The Whole Story

The Magic Array blocked out sound, so the Sanctuary Guardians had not heard the conversation between the two dragons. Seeing the Red Dragon turn and walk toward them, their hearts began to race. They rose to their feet and drew their blades.

Jose felt a chill.

"Strange. I've become a Red Dragon, so why do I still feel cold?"

He did not dwell on it, assuming the cave was simply too damp. After taking a few steps, he stopped and left Old Eight a meal.

The three dragons searched all night and, naturally, found nothing.

"Phew!" Jose let out a long breath. "What good luck! We didn't run into anything!"

Yaligris was also relaxed. She glanced at the Crystal Ball in her hand. "Even O'Neal can't blame us for anything, can he? We covered the entire assigned area."

"Maybe, but no matter what, we need to head back."

"Mm."

The three dragons carried the Kobold guide in their claws and flew toward Greystone Fortress in the morning light.

It was wartime, so they could not fly directly over the walls. Thus, the three dragons landed on the strategic buffer plain before Greystone Fortress, passed inspection without issue, and entered the city.

"Doug, this is your reward." Jose took out a broken red scale.

It was a scale he had shed when injured. According to the Dragon Heritage, once he awakened spellcasting abilities, dragon scales could be used to transform followers, so he had kept the scales that fell off.

Doug took the dragon scale with excitement. Lower Dragonkin such as Kobolds could use dragon scales and Dragon Blood in magical rituals to increase the concentration of Dragon Vein within their bodies. This would strengthen them physically, and if they were lucky, they might even awaken as Dragon Vein Warlocks.

"Praise you, merciful true dragon! Doug is willing to serve you forever!"

"Very good. Keep an eye on all kinds of news around here. I may come looking for you at any time."

"Yes, sir!"

"Go."

The Kobold guide gradually disappeared into the distance.

Jose explained to his companions beside him, "It never hurts to have another pair of eyes and ears."

Then he turned to look at the Black Dragon Cave. Its pitch-black entrance resembled the gaping maw of a Black Dragon. "Let's go. I have a feeling our mission won't end so easily."

The moment they entered the cave, the three dragons noticed something unusual.

"Only one day has passed. Why are there so many more people?"

The elite monsters in the cave now numbered twice as many as when the three dragons had first arrived. That was highly abnormal.

The front lines were short on combat power, and most of the guards in rear areas like Greystone Fortress had been transferred forward. Yet there were now so many additional elites here. Something major must have happened.

The three dragons continued toward the Black Dragon's office.

Not far from the Black Dragon's office, its door opened, and an unexpected dragon walked out. He was Jose's brother in the draconic sense.

"Baren, why are you here too?"

Seeing his younger brother approach, Baren curled his lips disdainfully. "My foolish little brother! Your reactions are always so slow!"

"Since you're back, get in here and report at once! What are you chatting for?!" A sudden roar from behind made Baren shrink his neck.

Jose no longer had the mood to ask for information. He hurried into the Black Dragon's office with his companions.

O'Neal no longer had the relaxed, contented air he had worn while sampling sweets before. His head was buried behind a messy pile of parchment on the desk. He raised his head, revealing blood-red eyes filled with inquiry.

"Lord O'Neal, we searched the assigned area and found nothing unusual." As he spoke, Jose handed over the Crystal Ball.

O'Neal placed a Dragon Claw on the Crystal Ball, focused, and closed his eyes. Before long, he opened them again, unable to conceal his disappointment. The three dragons' search area had been beyond reproach, and he was too busy to make things difficult for three Dragon Hatchlings.

"Your mission is not over. Gather in the hall at noon."

"Yes."

The three dragons breathed a sigh of relief and left the Black Dragon's office.

Jose found that Baren had already vanished. He casually grabbed a Gnoll whose back was facing him. "Whose subordinate are you? Where are you from? How long have you been here?"

The Gnoll was about to get angry, but when he turned and saw a Red Dragon, he quickly put on a fawning smile. "Respected true dragon, we are reserves under the Venomous Lady. We were transferred here from the Red Nest last night."

"Did anything major happen yesterday?"

"You don't know?"

"If I knew, why would I be asking you? Stop wasting time and tell me!"

"This is what happened. Yesterday, the Mage Corps at every fortress used magic to investigate the forests and mountains within their territories. They discovered that more and more areas were shrouded by mysterious barriers, causing detection magic to fail. That's all I know."

"Fine." Jose recalled the Black Dragon's bloodshot, weary eyes. The pressure from above must have been immense.

He asked around among others as well and received much the same answers. After all, the people he questioned were merely low-ranking soldiers and knew very little. O'Neal certainly knew more detailed information, but their relationship was poor, so there was no need to invite trouble.

The three dragons left the cave, found a quiet place in the forest not far from Greystone Fortress, and lay down to rest.

"With the Human Allied Forces making such a huge move this time, there will definitely be a major battle next. We need to prepare ourselves mentally."

After a pause, Jose continued, "Come to think of it, we should thank Wolf. No matter what, Greystone Fortress is deep in the rear. It's still safer than the front lines."

Yaligris nodded in agreement. Now that large mysterious regions had appeared elsewhere as well, Greystone Fortress was no longer so conspicuous. On the contrary, its rearward location made it safer.

The three dragons rested in the forest all morning, then headed for the Black Dragon Cave around noon.

By the time they arrived, the cave was already packed.

In addition to low-ranking monsters such as Gnolls, Kobolds, and Goblin, there were powerful Ogres, Trolls, Hobgoblins, and a small number of Dragonkin Monsters.

Of course, the most conspicuous beings in the hall were giant dragons like Jose and his companions, especially the blue and green Adolescent Dragons.

The three dragons found an inconspicuous corner and stood there, waiting for the Black Dragon Commander to arrive.

Monsters were naturally unruly and respected only strength. With hundreds of monsters gathered together, it would have been strange if they had stayed quiet.

Just as Jose compared the monsters to ducks in a duck pen, an imposing aura descended.

Dragon Might!

And it was the Dragon Might of an Adult Dragon. The hall, which had been like a marketplace moments ago, instantly fell silent enough to hear a pin drop. The Black Dragon—O'Neal—walked out of the room.

He first swept his gaze across the hall. Seeing everyone lower their heads in respect or submission, he finally walked to the center of the hall with satisfaction.

O'Neal took out a map and used magic to project and enlarge its image in the air, allowing everyone to see its markings clearly.

Jose studied the map and discovered that it depicted Greystone Fortress's defense zone. Every mountain peak was numbered, and the territory had been divided into sections.

"The Matriarch has issued an order! Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must root out those hidden humans! I have decided that every true dragon will lead a team in a carpet search!"