Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

“Alright.” Dorodo finished his juice in one gulp. “So, the governor’s idea is to send you to the frontier to restart your life, together with your troops.”

“Aren’t you coming?” Charles looked down at his water glass, the reflection in the water blurry. “During the War of the Gods, you were my strategist.”

"We dare not disobey the general's orders." Dorodo bowed exaggeratedly. "I will go when I have time. How about we reunite the original trio? The Priestess of the Moon seems to have a lot of free time. You and Esena were just a little short of meeting back then. Let's find an opportunity to rekindle your romance."

"Shut up, you scoundrel strategist."

Chapter 664 Evil Dragon

“You are more…unfathomable than I imagined, Your Excellency Lyle.” Tiffany’s golden eyebrows twitched slightly, then relaxed after a brief moment of hesitation. The current Queen of the Dream Elves sat on her throne, resting her chin on her hand. Lyle finished his curtsy and looked up at Her Majesty.

Tiffany's attire consisted only of blue and white. A green dress trailed on the steps, a dark blue blouse with a high collar that opened like flower petals, and a pure white velvet shawl draped over her shoulders. A gleaming jade pendant with a spiderweb-like pattern adorned her chest. Her skin was as white as snow, and her neatly styled blonde hair seemed to glow. Her pupils were golden, her eyes resembling those of Ira Songn, and her half-smiling lips were strikingly similar to Susanna's.

The guards, following the Queen's instructions, brought a wooden chair and placed it on the lower step.

Lyle smiled and sat down. "Her Majesty the Queen is as radiant as I imagined."

Tiffany stretched like a cat that had just been groomed, her smile brightening. "I have already instructed Captain Kylo of the Queen's Eye to prepare to venture into the Dream Realm. If Lord Lyle has come to see me seeking further support, I can only say that I am unable to help..."

Tiffany's cooperation surprised Lyle. She possessed an air of nobility that commanded respect, but upon closer acquaintance, it became clear that this was not the case. Lyle couldn't help but joke, "Why does Your Majesty assume such a thing? Do you think I didn't come to pay my respects simply to admire your splendor?"

Tiffany paused for a moment, then retorted with amusement.

“If it were anyone else, I might believe such words. But Lord Lyle, you have been staying around my mother and godmother these past few days, and my appearance, well, flowers growing from the same branch are all the same. So what exactly is your purpose in coming to see me?”

"There are some activities for which I need your approval."

"Regarding that particular dream? I trust Godmother's judgment. Lord Lyle is free to proceed as he sees fit. If anything unusual happens, my guards will report it to me."

"That would be best, but there are some things I'd like you to be mentally prepared for."

"I'm listening."

"I plan to open up class levels in the Dream Realm. Therefore, over the next period of time, I will gradually add classes different from those familiar to dream elves, such as druids, to the Emerald Dream: warriors, mages, rangers, and others. The initial purpose of the Dream Realm was to purify nightmares and help the green dragons integrate into this race. But I also want every dreamer to experience a completely different life. I will instill a lot of new knowledge and culture into the dreams of the elven race, things that come from other countries and other races..."

Tiffany seemed thoughtful. "Isn't this a good thing? I don't object to my subjects contacting the outside world, as long as they are interested. Contact with new soil helps them grow. The collision of torrents will create new rivers, Your Excellency Lyle, I look forward to these..."

"It is my honor to have you looking forward to this, but what I am worried about is precisely these clashes. Your Majesty Tiffany, according to my vision, conflicts will arise, including professional rivalry, power struggles, factional feuds, the formation of hierarchical distinctions, and the emergence of bottom-tier professions. Your country will flourish, eventually becoming a vast nation similar to the City of Wanderings, where a single profession is the mainstay, but multiple professions are integrated. In general, this will have a series of impacts on politics and the economy. In the future, I suggest you learn from the Secret Council of the City of Wanderings."

"...That was just a dream, Lord Lyle."

"Maybe," Lyle muttered to himself. Even before virtual reality technology existed, there were already people obsessed with it. Now that these easily aroused elves are experiencing it firsthand, it would be a miracle if they didn't tear your home down.

……

“That’s it. Christopher, we can release the Druid class first. This versatile class can both attack and defend, and can take on the roles of tank, DPS, and healer, which will help them advance through dungeons. I already have an idea for the Warrior class. Susanna taught me some techniques for adjusting Nightmare a few days ago.”

"I can replicate special professions from the real world into the dream realm to enhance the experience, but I'll need some auxiliary equipment. Ah, don't worry about that, I'm a member of Andrei, I have experience in researching creations. Let's find some useful assistants first..."

Christo exited the dream, and with a flick of his wrist, a portal opened in front of Lyle.

“If you’re looking for those people from the Necromancer Figurine Company, Lyle, you can use this portal. It leads to Sahazane, Alcaron. A few days ago, the Necromancer Figurine Company received an order from the Black Dragon Clan, so they should be there... working as bone construction workers.”

Lyle wasn't too surprised by the movements of the Shining group. They were the ones who managed almost all the profits of the Necromancer Figurine Company, and it was common for them to embezzle research funds.

“Christopher, I remember... you and Alcalon are rivals, right? Mr. Omhead and the scholar teacher seem to want to settle things between you two.”

Christo casually fiddled with the mana runes.

“I am indeed happy to show my opponents the superiority of magic. This unpredictable and mysterious power is like a finely crafted gem, worthy of the adoration and envy of the dull. But Alcalon is also my brother. I do not believe that opponents cannot be friends. We have always kept in touch and our relationship is quite good, as long as my idiot brother does not suddenly become interested.”

Lyle smiled.

Christo truly lives up to his reputation as a composed spellcaster; among the five dragons, he is the most rational and stable. For now, he has not only perfectly adapted to the work rhythm of the Wandering City but is also able to help himself. The Crystal Dragon's growth is gratifying.

However, the current state of the Black Dragon made Lyle somewhat worried.

Alcaron, the Obsidian Dragon, the eldest son of war. From a young age, he displayed the potential of a mischievous child, remaining naughty from childhood to adulthood. In the early days of Lyle's responsibility to raise the young dragons, Alcaron was scolded by Nia every day, yet he remained completely unrepentant, surviving the fledgling stage through sheer willpower. When Lyle could no longer discipline him, the dragon father took over, and the black dragon's scales were never once intact.

The thought of this troublemaker growing up filled Lyle with dread, and he even became cautious as he walked through the portal, fearing that the little black rascal who used to clamor for revenge would actually do it.

Just as I feared, the moment Lyle stepped through the portal, the stench of blood wafted over even before the sweltering air.

Before Lyle lay a pile of bones, with an unknown behemoth lying on the ground, its flesh torn open and its spine snapped. The hot, humid air caused the flesh to decompose quickly, and it didn't take much death magic to make the rotting flesh stand up again.

Behind the skeletons lay a mountain, a black mountain. Its sloping walls were covered in neat, razor-sharp scales, their edges reflecting a metallic sheen. The sound of chewing echoed overhead, and a light rain began to fall, a few red drops landing on Lyle's raised face. The mountain's shadow swallowed Lyle's figure, the darkness as profound as night. At the mountain's summit, the golden sun peeked through a crack, its overwhelming madness threatening to ignite Lyle.

The swallowing sound was like a drumbeat, and Alcaron grinned as he opened his bloodied, grotesque mouth.

"Lyle, want something to eat?"

Chapter 665 Black Dragon

Lyle did not join Alcaron's feast, nor did the black dragon insist. Or rather, Alcaron was satisfied with the look of terror Lyle showed upon hearing the invitation. He swung his tail triumphantly, the hard bone spike at the end striking the rocks behind him with a dull thud.

The surroundings were barren, with jagged rocks flanking the black dragon. This seemed to be the entrance to the bottom of a rift valley, the only passage being behind the dragon. A cool breeze blew from the depths of the rift, carrying the stench of Alcaron's meal to Lyle. The magic in the air stimulated Lyle's skin, arousing a sense of pleasure like a massage—a result of the concentrated magic. This was a node in the magic network; Sahazane was on the other side of the rift.

“The old man thinks my eating will set a bad example, and I’m happy to enjoy my prey all to myself.” Alcaron’s cheeks bulged, and blood spurted from the corner of his mouth in his muffled voice. Fortunately, the difference in height saved Lyle from being hurt.

"Has it really changed that much? I remember you used to not mind cooked food, how come you've turned to scavenging food since you went out in the wild? The physique of a dragon is indeed amazing... Look at this meat, I guarantee the grain official in charge would be sentenced to death, how come you didn't die from eating it?"

Alcalon tore off a piece of meat from the giant beast's thigh without a care in the world.

"This is Sahazane, where life is more vibrant than you can imagine, Lyle." The black dragon poked at his lunch, which was the size of a small carriage—truly a feast. "I can't find a cook who can prepare this much food, and besides, the food here spoils exceptionally quickly."

Lyle paused for a moment, then extended his tentacles to cut a surface on the piece of meat. Black spots appeared on the meat the moment they came into contact with the air, spreading out rapidly like ink soaking into paper.

"Terrifying. This land of life will make the undead retreat. These super decomposers can devour corpses until there is not a trace left."

“But that’s not all,” the black dragon shifted his position, revealing the deep passage behind him. He licked his lips, revealing a savage grin that showed his thirty-two teeth. “The creatures in here are all exceptionally large. And their screams are incredibly loud. I absolutely love this place. There’s a mountain peak in the very center of Sahazann. When I fly to the top and drop my prey down, they scream in the air for at least twenty seconds…”

Alcaron's golden snake eyes contracted into a vertical line, a bodily reaction to adrenaline. His pupils quickly returned to normal, and he stopped emitting those evil hissing sounds.

“You missed a great opportunity, Lyle. A week ago you would have seen me leading the ancient humans to dominate this land. It was previously occupied by a bunch of hairy monkeys. Ah, they were really good, in terms of feel. By the time I came to my senses, they were extinct. But oh well, the Sahazane population has a fast turnover rate, as Omhead said.”

Lyle stared at the black dragon's neat teeth, which looked like intersecting guillotines covered with a layer of blood.

"It sounds like you get along well with the tribe."

"Of course, my people love me!" Alcaron spread his wings, spraying flames into the air to show off his might. "The people of Omhead are simple-minded; we all admire strength, and my achievements have won them over. We've become an inseparable family, hahaha, I take down at least twenty every day! Omhead speaks highly of me; he says I'm far superior to the previous generation of black dragons!"

Lyle's expression was already conflicted as he listened. "You haven't actually developed a harmonious father-son relationship, have you? Maybe this simpleton just thinks he's popular, while the tribesmen actually hate him to the core." If that were the truth, Lyle wouldn't be surprised at all; these young dragons have almost all gone astray.

"Did Lord Omhead really say that? Are those his exact words?"

"No, he used a powerful synonym to describe me."

"what?"

“Despicable.” Even through Alcaron’s face covered in black scales, Lyle could see the smugness in his eyes. “I possess great strength, but I also display skill and technique. For example, night raids on those invaders who occupied this place, biting their necks while they slept. Breathing fire to burn down their buildings, constantly circling in the air and casting a shadow of death. I remember that leader, it wore that damned armor that could almost ignore all my attacks, but unfortunately it couldn’t fly. On its tenth fall, it turned into a gravy can, what a pitiful creature.”

"Then a group of stone golems who called themselves Earth Elemental Lords crawled out of the ground and said they wanted to serve me as their master and forge me armor with that piece of equipment called the Source Armor, on the condition that I fight in the Earth Elemental Plane." The black dragon glanced at Lyle. "That was your doing, wasn't it? You ordered that guy Immelt to carry out the elemental invasion."

"You agreed?" Lyle already knew the answer; the black dragon had neither rock armor nor an iron chin.

“No, I have an unparalleled race; I don’t need those fleeing stone golems. Besides, that supposedly world’s hardest source material armor is so heavy and cumbersome. Why should I be a mere iron turtle that takes all the beatings? Scars will ignite my anger; pain and injury will make me stronger.” The black dragon raised its head high, the sun appearing behind it like a radiant crown. The dragon’s majesty surged from its towering body, and Lyle was astonished to find that the wildest black dragon he had ever seen was the closest to the dragon he had envisioned—a noble and beautiful fantasy behemoth, only in this moment.

"Welcome to Sahazane, Lyle. You will witness the rise of the most powerful race of the mythical age under my leadership."

Lyle opened his mouth.

"Where do you put your father and your dragon clan?"

Black Dragon's body stiffened for a moment, his face obscured by the sunlight.

"That old guy is going to die sooner or later. I'll kill him when he gets a little older and become the new king of the dragons."

This silly boy's brain hasn't gotten any better. Putting aside whether the dragon teacher, now in the body of an evil god, will age, even if he dies of old age, he will only return to his lich form.

Alcalon tossed the remaining scraps aside to rot. "Come on, Lyle. I knew this day would come sooner or later when I got Immelt's repentance tablet. Come and greet my people, and do me a small favor while you're at it."

"Wait a minute." The commotion reminded Lyle of something. He walked over to the black dragon's leftovers, looked at the constantly collapsing piles of meat, and picked up the bones to compare them carefully.

Lyle muttered to himself, "As expected... as expected, Sahazane's rich life force can bear the weight of any life, so it can naturally nourish them... Alcaron, do you know what kind of meat this is?"

Black Dragon shook his head. "I don't care, I only care about the taste. It tastes good."

“Someone cares. If I’m not mistaken, this should be a Brachiosaurus, an ancient creature that should have gone extinct. If I killed a dinosaur while your father was still dead, he would have killed me.”

You're in big trouble, kid. You formatted your dad's E drive.

Surprisingly, Alcalon remained quite calm, or rather, remained single.

"And then what? Does he need a reason to beat me up?"

Chapter 666 An Evil Plot

The black dragon's pupils contracted to vertical slits, a dangerous glint in their eyes. His expression was cold and remarkably calm. He picked up the skeleton he had devoured and tossed it aside. Like a cat, he extended his long, slender tongue to lick the deep purple bloodstains on his claws. Alcaron displayed an aristocratic composure.

Lyle felt it was more like a stiff, lifeless body that had lost its soul.

“Come, let me show you my home and my people.” The black dragon turned its massive body, its wings folding behind it, and it was the first to climb into the rift. Its pace was not fast, and Lyle easily caught up with it.

The passage through the rift valley is not small; a black dragon without wings can pass through easily. It narrows on both sides in the upper middle section, with stone spikes hanging in the air like the teeth of a giant beast. The wind blows through the gaps between these stone spikes, making a cold rustling sound.

"What was that little favor you asked me to do, Alcalon?"

Sunlight could hardly penetrate the towering rift to reach the bottom; to the naked eye, only the blurry, enormous shadow of the black dragon could be seen, and the sound of its footsteps was even and steady.

“My people have returned to Sahazane, and they have regained their primal power. That’s good, but it doesn’t seem enough now. To me, it’s very enjoyable to crush an opponent with brute force, but it doesn’t help in challenging a strong foe. When strength and magic are evenly matched, personal knowledge and skill become the key to victory. I know this all too well.”

Alcalon turned his head to look back, and Lyle saw his left eye, which shone like gold.

“Omhead is a glorious warrior. He always scolds me for my petty tricks, saying that I should show the nobility and magnanimity of a dragon. He hates sneak attacks and despises all means other than direct confrontation. He says that is wisdom, a betrayal of power. The stubborn old man believes that one should be ruthless towards enemies. Mercy is the privilege of the strong. I am only responsible for making them die a gruesome death, which will render most resurrection spells ineffective.”

Lyle walked beside the black dragon, listening to Alcalon talk at length about how to destroy evidence.

"Lord Omhead has a point. You are indeed powerful. The first time I saw you, Al, I thought there would be no beast in the world that could surpass you. You are almost twice the size of your brothers and sisters. I'm not sure if that's the power of Sahazane, but you are now only one size smaller than your father."

"A strongman?" The black dragon snorted disdainfully. "When I was little, I fought with you, then I challenged my father when I got a little older, and now I'm sparring with Omhead. I've never considered myself a strongman. If I don't go all out and use all my skills, I'll have trouble even crawling normally the next day."

"I have always been a challenger who has never given up despite repeated defeats. Glory? Dignity? What a ridiculous thing."

The early education Alcalon received certainly had an effect; it's hard to say whether his personality is good or evil, but he'll definitely live a long time. Perhaps for this reason, neither the Black Dragon Priest nor his dragon father had any intention of correcting his personality, and Lyle didn't want to bother with it either. Besides, he couldn't defeat him.

"So, is the matter of asking for my help related to this? Feeling that your own race is not strong enough and wanting them to become stronger. This is quite similar to my activities with the dwarves and elves, promoting tribal unity and striving together. Sure, Al, I agree. Promoting the growth of young dragons and various races is also part of the duties of a Dragon King Priest."