Chapter 83: The Upheaval of Degeng City

Lu Gui Po was the first to discover the great dragon's awakening; while she was tending the pond, she suddenly felt a huge shadow behind her, turned around, and was almost scared to death by Naimi Xisi.

"Ah— um, master's master, you're awake." Lu Gui Po's harsh scream, like grinding broken glass, was cut off as if a chick were caught in her throat, and she hurriedly bowed her head respectfully.

Just kidding, she certainly didn't want Sgena's shameless dog thing to use any excuse to extend the treaty again.

"Tending the pond?"

Juan Ce Long glanced at the clear underground pond behind her, nodded approvingly: "Very well, do not pollute my domain with that 'Filth Technique'; keep it that way."

He had expected that upon waking his domain would be a foul swamp, but the current state surprised him greatly.

He called for Sgena; the black dragon arrived swiftly, spread its wings over the cavern, descended steadily into the pond, splashing out a few pitiful fish whose bellies thumped on the ground.

"Oh no— my pond needs cleaning again," Lu Gui Po said dejectedly upon seeing the scene.

The black dragon paid no heed; after all, causing trouble for Lu Gui Po's daily tasks was her greatest pleasure, and she curiously stared at Naimi Xisi, clicking her tongue continuously.

"Click, click, Naimi Xisi, what kind of freak are you? You're only at the youthful stage, yet you needed to slumber that long?"

Naimi Xisi snorted a laugh and said cheerfully, "No matter how long the sleep, it's worth it. Sgena, why haven't you grown into a youthful dragon yet? How useless."

The black dragon curled her lip; she thought, who evolves as fast as this dragon, as if on hormones.

But Sgena misunderstood; Naimi Xisi's rapid progress isn't replicable— the Throne drew power from that mysterious being of a distant realm and fed it back to Naimi Xisi, which is the key to swift growth.

Now, Naimi Xisi has become a youthful dragon; it still needs a full 50 years to evolve into an adult dragon, and even devouring magical gems to accelerate would require at least twenty‑five years.

"Fifteen months," Naimi Xisi sighed, indeed a long time; in fact, toward the end of the slumber he already had intermittent awakening awareness.

"During your sleep, the Underdark saw many major events,"

"Oh?" Naimi Xisi became curious upon hearing Sgena's words.

"The war ended half a year ago; most cities in the Underdark pledged allegiance to the Drow, regularly delivering tribute, and the joint forces of the Baenre family and the Dukeiden family withdrew."

"But what's curious is that on the second day after the war ended, Menzoberranzan issued a 'Bounty Decree,'" Sgena said word for word.

"Bounty?" Naimi Xisi was a little bewildered.

"Yes, a written bounty stating that any creature from the upper or middle Underdark who captures a baby, alive or dead, receives Menzoberranzan's highest‑grade reward."

"A baby? A single infant worth such a mobilization? Could it be a demigod?" Naimi Xisi asked curiously.

Sgena shrugged her draconic wings and said indifferently, "Who knows? The baby is said to be named Cui Si Te Du Kui Deng, and the bounty was reportedly issued by the Baenre Matron Mother of Menzoberranzan's First Family."

"I heard his father, a male Drow, fled to the surface with him. Ridiculous— can you believe Drow living on the surface?"

Sgena finished speaking, then suddenly realized the fellow indeed took ten Drow to the surface, and her eye twitched.

Naimi Xisi paid no mind to the so‑called bounty; being hunted by Menzoberranzan, that baby was already a dead person in his eyes.

What concerned him more was that the war had ended.

"Very well, since the war is over, you need not hold the post here; leave it to Lu Gui Po, and come with me to the surface for a stroll."

Naimi Xisi's words lit up Sgena's eyes; she had long wanted to leave, being bored to death watching a horde of Monsters every day.

"But!" Naimi Xisi warned, "Follow my orders completely; you've never been to human society, don't expose any slip‑ups— I'm disguised very successfully!"

Juan Ce Long was extremely proud, having completely forgotten his rustic newcomer demeanor when he first entered Degeng City.

Sgena sighed, "Fine."

She had originally wanted to experience a marauding evil dragon's raid on a human village. — The two dragons reached the surface, transformed into human shapes; Naimi Xisi stretched uncomfortably, still not quite used to it.

He glanced at the poised, voluptuous beauty beside him and asked curiously, "Why do you seem to like your human form?"

Sgena covered her mouth with a coquettish laugh, spun in place, "I'm not like my kin who love my originally skinny black‑dragon body; the accumulation of fat makes me feel beautiful."

Naimi Xisi shook his head, thought for a moment, and warned again, "Remember, once in human society, obey my commands."

The two dragons moved swiftly and soon reached the outskirts of Degeng City, but everything before them felt extremely unfamiliar to Naimi Xisi.

At this time outside Degeng City were numerous trenches of all sizes, wooden‑fence defensive works, and the previously open outskirts now patrolled by at least several hundred armored soldiers; in the distance one could even glimpse temporary shelters made of tents.

A mature beauty paired with a handsome boy who looked about sixteen attracted many soldiers' attention; when they reached the city gate they found even the gate guards had been replaced by those soldiers.

"Stop," the soldier called coldly. "Where are you from? Degeng City now forbids outsiders from entering; if you have no urgent business, turn back here."

The tiny human's brazen demand that they turn back made Sgena's teeth start itching; she ground her molars, her fingernails began to lengthen and thicken. She intended to revert to her true form and tear these short‑sighted ants apart! "Ahem!" Naimi Xisi coldly brushed her aside, stopping her action.

"What a fool, still wanting to unleash slaughter here, how much trouble you'll cause me! Don't you know a little money will make these humans let us pass?" a voice rang in Sgena's mind.

Then Naimi Xisi tried to recall the scene when he entered the city; it seemed to be ten copper coins?

He politely smiled, took out twenty copper coins, held them out to the soldier and said, "Here, the entry fee."

The soldier watched his action, furrowed his brows deeply, feeling somewhat speechless.

"Can't you understand human speech? I told you Degeng City forbids entry; your fee won't help!" the soldier said sternly.

Is that what he meant by paying a bit to get through? Naimi Xisi awkwardly withdrew his hand; he clearly remembered passing last time like this— maybe he gave too little?

Probably so!

Juan Ce Long's wise gaze held enlightenment; he guessed he had misremembered the unit—not copper coins, but gold coins!

He winced, took out twenty gold coins, held them to the guard again, and said confidently, "Sorry, I misremembered; this is the entry fee."

The guard's expression changed; he glanced at the gold coins with a complex look, then looked left and right, clenched his teeth, and snatched the coins away.

"Alright, I understand, you may enter. Remember, if anything goes wrong, don't say I let you in."

The guard cleared the way; Naimi Xisi nodded with satisfaction— indeed, he had misremembered the unit.

The two entered the city; Sgena looked at him incredulously, "You actually were willing to give that human 20 gold coins just to enter? We could have gotten in for free!"

Naimi Xisi glanced at her, "Twenty gold coins that can avert trouble is, in my view, well worth it. Moreover, it's a rule set by humans— entry requires a fee. People like you in chaotic factions simply don't grasp the importance of obeying the law."

He raised two fingers and said, "In my view, gold coins, besides being collected, have two uses."

"First, spend a little to accomplish big things; if spending some gold saves me greater trouble, I consider it worthwhile."

"Second, investment: spend part of it now to earn greater profit later; that too is worthwhile."

"But I guess your simple brain doesn't understand," he finished the theory and habitually mocked the black dragon.

Sgena, feeling indignant, wanted to retort, but then thought perhaps she truly didn't want to do so, and she fell silent, dejected.

Naimi Xisi walked while observing the situation in Degeng City; just like outside the city, soldiers in standard battle armor could often be seen on the streets, and citizens hurried along with gloomy expressions.

The whole Degeng City was permeated by a pessimistic atmosphere.

Naimi Xisi was puzzled, but he knew someone would explain everything to him; he hadn't forgotten that he was the master of Degeng City's invisible government! Soon he arrived before Rosa Castle, and as expected, the entrance and exit were similarly controlled by large numbers of soldiers.

An officer with a green gem set on his shoulder stepped forward, his eagle‑like sharp gaze sweeping up and down the two of them, and he said coldly: "This is not where you ought to be; leave at once."

Sgena very sensibly said nothing; she guessed this was probably the same as the entry procedure—damn human society, why does money have to be everywhere! It's enough to make a dragon furious!

Naimi Xisi smiled and said: "I know your superior—the city lord of Degeng City, Lady Keolite. I have some matters to discuss with her."

The officer heard this and snorted coldly: "Superior? My superior isn't that count, you pale‑faced brat—get lost!"

Anger flared in Sgena's eyes; daring to insult a True Dragon, what an arrogant ant! She could sense that this human's strength certainly did not exceed level 7, yet he dared to speak so wildly.

She was about to speak, but then recalled Naimi Xisi's words, so she angrily shut her mouth, deciding not to cause trouble—yes, use gold coins to eliminate trouble.

Who would have thought? Hearing that, Naimi Xisi's lips twitched into a faint, affable smile, and he raised his hand and pointed.

A thick bolt of lightning shot instantly from his fingertip, striking the unprepared officer; the terrifying impact slammed him into the wall, and the scorching current burned a hole through his chest—he was on the verge of expiring.

Fifth‑circle Plastic Energy spell—【Instant Lightning Bolt】! Sgena gaped, her mind a mush.

They said they'd settle things with gold coins, but human society can't just run amok!

As for the story of Elder Cui, that will be told later.

Moreover, Lightning Bolt is a third‑circle spell; instant casting requires adding four spell circles, but sudden metamagic lets the protagonist young dragon's age level be reduced by two, so only two circles need be added, making it a fifth‑circle spell.

The power remains unchanged; it can now be cast spontaneously as a fifth‑circle spell. (End of chapter)