Chapter 284: 284 "Meloai God
Indeed, as a summoned creature, an Earth Dragon is certainly of the highest tier.
An adult Earth Dragon is something even a Sword Saint can only repel but not defeat, proving it can withstand an attack from a Sword Saint.
The draconic species, in general, possesses extremely high resistance to magic. A true dragon can withstand tactical level magic without sustaining so much as a scratch on its scales. While an Earth Dragon, as a sub-dragon species, may not match a true dragon, it can still withstand dozens of hits from tactical level magic.
This is not simply a matter of being excellent, it is without a doubt the dream summoned creature for every control-type magician.
Against an adult Earth Dragon, anything less than a Sword Saint would be utterly crushed, including senior swordsmen who are very advanced and even those like Albert Bolei, who are on the verge of entering the realm of the Sword Saints.
This is indeed more reliable than any attendant.
Unless someone can enlist a Sword Saint as an attendant, no number of attendants can compare to a single Earth Dragon.
Therefore, choosing to take this Earth Dragon Egg seems like a no-brainer.
However, there’s a problem.
"To control a summoned creature like the Earth Dragon, one would likely need to be a tactical level magician specialized in control magic, right?"
Reiger shook his head and said so.
"Besides, by the time this Earth Dragon reaches adulthood, most people would probably have been buried."
Dragons are famously long-lived.
They have lifespans of thousands, even tens of thousands of years. If not slain or encountering mishaps, each dragon could live even longer than the history of a kingdom.
It is said that from hatching from an egg, they spend three hundred years in their juvenile phase and another three hundred years in their growth phase. Only after a full six hundred years do they enter adulthood and attain their peak strength.
An Earth Dragon, while not as extreme as true dragons, also has a juvenile period of several decades, and by the time it reaches adulthood, nearly a hundred years will have passed.
What’s the point of raising such a summoned creature?
Is it to accompany oneself to the grave?
Moreover, an Earth Dragon is a living creature, not like a puppet like "Shinobu." It not only needs a place to live, but its daily eating, drinking, and excretion must also be taken care of. It has an enormous appetite; an adult Earth Dragon can devour how many cows and sheep in one meal is unknown, and a few weeks’ worth of food could bankrupt a small noble family, making it unaffordable for those who are not exceedingly wealthy.
In such a case, not just Reiger but even Yuri, a strategic-level magician specialized in control-type magic, would not choose to take the egg back with her.
The main issue is still the lengthy growth period; nobody has the time to wait, otherwise this egg wouldn’t have been lying here for two hundred years without anyone taking it away.
"Let’s look at something else."
Reiger said so.
"Okay."
King Hemulinp seemed to have anticipated this outcome, so he responded very straightforwardly.
Thus, under the guidance of King Hemulinp, Reiger was introduced to one precious secret treasure after another.
"This is the Sword of Darkli, the highest grade magic weapon made by the renowned alchemist Darkli Koro. It is embedded with three high-quality magic crystals shaped into treasure beads and forged entirely from the highest quality magic metal. It is not only razor-sharp but also endowed with magic power, capable of easily slicing through tactical-level protective barriers. It is considered the best weapon for combat."
"This is the Armor of Tirnal, made by the Leiblu Kingdom, known as the War Country, for the strongest Sword Saint who once battled on its fields. To craft this armor, the Leiblu Kingdom mobilized all of its famous construction mages and, after three days and nights, combined many precious materials from its treasury to produce it. It boasts the reputation of being impervious to any marks, even if one charges across thousands of soldiers."
"This is the Staff of the Forest, crafted from the branches of the now-extinct Adam Tree. With a history of several hundred years and its maker unknown, it possesses a high enhancement to magic. Holding this staff, the power of the wielded magic can increase by about thirty percent, and it also reduces the drain on magic power, making it an exceptionally good piece of equipment for magicians."
"This is..."
King Hemulinp showcased to Reiger one treasure after another, allowing him to stroll through the entire treasury and reintroduce him to the sheer value of the items contained within.
Reiger felt his heart tempted by more than one treasure; had his self-control not been strong, he might have made his choice right there and then.
King Hemulinp, noticing that Reiger had yet to make a choice, showed great patience and continued to introduce the items, clarifying the origin, effects, and uses of each treasure.
At this moment, he looked nothing like a king, but rather like a collector boasting about his own collection.
This situation continued for a good half-hour or more.
In this half-hour, Reiger’s heart was still moved by many treasures, but he didn’t rush to make a choice.
Until, Reiger came across a pendant.
"What is this?"
Reiger’s gaze was instantly drawn to the pendant.
It was a pendant set with a transparent gemstone that radiated a rainbow’s brilliance.
The exterior of the pendant was extremely elaborate, the craftsmanship was fine, and the material was mysterious. It was evident that it was an extraordinary treasure.
Yet for some reason, while other treasures around were subtly emitting magic power, this pendant had no trace of magical fluctuation and appeared like an ordinary luxury item.
But Reiger didn’t think so.
It was not because it had been placed on the treasure shelf, not in the boxes filled with jewelry, but because of a certain premonition.
King Hemulinp was unaware of this matter, and upon seeing Reiger attracted by the beautiful pendant, his expression subtly changed.
"It’s called Meloai Divine, an Ancient Secret Treasure unearthed from ancient ruins that has lain dormant in this treasure vault for nearly four hundred years," King Hemulinp explained to Reiger.
"It can automatically draw Magic Power from its bearer, and once it’s filled with Magic Power internally, it can activate the following two effects," he continued.
"One: It completely isolates the bearer from the outside world, making any forces directed at the bearer, whether harmful or harmless, completely ineffective for a duration of one minute."
"Two: It records the bearer’s current state, and if the bearer suffers a potentially fatal injury or is influenced by negative forces, it can reset this state, returning the bearer to their condition from one day earlier. This effect can be triggered actively."
"After both of these effects have been activated, the item will begin to draw Magic Power again; if one of the effects has not been activated, you must wait until it has, and the other effect that has already been activated can only enter a state of readiness after being filled with Magic Power again."
"Conversely, if the Magic Power is not full, none of the effects can be activated."
Upon hearing King Hemulinp’s explanation, Reiger’s gaze towards the pendant instantly changed.
What is this, some kind of secret treasure?
It’s clearly a Divine Artifact!
Completely isolates the bearer from the outside world, making any force directed at the bearer ineffective, whether harmful or harmless?
That’s clearly an ability of the spatial type!
Records the bearer’s state, and if the bearer suffers a potentially fatal injury or negative forces, it resets this state, returning the bearer to their condition from one day earlier?
That’s clearly an ability of the temporal type!
This Ancient Secret Treasure possesses both spatial and temporal abilities; if that isn’t a Divine Artifact, what is?
But...
"Why would such a powerful treasure have lain here for nearly four hundred years, completely untouched?"
Indeed, this aroused Reiger’s curiosity.
This Ancient Secret Treasure named Meloai Divine was undoubtedly a lifesaving artifact. Regardless of which effect it had, it could easily change a situation from certain death, allowing one to navigate any crisis unscathed.
Even if it were only one of these effects, the treasure would be an incredibly precious and powerful Magic artifact, not to mention one with both effects.
Most importantly, it could be reused, unlike disposable lifesaving items like Transfer Magic Crystals.
This elevated its value by several levels to the point where it could be described as a Divine Artifact.
Such a powerful treasure should theoretically be impossible to neglect.
At the very least, Reiger was certain that any king or any person who had ever entered this treasure vault would inevitably be tempted once they knew the effects of the Meloai Divine pendant.
Even King Hemulinp’s fervor while introducing this Ancient Secret Treasure was undeniable, revealing to Reiger that the king was also deeply tempted by the pendant’s effects.
With it, what fear would one have of assassination? What danger would one be scared of?
One could live carelessly by the minute!
Yet in King Hemulinp’s fervent gaze, there was also an unmistakable sense of regret.
What did this imply?
"Does this treasure have some stringent conditions for use, or does it have some unfavorable side effects?" Reiger immediately realized.
"Yes," King Hemulinp couldn’t help but sigh, speaking with great regret, "It does indeed have a flaw as well as a side effect."
Great, not only does it have a flaw, but also side effects. It has them both.
Reiger looked at King Hemulinp, signaling him to continue.
"Firstly, the amount of Magic Power it requires is astonishing; to this day, no one has been able to fill it fully. If it weren’t for the records about it in those ruins, no one would know the effects it possesses."
"That’s its flaw."
"Secondly, it induces a state of dreamwalking in the bearer, leading them unknowingly out of safe areas, only to meet a tragic end in the wilderness."
"That’s its side effect."
"One flaw and one side effect have rendered this powerful Ancient Secret Treasure completely useless."
That’s why this Ancient Secret Treasure had been left in the kingdom’s treasure vault for hundreds of years.
To this day, no one chooses it.