"So, what exactly is that ability?"
At this moment, within the Astral Plane, a man and a dragon sat together, observing through a magical portal the events unfolding in the cave. Both the massive red dragon and the mage bore numerous wounds, as though they had just emerged from a fierce battle.
Indeed, Deshurte watched the scene with a scowl, responding curtly to the red dragon beside him.
Shamila Fabur, the red dragon, lay beside him, seemingly disinterested in returning to the cave to wreak havoc. Instead, she animatedly discussed the intricacies of magic.
"If I had known this was the nature of the ability, I would have studied it sooner—it resembles some form of mutation. Isn't this more within your realm of expertise?"
"We dragons possess none of these bizarre abilities… Is that kid a follower of Orcus? Perhaps it's a strange experiment of Orcus? We should figure this out sometime," Shamila analyzed, casting a sideways glance at Deshurte and teasingly adding, "After all this time as a magical pet, you still can't decipher this?"
Deshurte remained silent, shooting the dragon a warning look. Deep down, he felt a twinge of regret. Had he known things would unfold so smoothly, he would have refrained from intervening and avoided dealing with this bothersome lizard.
Today's battle had drawn Deshurte in against his will. When the red dragon unleashed its fiery breath, he had already intervened. In a bid to extract information about the Dragon's Tome from Lynn, he had to take action. He had controlled Lynn, making him unleash fey fire—but once the fey fire took hold, he lost his mental grip on Lynn.
Lynn was unaware that he had been manipulated; he simply believed it was an external control.
Following that, Deshurte quickly recognized the threat posed by the red dragon. He understood that Lynn and his companions had no chance of defeating her. To procure the Dragon's Tome, he decided to take a risk and assist Lynn and the others against the red dragon—but he didn't want his presence to be revealed, so he chose to enter the Astral Plane with the dragon, intending to slay her there.
In his eyes, he had already done enough for Lynn. He had never been this lenient even with his former disciples.
However, the red dragon was far more intelligent and formidable than he had anticipated. She had not been trapped in the maze for long, and upon realizing that someone could enter, Shamila quickly recognized the danger and fled into the Astral Plane.
Deshurte was relentless in his pursuit.
In a sense, this battle left Deshurte in awe: he had always prided himself on his powerful spells, but after facing Shamila Fabur, he realized that without employing legendary magic, it was exceedingly difficult to take down this vicious dragon.
This was no ordinary mature red dragon; Shamila was far more ferocious and cunning. By dragon standards, she was a prodigy—an incredibly troublesome opponent.
Of course, he believed he could ultimately prevail, but as the combat wore on, Shamila became aware of Deshurte's strength. Seeing the tide of battle turn against her, she quickly proposed a new solution.
"Are you also here for the Dragon's Tome? Perhaps we could cooperate."
Shamila was acutely aware of the principle that if one could not win, one should team up. Recognizing the unfavorable situation, she sought negotiation instead.
She confessed to Deshurte that she had long coveted the Dragon's Tome and that her alliance with the vampires was also aimed at obtaining it. The tome contained unique knowledge and history pertaining to dragons, and she offered to assist Deshurte in his research.
Her strong desire for survival and the information she revealed led Deshurte to halt his aggressive actions. He recognized that he indeed needed an ally, and he opted not to eradicate her. He realized that her cunning and ferocity could be of great use to him in the future.
He then informed Shamila that Lynn knew the whereabouts of the Dragon's Tome and might even become the future emperor of a northern empire.
He revealed this to boast about his foresight, but it piqued the dragon's curiosity. She suggested observing Lynn's capabilities, which also intrigued Deshurte. Thus, the man and dragon lingered in the Astral Plane, using magic to witness the unfolding events in the cave.
What they observed was eye-opening.
"That ability doesn't seem like something a mere human could possess. It's as if he has some innate draconic essence; that guy has likely been modified by Orcus to manifest such peculiar abilities…" Shamila scrutinized Lynn, finally making a judgment. "So, this is the person who will someday establish the Camelot Empire? How curious that he is so weak now."
"How do you know the name of the empire?" Deshurte asked, puzzled.
"Almost all powerful beings are aware of it, right? That priest of the Lord of Dawn must also have heard whispers of the remnants of the Scroll of the Future, which drove him mad. It's said that a dark lord will rise in the North, and they must be quite distraught about it. That fellow aims to kill Lynn to prevent that nation from coming into existence."
"Presumptuous," Deshurte remarked curtly.
It frustrated Deshurte to think that not only the red dragon but even the priests of the Lord of Dawn knew about the future empire. He had thought the fragment of the future he had received somehow validated his strength, but it turned out to be a mass broadcast of information.
"If it weren't for the power of my breath, he would have succeeded," Shamila remarked, oblivious to his discontent, puffing up with pride. "So, with that contribution, don't you think I deserve some reward?"
"He's currently broke," Deshurte replied.
"Think bigger. In the future, he will have an empire. An empire! Think of how many treasures it will possess. How much wealth! A single blue dragon like Shariclaw can collect taxes in Sharn, so why can't I do the same?"
"You'd better not act recklessly and interfere with my plans."
"Relax, I'm very curious to see if he can produce any more interesting information." Shamila laughed heartily. "Besides, I don't need to interfere with your affairs. Can't you see? That guy is practically begging me to collaborate with him; if I were to ask him for some benefits, he would probably thank me for it."
"So you're planning to leverage this moment to demand tribute from his future nation?"
"I thought about it, but then I reconsidered." Shamila rolled her eyes and stood up. "Collecting taxes won't make me the wealthiest dragon. So, perhaps I'll find a better way to request my reward—something more advantageous."