novelraw Chapter 132: Entangled Fates
Chapter 132: Entangled Fates
Inside a castle thick with the scent of blood, Geronimo lay upon a pile of gold coins, communicating "face-to-face" with Hoffman Ironfist via magic.
Calling Geronimo a Half-Dragon at this point was a bit inaccurate. He had even grown a tail. Aside from his legs not yet transforming into the reverse-jointed structure, he wasn't much different from a true dragon.
He had devoured the flesh and blood of the Cerberus Family, inherited their memories, and seized everything they owned.
Now, this castle was Geronimo's territory.
Perhaps it was only after becoming draconic that one understood why dragons loved gold.
Most dragons were warm-blooded creatures, and their body temperature was extremely high. Perhaps because dragon blood was too hot, or perhaps because the magic contained within their bodies was too strong, the vast majority of dragons lived in a state of constant "overheating."
Gold had excellent thermal conductivity, so sleeping on gold was a pleasure for a dragon.
Moreover, gold was relatively soft, providing just the right amount of friction against dragon scales—a very comfortable tactile sensation. Coupled with the fact that gold didn't tarnish easily and wouldn't rust or corrode like iron—even if residual blood and rotting flesh fell on it, a casual puff of dragon breath would clean it right up, whereas iron would degrade under high temperatures—gold was the ideal mattress material.
The saying that dragons just liked shiny things was actually a myth.
Dragons liked gold out of physiological need. As for other treasures, their pursuit was similar to humanity's desire for wealth; there was no pathological obsession.
Originally, Geronimo was enjoying his new life as a dragon lying on the gold. Hoffman Ironfist's sudden appearance surprised him. However, through the memories he had acquired, Geronimo quickly figured out who this dwarf was.
That was why Geronimo asked that question.
"Do you want to deal with the Elves again?"
Hoffman Ironfist didn't know what had happened; he simply assumed the members of the Cerberus Family had received a blessing from a Hell Lord and transformed into this appearance.
Therefore, when Geronimo brought up the topic of "dealing with the Elves," Hoffman Ironfist didn't suspect anything.
"You failed last time. Are you ready to give up just like that? The peace talks will resume soon. Once the Elf Queen returns to the Silvermoon High Court, you won't have another chance."
Geronimo thought for a moment, then said, "The Elves have already fallen into an ambush once; they won't expose a flaw again. Unless *you* create another opportunity."
Geronimo held no grudge against the Elves, but he was hungry now.
After transforming into his dragon form, his body seemed to be in a constant state of hunger. Although the feeling wasn't obvious yet, he knew very well that he needed to continuously consume flesh with high magical content to keep his body from collapsing.
In the end, Geronimo was just a talented boy, far from the Legendary realm.
The Queen of Chaos and Evil Dragons (Tiamat) had used the flesh of a quasi-legendary Warlock to augment him, adding a divine blessing to push him into the Legendary rank. To maintain this power, a huge price had to be paid.
If the dwarf could provide an opportunity for him to hunt elves—perhaps eating that Elf Queen would allow him to go without hunting for a long time.
Hoffman Ironfist said, "Disrupting the peace talks doesn't necessarily require killing the Elf Queen. Go to the Silvermoon High Court. There must be problems in the Silvermoon High Court right now. If Hell invades the Silvermoon High Court at this opportunity, it will surely teach those elves a profound lesson."
Hoffman Ironfist still didn't know exactly what was wrong with the Elves, but it didn't matter. All problems would be exposed in war; as long as they started fighting, it was enough.
This time window wouldn't be long; no matter how many Hell Gates there were, they probably couldn't stop the Elf army. So Hoffman Ironfist intended to use this brief period to seize the territory of the City of Alchemy.
Sometimes, war was all about timing. Total occupation wasn't necessary; gaining a distinct advantage was enough.
But Geronimo shook his head and said, "Trying to make me your cannon fodder? Impossible. You expect me to ignore a lone Legendary Elf Queen and instead enter the Silvermoon High Court to face a group of Legends? Do you take me for a fool?"
Geronimo had become as brutal as a dragon after his transformation, but his IQ hadn't dropped. He knew very well how dangerous the Silvermoon High Court was.
Even though he had obtained all the secrets of the Cerberus Family and controlled two unopened Hell Gates, facing the Silvermoon High Court with this meager power would be like a moth flying into a flame. If he dared to open a Hell Gate in the Silvermoon High Court, the Elf army would dismantle the gate within two days and chop off his head while they were at it.
"Depending on you to kill the Elf Queen? Do you know she's currently living in that Lich's castle? Your ambush last time was ruined by that Lich. His power is above the Elf Queen's; you won't have any chance."
*Lich?*
Hearing this word, Geronimo narrowed his eyes and snorted fiercely, ejecting a puff of smoke from his nostrils.
He remembered. When he was chosen by the Paladins, wasn't it to train him to deal with a Lich?
In the end, Starlight was ambushed by that Lich and captured alive. The other Paladins met the same fate, becoming prisoners of the Lich. That was the first time Geronimo felt abandoned by the Holy Light.
At that time, he was like a wandering ghost, struggling to find hope of survival in the City of Alchemy.
The second time, he joined the Ryan Empire's troops, only to be injured in a battle against the undead. Abandoned by the Holy Light a second time, these undead also seemed related to this Lich.
As for the last time, being caught by the Cerberus Family also seemed to have something to do with this Lich. From the Cerberus Family's memories, he learned that because this Lich was waving the banner of "Love and Justice" to quell the war, the Cerberus Family had frantically captured people for sacrifices, wanting to muddy the waters again before the armistice.
*All of this... is because of that Lich?*
Geronimo had a strange feeling. Why was every hardship in his life related to this Lich?
This feeling of entangled fates gave Geronimo a peculiar impulse. If he could devour this Lich's soul, would it be even more beneficial for him?
The devouring desire from his dragon bloodline began to surge. Geronimo said to Hoffman Ironfist, "I can continue to target this Elf Queen, but you have to help."
Hoffman Ironfist frowned and asked, "How do you want us to help?"
"I don't know, but I need you to find a way to separate that Lich from the Elf Queen. I will defeat them one by one," Geronimo said confidently.
*I still control two unopened Hell Gates. Once opened, I can summon an endless army of Hell. Surrounding and killing one or two Legends won't be difficult. Added to my own power, it's even more secure.*
Hoffman Ironfist thought for a moment, then said, "Fighting him inside the Lich's castle is impossible; that's the stupidest choice. I will lure them out and then separate them. I'll give you their location in advance. Use an ambush again to kill the Elf Queen first."
Geronimo nodded. "Acceptable."
Hoffman Ironfist added, "But whether you succeed or fail, it's your own responsibility. We Dwarves will only create the opportunity; we won't lift a finger to help."
Geronimo sneered, "Heh, are Dwarves such a hypocritical race? You want the benefits, but dare not fight for them personally, resorting only to these shady tactics."
Hoffman Ironfist replied disdainfully, "You aren't qualified to speak to us like that, just a bunch of trash worshipping Hell. You rats in the gutter should be grateful for the tiny chance we grant you. Otherwise, you wouldn't even touch a hair of the Elves and would spend your whole lives hiding in some backwater, tricking old farmers into killing their own children."
Geronimo didn't retort, only staring at Hoffman Ironfist, his vertical pupils shrinking to pinholes. He knew Hoffman Ironfist was actually insulting the Cerberus Family, but Geronimo was still angry. He couldn't accept a dwarf provoking a dragon like this.
Right now, he just wanted to drag this crippled dwarf out, crack open his skull, and suck out the brains inside.
Hoffman Ironfist felt uncomfortable under Geronimo's gaze. This monster in front of him seemed different from the Cerberus Family of the past. Did Hell send a monster to replace them?
However, Hoffman Ironfist couldn't worry about that much. Discussing such conspiracies required no politeness. Since neither side was comprised of good people, one side had to dominate the other.
Hoffman Ironfist represented the Dwarf Kingdom; no matter how down on his luck, he wouldn't be threatened by a mere Hell creature.
"Remember, you monsters who can't stand the light, *I* am giving you the chance to continue disrupting the battlefield. So you should be sincerely grateful, then do your job properly. Don't be as useless as last time."
Hoffman Ironfist left this tough statement and then proactively cut the communication.
Although Geronimo's vertical pupils still lingered in his mind, he quickly calmed himself and began thinking about how to create an opportunity for these Hell monsters.
The only chance to get the Elves out of the castle now was the formal peace talks. The Dwarves would be present then, so separating Ambrose and Catherine wouldn't be easy. Hoffman Ironfist didn't want to expose his cooperative relationship with Hell yet. Making a move on that day would definitely alert Ambrose and the Elves to the problem.
So, it had to be before the formal talks. He needed to find a reason to make them leave the castle, and then find a way to separate them.
After thinking for a moment, Hoffman Ironfist found Heggie Stone and said to him, "Old friend, I want to invite Master Ultraman for a drink. Before the negotiations restart, I want to confirm the terms of the peace treaty with him again. If possible, it would be best to visit his home."
Heggie Stone was leisurely sipping blood. Hearing Hoffman Ironfist's words, he quickly patted his chest and said, "Sure, I'll go find him right now. I can drop by his place too. I gave him a lot of Obsidian Gargoyles; I need to see if he knows how to install them properly."