Suddenly, a rotting smell came out of its decomposing skeleton, making me cover my nose. Looking at the floating goddess, I could see a sheen of sweat covering her brow, wavering her focus. Soon, a plinking sound could be heard, making it apparent that the dragon was, indeed, rotting. Waiting a couple more minutes, all that could be seen as a massive skeleton and a giant orb, which had that same concentration of power I felt when first approached by the dragon, and a shit ton of shingle-like scales, also emitting a slight aura.
Floating shakily down to my level, as soon as she landed she collapsed into my arms, much to my annoyance. Hopping over to the nearest tree, which was drawn closer to me by the sheer suction that was created by the absence of air in the hole the dragon came out of, I leaned her against the wood, making sure she was alright before going over to the scales to pick up them a couple at a time. Bringing out a trusty bag that I got from the market, which I stored inside myself, I piled them inside like Tetris.
With all of the sharp, pointy objects bouncing around my waist, it was kind of hard to concentrate on what else I was supposed to do. also, none of this would have been possible if Azura did not come out and decompose this monstrosity, so it apparently would not explode both itself, the terrain, and me into smithereens.
not only this but there was also a chance that, if I somehow managed to defeat it, I might be able to get some of its power. while that sounds good and all, she also wanted me that the power of geomancy is cursed, and people affiliated with it, no matter the species, also get cursed. such is the neglection of the proud dragon race. anyways, time to take a look at how our beloved goddess is doing.
Looking back at where the goddess of ice was supposed to be, all I could see was a faint frost on the bark, nothing else. Assuming she went back into the eateries space of the system, I carried on with the harvesting. Once I got most of the scales, which were coming in by the thousands due to the dragons' big size, I had to quit when they started to get smaller and more difficult to pick up. That left only one thing; the orb.
"Now, what are you supposed to be, big guy?" I said to myself, hefting the bowling ball-sized sphere, which was the same color of rich dirt, mixed with bits of green. If smaller, this would make a lovely marble collection piece. Look it up, it's a thing. Anyways, while inspecting it, a notification popped up.
{Remnant of an Ancient Earth Elemental. Does the host want to integrate with it?}
Huh, this has never happened before, where the system asks what I want to do. Usually, it automatically integrates power for me. This must mean that this can either be very beneficial or very hazardous, as there was a curse mentioned by Azura that said the Earth Dragons, one of the most powerful creatures on this continent, were downgraded to something I could easily kill, which seemed like it would revert me bo my original spore, losing my progress.
Hmm, what to do, what to do. Since I do not need money, and something like this must be worth a fortune, I wonder if I can get some more connections with the King? Or, at least, someone of royalty. The most obvious choice would be to present the King with the orb, as he wishes to advance beyond the scope of his neighboring kingdom. Though this might be a good idea up front, I still am an outsider, and also considered a possible threat to the kingdom.
There is almost certainly a group of underground personnel that is in cahoots with the King, which might explain the reason why the King seemed worried when I, an outsider with no knowledge of how the kingdom is run, comes in with a whole ass Wraith hauled on his back, I would be at least mildly concerned. The best thing I can do right now is to keep the stone as a bargaining chip and wait till I have a more public representation before I play the card.
Spinning the ball on my pointer finger, I walked back towards the kingdom, thanks to my amazing sense of direction, or more like the map I managed to recover from the fight. Speaking of which, I seemed to recover just fine, there was no magic involved in the single attack that the beast managed to land on me. All that is left now is to repair my common jacket, which is now ripped, and get a new blade, just to fit in. Though unneeded, I still want something flashy to show around town.
Money obviously will never be a problem, so I can exploit most of the kingdom, but I will have to watch that as I climb the ranks. Looking up at the sky, I could see a red haze coming across it, plugging the horizon with a beautiful blood-red glow. With this, I knew I had to try my best to make it home before dark, not knowing why I am so worried. Eh, probably a habit from when I was a human, something that I should probably get out of doing.
Following the indistinct lines that show the way back to the kingdom, and following the path that I used to get here, I made it back to the kingdom around the same time that I entered it at the beginning of my mission. Passing the slip to the wasted guards, I was let through without a hassle. What happened next was just practical. I went to the pub, ordered a light dinner, ordered the 'special services' again, and went to sleep happy.