dragons hid their treasures well and had a private treasure chamber for their most prized possessions. Knowing that even their minions might glimpse these treasures would infuriate a Black Dragon.

Leon tapped a claw to knock open the hidden door, creeping into the concealed room, where he saw several giant Dragon hearts encased within huge glass containers, a genealogical chart secured within a magically sealed vessel of unknown noble or royal origin, twelve metal discs the size of dinner plates inscribed with text he couldn’t decipher...

"Can you read this text?" Leon raised his claw, pointing at one of the metal discs.

Tassera shifted into human form, picked up a metal disc, examined it, and shook her head: "Can’t read it."

"I’ll leave it to you," Leon said. "I’m sure you’re deeply interested."

The two spent half a day in Delaguna’s lair, leaving overstuffed as they passed the Gladiatorial Arena, which had now become a human purgatory.

Leon looked at several giant corpses, suddenly having a whimsical idea: "If we hadn’t killed them at the time, perhaps now we could recruit them."

"They had been in the Gladiatorial Arena for so long, who knows how many drugs they were injected with, their minds already shattered." Tassera paused. "Even if they weren’t shattered, they’re just a few giants; it wouldn’t be meaningful."

"That’s true," Leon nodded.

In the afternoon, they returned to Betty’s Mage Tower.

"Why did you come back so early?" Betty clearly didn’t know about the massacre that happened in the Gladiatorial Arena. "Was the performance good?"

"We were part of the performance," Leon chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Betty asked curiously.

"Don’t be scared," Leon briefly recounted the events.

Despite Leon’s warning, the Dwarf Female Mage was still startled, jumping up in fear, but soon regained composure, saying, "You actually drove off the Ancient Black Dragon?"

"Just a minor thing," Leon said. "If he hadn’t run so fast, you could’ve seen the Ancient Black Dragon’s corpse."

"Stop exaggerating," Betty wrinkled her nose. A young Red Dragon defeating an Ancient Black Dragon was already ludicrous, so claiming to have defeated one was even more over-the-top.

Leon laughed heartily, not explaining further, and said, "It’s been a few days now; you should’ve packed up most of your belongings. At least the important ones should be ready. You can now go with Tassera back to Watchtower Port, and I’ll make sure your stuff is brought back later."

Betty glanced at Leon, turned to Tassera, and didn’t ask further questions.