Sovereign of the Ashes

This massive creature, standing at thirty meters tall with a wingspan of nearly fifty meters, was a stark contrast to the Fire-Breathing Dragon King in Master Lorianne’s laboratory.

Its scales were bigger and rougher, and its horns were more pronounced.

The dragons from the Viridian Venom Flame World appeared more slender, whereas the ones from the Magus World looked more resilient and powerful.

Sein was not sure which was the stronger of the two types of dragons, but he could tell that the life level of the dragon in front of him was Rank Two.

Dragons in the Magus World typically lead solitary lives. However, some adventurers were willing to defy the regulations of the divine towers and orders of the knights and risk their lives to hunt dragons for promising rewards.

Due to this, the majority of dragons were forced to live in clans for added security and mutual protection.

The size of every clan varied, ranging from ten to thirty members, including hatchlings.

Rumors suggested that the Byrne Empire had designated an entire island for rearing hundreds of thousands of dragons. Additionally, in the extraterritorial world under the Byrne Empire’s control, numerous subspecies of dragons were being bred and nurtured.

Consequently, beyond its formidable dragon knight army, the Byrne Empire also boasted several sub-dragon armies, each with considerable strength.

Sein had gleaned this information from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s library and Master Lorianne’s private collection which had more detailed information on the major forces in the Magus World.

Thus, Sein was able to remain composed and calm in the presence of this superior Rank Two dragon with an impressive physique.

On the other hand, Yuri, the engineer standing beside Sein, appeared to be on edge.

Even Sev who was usually more active, stood silently on Sein’s shoulder. The slight trembling of its claws was probably a usual response when facing the top predators of the food chain.

The dragon species usually possessed a unique “dragon’s might” that could intimidate lesser beings with weaker mental focus and strength.

Sev’s trembling could be caused by the influence of this dragon’s might rather than actual fear.

Sein found himself largely unaffected by the pyro elemental dragon’s might because he had tempered his body with the blood of a demigod-level dragon.

“I can smell the scent of dragon blood on you. It must belong to a more formidable but unfortunate being than myself,” the imposing dragon with reddish-scaled armor said, lowering its head to regard Sein.

“But fear not, I intend no harm. I can tell that the blood you carry is not of our Magus World lineage but from a dragon of another world, correct?” it asked.

The Rank Two dragon displayed remarkable insight. Its darker colored scales also suggested it was not young and likely had seen much in its lifetime.

Initially, from a distance, the dragon sternly ordered Sein to leave.

However, upon detecting the distinct scent of otherworldly dragon blood on Sein, the dragon swiftly softened its stance, and reassured him of its peaceful intentions.

This astute dragon, capable of assessing the situation, intrigued Sein.

“I’m a Rank One mage from Divine Tower of Verdant Spring. I have no intention of disturbing your clan. I’m simply passing through and collecting some materials I find interesting along the way,” Sein said.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, located just north of the Pyro Crystal Range, was the nearest divine tower to this area.

The dragon, familiar with the divine tower that Sein mentioned, acknowledged his words with an almost human nod.

“Mages uphold the principle of equivalent exchange. Given this is your territory, I’ll refrain from venturing further. However, perhaps we can trade for what we each need. What do you say?” Sein proposed.

The dragon nodded in agreement.

The dragonkind’s reputation for greed and lust was well-known across the Astral Realm.

From the records that Sein had read, he also learned that dragons loved shiny objects and were known to hoard them in their lairs.

The prolific variety of dragon subspecies in the Magus World further attested to the dragon’s lustful nature.

Despite its age and wisdom, the Rank Two dragon before Sein had not abandoned those typical draconian tendencies.

As a wise mage, Sein knew how to take advantage of the situation. He presented a heap of crystal stones that he collected from the Viridian Venom Flame World but had no use for.

They were clear crystals that contained considerable pyro elemental energy within and were one of the Viridian Venom Flame World’s specialties.

Sein had initially collected them, thinking that they could be used as lower-grade materials in his alchemy experiments.

The Viridian Venom Flame World’s sea of molten lava was abundant with these crystal stones, rendering them virtually as common as pebbles.

Negotiating with dragons often proved to be a rewarding experience.

Sein was not the first to trade with them. Many ranked knights and full-fledged mages who came seeking resources on the Pyro Crystal Range had interacted with the overlords here at some point for mutual benefit.

Among these tales of trade was a particularly ambitious knight who successfully traded gold coins from the secular world with these dragons.

By melting down half of the gold coins in his kingdom’s treasury, he created a literal hill of gold to exchange with a dragon.

In return, the dragon compensated the knight with half a ton of its blood.

This unusual trade highlighted the disparate values held by dragons and the humans of the Magus World, though such transactions had grown rarer over time.

After all, dragons were not fools either.

The dragon that had traded its blood for the knight’s gold coins was merely a naive, Rank One youngster inexperienced in the ways of the world. Upon returning to its clan, it became the subject of ridicule among the elder dragons.

Sein’s exchange with the pyro elemental dragon was conducted on equal footing.

Although the crystal stones he offered were common on the other plane, no one would know about it as long as he kept his lips sealed.

The dragon did not present anything particularly extraordinary. Save for a Dragon Spittle Herb, the rest were intermediate and low-grade materials.

Sein did not agree that dragons were stupid, as the one before him appeared to be quite shrewd.

Despite its lower grade, Dragon Spittle Herb was quite rare and only grew in the habitat of dragons. It was also known for its unique properties, mainly its mild aphrodisiac effects.

Observing the Dragon Spittle Herb, Sein could not help but ask, “If you have Dragon Spittle Herb in your possession, then you probably also have Dragon Blood Herbs, which have even stronger effects, right?”

The dragon, named Maybach, regarded Sein with a look of curiosity, seemingly surprised that a mage would have use for such an item.

“Indeed, I do. I have it saved for a Rank Two knight, but with a suitable offer, it could be yours,” Maybach replied before expelling a crimson plant with a pungent, fishy scent from its maw.