Chapter 58: Illusion Domain

“Can you play with Weila?”

For the fairy dragon’s question, Garos paused briefly, neither refusing nor agreeing, and said, “Depends on my mood.”

The moment he finished speaking.

He felt something strange about his tail.

He turned his head and saw emerald vines coiled around the tip of his tail, tied into a bow shape, shimmering with pink fairy dust.

Garos flicked his tail.

The sharp, overlapping dragon scales along it scraped together and instantly sliced the vines to shreds.

“Play later. Right now, I need you to do something for me.”

He said.

“Okay okay, let’s get the important stuff done first, then you’ll play with me.”

The fairy dragon nodded eagerly, then tilted her head and asked, “What’s the important stuff?”

Garos grinned.

“Come on, use your illusion on me.”

Such a strange request—what a peculiar dragon, its interests were unpredictable and somewhat dangerous.

“Illusions carry mental damage. If you’re hit too many times, it harms the brain and turns you into an idiot. Aren’t you afraid?”

The fairy dragon asked curiously.

I want the mental damage.

“Don’t ask so many questions. Start.”

Garos took a deep breath, focused his mind, and prepared for the fairy dragon’s illusion.

“Alright alright, you asked for this—don’t get mad if you get hurt,” the fairy dragon added uneasily, then cast her signature Illusion Sound Art on Garos.

The sound of a clear spring flowing reached Garos’s ears.

The scene before him began to spin, twist, and warp.

In the distance, the bears’ fur vanished, their bodies shrank, turning into dolls chasing and wrestling; rocks and trees sprouted limbs and mouths, dancing and singing; the entire world’s colors grew vivid, like a painting.

This time, Garos did not try to break the illusion with physical force—he let himself sink into it.

He looked down at himself.

Garos was stunned to find his dragon scales had turned into flowers.

Bees and butterflies swarmed around him, buzzing their wings, singing a faint, indistinct melody that made his head spin.

Garos sat on the ground, as steady as a rock.

He let the song continue, allowed the visions to grow stranger, using them to train and adapt.

But not long after.

The sounds and illusions abruptly ceased.

The surreal, painting-like world vanished; the hallucinations disappeared; the world before him returned to normal.

The experience felt like wandering into some fantastical, eerie realm. Garos felt a lingering desire, his gaze falling on the fairy dragon’s butterfly-like wings, and said, “I heard fairy dragon scales produce dust that enhances mental strength.”

The fairy dragon nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Let me try some.”

Garos said.

Scale dust was a renewable resource for the fairy dragon—not rare to her. Without hesitation, she flew above Garos’s head and shook her butterfly wings.

Silver-gray dust drifted down softly.

Garos opened his mouth and swallowed it all.

In an instant.

His mind became hyper-sensitive; his excitement and focus surged; the world’s colors brightened, shifting into warm tones.

The tiny spider weaving its web in rock crevices, the insects crawling on treetops, the dust motes in the air.

The rustle of wind through leaves, the faint scrape of his own scales, the crisp plop of dewdrops hitting stone.

Details he normally ignored now stood out in sharp clarity before Garos’s senses.

“This feeling… is wonderful.”

Garos thought, his eyes gleaming.

This was different from the effect of black oil.

Black oil excited his body; this excited his mind.

Beyond perception, Garos felt his thinking speed had increased—he felt smarter.

He began reconsidering: should he shift focus toward enhancing his mind and spirit, or begin formal spell training?

After several seconds of deep thought, he reached a negative conclusion.

His wisdom told him—physical strength, raw power, mattered more.

Spirit, mind, magic—Red Iron Dragon hybrids had no exceptional talent in these areas; improvement was difficult, couldn’t yield combat readiness quickly, and couldn’t serve as his survival foundation in the wild.

Better to wait until he was stronger—then the gains would be greater with less effort.

“Weila, use your illusion on me again.”

He turned to the fairy dragon.

Garos had no intention of focusing heavily on mental enhancement, but he wouldn’t ignore it entirely—some training was necessary.

Feeling mentally drained, the fairy dragon rubbed her head, then cast Illusion Sound Art once more.

Because of the scale dust, his mental sensitivity had improved, amplifying the illusion’s effect on Garos.

The scene before his eyes became bizarre, indescribable.

The shadows of rocks stretched.

Twisting into monstrous shapes.

A giant tree hung upside down, its roots embedded in the sky; its trunk and sprawling branches were made entirely of flesh.

The melody in his ears became a muffled whisper, like the hissing murmur of some creature.

Garos once again sank into the strange realm of illusion.

During this time.

He faintly saw claw-like branches descending from the surreal world, reaching toward him—but as if separated by a barrier between illusion and reality, they could not touch him.

“Is it because the scale dust heightened my mental sensitivity?”

“This illusion’s power… isn’t something a fairy dragon could produce on her own.”

Garos thought.

Time passed slowly.

Soon after, Garos’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the fairy dragon and said, “Weila, go play. That’s enough mental training for today.”

The fairy dragon drooped her wings, slumped on a treetop, and lifted her eyelids weakly.

“No no more playing. Weila needs to rest. So tired.”

The fairy dragon was superb at illusions, but her spirit wasn't limitless; she was utterly exhausted from Garos’s demands, mentally drained, and just wanted to sleep and rest, even losing interest in playing.

Garos was still full of energy.

The effect of the scale dust had faded.

The world before his eyes was no longer vivid, his senses weaker than before—but still slightly improved from his original state.

“Truly a valuable thing.”

“Regular use of fairy dragon scale dust can greatly enhance my mental strength and perception without needing specialized training.”

Garos glanced at the fairy dragon, fast asleep on the treetop, and felt he’d struck gold.

Unfortunately.

He had no way to obtain black oil now.

“What would it feel like if I consumed both black oil and scale dust—body and mind simultaneously excited and active?”

Garos couldn’t help but wonder.

“If I had access, I could buy black oil from caravans.”

“But I can’t show myself—I’d attract trouble.”

After pacing and thinking for a moment, he spread his wings and soared into the sky, preparing to thoroughly scout the other territories surrounding the Needleleaf Valley.

When choosing this territory.

Garos knew.

Around the Needleleaf Valley, several intelligent tribes dwelled at moderate distances, and there was also a branch road of the Thousand Serpent Scar.

These were all security risks.

But.

Danger was everywhere in the wild.

Compared to other places, the Needleleaf Valley offered richer resources, and these risks were relatively minor.

Moreover, if handled well, they could be turned to his advantage.

That’s why, after careful comparison, Garos chose this place as his territory.

(End of Chapter)