"It seems like I can no longer call you Rose. I should be calling you Lady Viscountess now." Ethan chuckled and even gave a courteous bow.
Rolling her eyes, Rose playfully pinched Ethan's waist.
"You're such a joker," she retorted, looking particularly charming in her exquisite noble attire.
Ethan examined Rose, feeling a bit parched, but he had important matters to attend to.
He playfully patted Rose's bottom and said, "I'll deal with you later after I've taken care of my business. Let's go see that Black Dragon now."
"Alright." Rose led Ethan to a large open area behind the Lord's Manor.
This area was initially filled with homes but was reduced to rubble after the battle in Riverside.
When the Black Dragon was captured, Rose decided to repurpose this land and build a huge prison for the viewing pleasure of tourists.
Since Ethan was visiting, Rose closed off the entire area under the pretext of prison renovations.
Ethan was at a loss for words when he saw the Black Dragon Komait again.
Instead of behaving like a prisoner, Komait was sprawling in the cell, his snoring audible from a distance.
Ethan walked up to the cage and gave a solid kick to the dragon's head.
"You troublesome..." Komait, interrupted from his slumber, roared in anger.
But upon recognizing Ethan, his rage immediately turned to fawning.
Even a Sichuan opera face-changing master would be put to shame by his swift change of expression.
"Lord Ethan, you've finally come. I've been awaiting your arrival," Komait said obsequiously.
As a dragon, he had a keen sense of perception and could tell that Ethan had grown even stronger.
Ethan had already effortlessly overpowered him before; now, it would be even easier.
Especially with all the reckless humans visiting, offering hefty sums to the lady accompanying Ethan for various parts of him.
The thought sent chills down Komait's spine, and the prices the humans offered made him contemplate selling himself.
He who understands the times is a great man, and to avoid being chopped into pieces, ending up on a human's dinner table or someone's collection, Komait decided to keep a low profile.
In Ethan's words, after getting a taste of the harsh reality, the Black Dragon had finally seen the light.
"Cut the crap. I'm here for the treasure beneath the Lord's Manor," Ethan said bluntly.
"I understand, but with my size, it would be quite conspicuous if I just stroll around the streets," Komait replied.
Black Dragon chuckled awkwardly and quickly responded.
"Don't worry about that." Ethan pulled out a potion and tossed it to Black Dragon.
"This potion can transform you into a treant for a short period. It won't last long, but it's enough time for us to clean out the treasure under Lord's Manor."
Black Dragon took the potion and downed it bottle and all.
After a flurry of magical light, his body shrank in an instant, becoming indistinguishable from an adult male.
Is this the magic of potions? The effect is truly remarkable.
Stretching his new treant form, Black Dragon felt a wave of novelty while also pondering his next move.
Only high-ranking dragons have the ability to shape-shift into humanoids to blend in with other species.
This transformation potion could solve many of his problems.
But considering his current relationship with Ethan, he didn't dare ask for more.
Plus, he had to figure out a way to escape, although slipping away right under the nose of his fellow dragon seemed nearly impossible.
As he was mulling over his next move, Komait led Ethan to a massive faux hill located right in the center of Lord's Manor.
"The treasure you speak of, sir Ethan, is right here."
"To be honest, this so-called treasure is actually my father's Dragon's Lair. However, for some unknown reason, not long after I was born, he vanished into thin air."
"Luckily, I learned the real location of the Dragon's Lair from my mother, but being so young, I didn't have the chance to claim this treasure."
"By the time I was old enough to venture out, I discovered that a human city had been built right on top of my father's lair. After a long struggle to assassinate the meddling lord of the city, I ran into you, sir Ethan. It's fair to say my fate hasn't been kind."
After sighing deeply, Komait slowly extended his right hand and cut his finger.
The blood slowly dripped down his finger, and as soon as it hit the ground, something incredible happened.
Ripples spread out from the spot where the blood landed, revealing a massive magical circle.
The faux hill in front of Komait began to shake violently, then crumbled into pieces.
Countless rocks floated into the air, forming a giant door.
Komait pointed at the door in front of him, his eyes filled with fervor.
"Sir Ethan, beyond this door lies my father's Dragon's Lair."
"After you."
Komait bent over obsequiously, indicating for Ethan to proceed.
Ethan furrowed his brow.
He had some doubts about whether this could be a trap, but he stepped forward anyway.
With his current power, even if Komait's father was resurrected, he would be no match for Ethan, let alone any trap set after his death.
Komait followed Ethan, and the two entered the door one after the other.
After a moment of intense dizziness, Ethan's view cleared, revealing a vast underground cavern.
The ceiling was inlaid with large luminous pearls, like stars, illuminating the entire cavern.
The floor of the cavern was piled high with innumerable treasures of gold and silver.
For the first time, Ethan truly felt the meaning of the word "mountain of gold".
In the middle of all the gold, silver, and jewels lay a colossal dragon corpse.
This Black Dragon was nearly thirty meters long and lay there like a small mountain.
Even though it had been dead for many years, its flesh and scales showed no signs of decay.
It looked like it had just fallen asleep.
Ethan slowly approached the dragon corpse, halting in front of its massive skull.
A black lance penetrated the dragon's dignity, deeply embedded in its brain.
Even after hundreds of years, Ethan could distinctly feel the terrifying killing aura emanating from the lance...
Komait eyed the lance, swallowing hard, a hint of fear reflected in his vertical pupils.
He stepped closer to Ethan and whispered, "Lord Ethan, my father's strength wasn't far from an S-rank... In fact, given the innate advantage of dragons, even a direct confrontation with an S-rank human would hardly guarantee victory. Killing him was next to impossible."
"This lance was the direct cause of my father's death. It must be at least a demi-god artifact..." Komait swallowed again, backing away slightly from the lance.
"Moreover, it's now a dragon-slaying weapon, soaked in dragon blood... Such a weapon is absolutely taboo for our dragon clan, and must not fall into the hands of outsiders."
"Surely, Lord Ethan, you remember the damn Dragon Crossbows? They were crafted by those cursed dwarves in imitation of such dragon-slaying weapons. However, their real power is barely one-tenth that of this sacred weapon."
"Is that so?" Ethan's interest was piqued after hearing Komait's explanation.
As a being with the Divine Dragon Bloodline, he always fought with his own body.
He never had a suitable weapon when in human form.
Now, this dragon-slaying lance seemed to be just what he needed.
As Ethan reached for the lance, Komait quickly cautioned, "Be careful, Lord Ethan. These kinds of weapons usually choose their own masters. They will conduct a willpower judgment... If someone with weak willpower were to be hit by the weapon's killing intent, they might just end up with their head going 'pop' like a watermelon. Even if they are lucky enough to survive, they'll be reduced to babbling lunatics."
"Well, I'm really looking forward to trying it then." Ethan smirked, grabbed the handle of the lance, and instantly, a wave of coldness swept over him.
He felt as if he was completely frozen.
At the same time, a terrifying killing intent started assaulting his mind.