As Slankus threw the wine glass, smashing it on the ground into pieces, the trees and shrubs surrounding the pavilion immediately parted, revealing a half-green dragon army, along with fallen treants and druids. Dozens of crossbow cannons were placed in all directions, controlled by hobgoblins...
"So you’ve been stalling for time all along..." Leon looked towards Hinton, who was originally close to him, now standing by Slankus’s side, "And you, you’ve always been his man, plotting against me all this time?"
"He could never be yours, because he is my child," Slankus said with amusement, "My smartest child, I’ve always kept him by my side."
"Smartest child? I think he’s your dumbest," Leon reverted to Dragon Form, revealing a colossal size just a step away from being a giant, "He had a chance to live, a chance to gain my favor, but now he must die with you."
"Just with you?" Slankus followed Leon in reverting to Dragon Form, revealing forest-green scales. Being an old green dragon, he should normally be merely colossal, yet somehow he was giant, even larger than Leon.
Leon stood up, while Slankus mimicked his stance. Due to the green dragon’s limbs being longer in proportion to its body compared to other dragons, and its neck being longer, it looked noticeably taller than Leon. He continued to speak, "Little one."
"Don’t think you’re the only dragon with adventures," Slankus sneered, as the surrounding trees, shrubs, and flowers swayed with his laughter. "I’ve lived to this day, and experienced more adventures than you could imagine."
"I know you can easily equip Dragon Armor, Tear Claw, and Dragon’s Jaw. You wouldn’t think I have nothing, right?" Slankus puffed out his chest, revealing a gemstone embedded between the scales on his chest.
"Do you know what this is?" Slankus said, his tail writhing like a snake, "It’s a Life Protecting Gem."
Leon had heard of Life Protecting Gems; for such a carved gemstone to take effect, it must be embedded in a creature’s skin. True Dragons can easily accomplish this, as they often embed gemstones between their scales.
In game terms, once properly embedded, the Life Protecting Gem can protect the wearer’s vital areas from lethal damage. When the wearer suffers a critical hit or a successful sneak attack, the effect might be negated, changing the damage to a regular roll.
Leon looked at the Life Protecting Gem on Slankus, somewhat tempted, thinking that Slankus’s challenge level surely wasn’t as high as Su Ausis. The reward for defeating Slankus certainly wouldn’t be as rich as defeating Su Ausis...
However, Slankus, being a giant dragon, certainly possessed many things he could use—unlike a legendary-grade artifact like the Undead Black Scripture, which one wouldn’t know how to use.
Slankus suddenly noticed Leon’s greedy stare and inexplicably felt guilty. He had originally wanted to introduce his extravagant collection, but his mouth opened and then closed again.
"I don’t know why you’re so bold. Don’t you really know this is my domain?" Slankus said, "This place is filled with my Magic Power."
"So what?" Leon asked.
"What do you mean, ’so what’? Slankus said, "As a young dragon, it’s normal for you not to understand."
The close ties between a dragon and the structure of the Material Plane take time to develop, and until a dragon has spent nearly a century in a nest, a dragon’s power will not truly manifest in the world.
"Here, I can control the entangled roots and vines at will." At Slankus’s command, thick vines and roots arose from the ground, those being his confidence against the Red Dragon.
"Here, I can manipulate the pervasive Magic Energy at will." Slankus took a deep breath, only to see the scorching Magic Energy converge from all directions, swirling on his scales, granting him resistance to various forms of damage.
A nest is not just a dragon’s sleeping place; it is the bond of all Magic Energy closely linked to this dragon. A dragon’s nest is a home, bearing all the emotions and magical resonance implied by the word.
Many monsters, including dragons, see their challenge level increase in their nest, as in the nest, they can manipulate the magic abilities pervading the nest, thus acquiring nest action.
"Are you done?" Leon wasn’t impressed, "And what about your means as a Priest of Tiamat?"
"You’ve truly spoken the name of Her Majesty," Slankus said, "That’s an act of great disrespect."
"So what, get her to come hit me," Leon scoffed.
"I ask again, are you finished?" Leon said, "If you’re done, then it’s my turn."
Upon entering the young phase, thanks in part to the Heavenly Immortal Pill, Leon no longer feared running out of Mana after casting multiple Spells... Yet recklessly wasting Spells was still unwise; good steel should be used on the blade.
Anyway, Leon ripped off two scales and tossed them to the ground, instantly summoning two Red Dragon avatars.
Leon now had the size of a mature dragon, and his Red Dragon avatars were also of mature dragon size. Although they couldn’t use the Breath Weapon and had lower Life Points, their actual combat power was still comparable to that of a mature red dragon.
"Is that real?" Slankus saw the Red Dragon summoned by Leon trample the flowers and plants.
Leon ignored Slankus, shook his body, activated his Dharma Body of Three Heads and Six Arms, sprouting two additional heads and four arms, then with another shake, he donned the Dragon Armor, wore the Dragon’s Jaw and Tear Claw, and conjured six giant swords out of thin air.
Seeing Leon’s Three Heads and Six Arms, Slankus squinted instinctively and quickly realized it was a Transformation Technique, unrelated to Her Majesty Tiamat.
Leon didn’t stop; he roared skyward, activating his fierce and intimidating form, so much so that even Hinton, who was an adult green dragon, felt a fear rise from within, let alone anyone else. None of the half-green dragon guards aside from the captain-level beings could stand, and those hobgoblins operating the crossbow cannons had already started running.
Slankus’s nest wasn’t like Elf City Danalan with a Maze Lock, nor were his subordinates the summoned Undead Creatures of Su Ausis, who wouldn’t fear; this situation was naturally occurring.
"I, I think we can talk it out," Slankus was taken aback, was that Red Dragon’s combat power actually so exaggerated?
This is a common fault among most giant dragons, unless faced with reality, none would willingly concede to another dragon.
They only deceive themselves, seeking every way possible to win, win, win. They only see the Red Dragon being shot from the sky by an Elf General’s arrow, insisting the Red Dragon’s defeat of Envis was because Envis had just awakened and hadn’t regained power, and in the end, there’s nothing remarkable about the ancient fallen empire’s tomb...
"Is it too late to surrender now?" Slankus asked, "Yes, surrender and lose half."
Leon was not overly concerned about Anglistra. If she got slaughtered one day, he would avenge, but it wouldn’t be a mother’s feud, not shared under the same sky.
Anglistra gave birth to him, reluctantly as she might be, he would acknowledge it.
No matter who it was, wanting to be his dad, dead as dead can be.
Leon was prepared to accept a surrender, but unexpectedly, the situation took a turn and he was mocked harshly, genuinely enraged.
"It’s too late to surrender now."
Leon raised his sword, pointed it at Slankus, and declared forcefully, "You will die today, I said it, not even Tiamat can change that."
After speaking, Leon moved.