Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

"Sacrifice?" The gem dragon's expression was strange as he spread his wings, sensing the danger. Then, the dragon's roar and rebuke caused the crystal dragon nest to tremble precariously. "Krosis!! What have you done!!!! You slaughtered your own kind!!! You destroyed them!!! You destroyed everything we swore to protect!!! You betrayed me!!! You dared to let me descend into this sinful body!!!!"

The enraged dragon opened its massive jaws, gathering magical power within its chest, transforming into dragon breath, aimed at the negligent dragon priest. The gathered magical power dissipated before it reached a level the dragon priest feared.

The gem dragon Kolanak suppressed his anger and lashed out at the crystal cluster beside him with his tail. The expression of rage remained on his face, but the dragon did not pursue the matter further against the dragon priest.

"Enough. It's all beyond repair. Blaming you won't help. Get up, Klose, my... only friend."

The dragon priest Kolosis, who had been prostrating himself on the ground and willingly accepted his punishment, finally raised his head.

He accepted himself, he forgave himself! Indeed, all my sacrifices were worthwhile! Moroki failed! Omhide failed! The dragons failed! Only I! Only I, who gave everything, succeeded! I resurrected the dragons! I will make the dragons rise again! I am the greatest dragon priest!!

The ecstatic dragon priest didn't notice that a black tentacle had sprouted from the front of the spine of the gem dragon Kolanak, which then scratched its head and retracted.

After calming its emotions, the dragon looked at the dragon priest kneeling before it, maintaining its majestic posture.

"Then, it was you who forged the Dragon Crown, Krossis." The gem dragon raised its head proudly, awaiting the dragon priest's reply.

"Yes, my lord, I have forged the Dragon Crown, but I am still missing a fragment. I only need to seize the power of the sage Destan, and I will surely present you with a perfect crown!!!" Krossis invited the resurrected dragon to embark on one last gem hunt.

But the dragon refused.

"No, Krossis, you have committed too many sins for me. This crown is stained with blood. Stop! This crown is enough for me. I will use it to crown myself king and end the era of the Holy Light!!!"

"But……"

"No buts!!! Kroxis!! Are you questioning my power!!!" The dragon spread its wings, glaring menacingly at the kneeling dragon priest.

Kroxis lowered his head even further, waiting for the dragon to calm down.

Sure enough, the dragon calmed down.

The jeweled dragon returned to its benevolent form, gazing upon the dragon priest.

"Klosis, offer the dragon crown! You will stand beside me to greet the dawn of a new era."

Klosis remained silent. After about a minute, the dragon priest's fanaticism subsided. Klosis clenched his fists and stood up. "Honorable dragon, I am certainly willing to offer you the dragon crown. But before that, there is one more thing I do not understand."

"Noble eldest son of dragons, the great dragon Kolanak, why is your voice completely different from the one I remember after your resurrection!"

The whispers of doubt were so sinister, as if they came from hell, that they made the towering gem dragon shudder.

Mr. Zhiyan, hiding behind the crystal cluster, was trembling all over. If he hadn't taken off his flesh and blood disguise, he would probably be sweating profusely.

He spoke urgently with Lyle, who was disguised as a dragon, using the piece of evil god's flesh that wrapped around his skull.

“What do we do! Lyle! We’ve been exposed! I overlooked the sound aspect, damn it, the ancient knowledge I absorbed didn’t include the sound of the dragon Kolanak! We’re doomed! What do we do, what do we do, what do we do… We’re going to die, we’re going to die, we’re going to die…” Mr. Zhiyan began to mutter in Lyle’s mind with a strong rhythm.

Shut up! I have a plan!

Lyle's version of the Gem Dragon withdrew its benevolent gaze, replacing it with a cold expression.

"Klosis, are you saying my voice is completely different from before? You doubt me?!" The dragon's eyes widened, displaying its intimidation.

But to everyone's surprise, Kroos, who was usually weak in the face of dragons, actually put up a fight.

"If you are the eldest son of the dragon, I will naturally respect you! But what if you are not?! How can I be sure that this necromancy has awakened your soul or some other evil spirit! Kolanak, forgive my intrusion, but now I will examine your body to see what caused the change in your voice, or perhaps... something is hidden within you!!!"

Before the dragon priest could make a move, Kolanak suddenly roared.

"Get out!"

"Klosis, you say my voice sounds different, do you think the problem is with me?!"

"Nonsense, if your voice is different, am I the one causing the problem?"

“That’s right. My voice is different, and you’re the one with the problem!” the gem dragon said, his words carrying an air of self-righteousness.

Dragon Priest Chloesis was stunned. What was wrong with this world? Was it really my fault? Chloesis felt that his logical thinking had been challenged, or that he had gone mad to hear such insane ramblings.

The problem is with you, not with me?

The dragon priest looked at the dragon again, trying to see a trace of forced awkwardness on his face.

No, he could see every scale on that huge dragon face, but he saw not a trace of self-doubt.

This dragon seems to have gone mad; he really thinks his voice is different and blames me.

The gem dragon's shameless words completely disrupted Klose's train of thought, and it took him a while to come to his senses. During this process of feigning an exposure of his weakness, the dragon hadn't attacked him. Klose's mind was filled with doubt.

Is he right?

"Your... Your esteemed dragon, please answer my question..." Kroxis vowed that if his answer did not conform to his logic, he would expose the scoundrel behind it and make him pay for fooling him.

The gem dragon sneered, its exposed fangs somewhat dazzling.

"Klosis, I am the one you resurrected. Didn't your séance go smoothly at all? Didn't this half-baked necromancer find fault with my distorted voice during the spell?!?!"

"Holy crap! What he said makes so much sense!" Klosis thought to himself, reflecting on his own explanation of the summoning ritual. He only had a superficial understanding of it, knowing it could revive the gem dragon. Surely, diligent study would bring it back to life. Then Klosis suddenly remembered that the dragon's resurrection this time was indeed due to an abnormal ritual, and he had inadvertently brought it back to life!

"So, the reason his voice is different is really my fault! My séance skills are not good enough! I failed to perfectly reproduce the dragon's voice." Kroxis came to his senses, and the dragon priest's thin body suddenly trembled. What had he done?! Not only had the ritual failed and distorted the dragon's voice, but he had also slandered his existence like a traitor.

Kolos panicked completely. He hurriedly knelt down and kept apologizing.

"How can I earn your forgiveness, noble dragon?"

The jeweled dragon nodded mercifully, satisfied.

“Klosis, I’m glad you understand your mistake. First, let’s get my voice back on track.”

"Revered dragon, can the séance spell still reproduce your voice?"

"Of course, want to learn spirit possession? I'll teach you."

Kolossis gave in.

"I didn't know that Lord Kolanak was so knowledgeable. I didn't even know that you were an expert in spirit possession."

The gem dragon chuckled.

“I am the Dragon Master… the proudest necromancy apprentice of the Dragonfather Yemotar.”

Chapter 562 Success

"Lord Kolanak, how do you feel about this place?"

"What do you think?"

"It seems a bit pointed, and what about this side, sir?"

"What do you think?"

"That's a bit much, I'll go somewhere else."

"Okay, that's right, just over there, a little higher, a little higher."

"okay."

Klosis was adjusting the decoy psychic array under Lyle's instructions. Lyle kept adjusting his voice based on Klosis's feedback, and eventually, the gem dragon's voice became a powerful and deep voice.

"Finally, it's done." Lyle breathed a sigh of relief; the subtle adjustments to the flesh and blood were really troublesome.

"That's right, I succeeded! Lord Kolanak has returned to his original voice, exactly as I remember. You really are Lord Kolanak." Lyle looked at this excited, foolish dragon priest. He hadn't even noticed when Lyle had asked him to draw circles in the spirit summoning circle, and now he was still carrying a sense of accomplishment, as if he had given his all.

The ominous laughter had become a pendulum swinging back and forth in his mind, and Lyle smiled with satisfaction, conveying his approval to the dragon priest.

"Your skills are superb, Klose." Lyle felt that his acting skills were getting better and better. He could even tell such a lie. He must have been in too much contact with the Shining Ones, the Gentlemen, and the Miracles.

Having resolved the dragon priest's suspicions through sophistry and exploiting blind spots in knowledge, now only the issue of the dragon crown remains.

"Klosis, do you still have doubts about my identity?"

Completely fooled, the dragon priest maintained his humility, "You are the noble eldest son of the dragon, the light of hope for us. Your existence is like the sun high above the sky, and no jewel dares to rival your brilliance."

Lyle felt a chill run down his spine, but he held it in.

"Klosis, my friend, then offer up the dragon crown, offer up the sun you have forged."

The dragon priest bowed humbly, but did not release the seal on the gem sun.

"Your Majesty, your gaze remains sharp. There is no mistake; that high-hanging sun is indeed the dragon crown I forged, the only artifact I can conceive of worthy of your majesty. Only you can remove that crown, only you can… I have placed the most basic dragon priest seal upon the surface of the crown, only at the seventh level of lock. Lord Koranak, simply spread your wings and gently shatter that seal, and the crown will fall into your hands. Please begin."

There really is a seal, and it's at the seventh level of lock.

Lyle nodded, his tone slightly reproachful.

"Klosis, if it's just a basic seal, the defenses are too lax. You'll give unscrupulous people an opportunity. Are you sure you haven't overlooked any loopholes that could be exploited by low-level spellcasters?" The gem dragon's eyes revealed anticipation.

The dragon priest let out a confident chuckle. “Rest assured, Lord Koranak. Although my seal is only at the lowest level of dragon priest, it is flawless, without the slightest flaw! Any spellcaster below the seventh level who dares to touch my gem sun in any way… will be completely crystallized and become part of the crimson crystal.”

"...You really do satisfy me, Chloe." Lyle said through gritted teeth, offering his praise. Flawless; this dragon priest, whose séance was utterly incompetent, was actually quite thorough in his duties. What a nuisance. After receiving the dragon's praise, the dragon priest Chloe laughed gleefully, making Lyle feel mocked.

The dragon priest's laughter subsided, and he looked at the giant dragon still standing on the ground, somewhat puzzled.

"Lord Kolanak, why don't you remove your crown?"

Lyle fell into thought, but the dragon did not respond.

"[Lyle, the usurpation ritual! Details of the usurpation ritual.]" Mr. Zhiyan reminded Lyle, and before the Mad Dragon Priest's doubts could resurface, Lyle gave his answer.

"Klosis, go and remove the dragon crown. Remove the dragon crown for my sake." The dragon commanded the dragon priest word by word, and even Klosis's polite refusal could not stop him from giving the order.

Soon, the somewhat eccentric Klose understood what the eldest son of the dragon meant.

This command is a blessing. The dragon crown is forged by the dragon priests, and the most powerful dragon priest will place the crown upon the dragon chieftain. He will be recognized by the future dragon king and become one of the rulers of the era. Kolanak saw his own contribution, and he decided to share this glory! He himself will remove the crown for the future king!!!

A surge of boundless pride welled up within the dragon priest; at that moment, he felt omnipotent! Magic gathered around him, a storm of magic lifting Krossis into the air. He soared towards the jeweled sun he had created with his own hands. "I am the most powerful dragon priest! I am the future!" Krossis was now incredibly arrogant, feeling he was now comparable to a dragon, even the eldest son of a dragon.

The dragon priest glanced at it briefly and saw that the eldest son of the dragon seemed to be trembling in the magical storm he had created, as if he were really stronger than the gem dragon!

Suddenly, Klose realized something!

He had actually sinned enough to harbor such a treacherous thought! Unforgivable! How could he defy a dragon?! Krosis cast aside these distracting thoughts, released the seal, and removed the dragon's crown. As for the blurry, fragile image of the dragon's eldest son he had just witnessed, Krosis attributed it to a distorted illusion born from his own treacherous heart.

Klosis, holding the glittering crown, knelt in reverence.

"Lord Kolanak, this is your crown."

Lyle nodded, lowering his proud head. The head of the gem dragon rested beside the dragon priest, its gem eyes fixed on Krossis and the glowing dragon crown in his hand. The crown had three horns, countless gems inlaid in its base, two horns radiating silver-blue and deep-red magical light, while the last was dim. The dragon crown was indeed an artifact; the aura emanating from it was remarkably similar to, or even stronger than, that of Andrei's Lich Crown, as intense and dazzling as a beam of light.

"Put it on for me, Klose."

The dragon priest trembled, the trembling forcibly suppressed. Like the most devout pilgrim, he placed the dragon crown atop the head of the gem dragon. Light bathed the gem dragon's entire body, and Kolanak's form began to transform!

"Close your eyes! Klose!"