NOVEL NEXT Chapter 207: Nested Silver Scale Breastplate
Even though David had mentally prepared himself in advance, by the time he emerged from the treasury cradling a Sealing Magic Box, more than two and a half months had passed.
There was no helping it. The temptations were simply too numerous.
Initially, just the war spoils from the Dragon Queen nearly paralyzed him with desire.
If he hadn't been worried about being saddled with some title like 'the one who shuns dragons,' he really would have liked to take that desiccated Stribe's Eagle, which resembled a dragon's horn.
After all, it was a divine corpse. Even if he didn't care about the divinity within, just using it as a weapon would probably come with the property of Mortal Immortality.
Or perhaps if he buried it in the Astral Plane, one day it might even 'grow' into a demigod spawn for him to toy with.
Demigod spawn are born from the throes and distortions of gods, persisting where they 'should not' and in 'unexpected' circumstances. Imagine how unimaginably twisted and vengeful the psyche of Stribe, the storm giant god, must have been when Tiamat decapitated his eagle before all the gods.
Of course, if it came to that, the gods would certainly seek to settle accounts with him...
David had no choice but to cast aside this absurd and dangerous idea.
Compared to the Divine Artifacts and legendary secrets lusted over by other dragons but out of reach, David's attention was more drawn to the varied Magical Items.
Because he didn't lack divinity, or means of ascension, or 'skills.' He could just copy them from powerful adversaries on the spot. There was even a moment when David felt maybe, just maybe, it was these Magical Items alone that could provide him with rapid advancement.
And so, David laid eyes on that dragon armor set, ostensibly gifted by Dwarves during the Thunder Era to obtain protection from the reigning 'Melarolobros Dragon King':
The Dragon Crown, which could significantly amplify a dragon's magical abilities and senses;
The Dragon Amulet, inlaid with gems of various colors, vastly enhancing Energy Resistance and immunity to charms, mind blasts, and other control magic;
The Dragon Staff, capable of commanding the surrounding Chromatic Dragons, and enslaving other non-elemental creatures;
The Dragon Claws, which reinforce a dragon's claw strikes with adjustable magical effects;
The Dragon Wing Cape, granting a dragon supersonic flight;
And the Dragon Heart Gemstone, endowing a dragon with a vitality rivaling elemental beings and serving as an alternate vital point.
In that instant, David felt his heart race. With this dragon king armor set, coupled with the Stone of Regeneration from the Dragon Mother, he even began to suspect he could steamroll through legends.
After all, with this gear, he'd instantaneously have magic, resistance, attack, and mobility. He'd also have a substantial health bar and could even command a horde of minions if he grew tired of fighting himself.
It was like having his WarCraft III inventory stuffed with six Crowns of Kings, standing on the spot and asking, "Who else wants some?"
Most importantly, this set was impressive!
Especially the Dragon Wing Cape, David felt that the moment he donned it, he could transform into a magic super dragon with his underwear on the outside.
But just when his blood was up and he was about to retrieve them, he suddenly froze.
Because he realized that Tiamat had divided the set...
That meant he could only claim one piece!
In that moment, David couldn't help but cover his face with his claw and roared, "ROAR!!!"
Wrath
In an instant, he felt an urge to fight to the death with Tiamat.
He even had a feeling Tiamat had put this set out purely to toy with him!
However, he soon realized that as powerful as the dragon armor set was, it had no potential for growth. Dragon kings, who were already Old Dragons or even Ancient Dragons, would have no use for it. For a young dragon like him, not yet of age, it would be like playing a single-player game with a cheat code. There would be an initial rush of excitement from steamrolling through everything, but this would soon be followed by boredom and an exit from the game—or rather, an indulgence in other pleasures.
Two and a half months later, when David finally emerged from the Dragon Queen's treasury, he was as dazed and vacant as if he had been lost in a high-end club for the same length of time, muttering, "Ah... I just wanted to stay in there."
To this, the dragons passing by outside the treasury had already grown accustomed to such scenes, and none mocked him for it.
Because no dragon that had entered for the first time could maintain composure upon exiting.
Not a single True Dragon had ever managed it.
Some dragons even chose to lie down and sleep eternally within the Dragon's Treasury, eventually turning into one of the dust-covered skeletons.
For this, they might have to pay the price of eternal rest in the Divine Realm.
The Chromatic Dragon Queen wielded Greed like a whip, spurring dragons under Her will to advance for their own desires.
But She definitely had no fondness for such worthless dragons that merely lay flat in Her treasury without creating any value.
In some respects, Tiamat herself might not yet realize, the Dragon's Treasury She opened was much like the Realm of the Sin of Lust from the Blue Star novels, one of the domains of the four Evil Gods.
Only, compared to the Realm of Sin of Lust, a domain replete with desire, perfection, and corruption, the Dragon Queen's treasury was merely a 'dragon treasure lure.'
A screening device specifically targeting a dragon's Greed for treasures.
It is well known that a dragon that cannot control or harness its Greed will never achieve Legendary Destiny. They only deserve to wither away in old age, lost in dreams.
And because of this, David was well aware that the Dragon Queen had not bestowed Her gifts on him directly. Instead, She had taken this roundabout way, sending him to the treasury to choose for himself. Perhaps... it mostly carried a hint of a test and a lesson?