Very weak.
No matter how she looked at it, this village girl named Enri was no match for an elite soldier of the Theocracy.
Clementine raised her chin, her golden bangs covering half of her narrow eyes.
She had pretended to be knocked away by the Leader and left the battlefield, so she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, only learning the full story from others.
'Terrifying', 'Miraculous'
Clementine thought of these two words describing the other party, the corners of her mouth rising. She greeted, "Hi, little Enri."
Not a magic item.
Perhaps some powerful 'innate ability', can it be used normally?
Or does it only activate when in a dangerous situation?
A stronger smile appeared on Clementine's fair face. She knew that some special 'innate abilities' had usage restrictions, which even the user themselves might not know.
Historically, there was a special innate ability holder in the Theocracy who experienced a rare situation where it only triggered after death.
"Ms. Clementine."
Enri's back inexplicably felt cold facing Clementine's smiling greeting. She responded with a stiff face.
Captain Ian stepped forward, blocking their line of sight, and lightly coughed, "Ahem, sorry to trouble you, Enri."
Along the way.
Enri rode Kuro, leading the way.
The ten-person squad from the Slane Theocracy followed behind. Captain Ian silently observed the environment they passed through, becoming more and more alarmed with each glance.
They encountered many Demi-humans along the way.
According to the usual situation in the Hills, the various Demi-human tribes were in a chaotic state of hostility or non-interference.
However, now they could see patrol teams composed of multiple Demi-humans. The Undead uprising had caused heavy losses to the Hills Demi-humans.
But it had also united the different races.
Captain Ian's heart was heavy. He felt that he needed to report these observations to the Cleric after returning to the Theocracy.
What surprised him most was Enri at the front!
No matter what Demi-human race they encountered, all Demi-humans showed extreme friendliness, even respect, towards the Human... no, towards Enri.
If it weren't for the clear discernible fact that these Demi-humans harbored obvious hostility towards them, the Humans, apart from Enri.
Captain Ian would have suspected they had come to the wrong place.
"How long has it been?"
"Has the reputation and prestige of the 'Free Will' adventurer team in the Abelion Hills reached such a level?"
"How did this adventurer team do it?"
To see one spot is to know the whole picture.
Captain Ian's brows furrowed deeply. No matter how incredible, he could sense the status of 'Free Will' in these Hills from the Demi-humans' attitude towards Enri.
Deep in the southern mountains.
The Dragon strangely twisted its long neck with golden scales, its towering Dragon Wings flapping extremely uncoordinatedly.
Thick tree trunks and shrubs in the surrounding valley were easily broken and bent by the strong winds generated by the Dragon Wings' casual flapping.
Rumble—
Terrifying air currents swept through, impacting the surrounding forests, causing leaves to churn up and down, and canopies to constantly tear and collide!
Green shattered leaves flew everywhere, impacting the valley with dull echoes!
Boom!
The Dragon suddenly flipped in mid-air, crashing sideways onto the ground with a roar, then soared into the air again, only to fall once more.
Boom!
Rumble!
After several consecutive uncontrolled movements, the Dragon seemed to regain control of its body and stabilized.
"Roar—ugh..."
The Dragon suddenly stretched its neck, opened its mouth full of cold, sharp teeth, and its abdomen and throat writhed, making a retching sound.
With a 'thud'.
Dragonkin Radong was spat out of the Dragon's mouth, falling heavily to the ground, weak and unconscious.
At his chest.
The torn wound continuously seeped blood. The 'True Dragon King's Heart' glowed with a dark golden light.
The silver spider-like patterns and magic words on the heart's surface dimmed considerably with each beat.
And at this moment.
The Dragon suspended in mid-air also began to shrink, but it wasn't the kind of recovery that happens when shapeshifting is dispelled.
But like a punctured balloon?
The sharp golden scales became fragile, the wing membranes of the Dragon Wings curled like crumpled paper, and the massive body rapidly shriveled.
In just a moment.
Bang!
The Dragon had already shrunk by half, its body completely unable to maintain Flight in mid-air, crashing to the ground and continuing to shrink.
"This is the effect of the 'true dragon king's heart'!"
"Damn it—cough, cough!"
The shriveled Dragonkin body opened its mouth, emitting a weak sound.
The next moment.
The Dragonkin body uncontrollably collapsed.
Minori's figure appeared, constantly coughing up blood, his vigorous aura rapidly weakening at an alarming rate.
[HP: 621]
[HP: 603]
[HP: 587]
[...]
[HP: 321]
In just a moment, his HP had dropped to below half.
"Sixth Tier Magic · Great Healing!"
Minori's face was pale, clearly feeling his life force rapidly depleting, as if disappearing into thin air.
HP immediately restored by 100 points!
The third-tier 'Serious Injury Healing' can restore 50 HP, while 'Great Healing', though a sixth-tier spell, only restores 100 HP. This is already the highest-tier healing magic.
Positive energy can restore the vitality of the living, while negative energy can restore the vitality of the Undead. This is a magic of the same level as 'Great Death', which the Bone King and Shalltear used to restore HP during their battle.
Sacred white light enveloped his entire body.
Minori's body relaxed, a hint of color returning to his pale face, but he still felt that the continuously declining HP showed no sign of stopping.
'Great Healing'!
'Great Healing'!
'Great Healing'!
As the healing magic was cast, the HP gained gradually exceeded the continuous HP loss.
"What exactly is going on?"
Minori wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his pale face extremely solemn, while monitoring the values on the attribute panel and continuing to cast healing magic.
"After injecting the 'Fusion Potion' into Dragonkin Radong just now, it seemed to accidentally trigger the 'true dragon king's heart', and then we both transformed into a Dragon."
Minori's eyes flickered, recalling the entire process just now.
Upon transforming into a Dragon, he felt a strong repulsive reaction, even far exceeding the repulsion he felt when controlling the Dominion Authority.
The one who was repelled, however, was not him, but Dragonkin Radong, while he himself surprisingly remained in the form of a Dragon.
"This situation can only be the effect of the 'true dragon king's heart'."
"However, after repelling Dragonkin Radong, I could still briefly maintain the Dragon form. The power maintaining this transformation should be my own strength..."
Minori gradually sorted out the entire process, and his gaze suddenly trembled.
"—This is!"
During the process of continuous HP loss and continuous HP recovery from casting 'Great Healing'.
Minori gradually felt a subtle change in his own aura; it was a state of unstable life level.
This feeling was both familiar and unfamiliar!
He had only felt it in two people: Leinas before she truly became a Cursed Knight, and Enri before she became a Hero.
Minori closed his eyes, perceiving carefully.
Unfortunately!
Before he could grasp that feeling, the continuous HP loss state had disappeared.
"What was the cause of the continuous HP loss?"
Minori reopened his eyes, without any disappointment, but rather thinking about the reason for the continuous HP loss state that had just appeared.
"Then let's experiment again!"
Minori had no answer for a moment. He glanced at the unconscious Dragonkin Radong not far away and silently cast magic:
" 'Great Healing' !"
First, restore his HP to full.
Fortunately, his HP was high enough, otherwise, that terrifying rate of HP loss could have depleted it in an instant.
After a moment.
Minori's pale face regained its color. He shook his head, "I didn't expect the first use of 'Great Healing' to be here."
Healing magic isn't actually suitable for use in combat, because magic requires casting time.
Unless both sides simultaneously create distance and use healing magic to recover.
Otherwise, if one uses healing magic and the other uses attack magic, the caster of healing magic will inevitably suffer a disadvantage.
This made Minori think of playing turn-based games in the past, that kind of wasting potion bottles, every time you recover, the enemy would hit you and deplete your recovered HP...
Crack—Rumble!
A sound of thunder suddenly came from above.
Minori turned his head, looking at the dark cloud that had gathered in the distant sky in a short time.
"Hmm? What happened?"
Stopping his idea of continuing the experiment, Minori remembered that he had previously instructed Cruche to use 'Cloud Manipulation' to notify him if anything unmanageable occurred.
"I hope it is indeed something unmanageable."
His thoughts had just begun when they were interrupted, Minori thought with slight annoyance.
At this moment.
The dim yellow sun was setting, and it was nearing dusk.
Awaiting Minori at Black Castle
In the peculiar Black ancient castle.
The Verdant Witch sat very calmly and naturally at the round table in the hall. On the table, there was still slightly warm black tea.
The Demi-humans here didn't have the Human habit of drinking black tea.
The Verdant Witch, however, really liked the taste of black tea. She had first tasted black tea in the palace of that very beautiful Human princess in the Kingdom, and she had loved this dark Human drink ever since.
"The taste will be much worse once the temperature drops."
The VerdantWitch saw that the black tea placed in front of several Humans had not been drunk, and her tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Thank you for your hospitality. May I ask when we can meet Mr. Minori?"
Captain Ian spoke gently, maintaining his etiquette, but he never touched the black tea on the table.
He didn't think the other party would poison it, but he also wouldn't casually drink Demi-human things. This was, after all, the heart of the Hills, and and he had to guard against any accidents and dangers.
"Our Leader often forgets the time because he's researching Alchemy Potions. I've already sent someone to notify him. As for when our Leader will see you?"
The Verdant Witch paused here and shrugged her shoulders.
As soon as these words were spoken.
The faces of the Slane Theocracy members became somewhat distressed.
"Could you please tell me the Leader Minori's location? I wish to visit him personally."
Captain Ian maintained his smile, speaking solemnly again, "Because there is indeed an important matter that requires a personal meeting with Leader Minori."
"Sorry."
The Verdant Witch spoke indifferently.
"Heh." Clementine suddenly sneered, wanting to get up.
This action.
Made Captain Ian's face change, and the Verdant Witch's eyes also became serious.
She was very clear about this madwoman's strength.
"Oh?"
"So it's the esteemed members of the Slane Theocracy." Just then, a faint voice came from the stairs.
Captain Ian and the others quickly turned around and saw Minori standing on the stairs.
"This Demi-human woman...!" Captain Ian's mouth twitched fiercely.
From the Verdant Witch's meaning just now, Leader Minori wasn't here at all, but unexpectedly, he was upstairs.
"Leader." The Verdant Witch quickly stood up and spoke respectfully.
"Leader Minori, I am Ian, I am..."
Captain Ian also stood up, trying his best to appear friendly, and began to introduce himself.
"No need for introductions, just state your purpose, I'm quite busy." Minori waved his hand from the stairs, seemingly with no intention of coming down.
"How rude." A member of the Sunlight Scripture who had accompanied them muttered softly.
"On behalf of the Slane Theocracy, I would like to invite Leader Minori's 'Free Will' team as guests to the Theocracy-Kingdom Capital." Captain Ian's expression remained unchanged. He smiled, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed slightly.
To invite an adventurer team, even an Adamantite-Rank adventurer, on behalf of a nation, is an honor that any adventurer would feel.
"Purpose." Minori leaned on the stair railing, his eyes flashing.
Seeing the Slane Theocracy members, he had already guessed they were here because of the 'Fusion Potion'. However, he had not given the potion to anyone from the Theocracy back then.
And now, almost a month had passed, and the Theocracy people had only just arrived, so they must have completed their research on the 'Fusion Potion'.
Very fast.
As expected of the power of a nation, he, as the creator, had not fully understood all the effects of the 'Fusion Potion'.
"It concerns an Alchemy Potion refined by Leader Minori called the 'Fusion Potion'. Perhaps Leader Minori is not yet aware of the true value of this potion..."
Captain Ian's voice became excited.
"I don't recall giving this potion to the Slane Theocracy."
Captain Ian suddenly choked, the smile on his face stiffening slightly.
"If you want to trade for the 'Fusion Potion', you can discuss it with Verdant."
Minori casually waved his arm, then said to the Verdant Witch, "Come up here."
"Yes."
After speaking, Minori turned and returned upstairs, giving no indication for the Slane Theocracy members to continue speaking.
The Verdant Witch followed him.
For a moment, in the hall,
Only the Slane Theocracy members remained stiffly in place.
"How annoying, little man." Clementine sneered.