Deliverance

The glimmer of gold within the dragon's lair slowly sank into the earth, and the small patch of Golden Land disappeared with it.

Wentesi put away the Great Sun Earth Buddha Sutra, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as he looked toward the entrance to the lair.

Heavy footsteps drew closer from afar, and Walker the gnoll walked in, hunched over with his head lowered.

After entering, Walker gave a somewhat imperfect salute of allegiance, then knelt on one knee and placed his right hand over his chest.

"My lord true dragon."

His voice was steady, showing none of the fear or trembling from before, and his submissive posture was beyond reproach.

But the body could not lie. Wentesi could sense that every muscle in Walker's body was taut, and a strong stench of blood clung to him.

It was as though a suppressed fury lay hidden beneath his fur.

So he refuses to submit to me. Hmph!

After Walker finished his salute, Wentesi had intended to call him to account for overstepping and asking for a reward, but the words reached the edge of his dragon maw only to sink back into his stomach.

His molten-gold slit pupils swept over Walker's taut body and picked out the distinct signs of a recent advancement in his class level.

Walker the gnoll had advanced!

No wonder. He's advanced to a level-five gnoll warlord, and now he has something to rely on.

A scoff escaped Wentesi's throat.

No wonder he dares demand a Dragon Blood Blessing like this. He's advanced. In his eyes, reaching level five makes him the same as me, someone who can stand on equal footing with me.

Wentesi's initial killing intent diminished greatly, and he even grew somewhat expectant and curious.

How had a mere nameless gnoll who had only just advanced to a level-four warlord broken through to level five so quickly, with neither rare spirit treasures nor a renowned master in his class to pass on experience?

He clearly had a secret.

Wentesi's interest was piqued, and he wanted to find out what had given him such courage.

Walker kept his head lowered. Hearing the red dragon's scoff, he lowered it further, thinking the dragon was displeased and about to fly into a rage.

But after waiting a long while, Walker heard none of the scolding he had imagined. The dragon's lair was silent, and the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.

After waiting another long while, Walker finally could not bear it. He slowly raised his head and looked at the red dragon.

As he did, Walker's sinister green eyes met Wentesi's molten-gold slit pupils.

The instant their eyes met, Walker hurriedly lowered his head again, not daring to look any longer. Much of his swagger faded, and he spoke respectfully:

"My lord true dragon, your subordinate has come to report two matters."

Wentesi did not respond. After waiting a moment, Walker took his silence for tacit permission and continued:

"First, I wish to report the threat posed by the beast-transformed leopard on the outskirts of the territory. Recently, it has grown increasingly rampant and has already killed two young adult gnolls of my tribe.

"I have fought this beast-transformed leopard myself, but it is likely around level six. I was no match for it..."

Walker paused again, his tone growing more earnest:

"So I dare to beg you, Master, for a Dragon Blood Blessing, to transform me into a dragon-blood gnoll and strengthen me so I can defend the territory."

"Besides, Master, you are already five years old and will soon enter your slumber. When the territory is without you, the situation will be even more dangerous.

"That is why I dare to beg you for a Dragon Blood Blessing, Master. Then, if a powerful outside enemy attacks, I can protect the dragon's lair and guard you!"

His words rang with conviction, impassioned and stirring enough to move anyone.

But Walker the gnoll had only joined Wentesi's territory two days ago. How could he be such a loyal dog?

And how did he know that a true dragon would enter its first slumber near the end of its fifth year?

By all rights, an ignorant creature like a gnoll could not possibly have obtained such knowledge of dragons.

Besides, his declaration of loyalty carried a note of firm confidence, as though he had Wentesi completely in the palm of his hand.

It was as though he were saying, There's a level-six beast-transformed leopard outside the territory, and you're about to go to sleep. Only I can keep you safe, so you have to grant me a Dragon Blood Blessing!

That was what Wentesi could not tolerate most!

Normally, Wentesi would have blasted dragon breath into his face and burned this gnoll who knew neither the height of heaven nor the depth of earth to ash.

But now Wentesi patiently opened his dragon maw and spoke in an unhurried tone:

"You've only been in my territory a few days, yet you're already so loyal. What a loyal, obedient dog you are~"

Before Walker could react, Wentesi changed tack:

"But I remember that you were still level four two days ago. How did you become a level-five gnoll today?"

Walker showed neither shock nor surprise. Instead, he puffed out his chest and said proudly:

"My lord, it was thanks to my exceptional talent, my sharpening of claw and fang day and night, and an epiphany in the midst of battle. I was fortunate enough to break through to level five. Fortune, mere fortune."

Though he spoke of fortune, his tone was quite smug, and he made no attempt to hide his pride.

Wentesi said nothing, expressing neither displeasure nor praise.

But in Walker's eyes, this silence meant the red dragon had yielded. He was silent because he feared how quickly Walker's strength had grown.

The longer the silence lasted, the more Walker felt that the red dragon was weighing the costs and benefits, and the more he saw it as a sign of weakness. The flame that had nearly gone out when he met the dragon's eyes began to burn again.

"My lord, I don't mean to boast."

Walker straightened his back, his tone growing more forceful:

"As things stand, you and I are the only level-five fighters in the territory. The strongest of the others are only level three.

"If that beast-transformed leopard suddenly goes mad and attacks the territory while you are slumbering, you will need me to serve you and protect it."

"With a Dragon Blood Blessing, my strength will advance further, and I will have a better chance of resisting the beast-transformed leopard."

The more he spoke, the more smoothly the words flowed. He plainly regarded himself as a mainstay of the territory, and everything he said implied that Wentesi had to give him dragon blood and bestow the blessing upon him.

Wentesi remained silent, his gaze growing increasingly mocking, as though he were watching a monkey perform onstage.

Strands of Hairy Head Sun Law Power had quietly spread out as soon as he began questioning Walker, slowly enveloping him like an invisible veil.

The strand of the "ticking bomb" planted inside Walker long ago also slowly dispersed, spreading throughout his body.

Walker had no talent as a mage and could barely sense Law Power. He continued boasting to Wentesi about himself, utterly unaware of what was happening.

Wentesi's mind followed the Law Power, sweeping inch by inch over Walker's sinews, bones, flesh, blood, and organs.

Walker's class-level advancement was real, not a deception. That much could be sensed from his level of life.

But the Qi and Blood within Walker revealed a hollowness. His Qi and Blood were so depleted that he had already overdrawn them.

Then the Law Power swept over Walker's left claw-there, he wore an utterly inconspicuous black ring, a level-two magic ring.

The level-two black ring was hidden beneath the gnoll's thick fur, impossible to notice with the naked eye.

When Wentesi's Hairy Head Sun Law Power touched the ring, a cold, evil presence flickered.

This feeling... I seem to have felt it somewhere before.

Wentesi frowned, and memories from the dragon inheritance instantly surged to mind.

It was the scent of a devil!

And the presence of sealing magic!

A devil was sealed inside this ring!

Devils were representatives of the lawful evil camp. They were especially skilled at beguiling hearts and loved to use contracts as bait, tempting living beings into corruption and making them offer up their pure souls.

In human folk songs and stories, the appearance of a devil often heralded the arrival of disaster.

Devils were also enemies of demons, and bloody battles often broke out between them.

So he made a deal with a devil, paying some price to raise his class level. No wonder he's so arrogant.

A devil's deals had always been exchanges of equal value, yet they also concealed schemes. The power it gave you today would surely have to be repaid a hundredfold tomorrow.

Besides, a devil sealed in a level-two ring could not be very powerful. Otherwise, it would not have been sealed.

Having understood the whole sequence of events, Wentesi looked at Walker, who was still spouting off with saliva flying, and bared a mouthful of sharp, gleaming teeth in a meaningful smile.

Walker was in the full swing of speaking when he suddenly saw the red dragon grinning savagely at him. His heart sank, a bad feeling came over him, and an inexplicable chill crept into his bones.

"Master... you?"

Hum-

The Hairy Head Sun Law Power covering Walker inside and out instantly manifested. Hundreds of golden chains coiled around him, most visibly over his chest.

Following the method in the Great Sun Earth Buddha Sutra, Wentesi violently infused Walker with Hairy Head Sun Law Power.

With this move, he intended to infuse Walker directly into a Field of Merit!

"Don't you want power?"

Wentesi was utterly indifferent, and every word he spoke in the dragon tongue exploded beside Walker's ears:

"I grant you a heaven-great fortuitous opportunity, more precious than a Dragon Blood Blessing!"