Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 491 Seed of Hatching
"These are crystal dragon scales, and they're still alive? How did they do that?"

Looking at that crystal-clear "dragon scale," Rean was quite surprised.

Crystal dragons have scales that resemble crystals, and one of their innate abilities is to rain down "crystal rain" on their prey.

The crystal-like object in front of him closely resembled the scales of the Crystal Dragon described in the data. More importantly, Rean "smelled" the aura of a true dragon emanating from it.

This must have come from an adult crystal dragon.

"You're not going to buy it, are you? Is it even available in Radiant City?"

Crystal dragons are so rare that they've almost become legends in the prime material world. Yet, their ability compatibility and potential are extremely high, making them the target of countless powerful individuals, which further exacerbates their rarity.

Let alone dragon-related materials, even a single dragon scale is an extremely rare and extinct material.

It's not that they're too expensive to afford, but rather that if even one of them appears on the market, it's sold out instantly.

"Did the Sun Chasers get it?"

It seems that only those who chase after money...

"How could that be? It's not that they couldn't get their hands on one or two, but even if they did, who could afford them? They're fakes, fakes."

Although she said it was a fake, Victoria was quite proud of it.

If Rean could deceive the "Dragon Scholar," then he not only proved his skills but also confirmed that he should be able to deceive this underground labyrinth.

This will only be the beginning of the business. Once this proves my skills, there will be many more opportunities to make money.

After staring at the crystal scales for a long time, Rean could only find a slight sense of disharmony.

It was so complete that it didn't seem like a living thing.

"How did you get it?"

"Made using dragon scales, first the dragon is used as the material, combined with materials from crystal scorpions and crystal spiders, and then the dragon scales are crystallized to create dragon crystal scales."

"That was just material for a sub-dragon level, this is a real dragon."

"Hehe, this is my unique secret technique. I might as well tell you. I can infuse it into a soul, turning it into a living thing, and then implant it into a real dragon's body, inducing its crystal biological transformation, which will increase its biological level to a certain extent. Although it will basically die very quickly, it will purify its bloodline, and then I can extract the crystal scales."

She said a lot, and Rean, as a mage, could barely understand it.

She used her own abilities to create a "dragon-attribute crystal enchanted scale," then used each sub-dragon to imbue it with the essence of dragons, and finally used her soul power to upgrade it.

To put it bluntly, it involves using a large number of dragon lives to upgrade the quality of the scale, thereby purifying the bloodline of a true dragon. This unconventional life alchemy is morally questionable, but fortunately, there are no animal rights organizations in this world.

"How many dragons were consumed?" Dragons are a very large category, or more accurately, a "stable hybrid dragon species." And those that can be used to reverse-purify the bloodline of true dragons must be powerful dragons.

"Six of them, and it took us this one scale."

"Okay, let Dania pay the bill."

Rean was very satisfied; Victoria's cooking skills were excellent.

With enough money paid, the expected three-day limit was saved, and it was all done in half a day.

That means that he can complete this hunt while in Wu's possession, and also let the heroic spirits witness the abilities of those successors.

How is the location selection progressing?

The scouts had already been dispatched, and the new map showed various monster hatching areas, making it quite difficult to find a suitable "battlefield".

“The Dark Area, the Black Swamp Dragon Cave region.” Rean recalled for a moment, comparing the map for a long time before finally finding this area with very little information.

It was a swampy area with a harsh environment, and the inhabitants there were quite unwelcoming to outsiders.

"The suspected birthplace of the black dragon?"

"According to the druids' information, that should be the area most likely to hatch dragons. There are remnants of dragon's aura in the soil, and those things can be used as materials to increase the possibility of 'dragons emerging'."

Rean paused for a moment, then a possibility came to mind.

"Are you sure that the crystal dragon has really come out and those black dragons won't cause trouble? It's almost like taking over a dragon's nest, isn't it?"

"That's not my job. I'm just responsible for maximizing the chances of hatching a crystal dragon." Aren't you the expert on dragons?

After some thought, Rean realized that while the risk remained, it wasn't necessarily bad news.

It's hard to say whether ley lines or "summoning materials" are more valuable.

Not only has black dragons been produced there, but due to the dragons' habit of territorializing the surrounding areas, no powerful monsters have been produced there for some time, making the hatching rate indeed the highest.

However, being not far from the black dragon's lair is bound to pose an additional risk.

What is the relationship between the Black Dragon and the Crystal Dragon? Will they attack each other on their own initiative?

"Heaven knows, even though they're in the same world, one is in the snow-capped mountains and high heavens, and the other is in the swamps and lakes. They're practically impossible to meet. Besides, the dragons here are generally a bit brain-dead."

A true dragon without the "ancestral inheritance" found in a dragon egg is essentially no different from a wild beast before it awakens its dragon vein at a certain stage.

The most obvious example of this is the wild white dragon. The most shameful colored dragon is also one of the dumbest true dragons. Its foolish acts include "laying eggs and then ignoring them", "being so hungry that it even eats its own eggs", and "only making 'crunching' noises, and not even being able to fly much when it is a baby dragon".

That's why the Crystal Dragon and the White Dragon have been locked in a fierce battle. They believe that stealing the White Dragon's egg and taming it into a "civilized and benevolent dragon" is a great act of kindness.

The dragons here are actually hatched in the underground labyrinth. Some are born as young dragons, without ever having an egg stage, so they are unlikely to have the ancestral memories of the dragon race. Their knowledge and memories are passed down through bloodlines, including spellcasting skills that utilize instinct. In fact, dragonborn sorcerers also acquire their spellcasting abilities through this characteristic.

It has no elders, so naturally it doesn't have this innate gift.

But just like the White Dragon, a Great White Dragon will be born. Whether it gradually acquires knowledge and memories on its own, or is "intervened" by higher beings such as the Dragon God (Tiamat), it will make up for its deficiencies.

However, for mortals, this timeframe might take two or three generations. This is why many white dragons are disgraced by being tamed by frost giants and snow giants; without the dragon lineage, they are nothing more than a pack of wild beasts.

Rean's current black dragon bloodline is actually incomplete; it's the result of the black dragon being accelerated to maturity by the dark elves using secret techniques.

Normal young dragons possess intelligence and cunning surpassing that of mortals, but the ones Rean encountered before were all incredibly stupid; he guessed the black dragons here would be similar.
"It would be a good thing if we really fought. Maybe it would weaken each other and give us more prey."

Since it's already decided, don't change it.

Rean estimated that even if they moved to another location, it would be unlikely to hatch a nearly adult Crystal Dragon. If it really was just a baby dragon, then there would probably be no point in hunting it.

"That's about enough. Let's get moving."

Since his superiors wanted to go all out, Rean was naturally willing to go all out as well.

Waiting outside the shop were fully armed knights. This time, Rean brought the main force of the Weaver Knights.

And this is only a portion of the force that is visible on the surface.

"Hopefully, they are ready."

(End of this chapter)