Chapter 26: Irene’s Other Side

The number of spectators watching increased from three pairs of eyes to four...

Completely absorbed, Aegon and Irene seemed unaware of their surroundings. It wasn't until two hours later that this intense battle finally came to an end, with Irene meticulously using auxiliary spells to clean up the battlefield.

During this time, Selene had numerous opportunities to attack Irene from behind, especially since both Aegon and Irene seemed utterly engrossed and defenseless. However, she refrained from doing so.

Given Aegon's attitude towards Irene, it was obvious even without much thought that if she harmed Irene, Aegon would likely hunt her to the ends of the earth.

Just as Mercphobia, another Dragon God, stood no chance against Aegon, neither would she.

She didn't want to spend her life hiding, especially since her purpose for coming here was not to battle Aegon and Irene.

There was no need to risk her life in such a manner; it would be more prudent to flee to Elentear directly.

Once everything was tidied up, Selene finally spoke softly: "Alright, now that it's over, what do you want to discuss?"

Irene and Aegon exchanged a glance. Seeing Aegon nod slightly, Irene, her cheeks still slightly flushed, sized up Selene and then spoke:

"Introduce yourself. I'm Irene Belsarion."

"Moon Dragon Selene."

"I see... No wonder there's always a full moon overhead whenever I see you."

"That's my dragon magic—'Moon'. It borrows the power of the moon and stars, but it's not the actual moon."

Irene's expression changed quickly, turning cold as she conversed with Selene in a commanding tone:

"Alright, let's cut the small talk and get straight to the point. Tell me your primary goal."

Although even Irene had to admire Selene's beauty, she had no intention of placing a ticking time bomb next to Aegon.

Therefore, she needed to understand Selene's intentions. This was the fundamental reason Irene had suggested meeting Selene in the first place.

Irene crossed her legs, leaned slightly forward, and rested her chin on her right hand: "Your primary goal—don't think about it; I want to know your first thought."

Selene chuckled, her slender eyebrows barely noticeable as they raised slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"I don't need to think about it; I've had my answer for a long time."

Her gaze shifted between Aegon and Irene: "Pleasure."

Irene was not satisfied with this answer and frowned: "Pleasure? That's too vague. Be more specific."

Although Irene's expression appeared impatient, Selene surprisingly didn't feel any sense of alienation.

This was an especially strange sensation for her.

She even felt like a daughter-in-law meeting her in-laws for the first time, with Irene acting like an elder evaluating her.

Juliet whispered to Mira: "Lady Irene seems to like her quite a bit."

Mera was puzzled, "But Lady Irene is frowning."

Heine softly explained: "No, when Lady Irene genuinely dislikes someone, she shows no expression at all."

Their voices were low, almost inaudible, but for Selene, Aegon, and Irene, they were perfectly clear.

Selene, her pale gold eyes fixed on Irene, enunciated each word carefully:

"For the sake of pleasure, I want to kill the other Four Divine Dragons because they are the greatest obstacles to my becoming human and indulging in pleasure."

At this point, she turned to look at Aegon: "The Black Dragon once was an obstacle too, but now it seems not."

"To become human... for pleasure, is that it?"

Irene showed no special reaction to Selene's answer. She simply switched the leg she had crossed and maintained her cold expression toward Selene.

Selene finally revealed her true purpose for coming here: "I want to cooperate with you."

This time, Irene's demeanor changed; she frowned again, but this time her expression was one of contemplation and inexplicable sentiment.

"I refuse."

Without a moment's hesitation, Irene gave a decisive answer.

Hearing her response, Selene felt a bit disappointed: "May I ask why?"

"I roughly understand why you want to cooperate. Although you are the exalted Moon Dragon, you are still alone. Clearly, you cannot face the four Divine Dragons simultaneously, and Aegon would undoubtedly be your best support."

In just a few sentences, Irene effortlessly analyzed Selene's psychology.

"Actually, I'm very satisfied with your answer, but my response remains the same: I refuse."

"You need him, but he doesn't necessarily need you."

Selene looked at Aegon, who was lying on a chaise lounge, seemingly unaffected by Irene's decision.

To be honest, Selene wanted to agree with Irene, but she still stubbornly retorted:

"There is a weapon in Earthland capable of killing the Five Divine Dragons—'Athena'."

"Where is the weapon?"

Selene's face flushed as she eventually replied loudly, "I haven't found it yet!"

Irene shrugged noncommittally: "As you said, not only have you not found it, but it's also just a weapon capable of killing the Five Divine Dragons, not him."

"I don't know if you haven't considered this or if you're playing dumb with me, but whether or not we cooperate with you, it doesn't affect him."

Irene straightened her posture, her neck and waist forming an elegant line.

This was Irene's usual demeanor when interacting with others in her daily life, using the calmest tone and the most concise language to converse with others.

She hated wasting time, and she hated others wasting her time.

"To be frank, your only value is yourself."

Hearing Irene's blunt statement, Selene remained silent for a while before speaking: "Of course I know that it makes no difference whether you cooperate with me or not."

Given Aegon's current, barely revealed strength, it was evident that he had become even stronger over the past four hundred years.

The Black Dragon, who was already unstoppable during the Dragon King Festival, had grown even stronger. She dared not imagine what he might be like now, which was why Irene spoke to her this way.

Irene elegantly extended two fingers:

"Actually, cooperating with you is not a major issue, but the problem is how do I know that after accomplishing your goal, you won't betray Aegon? After all, I don't know you well enough yet."

"Second, back to the fundamental issue, your claim that you want to kill the other Four Divine Dragons is just your word. I can't guarantee whether this is the truth or a lie."

Having said a long speech for once, Irene looked into Selene's eyes: "So can you tell me why Aegon should cooperate with you?"

Selene, biting her lower lip, looked at Irene's gaze and vaguely sensed that something was about to happen. She took a deep breath and said,

"Actually, I had already made a decision before coming here."

A faint smile appeared on Irene's lips:

"Very well, then please show your value."

...

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