Chapter 18: The Power of the Dragon

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“Then how powerful is the owner of this dragon orb?” Lind asked.

The red dragon that had streaked across the sky earlier had been judged by the system to be sixth rank.

This dragon was no smaller than that one, and might even have been slightly larger. Its combat prowess should be formidable as well.

Hearing his question, Victoria froze for a moment, as though trying to understand what he meant by “owner.” Then she tilted her head and explained:

“I’ll teach you how to count the bars. The number of bars tells you the rank.”

“See? There are seven motionless black bars inside this orb, which means it belongs to a seventh-rank dragon. I don’t know what species it was.”

“We can only ask it.”

Lind cast a sidelong glance at the giant dragon’s withered bones, then stared straight at the young dragon who had said that.

What?

Could she resurrect the dead?

The young dragon scratched the back of her head and said with an awkward chuckle:

“Ahaha… It probably can’t answer us anymore. We can take a look tonight and see which star is the biggest and brightest. Maybe it’s the dragon’s incarnation. Then we can ask it for you.”

So this little dragon knew astrology too, Lind thought silently.

Once Victoria had touched upon a subject she knew well, the floodgates opened, and she began speaking without pause.

“If this dragon was seventh rank, then it would be considered extremely powerful among dragons.”

“After all, dragons of third rank and below are low rank, those from fourth to sixth are middle rank, and those from seventh to ninth are high rank.

“Among high-rank dragons, eighth rank is more or less the highest ordinary rank, and exceedingly rare at that. Ninth-rank dragons are rarer still—there are hardly any in existence, and only a Dragon King can reach that level.

“Among a great dragon clan, centuries or even millennia may pass without producing a single Dragon King. A dragon must not only possess overwhelming strength, but also win the recognition of every dragon in its clan before it can become a Dragon King and enter the ninth rank.”

“Besides, when a dragon breaks through from low rank to middle rank, or from middle rank to high rank, it awakens new innate abilities, and every aspect of its strength undergoes a qualitative leap. Even its appearance becomes much cooler!”

At this point, the young dragon began waving her limbs excitedly and acting out what she imagined she would look like after advancing in rank.

“When I reach seventh rank and join the ranks of high-level dragons, humph, humph, humph!”

“Look at my forehead. I’ll have a gem there brighter than the sun! And my legs—clack, clack, clack—crystal scales impervious to fire and water, invulnerable to blades and spears. And these dragon claws of mine—once I raise them lightly, countless ores will rise from the earth, then whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, and come crashing down on my enemies…”

Seeing that Victoria had entered her world of fantasy, Lind could not help asking:

“What rank are you now?”

“Third rank.”

“…”

Lind covered his face.

You really are a dragon prodigy.

A third-rank dragon was already dreaming about seventh rank.

Victoria, however, sensed nothing amiss. She turned sideways and showed him the spot on her hind leg.

Three differently colored lines marked the silvery-white scales there, resembling half of a simple crystal sketch.

“See? Third rank. Impressive, right?”

“Very impressive, very impressive indeed. Why don’t our mighty third-rank Gem Dragon King go and challenge that sixth-rank red dragon who is about to break through?”

Lind clapped as he spoke, smiling sweetly.

At his words, the gloating Victoria immediately shook her head like a rattle.

“No, no, I can’t beat it.”

“And if that red dragon breaks through to seventh rank, it’ll be able to run rampant. Its territory will expand even farther, and several hundred miles in every direction could become its domain.”

“With a red dragon’s bottomless greed, even the sesame seeds in its territory would have to bear its name. Never mind that I plucked a dragon melon right under its nose and actually escaped with it. If it catches me, I’m sure I won’t get off lightly.”

“Hahahaha! That’s what you get for being greedy. Are you feeling especially regretful now?”

Lind teased her.

“We already ate it—and you ate some too. That makes us accomplices!” Victoria raised her brows and revealed a sly, foxlike grin.

Lind was momentarily stunned.

He could honestly say that he was filled with regret.

Young dragons were devious. I want to go back to the countryside.

The dragon looked simple-minded and foolish, but she was actually clever and mischievous. It was all too easy to fall into her schemes if one was not careful.

And yet he could not bring himself to dislike Victoria.

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Because whether she was innocent or acting like a little demon, he rather liked both sides of her.

“Got it, you silly dragon. If that narrow-minded red dragon comes looking for trouble with you, it’s the same as coming after me. We’re friends. I won’t abandon you.”

Lind extended his right hand and held it flat before Victoria.

Not understanding what he meant, she tentatively placed one small claw in his palm.

When Victoria saw the smile that appeared on Lind’s face, she could not help smiling as well.

“You fool. I won’t abandon you either. After all, you’re so foolish and so easy to trick. Heehee.”

Before Lind could lose his temper, Victoria quickly straightened her face and put on a solemn expression.

“Besides, we have to make trouble for that red dragon first. We can’t let it break through to seventh rank. Otherwise, the land for hundreds of miles around will never know peace again. As it annexes the territories of other lords, war will inevitably break out, and countless dragons will be dragged into it!”

“I don’t want to see the green hills and clear waters here turned into blackened wasteland.”

“Not only for our sake, but for the dragons living here too!”

Lind’s hand, which he had been about to thump against her head, slowly lowered. He answered just as seriously:

“I’m not a short-sighted man. If I stand by while the red dragon wreaks havoc and allows it to advance to seventh rank, then when disaster comes for me one day, who will raise the banner and rally to my side?”

“These oppressed dragons can become a spark that starts a prairie fire once we free them, inspiring even more oppressed dragons to rise up in rebellion.”

“Once we overcome this crisis, the road ahead may become much easier.”

“Lind, we really do think alike!”

Victoria excitedly gave Lind another dragon hug and said:

“So first, we’ll empty its treasury. It must contain rare materials the dragon needs for its breakthrough.”

Lind immediately picked up the thread:

“That way, its advancement to seventh rank will be disrupted, while we can rapidly increase our own strength.”

“Exactly, exactly!” Victoria nodded vigorously.

“Seriously, Lind, would you join me and become a treasure hunter?”

“We’ll talk about it later.”

“All right…”

The young dragon answered dejectedly.

She had thought the atmosphere would let her get Lind to agree outright.

It seemed that Lind would only agree to become a treasure hunter with her after they successfully stole the red dragon’s treasury.

For herself, for Lind, and for the dragons—for the sake of all of them—she, the Gem Dragon King, would dare enter even the most terrifying dragon lair!

And she would do it together with Lind.

That way, even if they were caught, she would at least have someone to take the blame with her. Heehee.

If their lives were truly in danger, she still had life-saving treasures in her World Book. She was certain they could escape from the red dragon’s claws.

Whether they succeeded or failed, Lind would be utterly convinced of her greatness.

The plan to conquer this human was proceeding perfectly…

Wahahahahaha!

While Victoria was giggling foolishly to herself, Hirona’s voice rang out.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp. We should leave this place as soon as possible.”

“Chirp. There’s something eerie about this place.”

Hirona reminded them uneasily.

While Lind and Victoria had been talking, she had also been searching for treasures that could be offered as tribute.

Those two had never experienced how terrifying a red dragon could be. She had felt it at close range.

The Butterfly Dragon ahead of her in line had failed to satisfy the red dragon with her tribute. Before she could even reach the treasury to place it inside, the red dragon had crushed her into a bloody mess with a single swipe of its claw.

Blood had splattered all over Hirona.

Even now, the memory remained vivid.

From that moment onward, only one thought had occupied her mind:

If she wanted to stay alive, she had to offer tribute properly.

Thanks to her sharp eyes, she discovered a luminous pearl buried beneath thick dust at the edge of the circular platform.

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If she had not caught that tiny glimmer in the darkness, she might have returned empty-clawed.

Several of the luminous pearls, each nearly as large as she was, seemed to have been fixed into the platform by some force. No matter how hard she pried, they would not budge.

The smaller pearls scattered around the larger ones were different. After she worked the tip of her claw into the seams and nudged them a few times, part of each pearl would rise from its socket. With another push, she could pry out a flawless, milky-white luminous pearl.

They were small, but she could make up for that with quantity.

If she collected enough of them and found a way to string them together into a necklace for the red dragon, perhaps she could buy herself an extra season of peace.

At the thought, Hirona felt a trace of sorrow.

She actually liked these round, shining luminous pearls. They would look beautiful decorating her lair.

But with that gluttonous, lazy red dragon tyrant around, she could forget about keeping anything valuable for herself. Sooner or later, everything would have to be offered as tribute.

The endless exploitation and a momentary death—which was more painful? She did not know.

To indulge her love of beauty, Hirona tucked many of the smaller pearls into the layers of feathers beneath her wings, planning to secretly keep some for herself in addition to those meant as tribute.

While she was working industriously, she sensed something watching her from behind.

She turned her head, but saw nothing except a spreading pool of black mud.

That foul, rotting stench, however, seemed familiar. She thought she had sensed something similar in the red dragon’s treasury. She had no idea which dragon could have offered such a thing to the red dragon and survived.

To be safe, she stopped collecting pearls and turned back to warn Lind and the others.

With luminous pearls tucked beneath her feathers, Hirona could only walk.

Her comical posture made her look rather like a chicken.

“This place gives me the chills. We’ve found some treasure anyway, so it would be best to leave as soon as possible.”

Victoria agreed with Hirona. Her deep-blue eyes turned toward Lind, seeking his opinion.

“I have no objection. Staying beside such an enormous skeleton is unsettling enough. Finding a way out is what matters now. We don’t want to get trapped here and starve to death.”

As soon as Lind finished speaking, a system notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[One fragment related to “Echoes of the Ancient Past” has been collected.]

[Reward received: 50 Reputation Points.]

[After all seven fragments in the “Echoes of the Ancient Past” series have been collected, you will receive a large number of Reputation Points and a unique weapon: the Staff of Dawnlight.]

Well, well.

So this meant he had to gather six more dragon orbs?

Lind could not help laughing helplessly.

Beneath the system notification panel was a short story. Just as he was about to read it, he heard Victoria calling:

“Come up here! There are so many passageways above, and I have no idea which one leads outside. If you stay down there, I might find the way out and leave you behind!”

“Then you really are an evil belching dragon.”

Lind laughed and teased her as he carried the great dragon orb to Victoria’s side, preparing to climb onto her back.

“You won’t be able to get up there carrying that. Give me the dragon orb. I’ll put it in my Space Gem. That’ll make things much easier.”

“All right.”

After Victoria stored the dragon orb, she looked toward Hirona.

“Do you want to put your things in here too? I see you’ve got lots of little pearls falling off you, and it won’t be easy to fly while carrying them home. Don’t worry about me hiding your things. You can count them before putting them with me, and not a single one will be missing when you take them back out.”

Victoria’s frankness made the Butterfly Dragon feel slightly ashamed.

After the other dragon had put it so plainly, Hirona could hardly refuse without showing a complete lack of trust.

They had escaped together from the pursuit of those red salamanders, after all. Giving them some luminous pearls was hardly too much to ask.

“No need to count them. Just put them all with you for now. Once we’re outside, I’ll give some to each of you.”

“Heehee, all right!”

Hirona turned to look at Lind, who wore a bewildered expression. Victoria grinned and explained:

“Hirona says she’ll give me some of the pearls she collected. If you praise this genius young dragon of yours, I might even share some of my portion with you.”

“How about it?”