The dwarven warlock gradually moved closer.
He wore a Focusing Magic Mirror and adjusted its focal length to the microscopic level, clearly seeing the metallic sheen on the dragon scale's surface fade away, revealing a honeycomb-like fire-element storage structure within.
This was a form never recorded in alchemy textbooks.
At the thought that this discovery might allow him to publish a paper,
the dwarven warlock's breathing quickened, and his thick beard trembled with excitement.
Meanwhile.
As the flames scorched it, the shattered scale completely turned red-hot. Under magnification, lava-like bright-red matter seeped from the honeycomb holes.
The dwarven warlock keenly sensed the danger, and his expression changed.
Buzz!
Runes instantly lit up on the iron rings tied to his beard, rapidly extending into a layer of glowing shield that spread over the dwarven warlock's body.
The shattered scale exploded like a compressed sun.
Boom!
A mass of flames and a shockwave suddenly erupted, striking the dwarven warlock and sending him flying through three rows of shelves.
More than ten seconds later.
Gronie crawled out of the chaotic workshop, covered in dust and grime. His charred beard still smoked faintly. If not for the defensive alchemical items hanging from his beard—the iron rings—which had blocked much of the damage, his frail warlock's body would have suffered severe injuries.
Even so, he had paid the price for his carelessness.
A sharp pain came from his left eye. When he reached up to touch his face, all he felt was a melted metal frame and sticky remnants of his lens.
The explosion had come too suddenly. His alchemical item had not activated quickly enough, and that eye had been blinded by the blast.
He truly had not expected it.
Such a tiny shattered scale could actually cause this much damage and destruction.
After