Chapter 44 Slumber and Growth
As he stared at the glowing Elemental Super Magic, Brian eagerly reached for the small wooden box, extending his slender, sharp Dragon Claws to crush it.
However, upon his Dragon Claws making contact with the box and exerting slight pressure, Brian detected a noticeable resistance. Although not formidable, he realized that a bit more force would be needed to break it.
But using brute force to break it would trigger the Magic Lock placed on it, potentially damaging the contents inside.
"A zero-ring Magic Lock…"
While the potency of magic typically increased with higher rings, certain spells with unique effects remained popular among high-level Spellcasters, regardless of their ring level.
One such example was the Arcane Mark and the Magic Lock, which Brian applied to the small wooden box before him.
A box or door secured with a Magic Lock barred non-Spellcaster creatures from prying inside. As a Dragon Claw with dagger-like nails tapped on the small wooden box, Brian silently intoned in his heart, "Open!"
The elemental fluctuations enveloping the box undulated and gradually dissipated, layer by layer.
It was challenging to defend against the Magic Lock spell when facing Spellcaster creatures, as there existed a zero-ring spell technique known as the Unlocking Spell specifically designed to counter the Magic Lock. Unless the Mage casting the Magic Lock was significantly more powerful than the one casting the Unlocking Spell, it could not prevent other Mages from unlocking it.
Opening the small wooden box, Brian looked at the gleaming gemstones inside, his eyes filled with obvious joy and excitement.
Inside, five irregular gemstones the size of pigeon eggs were quietly placed.
Red agate, obsidian, white crystal… all emitted a faint magical aura, surrounded by elemental energy, with the elements around the gemstones being more active than elsewhere.
In the Noah Continent, these shiny, star-like gemstones not only functioned as decorations but were also cherished magical items among numerous creatures. Gemstones had the ability to draw in elemental energy and could contain powerful magic.
The longer they remained, the higher their quality and the more potent their effects.
A top-quality gemstone can support the full consumption of a high-ring spell.
Moreover, the elemental energy concentration around gemstones was higher, and staying in a pile of gemstones for a long time can accelerate growth and progress.
Brian picked up a flame-like red agate and gently rubbed it against his face.
After a moment, he slowly opened his dragon mouth, hesitatingly and reluctantly moving the gemstone towards his mouth.
"Should I eat it or keep it…"
Brian felt a bit reluctant.
He was dirt poor with his small treasure hoard containing only a piece of broken armor and a rusty sword.
Besides reluctance, another reason was that eating gemstones directly was a wasteful act.
Keeping the gemstones close for ten years would enhance the owner's magic more effectively than swallowing them in one go, and the gemstones' quality would also improve over time.
After pondering for a few seconds, Brian steeled himself and tossed the red agate into his mouth.
What he needed now was the strength to deal with unexpected situations and crises. Only when he had enough confidence in the future would he be fit to collect treasures.
Although he didn’t want to, Brian had to eat these beautiful little gems.
"Don't blame me."
"You showed up at the wrong time."
Brian gulped, swallowing the red agate and sending it into his dragon stomach. His powerful digestive system immediately began breaking it down, converting it into pure magical energy that flowed through his body.
Magic was elemental energy absorbed into the body and wielded at will.
As the gemstone gradually dissolved, waves of magical energy gently swept through every cell in Brian's body, nourishing his physique, causing him to let out a few low, comfortable dragon growls.
Feeling the tingling waves within his body, Brian lifted the small wooden box and poured its contents directly into his mouth.
The remaining four gemstones fell into Brian's mouth one after another, entering his dragon stomach, being digested into pure magical energy like before, repeatedly sweeping and cleansing Brian's body.
With five magical gemstones in his stomach, Brian's eyes became somewhat hazy.
He felt sleepy.
It wasn't the kind of drowsiness that comes from mental fatigue and the need to rest, but rather, his body had absorbed enough energy and nutrients and was about to grow again, requiring a period of slumber.
"It still feels a bit short."
The drowsiness was vague and not very strong.
This indicated that Brian was very close to entering a growth slumber but still needed a little more.
He had planned to take some time to study the spells recorded in the “Summary of Enchantment and Transmutation Magic”, but the most effective way to increase his strength at the moment was still through slumber and growth for Brian.
Therefore, Brian put aside the idea of studying magic for now.
He took heavy steps out of William's stone house.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Brian gathered all the Ogres and inquired if there were any remaining gemstones in the Ogre basin, promising generous rewards to those who could provide them.
However, Brian was disappointed to discover that William's collection was exhaustive. Ogres had no inclination towards shiny objects and lacked the ability to harness the power of gemstones without Spellcaster talent, thus there was no reason to hoard them.
Additionally, William had thoroughly scoured the area, and the five gemstones were the extent of what was found.
As a precaution, Brian also cast a spell to detect magic. Following a thorough patrol of the Ogre basin, he confirmed the absence of any lingering traces of magic.
These simple-minded Ogres hadn't lied to him.
Otherwise, Brian would have made the one hiding gemstones pay with their life.
He said, "Tancred, if you find any gemstones in the future, bring them to me.
"If you can't, let me know. I'll handle it personally."
"Tell all the Ogres that master needs gemstones to adorn his nest."
Tancred scratched his head in confusion, failing to grasp why the esteemed True Dragon and the former Chief were both intrigued by seemingly worthless stones. Nonetheless, he respectfully nodded and replied, "As you command, great master."
Brian's Dragon Wings twitched, indicating his intention to return to his Dragon's Lair beneath the river in the icy territory. However, just as he was preparing to depart, he turned back to Tancred and instructed, "Construct a Dragon's Lair in the basin for me, tailored to the specifications of an adult dragon."
Tancred was taken aback and cautiously expressed, "Master, the Bonecrusher Tribe lacks a significant number of Ogres. Building a Dragon's Lair of that magnitude…
Brian impatiently interrupted , "I only want results."
Tancred's face turned pale. He lowered his head, not daring to speak further.
Brian's tone softened slightly as he said after a pause, "Get some strong Ogres, and I will give you the opportunity for dragonline transformation."
As large humanoid creatures, Ogres were quite powerful individually. One Ogre can easily take on five Arctic Ice Spirits that their strength can be further enhanced through dragonline transformation, making them capable of hunting large Magical Creatures for Brian.
