Beneath the Red Dragon

Chapter 54: Chapter 12: Only a Legend Can Face a Legend

Perhaps because the White Tower isn’t very tall, it has been deliberately widened considerably, and perhaps the mage has also released some space-folding spells within the White Tower. When Karon, over eight meters tall, entered the White Tower, he felt a sense of spaciousness.

Behind the elaborate screens in this spacious reception hall, there is undoubtedly more expansive space. Karon doesn’t understand space spells, but it’s his intuition as a member of the True Dragon Race.

Led by an attendant demonic puppet, Karon ascended a wide, winding staircase. Mysterious and abstruse magic runes covered the stairs, each rune seeming to contain unique meaning and power as Karon observed them.

At the entrance to each level, there stood a fully armored magic guard. The iron armor covering their entire bodies and the long swords emitting a cold gleam all exuded waves of magic energy, indicating they were finely crafted magic weapons.

The magic guards’ red, ghostly eyes peered out from fully enclosed iron helmets, fixated on Karon’s figure. Only the guidance of the demonic puppet kept them in place, loyally guarding the path upward.

Karon lost track of how many levels he ascended, far more than six to his recollection. Just when he thought the stairs seemed endless, the demonic puppet leading him finally stopped before a large white door.

Two demonic puppets, dressed as maidservants, bowed to Karon and greeted, ”Honored guest, the master is waiting for your visit inside. Please enter.”

Though somewhat anxious, Karon noted that the mysterious Great Mage’s actions within this White Tower fully aligned with his impression of powerful mages. However, he could infer some of the Great Mage’s attitudes from the attendants’ demeanor.

Thus, Red Dragon pushed open the door and stepped inside.

To Red Dragon’s surprise, the floor of the White Tower was a simple space, like a slightly larger loft, seemingly a place for the tower’s master to rest and relax occasionally. There was merely a lounge chair and a small table covered with a beautiful tablecloth before a large window.

A cup on the table emitted steam as a white-haired old mage in a light robe gazed leisurely out of the large window, lost in thought.

Upon hearing Red Dragon’s footsteps, the white-haired old mage turned around and said with a squinting smile, ”You’re here, feel free to sit.” Magic’s spiritual light flowed through the mage’s hands, shattering the ring of magic binding Red Dragon.

The mage seemed entirely unconcerned about the Giant Dragon’s approach. The smiling, squinting eyes felt very familiar to Karon, making him realize where the squinting Mage Hughes’ habit of smiling with squinting eyes originated.

Karon harbored no unrealistic thoughts of causing trouble within a Holy Sanctuary Grandmaster’s Mage Tower. Indeed, even among the Five-Colored Dragon Species, only White Dragons would dare such a thing.

Red Dragon obediently approached and sat beside the mage, gazing out of the large window. In the distance, the brilliantly lit, majestic Imperial Palace came into view.

”Look at how grand His Majesty the Emperor’s palace is,” said the old smiling mage, pointing at the palace. ”No building in the entire city can surpass the palace.”

”In truth, your intentions can be seen through by anyone perceptive, but the nobility dare not act because this is the path chosen by His Majesty the Emperor.”

”Before His Majesty the Emperor fails, these timid and greedy nobles will bury their heads in the sand, hoping the Emperor won’t notice them.”

Understanding that the mage’s words weren’t mere idle conversation, Karon asked puzzledly, ”Chosen path? What path?”

”Do you know what the most important thing is to become a mage?” The old white-haired mage suddenly shifted the topic, asking in return.

”Spiritual power? Or magic element talent?” Karon was a bit bewildered, disliking this enigmatic approach but aware his metaphorical fists were no match for the mage’s, and not the physical kind.

The white-haired mage shook his head, ”Wrong. Becoming a mage isn’t about those; it’s about your perspective on the real world and your way of thinking.”

”Everyone perceives the world differently. What they see and hear isn’t the real world but a projection of the world onto their consciousness through their perception, so most people and mages heavily misinterpret the real world.”

”The stronger the mage, the deeper their understanding of the real world. Or conversely, the deeper a mage’s understanding of the real world, the stronger they become.”

Karon cherished this rare, valuable knowledge since the Giant Dragons had no such knowledge inheritance, relying on Dragon blood alone to rank high in the biological food chain.

Although he didn’t know why the mage imparted such precious knowledge, Karon perked up his ears, trying to digest the mage’s words.

”And this is also the most crucial aspect of stepping into Legend,” the old mage seemed indifferent to the astonishing nature of his words, raised his right hand, and asked, ”Do you say this is the right hand or left hand?”

Karon knew the mage’s question couldn’t be that simple, but after thinking for a while, he still couldn’t figure it out and could only hesitantly reply, ”Right... right hand, I guess.”

The old mage squinted his eyes into near slits with a smile, took a sip from the cup on the table to moisten his throat, coughed, and then said, ”If Legend calls it the right hand, it’s the right hand. If Legend calls it the left hand, it’s the left hand.”

Hmm? Karon’s dragon eyes widened, ”Can Legend alter others’ perceptions?”

”Yes and no,” the old mage did not keep Karon in suspense this time. His expression turned serious.

”Every true Legend must construct a complete world understanding and comprehension based on the real world; these understandings and comprehensions become each Legend’s unique ability.”

”But all genuine Legends share a fundamental commonality: they can overlay others’ perceptions with their understanding of the real world. In other words, if you’re not a Legend, what you face is a Creator.”

”Even among the strongest Gold Dragons with the most potent bloodlines, exceptional dragons can possess the ability to rival Legends upon reaching adulthood.”

”Yet, facing a Legendary Mage, even if they can’t kill the Dragon, they can easily trap it, and a Legendary Mage can even take the time to conduct intriguing experiments on other planes.”

”This is also why only upon reaching Legend can one qualify to step out of the Main Plane and venture into the Star Realm and Void. In the Star Realm and Void, there are no conventional definitions of up, down, left, right, or object concepts.”

”Many places are even in chaos, and only by constructing a unique, complete understanding of the world can one avoid being trapped there.”

With a stern face, the old mage warned Karon: ”In the future, remember to run as far as you can if you encounter other Legends before you reach Legend. Only a Legend can face a Legend!”