Chapter Fifty-One: Prisoner of Electra (Part Two)

In the dim jungle, Gong Hao stood face to face with the female demon dragon. They conversed for a long while, each learning much about the other.

The newborn little demon dragon seemed to prefer Gong Hao over its own mother. Like an eager puppy, it nuzzled against Gong Hao’s side with all its might.

Gong Hao made a gesture, asking the little one’s mother, “May I?”

The female demon dragon nodded. Gong Hao lifted the little creature into his arms.

“Oh, it’s a boy, isn’t it?”

“Yes, a lovely little boy.”

“Indeed, very adorable. He’s been with me for two years, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen him. Who would have thought a newborn demon dragon could be so gentle? I always assumed that, after the dormancy period, powerful magical beasts would mature instantly. I didn’t expect them to have a childhood,” Gong Hao said, unable to hide his affection for the little one.

“Most magical beasts are as you describe, but there are always exceptions. Just as your fondness for magical beasts is itself an exception. I think I understand why my son likes you so much.” The female demon dragon could sense the sincerity in Gong Hao’s words.

The furry little creature stretched out its long tongue to lick Gong Hao’s face incessantly. Gong Hao laughed, “Alright, little one, you’re tickling me to death. You must really like me. Tell me, what do you like to eat? I’ll bring you some next time.”

“We eat all creatures and plants imbued with magical energy. The more magical essence, the better—even if it’s poisonous, it doesn’t matter. The more he eats, the faster he’ll grow, and the stronger he’ll become,” the demon dragon replied for her child.

“I think I can provide that. If you like the taste of salt and spices, I can even prepare it for you at no cost.”

“Yes, we enjoy human cuisine as well, but only as a pleasure, not out of necessity for growth. As I understand, too much processing can destroy the magical essence.”

“I see.”

“The good news is, during his dormancy, he consumed a magical spirit. That’s extremely beneficial for him—far better than ordinary food. It may help him become the greatest demon dragon of the Abyss one day.”

Gong Hao smiled. “He’s quite fortunate. By the way, Lady Dragon, you haven’t given him a name yet.”

“Call me Rita. That’s the name Electra gave me. For demon dragons, names are meaningless; we have our own ways to recognize one another, not by names. As for my child...” The female demon dragon paused in thought. “We can imitate human ways of thinking, but we will never possess human creativity. I can learn and mimic many human habits and expressions, but I cannot think as you do. I’m afraid I can’t name him—but you can. Will you name him?”

“In that case, I’ll call him Xu—Rising Sun.”

———

Xu: symbolizing the newborn sun, new life, and boundless vitality.

After Gong Hao explained the meaning of Xu to Rita, it was clear the female demon dragon was pleased with the name.

The little demon dragon, prancing around Gong Hao like a happy puppy, seemed to like its name as well.

“Lady Rita, did you learn the human language from Electra?”

“Yes. I know there’s a rumor among humans that high-level magical beasts, once they reach a certain stage, can take human form and speak the human tongue. Oh, that is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. This belief simply elevates humans to some sort of supreme existence. Powerful as you are, that doesn’t mean our final form must be human. For us, we are ourselves: beings of great strength and wisdom, not mere beasts as you call us. When you refer to us as magical beasts, we see you much the same way—and, in truth, you don’t even qualify as magical beasts, only ordinary animals. Only human mages deserve the title of magical beast. So I find it laughable that humans deceive themselves into believing that the ultimate form of other higher beings is human, and that we could speak your language without study.”

The dragon, once asked about the human tongue, launched into a lengthy tirade.

Gong Hao laughed, “There are beings as great as Electra in this world, but there are just as many fools with low intelligence—if not more. In fact, you can take human form, but only because you possess the art of transformation. If you wished, you could become anything, couldn’t you?”

“Yes, child. Unlike elemental birds, who can grow or shrink as an instinct—though that’s not magic—we demon dragons do it through magic. I noticed you study magic as well, but clearly, you are still very weak.”

“Indeed, I am weak, but only because no one has ever taught me.”

“Oh, no.” The dragon replied at once, “A lack of a teacher does not mean you can’t become a powerful mage. Quite the opposite—it can free your mind from the constraints of tradition.”

Gong Hao was surprised by her answer. “I remember you said demon dragons use magic instinctively. Then, your insights...?”

“Electra told me,” the dragon replied openly. “Don’t you want to know why Electra achieved such greatness? He was not only the most powerful alchemist, but also a formidable sage-tier mage.”

“I would very much like to know,” Gong Hao answered sincerely.

“Because he too had no teacher,” the dragon said, and Gong Hao was stunned. The female demon dragon chuckled. “Surprised, aren’t you? Electra once told me, his ambition was never to be an alchemist. Like most people, he wanted to become a mage. Unfortunately, he lacked the talent for it and so had to pursue alchemy. But he was never resigned to that fate. He didn’t want to use shortcuts to learn and wield magic. He was even more fanatical than Georg Lambert, the inventor of alchemy. He chose another path: self-cultivation without a mentor.”

“How did he do it?” Gong Hao asked eagerly. An alchemist with elemental resonance but no magical talent? The thought was staggering.

“It’s simple. Alchemists pursue the mysteries of magic—its origins, its existence, and its principles. Mages, on the other hand, seek power, not understanding. Electra believed he could use alchemy to comprehend magic, and then use magic to achieve even greater success in alchemy. He saw the two disciplines as the twin wings of a bird, flapping in tandem to soar into the sky. Once he grasped the principles behind magic, he began to create his own spells. And after breaking through the limits of his talent to become a true mage, he turned magic back onto alchemy, deepening his understanding and exploring the secrets of both. Don’t ask me how he used magic to refine his alchemy—that’s his greatest secret. I only know that alchemy made him a powerful mage, and magic, in turn, enriched his alchemical prowess.”

“So it really is so,” Gong Hao thought, recalling his insights when he first solved the mystery of constructing flesh golems.

As he created flesh golems, his magical power grew as well. This was surely one of the methods Electra used to break through the limits of his gift and become a mage. Gong Hao himself had already benefited greatly in magic from studying alchemy—not just by increasing his magical energy through golem creation, but more importantly, by learning the use of soul magic. His early research into the soul energy of golems made it easy to learn and use soul spells. Though he hadn’t yet reached the level of creating new spells, he was without doubt a prodigy in his studies.

Otherwise, Pierre would not have been so easily swayed by him.

But as for how Electra repeatedly achieved miracles in alchemy, that remained a mystery.

In any case, this encounter with the demon dragon had been profoundly rewarding for him.

As for what path to take in the future, that would depend on himself.

Gong Hao was confident that whatever Electra could do, he could do as well. After all, he had a better starting point: magical talent, the guidance of skilled teachers, access to the most advanced knowledge on the continent, and even training in the skills of a warrior.

He could easily imagine achieving even greater things in the days to come.

“Thank you very much for your guidance.” Gong Hao bowed to the demon dragon. “I think today’s meeting will be a memory I’ll never forget.”

“Then go and do what you wish. I regret that I can’t help you with spatial magic. But this door might provide some answers. Oh, I almost forgot—ordinary spatial gates cannot exist for long. Their energy will always eventually run out. But this gate is different; it can endure for a very long time.”

“Why?” Gong Hao hadn’t expected the gate to hold such a secret.

“Because ordinary spatial gates are opened by the forces of nature. The energy that breaks through the space barrier is self-generated and always destined to fade. But this gate—Electra, wanting it never to disappear, placed a small restriction on it. This restriction prevents energy from leaking out, so there’s no problem maintaining the passage.”

“Where is the restriction?” Gong Hao was instantly excited—this was exactly the answer he’d been seeking.

“Do you see the ring of light beside that cluster of energy? That’s it. I cannot fathom the depth of Electra’s wisdom—he managed to seal off the energy that pierces the space barrier. It’s nothing short of miraculous. Perhaps even after ten thousand years, no one will unravel this mystery.”

Gong Hao gazed at the ring of light. Suddenly, he said, “I’m sorry, Lady Rita. I may have already solved the mystery.”

The demon dragon was stunned.

———

While Lancelot was anxiously pacing outside, torn between charging in to rescue Gong Hao as instructed or waiting as he’d been told, Gong Hao finally emerged.

He wore a wide, cheerful smile.

“Oh, you’re finally out! I thought that demon dragon had eaten you!” Lancelot rushed forward and threw his arms around Gong Hao.

“Demon dragons only eat food rich in magical essence. My own magic isn’t enough to fill the gap between her teeth,” Gong Hao joked.

“She? Xiu Yi, I noticed you used ‘she’.”

“Yes, Sir Lancelot. It was an adult female demon dragon. In fact, she took on the form of a beautiful woman, and we chatted for a while.”

“That’s incredible. What did you talk about?”

“She told me she was imprisoned here by Electra.”

“Electra?” Lancelot’s eyes nearly popped out.

As they walked, Gong Hao recounted what the demon dragon had revealed about Electra. “It seems Electra vanished because he entered the Abyss from here. He liked the environment there and didn’t intend to return, nor did he want anyone to disturb him. So he captured a demon dragon, imprisoned her, and had her guard the spatial gate.”

“How did he manage to pass through the spatial gate?”

“I don’t know,” Gong Hao shrugged. “Even the demon dragon doesn’t know.”

“Then why did she let you go?”

“She discovered I was an alchemist and hoped I could help remove Electra’s shackles.”

“Oh, you must never release that creature—she would bring disaster.”

“There’s no need to worry. She’s clever enough to know that, powerful as she is, she can’t oppose all of humanity. In fact, I can’t break the restriction left by the greatest alchemist in history, but she still hopes one day I’ll set her free.”

“She may be waiting forever.”

Gong Hao shrugged. “Who knows?”

He hadn’t lied about lifting the restriction. Before he left the spatial gate, the demon dragon Rita had indeed made that request and shown him the magic array.

It was a vast array of unimaginable power. Until Gong Hao gained enough strength, he could never hope to unravel it.

As for the demon dragon’s child and Electra’s status as a powerful mage, he kept those secrets to himself. Though Lancelot kept asking about the demon dragon, Gong Hao was much better at keeping secrets. In the end, after countless questions, Lancelot knew no more than what Gong Hao had first told him.

“So you’ve seen the spatial gate? Any great discoveries?” Lancelot finally got to the point.

“Yes, Sir Lancelot,” Gong Hao replied with a smile. “I think we’re closer than ever to truly creating a teleportation array.”

There was no answer more thrilling than that.

———

At least two hundred thousand characters will be updated every month; that won’t change. If there’s less in the first half of the month, the second half will be explosive, so no need to worry.

The reason for this is that the second volume is wrapping up and needs a full check and revision. If I post too quickly, I can’t do the final proofreading.

Also, these past days, favorites have surged. At first, I was puzzled—later I realized it was because some reader recommended the book on Dragon’s Lair. The power of Dragon’s Lair is truly formidable.

Alas! I seldom visit forums, and my account there still has zero points. Who knows how long till I can post! Thank you all for your support.