Chapter 1031 The Frozen Dragon Scale <TOC> Chapter 1033 The Great Hall Mural
Translator: SumTLMan
The Bone Crow is a peculiar demonic avian shrouded in a bizarre exoskeleton. This hardened carapace gives it an eerily skeletal appearance, hence the name Bone Crow.
A lone Bone Crow isn’t an imposing adversary, and Angel would have no trouble dealing with one. But faced with a dark, cloud-like formation of these creatures, if he were to rush into it, he’d likely be reduced to bones in a blink.
Then, a familiar “whooshing” sound echoed from below. Looking down, Angel saw the previous carnivorous plants burrow up from the ground. They had all transformed into towering, beanstalk-like entities, their presence lending a splash of green to the otherwise barren landscape but with a sinister, uncanny aura.
These carnivorous plants, sprouting from the ground, were flailing their vine-like leaves menacingly, casting dancing green shadows, much like venomous serpents attacking Angel.
The number of carnivorous plants was multiplying, and the Bone Crows were descending from above.
Wasn’t this supposed to be safe? Weren’t there supposed to be no powerful monsters?!
Although each carnivorous plant and Bone Crow were not powerful monsters on their own, when their numbers reached a certain level, a quantitative change would cause a qualitative shift. Even a formal wizard might find such a situation bothersome.
Angel sighed, turning to look at the entrance to the mountain range.
He wasn’t far from the entrance. Fafnir should be able to notice the commotion here. Would she consider lending a hand?
Angel’s hopeful aspirations were crushed when the Bone Crows were merely a few miles away. It seemed Fafnir had no intention of intervening. Facing this pincer attack, Angel had only one choice… to flee!
He comforted himself with the fact that these monsters were weak and couldn’t exert any form of pressure.
As long as there was no pressure, he could escape based on speed alone.
With this in mind, Angel put his plan into action.
However, he overlooked one thing. Although there were only two threats in the form of carnivorous plants and Bone Crows, he was still only on the outskirts of the mountain range! As he began rushing towards the location of Ice Valley, it felt like he had lit a fuse in a monster’s nest. Danger spread along his path, growing increasingly horrific.
Roars of beasts echoed incessantly, and the monsters trailing him were innumerable.
The Bone Crows had been all but swallowed by the horde of monsters.
Angel thought it couldn’t get any worse, yet there was always a harsh reality showing him that situations could indeed deteriorate further.
As he was only a few dozen miles away from Ice Valley, an ominous power suddenly began to rise from beneath!
There was a fearsome creature, its body emitting a chilling aura and metallic luster, its bat wings bristling with spines, emerging from a cliff-side cavern.
Its head was like a lion’s, horns sprouting from its forehead, a long beard hanging from its chin. Its upper body resembled a man, massive muscles pulsing, while its legs were akin to a wolf’s, its entire form radiating a lustrous metallic sensation.
Judging by its audacious aura, this creature was definitely of a level surpassing that of a wizard.
Funnily enough, Angel was not unfamiliar with its outward appearance.
——A Dark Gold Gargoyle!
In the past, the most notable aspect of the Dark Gold Gargoyle that Angel had was its valuable tongue moss blood. A single drop could turn into a bottle of blood ink, a hot seller at auctions.
However, now a living Dark Gold Gargoyle stood before him, Angel couldn’t muster any thought of resistance. His only instinct was: Run!
If he could outrun the creature’s imposing aura, he would be victorious!
Yet, this time, Angel had finally hit a wall. Shortly after he began his frenzied escape, another flock of Bone Crows appeared in his line of sight.
The Bone Crows were everywhere, whichever direction he chose to flee, he would inevitably collide with them.
But behind him, the Dark Gold Gargoyle was in hot pursuit.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, the only thought running through Angel’s mind was: “Could this really be the end of the line for me?”
Just a moment’s hesitation was all it took for the terrifying aura to close in from behind him. Accompanying it was an appalling roar.
Forcing himself to turn and look, Angel saw the Dark Gold Gargoyle, its mouth lined with sharp teeth, wide open. A horrifying beam of light, as dark as the violet night sky, spewed from its mouth, directed straight at Angel’s face.
Pinned by the overwhelming aura, he was rendered immobile.
Angel was certain he was done for. Yet, the anticipated attack didn’t land.
The chunk of ice containing the white dragon scale in his arms radiated a milky luminescence, encasing Angel layer upon layer.
It appeared as if a transparent spherical shield, a formation, had sprung up around him, its surface etched with the rune that resembled a snowflake.
The attack of the Dark Gold Gargoyle impacted upon this shield, and it was promptly reflected at a right angle. The purple star curtain was deflected to the ground, stirring up a storm of dust and leaving a gaping crater at the scene.
“What is this…?” Angel, eyes shimmering with confusion, observed the spherical shield around him. It had managed to reflect the gargoyle’s attack without a ripple on its surface, hinting at its substantial thickness.
Moreover, Angel realized he could faintly sense a lingering frosty aura around him from within the shield, adding more complexity to his thoughts.
“Perhaps, this frozen white dragon scale originated from an Abyssal Frost Dragon?”
This notion briefly lingered in his mind, but Angel didn’t dwell on it. For now, his priority was to escape.
Seizing the opportunity as the Dark Gold Gargoyle was momentarily bewildered, Angel swirled into the “Bone Crow Cloud”. With the spherical shield as his defense, he wasn’t worried about the Bone Crow’s attack. He barreled right through!
His journey was surprisingly smooth, beyond even Angel’s expectations.
Whether it was the Bone Crows or the Dark Gold Gargoyle, neither made a move against him. As he burst into the flock of Bone Crows, they scattered, frightened like mice encountering a cat. They lost their earlier strict formation and scattered in every direction.
Angel stole a glance behind him. Not just the Bone Crows, but also the Dark Gold Gargoyle, who had been hot on his heels, backed away as if encountering a natural predator. The Gargoyle scurried back into its cave, disappearing from Angel’s view.
In less than two minutes, the formidable hunting legion that previously filled the sky had entirely vanished, leaving a flabbergasted Angel hovering in mid-air.
Angel looked down at the frozen dragon scale in his hand. A mere passive defense formation shouldn’t induce such fear, should it? He speculated within, could it be the intimidating aura of the dragon scale that had frightened them away?
So, Fafnir had left him with this ace up his sleeve? No wonder she had not seemed worried about him at all.
Muttering to himself, Angel turned around, preparing to head towards the Ice Valley.
But as he turned, his heart skipped a beat — from sheer terror.
A colossal dragon enveloped in fearsome red flames suddenly materialized not far behind Angel. Emitting no aura and radiating no heat from its flames, it was a startling presence.
Mist swirled around its ferocious dragon head, the cold, still pupils trained on Angel.
More precisely, it was focused on the icy dragon scale in Angel’s hand.
For a moment, all was silent.
This quiet stare only lasted a few seconds, but Angel felt as though a thousand years had passed. He swallowed hard, nearly certain that the Abyssal Flame Dragon before him was Odeklaes.
According to Fafnir, it was a member of her species, a revered elder.
However, in the Wizarding World, the Abyss Dragon of Ice Valley had a reputation of being capricious with unclear allegiances.
Angel could feel that Odeklaes was looking at the icy dragon scale in his hand with an emotional gaze, filled with nostalgia, lament, and a deep longing that couldn’t be dissipated.
The amount of information conveyed through the vertical pupils revealed Odeklaes’ deep interest in the white dragon scale, which was beyond imagination.
Whose scale could this be?
After an indeterminate amount of time, as the flames on Odeklaes’ body evaporated the high sky into a swirling mist, a grand and majestic mental idea descended into Angel’s mind.
“Why do you hold the scale of Bina Jonis?”
“Respected Odeklaes, I didn’t know who this dragon scale belonged to. Fafnir gave it to me to bring to you?” Angel responded respectfully.
“Fafnir.” Odeklaes suddenly huffed coldly, a hidden anger flashing in his crimson pupils.
Upon witnessing this, Angel began to feel uneasy. Did Fafnir choose not to come in person because she harbored a grudge against Odeklaes?
Odeklaes snorted out a stream of fire from his nostrils, enveloping himself and Angel.
In this fire, perhaps protected by the ice-bound dragon scale, Angel felt no heat. The flames encircled Angel, like a meteor of heavenly fire, hurtling at an unimaginable speed towards the distant Ice Valley that never thawed.
In a daze, the flames surrounding Angel gradually disappeared.
He found himself materializing within a crystal palace of ice, its design bearing a semblance to a Demon Monastery. Yet, it was forged of ageless, unmelting ice, less the ominous, bloody motif of demons, more a flamboyant stroke of magical realism.
The palace was vast, its interior virtually barren of adornments.
The only embellishment lay directly ahead of him — a vibrant mural.
The contents of the mural were unclear to Angel, for Odeklaes’ massive draconian form blocked its view.
Curiously, despite being an Abyssal Flame Dragon, Odeklaes didn’t seem uncomfortable within the palace of millennia-old ice. Even the flames that clung to its form failed to melt the surrounding ice.
Odeklaes stared longingly at the mural for a moment before turning its terrifying skull towards Angel:
“Hand over the dragon scale of Bina Jonis to me.”
Unacquainted with Odeklaes’ disposition, Angel dared not show any defiance or neglect. He respected the value of the dragon scale but handed it over to Odeklaes without hesitation.
The esteem Angel showed for the dragon scale apparently pleased Odeklaes. Angel felt the almost imperceptible pressure he’d experienced lighten somewhat.
From this detail, it could be inferred that Odeklaes may share a deep connection with this “Bina Jonis” of his speech.
Perhaps, they could even be companions.
Chapter 1031 The Frozen Dragon Scale <TOC> Chapter 1033 The Great Hall Mural