Chapter 324 – The Unusual Black Dragon

“Alright, it seems we have to admit that the black dragon named Ovakain Acidmaw isn’t as simple as we imagined”…

Ben Lajie sighed helplessly. As a mage who had lived for over three thousand years, he could actually sense something amiss, but this guy had always clung to some wishful thinking.

However, faced with the evidence presented by Punk, the fat old man finally had to abandon his ridiculous delusions.

“You’re the one who thought too simply. I never considered a Master-Level mission to be straightforward!”

Punk waved his hand to dissipate the soul fragment, calmly distancing his own reasoning from Ben Lajie’s wishful thinking.

“It now appears the Zordas Family likely lied. There’s over an eighty percent chance that black dragon Ovakain Acidmaw possesses class levels, and it’s probably a spellcaster highly skilled in alchemical magic. At the very least, this energy that neutralizes bloodline influence isn’t something I could create.”

The more Punk spoke, the darker his expression grew. While these special energies might not be advanced and only effective against ordinary people, their complexity and the creativity in constructing the energy fusion mechanism were enough to astonish any alchemical mage. Even Punk, who possessed the memories of a Grand Arcanist, had to admit this energy fusion structure couldn’t have been randomly assembled – its creator’s alchemical proficiency definitely surpassed his current level.

Considering the residual Master-Level spell energy in Monbay Windbeak’s brain, along with the silent disappearance of an entire group of storm eagles, coupled with Dragon Roar Kingdom’s confident announcement that the storm eagles would never return – all this evidence pointed to one conclusion: the ruler of Dragon Roar Kingdom, Ovakain Acidmaw, wasn’t a bloodline-driven mad black dragon, but a wise and highly skilled spellcaster.

“This is truly troublesome. A spellcasting dragon – no enemy is more difficult to deal with than this kind of creature!”

Puck sighed inwardly while frowning deeply.

“Your analysis makes sense, but so what? These logical deductions can’t be submitted as evidence to the Thought of Truth headquarters.”

Seeing Punk’s expression growing increasingly unpleasant, Ben Lajie couldn’t help but become agitated himself. He almost petulantly expressed his frustration:

“Now we’re in trouble. That damned Joni Zordas has played us. Though I don’t know why this bastard would risk offending Master-Level mages and provoking the Thought of Truth’s wrath by lying, he definitely deceived us. The key point is… so what? Our logical reasoning can’t justify abandoning the mission. Do you know how many exchange points we’ll have to compensate if we accept but don’t complete a mission?”

Ben Lajie seemed to grow angrier the more he spoke. The garrulous old man’s complaints carried the distinctive flavor of a neighborhood committee elder picking a fight:

“Damn Zordas Family! Once this matter is settled, I’ll make them pay! Maple Leaf Kingdom won’t get away either! This Ben Lajie isn’t someone to be trifled with!”While Ben Lajie was spouting threats and grumbling incessantly, his torrent of words could be directly categorized as nonsense compared to the imminent emergency at hand—once this matter was concluded, Punk would never let off the Zordas Family and the Maple Leaf Kingdom. But for now, such determination and grudges were useless in resolving the trouble!

In truth, though annoyed, Punk wasn’t one to complain about fate like Ben Lajie. Or perhaps he had already prepared himself mentally from the start. In his view, the rewards and risks of such missions were undoubtedly proportional. If that black dragon were truly as foolish, insane, and weak as ordinary chromatic dragons, yet still dared to openly establish a kingdom, how could a “golden opportunity” like dragon-slaying ever fall to him? Countless adventurers would have long skinned and dismembered the beast.

The fact that the other party had managed to peacefully develop a kingdom for centuries spoke volumes about their capabilities. It’s just that the current situation was more troublesome than Punk had anticipated—a spellcasting dragon meant that Punk couldn’t proceed with his original plan of storming the dragon’s lair with just himself, Ben Lajie, and Joni Zordas, three Master-Level powerhouses. Charging recklessly into a spellcaster’s stronghold wasn’t just seeking death—it was the epitome of foolishness.

Logically, when faced with such unforeseen circumstances, Punk preferred to turn and retreat. However… abandoning a mission for the Thought of Truth required compensating with exchange points. Punk currently had none to spare, and he certainly lacked the ability to default on a debt to a Legendary organization.

“Damn it all, the saying holds true: the higher your power level, the more complicated things become. Why is nothing ever straightforward?”

Feeling the weight of their difficult path ahead, Punk couldn’t help but grow increasingly irritated, though he never let his emotions show clearly:

“Enough, Ben Lajie. Without evidence to accuse the Zordas Family of lying, this damned mission must go on. The only silver lining now is that the black dragon Ovakain Acidmaw probably hasn’t realized we’ve already arrived in its Dragon Roar Kingdom. Before it detects us, we must gather as much intelligence as possible. The Zordas Family is no longer trustworthy! Moreover, it’s likely already aware that the Zordas Family posted this mission with the Thought of Truth. We’d better disrupt its rhythm and prevent it from calmly preparing for battle!Punk spoke in a low, gloomy voice, his tone as frigid as a lifeless frozen lake.

“You’re right. We’ll have to dig up intel ourselves.”

Hearing that not only could they no longer profit from the Zordas Family, but Joni Zordas had suddenly become a potential enemy, Ben Lajie’s expression grew even more sour.

However, at the mention of “intelligence,” Ben Lajie seemed to recall something after a few seconds of thought. He quickly caught up to Punk and said:

“By the way, I once operated an aerial port in the Gray Rain Country that had connections to the Hoth Mountains. I just recalled glancing at the trade records from that port during that period. Over a century ago, a mid-ranking noble from the Dragon Roar Kingdom shipped a massive quantity of ‘White Butterfly Wings’ through my port. The nationality noted for that noble was the Dragon Roar Kingdom.”At this moment, the Master-Level powerhouse’s nearly insane memory capability demonstrated its marvel. Even a Master-Level Mage like Ben Lajie, who usually only cared about fine food and beautiful women, could effortlessly recall every detail from a document he had merely glanced at over a century ago—without any error.

Hearing this rare piece of valuable intelligence from Ben Lajie, Punk immediately recognized an opportunity or breakthrough point.

The plant “White Butterfly Wings” was named for its blossoms resembling white butterfly wings. It served as a rather mediocre Apprentice-Level alchemical neutralizing agent, and as a neutralizer, the required dosage was minimal. The fact that a noble suddenly purchased a quantity large enough to require transportation by a goblin airship was quite suspicious upon closer thought.

“Then let’s start investigating this minor noble’s family. The Dragon Roar Kingdom is entangled in too many mysteries. Before Ovakain discovers us, we hold the advantage of infiltration. At the very least, we need to uncover the secret behind this energy that can suppress bloodline influence. I’m certain this peculiar alchemical synthetic energy is a crucial pillar of this nation!”

As he spoke, a cold glint flashed through Punk’s pupils:

“If possible… let’s shatter this nation’s pillar and throw Ovakain into disarray. I want to observe from the shadows what tricks that black dragon can muster!”

(End of Chapter)