This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms – Chapter 601

The entrance area of the Dragon Cliff Dungeon had been completely cleared at this moment.

Within a radius of several miles centered on the entrance, all unofficial demons were driven away.

Replacing them were the Emperor’s direct subordinate Blood Guards, clad in dark red heavy armor like coagulated blood, faces covered by expressionless metal masks, guarding the vicinity.

Emperor Mortis stood at the edge of the entrance, looking at the huge claw prints and traces of Dragon Breath under his feet.

Chief Intelligence Officer Mofrey knelt on one knee several steps away, reporting the latest intelligence regarding the Fire Dragon:

“…Combining all intelligence, a total of seven villages and towns, two secondary cities, and Duke Eugene’s Northwind Fort were attacked by the Fire Dragon that appeared from the Dragon Cliff Dungeon. The cities and Northwind Fort withstood the attacks relying on large-scale protective magic arrays, with limited building damage and few casualties, but those villages and towns were almost all annihilated.”

Mortis bent down, pinching a small pinch of black ash from the ground with his fingertips: “Eugene’s fortress aside, but those two cities weren’t military strongholds… could they also defend against a Dragon of this level?”

Mofrey immediately explained: “Your Majesty, according to consistent descriptions from a large number of witnesses, that Dragon didn’t even slow down when launching attacks. Its breath was less like deliberate destruction… and more like casual attacks while passing by. Precisely because of this, the protective magic arrays of those two cities managed to barely survive after enduring a single impact.”

“Casual attacks…” Mortis chuckled lightly, yet it made Mofrey shudder unconsciously and bury her head even lower.

Mortis straightened up, no longer looking at the claw prints, nor paying attention to the kneeling subject.

He took a step forward. Without any support, the Emperor’s figure fell straight into the deep pit just like that.

After entering, Mortis flew directly toward the peak of the Dragon Cliff.

Blood mist rolled, emitting a bloody smell so rich it terrified ordinary creatures. Along the way, various Dragon Beasts encountered, whether ferocious Land Dragons or cunning Shadow-Gliding Pterosaurs, all whimpered and shrank their bodies back into nests or deep rock crevices, trembling.

Flying halfway up the Dragon Cliff, Mortis’s eyelid twitched almost imperceptibly.

He saw a Dragon corpse.

Not a pale skeleton weathered for decades or centuries, but a fresh corpse with flesh not yet fully rotted.

This was a young Blue Dragon. Its wing membranes were ruptured, neck bone bent at a bizarre angle, large patches of scorched and torn wounds covering its once magnificent scales. Dark blue blood had long dried and caked. Time of death, not exceeding one month.

In Dragon Cliff, the Dragon Race had almost no natural enemies, except themselves.

Mortis’s speed didn’t slow down, but a few more traces of doubt appeared in those crimson eyes.

As he continued to ascend, similar scenes began appearing frequently.

On rock shelves, at cave entrances, and even on giant floating stones suspended in mid-air, more remains of the Dragon Race were scattered.

A Red Dragon and Green Dragon died entangled, sharp claws still deeply embedded in each other’s chests; a smaller White Dragon was torn in half by terrifying brute force; and remains of a Black Dragon with most of its body carbonized, clearly hit head-on by some extreme high-temperature breath…

Civil war.

The traces were so obvious; the conclusion was self-evident.

Just as he was about to reach the upper layer of the Dragon Cliff where giant Dragons resided, a pair of furnace-like golden vertical pupils suddenly opened in a mountain cliff cave.

An adult Black Dragon with a massive body size abruptly flew out from a giant cave on the side, spreading its wings to block Mortis.

“Little bug! Lost your way?” The Black Dragon spoke Draconic, approaching Mortis bit by bit. “Everyone’s temper isn’t too good recently. In case some dizzy guy mistakes you for a snack that slipped in… that would be too regrettable.”

Although the words sounded like advice, this Black Dragon’s huge body leaned forward slightly, dragon claws gripping the rock tightly, vertical pupils locking onto Mortis, tail sweeping impatiently—a hunting posture eager to try and pounce at any time.

Mortis floated amidst the blood mist in mid-air, not even looking directly at this Black Dragon capable of routing a small army, only spitting out brief Draconic: “Scram, reptile.”

The Black Dragon’s vertical pupils shrank into dangerous thin lines, pitch-black Dragon Breath churning in its throat.

And Mortis also extended a finger, pointing at this big black bug.

Just then, a huge black shadow fell from above.

A Black Dragon nearly double the size of the blocking Black Dragon descended from the sky. With irresistible power and speed, it stomped the head of the Black Dragon below fiercely into the hard rock ground!

Boom!

Rubble exploded. The stomped Black Dragon let out painful and muffled whimpers, its massive body twisting and struggling frantically, dragon tail slapping the rock wall until it cracked, but under that giant claw, it was all futile.

“Big… Big Dragon!” It squeezed out a slightly terrified voice from between teeth and rubble.

The Black Dragon called Big Dragon didn’t say an extra word to the clansman under its foot, speaking directly to Mortis:

“Vampire Emperor from the outside world.”

“Mother is waiting for you above.”

Only then did Mortis lower his arm.

Under Big Dragon’s guidance, Mortis traversed the upper layer of Dragon Cliff. This time, no other dragons jumped out to provoke them.

Finally, they arrived at the peak of Dragon Cliff.

On the suspended giant platform coiled a giant Dragon with a body size so massive it resembled a winding mountain range. Just a single silver scale was larger than a troll. Even Big Dragon, whose size far exceeded its peers, looked like a small lizard in front of her.

The only Ancient Dragon in the world.

Even without any special abilities, just moving this huge body was enough to cause disasters that could destroy heaven and earth.

However, the Ancient Dragon possessing such world-shaking power was currently surrounded by an unconcealable aura of decay.

As a Vampire feeding on life, Mortis could sense very clearly that her days were numbered.

“Sylvia, haven’t seen you for a hundred years, and you’ve actually reached the end. I originally thought Ancient Dragons… were at least close to eternal life.”

“Nothing is eternal. The eternal life you think of is merely an appearance.” Thoughts were transmitted directly into Mortis’s consciousness; this Ancient Dragon didn’t even have the strength to open her mouth anymore.

Mortis had no interest in debating “eternal life”; he went straight to the topic: “Your offspring violated the oath and flew away from the dungeon. However, given your current state… it seems you can no longer continue to fulfill the restraint on them.”

“That was an accident. But indeed, as you say, for the children, the importance of the ‘Way of the Dragon’ engraved deep in their bloodline has already surpassed my orders.”

“What about the seal?” Mortis asked the question he cared about most.

“Matters I promised, as long as I have a breath left, no one can shake that seal even a bit.”

“What about after you die?” Mortis pressed mercilessly.

The Ancient Dragon’s slightly turbid vertical pupils slowly turned toward him: “At that time… you will need to discuss with the new Ancient Dragon.”

After saying this, Sylvia slowly closed her eyes.

Big Dragon aside stood up and crawled two steps outward, turning its massive head toward Mortis. There was no emotion in the dark golden vertical pupils, but the meaning of seeing the guest out was self-evident.

Mortis didn’t get a satisfactory answer, but facing this completely unexpected situation of Ancient Dragon succession, even he lacked appropriate countermeasures.

Blood-colored mist wound up silently again. Before leaving, he swept a somewhat strange glance not far from the Ancient Dragon.

There lay a skeleton hugging a rotten lute. Judging from the bone shape, it was a human.

However, Mortis only took an extra look and didn’t investigate much further.

After leaving the Dragon Cliff Dungeon, he ordered the continued blockade of the dungeon, while dispatching subordinates to enter it and monitor changes on the Dragon Cliff from afar.

…

On the other side, when the Red Dragon flew into the range of the Northern Territory, Lin Jun, relying on the vision of the fungal mat, immediately discovered the Fire Dragon which was enormous in both body size and mana volume.

Holy shit! A flying big red lizard!

(End of Chapter)