In Azeria, there is something more annoying than the Demon Race and more reproductive than the Zerg.
The "Myconids."
These guys don't just look like Amoonguss from another world; their habits are just as wretched. As long as there's a piece of rotten meat on the ground or a bit of magic-rich organic matter, their spores can take root there. Even in the depths of the earth filled with rocks and lava, if you give them a crack, these bastards can build you a "Mushroom Empire."
The scene before them was the best proof.
In the wide burial hall ahead, the area was densely packed with these reliable-looking red and white backs. If the tribe Caesar had encountered in the marsh earlier was a village-level brawl, then the one before them was at least at the level of a regular Myconid Warlord army.
They held spears in their hands and carried jars filled with green badly poisoned venom on their backs, crowding toward the center like they were possessed.
"Guji! Guji!"
The piercing cries echoed through the cave, making Caesar's head ache.
These Myconids were just like the Greenskins from Warhammer; their spawning mechanism made absolutely no sense, and wherever they went, an ecological disaster followed.
However, since they had spawned beneath the Dragons Nest Mountain Range, the ones who would suffer were those arrogant True Dragons above.
When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up; it was none of his business.
Now, Caesar only saw a floor full of running emergency rations.
"So many mushrooms..."
Cecilia lay beside Caesar, her drool nearly dripping onto the ground.
Under Caesar's training, this Silver Dragon loli's diet had undergone an irreversible mutation. In her eyes, those wretched-looking, badly poisoned-filled Myconids were already being automatically imagined as a pot of rich and savory cream of mushroom soup.
"Those are Myconid Warlords." Caesar held down her twitching head. "Don't be in such a hurry to eat; let's see who they're fighting first."
They looked in the direction of Caesar's claw tip.
In the center of the Myconid army stood a grey-white "small mountain."
It was a giant creature over thirty meters long.
It had no flesh, only a forest-white skeleton. Its massive ribs were like an upturned ship's hull, each segment of its spine was as tall as a person, and two clusters of eerie blue ghost fire burned within its hollow eye sockets.
Even from several hundred meters away, the sudden blast of deathly aura made the scales all over Caesar's body tighten slightly.
The System didn't even need to scan it; just looking at its size told him it was a tough nut to crack.
—Anyone could guess with their shark tail that this thing definitely had the Dragon and Ghost attributes... This combination wouldn't be easy to deal with.
Had these Myconids taken the wrong medicine? They dared to besiege an undead creature of this level?
"That's... that's a Bone Dragon!" Cecilia's voice was trembling, but more out of excitement. "Only true ancient battlefields or places where giant dragons have fallen can give birth to such high-Rank undead! Its bones... its bones must be delicious!"
Caesar glanced at her sideways.
This kid was starving mad.
Regardless of whether this Bone Dragon would be delicious in a stew, the current situation was a classic case of the snipe and the clam fighting.
The battlefield ahead was in full swing.
"Jiji! Jijiji!"
Several slightly larger Myconid Warlords brandished their staves—which were actually just rotten wooden clubs—directing their cannon fodder to charge.
"Swoosh— swoosh— swoosh—"
The Myconids had clearly come prepared, as rows of Myconid warriors threw the glass bottles in their hands with all their might.
The bottles arched through the air, accurately smashing against the Bone Dragon's skeleton.
"Crack! Sizzle—"
Green acidic liquid splashed onto the Bone Dragon's leg bones, sending up plumes of white smoke and making a corrosive sound. Some bottles contained a thick, gelatinous substance intended to restrict the Bone Dragon's movements.
Caesar felt a pang of distress watching this.
"What wastrels!"
Those alchemy potions had truly opened his eyes before with their outstanding effects. Now, these guys were throwing them around as if they cost nothing.
The Bone Dragon seemed to grow impatient with the harassment from these little insects. It raised a massive bone claw and swept it fiercely across the ground.
"Boom—"
A gale howled, and several Myconids who couldn't dodge in time were instantly flattened into mushroom jam.
But more Myconids immediately filled the gaps, continuing their fearless attacks amidst the screams of their commanders in the rear.
It had to be said that while the Myconids were wretched, they really had something going for them in the field of alchemy.
That strong acid splashed onto the Bone Dragon's leg bones, actually causing white smoke to rise and making a "sizzling" sound, etching pitted marks into the hard white bone.
This was a chemical attack on a physical level; even the undead had to endure it.
"What a waste..." Caesar looked at the glass shards all over the ground, his heart aching. "Those are all top-tier seasonings! If just one bottle were put in a soup, how much flavor would it add?"
"Then we..." Cecilia swallowed her saliva.
"Let's move."
Caesar grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. "But don't provoke that big guy. We're only responsible for helping our Myconid friends 'lighten the load'."
The two little dragons moved in perfect sync, slipping out from the shadows of the rocks—
At this moment, the battlefield was in total chaos, and no one noticed the two uninvited guests added to the periphery.
A lone Myconid grenadier was hiding behind a pillar, shaking two bottles in its hands, waiting for a chance to throw them.
Suddenly, a claw covered in deep blue scales reached out from the darkness, covering its mouth (which was the mushroom stalk).
"Wu—!"
Before the Myconid could make a sound, it took a heavy blow to its cap.
Caesar skillfully knocked it unconscious, confiscated the potion bottles in its hands, and then tossed it to Cecilia behind him like he was lifting a turkey.
Cecilia brought her claw down, dismembering it into ingredients on the spot, then briskly stuffed them into a rock crevice.
"Third one," Cecilia reported in a low voice.
"Continue."
This was practically a buffet scene.
The two dragons coordinated perfectly, specifically targeting Myconids that were alone or retreating after being injured.
"Taijun, please come this way."
"—!?"
Another fellow who looked like a squad leader fell victim to them.
In less than ten minutes, Caesar was already holding a large handful of alchemy potions, and Cecilia's "sack" was bulging, filled entirely with tonight's ingredients.
Just as Caesar set his sights on a massive Myconid Warlord, preparing to make a big score.
That Myconid seemed to sense danger; it turned around and bolted!
"Don't let it escape!" Caesar shouted.
How could Cecilia let the Taijun return to the main force? She opened her mouth and sprayed a large burst of Paralysis Breath—
"Sizzle—"
A stream of paralyzing air accurately hit the fleeing Myconid; the creature stiffened all over and collapsed to the ground, twitching.
"Good job... wait!"
Before Caesar could finish his sentence, he saw the massive Bone Dragon in the center of the battlefield suddenly freeze its movements.
Oh no!
Its hollow skull slowly turned around, and two clusters of eerie blue soul fire pierced through the chaotic battlefield, locking accurately onto Cecilia.
A low, ancient murmur, seemingly from the depths of Hell's abyss, rang out.
"The... aura... of... a... True... Dragon...?"
The Bone Dragon seemed to lose all interest in the Myconids before it.
Yes, it had slept in this eternal darkness for far too long, so lonely that it needed to play with a bunch of noisy mushrooms to pass the time.
But now, it smelled a much more interesting scent.
"Roar—!!!"
The Bone Dragon suddenly opened its massive maw, and a visible torrent of grey-black energy surged forth!
This breath had no scorching heat of flames nor the bone-chilling cold of ice, but wherever it passed, those fearless Myconid warriors were like pencil drawings being rubbed out by an eraser. They didn't even have time to scream before they decayed and weathered under the wash of energy, finally turning into handfuls of flying ash.
With just one breath, half of the army composed of hundreds of Myconids collapsed.
The surviving Myconid commanders let out screams that were distorted by terror. No longer caring about formations or tactics, they led their remnants and scrambled away in terror toward the tunnel they had come from.
In an instant, the entire hall was left with only the massive Bone Dragon and the two little dragons shivering in the corner.
"Run!"
Caesar's scalp tingled as he grabbed the still-dazed Cecilia and turned to dive into the shadows of the rock wall.
However, it was already too late.
An invisible Mental Energy field spread out like a tide, instantly enveloping the entire hall.
Caesar felt as if he had fallen into a bottomless muddy swamp. Every cell in his body was letting out a groan of being overburdened, and his movements became incredibly sluggish.
[Ding! Target detected: Bone Dragon Viola (LV.60) has unleashed the entry ability [Dragon Might]!]
[Dragon Might: Dead Breath III: Upon entry, the target has a 20% chance to fall into a Flinch state every turn. The greater the Rank difference, the more obvious the effect. If the target is a non-primary Dragon-type or a non-Dragon living unit of a lower Rank, this effect is doubled.]
A row of massive blood-red text abruptly appeared in the center of Caesar's vision, blocking his sight for a full two seconds.
"I really have to thank you! Goddamn System!"
Caesar cursed inwardly, forcing himself against that pressure that threatened to crush him, the muscles in his legs bulging frantically.
"[Heavy Stomp]!"
"[Quicksand Abyss]!"
Boom!
The ground shook violently. With him as the center, the hard rock layer instantly turned into quicksand, attempting to swallow the Bone Dragon.
However, the Bone Dragon merely flapped its tattered bone wings nonchalantly, and its massive body slowly floated into the air. Both of Caesar's skills missed completely.
Its massive length of over thirty meters, when its wings were spread in the air, cast a shadow that almost completely covered the two little dragons.
Caesar's heart sank, and he roared at Cecilia, "Use that move from before! Smear Holy Light on its face!"
He looked back, and his heart went cold.
Cecilia had completely slumped to the ground, her whole body shaking like a sieve, her Silver Dragon pupils filled with magnified fear. Under the Bone Dragon's mental pressure, she couldn't even stand steadily, let alone fight.
She barely raised her head, letting out a series of meaningless whimpers. A weak cluster of rainbow light condensed in front of her, flickered twice, and then went out with a "poof."
[Purifying Light] failed to cast!
At that very moment, Caesar felt his body completely freeze.
[Flinch] effect triggered!
He couldn't move.
What a disaster, now he was really going to become a skeleton's dessert!
[Ding! Target scan complete!]
[Name: Viola (Sealed State)]
[Rank: LV.60]
[Attribute: Dragon/Ghost]
LV.60!
Seeing this number, Caesar's mind went blank.
The Red Dragon Fafnir, who had almost taken his life before, was practically a greenhorn compared to this guy!
The massive Bone Dragon Viola slowly landed in front of them.
Within its hollow eye sockets, the blue soul fire danced with interest as it sized up these two little fellows.
A pure-blooded True Dragon hatchling and a... strange earth dragon that looked a bit like a shark?
This combination was truly interesting.
Viola extended its massive bone claw, which was comparable to a crane's grapple, and easily picked up the two immobile little dragons, lifting them to its face.
When the cold finger bones touched Caesar's deep blue scales, Viola's soul fire flickered slightly.
A bit of a sting?
A sensation like being rubbed by sandpaper came from its claw.
This Little Earth Dragon's skin was truly rough.
Hefted in mid-air, a ghostly aura chilled to the bone penetrated Caesar's scales, frantically draining the energy within his body. He felt his life force rapidly slipping away.
At this moment, he realized that facing such a high-level Ghost-type creature, his proud physical defense was nothing but a joke.
Just as Caesar thought he was about to be sucked dry, that terrifying pressure and cold aura suddenly retracted.
The Bone Dragon Viola seemed to only want to give them a warning shot.
The two little dragons could finally catch their breath. Caesar raised his head and saw that massive skeletal dragon head clearly.
At that moment, a new System prompt popped up.
[Ability: [Clear Body]: The pokémon's stats cannot be lowered by other pokémon.]
[Ability: [Negative Energy: Infiltrator]: When attacking, ignores the target's Substitute, Light Screen, Reflect, and other defensive states, and ignores 50% of the target's physical armor/shields.]
Clear Body... Infiltrator... Dragon + Ghost attribute... a name suddenly jumped out from the depths of Caesar's memory.
He almost blurted it out.
"Duraludon?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Caesar regretted it.
He wanted to slap himself.
Are you sick? Shouting a pokémon name at an undead creature from another world?
What if the other party thought it was some kind of insulting term?
#
However, the expected thunderous strike did not come. Nor was his head crushed.
The massive Bone Dragon opposite him actually froze in place.
Viola's massive skeletal dragon head stiffened abruptly. Its hollow eye sockets turned toward Caesar, and the soul fire within them jumped violently.
Its hoarse voice, sounding as if it hadn't spoken for hundreds of years, rang out again, carrying a hint of puzzlement and Confusion.
"...Duraludon?"
The Bone Dragon tilted its head, letting out a series of crackling sounds.
"You little fellow... how did you know I was deaf?"