Initially, Shendu perceived the small devil dragon as merely rebellious, perhaps not yet having reached puberty. However, it has become apparent that his foolish son is more than just a rebellious youth—he exhibits bone hyperplasia, an anti-bone stance.
"Old man, you're just trying to lure me into playing, aren't you?!" Drago grumbled as he retreated to the tavern. His initial intention was to confront his father directly and potentially commit patricide today. However, the thought of Ron, feared even by Shendu, forced Drago to abandon this notion.
"No... We've been at odds for two and a half years, and I'm truly exhausted," Shendu confessed, taking a sip of wine with a troubled expression. As mentioned earlier, the two had engaged in a relentless, deadly battle for two full years, day and night, causing even the most bellicose and powerful individuals to tire. The father-son animosity only exacerbated the weariness.
"Hmph, do you think I'll still believe that?" Drago scoffed coldly, turning away and exiting the tavern. Although Shendu felt a twinge of anger, he found solace in the fact that, compared to their past encounters, his silly son could now engage in a calm conversation. Despite the recent violent altercation, it was a promising start.
Rayleigh, cautious in his commentary, observed the situation and remarked softly, "Just give your son whatever he desires, Shendu?"
Shendu shook his head slightly, saying, "You don't understand. If I relinquish my power to him, I fear I won't live to see the sun rise tomorrow. That's the way it is among demons. When it comes to interests and power, family affection is virtually irrelevant."
Rayleigh was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond. He could only manage a wry smile and suggest, "Then maybe consider using a diversionary tactic."
Ron, casually munching on melons, shook his head in helplessness. "Good luck, but don't blame me if Drago decides to break your leg."
Shendu's eyes suddenly lit up. "That's a great idea! While I don't plan to relinquish my dominance over Drago, picking up a diversionary tactic could be a useful pastime."
"Ron has some excellent items here. I can't guarantee you'll handle them well, but whoever falls will surely rise again for another sprint," Rayleigh remarked, pointing to the wine cabinet with a smirk.
Shendu glanced at the indicated direction, noticing a subtle medicinal fragrance emanating from the cabinet. With a single glance, the demon who had ruled the earth for centuries recognized it as a tonic for nourishing yin and strengthening yang. Although the horse Talisman could cure all ailments, it couldn't invigorate the kidney.
"Boss, bring me a bottle of tiger penis-infused wine," Shendu requested, rubbing his hands eagerly. Ron turned around and handed over a bottle of Tiger Whip wine from the cabinet.
"If Drago finds out, he'll surely fight you relentlessly," Ron warned.
"Hmph, I can incapacitate that traitor with a single slap!" Shendu snorted, taking a bold swig from the bottle.
Soon, the bottle was emptied, leaving behind a mix of aphrodisiac herbs. Suddenly, Shendu felt an inexplicable agitation in his body. Desires dormant for many years rekindled like a blazing fire, and dopamine, the hormone in his body, surged wildly. This was undeniably the taste of spring!
If Drago were still present, Ron would likely quip, "Your father got bitten by a centipede; go find a chicken. The older, the better, to defeat the fire."
After dropping a few gems, Shendu slowly rose from his seat. "Boss, practice the trumpet while it's hot, and come back for a drink tomorrow. By the way, I'll cover this brother's tab!" With that, he hastily left the tavern and returned to his own realm.
At that moment, a mechanical prompt from the system sounded in Ron's mind
"[Ding, Customer Shendu, Drago has finished confiding.]
[Customer Shendu: Monkey Talisman, Dragon Talisman, Tiger Talisman, Pig Talisman... Host can choose any one of them.]
[Customer Drago: Devil Zhongsu's devilish energy, devil Bogang's devilish energy, devil Ximu's devilish energy... Host can choose any one of them.]"
Rather than rushing to choose, Ron inquired softly, "If I combine these demonic energies, will I also acquire the characteristics of a demon?" The response came swiftly
"[Ding, no.]"
Ron dispelled his doubts and proceeded, "Choose the Tiger Talisman and Su's magic energy in the demon, and fuse them together." The system prompt followed
"[Ding, start to optimize the demon Zhongsu's magic energy defect, make up for the lack of ability has been completed, and start to integrate.]"
Ron raised an eyebrow at the system prompts. Was it helping him complete all the abilities of the devil Zhongsu? Before he could revel in the thought, a resounding boom echoed. An immensely formidable lightning power surged through Ron's body, permeating every nook and cranny with a tyrannical presence before melding into his bones and cells.
Soon after, the fusion of magic energy was complete. Ron extended his right hand, and a surge of electricity emanated from his fingertips. He could sense that this power had surpassed even that of the Thunder Fruit!
Simultaneously, an octagonal runestone engraved with a tiger pattern materialized in Ron's hand. Tiger Talisman: The Power of Balance. It could harmonize the yin and yang within the holder or split them into two entities of good and evil.
"If it is used on Rem or Ram, wouldn't it double the happiness? Hmm...might try it tonight.
...
As time passed bit by bit. In a blink of an eye, it was lunchtime, and Rayleigh chose to eat here as usual.
Just when Ron was swiping the system's points mall, a demon summoning ceremony that costs 100 points caught Ron's attention. Take a gamble? What if a succubus is summoned?
After contemplating it, Ron silently thought, "In exchange for the demon summoning ceremony."
[Ding, in exchange, the host has 1,900 points left.]
With the announcement, a clay pot filled with green liquid, a pile of white candles, and a piece of paper with spells appeared before Ron's eyes.
"Ron, what are you doing?" Rayleigh asked suspiciously.
"You'll find out later," Ron smiled, proceeding to follow the prompts and make preparations.
When everything was ready, Ron picked up the piece of paper, and incomprehensible characters escaped his mouth. When the last syllable was spoken, a purple magic circle rose, and the clay pot burst into dazzling light.
Immediately afterward, a lazy, mature female voice echoed, "Human, did you summon me?"
As the light dimmed, a tall, plump figure appeared in Ron's sight. For a moment, only three words came to Ron's mind: "Big big..."
On the other hand, Rayleigh's eyes were filled with horror.