Chapter 541: How Do You Know I Wouldn't Dare?
Yet just as everyone had fallen into despair, convinced that death was inevitable, a familiar voice suddenly rang out. Instantly, the Frost Dragon froze mid-motion; the massive foot that was about to trample down stopped in midair, and even after several seconds, it still hadn't come down...
What just happened?
Everyone lying on the ground could hardly believe their eyes. Of course, they recognized the voice—it was the young mage's...
Although the young mage's strength was absurdly powerful—and without him, the squad would stand no chance against the Frost Dragon—even so, it was almost unbelievable that a single casual sentence from him could actually subdue a Frost Dragon that was about to kill them. Wasn't that a bit too unrealistic?
Still, they breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what method the young mage had used, their lives were safe for now.
Then, to their astonishment, they realized that the pale-faced young mage had somehow climbed onto the Frost Dragon's back, clutching a dagger that gleamed with cold light, pressing it against the dragon's neck.
At that moment, everyone understood. No wonder the Frost Dragon was so obedient—it was being threatened by the young mage and had no choice but to stop, or else it would be killed.
"You don't dare make a move, do you?"
Even in this situation, the Frost Dragon remained defiant, letting out a cold laugh. The foot hovering above Thorne Merlin and the others seemed ready to crush them at any moment—clearly, this was her bargaining chip. She showed no sign of being troubled by the young mage's threat.
Despite her defiant attitude and apparent indifference, in reality, she dared not act rashly and could only remain locked in a standoff with the young mage.
The lives of the young mage's companions were in her hands, and she was certain the young mage was just as cautious, not daring to strike at her.
But what infuriated her most was the young mage’s audacity—he actually climbed onto her body...
"You’re not me—how do you know I wouldn’t dare...?" Leon rolled his eyes, feeling speechless. This Frost Dragon was far too arrogant, thinking that threatening Thorne Merlin and the others would make him hesitate. Honestly, that was just naive.
As he spoke, Leon idly toyed with the dagger in his hand. When its cold blade brushed against the Frost Dragon’s neck, she gritted her teeth, silently cursing the young mage countless times and nearly losing her temper.
This dagger looked ordinary, with only a faint magical aura, but it was actually a genuine Soulbound Relic. If the Frost Dragon were at her peak, not even a True Spirit-grade dagger could pierce her defenses, but now, after expending her breath attack, she was so weakened that even a Soulbound Relic was dangerous.
That’s why Leon could act so fearlessly...
But the others couldn’t remain so calm—especially Thorne Merlin and his companions...
Frozen like ice sculptures, they nearly coughed up blood after hearing Leon’s words. If the young mage really went all out against the Frost Dragon, the unlucky ones would be them—the Frost Dragon could simply drop her raised foot before dying, and they’d be doomed.
There was nothing they could do—they really didn’t have much faith in the young mage, who was always pulling off wild stunts...
But clearly, frozen solid as they were, they couldn’t even make a sound—the most inconspicuous people on the battlefield.
"Then you can try..." As Thorne Merlin and the others worried in silence, Reina’s cold voice rang out. Her silver eyes swept over them with a chilling laugh: "I can guarantee that before I die, I’ll make sure they die with me."
In this situation, she simply didn’t believe the young mage would dare to act rashly...
If the young mage really didn’t care about those humans lying on the ground, why would he waste so much time with her?
Just as her father had said, most humans were cunning—like this young mage, who clearly cared about his companions’ lives but acted as if nothing mattered.
Thinking of her father, Reina’s gaze dimmed, and she felt a pang of sadness.
"If possible, I don’t want things to end like this. I think a fight to the death benefits no one..." A faint, almost invisible smile appeared on Leon’s pale face as he gazed into the palace’s depths—dark and inscrutable, yet something there held his attention for several moments before he turned away.
In truth, he hated being threatened. In the dying Northend World thirty thousand years later, his life was constantly at risk, and he’d grown deeply averse to that feeling. Ever since coming to this era, those who threatened him never met a good end.
Clearly, he would never accept Reina’s threats. If he didn’t think it was necessary to go that far, he might have already used his last bit of magic to drive the dagger and end Reina’s life.
But he hadn’t.
Recently, Leon had made some new discoveries, unraveling mysteries that had plagued him for so long. The key to everything lay in the alchemical array at the palace’s center—and the dragon buried beneath it.
Indeed, at the palace’s center lay a perfectly preserved dragon skeleton. With his arcane equipment, Leon pieced together clues and determined it belonged to a Frost Dragon. The lingering power around the bones was terrifying, proof that the fallen dragon had once reached Sky Rank.
What amazed Leon was that even after thousands of years, the Sky Rank Frost Dragon’s power still lingered. This meant the dragon was far from ordinary—likely at the very peak of Sky Rank, standing at the pinnacle of its era.
Truth be told, among the vast dragon race, the Frost Dragon lineage wasn’t particularly prominent. Compared to pure-blooded Five-Colored Dragons, they were born with certain disadvantages. Pure-blooded Five-Colored Dragons gained Sky Rank power upon adulthood, while Frost Dragons typically reached only Title Archmage level. For a Frost Dragon to reach Sky Rank was rare indeed. Yet the dragon buried beneath the palace had seemingly reached the very peak of Sky Rank—a fact that astonished Leon.
And where the Sky Rank Frost Dragon was buried, there was also an alchemical array—one Leon knew well: the Dragon Revival Array.
At this point, it’s worth revisiting the purpose of the Dragon Revival Array…
This array was said to possess forbidden power, able to revive humans or other beings. Though it never truly appeared in Northend World, its reputation spread widely in the golden age. Any mage hearing of the Dragon Revival Array for the first time would be shocked—just as Leon had been. He believed its power twisted the very rules of reality.
With the Frost Dragon Remains and the Dragon Revival Array together, it was obvious—someone was trying to use the array’s power to resurrect the Sky Rank Frost Dragon.
From the start, Reina had shown deep hostility, trying to kill the intruders at any cost. Now it made sense—if Leon was right, the Sky Rank Frost Dragon buried beneath the palace was likely Reina’s kin, and she wouldn’t let anyone disturb its “resurrection.”
Unfortunately, Reina didn’t know the Dragon Revival Array had a fatal flaw.
Hmm?
Reina paused, then let out a cold laugh: "Actually, reconciliation isn’t impossible. I can spare your companions, but you must promise to leave immediately and never return. Otherwise, no matter the cost, I’ll kill you all."
Truthfully, if she could, she didn’t want to die either...
Because in the near future, she might have the chance to see her father again...
He smiled, speaking slowly: "You misunderstand. While I want peace, it’s not the kind you mean… I know why you’re guarding this palace—you want to use the Dragon Revival Array to bring your kin back, right?"
By now, Leon had figured out Reina’s mindset. She was rational and not acting out of despair, which meant the coming negotiations might go smoothly.
After speaking, Leon pulled a Mana Crystal from his pocket and began slowly absorbing its power. The earlier battle had drained all his magic—including his two alchemical cores and several Soulbound Relics.
"How do you know!"
At first, Reina was angry at the young mage’s words, but as soon as Leon mentioned the Dragon Revival Array, she became agitated—almost unable to believe it.
How did this human mage know?
Her mind was full of doubt, and she grew wary—did he have some scheme?
"I don’t just know you want to use the Dragon Revival Array to resurrect your kin—I know you’re doomed to fail! If you keep guarding it and no one interferes, maybe in a century it’ll revive. But I regret to tell you: it won’t be your kin. It’ll be an undead creature, and when it emerges, it’ll destroy you—and the entire realm."