Chapter 455: Weapons are Often the Cause of Conflict

Chapter 455: Weapons are Often the Cause of Conflict

“…Don’t need this much, do you?” Augusta glanced at the material list required, his lips twitching slightly. The items weren’t the most expensive, but they were certainly the most numerous. This made him feel rather annoyed!

“Essential,” Zheng Yichen emphasized. After observing Augusta’s physical strength up close, one thing was clear: compared to the typical adult dragon Augusta represented, his body was incredibly tough. “A dragon’s body is simply too resilient. To achieve a truly effective massage and relaxation effect, we absolutely need this quantity of Enchanted Material to enhance the tool’s strength. Otherwise, it’ll be like… well, just tickle your scales. Do you like that?”

Tickle scales? Augusta shook his head quickly. Definitely not! “…Okay then. Proceed.”

Faced with the choice between saving money and enjoying comfort, the Red Dragon decisively chose enjoyment. Money? No problem! He’d earned plenty from ticket sales anyway, originally intended for the Auction. But fine, it could be spent here. Items sold at the Auction were unlikely to suit him well—most were designed for Human use.

Magic Arms? The idea of mighty Augusta wielding a Magic Arms that would feel like a tiny toothpick in his claw? What would be the point? Picking teeth? While even toothpick-sized Magic Arms could be dangerous, a toothpick was still essentially a toothpick. Magic Potion?

He really didn’t need those little things either. How quaintly Humans underestimated a Dragon Clan’s wealth! He’d taken plenty of valuables when he left his family’s nest. Magic Potion? Not worth his regard. Enjoying himself far more wisely!

Huh? He actually agreed? Zheng Yichen privately admitted he might have inflated the material requirements by about one-fifth… well, whatever. Since this Red Dragon wasn’t exactly going to pay him extra for the effort anyway, Zheng Yichen figured asking for a bit more material was fair game. Oblivious to this, Augusta’s thoughts were already drifting to what other luxuries he’d decorate his Dragon Lair with once the item was installed. His reasoning was straightforward: once this Alchemical Puppet was ready for outings, his physical body would be largely redundant—except for mealtimes requiring his full attention. When not in use, his body would essentially enter a dormant state. Left idle too long, his muscles would stiffen and feel wretched…

Activities outside? Why bother when a better alternative existed? Sleep was crucial for a dragon’s growth anyway!

For the rest of the Auction, Red Dragon Augusta simply watched as the Humans competed. Hearing the soaring bids make his eyes turn greedy. Rich pickings… ah, a quick ambush—wait! “Ahem!” Augusta curled his lip and refocused on the Auction stage. Secretly, he felt a touch of anticipation. Then, the Auctioneer emerged, struggling with a very large tray. The entire room froze momentarily before bursting into noisy excitement. Lying prominently on the tray was a perfect Dragon Scale, ready for use as a small round shield without any further processing!

This generated an even bigger uproar than the previous ‘Holy Spirit Magic Potion’. The Holy Spirit Magic Potion was a unique concoction of the Sanctuary Church, famed for its near-miraculous versatility. It had potent effects against otherwise stubborn Soul or Curse damage. Its effectiveness notably surpassed specialized potions for such ailments.

Essentially, no matter what attack or dire circumstance someone suffered, as long as they still drew breath, this potion could ensure their survival and recovery!

This Magic Potion required an integration of specific powers only held internally within the Sanctuary Church to craft. Even if someone acquired the recipe, reproducing it faithfully was virtually impossible. Missing that critical element, the result would be a pale imitation, vastly inferior to the real thing. Yet… the one appearing at this Auction was certified as the complete, genuine article.

Now THIS scale was considered large! Dragons had long necks and limbs needed flexibility, so the size of their Scales varied greatly. Scales covering the head, neck, and joints tended to be smaller and incredibly dense. From a distance, those with poor eyesight might even mistake those areas for being scale-less…

Scales on the lower belly were somewhat larger but only marginally bigger than the smallest ones. Apart from the joints and other highly flexible areas, the scales elsewhere grew progressively larger. The rule was simple: the less an area needed to move or was uninvolved in movement, the larger its scales became. However, even the larger scales were nowhere near shield-sized; a small round shield was the absolute largest practical piece attainable from an Adult Dragon.

Zheng Yichen knew his own body simply didn’t possess scales of this immense size or thickness. Searching the denser areas, he only found scales barely the size of a human thumbnail. Why? Giant scales made healing problematic—any injury hampered recovery. Smaller scales healed faster with less resource drain. If a scale proved difficult to mend? The body simply grew a new one underneath, pushing the old one out. Creating replacement mammoth scales would obviously require excessive resources.

This brilliant, fiery-red Dragon Scale at the Auction? Zheng Yichen guessed it originated from the back. Logically, flank scales usually wore out slowest and offered robust protection—especially vital shielding the wings and deterring rear ambushes… As an experienced dragon himself, Zheng Yichen knew scales following the natural shedding cycle usually concentrated around the claws and foot-pads.

Claw scales were also dense, but rougher and more angular compared to neck scales. Therefore, this auctioned one had to be from the back. Yet, a scale naturally shed for replacement? That was puzzling. Judging by its vibrant color and flawless condition, it wasn’t ripped off due to unhealable damage but shed normally. What extraordinary thing had that particular dragon been up to?

Augusta couldn’t stifle a smug little snort as he surveyed the stunned crowd inside the Auction Hall. See that, Humans? Humbled already by a simple Dragon Scale from mighty Augusta? Hmm… although… why wasn’t his Dragon Scale the grand finale item? Something better was still to come? Isn’t this super disrespectful to dragons?!

Nevertheless, even as a non-finale item, the Dragon Scale sparked fierce competition. Its rarity couldn’t be overstated. The Dragon Clan guarded their naturally shed parts with incredible strictness—almost as if their Inherited Memory included a dedicated passage forbidding it, an inhumanly harsh policy.

Thus, the appearance of such a large, single scale was incredibly rare and utterly tempting. The benefits were manifold. Powdered, it could be a key ingredient for a Magic Potion bestowing strong Magic Resistance alongside enhanced physical resilience, comparable… well, somewhat close to… Dragon-level resistance and defense.

Alright, according to the described potion effect anyway. The Magic Resistance sounded somewhat plausible. Actual defense? Human skin remained Human skin. Sans scales, even granted resistance through potion, one could perhaps aspire to a measly tenth of a true dragon’s toughness!

But even that diminished version of Magic Resistance held immense value. Battle-hardened Warriors could theoretically ditch protective auras and march right through spells to confront the Spellcaster responsible without burning energy on defense. Alternatively, such a large, robust scale could become potent equipment. As armor, Anti-Magic Armor. While largely ineffective against spellcasters powerful enough to seriously engage Dragons or warriors strong enough to slay them… it was still DRAGON SCALE! Few beings on the opponents’ level truly possessed dragon-killing power. An opponent of similar strength wouldn’t necessarily block all injury, but potentially one or two crucial strikes? For the truly mighty, gear rarely meant invincible artifacts flashing ultra-durability signs. Who truly expected equipment to withstand prolonged onslaughts? Its pivotal role lay in absorbing a lethal blow just long enough to recover and launch a counterattack. True resilience stemmed overwhelmingly from one’s own power, far surpassing any physical armor. Crafted into a weapon, however… it became a potent Magic-piercing tool. Due to inherent Magic Resistance, Dragon Scales integrated into weapons gained the ability to efficiently disrupt magical attacks or dissolve protective barriers… Why did weapons incite far greater conflict than defensive gear? Think legendary swords triggering bloody disputes – numerous events! Contrast this with armor-centered malignant incidents; they remained conspicuously rare! The reasons were simple: Defense felt inherently uncertain… while striking enemies down with lethal force promised definitive outcomes. Considering this logic, why prioritize shields when weapons offered faster, surer paths to eliminating threats?

“Hohoho!” Augusta chuckled lowly, listening gleefully as the bidding price spiraled ever higher. All those worries about the massaging tool draining his funds? Ha! This single Dragon Scale auction would cover it twice over—in fact, leaving massive surplus. He could practically craft one tool daily without denting his hoard! No wonder fellow clan members vigilantly monitored and regulated shedding cycles, fiercely guarding scales treated internally as mere building blocks! Had anyone been freely giving Dragon Scales away historically, his own scale wouldn’t command such astronomical value now! What cunning ancestral dragon conceived such lucrative scarcity? If a scale fetched this kind of fortune, imagine Dragon Tooth prices potentially multiplying several times over! Briefly tempted, Augusta firmly squashed the highly alluring thought. No. Dragon Teeth? Definitely out of the question!

Beside him, Zheng Yichen watched the frenzied human bidders swarm over a scale that was, essentially, natural waste; his interest level hovered near zero. He scraped scale dust off himself daily! Utterly mundane. Rather than tracking the bids, Zheng Yichen found himself more intrigued by determining exactly how Augusta deposited this scale, pondering the Dragon Clan’s tight control over natural shedding cycles… and naturally, what the actual grand finale Auction item could finally be… What marvel awaited? Resting chin thoughtfully on hand, Zheng Yichen suddenly spotted a disturbingly familiar figure — Dan Marina! He’d noticed Oss earlier yet missed her until now, frustrating several pressing questions needing her insight. As his gaze landed on her, Dan Marina immediately sensed his observation. She offered only a subtle, almost imperceptible wink from her corner of the hall before casually directing her gaze elsewhere. Direct communication was impossible here.