Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle Chapter 1151: The Secrets of the Dragons and Countermeasure

"Ancient Relics and Divine Blessings, huh... I don’t think that’s available here... and you call them Elder Beasts?" Shane muttered as he could only try to find replacements that would work well against the Elder Beasts or Dragons.

"Yes... They’re just creatures with a higher purity of dragon blood. They can be a mantis, a snake, or even a lizard... If they have a certain level of purity in their dragon blood, they’re considered Elders..." Caesar explained.

"I see... But aside from specific relics and blessings, how are you specifically fighting them? Is there no other way?"

Caesar smiled as he slowly recalled the past...

"You asked how we fought them? Of course, it wasn’t brute force alone. Against dragonoids, we had to rely on talents and skills that could pierce their defenses. Since ordinary blades and arrows were useless, many of those with Piercing Skill users are needed."

Seeing that Shane was listening like a child, he continued.

"The price of the Piercing Skill Potion at that time was really high... All the alchemists who could make such Skill Potions were highly sought after. Ahh... I remember our Spirit Knights had this technique called , which could bypass physical armor and strike directly at their essence. Without that, we would have been slaughtered. Unfortunately, we barely had Spirit Knights now... The Soul Lance skill recipe is also lost."

Shane listened intently as he knew that this information would be needed. Still, it was indeed a pity that the Soul Lance’s recipe was already gone.

A skill that could ignore armor was just too OP.

Caesar continued, "At that time, we had a battalion of mages specialized in elemental counters. Since fire was almost useless, we prefer lightning. Such spells disrupted their nervous systems. Heh... Do you want me to continue? You have to pay a fair price."

"I will pay!" Shane said as he showed a pouch of Spirit Stones...

"Oh! Not bad... So where were we?"

"About how the mages fight..." Shane asked.

"Right... Well, we previously had a Vice-Commander with , which weakened draconic creatures within a radius, and someone with , a Survivor Skill that allowed a mage or even a warrior to channel spirit energy into a single devastating blow. Those were the turning points in our battles. Without them, we would have been overwhelmed. Well, they didn’t get transported here with us so..."

Shane gently nodded.

He wanted to know a few more things. He wanted to hear something from him...

"And the dragons themselves?" He asked.

Caesar chuckled and explained...

"That’s where things changed. We have only fought four true dragons so far. They weren’t even full adults... young adults, about twenty meters wingspan. But even then, they were devastating. Each had a specific elemental type. One breathed frost that froze entire mountains. Another exhaled poison mist that lasted for days. A third wielded lightning... and the fourth... had fire enough to melt enchanted steel."

Shane was kind of speechless right now.

It seemed that he had underestimated these Dragons. They have to ensure that they have weapons or relics that would really work against them, or they’d be in trouble.

"And how did you survive those encounters?"

Caesar paused for a moment to recall what had happened before he answered...

"We didn’t always survive... Many lives were lost in every battle, but we learned. Aside from what I mentioned before about their weak points... their eyes, their wings, and the joints of their scales, spirit cannons blinded them, mana cannons pinned them down... Once grounded, they were more vulnerable. There’s really no trick to this... You just have to be strong and well-equipped."

"And there’s something else. Dragons communicate through telepathy. Aside from speaking with you, they invade your mind, and give temptations. They pretend to be kind, to offer peace. But it’s a lie. They crave humans with high spirit energy. They feed on it. Anyone who listens too closely ends up consumed. Never trust them..."

Shane frowned...

"So there’s no chance of alliance, huh..."

To be honest, since Raze has a Dragon, he was thinking that it might be possible to capture them or even make them their mount. However, if they were purely evil to the point that they only wanted to eat humans, then there was no chance he’d let that happen.

Caesar shook his head firmly. "None. Many of us tried before but dragons will never befriend humans. They see us as prey, tools, or fuel. Nothing more."

Without a doubt, this was valuable information, and Shane was willing to give a decent reward because of it.

So without hesitation, he reached into his inventory and pulled out twenty mana crystals.

He placed them on the table.

"This is for the information you’ve already given."

Caesar’s eyes gleamed with approval. "Generous. I admit you're not stingy."

However, Shane wasn't done yet. He reached into his inventory and retrieved a splendid array of armor and weapons.

It was the Ice King Set, a drop from the formidable Ice Zombie King. He laid out each piece meticulously... the frost-etched helm, the blade that radiated chilling energy, the armor exuding cold, and the boots...

"This is only a four-piece set; the fifth item is missing. Nevertheless, this should suffice for the information you possess, correct? Should you have misled me, I will discover it later and reclaim this."

"Hahah! That suits me perfectly... An entire Zombie King Set. You are truly generous!"

Shane gave a slight nod.

He possessed the means to duplicate loot, and when he anticipated that a Zombie King or Lord was about to yield a set, he could ensure the rewards were significantly amplified.

Now, he presented one of these coveted sets, the Ice King Set, as his offering, making it explicit that in return, he expected all the knowledge Caesar held regarding dragons.

Caesar did not hesitate. He extended a hand, reverently touching the armor, then met Shane's gaze. "This is incredible... Thank you, my friend! Naturally, given your kindness, I will share more..."

"Ah? More?" Shane inquired, surprised. Generosity, it seemed, truly yielded substantial benefits.

"Indeed... We encountered four young adult dragons, did we not? Well... Their assaults were not solely physical... they carried mana corruption. That mana corruption is something you must remain exceedingly wary of."

"Mana Corruption, I see..." Shane murmured, immediately contemplating a strategy to address this newfound threat.

***

The moment Shane parted ways with Caesar, he rejoined his companions.

Following a brief deliberation, they resolved to secure lodging at an inn for the night.

A portion of their party returned to their respective vessels, preferring the comfort of their own quarters. Others, however, elected to remain with Shane, choosing to rest at the inn and stay in close proximity to him.

Before retiring for the evening, Shane issued a clear directive to them...

"I will be engaged in a significant undertaking tonight. Do not disturb my rest under any circumstances." His tone brooked no argument.

Once inside his designated room, he erected a formidable barrier, ensuring that no one could possibly intrude.

With this protective measure in place, he activated his Survivor Talent, the 'Fairy Realm's Survivor'...

In an instant, his form dissolved, and he entered the pocket dimension he had diligently cultivated.

As anticipated, the realm was bathed in bright sunlight, a striking contrast to the darkness of the night outside.

The air was crisp and invigorating, carrying the fragrant scent of blooming spirit grass and the rich aroma of mana-infused soil.

Naturally, Axis was not present, occupied with tending to the World Trees situated beyond the realm's confines, but other fairies were already diligently at work within.

They flitted gracefully around the central World Tree...

Crops thrived in the meticulously tended fields, small ponds shimmered, dotted with mana crystals, and diminutive creatures frolicked freely under the watchful eyes of the diligent fairies.

The mana crystals within this sanctuary remained plentiful, particularly the azure variants, which retained their chunky, unblemished purity, a stark difference to the dwindling supply found in the outside world.

Since Shane had conducted a harvest just the prior week, there was not much to gather at this moment. He offered a friendly wave to the fairies and the animals, providing them with sustenance from his inventory.

"Refrain from excessive greed... There is ample for every one of you..."

In response, they engaged in joyous dances, a testament to their contentment...

Yet, Shane could not afford to linger. He turned his attention towards the forest.

The path was flanked by an abundance of herbs, fruits, and spirit grass, all valuable resources, but he bypassed them for the time being.

His objective lay deeper within... the cave!

This cave was utterly distinct from any other location within the Fairy Realm.

Inside, the cavern walls emitted a faint luminescence, not from the familiar blue mana crystals, but from vibrant red ones!

Undoubtedly, this indicated the presence of corrupted mana.

Shane's gaze sharpened as he stepped cautiously into the cave.

This phenomenon was not a mere random occurrence. He harbored a strong suspicion that a Fairy King, Queen, or some high-ranking fairy noble, burdened by profound grudges, had met their demise here long ago...

Alternatively, it was also conceivable that a Demon Spirit was responsible for corrupting the crystals.

Regardless of the cause, he surmised that their lingering essence had imbued the mana with a darker, more potent quality.

He knelt, intently examining one of the pulsating crystals.

"It's growing stronger, isn't it..." Shane uttered softly.

In stark contrast to the pure blue crystals found elsewhere, these exuded a chaotic, volatile energy.

Dangerous, certainly, but also incredibly potent.

His mind immediately recalled the dragons Caesar had described... creatures wielding frost, poison, lightning, and fire, each strike infused with debilitating mana corruption.

Perhaps these corrupted crystals could serve as an effective countermeasure...

"But how precisely am I to utilize this?"