"It was my oversight; I failed to notice that a Necromancer Archmage was hidden within the ruins of the undead."
Upon hearing Saga recount his encounter with the Death Knight and Necromancer, the Red Dragoness frowned and said.
During that time, the Red Dragoness had focused most of her attention on the hellish overlord she had imprisoned and sealed, failing to detect a lurking Necromancer Archmage.
Saga spoke lightly of it.
But the Red Dragoness knew that for Little Saga, still in his Hatchling stage, encountering such a powerful undead creature was an exceptionally dangerous affair.
"However, with the protective spell given to you by Nagaias, you wouldn't truly be in a hopeless situation. Facing such perilous circumstances can be considered a rare experience," the Red Dragoness said quietly.
Upon hearing the Red Dragoness admit her own oversight, Saga's eyes twinkled, and he chuckled, saying, "Mother, due to the dangers from Thorn Isle, I've already used the protective spell father gave me once. Could you possibly…"
The little Golden Dragon rubbed his dragon claws together, his expression hopeful.
The Red Dragoness couldn't help but laugh softly, speaking with admiration, "Finding opportunities to secure advantages for yourself, Little Saga, I see my own reflection in you."
After a pause, under Saga's expectant gaze, the Red Dragoness smiled slightly and said, "I will grant you a new protective spell."
The Red Dragoness extended a claw.
Whoosh.
A black and red flame bloomed quietly like a flower.
"Is this… Hellfire?"
Saga was slightly taken aback, his inherited knowledge triggered.
Indeed, the Red Dragoness's source of power was inextricably linked to hell, which was incredibly dangerous but also offered immense benefits, he thought silently.
Meanwhile, the Hellfire drifted down and settled on Saga's chest.
Sizzle. Wisps of white smoke rose.
Even with Saga's resistance to flame, he felt a sudden heat at his chest, as if seared by a branding iron, causing him to grimace in pain.
Looking down, he saw a lifelike black and red flame flower about to bloom, which gradually faded and disappeared from sight.
But Saga could distinctly sense its presence.
"What is this?"
Saga looked up at the majestic Red Dragoness.
The Red Dragoness moved her body, causing waves in the lava pool, and spoke indifferently, "Your father gave you a defensive guardian spell; I have given you an offensive spell, named—Spear of Hell. Feel it carefully, and you will understand its effect."
The Golden Halo Body Shield was a defensive spell, which could easily crush enemies below the level of legend, but if faced with legendary creatures, and Saga himself was not yet legendary, it would only serve a defensive purpose.
As an attack-oriented Red Dragoness, she gave Saga an offensive spell.
"With one for attack and one for defense, having these two spells for protection, even if I encounter enemies in the legendary domain, as long as they are not too strong and just entered the legendary domain, I might be able to kill them outright," Saga thought, his eyes shining.
"Thank you, Mother. You're truly kind."
The little Golden Dragon snuggled up to his dragon mother, rubbing against her fiery red scales, and said.
"Letting you leave Thorn Isle during your Hatchling stage is a form of compensation; it's what you deserve," the Red Dragoness said, lowering her head and gently touching her younger son's head.
"Um, could I have a few more uses of the spell? Just round it up to ten times," Saga asked, looking up with a wide-open dragon mouth.
Hearing this, the Hell Queen was momentarily taken aback, then revealed a faint smile, "Little Saga, greed is good, but as I've told you before, there's no such thing as a free gift in this world."
"Do you think a legendary spell that can be cast by a hatchling dragon comes easily? It's worth a fortune."
The caster themselves casting a spell.
Allowing a creature without the ability to use the spell.
These are different concepts.
The spells given by the Red Dragoness and the Golden Dragonfather were akin to spell scrolls, only that they used Hellfire and Golden Dragon scales as carriers, rather than the broad form of scrolls. Legendary-level spell scrolls on this planet could be traded for a small city, truly worth a fortune.
Saga, of course, knew this.
He was just playing dumb.
"Cough cough, for the great Hell Queen, for my great mother, isn't it just a simple matter? If not ten times, giving one or two more uses is still easy for you," Saga flattered the Red Dragoness, knowing her love for vanity.
However, the Red Dragoness was no ordinary Red Dragon; otherwise, she wouldn't have achieved what she had today.
"No," the Red Dragoness said decisively.
A wise man once said, to negotiate, start with an extreme request to make your real request seem more reasonable. Unfortunately, this tactic didn't work on the Red Dragoness.
"If you have something of sufficient value or interest to me, you can trade it with me."
"As long as I am satisfied, I can customize a spell for you according to your request," the Red Dragoness added quietly.
Hearing this, Saga didn't argue but fell into deep thought.
He did have something.
A fragment of a treasure map believed to belong to the first Pirate King, definitely comparable to a legendary scroll, with even greater potential value.
The first Pirate King was a demigod-level powerhouse who had thrived for a long time despite being hunted by many empires.
Although he was eventually captured and executed by the Skyrealm Empire, no one would consider the first Pirate King weak, given the empire's strength.
"Oh? Little Saga, you're pondering. Do you actually have something as valuable as a legendary scroll?" the Red Dragoness asked with narrowed eyes.
"This, no," Saga deflected, saying, "I was just thinking about what it would take to trade for Iyeona from you."
Iyeona was a true beauty and a rare positive-energy caster, a Sun Mage at a high level, capable of using highly effective healing, buffing, and restoration spells. She also managed the Red Dragoness's ranch impeccably, excelling in logistics. She was valuable both as a lover and a retainer.
The Red Dragoness smiled faintly, "Iyeona is a capable retainer of mine. If you want her, bring something that excites me."
"You can state your offer, and then I'll assess its worth. Whether we trade or not depends on me, and on you," the Red Dragoness made her stance clear.
She was quite fond of Saga, so she could proactively give him the space crystal and the spell just now, but normally, it was still about clear transactions between mother and son, offering Saga some favor but not continuously sacrificing her interests for nothing.
After a pause, the Red Dragoness smiled slightly, "It seems you've had some good fortune outside, gaining quite a few benefits, or else you wouldn't be thinking of asking me for Iyeona now."
The little Golden Dragon smiled shyly, "It's nothing much, certainly not worth mentioning to you, Mother."
After careful consideration, Saga proposed what he thought was a suitable offer, "Mother, I have information about a Legendary Caster's secret cache. Does that interest you?"
"Oh? Let's hear it," the Red Dragoness said calmly.
"Near the waters of Thorn Isle, there lies a tomb crafted by a Legendary Caster for himself, possibly containing the life's accumulation of a Legendary Caster. I have the precise coordinates of the tomb to offer as my bargaining chip," Saga said.
This was information known to Addison, who had told Saga everything upon his arrival at Thorn Isle.
But Saga had no intention of exploring the tomb of this legendary figure.
For a simple reason.
It was too dangerous.
This wasn't just any underwater tomb, but a mage's tomb crafted by a Legendary Caster, potentially more perilous than a Legendary Mage's tower. Even Addison, at his peak as a ninth-circle Necromancer, had not dared to venture there rashly.
"A Legendary Caster's tomb," the Red Dragoness mused, seemingly evaluating.
Spell insights, magical equipment, scrolls, unreleased legendary spells, exotic treasures, private extra-dimensional spaces—these were all potentially valuable items that could be obtained from a caster's tomb.
This value was higher than that of a retainer leader.
The Red Dragoness internally didn't place much importance on the serpent woman, despite saying Iyeona was a capable retainer. After all, the Red Dragoness's level was now so high that anything less than a legendary creature hardly caught her eye.
A few seconds later, she looked down at Saga and said, "If the information is true, and the tomb contains a Legendary Caster's treasures, then its value exceeds Iyeona. But if it's an empty tomb with only magical traps and mechanisms, or if it has already been plundered, then it's worthless."
After a moment's thought, the Red Dragoness continued, "If you wish to trade with this information, you can, but you must first tell me the location of the mage's tomb. After I explore it, the final decision will be based on what I find. If the valuables I obtain far exceed Iyeona, I won't take advantage of you and will share a portion with you."
Smiling at her younger son, the Red Dragoness asked, "What do you say, do we have a deal?"
The little Golden Dragon nodded quickly and thanked her, "Deal! Thank you, Mother."
He was only offering information, and then he could reap the benefits, undoubtedly receiving special treatment from the Red Dragoness.
If Saga weren't a favored offspring of the Red Dragoness, sharing a portion with him? That would be impossible. Normally, a Red Dragon would hoard all the benefits from such an exploration.
Immediately, Saga shared the location of the tomb with the Red Dragoness.
"I'll let you know once I have time to explore this tomb," the Red Dragoness said.
Another Hellfire-formed flower fell and disappeared beneath Saga's scales.
"Through the Hellfire linked to me, we've established a communication that ignores distance. If you have an urgent matter, you can contact me. Also, if you need me to intervene and resolve your troubles, you must pay a corresponding price. If you don't have enough bargaining chips now, everything you gain in the future will belong to me until the debt is paid," the Red Dragoness stated calmly.
No freebies, but the exchange was acceptable.
After chatting with the Red Dragoness for a while, Saga, unable to hold back his curiosity, asked, "Mother, what is your relationship with the mysterious Dragon of Eternity and Time?"
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas