As Starlight walked back along the cave passage, he could hear Yserazor’s exaggerated laments from a distance.
When he returned to the central cave, the sight before him made him smile.
The Rift Dragon King was slumped in his stone chair, his chubby face a mask of stinginess. Po Kong and the other two were gathered around him, each holding precious gifts with eyes full of surprise.
After all, no one knew when the Dragon Treasury would see the light of day again. What was being given away now were Yserazor’s private collections, and they were the most precious of the lot.
Po Kong had received several scales shed from the foreheads of past Red Dragon Kings. Since he already possessed a Divine Artifact, he naturally didn't need another weapon. However, these scales—the hardest parts of a dragon—could be fashioned into the world's finest armor and shields with proper processing. It was a massive boost for him.
On the other side, Xia Duo carefully held a pair of crystal-clear dragon horn cores. The cores were perfectly streamlined, with surging magic power swirling within. Beside them lay a silver-glowing dragon sinew, both soft and incredibly tough.
If these were crafted into a longbow, its power would undoubtedly rival the top-tier Saint weapons.
As for Moen, she hadn't accepted the soul-protecting headpiece Yserazor intended to give her. Instead, she had simply asked for the recipe for "Dragon God's Tears."
Initially, Yserazor felt a bit bad for her, so he grit his teeth and simply gave Moen his entire remaining stock of Dragon God's Tears.
At that moment, Moen was carefully examining a small bottle of processed Dragon God's Tears. Upon seeing Starlight arrive, she immediately flashed him a bright smile.
When Yserazor saw Starlight’s figure, he immediately sprang up from his seat.
“No, no, if I keep looking, my heart is going to break! You youngsters go play on your own!” With that, he clutched his chest and hurried away, leaving the four of them staring at each other.
Suppressing a laugh, Po Kong whispered, “That old dragon’s acting is way too over-the-top... but...” He hefted the red scales in his hand. “This gift is definitely the real deal.”
“Wait,” Xia Duo suddenly narrowed her eyes, looking suspiciously in the direction Yserazor had left. “Starlight, the Rift Dragon King didn't deliberately forget your share, did he?”
The corners of Starlight’s mouth curled up slightly. “I’ve already received it, and...”
He paused intentionally before continuing, “It might be the most suitable gift for me.”
Hearing this, Po Kong immediately leaned in, asking with curiosity, “What did you get? I bet your gift isn't as good as mine!”
Starlight looked at him with a strange expression. “Are you sure?”
“Of course! I got the hardest scales of the Dragon Race, and they’re from a Dragon King! There are several of them! Could there be anything more pre—”
Po Kong’s words were cut short as he nearly choked on his own spit.
With a flick of Starlight’s hand, the three-meter-long Seven-Colored Dragon Crystal appeared out of thin air in the cave. The crystal-clear gem refracted a dreamlike glow under the lights, and the magic flowing within made the very air tremble.
“Holy crap! Th-that’s such a huge dragon crystal?!” He pointed a trembling finger at the crystal. “This thing can’t even be measured in gold coins anymore! That old dragon is way too biased!”
“It’s Cantia’s origin dragon crystal... it really does suit you well,” Moen murmured softly.
Po Kong’s face slumped as he hugged his red scales. “Suddenly, my gift doesn't feel so special anymore...”
Starlight watched Po Kong’s reaction with amusement and stowed the dragon crystal back into his storage space. “Don't be envious. When we get back, I’ll treat you all to the most expensive restaurant.”
“At least ten meals!” Po Kong shouted through gritted teeth, though his eyes were full of happy laughter for his friend.
“Have some dignity! Besides, what’s the point of eating such expensive food every meal? Why don't you just let Starlight convert it to cash?” Xia Duo teased with a laugh.
“Convert it to cash? I don't mind. You all know how much money I have anyway; I could give it all to you.”
“I say, Little Star, aren't you being a bit too stingy? Little Crescent, aren't you going to say something to him?”
“I don't mind~ I’m not getting involved in this~”
...
In the days after the others left one by one, Starlight and his companions didn't rush to depart. Instead, they chose to stay in Dragon Valley to assist Little Gold and Yserazor in tidying up the aftermath of the war.
The internal situation of the Dragon Race was more complex than imagined. Although most adult dragons had been deterred by the Dragon God’s pressure during the final battle and hadn't dared to approach, these proud dragons clearly showed signs of defiance toward the inexperienced Little Gold.
Fortunately, while Yserazor’s strength didn't match the other fallen Dragon Kings, the prestige he had accumulated over a thousand years was enough to barely keep the situation under control.
During this time, Starlight and the others grew closer to the Blue Dragon siblings, Idra and Imira.
Cantia’s betrayal had severely crippled the Blue Clan. Now, the entire tribe consisted only of the two siblings and one adult tribesman traveling abroad. They were incredibly busy these days and even sought advice from Po Kong on matters of governance.
Po Kong himself was only an amateur in such things, but having lived in the Royal Capital for over a decade, he had some insights into administrative plans. He was far better than the two Blue Dragons who were completely clueless.
In the leisure time between assisting the Dragon Race, Starlight and the sisters sat in the warm cave, spreading out a map to plan their next journey.
Without realizing it, nearly half a year had passed since Starlight left his home valley. He was now welcoming his first winter outside.
Dragon Valley was located in the Northwest of the continent, where winter always arrived exceptionally early. Though it was only the beginning of the season, continuous snow had already painted the entire valley silver-white.
The Magic Grand Arena that Eventador and Mowei had mentioned wouldn't be held until next spring, so they weren't in a hurry to reach the Royal Capital.
“Hmm... Moen, what do you think about going here next?”
Starlight’s finger moved slowly across the map, finally stopping on the marker for the Northern Volcanoes. He remembered the collection mission for the "Hellfire Lotus" entrusted to him by the Archmage Branno back in the Crimson City-State.
Looking at the map, Dragon Valley wasn't that far from the northern mountains. Moreover, Yserazor’s cave was located at the easternmost edge of the valley, so heading there was actually a good choice.
The only major problem facing them was the recent heavy snowfall. If they had to travel through a blizzard, the difficulty would be on a different level.
“We don't mind, but it’s mostly you two...” Xia Duo leaned in, looking at Starlight who was wrapped in a blanket.
As Tree Elves, the Moen sisters had the Blessing of the Mother Tree protecting them, so they naturally didn't fear this bit of cold. However, Starlight and Po Kong—who had yet to step into the Saint Rank—were still mortals. Even with cold-resistance magic, crossing snowy mountains in the depths of winter would be no easy feat.
“True, I overlooked that...” Starlight sighed softly, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the map. “I wonder when this snow will stop...”
Just as he was hesitating whether to cross this destination off the map, Po Kong, covered in ice crystals, happened to push the door open and walk in.
After briefly inquiring about the situation, Po Kong raised an eyebrow and said decisively, “You want to go north? Isn't that perfect?”
“Hmm? How so?”
“Little Gold gave us a bunch of super luxurious materials, right? But no matter how good the materials are, we need someone to forge them into gear. The dwarves just happen to live in the north! It’s right on the way~” Po Kong walked to the map and poked the northern mountain range with his finger.
“Oh~ So you’re planning to go to Cinder City!” Moen’s eyes lit up, her slender finger sliding north along the mountain lines on the map. “That really is on the way. From Cinder City to the volcanoes Starlight mentioned, it’s at most a two or three-day journey on foot.”
“Smart! Leave it to me once we get there. The old craftsmen of the Iron-Heart family will still give our House of Mars some face~” He winked at Starlight. “I’ll make sure to find the best forging masters for you.”
“In that case...” Starlight felt much more at ease. “Our next destination is set~”
Just as they were discussing enthusiastically, Yserazor’s voice suddenly drifted in from outside the cave.
“Little ones! Come here for a moment~”
Rate on N.U.
