“Which side holds the advantage in the war between the Shark Empire and the Mermaid Empire?”

“Itamar, you should have some insight, right?”

On Starfall Island, the Golden Dragon stood on a curved cliff, gazing down at the Shark King whose massive head emerged from the waters below, and inquired.

“Of course, it’s our grand Shark Empire.”

The Shark King replied without hesitation.

“Hmph, the mermaids initiated the war, but how could that stinking bunch of women ever be a match for the might of the Shark Empire?”

“Heart of Steel Shark, Imperial Fangs, Deep Sea Beasts, Dark Guardians—our Shark Empire has a total of fifteen grand legions, each filled with countless powerful shark breeds. Every legion commander is immensely powerful, all at least of the legendary seventh tier or higher.”

Pausing for a moment, the Shark King spoke with a hint of reverence:

“And then there’s the ruler of all shark breeds, the demigod Shark Emperor, the great Shark Emperor who has even torn off the arm of a god.”

“Although the Mermaid Queen is also a demigod, she’s no match for the Shark Emperor.”

“If this war continues, the Mermaid Empire will eventually lose.”

Saga sized up the Shark King and said pointedly, “If the situation is so favorable, why have you come to these nearshore waters, far from the battle zone between the Shark Empire and the Mermaid Empire?”

Saga knew that the Shark Empire was indeed strong, but the Mermaid Empire was not weak either.

During his time in Deep Sea Dragon City, he had encountered wealthy mermaid women who were all exceptional Casters. In the Mermaid Empire, every female mermaid possessed a natural talent for casting spells.

Moreover, the male offspring produced by the mermaids would mutate into tough-skinned, immensely strong, and powerful sea monsters.

Although they sacrificed intelligence, the sea monsters would obey the mermaids’ commands without question.

Intelligent spell-casting mermaids, combined with the ferocious and brutal sea monsters, made the Mermaid Empire’s overall strength formidable.

The Shark King’s impassioned voice faltered.

Then, scratching its head with its pectoral fin, it said unnaturally:

“Well, currently the Shark Empire and the Mermaid Empire are evenly matched. The Shark Emperor and the Mermaid Queen have yet to engage in direct combat, and the Mermaid Empire’s sea monster legions are not weak either. Under the command of the mermaid Casters, they fight the shark legions to a standstill.”

“But the sea monsters are single-minded and lack intelligence. Sooner or later, the Shark Empire will find a way to target the sea monsters and annihilate them.”

“Besides, I’m not running away. I’m here to preserve the vital forces for the empire, to save the empire’s spark.”

The Shark King said, thickening his skin.

The Golden Dragon narrowed his eyes with a smile that was not quite a smile:

“Now that you’re legendary, you can play a certain role in an empire-level war. If you wish to fight for glory and serve your empire, I can give you that opportunity. Leave this place and return to the Shark Empire to join the battle and serve your empire.”

Upon hearing this.

The Shark King, who loved to boast but was also afraid of death, raised its head high, half of its body emerging vertically from the sea, and with a decisive slap of its fins on its chest, said:

“I, Itamar, value oaths and keep promises.”

“Since I have already pledged loyalty to you, although it’s hard to part, I have decided to sever ties with the Shark Empire. The nation is the nation, and I am myself. If I can’t even keep my own oath, how can I have the heart to fight for the country?”

Wars between empires were no different from meat grinders.

Although he had risen to legendary status and could easily dominate in places like the nearshore waters barring special circumstances, a newly minted legendary Shark King participating in an imperial war was still not considered a high-level force. A moment’s carelessness could lead to death in battle.

The Shark King had come to the nearshore waters to avoid the war.

On one hand, it was proud of its nation’s strength, but on the other hand, it was unwilling to die in battle for the country.

“In front of me, there’s no need to pretend. Just admit you’re afraid of dying.”

The dragon mercilessly exposed the Shark King’s thoughts.

The Shark King grinned sheepishly, revealing an embarrassed smile, and made a small defense for itself: “Seeking benefit and avoiding harm is a creature’s instinct. I’m just following my heart.”

The conversation with the Shark King concluded.

As it stayed in the waters around Starfall Island, Saga took to the air and soon returned to the Emperor Dragon Palace on the island.

“The war between the two great sea empires, I wonder how long it will last.”

“If it goes on for much longer, the flames of war might even reach the nearshore waters.”

“The surface here seems calm, but who knows when it will become tumultuous. The ocean is now actually much more dangerous than the continent.”

Saga had encountered two creatures from the realm of the Shark Empire.

The Tiger Shark, a wandering poet.

And the Shark King, who had submitted to him and been marked with an electromagnetic slave brand.

This indicated that the nearshore waters were already affected by the conflict between the two empires, though the impact was not significant for now.

“Perhaps, it’s time for me to take a look at the Yar Continent.”

Saga thought silently.

He was not afraid of danger, but only if it was within his ability to handle.

Saga was not a brainless brute. He wouldn’t arrogantly think he could get involved in the war between the two empires just because of his fame in the nearshore waters.

If the war between the Shark Empire and the Mermaid Empire spread here, he would choose to temporarily avoid the limelight.

As the Shark King said, seeking benefit and avoiding harm.

Meanwhile.

Saga’s gaze shifted, and his dragon claw opened.

Whoosh!

A disc engraved with exquisite magical runes emerged from the pile of treasures on the ground and landed in Saga’s claw.

The runes on the disc lit up, casting interwoven beams of light that formed a humanoid silhouette, outlining the figure of the female thief Black Rose.

“Your Majesty, good day.”

Black Rose bowed slightly, showing respect.

“I’ve brought you a fine treasure.”

She said with a smile, under the watchful eye of the dragon.

“Well done, what is it?”

Saga praised Black Rose and asked.

Lately, Black Rose, whom he had set free, had returned to the Yar Continent, frequenting the treasuries of various nobles and certain organizations, adding luster to Saga’s collection of treasures.

Through a spatial disc that could transport items across distances.

Black Rose, like a diligent little bee, worked hard and efficiently, sending Saga a fair share of magical items, precious potions, exquisite gems, and coins imbued with magical powers.

Due to the slave brand, Black Rose couldn’t help but beam with joy at Saga’s praise.

Then, Black Rose produced an exquisite scepter.

It was a short-handled scepter with a golden base, interwoven with faintly twinkling silver patterns, adorned with obsidian gems, and topped with a lion’s head design.

“This is the Lionheart Scepter, the symbol of heirship given by the Lionheart King to the third prince, and also the scepter of successive Lionheart Kings.”

The Lionheart Kingdom was a fairly famous kingdom on the Yar Continent.

The Lionheart Kingdom possessed the secret method of breeding Gryphons.

As a result, they raised a very powerful Gryphon Knights, renowned far and wide across the Yar Continent.

Within the Gryphon Knights, there were many high-ranking Golden Feather Gryphons and several legendary Gryphon leaders. The high ranks were held by legendary warriors, placing them among the top of the many kingdom legions.

The Lionheart Kingdom had ten princes in this generation.

Among them, the third prince was the most favored by the king, who, against all opposition and without regard for the other noble ministers, appointed the third prince as his heir.

“I sneaked into his chamber while the third prince was asleep, right by his bedside. I was very lucky to get it.”

Black Rose said with pride.

After returning to the Yar Continent, because the third prince had issued a bounty for her capture, Black Rose set her sights on the third prince she had once stolen from, shearing the fat sheep as much as she could.

The Lionheart Scepter was a symbol of heirship and also represented the identity of the ruler. It was also a magical scepter in itself.

The intrinsic value of the Lionheart Scepter was not very high.

However, it had been endowed with many important meanings by the Lionheart Kingdom, making it invaluable.

Whether to keep it for himself, have the Lionheart Kingdom pay a hefty price to redeem it, or sell it to those interested, perhaps an enemy kingdom of the Lionheart Kingdom.

For Saga, all were excellent options.

“You are an excellent thief, even better than I thought.”

Saga gave Black Rose another word of praise.

On the other side, after receiving Saga’s affirmation, Black Rose said cheerfully:

“Your Majesty, I now present the Lionheart Scepter to you.”

The spatial disc glowed brightly.

Then, amidst a strong magic pulse, the Lionheart Scepter, which was originally just a silhouette of light, materialized at a visible speed and appeared in Saga’s dragon claw.

The scepter, designed for a human’s size, seemed like a toothpick to Saga.

However, the value it contained was not something any toothpick could compare to.

Holding the Lionheart Scepter, Saga examined it closely.

Exquisite patterns, the majestic lion’s head, and the gold and silver colors favored by dragons. Saga nodded in satisfaction and then placed the Lionheart Scepter into his mountain of treasures.

“I look forward to even better performances from you.”

He encouraged Black Rose.

“As you wish, I will bring you even more and better treasures.”

Black Rose responded with excitement.

“Go do what you want to do.”

Saga said.

Yar Continent, Lionheart Kingdom.

Inside an unassuming inn, Black Rose ended her conversation with Saga, then poked her head out the window, gazing towards the palace of the third prince in the light of dawn.

Touching her chin, Black Rose pondered.

“By now, the third prince should have woken from his sleep and discovered the theft of his Lionheart Scepter.”

“Hmm… he’s probably going to be furious and then significantly increase the bounty on me.”

Black Rose grinned mischievously.

For a thief, the higher the bounty on their head, the better, as it effectively demonstrated a thief’s capability.

She did not rush to leave the capital of the Lionheart Kingdom, nor was she afraid of the city being locked down.

The loss of the symbol of heirship was no small matter.

The third prince was appointed as the heir by the king, which had already caused much private criticism and dissatisfaction among many nobles. Now, if the news of the loss of the symbol of heirship got out, his situation would likely become even more precarious. Under pressure, the king might even revoke his heirship.

The third prince would probably not publicize the loss of the Lionheart Scepter and would first try to solve it himself.

To lock down the royal capital without reporting the theft of the scepter would be somewhat difficult with his status as a prince, after all, he was not yet the king.

“The Lionheart Kingdom has many treasures. Having been targeted by me continuously, the third prince will probably be very vigilant from now on, and it won’t be so easy to strike.”

“Let me think, which other prince is richer.”

Black Rose set her sights on the Lionheart Kingdom, planning to continue her activities here.

At the same time.

Inside the third prince’s mansion.

A young man with a gloomy expression clenched a black rose in his hand, pacing back and forth in the room.

“Damn Black Rose, it’s you again.”

He growled in suppressed anger, and with a forceful grip, the beautiful black rose shattered, petals flying everywhere.

The theft of the Lionheart Scepter, if word got out, his already unstable position as heir would be in jeopardy.

Therefore, just as Black Rose had predicted, the third prince did not publicize the incident.

He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger in his heart.

“Every action leaves traces.”

“No matter how well you cover your tracks, there will always be clues left behind.”

“Black Rose, you’ve messed with the wrong person. I will make you reveal yourself, then find you, retrieve the Lionheart Scepter, and make you pay a painful price.”

The third prince called his trusted guards and commanded through gritted teeth:

“Spare no expense, bring me a legendary Caster of the prophecy school.”

Black Rose herself was a ninth-tier thief, extremely skilled at hiding her tracks.

Ordinary ninth-tier Casters could not locate her whereabouts.

To ensure the retrieval of the Lionheart Scepter, the third prince decided to find a legendary Caster of the prophecy school, who could use the power of prophecy spells to leave Black Rose with nowhere to hide.

The guard was slightly taken aback and said in a low voice:

“Prince, prophecy Casters are rare, and there are no legendary prophecy Casters within our nation.”

The third prince was determined to retrieve the Lionheart Scepter.

This was about whether he could secure his position as heir.

“If there are none in our nation, then seek them in other countries.”

“Go to the Skyrealm Empire, to the Sky City!”

He said with a firm voice.

The Sky City of the Skyrealm Empire was mainly suspended in the sky above the Yar Continent, hidden among the flowing clouds, and was a holy land for Casters. It housed all sorts of Casters.

Legendary prophecy Casters would surely be found there.

The third prince was resolute, and his guard no longer tried to dissuade him, simply nodding heavily and saying, “As you wish, prince, but it will take some time.”

“As quickly as possible,” the third prince said, massaging his temples.

Then, the guard took his leave.

In the now calm chamber, the third prince sighed and thought, “I hope the Lionheart Scepter is still in Black Rose’s hands. If she has already traded it away, this matter will be even more troublesome.”

“But no matter what, the Lionheart Scepter must not be lost.”

As the heir, the third prince knew that the Lionheart Scepter was not just symbolic.

It also had significant value and was indispensable to the Lionheart Kingdom.

It just never occurred to the third prince that he had only taken the Lionheart Scepter out of the secret chamber once to admire and play with it, and it just so happened that Black Rose discovered and stole it.

At the same time.

Nearshore waters, Starfall Island, Emperor Dragon Palace.

The Golden Dragon coiled atop a mountain of gold and silver coins and gems, its tail tip curling around the Lionheart Scepter, which was like a toothpick to it, and examined it once more.

Upon closer inspection.

Saga could see countless tiny, innumerable, intricate magical runes on the surface of the Lionheart Scepter.

“So many magical runes. This scepter must have some clever uses.”

“However, it’s in a sealed state and can’t be used. How do I activate it?”

To use this scepter, a specific spell was required.

Saga tried to use the Psionic Key to decipher it, but after a long time, he still got nothing. The Lionheart Scepter’s defense mechanism was strong, with magical runes intricately linked and complex beyond imagination. With Saga’s expertise in unlocking, he still couldn’t break through.

“This scepter is not simple.”

After a few more attempts, Saga shook his head and put away the Lionheart Scepter.

Suddenly.

Deep within his heart, the psychic link he had established with Tixil the Amethyst Dragon stirred.

Saga’s mind reached out, and instantly, Tixil’s voice, tinged with a hint of teasing, echoed in his mind:

“King of the nearshore, Ominous Star with Golden Wings. Your renowned name, I’ve heard from time to time on the Yar Continent recently.”

“It’s just a title others have given me. It’s not important,” Saga modestly replied.

Tixil seemed to smack her lips, then said with a light laugh:

“If it’s just a title, why do I sense a feeling of self-satisfaction in your emotional fluctuations?”

Saga was slightly taken aback.

“You can feel my emotions? How did you get past my psychic defenses?”

Communicating with a Mind Warlock, Saga, who was also a Mind Warlock, set up psychic defenses immediately, not wanting to let some of his inner thoughts leak out, even if the other party was considered a friend.

“Your psychic defenses are very strong. I haven’t breached them.”

“But your reaction has told me that I’m not wrong.”

Caught by Tixil’s bluff, Saga raised an eyebrow and said:

“Tixil, have you picked up bad habits on the continent?”

Tixil calmly replied, “I have indeed gained a lot of experience. The knowledge from firsthand experiences is something that inheritance cannot provide.”

After a pause, Tixil’s psychic voice carried a slight smile as she said:

“I’ve heard about it. You swept away the eight-nation coalition in the nearshore waters and even defeated a legendary opponent. I just don’t know if it’s true or exaggerated.”

“You can guess for yourself whether it’s true or false.”

Saga replied.

“Hmm, based on what I know about you, I believe it’s true.”

“No matter how incredible the feat, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Tixil said with a certain tone.

Her voice paused, and Tixil invited Saga, saying:

“Now that you’ve become the king of the nearshore and there’s nothing much for you there, why not come to the Yar Continent and visit me and Charlotte?”

Tixil said with a smile:

“Charlotte is participating in a beauty contest organized by the Holy Temple of Love and Beauty, open to all genders and species, and she’s convinced she’ll win without a doubt, bragging to me every day about her beauty.”

The aesthetics of the gods, like those of dragons, are universal.

The god of love and beauty Tixil mentioned was not an ordinary deity but a higher deity, as too many creatures pursue beauty and goodness. This deity had a wide range of followers. Although there weren’t many zealots, because believing in Him could make one more beautiful, there were an absurd number of shallow believers, especially among human or elven women.

“I think you could come here and witness the existence of many beautiful creatures, and try to compete for the honor and prize of the beauty god champion.”