Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon's Might-Chapter 436 - 430: Shadow Cursed Land

In most video games, completing a mission often has only one fixed path, like a train set on tracks, where players can only move forward in a predetermined direction.

The game Leon was always immersed in was completely different, more like a real fantasy world where each mission had multiple solutions. You could use violence, cunning, or even persuade the enemy with your silver tongue to commit suicide, which would influence the subsequent plot development.

There are several paths leading to the Dark Territory in the game, but the vast majority of players take only one path, the one through the goblin camp.

Following the protagonist team to the goblin camp—originally the temple belonging to the Moon Maiden Serenne—arriving at the Broken Sanctuary, passing through it leads to the Dark Territory. Leon suddenly remembered that rare Longsword named Life and Death, a graceful Drow’s Sword, which could be used until the late game.

Leon thought about it and didn’t surpass the protagonist team, taking Life and Death beforehand. It’s important not to be too selfish; one should always leave something for the protagonist team.

Life and Death did not escape the eyes of the protagonist team.

Then, the ground began to shake violently, accompanied by deafening roars. A gigantic Lizard Shark burst from the earth and engaged in a massive brawl with the wandering Minotaur, eventually leading the protagonist team to reap the benefits.

After the battle, Evil Thought crouched beside the Lizard Shark’s corpse, skillfully took out a sharp dagger from his pocket and sliced open the Lizard Shark’s belly to retrieve a blood-stained garment from its stomach—who knows which adventurer it had swallowed without digesting—it was the Barbarian’s Vampire Suit, given to Karak.

Onward.

The Rust Monster was cloaked in thick wave-shaped shell, with a bone protrusion at the end of its long tail, and insect-like head with two feathery antennae that could corrode metal. It ravenously devours Rust Monster bodies, thus destroying adventurers’ armor, shields, and weapons.

The Tentacle Monster resembles a brain that floats like a balloon, with a wide and sharp beak. It favors ambushing isolated or stray creatures, silently hovering above passageways or cave ceilings, waiting for suitable prey to appear. Once prey is detected, it swiftly descends and envelops its prey with tentacles.

The Sol Stone Monster is an elemental creature from the Earth Element Plane, often clashing with miners or treasure hunters during its quest for sustenance. Its heavy body bears a powerful mouth atop its head, three long arms with sharp claws, and three stone eyes that can simultaneously observe all directions.

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The monster types in the game’s Dark Territory are relatively limited, but this underground world in reality is teeming with abundant monsters, yet none can hinder the protagonist team’s progress. Mainly because the protagonist team won’t foolishly charge ahead upon discovering a powerful monster’s lair.

There’s nothing in the entire Dark Territory that catches Leon’s attention. He follows idly behind, once proactively guiding the protagonist team to the Hill Giant Power Short Stick, delving into the Refined Gold Furnace. After the protagonist defeats the Eternal Guardian Revenge Guard of the furnace, Leon recalls he could bring the Revenge Guard to Tassera for research.

Beyond the Dark Territory lies the land shrouded by the Shadow Curse.

The Shadow Curse limits Leon so that he can no longer whimsically transform into small animals, as weak animals could easily be devoured by the Shadow Curse.

Hence, the power of the 72 Transformations is evident; after all, it’s the Great Divine Power bestowed upon Sun Wukong by Master Puti. The Nine-Ring Magic’s Shape Shifting can’t transform into constructs or undead creatures, but the 72 Transformations doesn’t find it challenging. It enables Leon to transform into the Shadow Cursed Raven, which is completely unaffected by the Shadow Curse.

Similar to the Dark Territory, there’s nothing within the Shadow Cursed Land that matters to Leon. Due to the Shadow Curse, it is filled with desolation and bleakness. Additionally, transforming into an undead creature renders one unable to feel any warmth—only emptiness and discomfort. Consequently, Leon simply tags along with the protagonist team for a while before deciding to stay at the Last Light Inn.

The Last Light Inn is the base of the Harpist Alliance, a force dedicated to combating evil, akin to an island in the darkness within the Shadow Cursed Land.

In the lobby of the Last Light Inn, the warm candlelight and the fireplace glow intertwined. Here, Leon sees Tiefling refugees suffering, their tired faces steeped in uncertainty about the future. In the corner, Rafael elegantly sips red wine...

"We meet again," Leon initiates a greeting.

Rafael slowly turns, his eyes glinting dangerously in the candlelight, and says, "You little mouse, dare to appear in front of me, a cat? I’ll eat you up."

"How come?" Leon raises an eyebrow, deliberately surveying his surroundings, "There are Harpists everywhere here; you dare to make a move?"

Rafael’s expression instantly darkens, but quickly resumes his graceful demeanor, saying, "I hope that when we meet again, you can smile so happily... the laughing critter will cry when the cat’s paw falls."

Rafael ignores Leon and walks toward the corner where a Tiefling girl—Moore—stands.

Moore is a bratty child, inherently nasty, who cannot be excused with "she’s just a kid." Leon, therefore, watches coldly, just standing by to see some drama and won’t warn Moore to be careful of Rafael, but won’t bully the young either.

"I want a room... and food."

On the oak bed of the Last Light Inn, Leon lay down and stretched his belly, contentedly sighing; after satisfying himself, thinking how human form feels the most comfortable, and slept for a good half day until a commotion resonated downstairs—the protagonist team finally arrived.

Evil Thought’s loyal butler Celestia shows up, incessantly urging Evil Thought to tread the "right" path, promising rich rewards should he slay the priest Isobel of the Last Light Inn, but Evil Thought does nothing of the sort, convincing Leon it’s a benevolent path taken by Evil Thought.

After repelling the Tower of the Moon’s attack, the protagonist team rests for a day before taking action again. This time Leon eschews continuing to follow. He waits until the protagonist team rescues Night Song, Erin.

Erin is an Asmodeus, opposite to Tiefling, a descendant of Humans and Celestial Creatures, in the plot she’s the daughter of the Moon Maiden Serenne—daughter of a deity, possessing an Undying Body, cursed to be imprisoned in the Shadowfall Netherworld, providing Undying Power to one of the Supreme True God’s triad, General Ketheric.

Leon has pondered abducting Erin, but refrained from provoking the Moon Maiden Serenne behind her. Firstly, the Undying Body can’t truly be an Undying Body, secondly, the method of transferring damage can be acquired through other channels.

When the protagonist team allied with the Harpist Alliance makes a full assault on the Tower of the Moon, Leon doesn’t spectate but heads straight to Border’s Gate.

In essence, Leon came to Ferren Continent not to spectate the protagonist team of adventurers. Navigating through chaos to seize opportunities was his goal... In this world, there’s no "original ownership" concept, only first come, first served.

Speaking of which, what good things are there at Border’s Gate?

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m